A study of more than five million books, both fiction and non-fiction, has found a marked decline in the use of emotional words over time. The researchers form the University of Bristol used Google Ngram Viewer, a facility for finding the frequency of terms in scanned books, to search for more than 600 particular words identified as representing anger, dislike, fear, joy, sadness and surprise.
They found that almost all of the categories showed a drop in these “mood words” over time. Only in the category of fear was there an increase in usage.
“It is a steady and continuous decrease,” said Dr Alberto Acerbi. He assumed that the result might be explained by a change in the position occupied by literature, in a crowded media landscape. “One thing could be that in parallel to books the 20th century saw the start of other media. Maybe these media — movies, radio, drama, had more emotional content than books.”
Although both joy and sadness followed the general downwards trend, the research, published in the journal PLOS One, found that they also exhibited another interesting behaviour：the ratio (比率) between the two varied greatly, apparently mirroring historical events.
During the Roaring Twenties the joy-to-sadness ratio reached a peak that would not occur again until before the recent financial crash. But the ratio plunged at the height of the Second World War. Nevertheless, the researchers held a reserved opinion about their claim that their result reflected wider social trends. In the paper, they even argue that the reverse could be true.
“It has been suggested, for example, that it was the suppression (压抑) of desire in ordinary Elizabethan English life that increased demand for writing ‘filled with romance and sex’… perhaps,” they conclude, “songs and books may not reflect the real population any more than catwalk models reflect the average body.”
1. The word "decline" (paragraph 1) is closest in meaning to_________.
A. increase B. rise C. decrease D. change
2.A study of more than five million books indicated a decrease in “mood words” over time except_______.
A. in the use of the words of historical events
B. in the category of fear
C. in the category of literature
D. in the category of joy
3. What’s the main idea of this passage?
A. A study of emotional words.
B. A study about vocabulary in literature.
C. Reasons for the use of emotional words decreases in literature.
D. A study on increase in the category of fear.
“Don't worry if you have problems!” It is easy to say until you are in the midst of a really big one. The only people who don't have troubles are gathered in little neighborhoods. Most communities have at least one. We call them cemeteries. If you're breathing, you have difficulties. It's the way of life. And believe it or not, most of your problems may actually be good for you! Let me explain.
Maybe you have heard the Great Barrier Reef, stretching some 1,800 miles from New Guinea to Australia. Tour guides regularly take visitors to view the reef.
On one tour, a traveler asked the guide an interesting question. "I notice that the lagoon (泻湖) side of the reef looks pale and lifeless, while the ocean side is vibrant and colorful," the traveler observed. Why is this?
The guide gave an interesting answer, "The coral around the lagoon side is in still water, with no challenge for its survival. It dies early. The coral on the ocean side is constantly being tested by wind, waves and storms. It has to fight for its survival every day. As it is challenged and tested, it changes and adapts. It grows healthy. It grows strong. And it reproduces."
Then he added, “That's the way it is with every living organism.”
That's how it is with people. Challenged and tested, we come alive! Like coral pounded by the sea, we grow. Physical demands can cause us to grow stronger. Mental and emotional stress can produce tough-mindedness and resiliency. Spiritual testing can produce strength of character and faithfulness. So, you have problems? No problem! Just tell yourself, "There I grow again!"
Remember: A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner.
1.Who has no problems according to the passage?
A. The persons who are very famous.
B. The persons who have much money.
C. The persons who have been born.
D. The persons who are living in the cemeteries.
2. In the writer's opinion, ________.
A. problems bring us much trouble
B. problems have two sides, good or bad
C. we should try to stay away from any trouble
D. the fewer things we do, the less trouble we'll meet
3. The reason why lagoon side of the reef has no life is _______.
A. it hasn't got any sunlight
B. it has less energy than others
C. it never faces any challenge and tests
D. it has no work to do every day
4.After reading this passage, we should ________.
A. regard any problem as challenge
B. learn from the lagoon side
C. worry your problem
D. enter into cemeteries
假设你是王林，寒假期间你要到伦敦旅游，请你根据以下提示给你的英国好友Alex写一封信，请他推荐一个旅馆，要点如下：
1 介绍你伦敦之行的目的；
2 停留时间：5个晚上，从2月8日到12日；
3 房间要求：预定一个房间，旅馆要靠近公共汽车站；有独立浴室；可以上网；
注意：词数100左右；可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Alex,
How is everything going recently?
