He is talent and charm(魅力) have made him the No.1 Chinese classical artist in the world. He played in the grand Beijing Olympic opening ceremony last summer, watched by a TV audience of 5 billion.

Lang Lang, 26, is the first Chinese pianist to play with the world’s top orchestras, making his debut at the Carnegie Hall in New York at 18, while still a student.

Lang Lang’s charm and fondness for sharp clothes make him a natural fit to represent（代表）China’s new international image. According to the British newspaper the Times, “The Lang Lang effect” is responsible for driving 36 million Chinese children to learn the piano.

Now in China children are learning Chopin(肖邦) and Western orchestras are touring Chinese cities, but can China ever export（出口）its own music to the west? Lang is trying. His cooperation with the London Symphony Orchestras this month includes a performance of Dragon Songs, an album of traditional Chinese classics.

  Behind the international recognition, however, is a fascinating story of a gifted child. Lang grew up with his father’s own musical ambition and high expectations. It is not hard to imagine how boring it must be to practice the piano every day. Lang said that he once hated his hands and the piano. He injured his right hand six years ago and had to rest. “That was the best month,” he says, without hesitation. “I had a date. I saw a Broadway show and saw Britney Spears in concert.”

1.Which of the following is NOT the reason why Lang Lang is the No.1 Chinese classical artist in the world?

A. He played in the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony last summer.

B. He has as many as 5 billions fans in China.

C. He is the first Chinese pianist to play with the world’s top orchestras.

D. He plays the piano so well and has a good international image.

2.The underlined word “debut” in the second paragraph probably means____.

A. first class       B. first performance      C. first plan         D. first choice

3.Which of the following statements about Lang is true?

A. He has 36 million Chinese students in China.

B. He is touring China giving concerts.

C. He is trying to export Chinese music to western countries.

D. He only played traditional Chinese classics in his cooperation with the London Symphony Orchestra.

4.From the last paragraph we can infer _____.

A. Lang didn’t like his father when he was little

B. he was happy to practice the piano everyday 

C. his father’s desire and expectations played an important role in his childhood

D. he injured his right hand on purpose six years ago

Liu Xiang, athlete, born in 1983

Liu Xiang made his name by winning the 110-meter hurdles gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. This was the first time an athlete of non-African descent (血統(tǒng)) had gone under 13 seconds for the event. In the same year, Liu set a new 110-meter hurdling world record at the Super Grand Prix in Lausanne, with a time of 12.88 seconds.
Lang Lang, pianist, born in 1982

Lang Lang began piano lessons at age three. His father quit his job to accompany his boy to Beijing. At 11, Lang Lang was awarded first prize for his outstanding performance at the Fourth International Young Pianists Competition in Germany. In 1995, at 13, he won first place at the Tchaikovsky International Young Musicians’ Competition in Japan. At 17, Lang Lang made his breakthrough in the West and has performed with many of the world’s major orchestras since then.
Li Yuchun, singer, born in 1984

Born into a middle-class family, Li was not encouraged by her parents to pursue a career in entertainment. The turning point came when she entered the Super Girl contest in 2005. This competition drew the largest audiences in Chinese television history. She rose above 120,000 applicants with her tomboy style and Latin-flavored performance. Her win came as a surprise to many people because she didn’t fit the stereotype of female singers. She has millions of fans of all ages all over the country. Her haircut and manners have been copied by tens of thousands of girls. Her first album sold more than 430,000 copies in the first month.
Ding Junhui, snooker player, born in 1987

Ding quit school at 13, after his father insisted he concentrate on snooker. His parents then sold their house to help Ding kick-start his career. In March 2005, he celebrated his 18th birthday by reaching the final of the China Open in Beijing, along the way beating world top-16 ranked players Peter Ebdon, Marco Fu and Ken Doherty. In the final, he defeated the then world No 3, Stephen Hendry, ranking first in the tournament. After shooting to fame, questions were raised over the father’s decision for Ding to quit school.
【小題1】Who is the passage intended for?

