The year 2114 will be an eventful one for art. In May of that year in Berlin, the philosopher-artist Jonathon Keats’ “century cameras” – cameras with a 100-year-long exposure (曝光）time – will be brought back from hiding places around the city to have their results developed and exhibited. Six months after that, the Future Library in Oslo, Norway, will open its doors for the first time, presenting 100 books printed on the wood of trees planted in the distant past of 2014.
As Katie Paterson, the creator of the Future Library, puts it: “Future Library is an artwork for future generations.” These projects, more than a century in the making, are part of a new wave of “slow art” intended to push viewers and participants to think beyond their own lifetimes. They aim to challenge today’s short-term thinking and the brief attention spans of modern consumers, forcing people into considering works more deliberately. In their way, too, they are fighting against modern culture – not just regarding money, but also the way in which artistic worth is measured by attention.
In a similar fashion, every April on Slow Art Day, visitors are encouraged to stare at five works of art for 10 minutes at a time – a tough task for the average museum visitor, who typically spends less than 30 seconds on each piece of art.
Like the Future Library, the century cameras are very much a project for cities, since it’s in cities that time runs fastest and the pace of life is fastest. “Since I started living in a city, I’ve somehow been quite disconnected,” Anne Beate Hovind, the Future Library project manager, who described how working on the library drew her back to the pace of life she knew when she was growing up on a farm in her youth, told The Atlantic magazine.
1.According to the first paragraph, what will NOT happen in 2114?
A. The Future Library will be open to the public for the first time.
B. A camera which was produced 100 years ago will be exhibited.
C. Photos with a 100-year exposure time will be developed and exhibited.
D. Books printed on the wood of trees planted in 2014 will be displayed.
2.What can we learn about today’s people’s attitude toward works of art?
A. They spend little time on works.
B. They consider works deliberately.
C. They spend much money on works.
D. They stare at works for 10 minutes at a time.
3.What is the purpose of the wave of slow art?
A. To advocate creating works of art slowly.
B. To encourage people to consider works more deliberately.
C. To protect works of art from being damaged.
D. To promote works of art for modern culture.
4.How would Anne Beate Hovind feel about the city life?
A. It’s busy.
B. It’s awful.
C. It’s developed.
D. It’s discouraging.
After a terrible electrical accident, which caused him to become both blind and deaf, the whole world became completely dark and quiet for Robert Edwards for almost ten years. The loss of sight and hearing threw him into such sorrow that he tried a few times to put an end to his life. His family, especially his wife, did their best to tend and comfort him and finally he regained the will to live.
One hot summer afternoon, he was taking a walk with a stick near his house when a thunderstorm started all at once. He stood under a large tree to avoid getting wet, but he was struck by the lightning. Witnesses thought he was dead but he woke up some 20 minutes later lying face down in muddy water at the base of the tree. He was trembling badly, but when he opened his eyes, he could hardly believe what he saw: a plough and a wall. When Mrs. Edwards came running up to him, shouting to their neighbors to call for help, he could see her and hear her voice for the first time in nearly ten years.
The news of Robert regaining his sight and hearing quickly spread, and many doctors came to examine him. Most of them said that he regained his sight and hearing from the shock he got from the lightning. However, none of them could give a convincing answer as to why this should have happened. The only reasonable explanation given by one doctor was that, since Robert lost his sight and hearing as a result of a sudden shock, perhaps, the only way for him to regain them was by another sudden shock.
1.The reason for Robert’s attempts to kill himself was that _________.
A. he was struck by the lightning once more.
B. nobody in the world cared about him.
C. he had to live in a dark and silent world.
D. a terrible traffic accident happened to him.
2.What was Robert doing when he was struck by the lightning?
A. Sheltering from the rain under a tree.
B. Driving a car.
C. Taking a walk with a stick.
D. Lying on the ground.
3.We can infer from the text that ________.
A. a sudden injury in the head led to Robert’s recovery
B. many doctors came because Robert was badly injured
C. Robert’s wife sent for doctors immediately after the shock
D. there was no accurate explanation for Robert’s recovery
4.What’s the best title of the whole passage?
A. An Unforgettable Experience
B. Robert Edwards and His Wife
C. What a Sudden Shock
D. A Terrible Electrical Accident
Plan your dream vacation to one of these excellent destinations.
St. Lucia
Abundant rainforests and splendid mountains are all reasons to visit this Caribbean island. St. Lucia offers the perfect mix of relaxation and adventure. To take in the breathtaking scenery, plan to hike the Piton Mountains or dive in the waters of Anse Chastanet.
Banff. Alberta
This Canadian destination will bring out the explorer in anyone who visits. From hiking and whitewater rafting to skiing and snowboarding, Banff offers travelers an abundance of year-round outdoor activities. The Lake Louise Ski Resort is one of the largest in North America and the striking photo opportunities of the Canadian Rockies from Moraine Lake can’t be underestimated (低估).
