单选题Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a reason for the decline in amateur singing?A It is easier for people to please themselves with songs through TV.B People don’t want to take the trouble to sing songs themselves.C Amateurs feel shy if they can

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第二篇

Shyness is the cause of much unhappiness for a great many people.Shy people are anxious and self-conscious;that is,they are excessively concerned with their own appearance and actions.Worrisome thoughts are constantly occurring in their minds.What kind of impression am I taking? Do they like me?Do I look stupid?Am I wearing attractive clothes?
It is obvious that such uncomfortable feelings must affect people adversely.A person's self-concept is reflected in the way he or she behaves,and the way a person behaves affects other people's reactions.In general,the way people think about themselves has a profound effect on all areas of their lives.
Shy people,having low self-esteem,are likely to be passive and easily influenced by others. They need reassurance that they are doing"the right thing".Shy people are very sensitive to criticism;they feel it confirms their inferiority.They also find it difficult to be pleased by compliments because they believe they are unworthy of praise.A shy person may respond to a compliment with a statement like this one,"you are just saying that to make me feel good.I know it's not true."It is clear that,while self-awareness is a healthy quality,overdoing it is harmful.
Can shyness be completely eliminated,or at least reduced?Fortunately,people can overcome shyness with determined and patient effort in building self-confidence.Since shyness goes hand in hand with lack of self-esteem,it is important for people to accept their weaknesses as well as their their strengths.For example,most people would like to be"A"student in every subject. It is not fair for them to label themselves inferior because they have difficulty in some areas.People's expectations of themselves must be realistic.Living on the impossible leads to a sense of inadequacy.
Each one of us is a unique,worthwhile individual. We are interested in our own personal ways.The better we understand ourselves,the easier it becomes to live up to our full potential.Let's not allow shyness to block our chances for a rich and fullfilling life.

what is the shy people's reaction to compliment? .
A: They are pleased by it
B:They feel it is not true.
C:They are very sensitive to it.
D:They feel it shows their inferiority.

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第二篇

Shyness is the cause of much unhappiness for a great many people.Shy people are anxious and self-conscious;that is,they are excessively concerned with their own appearance and actions.Worrisome thoughts are constantly occurring in their minds.What kind of impression am I taking? Do they like me?Do I look stupid?Am I wearing attractive clothes?
It is obvious that such uncomfortable feelings must affect people adversely.A person's self-concept is reflected in the way he or she behaves,and the way a person behaves affects other people's reactions.In general,the way people think about themselves has a profound effect on all areas of their lives.
Shy people,having low self-esteem,are likely to be passive and easily influenced by others. They need reassurance that they are doing"the right thing".Shy people are very sensitive to criticism;they feel it confirms their inferiority.They also find it difficult to be pleased by compliments because they believe they are unworthy of praise.A shy person may respond to a compliment with a statement like this one,"you are just saying that to make me feel good.I know it's not true."It is clear that,while self-awareness is a healthy quality,overdoing it is harmful.
Can shyness be completely eliminated,or at least reduced?Fortunately,people can overcome shyness with determined and patient effort in building self-confidence.Since shyness goes hand in hand with lack of self-esteem,it is important for people to accept their weaknesses as well as their their strengths.For example,most people would like to be"A"student in every subject. It is not fair for them to label themselves inferior because they have difficulty in some areas.People's expectations of themselves must be realistic.Living on the impossible leads to a sense of inadequacy.
Each one of us is a unique,worthwhile individual. We are interested in our own personal ways.The better we understand ourselves,the easier it becomes to live up to our full potential.Let's not allow shyness to block our chances for a rich and fullfilling life.

Which of the following statements is true?
A:Shyness helps us to live up to our full potential.
B:Shyness enables us to understand ourselves better.
C:Shyness blocks our chances for a rich life.
D:Shyness has nothing to do with lack of self-esteem.

