Duke Ellington is known as one of the most important composers of his time, and his work has been enjoyed for more than 80 years by music lovers all over the world. During his lifetime Ellington turned musical sounds into many compositions, mostly in the style known as jazz.
The Early Years
Edward Kennedy Ellington was born in 1899 in Washington, D. C. It wasn’t until Ellington was a teenager that his interest in music grew. He taught himself to play the piano by listening to local piano players. Sometime around 1916 Ellington began playing the piano at high school parties. Ellington realized that he enjoyed entertaining people with his music. He soon became a very popular musician, playing at parties and other events in the Washington area. Young adults seemed especially delighted by the modern pieces he composed.
Success in New York
In 1923, when Ellington was almost 24 years old, he joined The Washingtonians, a five-piece group of musicians in Washington, and became the group’s leader in early 1924. In 1927 Ellington and his orchestra won an engagement（雇傭期）at Harlem’s famous Cotton Club. For the next three years, his orchestra played at the Cotton Club nearly every night.
The Influence of the Cotton Club
Working at the Cotton Club encouraged Ellington’s creativity. Since the shows changed every six months, he was challenged by the need to continually develop new material. He had to compose a wide variety of music to accompany the various acts in the Cotton Club shows and to adapt that music to the strengths and weaknesses of the players in his orchestra.
By 1928 the popular nightspot began radio broadcasts. From the broadcasts Ellington and his orchestra gained a national reputation.
On the Road
As Ellington’s popularity increased, he realized that his orchestra could do well on concert tours. They left the Cotton Club in 1931 and toured America and Europe almost continually for the next 43 years. In addition to touring, Ellington made recordings and continued to compose music.
Duke Ellington played the piano, composed music, and led his famous orchestra for more than 50 years, until his death in 1974. Music lovers all over the world agree that the large quantity of music he created will be enjoyed for many years to come.
1.From the second paragraph, we know that Ellington ____________.
A. could sing as well as he played the piano
B. preferred mature audiences to young adults
C. had a natural talent for musical composition
D. learnt to play musical instrument from very young age
2.Which of the following can show us Ellington’s leadership ability?
A. Ellington was very popular at parties in the Washington area.
B. Ellington took the responsibility for a band for a long time.
C. Ellington did live radio broadcasts in New York City.
D. Ellington continually developed new material.
3.We may infer from the passage that ____________.
A. Ellington’s career took off overnight
B. Ellington loves touring around the world
C. Ellington could compose a wide variety of songs
D. Ellington had a great effect on the world of music
4.Which of the following shows the order in which the events happened in the story?
a. Ellington joined a five-piece group of musicians in Washington.
b. Ellington’s orchestra played at the Cotton Club.
c. Ellington and his orchestra gained a national reputation.
d. Ellington began playing the piano at high school parties.
e. Ellington’s orchestra went on concert tours.
A. d-b-a-e-c B. d-a-b-c-e C. a-d-b-c-e D. a-d-b-e-c
科目：高中英語 來源：2013屆江西省上饒中學高三第一次月考英語試卷（帶解析） 題型：閱讀理解
Bedfordshire had its fair share of royal visits from the early stages of the 10th Century onwards and the importance that the county placed on this is evident in the monuments, country houses, churches and any number of other structures that are still present there to this day. Bedford Castle is one of those structures and, although it is nowhere near its former glory today, it is an essential attraction to visit if you really want to grasp what its heritage means to the county!
Bedford Castle was built initially as a fortress to help protect Bedfordshire on the south of the River Ouse after the people in the local towns and villages had already been subdued. It was erected in 919 on the orders of King Edward the Elder, although it was destroyed by a Danish invasion years later. This was when it was rebuilt as the castle, of which the ruins exist today!
There is a long history behind the castle that involves several kings as a result of the Duke of Bedford being an ardent royalist. Bedford Castle repeatedly offered the kings of England refuge against various storms in the form of onslaughts from abroad and various domestic threats against them, and this is where much of its fame lies, even though the castle itself is no longer there. There are various tours of the ruins that you can take when you visit though and all of the guides are extremely knowledgeable. They will happily tell you tales of the mound and the castle that preceded it.
The mound is open to the public all year round and is a proud part of the area’s heritage. It is recommended by the majority of people that visit Bedfordshire because it tells you much about why the county is currently how it is. You can view the river from the mound and the surrounding settlements as well as the remains of the castle, and every moment spent there is worth it so enjoy the history and the very nature of the county itself!