Machu Picchu
According to travelers, a visit to this Peruvian UNESCO World Heritage (遗产) site is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Located in the Andes Mountains, it is the most familiar icon (象征物) of Inca civilization. Spend a few days accustoming yourself to the altitude in the neighboring city of Cusco, where you can experience a mix of Incan and Spanish cultures.
Great Barrier Reef
It’s easy to see why the Great Barrier Reef is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World – it stretches nearly 1,500 miles along the eastern coastline of Australia and features about 3,000 reefs, 900 islands and more than 1,500 species of fish. Travelers can see these amazing natural structures from the air or underwater. However, large amounts of coral bleaching (褪色) caused by rising ocean temperatures put this place’s continued existence at risk, so plan your visit soon to see this awesome sight up close.
1.What can you enjoy both in St. Lucia and Banff?
A. Diving. B. Snowboarding.
C. Hiking. D. Skiing.
2.Where may a historian choose to go?
A. Machu Picchu. B. Banff. Alberta.
C. St. Lucia. D. Great Barrier Reef
3.What do we know about the Great Barrier Reef?
A. People must take a plane to enjoy its beauty.
B. It’s famous for coral reefs rather than fish.
C. It’s on the western coast of Australia.
D. It may disappear if temperature keeps on rising.
请认真阅读下面的图文信息,并按要求用英语写一篇 150 字左右的文章。
Sports classes are very important to students’ health and overall well-being. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that over the past three years obesity in children and adolescents has doubled because of diet and lack of activity.
A recent survey by the China Youth Daily showed that 64.7 percent of the 2,003 respondents found sports classes in middle schools unsatisfactory.
The government has begun to address the problem. According to a guideline on high school entrance exam reform released by the Ministry of Education in 2016, scores of physical education will be considered in enrollment for senior high schools.
（写作内容）
1. 用约 30个单词概述上述信息的主要内容；
2. 结合上述信息,简要分析目前中学体育课上得不够好的原因;
3. 就如何改进目前中学体育课现状提出你的建议(不少于两点).
（写作要求）
（1）写作过程中不能直接引用原文语句；
（2）作文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称；
（3）文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称；
（4）不必写标题。
（评分标准） 内容完整，语言规范，语篇连贯，词数适当。
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请认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。
注意：请将答案写在答题纸上相应的题号的横线上。每个空格只填一个单词。
As the concept of emotional intelligence (EI) has gone global, we’ve watched professionals fail as they try to improve their emotional intelligence because they either don’t know where to focus their efforts or they haven’t understood how to improve these skills on a practical level. In our work consulting with companies and coaching leaders, we have found that if you’re looking to develop particular EI strengths, it helps to consider areas for improvement others have identified along with the goals you want to achieve----and then to actively build habits in those areas rather than simply relying on understanding them conceptually.
The first step is to get a sense of how your self-perception (how you see yourself) differs from your reputation (how others see you).
This is especially true for the development of emotional intelligence because we can be blind to how we express and read the emotional components of our interactions. For example, most of us think that we’re good listeners, but very often that’s really not the case. Without this external reality check, it will be difficult for you to identify the ways that your actions affect your performance. Getting feedback from others can also provide proof of the necessity of shifting our behavior and motivation to do so.
To give you the best sense of where the differences lie between your self-perception and reputation, you should use a 360-drgree feedback assessment that takes into account the multiple facets of EI. The key is to find one that guarantees confidentiality to those giving you feedback and that is focused on development and not on performance assessment.
Secondly, when you get your feedback from an assessment, let that inform what you want to improve. But also consider what your goals are. When it comes to cultivating strengths in emotional intelligence, you’re at a huge disadvantage if you’re only interested because others said you should be. Your emotional intelligence is so tied up in hour sense of self that being intrinsically(内在的) motivated to make the effort matters more when changing longstanding habits than it does when simply learning a skill.
That means the areas that you choose to actively work on should lie at the intersection of the feedback you’ve gotten and the areas that are most important to your own aspirations(渴望). Understanding the impacts of your current EI habits relative to your goals will keep you going over the long haul as you do the work of strengthening your emotional intelligence.
Once you’ve determined which EI skills you want to focus on, identify specific actions that you’ll take. If you’re working on becoming a better listener, for example, you might decide that when you’re conversing with someone you’ll take the time to pause, listen to what they have to say, and check that you understand before you reply. Keep it specific. You should also take every naturally occurring opportunity to practice the skill you’re developing, no matter how small.
By starting to change your routine reactions, you’ll be well on your way to figuring out the old habits that aren’t serving you well and transforming them into new, improved ones that do.
