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F. Scott Fitzgerald, born on September 24, 1896, an American novelist, was once a student of St. Paul Academy, the Newman School and attended Princeton University for a short while. In 1917 he joined the army and was posted in Alabama, where he met his future wife Zelda Sayre. Then he had to make some money to impress her.
His life with her was full of great happiness, as he wrote in his diary: “My own happiness in the past often approached such joy that I could share it even with the person dearest to me but had to walk it away in quiet streets and take down parts of it in my diary.”
This side of paradise, his first novel, was published in 1920. Encouraged by its success, Fitzgerald began to devote more time to his writing. Then he continued with the novel the Beautiful and Damned (1922), a collection of short stories Thales of the Jazz Age (1922), and a play The Vegetable (1923). But his greatest success was The Great Gatsby, published in 1925, which quickly brought him praise from the literary world. Yet it failed to give him the needed financial security. Then, in 1926, he published another collection of short stories All the Sad Young Men.
However, Fitzgerald’s problems with his wife Zelda affected his writing. During the 1920s he tried to reorder his life, but failed. By 1930, his wife had her first breakdown and went to a Swiss clinic. During this period he completed novels Tender Is the Night in 1934 and The love of the last Tycoon in 1940. While his wife was in hospital in the United States, he got totally addicted to alcohol. Sheila Graham, his dear friend, helped him fight his alcoholism.
1.How many novels written by Fitzgerald are mentioned in the passage?
A. 5 B. 6 C. 7 D. 8
2.Which of the following is the correct order to describe Fitzgerald’s life according to the passage?
a. He became addicted to drinking.
b. He studied at St. Paul Academy.
c. He published his first novel This Side of Paradise.
d. The Great Gatsby won high praise.
e. He failed to reorder his life.
f. He joined the army and met Zelda.
A.f-c-e-a-b-d B. b-e-a-f-c-d C. f-d-e-c-b-a D. b-f-c-d-e-a
3.We can infer from the passage that Fitzgerald .
A. had made some money when he met Zelda in Alabama.
B. was well educated and well off before he served in the army
C. would have completed more works if his wife hadn’t broken down
D. helped his friend get rid of drinking while his wife was in hospital
4.The passage is probably followed by a concluding paragraph about _______.
A. Zelda’s personal life
B. Zelda’s illness and treatment
C. Fitzgerald’s friendship with Graham
D. Fitzgerald’s contributions to the literary world
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Step into Wonderland and follow any of the many tracks around Kinabalu Park. Even though it is the most explored and studied place in Borneo, new discoveries of rare plants are frequently being made here.
So take a map and set off on your own or follow Park Naturalists as they take you on guided path walks and point out the various wonders. There are also visual shows advertising rare plants and animals here. If you are a first time visitor, sign up for these shows and you’ll be excited when you find yourself identifying the same plants and animals on your walks or during your climb up Mt. Kinabalu.
Mt. Kinabalu Botanical Garden is one of the biggest attractions at the Park Started in 1981. This 5-acre Garden is an excellent collection of different kinds of plant—life on the mountain, as plants from all over the Park has been replanted here. There are hotels, inns and chalets at Kinabalu Park to suit one’s budget. For more information, click www.sabahtourism.com.
TLMETABLE GUIDEUNE
PLACE / INTEREST TIME (HRS)
1 KINABALU PARK HQ：
. Botanical Garden
. Guided Walk
. Slide Show 9:00 — 15:00
11:00
14:00 (and 19:30 on weekends)
2. PORING
. Butterfly Farm
. Tropical Garden
. Night Walk 9:00 — 16:00
13:30
By Prior (提前）Arrangement Only
3. MESILAU
Guided Nature Walk
. Monday to Friday
. Saturday and Sunday
9:30, 11:00, 14:00
7:30, 10:30, 14:00
4. KUNDASANG WAR MEMORIAL
. Daily (Monday to Sunday)
. Memorial Services and Special Programmes 10:00-17:00
By Prior Arrangement
Note：
Adult: $ 20. Kid under twelve: 50% off
Family including two adults and a kid under twelve: $40.
1.It can be learnt that _______.
A. Mt Kinabalu is a more explored and studied area than Borneo
B. there’re still some unknown rare plants in Kinabalu Park
C. Mt Kinabalu Botanical Garden attracts visitors due to its long history
D. visitors should follow the Park Naturalists so as not to get lost
2.The underlined word “chalets” (in Paragraph 3) most probably refers to “_______”.
A. plants B. garages C. cottages D. tracks
3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Botanical Garden and Butterfly Farm open at the same time.