Liu Xiang, athlete, born in 1983

Liu Xiang made his name by winning the 110-meter hurdles gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. This was the first time an athlete of non-African descent (血統(tǒng)) had gone under 13 seconds for the event. In the same year, Liu set a new 110-meter hurdling world record at the Super Grand Prix in Lausanne, with a time of 12.88 seconds.
Lang Lang, pianist, born in 1982

Lang Lang began piano lessons at age three. His father quit his job to accompany his boy to Beijing. At 11, Lang Lang was awarded first prize for his outstanding performance at the Fourth International Young Pianists Competition in Germany. In 1995, at 13, he won first place at the Tchaikovsky International Young Musicians’ Competition in Japan. At 17, Lang Lang made his breakthrough in the West and has performed with many of the world’s major orchestras since then.
Li Yuchun, singer, born in 1984

Born into a middle-class family, Li was not encouraged by her parents to pursue a career in entertainment. The turning point came when she entered the Super Girl contest in 2005. This competition drew the largest audiences in Chinese television history. She rose above 120,000 applicants with her tomboy style and Latin-flavored performance. Her win came as a surprise to many people because she didn’t fit the stereotype of female singers. She has millions of fans of all ages all over the country. Her haircut and manners have been copied by tens of thousands of girls. Her first album sold more than 430,000 copies in the first month.
Ding Junhui, snooker player, born in 1987

Ding quit school at 13, after his father insisted he concentrate on snooker. His parents then sold their house to help Ding kick-start his career. In March 2005, he celebrated his 18th birthday by reaching the final of the China Open in Beijing, along the way beating world top-16 ranked players Peter Ebdon, Marco Fu and Ken Doherty. In the final, he defeated the then world No 3, Stephen Hendry, ranking first in the tournament. After shooting to fame, questions were raised over the father’s decision for Ding to quit school

1. 1.

   Who is the passage intended for?

   1. A.
      People only interested in China Daily
   2. B.
      Children born after the 1980s
   3. C.
      Students and the young crazy fans
   4. D.
      Readers of all ages
2. 2.

   Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

   1. A.
      Liu Xiang was the first to prove the Asians can equal the African descent in the hurdles
   2. B.
      Li Yunchun’s talent made her the best-known singer in China
   3. C.
      Ding Junhui was forced to drop out of school because of his low grades
   4. D.
      Lang Lang was the most popular with the students in China
3. 3.

   Who was the youngest when they rose to fame?

   1. A.
      Li Yuchun
   2. B.
      Liu Xiang
   3. C.
      Ding Junhui
   4. D.
      Lang Lang

A couple of years ago, before a trip to China, Nicole Davis and her US women’s volleyball teammates were warned about the prominence (顯著、突出) of coach “Jenny” Lang Ping in her native country.

“I was pushed over by Chinese journalists while I was just trying to put my luggage on the bus,” said Davis.

Known as the “Iron Hammer” for her punishing spikes(扣球), Lang made it possible for China to dominate in the sport in the early 1980s. She was a key player on China’s 1984 Olympic gold medal winning team.

When the US team arrived for the Olympics, Lang, 48, who is from Beijing, had to take a different route to avoid a crowd of reporters and fans.

Then came the greatest moment to Lang：While the US team was playing in a packed gym, at least 8,000 Chinese fans unfurled an American flag.

“That really says it all,” Davis said. “They look at her as an icon(偶像)．I’m sure it’s hard for them to see her coaching another country, but they love her so dearly that her success is their success.”

The loyalty of the Chinese fans was tested on Friday, when China lost a match to the US.

“It’s a pity that China lost the match, but I’m still glad that Lang Ping’s team won, since she is the pride of China’s volleyball,” said Liu Chengli, a spectator. “We also cheered for

Lang’s victory.”