Yours sincerely;
Wang Lin
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文, 请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误, 每句中最多有两处, 每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧）, 并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线, 并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均限一词。
2.只允许修改10处, 多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Dear guests,
On behalf of our school, I would like to express our warm welcome to you. We are luck to have you here in middle of our English Week Activities.
As planning, we have English Talent Show today. The purpose of this program was to develop our interest in English learning and practically abilities in listening and speaking. The program consists in the following activity: recitation, singing, word spelling, story telling and so on. The show will begin at two o’clock this afternoon at the Student Centre. Dear guests, we are welcome to take part in some activities. I hope we students will be benefit from your presence but I sincerely wish you a pleasant time with us. Thank you.
Husband: Honey, what are you doing with your nose in the newspaper all afternoon? Is it that 1. (interest)?
Wife: I have no interest in the news reports, but the apartment ads. Don’t you think we should get a larger apartment 2. our present one?
Husband: This apartment is fine. It’s big enough for us.
Wife: 3. is obvious that this apartment is too small. We 4. (live) here since we got married. We need a change.
Husband: I’d rather stay here. I love this old place. 5. , we don’t need all that extra room.
Wife: Yes, we do. We need 6. extra bedroom. Then it’ll be more comfortable for our baby.
Husband: Our baby? Are we having a baby?
Wife: Yeah, we are going to have a baby. I have been waiting for the right moment to surprise you with the news.
Husband: This is a huge surprise! I’m so happy 7. I can hardly believe it! But where will we get enough money 8. (buy) a larger apartment?
Wife: Don’t worry. I think we can afford a more expensive apartment. Look, you got a raise last month. And my salary will 9. (certain) help.
Husband: Well, yes, good point. I guess we should look at a few apartments. It’s time we 10. (move).
Last Christmas while staying with my parents, I across some old love letters that my parents wrote to each other. These letters were all pilled up in a basket, dirty and With dust. to read and sort them, I asked them if I could take the letters back to my Illinois home. They agreed.
As I carefully opened each letter, all of them delicate with age, I discovered a new page unknown to me in this private chapter of my parents’ lives.
My father used to in the army. So his letters were full of frontline of the things about the war. Each of my mother’s letters was marked her 1944 dark red lipstick kiss. I was to these letters like a magnet (磁铁).
Just six weeks after our Christmas visit, Daddy became very . and was hospitalized. This time, he was fighting a kind of war. As I sat by his bedside, we discussed the . He told me how much receiving those lipstick-kissed letters had to him when he had been so far from home.
It so happened that the next day would he February 14. From the letters I chose the card my father had sent Mother in 1944 and brought it to my father’s bedside.
At his bedside, I joked with him, saying , “Today is Valentine’s Day, don’t you want to send Mother a present?” He became more when I handed him the old . He carefully opened it and took out the card, and when he it, his eyes were filled with tears.
My father, in a voice tight with read the loving he’d sent to my mother fifty-six years earlier. And this time, he could read it to her .
1.A. came B. hit C. drew D. fell
2.A. hidden B. covered C. buried D.filled
3.A. Pretending B. Suggesting C. Preferring D.Deciding
4.A. recently B. occasionally C. previously D. usually
5.A. work B. study C. serve D. report
6.A. accounts B. documents C. introductions D. occupations
7.A. with B. for C. of D. as
8.A. devoted B. abandoned C. thrown D. drawn
9.A. depressed B. dead C. dangerous D. ill
10.A. typical B. traditional C. different D. familiar
11.A. wars B. illnesses C. letters D. prescriptions
12.A. meant B. intended C. planned D. said
13.A. divided B. sorted C. separated D. updated
14.A. sadly B. angrily C. softly D. loudly
15.A. curious B. enthusiastic C. fantastic D. positive
16.A. Christmas card B. envelope C. basket D. lipstick
17.A. found B. wrote C. recognized D. missed
18.A. astonishment B. sorrow C. sickness D. emotion
19.A. story B. message C. speech D. motto
20.A. in brief B. in private C. in danger D. in person
