For some people, music is no fun at all. About 4% of the population is what scientists call "amusic". People who are amusic are born without the ability to enjoy musical notes. Amusic people often cannot tell the differences between two songs.

As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. In fact, most people cannot understand what it feels like being amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping center can be uncomfortable or even painful. That is why many amusics have to stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in social loneliness. "I used to hate parties, " says Margaret, a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify (辨别) this unusual condition.

Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from those of people who can enjoy music. The difference is complex (复杂的), and it is not connected with poor hearing. Amusics can understand other non-musical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding common speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can't see certain colors.

Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally diagnosed(诊断). For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem. Now she knows that she is not alone. That makes it easier for her to explain. "When people invite me to a concert, I just say 'No, thanks. I'm amusic. '"says Margaret.

From early times, man has been interested in art. People have often worked together to collect and save the world's art treasures.

Fine art treasures from many countries are kept in an art museum called the Louvre (卢浮宫) in Paris, France. The works of art have been collected by the people of France over many centuries. It is the biggest art museum in the world.

The Louvre has not always been a museum. The first building was a fort (堡垒) with high walls and a round tower. It had a moat (护城河) to keep out the enemies.

Over the years, the number of buildings around the castle grew. By 1350, the castle no longer needed a fort. The Louvre became a palace home for French kings and queens.

During times of peace, new treasures were brought in. During the days of war, many treasures were stolen, and the buildings were damaged.

When Francis Ⅰ became King of France in 1515, he brought in many artists from other countries. One of the artists was Leonardo da Vinci from Italy. Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" (蒙娜丽莎) is the best-known painting in the museum today.

In 1793, the Louvre became a public museum, just as it is now. It is a place where art treasures are kept for everyone to enjoy. Every year millions of people from all over the world come to the Louvre to see the masterpieces.

Benjamin West, the father of American painting, showed his talent for art when he was only six years of age. But he did not know about brushes before a visitor told him he needed one. In those days, a brush was made from camel's hair. There were no camels nearby. Benjamin decided that cat hair would work instead. He cut some fur from the family cat to make a brush.

The brush did not last long. Soon Benjamin needed more fur. Before long, the cat began to look ragged(蓬乱). His father said that the cat must be sick. Benjamin was forced to admit what he had been doing.

The cat's lot was about to improve. That year, one of Benjamin's cousins, Mr. Pennington, came to visit. He was impressed with Benjamin's drawings. When he went home, he sent Benjamin a box of paint and some brushes. He also sent six engravings (版画) by an artist. These were the first pictures and first real paint and brushes Benjamin had ever seen.

In 1747, when Benjamin was nine years old, Mr. Pennington returned for another visit. He was amazed at what Benjamin had done with his gift. He asked Benjamin's parents if he might take the boy back to Philadelphia for a visit.

In the city, Mr. Pennington gave Benjamin materials for creating oil paintings. The boy began a landscape (风景) painting. William Williams, a well-known painter, came to see him work. Williams was impressed with Benjamin and gave him two classic books on painting to take home. The books were long and dull. Benjamin could read only a little, having been a poor student. But he later said, "Those two books were my companions by day, and under my pillow at night." While it is likely that he understood very little of the books, they were his introduction to classical paintings. The nine-year-old boy decided then that he would be an artist.

American country music is also known as country western music. It has a very long history. It comes from the folk songs of immigrants (移民) from Britain.

 Country music uses simple music and words to express everyday feelings such as loneliness, love, and sadness. That is to say, country music describes life. It talks about friends and enemies, trucks and roads, farm and crops. People in many parts of the world like country music, because everyone can understand what the music is about.

Country western music became popular first among cowboys (牛仔) in the American west countryside. Cowboys had to take care of cows day and night. When they were alone with the cows, they often sang beautiful and peaceful songs to calm the animals and to overcome their own fear. They were not well-educated and so they sang about their daily life in very simple words. They played guitars, violins and other instruments. In the south of America, many people added instruments from their homes, like bottles and spoons. When cowboys visited their friends and families on holidays like Thanksgiving, they usually sang and played country western music.

In recent years, many musicians have made country western music a little different from the one in the past. These changes make the songs sound even better. Today singers such as Carth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, Eddie Rabbitt, LeAnn Rimes, Randy Travis and a group called Alabama are singing and playing in different styles. They have brought country western music more and more fans from all over the world.

Colour is fundamental in home design—something you'll always have in every room. A grasp of how to manage colour in your spaces is one of the first steps to creating rooms you'll love to live in. Do you want a room that's full of life? Professional? Or are you just looking for a place to relax after a long day?, colour is the key to making a room feel the way you want it to feel.

