“And this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature goes to ... someone who’s not Haruki Murakami (村上春树) again.”
This was how the BBC started one of its reports about the 2017 Nobel Prizes, even though it was Japanese-British writer Kazuo Ishiguro who won the prize. “To be honest, it’s a bit annoying,” Murakami, 69, said in an interview with The Japan Times when asked how he felt when the public kept making a fuss about his potential (可能的) Nobel win. “This is not a horse race,” he added. And yet, to the public, a horse race is perhaps all it is.
So, the limelight is now once again on Murakami, after he made it onto the final list for the New Academy Prize in Literature 2018. “By combining pop culture with magic realism, he has attracted much attention with his novels and short story collections, and has attracted readers worldwide,” said the New Academy about Murakami.
Indeed, Murakami has a huge fan base in his home country of Japan, especially among young people. These young fans call themselves “Harukists”, as they identify with the “absurdity (荒谬) and loneliness of modern life” described in his novels, according to Business Insider. And in 2005, Murakami started reaching an international readership when his novel Kafka on the Shore appeared on the New York Times’ Top 10 list for book of the year, which was also believed to be the time when the world’s interest in Murakami’s Nobel win first began to surface.
But Murakami himself couldn’t care less about whether he wins the prize or not. “If you’re a writer and you have readers, you have everything. You don’t need critics or reviews.” he told The New Yorker.
However, if winning the prize is all that it takes to end this “horse race” and put Murakami out of his misery (煎熬), let’s just hope that when the winner is announced on Oct 12, the BBC’s story will open with, “This year’s New Academy Prize in Literature goes to ... Haruki Murakami.”
1.According to paragraph 2, what made Haruki Murakami annoyed?
A. Losing the horse race.
B. Not winning the Nobel Prize.
C. Being interviewed by the media.
D. Over focus on his potential Nobel win.
2.We learn from the passage that Haruki Murakami _____.
A. is especially popular among the elders
B. is more famous abroad than at home
C. became internationally acceptable in 2005
D. combines pop culture with serious literature
3.What can we learn from Murakami’s words in paragraph 5?
A. He puts his readers in the first place.
B. He cares much about people’s reviews.
C. He considers winning the Nobel Prize a top honor.
D. He is very disappointed about not winning the Nobel Prize.
4.What is the writer’s attitude towards Murakami winning the Nobel Prize?
A. Favorable. B. Uncaring.
C. Changing. D. Doubtful.
New research about male guppies, a tropical fish found in most fresh and saltwater environments published in the journal Functional Ecology suggests that male guppies exposed to high predation (捕食行动) levels often develop larger brain sizes than those living in low-risk environments. Consequently, the development of larger brain sizes among the male guppy population allows for better chances of survival under high predation conditions.
The team began its research in the southern Caribbean. They concentrated their observations on populations located in two independent rivers. In each, they collected male guppies living above and below the waterfalls. A small amount of predators lived in the waters above the waterfall, therefore the local guppy population had evolved (进化) under predation-poor conditions into a predation-poor population.
On the other hand, below the waterfall, predators were found to be increasing, making environment dangerous. Scientists noticed that male guppies located above the waterfalls often displayed on average smaller brain sizes than males living under the waterfall.
The next step was to find out if male guppies from high-predation population only had larger brains as a result of long evolutionary processes or a direct response to exposure (暴露) to risk during development. This question took the team away from the tropics and back to the laboratory, taking a sample group of guppies originating from high predation group. These were divided into two test populations. The first group was exposed to the sight and smell of a predator living in a nearby aquarium for five minutes at a time, five times a week. The other guppies served as a control group and lived in non-predatory places. The results showed that males exposed to predators have 21 per cent heavier brains than those of the control group.
Male guppies are generally more colorful than females and thus more likely to be exposed to predation threats. The increase in intellect could offer males advantages such as the ability to detect and react to danger earlier, increasing their chances of survival.
1.We learn from the passage that ______.
A. smarter fish have better chances of survival
B. guppies can’t survive in high predator conditions
C. the size of guppies changes with the environment
D. larger brains only result from long evolutionary process
2.This new research was done mainly by _______.
A. listing facts B. analyzing data
C. making comparisons D. explaining reasons
3.Male guppies are more easily attacked than females because of their _____.
A. appearance B. behavior
C. life history D. living environment
4.Which of the following proverbs reflects the findings of the research?
A. Pain past is pleasure.
B. Great hopes make great man.
C. While there is life, there is hope.
D. Storms make trees take deeper roots.
In 2000, Jodi had a lot going on: Not only was she working, but she was taking care of her husband, Kevin, who was suffering from Lou Gehrig’s Disease (重症肌无力). Being a caretaker is never easy, and on one afternoon after Labor Day, her brother decided to cheer her up.
“While a day at the beach sounded great, it was too much to ask from Kevin. A day at the beach was like running a marathon—an extraordinary event. It would mean having help with us, keeping the wheelchair and medical equipment free of water and sand, it would mean keeping Kevin cool and comfortable, and it would mean a tough day for everyone involved. After work, I got home and I saw my brother’s car. After asking me to wait before coming in, he covered my eyes with a scarf and took my hand. Once inside, he asked me to sit down and then took off my shoes and socks. My foot landed on something cool. I soon realized that my toes were sinking into sand. It was a beautiful morning and the sand felt cool and welcoming under my feet. Still blindfolded, Jamie then guided me to sit down on a towel. Then he sat behind me and held me in his arms. Seagulls flew in front of me. Mists of water touched my face.
