Billie Holiday was one of the greatest jazz singers in America. Her life was just a mixture of success and tragedy . Her singing expressed her experiences and feelings. Billie Holiday's parents Sadie Fagan and Clarence Holiday were young when their daughter was born. Their marriage failed because Clarence Holiday was often out. He traveled as a musician with some of the earliest jazz bands and inspired his daughter. Sadie cleaned people's houses to make a living. Later she moved to New York City where the pay was higher, for which she had to send her daughter to one of her s. The young girl changed her name to Billie, because she liked a movie star, Billie Dove. The talented Billie Holiday loved singing. She sang and listened to music whenever she could. In one place near her home there was a machine that played records. The building was a theater where many famous singers also performed their newly-made songs for free. Billie cleaned floors and did other jobs for the theater so that she could listen to the records. It was there that young Billie first heard the records of some famous black American blues artists of the 1920s. She heard Bessie Smith sing the blues. And she heard Louis Armstrong play the horn. Both musicians had a great influence on her. Billie Holiday once said, "I do not think I'm just singing. I feel like I am singing the song from my heart. What comes out is what I feel." Billie Holiday's parents' marriage ended because _ . A) Sadie moved to New York City B) the family couldn't support itself C) Clarence spent too much time in working D) Clarence was a strange person
C
Every day we experience one of the wonders of the world around us without even realizing it. It is not the amazing complexity of television, nor the impressive technology of transport. The universal wonder we share and experience is our ability to make noise with our mouths, and so transmit ideas and thoughts to each other's minds. This ability comes so naturally that we tend to forget what a miracle it is. Obviously, the ability to talk is something that marks humans off from animal. Of course, some animals have powers just as amazing, Birds can fly thousands miles by observing positions of the stars in the sky in relation to the time of day and year. In Nature's talent show, humans are a species of animal that have developed their own special act. If we reduce it to basic terms, it's an ability for communicating information to others, by varying sounds we make as we breathe out. Not that we don't have other powers of communication. Our facial expressions convey our emotions, such as anger, or joy, or disappointment. The way we hold our heads can indicate to others whether we are happy or sad. This is so-called "body language". Bristling fur is an unmistakable warning of attack among many animals. Similarly, the bowed head or drooping tail shows a readiness to take second place in any animal gathering. Such a means of communication is a basic mechanism that animals, including human beings, instinctively acquire and display. Is the ability to speak just another sort of instinct? If so, how did human beings acquire this amazing skill? Biologist can readily indicate that particular area of our brain where speech mechanisms function, but this doesn't tell us how that part of our bodies originated in our biological history. According to the passage, the wonder we take for granted is _ . A) our ability to use language B) the miracle of technology C) the amazing power of nature D) our ability to make noises with mouth
A
Q: There are thousands of products of all colors and shapes in a supermarket, making you believe that they are worth a try.How? Packaging is the silent but persuading salesman. There on the shelves, each bottle, can ,box, and jar has been carefully designed and measured to speak to the inner self of the consumer, because he/she is buying not only a product but also his/her belief in life.Scientists have studied consumer behavior recently and found that the look of the package has a great effect on the "quality" of the product and on how well it sells, because "consumers generally cannot tell between a product and its package.Many products are packages and many packages are products.", as Louis Cheskin, the first social scientist studying consumers' feelings for packaging, noticed. Colors are one of the best tools in packaging.Studies of eye movement have shown that colours draw human attention quickly.Take V8 for example.For many years, the bright red color of tomatoes and carrots on the thin bottle makes you feel that it is very good for your body.And the word "green" today can keep food prices going up. Shapes are another attraction.Circles often suggest happiness and peacefulness, because these shapes are pleasing to both the eye and the heart.That's why the round yellow M signs of McDonald's are inviting to both young and old. This new consumer response to the colors and shapes of packages reminds producers and sellers that people by to satisfy both body and soul. If a package or a product is round in shape, it can _ . A) bring excitement to the consumers B) attract the consumers' attention C) catch the eye movement of the consumers D) produce a happy and peaceful feeling
A: D
*Question*
It is reasonable to say that every teenager can be affected by peer pressure at some point. Every day, in any high school, peer pressure has a major influence over the behavior of teenagers. It can be as subtle as being persuaded to be late for class or as extreme as a dangerous drug. Whether subtle or extreme, peer pressure can have damaging, sometimes life changing, and even serious results. "Teens don't often consider the long-term results that some behavior can cause," said Terri Price, a researcher. "Peer pressure can be very difficult to handle for many teens because of their fears of not fitting in". Peer pressure has always been part of teen life, but teens experience _ differently than their former generations did in the past. Sources of peer pressure have increased because of the Internet and other electronic communications. Recognizing peer pressure can be as simple as noticing that you have been asked to do something that you are not comfortable with. "Listen to your instinct , which is a sign for whether something is right or wrong. If it feels wrong, then most likely it is. "says Price. Teens are in a time of life when they are still discovering who they are. Many teens are influenced by peer pressure because of their insecurities . This can make them helpless especially when their self-control is weak or they lack healthy support, causing them to take risky behavior or turn to unhealthy support. Dealing with peer pressure is a topic of concern for teens. People can say, "Just say no," but the truth is that the statement is easier said than done. Why are teens easily influenced by peer pressure? A) Because they don't have the feeling of safety. B) Because they are afraid of fitting in or being accepted. C) Because they need support for their health. D) Because they have nobody to turn to when in trouble.
**Answer**
A