America is growing older．Fifty years ago, only 4 out of every 100 people in the United States were 65 or older．Today, 10 out of every 100 Americans are over 65．The aging of the population will affect American society in many ways — education, medicine, and business．Quietly, the graying（老龄化）of America has made us a very different society — one in which people have a quite different idea of what kind of behavior is suitable at various ages．
A person’s age no longer tells you anything about his / her social position, marriage or health．There’s no longer a particular year in which one goes to school or goes to work or gets married or starts a family．The social clock that kept us on time and told us when to go to school, get a job, or stop working isn’t as strong as it used to be．It doesn’t surprise us to hear of a 29-year-old university president or a 35-year-old grandmother, or a 70-year-old man who has become a father for the first time．Public ideas are changing．
Many people say, "I am much younger than my mother-or my father- was at my age．" No one says "Act your age" anymore．We’ve stopped looking with surprise at older people who act in youthful ways．
1.It can be learned from the text that the aging of the population in America ______．
A．has made people feel younger
B．has changed people’s social position
C．has changed people’s understanding of age
D．has slowed down the country’s social development
2.The underlined word ‘one’ refers to _______．
A．a society
B．America
C．a place
D．population
3."Act your age" means people should _______．
A．be active when they are old
B．do the right thing at the right age
C．show respect to their parents young or old
D．take more physical exercises suitable to their age
4.If a 25-year-old man become general manager of a big firm, the writer of the text would most probably consider it _______．
A．normal
B．wonderful
C．unbelievable
D．unreasonable
It was already dark when an old man came to a small town．He found an inn and wanted to stay there for the night．After he had gone to his room, the owner said to his wife, “Look at his bag, dear．I’m sure there are lots of valuable things in it．I want to steal it when he is asleep．”
“No, no,” said the woman．“He must look for his bag tomorrow morning．Then he’ll take you before the judge．” They thought and at last the woman had an idea．“We have forgetful grass,” said the woman, “Why not put some into his food? If he has the food, he will forget to take his bag away．” “How clever you are!” said the owner, “Don’t forget it when you prepare supper for him．”
The old man had the food with the forgetful grass and went to bed．The next morning, when the owner got up, he found the door was open and the old man had left with his bag．He woke his wife up and said angrily, “What a fool! Your forgetful grass isn’t useful at all．”
“No, no,” said the woman．“I don’t think so．He must forget something．”
“Oh, I’ve remembered!” The owner cried out suddenly, “He forgot…”
1.The old man came to the inn _______．
A．in the morning
B．in the afternoon
C．in the evening
D．at night
2.The owner and his wife wanted to _______．
A．get the man’s bag
B．steal the man’s money
C．make the man pay them more
D．hide the man’s bag
3.The owner and his wife put the forgetful grass into the food because _______．
A．the old man always forgot something
B．they wanted to make the food better
C．they hoped the old man would leave the bag in the inn
D．they wanted to know if the grass was useful
4.According to the passage the old man forgot _______．
A．to take his bag away
B．to tell the owner when he left
C．to close the door when he went to sleep
D．to pay them the inn money
请根据你对以下图的理解，以“Playing a trick or working hard?”为题，用英语写一篇作文。
你的作文应包括以下内容：
1. 简要描述该图的内容；
2. 概述你对该图中做法的理解；
3. 举例说明该图对你的启示。
注意：
1. 可参照图画适当发挥；
2. 作文词数150左右；
3. 作文中不得提及有关考生个人身份的任何信息，如校名、人名等。
Playing a trick or working hard?
Novel is typically written in a narrative (叙事) style and presented as a book. Novels tell stories, in which the characters and events are usually imaginary. The novel has been a part of human culture for over a thousand years, although its origins are somewhat debated. Regardless of how it began, the novel has remained one of the most popular and treasured examples of human culture and writing. It remains an essential part of the literary cultures of nearly all societies around the world.
Novella is classified as “Too short to be a novel，too long to be a short story”. There is no precise definition in terms of word or page count. Literary prizes and publishing houses often have their own arbitrary limits, which vary according to their particular intentions.
A short story is different from novels or novellas in that the plot is usually tied to one single chain of events. Because the reader must identify with a character quickly to become engaged, the tale is often told from the chief character’s point of view.
