While “they” may seem small, this gender-neutral(性别中立的) word is clearly making its mark on culture. On Tuesday, Merriam-Webster announced “they” was the 2019 Word of the Year.
“Our Word of the Year ‘they’ reflects a surprising fact,” the dictionary publisher wrote. “Even a basic term- a personal pronoun(代词)- can rise to the top of our data.” The word secured the top spot when Merriam-Webster’s annual traffic report showed searches for the term increased by 313 percent. And while the reason for the increase was likely affected by many things, Merriam-Webster believes the power of the pronoun cannot be overstated.
“English famously lacks a gender-neutral pronoun to correspond neatly pronouns like ‘everyone’ or ‘someone’. As a consequence, ‘they’ has been used for this purpose for over 600 years. However, ‘they’ has also been used to refer to one person whose gender identity is non-binary, that is, neither male nor female,” Merriam-Webster explained.
The publisher also pointed out major events in culture that arouse interest in the word, such as Sam Smith’s switch to use the pronouns “they” and “them”, as well as the American Psychological Association’s recommendation that “they” be used when referring to someone whose gender is unknown, or who prefers “they” over “he or she”.
In September, Merriam-Webster added gender-neutral pronouns “they” and “themselves” to the dictionary. Many were thrilled by the news, and non-binary people expressed thanks. They felt “accepted” and “seen”.
Emily Brewster, a senior editor at Merriam-Webster, was also excited. “Pronouns are among the language’s most commonly used words, and they tend to be mostly ignored by dictionary users,” Brewster said in a statement to NBC. “But over the past year or so, as people have increasingly come across the non-binary use, we’ve seen searches for ‘they’ grow rapidly.”
1.What does the Merriam-Webster publisher think of the pronoun “they”?
A.It is quite powerful. B.It is almost worthless.
C.It has been overused. D.It has nothing to do with culture.
2.What do the underlined words “this purpose” refer to in paragraph 3?
A.Discouraging people from using “someone”.
B.Matching other pronouns such as “everyone”.
C.Mentioning someone whose gender is unknown.
D.Replacing personal pronouns like “he” or “she”.
3.Which of the following may Emily Brewster agree with?
A.Pronouns are the most commonly used words by senior editors.
B.Dictionary users tend to completely ignore pronouns in real life.
C.The non-binary use contributes to the popularity of the word “they”.
D.More searches for the word “they” can be seen in the past few years.
Katie always wanted to be a performer. She, the youngest of, the three kids from Cleveland, was crazy about musicals and Disney movies from an early age and would often watch them singing with her mom, Karen. However, Katie’s happy childhood took a turn when her mother was diagnosed(诊断)with cancer. When the doctor informed the family that Karen’s disease was terminal, they decided to make a trip to Disney World.
The family spared no expense for their once-in-a-lifetime vacation and stayed at Disney’s hotel for eight nights. They spent their days in the parks, seeing the sights, greening characters, all the while pushing Karen in her wheelchair and watching her face light up with joy. They all shared in the merriment of experiencing the parks for the first time with Karen. The trip to Disney World at the height of Karen’s battle with cancer slowed them to escape into a world of magic and laughter. This was the day Katie decided she wanted to work for Disney.
Sadly, Karen lost the battle and died later, but the whole family remembered her every day and often thought of that Disney vacation Katie went on to go after her dream. After she received her degree in musical theater, she struggled for years, working as a waitress and trying to be a performer. Her hard work finally paid off when she was hired to work for Disney.
As a Disney performer, Katie is aware that many other families visit the parks and have similar stories to her own. She encourages everyone, especially children, who may be experiencing a hard time. “Every moment -is meant for you, even the painful ones.” she says. “It’s just like in your favorite Disney movie: There is always some kind of conflict or hardship or pressure. Remember to celebrate those moments, too, because they are taking you to whatever your version of a happy ending is.”
1.What made Katie decide to work for Disney?
A.The dream that she wanted to live a lire full magic.
B.The memory that she watched Disney movies as a kid.
C.The great joy the Disney vacation brought to her family.
D.The great courage her mother showed in fighting cancer.
2.Which of the following words best describe Katie?
A.Kind and curious. B.Patient and helpful.
C.Strict and independent. D.Tough and determined.
3.What message does Katie convey in the last paragraph?
A.Sweet is pleasure after pain. B.Experience must be bought.
C.Many drops make a shower. D.Good medicine tastes bitter.
Directions: Write an English composition in 120-150 words according to the instructions given below in Chinese.
