Think “art”. What comes to your mind? Is it sculptures in the Louvre, or Chinese painting in the Palace Museum? Or maybe, just maybe, it’s a dancing pattern of lights?
The artworks by American artist Janet Echelman look like colorful floating clouds when lit up at night. Visitors can not only enjoy looking at them, they can also interact with them — literally.
1. Exhibits such as these are certainly new and exciting, but are they really art?
Whatever your opinion, people have been expressing their thoughts through art with various tools and technologies for thousands of years. Yet Michelangelo and others have been labelled as “artists” rather than “technicians”. 2.
Today, however, technological advances have led to a combination of art and technology. As a result, the art world is changing greatly. 3. Take for example one of China’s most famous paintings, Along the River During the Qingming Festival. As this artwork is rarely on display, people have sometimes queued a long time for a chance to see it. Thanks to technology however, millions more people have been able to experience a digital version of it with 3D animation.
4. Not only can we interact with art, but also take part in its creation. With new technological tools at our fingertips, more and more people have created exciting new art forms, such as digital paintings and videos.
However, such developments are making the line between art and technology less distinct. Is the artist the creator of the art itself, or the maker of the technology behind it?
5. But one thing is for sure — with so many artists exploring new possibilities, we can definitely expect the unexpected.
A.Now art is more accessible to us than ever before.
B.Where technology will take art next is anyone’s guess.
C.It’s not important whether they are artists or technicians.
D.They do this by using their phones to change their colors and patterns.
E.They watch as the different scenes change from daylight into nighttime.
F.The art-tech combination is also changing our concepts of “art” and the “artist”.
G.This means that art and technology have always been seen as two very separate things.
Both online learning and distance learning require similar online learning tools, but there the similarity ends.
The key difference between them is location. With online learning, students can be together in the classroom with an instructor while working through their digital lessons and assessments. When using distance learning, students work online at home while the teacher assigns work and checks in digitally.
Next, used as a mixed learning technique along with other teaching strategies, online learning will involve in-person interaction between you and your students on a regular basis. On the contrary, with distance learning you’ll likely rely on digital forms of communication such as messaging apps, video calls, discussion boards, and your school’s learning management system.
Both online learning and distance learning are effective teaching strategies, they do have their own distinct advantages.
To start, online learning can increase student engagement with a variety of instructional resources and teaching methods to deliver content in multiple ways. Second, using online learning tools makes it easier for you to differentiate your instruction. When using tools like digital curriculum, you will have more flexibility and control for differentiating your lessons. Finally, online learning is a time saver. Many digital curriculum tools do the heavy lifting for you by providing ready-to-use lesson plans, instructional materials, and assessments. Many online learning tools also automatically grade those assessments and post them to your teacher dashboard.
Compared to online learning, distance learning can continue without disturbance even in events like snow days or the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, distance learning provides greater flexibility for students to work at their own pace and review work as needed. This also ties in with the fact that students can access your course material at the times that work best for them, which is important for students who may have irregular work schedules.
1.What’s the distinctive feature of the interaction in online learning?
A.Communicating face to face regularly. B.Interacting via digital apps.
C.Communicating with discussion boards. D.Interacting privately irregularly.
2.Complete the diagram. (S-student; T-teacher)
A.① S: highly motivated; ② S: learn at their own pace
B.① T: deliver different lessons easily; ② S: enjoy more flexibility
C.① T: do the heavy lifting; ② T: more accessible
D.① S: enjoy more flexibility; ② T: regular work schedules
3.Whom is the text intended for?
A.Parents. B.Students. C.Technicians. D.Teachers.
4.About the two methods, what will be talked about following the last paragraph?
A.Their advantages. B.Their differences.
C.Their disadvantages. D.Their similarities.
Throughout history, humanity has existed side-by-side with viruses and bacteria. From the bubonic plague to smallpox, humanity has evolved to resist these bacteria and viruses. However, there are now new ways for them to infect us.
Climate change is melting permafrost(冻土) areas that have been frozen for thousands of years. As the permafrost melts, so too the ancient bacteria and viruses that have been frozen. These ancient bacteria and viruses, which previously lay inactive in the ice, may spring back to life as the earth’s climate warms.
In August 2016, a 12-year-old boy in the Arctic Circle died and at least twenty people there were hospitalized after having been infected by anthrax(炭疽).
Experts studied and concluded that over 75 years ago, a reindeer infected with anthrax died and its body was frozen and trapped under a layer of permafrost. It stayed there, with the disease inactive, until a heatwave in the summer of 2016. The heatwave melted the permafrost and exposed the reindeer body, which then released the infectious pathogen(病原体) into the nearby water and soil, and then into the food supply. More than 2,000 reindeer feeding near the body became infected, which then led to a small number of human cases.
While you may think the incident is isolated to that area, the fact that long-inactive viruses and bacteria might wake up soon due to climate change will affect us all. Pathogenic viruses might be preserved in old permafrost layers, including some that have caused global epidemics in the past.
With climate change, who knows what deadly viruses and bacteria hidden beneath permafrost areas are threatening us. Perhaps it is time for everyone to do their part to stop global warming.
1.What does the underlined “new ways” refer to?
A.Ancient bacteria and viruses came back to life.
B.Bacteria and viruses have evolved into new types.
C.Bacteria and viruses become more resistant to medicine.
D.Ancient bacteria and viruses remain active in frozen permafrost.
2.Which is the right order of the case of anthrax in 2016?
① A 12-year-old boy died and many others were infected.
② Over 2,000 reindeer feeding near the body became infected.
③ The bacteria went into the nearby water, soil, and then food supply.
④ The permafrost melted and the bacteria in the dead reindeer woke up.
