阅读理解

　　Like many people you may be dreaming of a career as a rock and roll star．There are two ways to go about getting one．First there is the traditional way．Find some friends and form a group．Learn to play the guitar or the drums．Write your own songs．Spend hours arguing about the band name．Then go out on the road．

　　The next step is to spend a year or two touring．If you are any good, the crowds will get bigger．In the end an artist from a record company may come to a show．If he or she likes you, there may be a deal．This is the route traditionally followed by bands in the music industry．Success means fame and wealth．And failure gives you some interesting stories to tell your children．?

　　Over the last few years a different path to success has become known．Boy bands like Boyzone and girl bands like the Spice Girls don't come together on their own．They are created by managers and record companies．Their image is strictly controlled．Professional song writers usually write their music．This is a convenient arrangement and the public seems to love the result．?

　　Though boy and girl bands have become very popular recently, there is a long tradition of making music in this way．In the early 1960s an American businessman called Berry Gordy founded Motown Records．Motown is short for “motor town”．The record company was based in the city of Detroit, where thousands of African Americans had moved to work in the car industry．They brought with them a cultural tradition of writing and performing music．This style later became known as “soulmusic”．Berry Gordy was a diamond miner．He took raw talent from the street and polished it until it shone．Motown stars were not just given songs to sing．They were also taught how to dress well and speak properly．

阅读理解

　　As the saying goes, once you’ve learnt to ride a bike, you’ll never forget．The next step is to feel confident; our quick guide below will help, but a bit of training can be invaluable．When you’re confident about what you’re doing, you get a lot more pleasure out of it．

　　Although you can get started with remarkably little in the way of knowledge, equipment and skills, you’ll find a little of each will be extremely helpful．Search around on this　website and you’ll pick up a lot quickly．If you already have a bike and it’s been lying around for a few years, you need to make sure it is still safe to ride．Start with the following checks：

　　Both brakes work well．

　　Both tires are pumped up．

　　The saddle is at the correct height(as a rough guide, when sitting on the saddle your heel should rest on the pedal with your knee very slightly bent)．

　　The handle bars are tightened so they do not move when pressure is applied from the top．

　　The gears(齿轮)work smoothly．

　　If you are unsure you should take it to your nearest bike shop for a quick service．

　　Once you have a bike, the next thing is to ride it safely and that means with confidence．There are a few principles though that will help when you start out．

　　Off road routes and trails are a good way to increase your bike handling skills, especially if you have not ridden a bike for a few years, so find your nearest national cycle network route, former railway cycle path, local park which allows cycling．If you are specifically looking to learn the finer skills of mountain biking, then a mountain bike training course could well help you on your way, whether you’re a complete beginner, or someone with more experience．

　　Once you have gained confidence in cycling, you may want to venture(冒险)further and this normally means that you will need to cycle on the road, see our SKILLS OF THE ROAD page for more information．