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Listening to Birdsong
A male zebra finch chirps away to himself. Suddenly he notices a female bird nearby.He realizes he has an audience and immediately changes his song. Can the female tell the difference in his perfonnance?According to a new study,the female zebra finch knows.And she prefers the special trills he creates when he sings to her. A male zebra finch changes his song when singing to a female in ways that people can barely detect.But the female finch can tell the difference.
Scientists had noticed slight variations in the songs of male zebra finches based on whether they were singing alone or whether there was a female(and potential mate)nearby.With an audience,the males sped up the pace of their songs and controlled the notes they used.
For this study,researchers Sarah C .Woolley and Allison Doupe at the University of California,San Francisco decided to focus attention on the listening females,which have not been well studied in the past.
In the study,Woolley and Doupe set up,a long cage with a sound speaker at each end.One broadcast the sound of a male zebra finch singing to himself,like someone singing in the shower.The other speaker broadcast a male performing for a female audience,as if he was giving a concert.
Female birds were placed between the two speakers.Some of the birds had mates.Others didn't. The females shifted around a bit,and then most of them hopped over to sit beside just one speaker. All the birds that made a clear choice liked songs meant for a female audience,even if they'd never met the male.
Mated females also had a chance to listen to two different performance songs,one from an unknown male,and one from their mate .They spent more time listening to the concert version of their mates' songs.This suggests that after a while,females learn to recognize-and prefer-the songs of their mates.
Scientists then studied the brains of the females.They found certain areas of the brain perked up when the birds listened to the concert songs.These brain areas may be involved in recognizing and evaluating the songs,and storing the memories of them.
This research deals with what's called directed communication,when the communicator,or sender,focuses the message for a specific audience.One example is the way moms speak to their babies. Mothers around the world use the same sort of high-pitched sing-song chatter,and the babies respond best to those sounds.Songbirds are one of the only other species known to learn their communication,in this case their songs.

What does the first paragraph say about zebra finches?
A: Male zebra finches like to sing to female zebra finches.
B: Male zebra finches sing louder than female zebra finches.
C: Male zebra finches change their songs in female zebra finches' presence.
D: Male zebra finches like to listen to female zebra finches sing.

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Pop Music in Africa
Young musicians in African countries are creating a new kind of pop music. The tunes and the rhythms of their music combine African traditions with various forms of music popular today,such as hip-hop,rap,rock,jazz,or reggae. The result is music that may sound familiar to listeners anywhere in the world,but at the same time is distinctly African. It is different also in another way:Many of the songs are very serious and they deal with important social or political issues in Africa today.
Eric Wainaina is one of these African musicians.He grew up in Nairobi,Kenya,in a family of musicians.As a teenager,he listened to pop music from the United States,and later he moved to Boston to study at the Berklee College of Music. Now he has produced a CD in Kenya. Eric's most popular song,“Land of‘A Little Something’”is about Kenya's problem of bribery,or paying others for illegal favors.He wants people to listen to his songs and think about how to make Kenya a better place to live.
Another musician who writes serious songs is Witness Mwaijaga from Tanzania. Her own experiences have helped her understand the suffering of many African women. At the age of fifteen she lost her home,but she was luckier than other homeless young people. She could make a living by writing songs and singing on the street. By the time she was eighteen years old,She had become a star. Her songs are written in rap or hip-hop style about the problems that she sees in Tanzania,especially AIDS and the lack of rights for women.
Baaba Maal,from Senegal,also feels that pop music must go beyond entertainment. He says that in Senegal,storytellers have alwaysbeen important people. In the past,they were the ones who kept the history of their people alive. Baaba believes that songwriters now have a similar responsibility. They must write about the world around them and help people understand how it could be better. The words of his songs are important,in fact.They speak of peace and cooperation among Africans,as well as the rights of women,love for one's family, and saving the environment.
One of South Africa's most popular musicians is Brenda Fassie. She is sometimes compared to Madonna,the American pop star,because she likes to shock people in her shows. But she also likes to make people think. She became famous in the 1980s for her simple pop songs against apartheid. Now that apartheid has ended,her songs are about other issues in South African culture and life. To sing about these,she uses local African languages and a new pop style called kwaito.
In recent years,people outside of Africa have also begun to listen to these young musici-ans. Through music,the younger generation of Africans are connecting with the rest of the world and,at the same time,influencing the rest of the world.

