The hottest TV drama in China – “Nirvana in Fire” or “Langya Bang” has just ended. Millions of people waited every day after midnight for the latest (two) episodes. Are you one of them? What is the story about? Why the show is so popular?
“Nirvana in Fire” is based on an Internet novel by author Hai Yan, who was invited to pen the screenplay for the television adaptation. The 55-episode series, set in a fictionalized kingdom, weaves together two storylines — one about a betrayed general's revenge and the other about princes fighting for the throne.
The series was put on screen on Sep. 19th, and the number of Internet views exceeded 140 million times the next day. Only during the week of National holiday, the number increased by 1.6 billion.
It’s now the hottest Chinese TV show with a very high score of 9.3 on Douban. (The classical TV drama, Journey to the West, produced in 1986 is with the same score). Previous and recent costume dramas such as “The Journey of Flower” and “Yun Zhong Ge” only scored 6.4 and 3.5.
Drawing comparisons to “The Count of Monte Cristo”, the story revolves around a gifted young man named Lin Shu, whose father serves as a general. Already a high-ranking military officer by his teenager years, Lin Shu enjoyed a close friendship with Prince Xiao Jingyan and was even engaged to Princess Nihuang.
At age 17, however, Lin Shu’s life turned upside down when his father’s army was framed and destroyed by a foxy political rival. Lin Shu escaped death, but due to the poisoning, his body became weak and frail, and he lost his martial arts abilities. From then on, his face was pale and his fingers always ice-cold.
After twelve years, Lin Shu returned to his country’s capital with a new name, Mei Changsu, and a new identity, the leader of the Jiang Zuo Alliance. He then became the strategic adviser for his friend, Prince Jingyan, who had been exiled(流放) by the king. Despite the efforts of Prince Xiao Jingheng and the crown prince to win the throne for themselves, Mei Changsu succeeds in paving the road for his friend to take over as king, as well as the avenging the injustices dealt to his troops many years before.
1.Which of the following is true?
A. Lin Shu changed his face and name in order to take revenge.
B. Lin Shu and the crown prince were childhood friends and Lin helped him to be the king.
C. Nirvana in Fire was set in a real kingdom in history.
D. Nirvana in Fire shares the same score with Journey to the West on Douban.
2.What is the underlined word mean?
A. made a false charge B. taken advantage of
C. defeated D. got ride of
3.What is more likely to talk about in the following paragraph?
A. How did the prince fight for the throne?
B. Where was Nirvana in Fire shot?
C. Why did Nirvana in Fire enjoy such popularity?
D. What happened to Mei Changshu after he succeeded in taking the revenge?
Now that American education has entered the era of the MOOC—the Massive Open Online Course-the opportunity for cheating appears greater than ever. The all-knowing Google search engine is never more than a few keystrokes away. So how can a teacher manage such a large number of examinees so far away, let alone searching out cheaters taking tests across the Internet?
Using technology, of course. While special services via webcam(摄像头)and cheating detecting software have been developed now, Mettl, an online company, has developed advanced techniques for netting cheaters, which the company claims are even more reliable and easier to use. Whatever small attempt to cheat, he or she will be found out.
Mettl has adopted a handful of technologies on its test—taking platform, creating a mini monitoring state in an exam. Here’s how it works：A test-taker signs on to Mettl and selects his／her exam from the site’s library of pre—loaded tests. Facial and keystroke recognition technology confirm the person that has signed in is the very person, and the system records both the test—taker(through the webcam)and the test—taker’s screen throughout the test.
Mettl’s technology uses the test—taker’s webcam to detect how many people are using the computer. Soon, it will track eye movement well enough to sense whether the test-taker is looking away from the screen, perhaps to Consult a smart phone or a friend in secret. Mettl also monitors the test-taker’s screen and can detect when the test-taker has changed a computer or moved from the test. The system will soon be able to record sound, thus detecting whether the test-taker is talking or being talked to.
