An introduction to this book is as superfluous as a candle in front of a powerful searchlight. But a convention of publishing seems to require that the candle should be there, and I am proud to be the one to hold it. About ten years ago I picked up from the pile of new books on my desk a copy of Sons and Lovers by a man of whom I had never heard, and I started to race through it with the immoral speed of the professional reviewer. But after a page or two I found myself reading, really reading. Here was—here is—a masterpiece in which every sentence counts, a book packed with significant thought and beautiful, arresting phrases, the work of a remarkable genius whose gifts are more richly various than those of any other young English novelist.
To appreciate the rich variety of Mr. Lawrence we must read his later novels and his volumes of poetry. But Sons and Lovers reveals the range of his power. Here are combined and blended(混合的) sort of “realism” and almost lyric(抒情的) imagery and rhythm. The speech of the people is that of daily life and the things that happen to them are normal adventures and accidents; they fall in love, marry, work, fail, succeed, and die. But of their deeper emotions and of the relations of these little human beings to the earth and to the stars, Mr. Lawrence makes something near to poetry and prose(散文) without violating its proper “other harmony.”
Take the marvellous paragraph on next to the last page of Sons and Lovers (Mr. Lawrence depends so little on plot in the ordinary sense of the word that it is perfectly fair to read the end of his book first):
Where was he? One tiny upright speck of flesh, less than an ear of wheat lost in the field. He could not bear it. On every side the immense dark silence seemed pressing him, so tiny a spark, into extinction, and yet, almost nothing, he could not be extinct. Night, in which everything was lost, went reaching out, beyond stars and sun, stars and sun, a few bright grains, went spinning round for terror, and holding each other in embrace, there in the darkness that outpassed them all, and left them tiny and daunted(气馁). So much, and himself, infinitesimal, at the core a nothingness, and yet not nothing.
Such glorious writing lifts the book far above a novel which is merely a story. I beg the reader to attend to every line of it and not to miss a single one of the many sentences that await and surprise you. Some are enthusiastic and impressive, like the paragraph above; others are keen, “realistic” observations of things and people. In one of his books Mr. Lawrence makes a character say, or think, that life is “mixed.” That indicates his philosophy and his method. He blends the accurately literal and trivial(琐碎的) with the extremely poetic.
To find a similar blending of tiny daily detail and wide imaginative vision, we must go back to two older novelists, Hardy and Meredith. I do not mean that Mr. Lawrence derives(源于) immediately from them or, indeed, that he is clearly the disciple(弟子) of any master. I do feel simply that he is of the elder stature(名望) of Hardy and Meredith, and I know of no other young novelist who is quite worthy of their company. When I first tried to express this comparison, this connection, I was contradicted by a fellow-critic, who pointed out that Meredith and Hardy are entirely unlike each other and that therefore Mr. Lawrence cannot resemble both. To be sure, nothing is more hateful than forced comparisons, nothing more boring than to discover parallels between one work of art and another. An artist’s mastery consists in his difference from other masters. But to refer a young man of genius to an older one, at the same time pronouncing his independence and originality, is a fair, if not very superior, method of praising him.
1.The underlined word “superfluous” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to _______.
A. meaningful B. unnecessary
C. fundamental D. unbelievable
2.What is typical of Lawrence’s works?
A. They equally reveal his genius power.
B. They contain lots of great lyric poetry.
C. They present some real living situations.
D. They focus on relations between humans.
3.What does the author want to illustrate by including one paragraph from Sons and Lovers?
A. The plot of the novel has little to do with daily life.
B. It is wise to read Lawrence’s books from the end.
C. Lawrence is capable of telling good stories.
D. The language in Lawrence’s books is elegant.
4.Who were Hardy and Meredith?
A. They taught Lawrence literature when he was young.
B. They were the realistic novelists of Lawrence’s time.
C. They were novelists who resemble each other in writing.
D. They were novelists combining details with imagination.
5.According to the author, what does an artist’s mastery mean?
A. He must have personal diversity.
B. He must have the critical spirits.
C. He must be happy to be compared.
D. He must be a man of genius.
6.What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
A. To introduce Lawrence’s novel Sons and Lovers.
B. To show his experiences of reading classics.
C. To analyze Lawrence’s writing characteristics.
D. To compare the styles of different novelists.
There is no denying that students should learn something about how computers work, just as we expect them at least to understand that the internal-combustion engine(内燃机)has something to do with burning fuel, expanding gases and pistons(活塞)being driven. For people should have some basic idea of how the things that they use do what they do. Further, students might be helped by a course that considers the computer's impact on society. But that is not what is meant by computer literacy.For computer literacy is not a form of literacy(读写能力); it is a trade skill that should not be taught as a liberal art.
