Country music is one of the most popular kinds of music in the United States today because it is about simple but strong human feelings and events-love, sadness, good times, and bad times. It tells real-life stories and sounds the way people really talk, as life becomes more complicated (复杂的) it is good to hear music about ordinary people.

    Country music, sometimes called country-western, comes from two lands of music. One is the traditional music of the people in. the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States. The other is traditional cowboy music from the west. The singers usually play guitars, and in the 1920s they started using electric guitars.

    At first city people said country music was low class. It was popular mostly in the South. But during World War II, thousands of Southerners went to the northeast and Midwest to work in the factories. They took their music with them. Soldiers from the rest of the country went to army camps in the South. They learned country music. Slowly it became popular all over the country.

    Today country music is also popular everywhere in the United States and Canada-in small towns and in New York City, among black and white, and among educated and uneducated people. About 1,200 radio stations broadcast country music twenty-four hours day, English stars sing it in British English, and people in other countries sing it in their own languages. The music that started with cowboys and poor southerners is now popular all over the world.

阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

    I went online to check if my pay was in my bank 1. To my amazement I discovered that not only had I been paid, a 2 I'd never worked for had also paid me! I knew I'd have been beside myself if my own salary was not in my account, so I tried to get the money 3 to the right person. Easier said than4 .

    The bank couldn't help as it wasn't a bank 5. The human resources department at the company that paid me was unable to help as I didn't have enough 6 . I rang the bank again. 7, I had a sympathetic call operator who gave me a(n)8 , so I again rang the company “Daniel” worked for.

    I expected the bank would 9 me to arrange to take the money from my account and repay Daniel. I heard 10 for a month and the money remained in my account when Daniel called, 11 he'd tried to get back his money but had been unsuccessful as neither the bank nor his company felt it was their12 . He had rung to ask if I could speak to the bank, but after chatting for a few minutes we realized we could probably 13 this problem ourselves.

    We decided I would take the money from my account and he would14 it up from me. Due to my busy job I was unable to meet Daniel 15 but he left me a lovely bottle of wine 16 what was rightfully his. I never had any 17of keeping Daniel's pay but red tape(繁琐手续) made 18 difficult to do the right thing. It all came down to (归结为) 19 people being able to do what a huge bank and a large company couldn't do— 20 a mistake has occurred and fix it.

You should.

    I still remember the penniless life when I was young. My mother could not even1a 50-cent chocolate bar for me back then. However, instead of focusing on poverty, my mother continually2me to fight for success so that I could lead a(n)3life. She worked long hours every night to support the family. 4, she would find time to 5with my sister Emily, and me. Although I did not have two parents, I was loved and6just as much.

    Not all of life's milestones were easy. Some even left a 7 taste when my mother married a man in Maryland. The first few months were 8 baseball games, dinners together and movies. It felt like we were the 9 all-American family. Then things 10. Screaming matches between my stepfather and my mother ruined dinners, and he 11movie tickets for wine.

    We spent five years living in a family setting that had turned into a 12zone. To our great relief, they finally 13 and we settled in Texas, where Mom was still working hard for a better life. Now, as I write this article with some dark 14at hand, I realize my family and I are at the best 15of our lives. I have succeeded in both my 16and personality. I have been 17 my hunger for knowledge and I am to 18 from high school, not making a bitter product of my 19 , for I know that hard times in life are also learning experiences. 20, like candies，can be the sweetest treat of all.

    You've got the part，so you must be able to act! There are some classic acting strategies that you'll need to nail down (确定）to wow the crowds. Are you ready for your first Oscar?

    Read over the play. Before you begin acting, at least read through a few scenes to get the feel of what the play is about. Figure out the genre (体裁），and who are the character.

    Get into the character. Now that you know more about the character, get in their shoes. If you can, tell your friends about it， and practice having a conversation or doing things as if you were the character. Talk like they would，walk like they would, watch the shows they would, and do the things they would.

    Stand up, memorize a couple of lines and practice moving with them. If the play doesn't tell you what actions to do, do what you think the character would do. You are now the character. If he would hold his head while screaming, do that! Do what needs to be done.

    Memorize your lines. During practice, you want to make sure you work more on your acting than just reading off the book. If you are reading, your hands and eyes are occupied, so learn ahead of time.

    Act and Learn. Be confident, whatever your character is supposed to be. If you must, practice being in the character an hour before the show. Unless it is a one-man show, listen to their input. They may have better ideas and even ways to improve your actions. Take this to heart. If you must, ask multiple people what you should do.

