高中英语阅读训练文章材料(2)

　　高中英语阅读训练文章(三)

　　Taylor Swift is taking Nashville by storm

　　HOME to American country music, Nashville is filled to the brim (满到边沿) with men and women chasing dreams of stardom. Taylor Swift is one of them and she knew early on that the odds were against her getting noticed here.

　　That was apparent (明显的) on her first trip to Nashville six years ago, when she began knocking on doors in hopes of landing a recording contract (合约).

　　"I realized that there are thousands of girls going up and down here. They have amazing voices and can sing higher and louder than me," she said. "Somehow I had to find a way to stand out and be the different one."

　　And she made it. At 14, she was already a professional songwriter, becoming the youngest person ever signed to Sony Publishing. Two years later, she landed a record deal.

　　Now, the 17-year-old has had the success some artists twice her age can only dream about. Her first album Taylor Swift landed at No 3 on the American music chart (音乐排行榜), Billboard. It has sold 500,000 copies in just three months.

　　Unlike many young artists who choose songs that deal with topics light years beyond (超越) their experience, Swift writes and sings like a teenager. For example, her song Teardrops on My Guitar longs for a boy who hasn't a clue about the crush (热恋) Swift has on him.

　　"A lot of the writing on my album is just honest," she said. "I have this habit of writing honest songs about people, and even mentioning their names. I feel that people can identify with (认同) that."

　　Success also means Swift has had a huge lifestyle change. This time last year, she was at a desk in high school, now she is on tour, playing in front of 15,000 people. The teenager admitted (承认) that she once was carried away by fame. But family and friends around who knew her when she was a little kid help her keep things in perspective (正确地). "When I am changing, they told me I am being a jerk (自满的人) ," she said. "They will say 'You are nothing more than a person and you just do a different kind of job'. It keeps me cool."