Ludwig van Beethoven is the most famous classical composer of the Western world. He is known for his powerful music and for continuing to compose after he became deaf.

Born to a musical family in the small German city of Bonn in December 1770, Beethoven was an excellent pianist and violinist as a boy. He soon became the first important composer to earn a successful living without working for the church or court. Beethoven began to lose his hearing in the late 1790s and by 1819 he was totally deaf. When he heard nothing, in order to hear the notes (音符), he cut the legs off the piano so that he could feel the vibrations (震动)as he played.

Beethoven enjoyed taking long walks in the countryside. The villagers respected him a lot and would not bother him when they passed him. He was a strange man with his untidy clothes, wild hair and a bad temper.

For his last 15 years Beethoven was regarded as the world’s best composer. The four-note beginning to his Fifth Symphony is one of the most famous moments in all of music. The notes were described as “Fate knocking at the door”. He wrote the popular Moonlight Sonata in 1801.

Beethoven never married. After his death in March 1827, his friends found his letters to a lover, but they never found out who she was.

Besides lots of concerts and broadcasts, over 200 films use Beethoven’s music. Although he died many years ago, Beethoven is still influencing the music world.

【小题1】Most of Beethoven’s works are of___________.

A．light music	B．powerful music
C．sad music	D．violin music

【小题2】According to the passage, what can we know about Beethoven?

A．He was totally deaf at the age of 28.

B．He didn’t like working for the church or court.

C．His family had some effect on him in music.

D．Many of Beethoven’s works were composed for a girl.

【小题3】Why did many people think of Beethoven as a strange man?

A．Because he continued to compose after his deafness.

B．Because he never married all his life.

C．Because he enjoyed taking long walks in the countryside.

D．Because he didn’t care for his appearance and had a bad temper.

【小题4】What’s the best title of the passage?

A．Beethoven, the world’s best composer

B．Beethoven, a very strange composer

C．Beethoven, a struggling composer

D．Beethoven, the world’s most productive composer

Heroes of Our Time

A good heart

Dikembe Mutombo grew up in Africa among great poverty and disease. He came to Georgetown University on a scholarship to study medicine-but coach John Thompson got a look at Dikem be and had a different idea. Dikembe became a star in the NBA, and a citizen（公民）of the United States. But he never forgot the land of his birth, or the duty to share his fortune with others. He built a new hospital in his old hometown in the Congo.

Success and kindness

After her daughter was born, Julie Aigner-Clark searched for ways to share her love of music and art with her child. So she borrowed some equipment, and began filming children's videos in her own house. The Baby Einstein Company was born, and in just five years her business grew to more than $ 20 million in sales. And she is using her success to help others—producing child safety videos with John Walsh of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Julie says of her new program, "I believe it's the most important thing that I have ever done. I believe that children have the right to live in a world that is safe. "

Bravery and courage

A few weeks ago, Wesley Autrey was waiting at a Harlem subway station with his two little girls when he saw a man fall into the path of a train. With seconds to act, Wesley jumped onto the tracks, pulled the man into the space between the rails, and held him as the train passed right above their heads. He insists he's not a hero. He says, "We have got to show each other some love. "

【小题1】What was Mutombo praised for?
A. Being a star in the NBA.

A．Being a student of medicine.

B．His work in the church.

C．His willingness to help the needy.

【小题2】What did the Baby Einstein Company do at its beginning？

A．It produced safety equipment for children.

B．It made videos to protect children.

C．It sold children's music and artworks.

D．It looked for missing and exploited children.

【小题3】Why was Wesley Autrey praised as a hero？

A．He helped a man get across the rails.

B．He stopped a man from destroying the rails.

C．He protected two little girls from getting hurt.

D．He saved a man's life without consideration.

   36-year-old Victoria Murden McClure is a real adventurer. She has been on many mountaineering expeditions（探险）. She was also the youngest person in a team that skied 1，200 kilometers across Antarctica to the South Pole in 1989，and became one of only two women ever to travel to the Pole by land.

The journey across the Atlantic was her third attempt. The first time she failed because of illness，and during her second attempt，in 1998，she nearly died. She had rowed nearly 5，000 kilometers when her boat was hit by Hurricane Danielle. McClure was suddenly in the middle of 80 mph wind，and surrounded by waves that were 20 meters high.