Learning how to use a computer and learning how to program one are two distinct activities. A case might be made that the competent citizens of tomorrow should free themselves from their fear of computers. But this is quite different from saying that all ought to know how to program one.Leave that to people who have chosen programming as a career. While programming can be lots of fun, and while our society needs some people who are experts at it, the same is true of auto repair and violin-making.
Learning how to use a computer is not that difficult, and it gets easier all the time as programs become more "user-friendly". Let us assume that in the future everyone is going to have to know how to use a computer to be a competent citizen. What does the phrase learning to use a computer mean? It sounds like "learning to drive a car", that is, it sounds as if there is some set of definite skills that, once acquired, enable one to use a computer.
In fact,"learning to use a computer"is much more like"learning to play a game", but learning the rules of one game may not help you play a second game,whose rules may not be the same.There is no such a thing as teaching someone how to use a computer. One can only teach people to use this or that program and generally that is easily accomplished.
1.To be the competent citizens of tomorrow, people should_____.
A.try to lay a solid foundation in computer science
B.be aware of how the things that they use do what they do
C.learn to use a computer by acquiring a certain set of skills
D.understand that programming a computer is more essential than repairing a car
2.In Para2 "auto repair" and “violin-making" are mentioned to show that_______.
A.programming a computer is as interesting as making a violin
B.people who can use a computer don't necessarily have to know computer programming
C.violin making requires as much skill as computer programming
D.our society needs experts in different fields
3.Learning to use a computer is getting easier all the time because______.
A.programs are designed to be convenient to users
B.programs are becoming less complicated
C.programming is becoming easier and easier
D.programs are becoming readily available to computer users
4.According to the author,the phrase "learning to use a computer" in Para.3 means learning_____.
A.a set of rules
B.the fundamentals of computer science
C.specific programs
D.general principles of programming
5.The author's purpose in writing this passage is______.
A.to stress the impact of the computer on society
B.to emphasize that computer programming is an interesting and challenging job
C.to illustrate the requirements for being competent citizens of tomorrow
D.to explain the concept of computer literacy
Dr.Teruo Higa was born on December 28, 1941 on Okinawa and grew up there. He studied agriculture and took his doctorate from the Agricultural Research Department of Kyushu University Graduate School. He became a lecturer in 1970 and has been professor of horticulture since 1982.
Dr.Higa is famous for creating EM technology.He created EM technology in order to address the problem of excess wastes and bad farming techniques in the present-day world. EM stands for effective microorganisms. It is a multi-culture of coexisting anaerobic and aerobic microorganisms. Microorganisms are the smallest complete units of life. They can exist independent of a bigger organism. Bacteria are considered microorganisms. They are constantly at work, some helping bigger organisms,and others bringing decay and bad health. These opposing processes of constructive and destructive forces are always ongoing, creating a balance. If the balance tips towards the destructive side, the host organism grows ill. lf it tips towards the constructive side, the organism experiences good health.
These organisms can be used in farming to create a good growing environment for all kinds of crops and animals. The process involves collecting human and animal waste products such as kitchen garbage and manure. This is then sealed into a barrel along with a certain amount of EM powder. The microorganisms then turn the waste into mulch, which acts as a great source of nutrients for crops and animals. Rice paddies that are treated with EM produce harvests that are much bigger than those of conventional farms. Moreover, EM rice paddies require less tilling and weeding than other paddies.
Dr.Teruo Higa's ideas have caught on around the world. One of his biggest successes was in North Korea, where his technology was used to create a record-breaking crop yield. EM helped many crops, such as corn, Welsh onions and Chinese cabbages in North Korea. For the impoverished nation, this was a godsend.
1.Why is Dr.Teruo Higa famous?
A.He is a professor of horticulture.
B.He created EM technology.
C.He started making too much waste.
D.He is a great farmer.
2.Which of the following best describe microorganisms?
A.The smallest complete units of life.
B.Something that causes bad health.
C.Necessary for good health.
D.An unimportant part of farming.
3.What do microorganisms do in the EM process?
A.They destroy waste products.
B.They cause ill health.
C.They turn waste into a useful mulch.
D.They decrease the size of harvests.
4.What happened into North Korea?
A.It was a rich country.
