“What happened? ” Martin asked. It was growing colder. He trembled, twisting his body closer to the fire.
“The land hit back—just as the old man warned, ” Jack shrugged. “Dennis disappeared. Old folks around here believe that swamp plants moved up from the river and dragged him underwater. His body was never found.”
“What a stupid story, ” laughed Tom. “Plants can't…” Before he had finished speaking, he screamed and fainted(晕倒). The other two boys jumped up with fright, staring at Tom. Suddenly, they burst out laughing. Some green swamp ivy (常春藤) had covered Tom's face. It was a while before Tom could appreciate the joke.
56．The underlined word “dare” in Para graph 1 is closest in meaning to ________．
A. courage
B. assistance
C. instruction
D. challenge
57. Why did Jack tell Tom and Martin the story?
A. To frighten them.
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B. To satisfy their curiosity.
C. To warn them of the danger of the place.
D. To persuade them to camp in the swamp.
58. Why did Dennis ignore the warning of the old man?
A. The old man envied him.
B. The old man was foolish.
C. He was too busy to listen to others.
D. He was greedy for more crops.
59. Why did Tom scream and faint?
A. He saw Dennis's shadow.
B. He was scared by a plant.
C. His friends played a joke on him.
D. The weather became extremely cold.
B
[2013·山东卷]
George Gershwin, born in 1898, was one of America's greatest composers. He published his first song when he was eighteen years old. During the next twenty years he wrote more than five hundred songs.
Many of Gershwin's songs were first written for musical plays performed in theatres in New York City. These plays were a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of his songs have remained popular as ever. Over the years they have been sung and played in every possible way — from jazz to country.
In the 1920s there was a debate in the United States about jazz music. Could jazz, some people asked, be considered serious music? In 1924 jazz musician and orchestra leader Paul Whiteman decided to organize a special concert to show that jazz was serious music. Gershwin agreed to compose something for the concert before he realized he had just a few weeks to do it. And in that short time, he composed a piece for piano and orchestra which he called Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin himself played the piano at the concert. The audience were thrilled when they heard his music. It made him world-famous and showed that jazz music could be both serious and popular.
In 1928, Gershwin went to Paris. He applied to study composition (作曲)with the well-known musician Nadia Boulanger, but she rejected him. She was afraid that classical study would ruin his jazz-influenced style. While there, Gershwin wrote An American in Paris. When it was first performed, critics (评论家)were pided over the music. Some called it happy and full of life, to others it was silly and boring. But it quickly became popular in Europe and the United States. It still remains one of his most famous works.
George Gershwin died in 1937, just days after doctors learned he had brain cancer. He was only thirty-nine years old. Newspapers all over the world reported his death on their front pages. People mourned the loss of the man and all the music he might have still written.
60．Many of Gershwin's musical works were ________．
A．written about New Yorkers
B．composed for Paul Whiteman
C．played mainly in the countryside
D．performed in various ways
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61．What do we know about the concert organized by Whiteman?
A．It attracted more people to theatres.
B．It proved jazz could be serious music.
C．It made Gershwin leader of the orchestra.
D．It caused a debate among jazz musicians.
62．What did Gershwin do during his stay in Paris?
A．He created one of his best works.
B．He studied with Nadia Boulanger.
C．He argued with French critics.
D．He changed his music style.
63．Which of the following best describes Gershwin?
A．Talented and productive.
B．Serious and boring.
C．Popular and unhappy.
D．Friendly and honest.
C
[2013·安徽卷]
Argentina in the late nineteenth century was an exciting place. Around 1870，it was experiencing an economic(经济的)boom，and the capital，Buenos Aires，attracted many people. Farmers，as well as a flood of foreigners from Spain and Italy，came to Buenos Aires seeking jobs. These jobs didn't pay well，and the people felt lonely and disappointed with their new life in the city. As the unhappy newcomers mixed together in the poor parts of the city，the dance known as the tango(探戈舞) came into being.
At the beginning the tango was a dance of the lower classes. It was danced in the bars and streets. At that time there were many fewer women than men，so if a man didn't want to be left out，his only choice was to dance with another man so that he could attract the attention of the few available women. Gradually，the dance spread into the upper classes of Argentinean society and became more respectable.
In Europe at this time，strong interest in dance from around the world was beginning. The interest in international dance was especially evident in Paris. Every kind of dance from ballet(芭蕾舞) to belly dancing could be found on the stages of the Paris theaters. After tango dancers from Argentina arrived in Europe，they began to draw the interest of the public as they performed their exciting dance in cafes. Though not everyone approved of the new dance，saying it was a little too shocking，the dance did find enough supporters to make it popular.
The popularity(流行)of the tango continued to grow in many other parts of the world. Soldiers who returned to the United States from World War Ⅰbrought the tango to North America. It reached Japan in 1926，and in 2003 the Argentinean embassy in Seoul hired a local tango dancer to act as a kind of dance ambassador，and promote tango dancing throughout South Korea.
64. The origin of the tango is associated with________．
A．belly dancers B．American soldiers
C．a Spanish city D．the capital of Argentina
65．Which of the following is true about the tango?
A．It was created by foreigners from Spain and Italy.
B．People of the upper classes loved the tango most.
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C．It was often danced by two males in the beginning.
D．A dancer in Seoul became the Argentinean ambassador.
66．Before World War Ⅰ，the tango spread to________．
A．America B．Japan
C．France D．South Korea
67．What can be the best title for the text?
A．How to Dance the Tango
B．The History of the Tango
C．How to Promote the Tango
D．The Modern Tango Boom
D
[2013·大纲全国卷]
The oldest and most common source(来源)of renewable energy known to man, biomass is one of the most important forms of energy production in the United States and elsewhere. Since such a wide variety of biomass materials is everywhere—from trees and grasses to agricultural and city－life wastes—biomass promises to play a continuing role in providing power and heat for millions of people around the world.
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists(UCS), biomass is a kind of renewable energy source that produces no carbon dioxide(二氧化碳), because the energy it contains comes from the sun. When plant matter is burned, it gives off the sun's energy. In this way, biomass serves as a sort of natural battery(电池)for storing the sun's energy. As long as biomass is produced continuously—with only as much grown as is used—the “battery” lasts forever.
According to the Energy Information Administration, biomass has been one of the leading renewable energy sources in the United States for several years running through 2007, making up between 0.5 and 0.9 percent of the nation's total electricity supply. In 2008—although the numbers aren't all in yet—wind power probably took over first place because of the rapid development of wind farms across the country.