A drama refers to a play for the theatre，television or radio. It generally consists of chiefly dialogue between characters. It also uses dance to convey their message. Dramas usually aim at dramatic performance rather than at reading. In theater, a drama is presented by actors to an audience.
Good literary works depend on literary techniques. A literary technique can be used by authors in order to improve the written framework of a piece of literature, and produce specific effects.
Literary techniques include a wide range of approaches to crafting a work. The ability to let readers know what might happen in the future in an indirect way is possible through the technique foreshadowing. The practice of representing objects and qualities as human beings in literature is personification. Symbolism is the use of symbols to represent ideas.
Literature | |
Definitions of literature | Definitions of literature have kept 1.all the time. |
They are connected with 2. | |
Among them are “books and writing”, “ ‘imaginative’ literature” and “written or spoken material”. | |
3.▲of literature | Poetry, with rhyme, uses unusual word order in lines, which may be a barrier to see what it 4. |
A novel takes the form of a book, talking about what is 5._up by the writer. | |
The novella, as for length, exists 6.the novel and short story. | |
A short story tells a comparatively 7.story compared with novels and novellas. | |
Dramas are performed rather than read, with the ideas expressed either orally or 8.. | |
Literary techniques | Give a warning or sign of a 9.event by using the technique called foreshadowing. |
When personification is used, something without 10.is treated as if it were a human being. | |
Symbolism is the practice of representing things by means of symbols. | |
Dear Textual Healing,
I would be very interested in your recommendations for any books to help me through a difficult time of my life. At 57, f am feeling a bit lost. I have a wonderful, loving husband and bright, caring teenage daughter but I am lonely and have lost my spark for life.
I have always taken care of everyone and managed a career, but, after the death of my father this summer, my difficulties as a child in a terribly abnormal family have come back to me regularly. / have become unfocused and often alone while my husband is away frequently on business and my daughter busy with school and friends.
I am seeking the help of a therapist and taking care of myself but I would love to read something to help me “get my groove (理想状况）back” and reengage with life.
PC
Dear PC,
From the letter you’ve given us about your life, it’s no wonder you’re feeling a little lost. But before prescribing titles to help you get your groove back, I’d recommend taking a journey into Rebecca Solnit’s non-fiction book, A Field Guide to Getting Lost, which is packed with the wisdom of everyone from Pat Barker to Thoreau and Keats.
The word lost is rooted in the Old Norse “los”，meaning the disbanding of an army. “This origin suggests soldiers falling out of formation to go home, ceasing fighting with the wide world. I worry now that many people never disband their armies, never go beyond what they know,” Solnit writes. So instead of fearing that lost feeling, try seeing its potential for discovery. Explorers, remember, are always lost simply because they’re forever someplace new.
“Leave the door open for the unknown, the door into the dark,” Solnit advises. “That’s where the most important things come from, where you yourself came from, and where you will go.”
For something that asks a little less of the reader while still giving plenty in return, try a dose (―剂）of Anne Tyler, the beloved creator of numerous heroes whose serious conditions will move anyone who finds themselves in a midlife difficult situation. One such character is 53-year-old Rebecca Davitch, the heroine of Back When We Were Grownups. Like you, she’s combined marriage and motherhood with a career but suddenly finds herself feeling lonely in her own home. Could it be, she wonders, that she’s “turned into the wrong person"? Don't be fooled by the way this novel ambles along — as Rebecca revisits youthful ambitions and the college boyfriend she abandoned, it asks some heart-rending questions before arriving at a place of graceful, joyous acceptance.
Along similar lines, I'm also going to recommend The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. Its hero is 65 when he learns that a former colleague sick. On his way to post her a note，he decides instead to visit her— on foot, from his home in deepest Devon to England's northernmost town, more than 600 miles away. You don’t manage that without focus! It’s a journey to a holy place that will take him 87 days to complete, during which he considers his childhood, marriage and relationship with his son, and becomes an accidental media sensation (轰动). By the time he reaches his destination, you’ll feel anything but tired.
Finally, Ruth Ozeki’s novel A Tale for the Time Being will charm the missing spark back into your life. Combining the diary of a sad Tokyo teenager with the story of the middle-aged novelist who finds it, washed ashore on a remote island off the coast of British Columbia, it’s a beautiful illustration of how our lives touch — and are touched by — others in ways we mightn't even be aware of. This Man Booker Prize finalist has plenty to teach about Zen Buddhism, and unless you happen to live in one of its settings, it provides a bracing change of scene, too.