Lang said she just tried to stay professional when the two teams meet. “It doesn’t matter if we play China or any other team. It’s the same.” Lang said.

Davis said she and her teammates could not have imagined the passion for volleyball among Chinese because the sport was lack of popularity in the US. The reception from Chinese fans has touched the US players, said US volleyball player Lindsey Berg.

“It’s such an honor to be here and play for our coach here in China,” she said. “The amount of support that the Chinese give to her and us has been tremendous. The whole event has been unbelievable.”

1.What’s the passage mainly about?

A．Staying professional.                                B．Cheering for the Iron Hammer.

C．A match between China and the US.           D．Lang Ping’s career as a coach.

2.Lang Ping avoided meeting the reporters and fans probably because she ________.

A．was afraid to be questioned about her strategy

B．didn’t want to be paid much attention to

C．disliked to be with her fans

D．didn’t want to disturb public order

3.What does the underlined word “unfurled” exactly mean?

A．destroyed completely                               B．tore into pieces

C．spread out to the wind                              D．rolled up

4.What does Lang Ping mean by saying “It doesn’t matter if we play China or any other team.”？

A．American Volleyball Team will beat any team.

B．Chinese Volleyball Team is the same as other teams.

C．She just tried to stay professional.

D．The results of each match will be the same.

5.What impressed the US team players most?

A．The tolerance of Chinese people.

B．The popularity of volleyball in China.

C．Lang Ping’s coaching skills.

D．The loyalty for volleyball of the Chinese.

Liu Xiang, athlete, born in 1983

Liu Xiang made his name by winning the 110-meter hurdles gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. This was the first time an athlete of non-African descent (血統(tǒng)) had gone under 13 seconds for the event. In the same year, Liu set a new 110-meter hurdling world record at the Super Grand Prix in Lausanne, with a time of 12.88 seconds.

Lang Lang, pianist, born in 1982

Lang Lang began piano lessons at age three. His father quit his job to accompany his boy to Beijing. At 11, Lang Lang was awarded first prize for his outstanding performance at the Fourth International Young Pianists Competition in Germany. In 1995, at 13, he won first place at the Tchaikovsky International Young Musicians’ Competition in Japan. At 17, Lang Lang made his breakthrough in the West and has performed with many of the world’s major orchestras since then.

Li Yuchun, singer, born in 1984

Born into a middle-class family, Li was not encouraged by her parents to pursue a career in entertainment. The turning point came when she entered the Super Girl contest in 2005. This competition drew the largest audiences in Chinese television history. She rose above 120,000 applicants with her tomboy style and Latin-flavored performance. Her win came as a surprise to many people because she didn’t fit the stereotype of female singers. She has millions of fans of all ages all over the country. Her haircut and manners have been copied by tens of thousands of girls. Her first album sold more than 430,000 copies in the first month.

Ding Junhui, snooker player, born in 1987

Ding quit school at 13, after his father insisted he concentrate on snooker. His parents then sold their house to help Ding kick-start his career. In March 2005, he celebrated his 18th birthday by reaching the final of the China Open in Beijing, along the way beating world top-16 ranked players Peter Ebdon, Marco Fu and Ken Doherty. In the final, he defeated the then world No 3, Stephen Hendry, ranking first in the tournament. After shooting to fame, questions were raised over the father’s decision for Ding to quit school.

1.Who is the passage intended for?

A．People only interested in China Daily.        B．Children born after the 1980s.

C．Students and the young crazy fans.          D．Readers of all ages.

2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Liu Xiang was the first to prove the Asians can equal the African descent in the hurdles.

B．Li Yunchun’s talent made her the best-known singer in China.

C．Ding Junhui was forced to drop out of school because of his low grades.

D．Lang Lang was the most popular with the students in China.

3.Who was the youngest when they rose to fame?

A．Li Yuchun.         B．Liu Xiang.          C．Ding Junhui.        D．Lang Lang.