In the 1970s，Wonder established himself as a visionary，with critically acclaimed albums like 1972??s Talking Book and 1976??s Songs In The Key Of Life. The latter part of the 1970s didn??t bring Wonder as much success; however，after a three-year hiatus，he released Journey Through The Secret Life Of Pla nts ( the soundtrack to a documentary film) ，which was panned by the critics.
Though the ??80 s started well for Wonder with the release of Hotter Than July，the rest of the decade proved to be devoid of many hits，with the exceptions of“Ebony &Ivory，”a cloying duet with Paul McCartney，“ Part-Time Lover，”and“ I Just Called To Say I Love You，”which garnered him an Oscar . The 1990s saw Wonder scoring the soundtrack to Spike Lee??s Jungle Fever ，as well as 1995??s Conversation Peace and Na tura l Wonder ( a live album) .
Per sona lity and Ta lent
Wonder may be famous for his music，but he is equally well known for the rocking movements he makes with his head，and his infectious smile，which has been imitated by many a comedian，most notably Eddie Murphy. Besides music，Wonder lends his talent by playing at concerts for charities such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Wonder is a highly accomplished musician - playing the piano，drums and harmonica with unparalleled precision and passion - and has played on songs by other artists like the Eurythmics，on their hit“There Must Be An Angel ( Playing With My Heart) ，”and Elton John on his classic“ And I Guess That??s Why They Call it the Blues. ”As a songwriter ，Wonder is both prolific and influential，and his songs have been covered by many artists including the Red Hot Chili Peppers (“Higher Ground”) and more recently Ben Harper (“ Superstition”) ，which illustrates how much Stevie??s music stands the test of time.
Woman Ma gnetism
Stevie Wonder is no Denzel Washington when it comes to looks，nor is he tall or buff; you could say he??s pretty average that way.
However ，when it comes to his creativity and confidence，his friendly，positive disposition，and his bank account，he isn??t all that average. Wonder has married twice，first to Syreeta Wright in 1970 and followed by Karen Millard-Morris in 2001. It seems that he has no problems in the romance department.
Accomplish and Fame
Having a record contract and a hit single while most of us are still collecting baseball or hockey cards is quite a feat by itself. To continue this momentum throughout your teens and create a masterpiece ( Songs In The Key Of Life) by the age of 26 is truly phenomenal.
Wonder is one of the most famous musicians in the world. He has sold over 70 million albums worldwide，and is up there with the Beatles and Elvis Presley in having the most top ten records: a total of 27 ( eight of them number ones) . His 1976 recordSongs In The Key Of Life stayed at the No. 1 spot for a record-breaking 14 weeks,and between the years 1973 and 1976，Wonder won 13 Grammy Awards，includingBest Album in 1973，1974 and 1976.
His many Grammys culminated in a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996.
Wonder also won an Oscar in 1985 for the very popular“ I Just Called To Say I LoveYou，”from the Woman in Red soundtrack，which he also scored.
Wonder sang and played harmonica on a song for AIDS research called“That??sWhat Friends Are For”in 1984，with fellow recording artists Dionne Warwick，EltonJohn and Gladys Knight. Wonder was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Famein 1989 ，and in June of 1996，he received an Honorary Doctorate from the Universityof Alabama.
Coolness Factor
Saying that Stevie Wonder is cool is an understatement; he is the oracle of funk.
The fact that he has achieved so much and still remains modest and true to himself -and his art form - says a lot about his character . He is also known for his positiveattitude and concern for others，which he displays in his charitable work.
Per sona l Style
Braids and beads don??t work for everyone，but Stevie pulls it off. His Africanthemedoutfits and silky shirts contribute to his overall earthliness and modesty. Hisstyle seems like the appropriate apparel for an elder statesman of soul and funk.
Notes on language a nd cultur e
1. sorcerer: person with magic powers
2. gospel: style of religious singing，popular among African Americans and otherblack people
3. reggae: type of West Indian popular music with strong rhythms
4. Motown: a recording company in the USA，well-known all over the world
5. savvy: practical knowledge or understanding of something.
6. visionary: person who has the ability to think about or plan the future in anintelligent，imaginative way
7. acclaim: praise or welcome someone or something publicly
8. pan: severely criticize something such as a play or a movie
9. cloying: using emotion in a very obvious way，so that the result is unpleasant
10. garner : obtain or collect something
11. infectious: that can be passed easily from one person to another
12. prolific: producing many works，etc.
13. buff : pale yellow-brown in colour
14. disposition: natural qualities of a person??s character
15. phenomenal: very great or impressive
16. Grammy Awards: see Fast Reading，Passage One
17. induct: officially introduce somebody into a group or an organization
18. oracle: person or book that gives valuable advice or information
19. funk: a state of fear or anxiety
20. earthliness: 世俗，尘缘
21. apparel: clothing
C. Post -r eading a ctivity
What’s the meaning of the underlined words in the passage?
1. brew ( para. 1)
2. leverage ( para. 2)
3. hiatus ( para. 3)
4. be devoid of ( para. 4)
5. duet ( para. 4)
6. accomplished ( para. 6)
7. feat ( para. 9)
8. culminate ( para. 11)
Ⅳ. Fast Read in g
In this part，you are required to read three passages and choose the best answersto the questions after each passage，using the skill you have just learned.
( 1)