假设你叫王林，你的美国好友John来信说他最近每天晚上玩手机到深夜，导致白天没有精神且食欲不振。他对此很担心，但又管不住自己，因此写信向你求助。请你用英语给John写一封回信，谈谈你的想法并给他一些建议。
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Directions: Translate the following sentences into English, using the words given in the brackets.
1.开车时遮挡车牌号是违法的。(It)
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2.在做出抉择之前，务必充分权衡这一决定将产生的后果。(weigh)
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3.参加艺术活动不仅可以缓解压力、培养创造力，还能延年益寿。(not only)
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4.在信息泛滥的互联网时代，我们要学会独立思考和自主判断, 而不是盲目从众。(rather than)
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Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.
Teaching Children about Forgiveness
If you’ve seen your children struggle to forgive someone for hurting them, you know that forgiveness is complicated. After all, forgiveness is complicated for adults, too. At times, we wonder why we’re trying to forgive someone anyway; later, we might think we’ve forgiven them, only to experience a sudden burst of anger. Indeed, it takes many years for us to grasp the meaning of forgiveness as we grow up.
It’s understandable that children may feel hurt or angry when a friend does something less-than-kind to them. Maybe the friend said something unkind or broke something precious, embarrassed them, excluded them, or told their secrets. Children may be tempted to get even with a friend who’s done them wrong, by doing something worse or telling everyone how terrible the friend is, but trying to get revenge only escalates (升级) the conflict.
Parents can play an important role in teaching children about forgiveness. Children watch how important adults in their lives respond when someone does something unkind. Do they complain to others or speak directly to the person involved? How long does it take them to get over being mad or hurt? How do they get over it? Parents can teach their children about the value of forgiveness by regularly practicing it in their own lives.
Sometimes parents can talk with their children about forgiveness, based on where kids are in their cognitive (认知的) and emotional development. For example, children need to understand that no one is perfect, so generously forgiving a well-meaning friend is a caring thing to do. If parents can help children see things a little more from other people’s perspective, this will make forgiveness easier. These conversations can change the way children think about forgiveness and help them emotionally recover when they inevitably experience harm and unfair treatment from others in life.
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Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in each blank with a proper sentence given in the box. Each sentence can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need.
The Podcast (播客) Boom
Do you prefer to watch TV or listen to the radio? There was a time when some people thought moving pictures would spell the end of tuning in to the radio for entertainment and information. But radio survived and boomed. 1.
Perhaps the growth in podcasting is not surprising-it offers a digital audio file that can be downloaded and stored for listening at any time. It can also be streamed from the internet and played on a computer or MP3 player. And it’s not just broadcasters, like the BBC, who are producing podcasts: now commercial broadcasters, individuals and companies with no connection to broadcasting are making them. In fact, anyone with something to say, and a few pounds to spend on the equipment, can get involved.
The digital audio files are cheap to produce and, thanks to the internet, easy to distribute. 2. Journalist Ben Hammersley told the BBC that “two changes transformed the market-one cultural and one technical.” A technical breakthrough came in 2012 when Apple produced the iPhone podcast app, which proved a popular library system for listeners. This was followed by a dramatic improvement in inexpensive recording production and editing equipment. Finally, the development of 4G mobile phone connections and widespread wi-fi meant listeners could browse, download or stream shows whenever they wanted.
3. It was a piece of investigative journalism hosted by Sarah Koenig, telling a non-fiction story over multiple episodes (集). To date, the first and second seasons of the show have had more than 340 million downloads. Advertisers soon realized the money-making potential of this and other successful podcasts. And where the audience goes, the money follows. From 2017 to 2018 advertising spending on podcasts in the UK went from $10.6m(£8.5m) to $19.7m, an 85% increase, according to Ovum.
4. In fact, as Ben Hammersley explains, podcasting has brought people into broadcasting who would normally never have seen the inside of a recording studio. “There are of course professional podcasters, but there are many more people who create quality content and do it for nothing,” he says. “And that is changing not just the way we listen to audio but the way the broadcasting industry works.”
A.The cultural breakthrough came in 2014 with a very specific podcast-Serial.
B.But if you are a celebrity, podcasts can provide a new branch of business.
C.And now, despite the growth in smartphones offering high-definition pictures, the popularity of podcasts is booming.
D.Now the boom in podcasting embraces a huge range of talent, from professional broadcasters to enthusiasts offering insights on anything and everything.
E.Podcasts offer a chance to speak to a very precise selection of people.
F.But where did this trend for making portable audio programmes begin?
