2014高考英语阅读理解二轮精练题13.docVIP

2014高考英语阅读理解基础训练 阅读理解 In 1995, Susan Boyle went to Glasgow to audition (试演) for My Kind of people, a televised talent show popular in the UK．She was immediately rejected. She was nervous during the audition, and felt she didnt perform well, but her brother said that she was rejected because of her plain looks. Boyle was not discouraged and continued to sing at church and at the karaoke nights in a local pub. Boyle suffered a personal loss in 1997, when her father passed away. After his death, Boyle put her big dreams on hold to care for her sick mother Bridget Boyle. The mother and daughter often talked of Susans possible fame．Bridget Boyle encouraged her daughter to take part in singing competitions. “She was the one who said I should enter Britains Got Talent．We used to watch it together.” Susan later told reporters．“She thought I would win.” In 1999, Boyle used all of her savings to pay for a professional demo (样本唱片) tape ,which she sent to record companies. In 2002, Boyle began taking singing lessons from voice coach Fred ONeil. In 2007, Boyle’s mother passed away at the age of 91. A neighbor reported that when Bridget Boyle died, her daughter “wouldnt come out for three or four days or answer the door or phone.” She lived alone with her cat, Pebbles．For over a year, she refused to sing．But in August of 2008, ONeil urged her to try out for Britains Got Talent．Convinced that the performance would be an honor to her mother, Boyle auditioned in Glasgow, Scotland．She sang I Dreamed A Dream, a hit song from the musical Les Miserables (《悲惨世界》), in the first round of the show, which was aired on April 11, 2009. The 47-year-old Scottish womans plain looks provided a sharp contrast (对比) to her powerfully beautiful voice．The performance astonished the audience and the judges．Online videos of her performance totaled over 40 million views within a week．Although she failed to win the final of Britains Got Talent, Susan Boyle became globally popular．Her first album