One other suggestion: books, as we all know, make great companions but that doesn't mean they can’t be enjoyed in the company of others. If you find yourself home alone, why not slip one into your back pack and head out to a favourite café.
1.What has mainly led to PC’s negative attitude to life?
A. The lack of helpful books.
B. The blow of her father’s death.
C. The contrast between her devotion to others and her being ignored.
D. The contrast between her easy life and her family members busy life.
2.By mentioning the origin of the word lost, Textual Healing implies that__________.
A. PC should extend her knowledge by reading more
B. PC should stop struggling with anyone around her
C. PC had better try to avoid going someplace new
D. PC oughtn’t to be trapped in her present situation
3.Who clarifies the idea in his/her work that people are socially related?
A. Rebecca Solnit.
B. Anne Tyler.
C. Rachel Joyce.
D. Ruth 0zeki.
4.The character Rebecca Davitch is mentioned by Textual Healing because her experience is__________.
A. typical B. persuasive
C. enjoyable D. extraordinary
5.Which of the following can be the proper title?
A. Which books will cure loneliness?
B. How can you get rid of loneliness?
C. Here are good examples for you
D. Books will keep you busy and healthy
In a unique research cooperation between Stratasys, Education, R&D departments and MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab, a new process is being developed, known as 4D Printing.
The 4D printing concept, which allows materials to “self-assemble (自行组装)” into 3D structures, was initially proposed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty member Skylar Tibbits. Tibbits and his team combined a strand (缕) of plastic with a layer made out of “smart” material that could self-assemble in water. They advanced this concept by creating materials that can change into several different complicated shapes, though this kind of material remains the bottleneck of 4D technology.
To many people that are just starting to get used to the idea of 3D printers, the name 4D is causing confusion because they cannot understand where this fourth “dimension” coming from. 4D technology shares many of the same principles of 3D printing and is essentially still about creating a new, 3D structure out of certain component; however, Tibbits states the fourth dimension at work here comes from concept of the fourth dimension of time. The difference between these 3D and 4D creations is that these new forms have the ability to transform and adapt over time.
4D printing works through self-assembly — a system where “disordered elements form an “ordered” structure via an interaction. With these 4D printed materials, these disordered materials are strands or sheets of specially designed materials. Environmental changes then stimulate (刺激）a response from them so that they form a preprogrammed shape.
The idea of having adaptable technology that only relies on energy and non-human interactions raises some interesting questions about where 4D printing can be used and the practical applications in dangerous environments. This could mean improved infrastructures in extreme conditions, leading to a reduced need for workers to put themselves at risk, but the potential goes even further than that. The technology promises exciting new possibilities for a variety of applications. A solar panel or similar product could be produced in a flat shape onto which functional devices can be easily installed. It could then be changed to a compact shape for packing and shipping. After arriving at its destination, the product could be stimulated to form a different shape that serves its function. Also it could be used to build furniture, bikes, cars and even buildings. As with many of the ideas being put forward, it is easy to go a step too far into the extreme, but this just shows the potential of 4D in comparison to 3D.
The next stage for the research is to move from printing single strands to sheets and eventually whole structures. And water need not be the process ’ s only energy source.
1.Which of the following displays the fourth dimension of 4D printing?
A. 4D printing creates a new, 3D structure out of certain component.
B. 4D technology reduces need for workers to put themselves at risk.
C. 4D technology can be used in many more fields than 3D printing.
D. 4D printed materials reshape themselves with conditions changing.
2.The major problem concerning the development of 4D printing lies in__________.
A. producing essential 4D printers
B. creating proper smart materials
C. providing a suitable environment
D. promoting practical applications
3.What does the passage lead you to believe?
A. 4D printing will take the place of 3D printing in the near future.
B. Most aspects of our daily life can be affected by 4D printing.
C. 4D printing will benefit humans by saving labor somehow.
D. Smart materials can be transformed into other types of material.
4.It can be inferred from the passage that__________.
A. electricity is not used in 4D technology
B. 4D printing has been applied in industry
C. more potential of 4D is to be discovered