Over the years, there have been a number of different techniques to help designers approach this important point. , they can get a little complex. But good news is that there're really only three kinds of decisions you need to make about colour in your home: the small ones, the medium ones, and the large ones.

. They're the little spots of colour like throw pillows, mirrors and baskets that most of us use to add visual interest to our rooms. Less tiring than painting your walls and less expensive than buying a colourful sofa, small colour choices bring with them the significant benefit of being easily changeable.

Medium colour choices are generally furniture pieces such as sofas, dinner tables or bookshelves. . They require a bigger commitment than smaller ones, and they have a more powerful effect on the feeling of a space.

The large colour decisions in your rooms concern the walls, ceilings, and floors. Whether you're looking at wallpaper or paint, the time, effort and relative expense put into it are significant. .

A. While all of them are useful

B. Whatever you're looking for

C. If you're experimenting with a colour

D. Small colour choices are the ones we're most familiar with

E. It's not really a good idea to use too many small colour pieces

F. So it pays to be sure, because you want to get it right the first time

G. Colour choices in this range are a step up from the small ones in two major ways

Yesterday, a salesman called me to sell his phone plans. I was at work and while I usually don't like spending time on those things, I 1 myself that I couldn't talk yet and 2 that he call me back at 6 pm.

That's what he did. So we talked about 20 minutes. He 3 to me his different phone plans. While listening to him, sometimes I was 4 in my thoughts. I gave several "hmm hmm", as a sign of agreement and to 5 that I was still there. Sometimes, I felt a bit 6. But I stayed calm and 7 until the end of the discussion.

Finally, he said the following to me:" Thank you, Olivia. You are the first person in a long time with whom I had an enjoyable conversation. 8, people shout at us and slam down the phone. Today, since 10 am, I hadn't had a phone 9 without an offense (触怒). I know you had a long day at work and you could have 10 in front of your TV. But you listened so carefully to me. I am 11 and I sincerely thank you. "

It set me thinking. He had been the12 of verbal violence (语言暴力) all through his working day. Physical 13 do not exist in this situation but dehumanization (非人性) seems to happen. 14, he was only doing his job. I felt a sense of 15 that I hadn't treated him so rudely.

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I'm very pleased  (see) all of you here because you are my special guests. Welcome to our company's museum. My name is Brown, George Brown, and I'm the general manager of the company. As you all know, we  (main) make computers in our company, as well as some other electronic  (product). But we are also quite interested in  (educate). That's why we have founded this museum,  children can learn how computers have been developed, how they  (make) and how they are used in industry, agriculture, scientific research and many other areas. Children can operate the computers. They can push the buttons and listen to stories about computers, and they can enjoy video shows. I know you are all teachers and you know  schoolchildren really need. So I hope you can give me suggestions after you have been shown around. I want my museum to be  best of its kind when it  (open) to all schoolchildren. This is Mr. Tom Silver, my assistant. He will be your guide now. I'll be with you in an hour and a half. Enjoy  (you). See you.

假定你是李华，计划暑假期间去英国学习英语，为期六周。

下面的广告引起了你的注意，请给该校写封电子邮件，询问有关情况(箭头所指内容)。

注意：

1）词数80左右;

2）可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

参考词汇：住宿accommodation

阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Eric was working in a selling business. He had been on the road visiting people for more than a month without going home. He couldn't wait to get back to see his wife and children. It was coming up on Mother's Day, and he usually tried to make it "back home", but this year he was just too busy and too tired. The day when he was driving in a small town, he saw a flower shop. He said to himself, "I know what I will do. I'll send my mother some roses. "

He stopped and went into the flower shop and saw a young man talking to the girl in it. "How many roses can I get for fifty dollars?" the boy asked. The girl was trying to explain that roses were expensive. Maybe the young man would be happy with something else.

"No. I have to have roses," he said. "My mom was badly sick last year and I didn't spend much time with her. I want to get something special. It has to be red roses, because that is her favorite," He was stubborn.

The girl in the shop looked up at Eric and was just shaking her head. Something inside of Eric was touched by the boy's voice. He wanted to get those roses so badly. Eric had been blessed (幸运的)in his business, and he looked at the girl and silently said that he would pay for the boy's roses.

The girl looked at the young man and said, "OK, I will give you a dozen red roses for your dollars." The young man almost jumped into the air. He took the flowers and ran out of the store. It was worth more than fifty dollars just to see that kind of excitement.

Eric ordered his own flowers and asked the girl to have it delivered to his mother. After that, with a relief he drove down the road. Not long after his driving, he saw the boy walking to a graveyard (墓地).

注意：续写词数应为150左右。

Eric stopped his car and followed the young man.

……

Eric went into the car in tears.