【小題1】What do we know from the first paragraph?
| A．The royals pay regular visits to Bedfordshire. |
| B．Bedfordshire had it fair share of royal visit. |
| C．Most of the ancient buildings are in use today. |
| D．Bedford Castle represents the history of the county. |
| A．first of all |
| B．at the beginning |
| C．for one particular purpose |
| D．for a short time |
| A．to seek temporary protection |
| B．to visit the Duke of Bedford |
| C．to enjoy the beauty of nature |
| D．to escape from the bad weather |
| A．It is the major heritage in that region |
| B．It reflects the history of Bedfordshire |
| C．The ancient castle is well worth visiting |
| D．The castle is still in good condition |
| A．to introduce Bedford Castle |
| B．to tell the history of Bedfordshire |
| C．to attract tourists to Bedfordshire |
| D．to show where the kings used to go |
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科目：高中英語 來源：2014屆廣東省惠州市高二上學期期中考試英語試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解
When doctors urge overweight kids to pick up more activities，reading probably isn’t what they have in mind. Yet a new study by fatness researchers at Duke University finds that the simple act of reading—depending on the choice of material—can cause weight loss in teenage girls.
The study’s experimental group included 31 fat girls aged 9 to 13，who took part in the Healthy Lifestyles Program at Duke Children’s Hospital. The girls read a novel called Lake Rescue，whose protagonist (主人公) is an overweight teenager who struggles with low selfesteem，feelings of loneliness and teasing because of her size. A group of 33 girls read a different book called Charlotte in Paris，which did not have an overweight character，and another group of 17 girls read neither book.
At the end of the sixmonth experiment，all the girls who read books had lost weight，but the girls who read Lake Rescue lost more. They lowered their body mass index (BMI) by 0.71，compared with 0.33 in the Charlotte group，an average 0.05 increase among the nonreaders.
The idea behind the study，says Dr Sarah Armstrong，director of Healthy Lifestyles，was to find a way to encourage the girls without adopting the restrictive and often authoritative voice of so many other nutrition and diet programs. Lake Rescue was the perfect instrument，says Armstrong；it presents a likable character to whom the girls could relate and whom they could learn from. As the book progresses，its protagonist learns to make healthier lifestyle choices and finds an adviser to help keep her on track. Armstrong says，“She learns that she can become healthier，and the ‘I can do it’ feeling resonates (產生共鳴) with the teenage girls.”
1.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A．There are different ways to help overweight kids lose weight.
B．Lifestyle is important for kids.
C．Lake Rescue is the perfect weightlosing instrument.
D．Reading can help kids lose weight.
2.How many girls took part in the experiment?
A．31. B．33. C．64. D．81.
3.What does the underlined word “She” in the last paragraph refer to?
A．Armstrong. B．The protagonist in Lake Rescue.
C．A character in Charlotte in Paris. D．A girl in the first group.
4.According to the passage we can know that ________.
A．overweight girls are living unhappily
B．reading is the best way to lose weight
C．different reading materials play different roles in losing weight
D．people will become fat if they don’t read
5.In which part of a newspaper can we read the above passage?
A．Education. B．Entertainment. C．Health. D．Advertisement.
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科目：高中英語 來源：2011-2012學年江蘇省東臺市高三上學期第一階段考試英語試題 題型：閱讀理解
Introductory Chemistry was taught at Duke University for many years by professor Bonk. One year, two guys took the class and did pretty well on all the quizzes and mid-terms. They each had a solid A. These two friends were so confident in going into the final that the weekend before finals week, despite the Chemistry final being on Monday, they decided to go to the University of Virginia to party with some friends.
They had a great time there. However, with their hangovers（宿醉）and tiredness, they overslept all day Sunday and didn’t make it back to Duke until early Monday morning. Rather than taking the final then, they found professor Bonk after the final and explained to him how they missed the final. They told him they went up to the University of Virginia for the weekend and had planned to come back in time to study, but they had a flat tire on the way back and didn’t have a spare. So they were late getting back to campus.
Bonk thought this over and agreed that they could take the final the following day. The two guys, happy and relieved, studied that night and went in the next day at the time that Bonk had told them. He placed them in separate rooms and handed each of them a test booklet. He told them to begin.
They looked at the first problem which was something simple about solution（溶解）. It was worth 5 points. “Cool,” they thought, “this is going to be an easy final”. They then turned the page. They were unprepared, however, for what they saw on it. The question contained only two words: (95 points) Which tire?
1. The two guys decided to go to the University of Virginia because ________.
|
A．they were afraid of the final |
B．there was a party there |
|
C．the final would be held there |
D．they thought they can pass the final easily |
2.From the passage we know ________.
|
A．the two guys came back to campus late on purpose |
|
B．Bonk wasn’t strict with the two guys |
|
C．repairing the flat tire took the two guys a lot of time |
|
D．Bonk didn’t believe the two guys’ explanation |
3. After the final, they ________.
|
A．may apology to professor Bonk |
B．must have the same scores |
|
C．wouldn’t be confident in their Chemistry |
D．would feel happy and relieved |
4.From the passage we can get a lesson that ________.
|
A．he who makes no mistakes makes nothing |
B．he is wise that is honest |
|
C．one never loses anything by politeness |
D．think twice before you do |
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科目：高中英語 來源：2011-2012學年山東省濰坊市三縣高三10月聯考英語試題 題型：閱讀理解
From a very early age, some children show better self-control than others. Now, a new study that began with about 1,000 children in New Zealand has tracked how a child’s low self-control can predict poor health, money troubles and even a criminal record in their adult years.