‘Here you go’, said my brother, handing me a hot latte. We sat there, not needing to say anything. He embraced me while I sipped my coffee. What a miracle of love! I hadn’t made it to the beach but my brother had brought the beach to me! It was the nicest thing that anyone had ever done for me. For 15 minutes, until Kevin woke and needed care as usual, I was at the beach. When this was over, my brother gently removed my blindfold. Now I could see where I really was. The patio (平台) was covered in sand. A CD player gave the sounds of the ocean. He had supported the hose on a bucket and the water was set to mist.
With my eyes open, the beach was gone. But that memory, that sincere gesture of love and hope, kept me happy for a long time.”
1.Which of the following made a day at the beach beyond reach?
A. The terrible weather.
B. Economic pressures.
C. A lack of a wheelchair.
D. Kevin’s physical condition.
2.The underlined word in paragraph 3 may refer to the brand of _____.
A. dessert B. coffee
C. snacks D. tea
3.What do we learn about Kevin?
A. He was mentally disabled.
B. He was crazy about the beach.
C. He was used to taking a nap in the day.
D. He planned a day at the beach for Jodi.
4.In Jodi’s eyes, her brother was _______.
A. strong and optimistic
B. considerate and caring
C. loyal and friendly
D. honest and enthusiastic
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The Gardener’s Problem Solver offers a wide range of gardening topics, from planting seedlings to how to kill pests. Each of these 500 most-commonly asked questions is answered by a panel of experts from the National Gardening Association.
Everyday Garden Solutions
$15.99
Quick Overview
The Gardener’s Problem Solver offers a wide range of gardening topics, from planting seedlings to how to kill pests. Each of these 500 most-commonly asked questions is answered by a panel of experts from the National Gardening Association.
Stop & Drop Diet
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Want to drop up to a pound a day? Stop feeling bad about your weight. And stop starving yourself. The Stop and Drop Diet offers a mix-and-match 3-phase meal plan that’s designed for fast weight loss along with balanced nutrition for good health. You don’t have to give up your favorite foods. Just follow this easy guide to lightening up by making little changes to your breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
Stop & Drop Diet
$15.99
Quick Overview
Want to drop up to a pound a day? Stop feeling bad about your weight. And stop starving yourself. The Stop and Drop Diet offers a mix-and-match 3-phase meal plan that’s designed for fast weight loss along with balanced nutrition for good health. You don’t have to give up your favorite foods. Just follow this easy guide to lightening up by making little changes to your breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
Better Health Can Be
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Better Health Can Be seeks to bring current research information to those of any age or gender on the quality of life that we all should strive for. You should read, learn, and then do it every day! It supplies you with the balanced supplements to take, foods to eat, information of certain foods, healthy, tasty recipes, a wine list that is good for you. Read, learn, and then, whoever you are, do it. You and your loved ones will live better lives!
Better Health Can Be
$23.99
Quick Overview
Better Health Can Be seeks to bring current research information to those of any age or gender on the quality of life that we all should strive for. You should read, learn, and then do it every day! It supplies you with the balanced supplements to take, foods to eat, information of certain foods, healthy, tasty recipes, a wine list that is good for you. Read, learn, and then, whoever you are, do it. You and your loved ones will live better lives!
Mind Stretchers
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Activate your thinking muscles. It’s too easy just to turn on the TV and let the images of the day wash over us, leaving brain cells unchallenged and a bit sad. Keep your brain happy with this mind stretching collection of puzzles. Crosswords, word searches, logic and numerical games—they are all designed to inspire and stimulate the mind. So turn off TV and turn to Mind Stretchers—you’ll be entertained, learn new things, wake up your brain and it’s definitely more fun than watching the news.
Mind Stretchers
$10.99
Quick Overview
Activate your thinking muscles. It’s too easy just to turn on the TV and let the images of the day wash over us, leaving brain cells unchallenged and a bit sad. Keep your brain happy with this mind stretching collection of puzzles. Crosswords, word searches, logic and numerical games—they are all designed to inspire and stimulate the mind. So turn off TV and turn to Mind Stretchers—you’ll be entertained, learn new things, wake up your brain and it’s definitely more fun than watching the news.
1.If Jim suffers from overweight, which book will he choose to read?
A. Better Health Can Be B. Mind Stretchers
C. Everyday Garden Solutions D. Stop & Drop Diet
2.How much does it cost to order Better Health Can Be online?
A. $14.39 . B. $23.99.
C. $21.59. D. $10.99.
3.By reading Mind Stretchers, you can ________.
A. know more about gardening
B. exercise your mental muscles
C. improve the quality of your life
D. get a fast loss of your weight
目前，快餐在中国很流行，请参考下面给出的信息写一篇以“FAST FOOD” 为题的英语短文。
快餐的优点：
| (1) 方便、节约时间； (2) 既可在快餐店里吃又可带回家吃；…… |
快餐的缺点： | (1) 营养不均衡 (2) 能量太高…… |
建议： | …… |
注意: 1、词数 120 左右； 2、行文应连贯，内容应完整；3、开头语已为你写好。
营养（nutrition）
Fast food is becoming more and more popular in China, especially among children and teenagers.
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假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号 (∧) ，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线 (\) 划掉。
修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词。
2. 只允许修改10处，多者 (从第11处起) 不计分。
In the afternoon of May 20th, a charity sale activity held on our school playground. In order to organize a meaningful activity, we made fully preparations. Although it was a hard work, students actively take part. Some students brought various book, daily necessities, and others offered to design posters for the sale. The activity was a great success. The money raising from the activity would be donated to Project Hope. We might not have enough money or things to donate, but you all should take part in this kind of activity and do something to help others. More than one student whom took part in the activity think that the charity sale activity means a lot.
