Books allow us a glance into the mind of the authors,but what if we could make a direct connection instead? What if we could ask specific questions about their experiences,receive instant answers,and hear their stories first—hand?
Now,thanks to a library in Denmark,you can check out a person as you use a book to find out more about their unique stories.
At the Human Library,you go through some titles and pick one you’d like to know more about.When you decide on a title,you are taken to a discussion area to meet your human book and have the next 30 minutes with your“book”to learn about it.The downside is,unlike a book,that you don’t take that person home with you.Your“borrowed”human could be anyone—a funeral director,politician,or even a child—with an incredible story to tell.
The Human Library Organization came to be in Copenhagen,Denmark in 2000.Ronni Abergel,his brother Dany,and some colleagues hosted a four-day event during a major Northern European festival,hoping to raise awareness about violence among youth.After the Success.Abergel founded the Human Library Organization.Since then,it has spread to more than 50 countries around the world.
Though there are a few permanent human libraries,most aren’t places at all,but events.Even if many do take place at physical libraries,you don’t need a library card—anyone can come and be part of the experience.All that’s needed is people who want to tell their stories,and people who are willing to listen.
1.The writer raises two questions in the first paragraph to__________.
A. stress the importance of reading
B. draw the readers’attention to the topic
C. picture a reading scene of the future
D. invite readers to answer them
2.Which of the following could be a disadvantage of the Human Library?
A. Few topics are available for discussion.
B. There is limited time for communication.
C. The human book can’t be taken away.
D. No instant answer will be received.
3.To become a book in human form,one______.
A. must present his library card
B. has to be at least 18 years old
C. should go to the library regularly
D. is willing to share his stories
4.According to the author,the Human Library_______.
A. has spread to every corner of the whole world
B. is an actual place for readers to discuss about books
C. aims to raise awareness about violence among youth
D. gives a new meaning to the phrase“I am an open book”
We all have our own idea of what the perfect smile should look like,whether we show a mouthful of whites or keep our lips closed and turned up at the corners.When we think of the perfect smile,we often picture someone grinning,with all of our teeth showing,but based on new findings,less is actually more.Nathaniel He1wig and his colleagues at the University of Minnesota discovered that a successful,genuine smile actually rests less on showing teeth and more on facial balance and symmetry(对称).
For the study,researchers looked at 3D computer-animated facial models of more than 800 study participants.The computer-animated facial models went through a series of facial transformations,with researchers changing the mouth angle,amount of teeth shown,the degree of the smile.Participants were then asked to rate the models’smiles based on effectiveness,genuineness and pleasantness.
The results of the study found that the most successful smile had a perfect balance of teeth,an ideal mouth angle,and a smile length that extended to what was called the“sweet spot”.Smiles that showed a quick sync(同步)of the left and right side of the face during smiling were also more highly related.
Smiling makes up a good part of our nonverbal(非语言的)communication,making it important to have a grin that will draw people to you and also seem sincere.It’s also worth noting that perfect smile could help improve your health too.
1.What is the possible meaning of the underlined word“grinning”in the first paragraph?
A. Talking softly. B. Smiling widely.
C. Chatting cheerfully. D. Eating healthily.
2.Which aspect should be considered when rating the smiles in the study?
A. How pleasant it makes people feel.
B. Whether it improves health.
C. How successful smiling people are.
D. Whether it lasts long enough.
3.What makes the perfect smile based on the new study?
A. White teeth. B. Smile length.
C. Facial balance. D. Lip corners.
4.Where does this text probably come from?
A. A book review. B. A science report.
C. A history textbook. D. A travelling guide.
Have you ever had one of those days when all you wanted to do was read an emotionally powerful story that would cause you to tears? Most of us tend to be attracted by stories that reach us on multiple levels, including sadness. There are plenty of books that make you cry (and sometimes laugh) and that you can really sink your teeth into. Here are four of them.
1. The Kite Runner
This realistic and moving description of life in Afghanistan accounts for the people who were badly affected by the Taliban. You’ll cry as you get to know the familial relationships and cruelty involved, but you’ll also get a sense of hope as you quickly read through this appealing novel.
2. The Book Thief
Let’s put it this way: Death itself is the narrator. The story is about a young girl named Liesel who has to live with foster parents during World War II. On the way to her new home, her brother dies, setting the gloomy tone for the story. There is hope, however, when Liesel discovers her love for reading and makes a relationship with a young Jewish man she helps hide from the Nazis.
3. The Fault in Our Stars
This is probably the most likely book on the list to make you cry, as it records the experiences of teens who are dying from cancer and living their last days in love. Their lifestyle is tragic and disturbing at the same time, as we watch their health worsen. The real tragedy is the love story between the main characters, who know that their romance is fruitless.
4. A Child Called “It”
Easily one of the saddest stories of abuse in recent decades, A Child Called It is based on the true story of Dave Pelzer, a boy from California who suffered at the hands of his cruel family. The tears will come from both sadness and the inspiration tied to Dave’s fight for survival in an environment where he is believed worthless.
1.What do the four books have in common?
A. They are all about cruel wars.
B. They all probably make you cry.
C. They are all about suffering children.
D. They are all adapted from true stories.
2.Which book is about a young victim whose family treated him cruelly?
A. The Kite Runner B. A Child Called “It”
C. The Fault in Our Stars D. The Book Thief
3.The passage is intended to __________.
A. advise us to buy some books B. inspire us to read more
C. explain why we love reading D. introduce some moving books
假定你是李华，你急需购买一些适合你自己阅读水平的英文小说，希望得到你的英国朋友Peter的帮助，请你给他写一封邮件。内容包括:
1. 说明书籍要求；
2. 期望代为购买；
3. 询问支付方式；
注意:
1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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Last week, I along with my classmates was asked to attend a lecture, the theme of what was environmental protection. It was given by an university professor. The professor first has us to come up with some problems the earth was faced with. Then he offered some suggestions on what they could do to save our planet in an effectively way. Late after the lecture, I searched the Internet for more informations on this topic. Up to now，I learnt that the problem of air pollution is universal and that we were likely to run out of some natural resources. To make things worse , climate change is becoming a great threat for human beings.
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
If a little humanlike robot begged you not to shut it off, would you show sympathy?
In an experiment 1. (intend) to find out how people treat robots when they act like humans, many participants struggled to power down a begging robot named Nao. 2. experiment was conducted by researchers in Germany, whose findings 3. (publish) in the scientific journal PLOSOne.
Nao, 4. was designed to beg about half of the participants not to switch it off but not the other half, was used 5. (measure) if his begging affected how people reacted.
In one previous experiment, researchers found that people preferred communicating with robots with complementary (互补的) personality characteristics to 6. (they) own. And since robots can exhibit social characteristics either 7. (speak) with human voices or taking the shape of a human body, the research suggests that people tend to react “8. (especial) social to them.”
The researchers said a possible 9. (explain) for their results was that people regarded Nao’s begging 10. “a sign of making its own decision.”