B.They decided not to use EM technology.
C.Dr.Higa was not invited to the country.
D.EM technology led to a record-breaking harvest.
5.What does the underlined word"impoverished"mean in English?
A.Rich. B.Poor.
C.Far away D.Large.
A Visitor Oyster card is the cheapest way to pay for a single adult journey in London. It's a plastic smartcard.You can use it on the bus, tube, tram, DL R. London Overground and most National Rail services. It's much cheaper than buying individual tickets, in some cases costing 50%less than the price of a regular paper ticket.
How to get a Visitor Oyster card
You can buy a Visitor Oyster card online.Your card will be delivered by post.The card costs £5 and you choose how much money you want to add to the card. This means you can start using the card the moment you arrive in Central London.
How does the Visitor Oyster card work?
The Oyster card works on a pay-as-you-go system.You start by adding money to the card. Then you travel, the cost of the fare will automatically be deducted from your Visitor Oyster card. For example, if you add £20 to the card and make a tube journey of£2.30, you will have £17.70 left on the card.
A few more points:
A child under the age of ll travels free when accompanied by an adult.
You'll save more money if you use the tube several times.The Visitor Oyster card is capped at £6.80 per day.
You'll pay more during peak times.Peak fares apply from Monday to Friday(6:30 am- 9:30 am;4:00 pm-7:00 pm).except for public holidays.
Reuse the Oyster card by adding credit at a tube station,Oyster ticket shop or Visitor Centre.
Receive a discount on the Thames Clippers River Bus services:
1.What can we learn about the Visitor Oyster card?
A.You can't use it during public holidays.
B.You can have it mailed directly to your home.
C.You can get a free Oyster card if you order online.
D.You can receive a 50%discount at any shop in London.
2.How much money will be deducted if you take the tube four times in a day with a Visitor Oyster card?
A.£2.30. B.£3.40.
C.£6.80. D.£9.20.
3.Where can you add credit to your Visitor Oyster card?
A.At a tube station.
B.At a bus station.
C.On the Internet
D.In convenience stores.
4.What does the underlined word“capped"mean in English?
A.set an upper limit
B.meet a deadline
C.follow a principle
D.prohibit visiting
"You can't make an omelet(煎蛋饼)without breaking a few eggs", meaning that it is hard to achieve something important without causing unpleasant effects.This is _______correct as l am going to share with you a(n) _______ during the last Arts Festival.
As everyone was _______ that we had won first place in the former play competition, all wanted to join our_______ for the upcoming Arts Fest play performance. _______the rule was that only seven members were allowed in the group. It was a very big_______ as I was made the group leader. I was responsible for selecting the members. All my friends _______and wanted to join the group. I was really being cruel _______most of them to be a part of the group. The father of a friend of mine_______called me and talked to me________5, insulting me. He said his child wanted to do the main ________As I knew that the competition would be so tough that I would have to ________the best students who could really act quite well. Everyone around was ________ with me."Oh!Don't show off. Do you really think you are ________?" That was what I heard and this made me really upset and I even thought of ________the group. Even though they all criticized me, we all ________practicing. At last it was the day of the play. We all did our ________ very well. Our play became the center of attraction.
After the play everyone________ us. Then two days later the results were declared and our group________the first position. All those who criticized me started appreciating....So to conclude, to attain________,sometimes we have to speak impolitely or we may be separated from everyone but the result will be favorable to us all.
1.A.equally B.nearly C.partly D.perfectly
2.A.experience B.fact C.result D.truth
3.A.certain B.aware C.confident D.surprised
4.A.class B.club C.group D.circle
5.A.So B.Though C.And D.But
6.A.event B.problem C.plan D.choice
7.A.worried B.waited C.requested D.replied
8.A.refusing B.expecting C.allowing D.inviting
9.A.still B.also C.ever D.even
10.A.secretly B.politely C.rudely D.clearly
11.A.person B.character C.hero D.leader
12.A.select B.attract C.find D.recommend
13.A.satisfied B.friendly C.strict D.cross
14.A.nobody B.anybody C.somebody D.everybody
15.A.improving B.quitting C.developing D.managing
16.A.went on B.ended up C.aimed at D.got at
17.A.goals B.tasks C.jobs D.roles
18.A.helped B.congratulated C.liked D.cared
19.A.wished B.missed C.bagged D.desired
20.A.success B.opportunity C.respect D.reputation
I want to tell you is the deep love and respect I have for my parents.
A.That B.Which C.Whether D.What