A. Add actions.

B. Practice as often as possible.

C. In every situation, be your character.

D. Don't take in too much at the same time.

E. Be sure you know your lines for that day.

F. Try to understand the meaning of the play.

G. Be sure your actions work well with your other members.

    There are a lot of famous women of （achieve）in the world. They all do ( good ) in their work, such as Lin Qiaozhi, Jane Goodall and Song Qingling. There is no doubt they are real heroines and ( worth ) of being praised. But in my opinion, all healthy humans have the ability to do that. It just depends on you have the determination to do it and whether the situation is in your favor. But never before have I admired a person so much Helen Keller, who I just read about. She was an unlucky girl, could neither hear see. I just can't imagine how she could be so successful. I really don't believe that a deaf-blind lady could become a world-famous writer. great difficulties she must have met and what great efforts she must have made. If I ( be ) her, I wouldn't have the courage to live on. It is by her courage and imagination and intelligence that I was struck.

They are criminals.

    “Success begins with belief and ends with doubt.”—Larina Kase

    I remember reading through a book and the author was writing about being a reverse paranoid. In that particular section he mentions how he has a belief that the world he's living in is out to give him everything he absolutely wants and desires.

    There are times when I think to myself，“Wow，the world is out to get me and make me miserable.” Then I thought，why can't I believe that the world is out to make me a better conversationalist. Then I started adapting to the belief of the reverse paranoia.

    When I started talking to people，I truly believed that I was the most interesting person in the room. I believed that everything I said added value to the conversation. I believed that people stayed behind and chatted with me because they found me charismatic.

    As a matter of fact, for about five months I wrote down on my bathroom mirror the following affirmation：“People love me and respect me. It is a privilege to talk to me. People find me interesting and charming and always want to get to know me better！”

    I would say the affirmation after I brushed my teeth. And I would continue to say it until I felt completely great about myself. There were days that I just wouldn't feel like saying it，because it would feel like a lie to me. But that's the trouble，like the quote says，success ends when there's doubt. And that's why I continued until I had no doubt in my mind.

    Then strange things happened，I noticed that people did find me more interesting，and that I gained more confidence in talking with people. I was more assertive(坚定自信的) at work. I was able to control politics and gossip at work to minimal levels，and became a much better manager，and developed better customer relations to the point that sales were up by 20% compared to the year before，on my best month sales were up by 39%，and this was a year that a recession was happening.

     Once a boy came to ask a fisherman how to become cleverer, because his mother always called him “foolish boy”.

    “That's easy,” answered the fisherman. “I know one way to make you become cleverer.”

    “Really?”

    “Of course. It is said a fish head is good for brain. If you eat one, you'll become cleverer indeed. Pay only three pounds for one fish head.” The boy paid him three pounds and the fisherman cut off a fish head and handed it to him.

    A raw fish head is not good—not even for a hungry boy to eat but the boy ate it up in  two gulps.

    “Do you feel anything?” asked the fisherman.

    “Not in my head,” said the boy.

    The boy lay on the ground and thought. “One whole fish costs only two pounds. I have paid him three pounds for the fish head. Why couldn't I have the whole fish for soup, a head for brain and one pound left over?” He jumped up and shouted at the fisherman. “You thief! You are fooling me!” The fisherman laughed, saying, “The fish head works now, you see.”

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。

修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意:

1）每处错误及其修改均仅限一词;

2）只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。

Dear Tom,

    I'm glad to receive your letter ask for my advice on how to learn Chinese well. Here is a few suggestions.

    First, it was important to take a Chinese course, as you'll be able to study from the teachers and practise with your fellow students. Then, you'd better watch the TV and read books, newspaper and magazines in Chinese. Besides, it is a good idea to listen Chinese songs, because by doing so you'll learn and remember Chinese words more easy. You can make much Chinese friends. They will tell you a lot about China and help you learn Chinese.

    Try and write to me with Chinese next time.

    There is an old Spanish Proverb which states, “Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week”. I'd say, too many. Our dreams should not, and cannot wait. We have to go for them now! Here's why.

    1）

    Nobody likes to talk about death, but the reality is – everybody is going to die at one point. None of us know the day, or the hour. Therefore, today is all we have. Don't go to your grave with unfulfilled dreams. Make the decision to go after every dream, big or small right now.

    2）The world is waiting on your gift

    I know this may be hard to believe, but the world is waiting on YOU! Yes, YOU! Sure, other people may be able to sing. But they'll never be able to sing exactly like you. Sure other people can write, but they'll never be able to write from the same perspective in which you write. Don't deprive（使丧失） the world of your gift. It's the oxygen that we need to survive. Thus, it is your responsibility to figure out exactly what your gift is, and use to better your life and the lives of those around you.