Researchers have been studying this group of children for decades now. They observed the level of self-control the youngsters displayed. Parents, teachers, even the kids themselves, scored the youngsters on measures like “acting before thinking” and “Persistence in reaching goals.”
The study led by Moffitt of Duke University and colleagues followed 1,000 children from birth to age 32 in Dunedin, New Zealand.
“The children who had the lowest self-control when they were age three to ten, later on had the most health problems in their 30s,” Moffitt said，“and they had the worst financial situation. They were more likely to have a criminal record and to be raising a child as a single parent on a very low income.” Moffitt explained that self-control problems were widely observed, and weren’t just a feature of a small group of misbehaving kids.
Moffitt said it’s still unclear why some children have better self-control than others, though she said other researchers have found that it’s mostly a learned behavior, with relatively little genetic influence. But good self-control can be set to run in families because children with good self-control are more likely to grow up to be healthy and prosperous parents. But the good news, Moffitt said, is that self-control can be taught by parents, and through school curricula that have been shown to be effective.
1.From the first two paragraphs we learn that .
A．the research has been carried out for five years
B．self-control in kids tends to determine their future
C．self-control was assessed by children’s intelligence
D．children’s self-control is almost the same at early age
2.Children with low self-control are more likely to .
A．become wealthy in later life B．get good school performance
C．have better financial planning D．adopt negative behaviors
3.According to Moffitt， .
A．only good genetic factors can shape their lives in the future
B．scientists know well why some children have better self-control
C．self-control in childhood has nothing to do with criminal activity
D．willpower as a child really influences people’s chances of adulthood
4.What can be inferred from the passage?
A．Self-control cannot be taught in schools.
B．The study is restricted within few participants.
C．It’s never too late to deal with self-control problems.
D．Good parenting can improve self-control and life success.
5.Which of the following might be the best title of the passage？
A．Child’s self-control predicts future health and success
B．Kids are encouraged to take risks at an early age
C．Children’s development cannot be changed by teachers
D．How to teach the kids a bit of self-control in schools
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科目：高中英語 來源：2010-2011學年浙江省溫州市高三上學期五校聯考英語卷 題型：閱讀理解
This is the VOA Special English Education Report. A few weeks ago, we talked about the Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL. A listener in Cambodia named Thida asks if American colleges and universities also accept the IELTS exam. IELTS is the International English Language Testing System. It was developed by the University of Cambridge ESOL examiners.
Cambridge ESOL says the test measures true-to-life ability to communicate in English for education, immigration or employment. The IELTS tests listening, reading, writing and speaking skills. It uses a mixture of accents and spellings, including British English and American English.
The test is used by government agencies, schools and professional organizations in one hundred and twenty countries. And, yes, that includes the United States. The many American schools that accepted the IELTS can be found on the Web at felts.org.
Some schools accept both the TOEFL and the IELTS, but the graduate school at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, for example, says it prefers the IEITS.
The listening and speaking parts are the same for everyone who takes the IELTS, but people have a choice of reading and writing tests -- either academic or general training.
The listening test takes thirty minutes. There are forty questions based on a recording. The reading test takes sixty minutes. Students answer forty questions based on three written passages.
The writing test also takes sixty minutes. Students have to write two essays. One essay has to be at least one hundred and fifty words long and the other at least two hundred and fifty words. The shorter one is description of something; the longer one has to support and argument.
The speaking test takes less than fifteen minutes. The score is based on a recorded talk between the student and a test examiner.
And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. If you have a general question for our series, write to special@voanews.com. I'm Barbara Klein.
1.What does TOEFL stand for?
A. The Voice of America B. The International English Language Testing System
C. The Test of English as a Foreign Language
D. The Test of English as a Native Language
2.The International English Language Testing System commonly takes _______ in all.
A. less than 160 minutes B. more than 165 minutes
C. no more than 160 minutes D. less than 166 minutes
3. According to the passage, we can infer _______.
A. IELTS is efficient and necessary if you want to go to English-speaking countries
B. IELTS is completely different from TOEFL
C. every American needs to accept TOEFL D. IEITS isn't used more widely than TOEFL
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A. How can the readers write papers to the VOA programme?
B. It talks about some ways to pass TOEFL.
C. It introduces IELTS.
D. How can the readers pass two kinds of tests?
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