The musicians mentioned in this passage all______.
A:write about serious problems
B: studied in the United States
C: lost their homes at a young age
D: write songs in a new pop style

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第二篇

Shyness is the cause of much unhappiness for a great many people.Shy people are anxious and self-conscious;that is,they are excessively concerned with their own appearance and actions.Worrisome thoughts are constantly occurring in their minds.What kind of impression am I taking? Do they like me?Do I look stupid?Am I wearing attractive clothes?
It is obvious that such uncomfortable feelings must affect people adversely.A person's self-concept is reflected in the way he or she behaves,and the way a person behaves affects other people's reactions.In general,the way people think about themselves has a profound effect on all areas of their lives.
Shy people,having low self-esteem,are likely to be passive and easily influenced by others. They need reassurance that they are doing"the right thing".Shy people are very sensitive to criticism;they feel it confirms their inferiority.They also find it difficult to be pleased by compliments because they believe they are unworthy of praise.A shy person may respond to a compliment with a statement like this one,"you are just saying that to make me feel good.I know it's not true."It is clear that,while self-awareness is a healthy quality,overdoing it is harmful.
Can shyness be completely eliminated,or at least reduced?Fortunately,people can overcome shyness with determined and patient effort in building self-confidence.Since shyness goes hand in hand with lack of self-esteem,it is important for people to accept their weaknesses as well as their their strengths.For example,most people would like to be"A"student in every subject. It is not fair for them to label themselves inferior because they have difficulty in some areas.People's expectations of themselves must be realistic.Living on the impossible leads to a sense of inadequacy.
Each one of us is a unique,worthwhile individual. We are interested in our own personal ways.The better we understand ourselves,the easier it becomes to live up to our full potential.Let's not allow shyness to block our chances for a rich and fullfilling life.

Which of the following does NOT help shy people overcome their shyness?
A:Building self-confidence.
B:Accepting both weaknesses and strenghs.
C:Being realistic.
D:Setting goals high.

共用题干
Listening to Birdsong
A male zebra finch chirps away to himself. Suddenly he notices a female bird nearby.He realizes he has an audience and immediately changes his song. Can the female tell the difference in his perfonnance?According to a new study,the female zebra finch knows.And she prefers the special trills he creates when he sings to her. A male zebra finch changes his song when singing to a female in ways that people can barely detect.But the female finch can tell the difference.
Scientists had noticed slight variations in the songs of male zebra finches based on whether they were singing alone or whether there was a female(and potential mate)nearby.With an audience,the males sped up the pace of their songs and controlled the notes they used.
For this study,researchers Sarah C .Woolley and Allison Doupe at the University of California,San Francisco decided to focus attention on the listening females,which have not been well studied in the past.
In the study,Woolley and Doupe set up,a long cage with a sound speaker at each end.One broadcast the sound of a male zebra finch singing to himself,like someone singing in the shower.The other speaker broadcast a male performing for a female audience,as if he was giving a concert.
Female birds were placed between the two speakers.Some of the birds had mates.Others didn't. The females shifted around a bit,and then most of them hopped over to sit beside just one speaker. All the birds that made a clear choice liked songs meant for a female audience,even if they'd never met the male.
Mated females also had a chance to listen to two different performance songs,one from an unknown male,and one from their mate .They spent more time listening to the concert version of their mates' songs.This suggests that after a while,females learn to recognize-and prefer-the songs of their mates.
Scientists then studied the brains of the females.They found certain areas of the brain perked up when the birds listened to the concert songs.These brain areas may be involved in recognizing and evaluating the songs,and storing the memories of them.
This research deals with what's called directed communication,when the communicator,or sender,focuses the message for a specific audience.One example is the way moms speak to their babies. Mothers around the world use the same sort of high-pitched sing-song chatter,and the babies respond best to those sounds.Songbirds are one of the only other species known to learn their communication,in this case their songs.

What is NOT true of directed communication?
A: The sender of a message has a specific audience.
B: Male zebra finches sing to female finches.
C: Mothers talk to their babies.
D: Male zebra finches sing to themselves.