    3）

    You can dream about writing the great American play that you want, but it's never going to happen unless you actually put pen to paper. You can dream about finding a cure for cancer, but it will never happen unless you actually go to school to become equipped with the necessary tools to find that cure. They require you to get your head out of the clouds, and actually do the work to make them happen. Get to it!

A. You can't let fear win.

B. Tomorrow is not promised.

C. In other words, dreams don't work unless you do.

D. Possibilities you never knew existed are waiting on you

E. How many times have we put off our dreams until tomorrow?

F. Unless you take the first step, your dreams will never come true.

G. You were born into the world with a unique gift, which nobody on this earth can copy.

    Trekking(徒步旅行）500 miles across Spain is no easy task for anyone, but for the wheelchair user Justin Skeesuck, achieving the dream seemed nearly impossible. However, Skeesuck's lifelong best friend, Patrick Gray, simply didn't accept that idea. He said, "We've done everything together so far. Why don't we have one more adventure?"

    That's exactly what he did — pushing Skeesuck across northern Spain's Camino de Santiago. Though Skeesuck has a muscle disease similar to ALS and high blood pressure, he first got the idea to go on the journey after he watched a travel show about the trail. He said, "I knew immediately since my heart was just telling me, 'You need to do this.'"

    With Gray on board and the blessings of their family, the two best friends from Idaho set off to make Skeesuck's dream of going for the journey a reality. However, neither Gray nor Skeesuck realized how physically and emotionally arduous the trip would be. Not only did they have a strict time limit — about six weeks to get from start to finish, but they also faced extremely difficult obstacles (障碍). With Gray pushing Skeesuck in a three-wheel wheelchair, the pair crossed mountains, rivers and a desert. "I've never been that physically exhausted in my entire life," Gray said. The pair came across countless kind people during their trip who were eager to help them finish their journey, but they refused their help with gentle words. 34 days later, the two best friends finished their journey, realizing a dream that helped them learn about themselves and others. "The adventure has taught me for sure that when you do something with faith, and never give up, amazing things can really happen," Skeesuck said.

    Gray recorded their incredible trip in a book —— " I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends and One Wheelchair", which would be published soon. Skeesuck and Gray are also working on a children's book that will tell the story of their adventure. They hope that the book will give kids strength when they deal with difficulties.

    During my travels through the mountains of Greece I was only ever scared once. It was dusk and as I walked alone I came across six large wolves that were feeding on the body of a dead animal. I had heard many stories about wolves as a child and it was this animal that I feared more than any other. The wolves before me were huge, at least 6 feet long and covered with thick grey fur.

    As I approached, the wolves left the blood-covered snow that surrounded the body and started walking towards me, one after another. They stopped about 20 meters from me and stared. The lead wolf raised his head into the air and took in a deep breath, as if he was smelling my presence. The animals looked both beautiful and terrifying, but I knew I could not show them my fear. As I drew nearer, the lead wolf raised its head once more but this time let out a loud howl(长嚎). The awful cry rang out across the silent valley. I had never heard a more frightening sound. I was almost certain it signaled death.

    Every moment I expected to see the pack dash(猛冲) at me. I knew my only hope was to pretend I had no fear. I walked past the line of wolves, like a general moving among his soldiers. They howled out again. But when they saw that their war-cry did not cause me to change my direction or make me run they feared to come after me, and they let me pass and returned to the dead animal.

    Had I turned back or tried to run away when they marched out to meet me I was certain the whole pack would have attacked me in a moment. But my show of false courage intimidated(威胁) them and kept them back.

    One hot night last August, I tried everything I could think of — toys, songs etc. to make him fall into sleep, but he just couldn't do it. Since I believed that a long night was waiting for me ahead, I had no choice but to bring a TV into his room to kill off the hours until dawn. I was surprised that the moment I turned on the TV the baby became quiet right away and fixed his little eyes brightly on the screen. Not willing to waste an opportunity for sleep, I then tiptoed(蹑手蹑脚地行进) out of the room, leaving him to watch the boring TV programs. I heard no more of the baby's crying that night and the next morning when I went into his room, I found him still watching TV by himself. I found there was a metaphor(暗喻) in my baby's behavior(行为) for the new generation. When I gave my boy some books to go over, he only spit upon them; when I read to him, he did not feel comfortable. And so it is in the schools with my students. I find that our students don't read and they look down upon reading and make light of those of us who teach it. All they want to do is watch TV. After this experience with the baby, however, I have drawn a conclusion: “Let them watch it!” If television is that much more attractive to children than books, why should we fight against it? Let them watch what they want！

— Of course. You can never be ________careful with that.