If any irregularities are detected, the system flags the incident and reports it back to the test’s administrator. This can bring any number of things, depending on the test-giver’s wishes：a complete shutdown of the exam, a warning message that appears on the test-taker’s screen, even human instructions from the control center.
Mettl is hoping its technology will help it break into the country’s big MOOC markets.
1.What’s the best title of the passage?
A. Advantages of Massive Open Online Courses
B. Using technology to fight against cheating online
C. A new Test system serving the online students
D. How Americans help increase educational opportunity
2.From the first paragraph we can infer that
A. MOOC has replaced the traditional form of education
B. Teachers should be more strict in dealing with cheating
C. Google is a software designed for cheating
D. Preventing online cheating is a tougher job
3.How can Mettl help to get rid of cheating online?
A. By equipping teachers with cameras.
B. By asking test-takers to sign in.
C. By providing different tests at the same time.
D. By recording the test-takers’ behaviors.
4.Which part of a newspaper does the article come from?
A. Health B. Education C.Entertainment D. Culture
书面表达
假如你是李明，你马上就要去英国留学。你的英国笔友George来信询问你在留学期间是住在学生公寓还是住在寄宿家庭，你现在回信告诉他，你打算住在寄宿家庭，并且说明你的至少三个理由。词数120字左右。
短文改错
假如英语课上老师要求同学们交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，要求你在错误的地方增加、删除或修改某个单词。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(/\)，在其下面写上该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(＼)划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，在该词下面写上修改后的词。
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。
Recently, our school has held the meaningful discussion on whether it is reasonable for middle school students to have classes on weekends. Some of our classmates believe we should have classes on weekends because we can make fully use of the free time to review the lessons we had learnt. Some others are against the opinion, saying we had better to have a good rest on weekends so that we can work effective during the weekdays. The rest agree with neither of the opinion. They have the view which keeping the balance between work and play are important for us. They suggest one day of the weekend should used to learn our lessons and during the other day we do something interested or have a rest.
从A到F中选择合适的一句，分别填入1题到5题中。注意：有一项多余项。
A. The benefits of visiting museums
B. Educational functions
C. Places for collections of objects
D. The history of museums
E. Precious chance to see famous masterpieces
F. Ways to improve their collections
1.___________ Museums are places where collections of objects are preserved and put on show. The objects may be anything found in nature made by man. There are museums devoted to art, science, history, industry and technology.
2.____________ But museums are no longer just storehouse for collections. Today nearly all museums, large or small, carry on educational programs. Museums offer guided tours, lectures, films, music recitals, art lessons, and other attractions. They organize field trips and clubs. They publish guides to help visitors to gain a better understanding of the collections.
3._____________ All museums share a common aim —— to attract visitors and help them to understand and enjoy the collections. Museums are always on the watch for new additions to their collections. Works of art are bought from art dealers and private collectors. Museums also accept gifts, but the large museums no longer accept everything that is offered to them. They accept only objects of collections that meet their high standards.
4._____________ Museums often arrange loan exhibitions of important works from private owners, art dealers and other museums. In this way a famous masterpiece may be viewed by people who otherwise might never have the chance to see it. For example, in 1963 the Metropolitan Museums of Art in New York city exhibited one of the world’s most famous ladies —— Mona Lisa, painted by Leonardo Da Vinci. The government of France had lent the painting to the United States. Attendance at the Metropolitan reached an all-time high during the month Mona Lisa was shown there.
5._______________ What is to be gained from visiting museums? Museum exhibits can teach us about the world in which we live —— the materials it is made of, the trees and plants that cover it, and the animals that have lived on it since its beginning. We can learn about the activities of man —— his history and development as well as his accomplishments in arts and crafts. Most people see a great work of art for the first time in a museum. We cannot all be explorers or collectors in other lands. But in a museum we can see for ourselves the objects that have been gathered from every part of the world.
I call my story the story of a bad boy, partly to distinguish myself from those faultless young gentlemen, and partly because I really was not an angel. I may truthfully say I was a friendly, impulsive(易冲动的)teenager. I didn’t want to be an angel. In short, I was a real human boy, such as you may meet anywhere in New England.