A.④ ③ ② ① B.④ ② ③ ① C.① ② ④ ③ D.① ③ ④ ②
3.Why does the writer write this text?
A.To introduce an ancient virus, anthrax.
B.To call on people to stop global warming.
C.To encourage people to study ancient viruses.
D.To warn of the danger of melting permafrost.
4.In which section can we most possibly read this text on a website?
A.Geography. B.Environment. C.Education. D.Medicine.
Organizers of Paris 2024 have suggested that breakdancing(霹雳舞) should be included as a new sport in the Olympic sports. The committee is pleased with the suggestion as it is in line with its aim of rejuvenating the Olympics. But, what is breakdancing on earth?
Breakdancing is not simply a style of dance. It’s a unique culture with its own history. Popularized by African Americans and US Latinos, breakdancing is an energetic form of dance including stylized footwork and moves such as spinning on the head, hands or knees. It arose in New York City during the late 1960s and early 1970s from martial arts moves. The moves, originally learned as a form of self-defence eventually developed into the complex and athletic moves of today’s breakdancing.
Breakdancing is largely improvisational(即兴的) without standard moves or steps. The key is on energy, movement, creativity and certain danger. The people who perform this style of dance are known as b-boys or b-girls. They are also called breakers.
From those early roots, breakdancing began to add different moves to their routines, such as “pops” and “locks”, which brought a robotic quality to the dance. That style was popularized in the early 1970s by artists of the time. In the 1980s breakdancing reached a greater audience when it was adopted by mainstream artists like Michael Jackson. Jackson’s moonwalk, a step that involved sliding backward and lifting the soles of the feet so that he appeared to be sliding or floating, caused huge excitement among teens of all races.
With the growing popularity over the years, breakdancing has gone from a street phenomenon to one that is accepted by the wider culture.
Breakdancing is universal and it is popular with more than one million b-boys and b-girls in France. We hope the energetic dance is to be in the Olympic Games.
1.Which of the following best describes breakdancing?
A.Unique and defensive. B.Standard but dangerous.
C.Energetic and creative. D.Improvisational but simple.
2.What does Paragraph 2 mainly tell us about breakdancing?
A.Its features and history. B.Its birthplace and audience.
C.Its changes and culture. D.Its moves and complexity.
3.Why did breakdancing attract more people in the 1980s?
A.It took on a robotic look. B.It caused excitement among teens.
C.It involved pops and locks. D.It was adopted by mainstream artists.
4.What might be the purpose of writing the text?
A.To popularize breakdancing worldwide.
B.To explain what breakdancing is on earth.
C.To promote breakdancing to an Olympic sport.
D.To introduce the development of breakdancing.
I took a trip to Antarctica last December. My favorite moment in Antarctica was the one I enjoyed in Wilhelmina Bay.
Wilhelmina Bay was extremely large in size. But after we got into our kayaks (皮艇)，we realized what made this part of Antarctica special, at least on the day of our visit.
Kayak cruises are like adventures, if there’s a good wildlife sighting around, the driver radios the other boats and tells them to come and see it. Throughout Antarctica you would see the kayaks gather in the same place to watch a whale, or a group of seals, or some cartoon-like Adelie penguins.
But in Wilhelmina Bay, it seemed like every kayak had its own group of whales to watch. They were everywhere! We had plenty of them getting close to us. Then one got a little too close. All of a sudden, it rose in front of our kayaks. This wasn’t the “logging” where they gently rise and fall — this whale knew exactly what he was doing.
We were shocked. It was so close. Was it going to fall on us? It happened so quickly that I didn’t get a chance to take a photo. Thankfully there were some kayaks on the other side, getting shots of what we later called “the moment the drysuits became not so dry”.
“I’m always surprised at what we see, but I’m not often impressed,” our kayaking guide Michael told us. “The only thing better than that would have been, like, if a killer whale jumped out of the water right over the kayaks .”
1.What makes the visit in Wilhelmina Bay special?
A.The large size of the Bay. B.The thrilling whale-watching.
C.The wildlife sighting around. D.The adventurous Kayak cruises.
2.How did “this whale” in Paragraph 4 impress the writer?
A.It jumped out of the water right over the kayaks.
B.It rose ahead so suddenly that no picture was taken.
C.It jumped so close to the kayaks that visitors got wet.
D.It floated like a log in the water, gently rising and falling.
3.What is the text mainly about?
A.The greatest show on the earth. B.Amazing adventures in Antarctica.
C.The wildlife in Wilhelmina Bay. D.An unforgettable experience in Antarctica.
阅读下面材料,根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数应为150左右。
An 80-year-old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45-year-old highly educated son. Suddenly, a crow rested on their window.
The father asked his son, “What’s this?” The son replied, “It is a crow.”
After a few minutes, the father asked his son for the second time, “What’s this?” The son said, “Father, I have just now told you, it is a crow!”
After a little while, the old father again asked his son the third time, “What’s this?”
At this time, some expression of anger was felt in his son’s tone when he said to his father with a firm reply. “It is a crow, a crow.” A little while later, the father again asked his son the fourth time, “What’s this?”
This time, the son shouted at his father, “Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again, although I have told you so many times ‘IT IS A CROW’. Are you not able to understand this?”
A little later the father went to his room and came back with an old diary, which he had kept since his son was born.
On opening a page, he asked his son to read the page.
When the son read it, the following words were written in the diary:
“Today, my little son aged 3 was sitting with me on the sofa, when a crow was sitting on the window. My son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied to him all 23 times that it was a crow. I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question. I did not at all feel angry but I rather felt love for my innocent son.”
Paragraph 1:
After reading the diary, the son burst into tears, feeling sorry for what he had done to his father.
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Paragraph 2:
Feeling ashamed, the son got down to his knees before his father.
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