Directions: After reading the passage below, choose the best answers from the six statements according to what you have just read.
The price of a piece of history
A fresh lemon can be purchased for less than $1. But in 2008, Cowan's Auctions in Cincinnati sold a lemon blackened with age for $2,350.
What was so special about this lemon? 1. According to a handwritten note in ink attached to a partly sealed bottle containing the lemon, the fruit was picked in May 1842 by Washington's "old gardener" some 43 years after the first president's death
Two thousand dollars is a lot to pay for produce, even from the estate of a founding father. This sale, however, just might be considered a bargain compared with prices paid for other historical collectibles in recent years. 2.
Collecting a piece of history, or an object associated with a famous person, is not brand new. Ordinary objects with extraordinary stories have increasingly been coming to auction and achieving high prices, says Thomas Venning, director of Christie's department of books and manuscripts in London. Prices are being driven up, he says, by collectors in the U.S. and, increasingly, in Asia. The Hawking wheelchair, for example, was purchased by a private museum in China.
3. For one thing, their history of ownership is both crucial and sometimes difficult to prove. Photographs of the famous person with the object, as well as documentation (such as letters, diaries or recollections by acquaintances referring to the object) can also help. 4. To evaluate the value of a Picasso painting, one can look at recent prices paid for other Picasso paintings of the same period, similar size or style. Finding another recent sale of a lemon planted by George Washington is a different matter.
Katie Horstman, head of Cowan's American History department, says she could find no comparable items for the lemon as she prepared the piece for its auction. Ms. Horstman nevertheless eventually arrived at the estimated value at $3,000 to $4,000, she says, by researching auction records for objects somehow associated with Washington that had appeared on the market.
Cowans ended up estimating the value of the lemon at $3,000 to $4,000, according to description on its website. Objects associated with Washington these days, Ms. Horstman says, can sell for anywhere from 1,000 up to tens of thousands of dollars.
A. Stephen Hawking’s wheelchair fetched 296, 750 at a sale at Christie's in London last November.
B. Yet determining potential values of such objects isn't easy.
C. It was said to be from a tree planted by George Washington at Mount Vernon.
D. The auction result surely drew the attention from both the business and economics worlds.
E. The uniqueness of many of these objects further complicates efforts to put a value on them.
F. Therefore the unique value of many objects proved the worth of collection.
Archaeologists used DNA taken from a broken clay pipe stem found in Maryland to build a picture of an enslaved woman who died around 200 years ago and had origins in modern-day Sierra Leone. One researcher called the work “a mind-blower.”
“In this particular context, and from that time period, I think it's a first,” team member Hannes Schroeder told The Washington Post. “To be able to get DNA from an object like a pipe stem is quite exciting. Also it is exciting for descendant(后裔) communities... Through this technology, they're able to make a connection not only to the site but potentially back to Africa.”
The pipe stem was found at the Belvoir plantation in Crownsville, Maryland, where enslaved people lived until 1864 and where a likely slave cemetery was recently found. DNA taken from the pipe linked back to a woman either directly from or descended from the Mende people, who lived in west Africa, in an area now part of Sierra.
Julie Schablitsky, the chief archaeologist with the Maryland state highway administration, told The Post the discovery, based on saliva(唾液) absorbed into the clay pipe, was a “mind-blower”. She also said records show the existence of a slave trade route Sierra Leone to Annapolis, plied(定期往来) by British and American ships. "As soon as people stepped on those slave ships in Africa," she said, “whether they were from Benin or whether they were from Sierra Leone, wherever they were from, that identity was lost. Their humanity is stripped from. Who they are as a people has gone.”
The new analysis is part of ongoing research around Belvoir that has given descendants of the people enslaved there new insight into the lives of their ancestors. Speaking to The Post, Nancy Daniels, a genealogist from Laurel, Maryland, who thinks she is a descendant of enslaved families from Belvoir but was not linked to the research on the pipe, called the discovery “overwhelming.” “I'm sitting here about ready to cry,” she said. “I'm sorry. I'm so happy ... Thank God for the DNA.”
This year, events and ceremonies are being held to mark the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved people in America, at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619. Slavery was effectively abandoned in the US on 1 January 1863, with the issue by Abraham Lincoln of the Emancipation Proclamation. It formally ended in December 1865, after the civil war, with the approval of the 13th amendment(修正案).
1.What does the phrase “a mind-blower” in paragraphs 1 and 4 refer to?
A.A surprise B.A confusion
C.An excitement D.A fascination
2.According to Hannes Schroeder, the pipe stem was of great significance because________.
A.it was the first direct evidence that slaves living in Maryland were originally from Africa.
B.it helped the archaeologists to draw a portrait of the enslaved woman.
C.it might contribute to identifying the birthplace of the descendant communities.
D.it contained genic clues to the ancestral background of its owner.
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A.The owner of the pipe once lived in what is now an area in west Africa.
B.The history of slavery in America is an ongoing topic of concern.
C.African slaves lost their identities when they arrived at the Belvoir plantation.