B. Guided Nature Walk is a favorite of first time visitors.
C. Slide Show is unavailable unless it is arranged in advance.
D. Visitors can have access to Night Walk anytime they wish.
4.If a couple visit the Park with their son aged 19, how much will they pay?
A. $30. B. $40. C. $50. D. $60.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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The French word renaissance means rebirth. It was first used in 1855 by the historian Jules Michelet in his History of France, and then adopted by historians of culture, by art historians, and eventually by music historians, all of whom applied it to European culture during the 150 years spanning 1450-1600. The concept of rebirth was appropriate to this period of European history because of the renewed interest in ancient Greek and Roman culture that began in Italy and then spread throughout Europe. Scholars and artists of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries wanted to restore the learning and ideals of the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome. To these scholars this meant a return to human—as opposed to spiritual-values. Fulfillment in life—as opposed to concern about an afterlife—became a desirable goal, and expressing the entire range of human emotions and enjoying the pleasures of the senses were no longer frowned on (不赞同). Artists and writers now turned to secular (非宗教的) as well as religious subject matter and sought to make their works understandable and appealing.
These changes in outlook deeply affected the musical culture of the Renaissance period—how people thought about music as well as the way music was composed, experienced, discussed, and disseminated. They could see the architectural monuments, sculptures, plays, and poems that were being rediscovered, but they could not actually hear ancient music—although they could read the writings of classical philosophers, poets, essayists, and music theorists that were becoming available in translation. They learned about the power of ancient music to move the listener and wondered why modern music did not have the same effect. For example, the influential religious leader Bernardino Cirillo expressed disappointment with the learned music of his time. He urged musicians to follow the example of the sculptors, painters, architects, and scholars who had rediscovered ancient art and literature. The musical Renaissance in Europe was more a general cultural movement and state of mind than a specific set of musical techniques. Furthermore, music changed so rapidly during this century and a half—though at different rates in different countries—that we cannot define a single Renaissance style.
1.What is the passage mainly about?
A. The musical compositions that best illustrate the developments during the European Renaissance.
B. The musical techniques that were in use during the European Renaissance.
C. The European Renaissance as a cultural development that included changes in musical style.
D. The ancient Greek and Roman musical practices used during the European Renaissance.
2.According to the passage, Renaissance artists and writers had all of the following intentions EXCEPT _______.
A. to use religious themes
B. to express only the pleasant parts of human experience
C. to produce art that people would find attractive
D. to create works that were easily understood
3.The word "disseminated" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to _______.
A. played B. documented C. spread D. ignored
4.What can be inferred about the music of ancient Greece and Rome?
A. It expressed different ideals than classical sculpture, painting and poetry.
B. It was played on instruments that are familiar to modern audiences.
C. It had the same effect on Renaissance audiences as it had when originally performed.
D. Its effect on listeners was described in a number of classical texts.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Face masks are commonly used in ceremonies and performances. They not only hide the real face of the mask wearer but they often evoke powerful emotions in the audience—danger, fear, sadness, joy. You might think, because so many things vary cross-culturally, that the ways in which emotions are displayed and recognized in the face vary too. Apparently they do not. Recent research on masks from different cultures supports the conclusion that masks, like faces, tend to represent certain emotions in the same ways. We now have some evidence that the symbolism used in masks is often universal.
The research on masks builds on work done by anthropologists, who used photographs of individuals experiencing various emotions. These photographs were shown to members of different cultural groups who were asked to identify the emotions displayed in the photographs. Emotions were identified correctly by most viewers, whatever the viewer’s native culture.
Coding schemes were developed to enable researchers to compare the detailed facial positions of individual portions of die face (eyebrows, mouth, etc.) for different emotions. What exactly do we do when we scowl? We contract the eyebrows and lower the corners of the mouth; in geometric terms, we make angles and diagonals (斜线) on our faces. When we smile, we raise the corners of the mouth; we make it curved.
Psychologist Joel Arnoff and his colleagues compared two types of wooden face masks from many different societies—masks described as threatening versus masks associated with nonthreatening functions. As suspected, the two sets of masks had significant differences in certain facial elements. The threatening masks had eyebrows and eyes facing inward and downward and a downward-facing mouth. In more abstract or geometrical terms, threatening features generally tend to be angular or diagonal and nonthreatening features tend to be curved or rounded, a face with a pointed beard is threatening; a baby's face is not. The theory is that humans express and recognize basic emotions in uniform (一致的) ways because all human faces are quite similar, skeletally and muscularly.