Her little boat turned over five times. McClure was sure that she was going to die —she took the video recorder that she had brought with her and recorded a goodbye message to her family and friends. The hurricane continued into night，and The Pearl turned over five more times.

McClure was determined not to send a signal asking to be rescued-she didn't want other people to risk their lives. But after the eleventh capsizing（倾袭）of her boat，she finally sent it and a large ship came and found her. However，they couldn't get her boat out of the rough sea—it was found months later near the coast of Portugal.

Victoria Murden McClure had concussion（脑震荡）and a dislocated shoulder when she got home. Many people might have given up after an experience like this，but one year later，McClure was back in her repaired boat and tried again. This time she was successful，and although she again met a hurricane on the journey，which stopped her from breaking the record for the fastest transatlantic rowing crossing，she only overturned once！

【小题1】According to the first paragraph，we can know that in 1989 __________.

A．only two women landed on the South Pole

B．more than two people traveled to the South Pole

C．the journey to the Pole was McClure's first attempt

D．McClure was the only woman in the expedition team

【小题2】The reason why McClure nearly died on the journey across the Atlantic was that __________.

A．she was ill	B．she came across a strong wind
C．she lost her way	D．none came to her rescue

【小题3】What does the underlined words "The Pearl" refer to __________.

A．Hurricane Danielle	B．the rescue ship
C．McClure's boat	D．the expedition team

【小题4】What can we learn from the passage？

A．McClure didn't send any signal for rescue on the second journey across the Atlantic.

B．People didn't find her boat any more after the second journey across the Atlantic.

C．McClure was badly physically hurt on the second journey across the Atlantic.

D．McClure said goodbye to the transatlantic rowing crossing after the second journey across the Atlantic.

   It isn’t easy being a princess. A princess addresses large crowds and uses perfect manners. A princess must always be polite and sweet and sometimes repairs car engines and fixes tires. Princess Elizabeth Ⅱ really did so.

Before she was Queen of England, Princess Elizabeth wanted to join the ATS, a female branch of the British military. It was in World War Ⅱ , and women worked at jobs traditionally held by men.

Elizabeth was a teenager and first had to convince (使信服) her parents about her plan. Her parents thought it was too dangerous, but she would not take no for an answer. “ I ought to do as other girls of my age do,” she said firmly. After some months, her parents finally agreed. Princess Elizabeth did not receive any special treatment in the ATS. The only thing different was that she returned to Windsor Castle each night to sleep.

When she arrived at the ATS camp for her first day of training, she was greeted by a jacked-up car with its wheels off. In the following weeks, she learned to take apart an engine and then assemble (组装) it. The princess loved the training, admitting, “I’m a mechanic at last. I’ve scraped the skin off my knuckles.”

Princess Elizabeth worked on cars, trucks, and even tank engines. She also learned to read maps and drive cars, ambulances, and military trucks. To complete her ATS training, she was required to drive a big truck on her own.

The King and Queen thought driving a truck was too dangerous, but before they could let her know how they felt, they discovered Elizabeth driving a truck onto the palace grounds. She had driven from the ATS camp through the busy London streets all by herself.

Now at her old age, she still drives — sometimes in London but more often around her large property at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Being a queen requires a lot of hard work, but it can be fun as well. Queen Elizabeth loves horses and still rides four times each week. She also still likes to get a little dirty. She actively manages her estate farm at Balmoral and is often seen hiking through the countryside there.

【小题1】Why was Elizabeth such a special princess?

A．Because she did many jobs always done by men.

B．Because she joined the army.

C．Because she was sent abroad to fight with the enemy.

D．Because she liked to repair some broken cars and trucks.

【小题2】At the ATS camp, Elizabeth __________.

A．spent one of the happiest moments in her life

B．received strict training in various aspects

C．failed to complete her training

D．was trained for a long time as an excellent princess

【小题3】What do we know about Elizabeth from the last paragraph?

A．She does a lot of hard work on her own farm.

B．She finds it difficult to become a qualified queen.

C．She has some difficulty in managing her spare time.

D．She leads a meaningful life even if she is at an old age.

【小题4】Which of the following words can best describe Elizabeth?

A．Energetic, homesick and capable.

B．Confident, lovely and selfish.

C．Brave, capable and independent.

D．Strong, proud and adventurous.