高中英语自选阅读文章材料(2)

　　高中英语自选阅读(三)

　　They found the love

　　LOVE and compassion (同情) have no cultural boundaries (界限) and have reached China from other parts of the world since the disastrous earthquake hit on May 12.

　　The American hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas joined in to assist (援助) relief efforts for earthquake victims early this month. The band was originally invited to hold a promotional (宣传的) show for some beverage companies in Shanghai, but after the earthquake, the concert became a fund-raiser. The artists also donated personal items, including a guitar, posters and CDs, to a charity (慈善) auction (拍卖). In the end, they helped raise nearly 6 million yuan.

　　"We fell in love with China and the Chinese people when we visited here before and so we wanted to do all we could to help the people in the aftermath (后果) of the earthquake," one band member will.i.am said.

　　Apart from African-American will.i.am, Black Eyed Peas has three other members, Fergie, apl.de.ap and Taboo. Allen Pineda Lindo, also known as apl.de.ap, possesses a blood mixture of Filipino and African-American. Jaime Gomez, or Taboo, is a Mexican and American Indian descendant (后代), and Stacy Ferguson, or Fergie, is Native Californian.

　　Their breakthrough (突破) album, Elephunk, was released in 2003. The anti-war song Where Is the Love became their first major hit, topping the charts almost everywhere else, and was the bestselling single of 2003 in the UK.

　　Perhaps their various backgrounds (背景) provide them with wonderful capability (能力) to produce inventive music, by mixing hip-hop, R&B and jazz. Along with the positive lyrics and lively shows, Black Eyed Peas has gained devoted fans worldwide.

　　"We were just thinking of good songs, good music," admitted will.i.am. "We didn't want to say anything typical, like ‘My style is this, and my rhymes are like that'."

　　Fergie added, "This group is just totally open to new ideas and directions."