D.Nancy Daniels, a genealogist was sorry for not being involved in the research.
4.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A.DNA from an old pipe throws lights on the origins of the enslaved
B.A new research reveals the origins of enslaved African woman
C.The descendants of enslaved people seek their identities
D.DNA contributes to the breakthrough of a new research
As unpleasant emotions go, anxiety is the roughest. It's a vague, pit-of-the-stomach fear that sneaks up to you -- that unease you get when your boss says that she needs to talk to you right away, when the phone rings at 4:00 a.m., or when your dentist looks into your mouth and says "Hmm" for the third time.
Lingering anxiety can keep you up at night, make you irritable, undermine your ability to concentrate, and ruin your appetite. And the constant state of readiness generated by anxiety--- adrenaline pumping, heart racing, palms sweating--may contribute to high blood pressure and heart disease.
How to prevent anxiety then?
Meditate. Maybe you're just high-strung. If so, meditation(冥想) is worth a try. It cultivates a calmness that eases anxious feelings and offers a sense of control. A study at the University of Massachusetts found that volunteers who took an 8-week meditation course were considerably less anxious afterward. People who are high-strung find that they are dramatically calmer with 20 minutes of meditation in the morning and another 20 minutes after dinner.
Jog,walk, swim, or cycle. If you can't make time for meditation, be sure to make time for regular exercise. Exercise can have the same calming effect as meditation, particularly if it's something repetitive like running or swimming laps.
Treatment?
Remember to breathe. When you're anxious, you tend to hold your breath or breathe too shallowly. That makes you feel more anxious. Breathing slowly and deeply can have a calming effect. To make sure that you're breathing correctly, place your hand on your diaphragm(横膈膜), just below your rib cage(胸腔). Feel it rise with each inhalation(吸气) and fall with each exhalation.
Let's say you are anxious about your competence on the job. Ask yourself "What, in particular, am I afraid that I'll mess up?" Maybe you’re afraid that you get further behind and miss your deadlines. Or maybe you're worried that you're blowing it whenever you present your ideas in meetings. Are your worries founded? Have you had several near misses with deadlines? Are your suggestions routinely rejected? If not, the anxiety is needless. If there is a real problem, work on a solution: Pace yourself to better meet deadlines, or join a public speaking class.
1.Which of the following symptoms is NOT directly caused by anxiety?
A.Lower in concentration. B.No appetite.
C.Heart racing. D.High blood pressure.
2.According to the passage, what can be done to avoid anxiety?
A.Exercising regularly. B.Keeping breath steady.
C.Breathing with the help of hands. D.Adjusting the pace of life.
3.What is the last paragraph about?
A.Anxiety at work and its solutions. B.People's anxiety about their capabilities.
C.The reason for someone's incompetence. D.The function of public speaking class.
There was something in the elderly woman's behavior that caught my eye. Although slow and unsure of step, the woman moved with deliberation, and there was no hesitation in her gestures. She was as good as anyone else, her movements suggested. And she had a job to do.
The elderly woman had walked into the store along with a younger woman who I guessed was her daughter. The daughter was displaying a serious case of impatience, rolling her eyes, huffing and sighing, checking her watch every few seconds. If she had possessed a belt, her mother would have been fastened to it as a means of dragging her along to keep step with the rush of other shoppers.
The older woman detached from the younger one and began to glance over the DVDs on the nearest shelf. After the slightest hesitation, I walked over and asked if I could help her find something. The woman smiled up at me and showed me a title scrawled(潦草地写) on a crumpled piece of paper. The title was unusual and a bit unfamiliar. Clearly a person looking for it knew a little about movies, about quality.
Rather than rushing off to locate the DVD for the woman, I asked her to walk with me so I could show her where she could find it. Looking back, I think I wanted to enjoy her company for a moment. Something about her deliberate movements reminded me of my own mother, who'd passed away the previous Christmas.
As we walked along the back of the store, I narrated its floor plan: old television shows, action movies, cartoons, science fiction. The woman seemed glad of the unrushed company and casual conversation.
We found the movie, and I complimented her on her choice. She smiled and told me it was one she'd enjoyed when she was her son's age and that she hoped he would enjoy it as much as she had. Maybe, she said with a hint of eagerness, he could enjoy it with his own young children. Then, reluctantly, I had to return the elderly woman to her keeper, who was still tapping her foot at the front of the store.
I accompanied the older woman to the queue at the cash register and then stepped back and lingered near the younger woman. When the older woman's turn in line came, she paid in cash, counting out the dollars and coins with the same sureness she'd displayed earlier ...
1.What does "she had a job to do" (Para. 1) mean according to the context?
A.She had a regular job in the store. B.She wanted to ask for help.
C.She wanted to buy a DVD. D.She was thinking of what to buy.
2.What does the title of the DVD reveal according to the shop assistant?
A.The elderly woman had some knowledge about movies.
B.The elderly woman liked movies for young children.
C.The elderly woman preferred movies her son liked.
D.The elderly woman liked both old and new movies.