共用题干
Listening to Birdsong
A male zebra finch chirps away to himself. Suddenly he notices a female bird nearby.He realizes he has an audience and immediately changes his song. Can the female tell the difference in his perfonnance?According to a new study,the female zebra finch knows.And she prefers the special trills he creates when he sings to her. A male zebra finch changes his song when singing to a female in ways that people can barely detect.But the female finch can tell the difference.
Scientists had noticed slight variations in the songs of male zebra finches based on whether they were singing alone or whether there was a female(and potential mate)nearby.With an audience,the males sped up the pace of their songs and controlled the notes they used.
For this study,researchers Sarah C .Woolley and Allison Doupe at the University of California,San Francisco decided to focus attention on the listening females,which have not been well studied in the past.
In the study,Woolley and Doupe set up,a long cage with a sound speaker at each end.One broadcast the sound of a male zebra finch singing to himself,like someone singing in the shower.The other speaker broadcast a male performing for a female audience,as if he was giving a concert.
Female birds were placed between the two speakers.Some of the birds had mates.Others didn't. The females shifted around a bit,and then most of them hopped over to sit beside just one speaker. All the birds that made a clear choice liked songs meant for a female audience,even if they'd never met the male.
Mated females also had a chance to listen to two different performance songs,one from an unknown male,and one from their mate .They spent more time listening to the concert version of their mates' songs.This suggests that after a while,females learn to recognize-and prefer-the songs of their mates.
Scientists then studied the brains of the females.They found certain areas of the brain perked up when the birds listened to the concert songs.These brain areas may be involved in recognizing and evaluating the songs,and storing the memories of them.
This research deals with what's called directed communication,when the communicator,or sender,focuses the message for a specific audience.One example is the way moms speak to their babies. Mothers around the world use the same sort of high-pitched sing-song chatter,and the babies respond best to those sounds.Songbirds are one of the only other species known to learn their communication,in this case their songs.

Which of the following can best reflect the theme of the passage?
A: Chirping away.
B: Birdsongs as communication.
C: Zebra finches and their life.
D: Enjoying birdsongs.

共用题干
Listening to Birdsong
A male zebra finch chirps away to himself. Suddenly he notices a female bird nearby.He realizes he has an audience and immediately changes his song. Can the female tell the difference in his perfonnance?According to a new study,the female zebra finch knows.And she prefers the special trills he creates when he sings to her. A male zebra finch changes his song when singing to a female in ways that people can barely detect.But the female finch can tell the difference.
Scientists had noticed slight variations in the songs of male zebra finches based on whether they were singing alone or whether there was a female(and potential mate)nearby.With an audience,the males sped up the pace of their songs and controlled the notes they used.
For this study,researchers Sarah C .Woolley and Allison Doupe at the University of California,San Francisco decided to focus attention on the listening females,which have not been well studied in the past.
In the study,Woolley and Doupe set up,a long cage with a sound speaker at each end.One broadcast the sound of a male zebra finch singing to himself,like someone singing in the shower.The other speaker broadcast a male performing for a female audience,as if he was giving a concert.
Female birds were placed between the two speakers.Some of the birds had mates.Others didn't. The females shifted around a bit,and then most of them hopped over to sit beside just one speaker. All the birds that made a clear choice liked songs meant for a female audience,even if they'd never met the male.
Mated females also had a chance to listen to two different performance songs,one from an unknown male,and one from their mate .They spent more time listening to the concert version of their mates' songs.This suggests that after a while,females learn to recognize-and prefer-the songs of their mates.
Scientists then studied the brains of the females.They found certain areas of the brain perked up when the birds listened to the concert songs.These brain areas may be involved in recognizing and evaluating the songs,and storing the memories of them.
This research deals with what's called directed communication,when the communicator,or sender,focuses the message for a specific audience.One example is the way moms speak to their babies. Mothers around the world use the same sort of high-pitched sing-song chatter,and the babies respond best to those sounds.Songbirds are one of the only other species known to learn their communication,in this case their songs.

What is meant by"concert songs"in the seventh paragraph?
A: Songs sung by zebra finches at a concert.
B: Songs sung by male finches for female finches.
C: Songs sung by female finches for male finches.
D: Songs sung by male finches to many female finches.