Passage outline | Supporting details | |
Introduction | Though globally acknowledged, EI still 1. professionals, for they aren’t aware of how to improve it. | |
Approaches to strengthening EI | Spot the 2. between self-perception and reputation | ●With external reality check, we are 3. of understanding our interactions accurately. ●We are 4. to change our behavior by getting an outside feedback. ●We are expected to 5. how self-perception differs from reputation in all aspects. |
Find out what 6. to us | We should clearly 7. our goals and focus our effort on improving ourselves instead of just learning a skill. 8. the outside feedback with our goals can give us support on the way to strengthening our EI. | |
Identify what changes we will make | Be 9.about the actions and take advantage of every possible opportunity to practice EI skills. | |
Summary | 10. useless old habits and develop new ones in areas for improvement others have identified with your own goals to strengthen your EI. |
J.K. Rowling is the author of the most successful book series in history, but her attempt to take on a new career as a screenwriter hasn’t been as smooth as she may have thought it would be. The sequel(续篇), “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald”, shows that even the most successful author in the world is in need of checks and balances when making the transition to cinema.
Following the sale of half a billion copies of the Harry Potter series, Rowling is working hard to extend and enrich the mythology she created around the child wizard. In contrast to the eight Harry Potter movies, which were based on the seven books and most of which were written by experienced screenwriter Steve Kloves, the “Fantastic Beasts” series is scripted only by Rowling. This time she skipped the bookstores and went straight to the movie theater.
The “Fantastic Beasts” series takes its title from one of Harry Potter’s textbooks. The leap backward in time, a new set of adult heroes and a globe-spanning background show that Rowling is in tune with her fans and the spirit of the times. Harry Potter and his friends started out as a typical product of 1990s naivety, but since then the loyal veteran audience has experienced the shocks of the 21st century and grown mature and discouraged. The “Fantastic Beasts” series feel less like children’s fare; they deal with adults and frightening events that occurred in Europe at the end of the 1920s.
It’s 1927, and the criminal Grindelwald has escaped from prison to Europe. The hero, Newt Scamander, a zoologist of fantastic beasts, prefers to distance himself from politics and maintain his improvised nature reserve in London. But the young Prof. Dumbledore reminds him that neutrality is not an option in hard times. Dumbledore urges him to cross the Channel to Paris and stop Grindelwald, who is trying to plot a war to ensure the purity of the wizard race.
The rough outline of the plot constitutes only part of the movie. There are many other characters who appear in the mystery. I will mention the boy Credence who continues to have a central role in the struggle between the hero and the villain, even as his background remains a mystery. Similarly, Newt’s brother and partner, the snake-woman Nagini, and other new and old characters hint at an obscure past and future. Rowling populates her world with characters large and small, odd beasts and simplifies its story to lay the foundation work of the universe. The film lays strong foundations of mystery, but forgets to build any sort of structure above them. It’s like a construction site where the budget ran out too fast.
With movie screens full of superheroes and fantasy films, and every studio trying to float a fictional universe, Rowling is today’s most creative builder of cinema worlds, but there’s still a difference between her and a mega-corporation like Disney. Every character and beast is there because Rowling said so, not because the marketing division thought it would promote sales of merchandise. Rowling clearly has a true passion to create a mythology, and just as clearly, she hasn’t yet finished creating it.
The “Fantastic Beasts” series offers a world even fuller than that of Harry Potter. Once more she collaborates with David Yates, who directed the last four Harry Potter movies and now the two “Fantastic Beasts” pictures. Still, the world she’s created would be even more wondrous if Rowling had only filled it out with a crystallized or at least coherent plot. In the Harry Potter series, she mostly succeeded in making the films into independent works. But without experienced screenwriters to mediate between her imagination and the screen, the two “Fantastic Beasts” episodes are more like a chess game in which the creator moves characters from A to B as part of a broader strategy---which remains unclear.
“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” is a film made for existing fans and doesn’t bother to appeal to a new audience. Not by chance does it offer a more mature world for fans who have grown up at least as much as Daniel Radcliffe. For them, the movie delivers the goods, but little of the magic remains. If Rowling continues to put out films without a beginning and an end, her world will collapse, leaving only the middle. It may be entertainment with captivating characters and effects, but it’s not a movie.
1.What changes has J.K. Rowling made in her writing career?
A. She was forced to abandon her original writing career and start a new one.
B. She was determined to skip the bookstores and publish books on her own.
C. She started a new fantasy book having nothing to do with the Harry Potter series.
D. She tried to enrich the Harry Potter series as a screenwriter rather than a novelist.
2.Who are probably the target audience of the “Fantastic Beasts” series?
A. Kids newly introduced to magic. B. Teenage students with grand dreams.
C. Adults going through life changes. D. Professional critics of fantasy books.
3.What are the features of the “Fantastic Beasts” series?
A. Complex story and exciting characters.
B. Simple story but abundant characters.
C. Childish story and strange characters.
D. Sad story but inspiring characters.
4.Big corporations like Disney choose movie characters and beasts based on _____.
A. potential profitability of the movies B. preference of their screenwriters
C. consultation with the original author D. investigation into successful films
5.How does the author explain Rowling’s failure to create a clear plot?
A. By describing shooting processes. B. By listing official statistics.
C. By drawing a comparison. D. By citing examples.
6.What does the author think of J. K. Rowling’s performance as a screenwriter?
A. It is really a disappointment for movie goers.
B. It is widely acknowledged by her book fans.
C. There exits much more magic in her screenplay.
D. There is still much room for improvement.