3.While looking for the DVD with the old woman, the shop assistant was ______.
A.hesitant B.casual
C.cautious D.considerate
4.What is the main purpose of this passage?
A.To describe what a movie nut is like
B.To remind readers to spending more time accompanying family
C.To stress the importance of company and understanding.
D.To explore the key aspects of current parental-child relationship
Ecology is a complicated thing. Given the facts that elephant damage often kills trees and bush fires often kill trees, it would be________to assume that a combination of the two would make things worse. Contrary to this assumption, ________, as the recently-published research by Benjamin Wigley shows, if a tree has already been damaged, fire can________help to make things better.
One common way in which elephants harm trees is by stripping(剥) them of their bark(树皮). Dr Wigley, who did indeed start from the obvious________, set off to find out how much worse bush fires would make the effects of this bark stripping. To serve this purpose, he set up a study in the Kruger National Park. Since 1954, the Kruger has been the site of experiments in which plots of land have been burned________, to understand the effects of fire on plain ecology. In these experiments, Dr Wigley looked at trees in three different zones, in one of which, the trees were burned every year; in the second, they were burned every other year, while the third zone, by contrast, was actively________fire. To keep things consistent, he looked at the fate of the same tree species, the marula(马鲁拉树), in all three zones. He picked marulas because they are particular________of elephant activity. Their fruit are delicious, and prized by elephants and people alike. But elephants also seem to enjoy eating their bark. In July 2016 he and his colleagues identified 20 marulas in every zone and used special tools to________from each of them a circular section of bark 5 cm in diameter. Having imposed this damage, they________the wounds over the course of the following two years, to see what would happen. To their________, they discovered that the wounds of trees in fire zones recovered far better than those of trees that had seen no fires at all. Wounded trees in the annual burn zone re-grew 98% of their lost________during the two years of the study. Those living in the biennial(两年一次的) burn zone re-grew 92% of it. But those in the zone where fires were________re-grew only 72%.
The researchers also found something else when they were measuring the trees’ wounds: ants. Ten of the 20 trees in the fire-prevention zone developed ant colonies in their wounds. The ants in question were a species that is known to damage trees and is supposed to________tissue healing. By contrast, only five trees in the biennial burn zone and three in the annual zone developed ants’ nests in their wounds. It looks, therefore, as if bush fires are treating trees’ wounds by killing ants that might________colonize and damage them. Though such fires are surely harmful to healthy trees, it seems, in an example of two negatives making a positive, as if they are actually________to sick ones.
1.A.difficult B.reasonable C.necessary D.awful
2.A.however B.therefore C.furthermore D.somehow
3.A.uniquely B.barely C.actually D.merely
4.A.phenomenon B.evidence C.imagination D.assumption
5.A.equally B.regularly C.severely D.purposely
6.A.burnt with B.protected from C.covered by D.exposed to
7.A.participants B.partners C.victims D.friends
8.A.mark B.remove C.hit D.measure
9.A.regulated B.checked C.healed D.monitored
10.A.disappointment B.surprise C.joy D.relief
11.A.vitality B.height C.bark D.strength
12.A.controlled B.prevented C.started D.boosted
13.A.disturb B.promote C.impact D.quicken
14.A.therefore B.nevertheless C.then D.otherwise
15.A.beneficial B.unbelievable C.effective D.cruel
Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.
Ancient Myth---A Hit With Modern Audiences
This summer’s surprise hit at movie theaters across China was the re-telling of the ancient myth of Nezha. The animated film 1.(take) in over four billion yuan at the box office and become one of the country’s most successful films ever. It proved that China could produce animated films comparable to 2.produced in Hollywood and Japan.
The film, directed by Yang Yu, was a massive undertaking(任务) from start to finish. He spent two years writing the script(剧本) and three more years making a film which required the efforts of 1,600 animators. But for Yang, it was a way to prove to himself that he 3.change his fate and inspire others to change their fate as well.
“I used to suffer from a lot of prejudice after changing my career,” said Yang, “Since then I have thought about making an animated film to encourage young people to persist in their dreams.”
4.(convey) the message that “your fate is in your own hands,” Yang made some changes to the original myth. Nezha was born a devil(恶魔),5.(fate) to cause mischief(恶作剧), but he decides to overcome his fate and to save the people of his hometown from being destroyed by Ao Bing, the third son of the Dragon King.
6.the ancient myth being very clear about the differences between the good and the bad guys, in Yang’s film, all of the characters are treated with empathy, and even the “bad” people are also victims of their fate,7., actually, have the potential to change and become good.
Over the years, I have come across a few students labeled as “devils.” Although some misbehaved simply 8. they were not mature enough, others were trouble-making and uncooperative when they were in a bad mood. Those students need to know they were not doomed to be bad. As they grew up, they would have the power to change their circumstances.
If you have seen Nezha, you know 9.a terrific, entertaining film it is. But an important lesson is also conveyed in the film10.we should not judge ourselves or others too harshly, so as not to allow those negative judgments to control our fate.