Whenever a new scholar came to our school, I used to ask him “My name’s Tom Bailey; what’s your name?” If the name struck me favorably, I shook hands with the new pupil cordially, but if it didn’t, I would turn and walk away, for I was particular on this point.
I was born in Rivermouth almost fifty years ago, but, before I became very well acquainted with that pretty New England town, my parents moved to New Orleans. I was only eighteen months old at the time of the move, and it didn’t make much difference to me where I was, because several years later, when my father proposed to take me North to be educated, I had my own view on the subject. I instantly kicked over the little boy, Sam, who happened to be standing by me at the moment, and declared that I would not be taken away to live among a lot of Yankees! You see I was what is called “a Northern man with Southern principles,” I had no recollection of New England: my earliest memories were connected with the South. I knew I was born in the North, but hoped nobody would find it out. I never told my schoolmates I was a Yankee, because they talked about Yankees in a scornful way which made me feel that it was quite a shame not to be born in the South.
And this impression was strengthened by Aunt Chloe, who said, “There wasn’t no gentlemen in the North no way.”
With this picture of Northern civilization in my eye, the readers will easily understand my terror at the bare thought of being transported to Rivermouth to school, and possibly will forgive me for kicking over little Sam, when my father announced this to me. As for kicking little Sam, I always did that, more or less gently, when anything went wrong with me.
My father was greatly troubled by this violent behavior. As little Sam picked himself up, my father took my hand in his and led me thoughtfully to the library. He appeared strangely puzzled on learning the nature of my objections to going North.
“Who on earth, Tom, has filled your brain with those silly stories?” asked my father calmly.
“Aunt Chloe, sir, she told me.”
My father devoted that evening and several evenings to giving me a clear account of New England: its early struggles, its progress, and its present condition. I was no longer unwilling to go North; on the contrary, the proposed journey to a new world full of wonders kept me awake nights. Long before the moving day arrived I was eager to be off. My impatience was increased by the fact that my father had purchased for me a fine little Mustang pony, and shipped it to Rivermouth two weeks before the date set for our own journey. The pony completely resigned me to the situation. The pony’s name was Gitana, which is the Spanish for “gypsy”, so I always called her Gypsy.
Finally the time came to leave the vine-covered mansion among the orange-trees, to say goodbye to little Sam(I am convinced he was heartily glad to get rid of me), and to part with Aunt Chloe. I imagine them standing by the open garden gate; the tears are rolling down Aunt Chloe’s cheeks; they and the old home fade away. I am never to see them again!
1.The second paragraph is intended to _______.
A. support Tom’s opinion that he is a “faultless young gentlemen”
B. show just how much confidence Tom possesses
C. contradict other people’s belief that Tom is not a well-behaved, friendly boy
D. provide an example that Tom is friendly and not an angel
2.The underlined word “cordially” in Paragraph 2 most probably means “________”.
A. sincerely B. unbelievably
C. officially D. closely
3.Tom Bailey’s feeling on moving to Rivermouth can best be described as _______.
A. cold, as he was too young to know any better
B. unwilling until his father corrected his misunderstandings about life in the North
C. angry because he would be forced to leave his pony, Gypsy, behind
D. excited until he realized that he would have to part with Aunt Chloe and little Sam
4.From what Aunt Chloe said, we can know_________.
A. She didn’t want Bailey to leave her.
B. She had prejudice towards Yankees.
C. She had a sad memory of living in the North.
D. Tom Bailey was brought up and loved by Aunt Chloe.
5.It can be inferred from “a Northern man with Southern principles” that ______.
A. Tom is a Yankee, unwilling to adapt to a Southern lifestyle
B. even though Tom now lives in the South, he is proud of his Northern heritage
C. Tom has successfully subscribed to some Northern values and some Southern values
D. although Tom was born in New England he liked the way of life and culture in the South
6.At the end of the story, Tom Bailey went to North______.
A. sadly B. reluctantly
C. impatiently D. willingly