1.What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. The techniques for comparing facial expressions across cultures.
B. The photography of faces.
C. Cultural variations in mask.
D. The uniformity of facial expressions in revealing emotions.
2.According to the passage, masks are used in performances to _______.
A. disguise the real emotions of the performers
B. cause members of the audience to have strong emotions
C. remind the audience that an illusion is being created
D. identify the cultural background of the performers
3.What does the author mean by stating, "the symbolism used in masks is often universal"?
A. Masks are sometimes used to hide emotions.
B. Performers often need help conveying emotions to an audience.
C. Not all societies use masks in their rituals.
D. People from different cultures generally express certain emotions in similar ways.
4.The passage mentions "baby’s face" in the last paragraph as an example of a _______.
A. typical human face
B. source of inspiration in the creation of masks
C. nonthreatening face
D. face that expresses few emotions
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Summer school is something a kid will never forget. For some, it's a way to advance past their classmates. For most, summer school is a requirement in order to graduate with their classmates. I can remember being forced into taking a summer school course. It was not the school that forced me into this awkward situation, it was my mother.
I was a 16-year-old kid in a new school. My school did not offer summer courses so I had to take my course at an alternative school in the city. It was an experience I will never forget. I was not concerned with making friends. I was there to get credit（学分）for a course that I should have received for the previous semester. It was my doing that landed me in the situation and it was important that I understood this.
The fees were the lowest but the experience was amazing. I enjoyed I didn’t miss the day. The course was from Monday to Friday for an entire month. I passed the course with an A. I was thrown into an awkward situation but actually enjoyed it. My friends didn't even know I took the course. Most of them were still sleeping by the time my course ended each day.
Awkward situations are so important for personal growth. This situation made me feel more independent. I made friends. I finally understood what sacrifice and hard work were all about. While attending college, I remembered how much I enjoyed summer school and I chose to take summer school in my first three years of college. Some kids get pushed too much but some don't get pushed enough. I was never pushed enough.
Enable your children to struggle for success. If your child needs summer school you explain to them why it's important. Some parents are surprised by the situation and may want to be more involved in their children’s education. Follow through and follow up.
1.Most students go to the summer school in order to ____.
A. find good jobs
B. become top students in their class
C. have a chance to make more friends
D. graduate successfully on time
2.What made the author go to summer school for the first time?
A. What he had done. B. His mother's wish.
C. His own requirement. D. Study competition.
3.Which of the following was NOT the benefit got by the author through attending summer school?
A. It helped him get rid of bad habits.
B. It helped him make new friends.
C. It helped him understand what sacrifice and hard work were.
D. It increased his independence.
4.From the last paragraph we can learn that the author _______.
A. does not like summer school at all even though it is useful
B. thinks summer school is unnecessary for children
C. encourages parents to make their children attend summer school
D. is against forcing children to attend summer school
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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They say that "seeing is believing", but when it comes to TV commercials, this is not always the case.
The world's leading mobile phone maker, Nokia, released its latest model Lumia 920 on Sept. 5. The smart phone was supposed to possess an advanced camera, which let customers shoot better pictures at night and record stabilized videos. To show how well these features work, the Finnish company released an ad showing a man and a woman riding bicycles side by side, with the man taking a video of the woman on the phone. However, several hours later, technology website The Verge uncovered that the video was neither shot with the new product, nor shot from someone riding a bicycle. Instead, someone in a lorry next to the woman took the video using a professional video camera.
The next day Nokia apologized, "In an effort to demonstrate the benefits of visual image stabilization, we produced a video that simulates（看起来像）what we will be able to deliver." Indeed, what we have seen in ads is more or less a simulation——a practice called "advertising photography".
McDonald's video in June explained the "art". It showed how its burgers get dolled up（装扮）before going on camera. Like models preparing for a magazine cover shoot, burgers also get designed in a photography studio. They are prepared for hours and put together with absolute precision so they look their best before photo shoots. Each ingredient, such as onions and sauce, is carefully put into place to make the burger look much juicier, bigger and tastier. Computer software Photoshop is also used to add visual effects.
So don't feel ____________________when you get a burger that never looks like what you see in ads.
1. What do the underlined words "the case" in Paragraph l refer to? （within 5 words）
2. For what purpose did Nokia create the video? （within 8 words）
3.Why did Nokia apologize based on the text? （within 10 words）
4.Why does the author give the example of McDonald's video in Paragraph 4? （within 10 words）
5.Fill in the blank in Paragraph 5 with proper words.（within 2 words）
难度: 中等查看答案及解析