I was sitting in an airport when a woman behind me asked, “What's the best gift you’ve ever got?” I closed the magazine I'd paid too much for and listened for an answer. “What do you mean, like the best birthday present?” a young man said, “Probably the gold coin I got for graduation.”
I threw my magazine onto a neighboring chair and thought about the question. What’s the best gift I’ve ever got? Good health aside, when it comes to material objects, for me the answer is easy. It was a high school graduation present, gift-wrapped and hand-delivered by my grandfather. He handed it to me and said, “Stay close to the land. Don’t be afraid to dig in and get a little dirt on you.”
That fall, I went off to college and that shiny new green-handled spade with the silver blade （刀刃）hung untouched on the wall in my parents, garage. A few years later, I had my own family and that graduation spade made its way from my folks5 garage into my own. I dug gardens, planted trees, roses and bushes. The spade was nothing but a tool.
The years rolled by. The spade has lost some of its color and I've added some gray, but I still dig hard into the earth, more often than ever. It’s more than a trusted workout partner. It’s a reminder of my family, one proudly rooted in agriculture. It’s a useful tool with a memorable message about staying close to the earth. Priceless!
A few months from now, my daughter will finish graduate school, and she has already had a job waiting in another city. She’s knowledge-rich but cash-poor, and though she’s expecting nothing from me, I have something valuable to give her before she moves away. It'll be wrapped of course, and it'll be worth the weight in gold.
1. Why did the author mention his experience in the airport?| A．To compare his gift with the man's. |
| B．To introduce the topic of the text. |
| C．To recall his graduation ceremony. |
| D．To share his way of killing time. |
| A．It was hung on the wall. |
| B．It was sold for gold coins. |
| C．It was used to plant trees. |
| D．It was wrapped without touch. |
| A．A practical garden tool. |
| B．An ordinary workout partner. |
| C．A very precious present. |
| D．A reminder of his school life. |
| A．The family makes a living by farming. |
| B．The spade is kept in the garage at present. |
| C．The author gradually changed his attitude to life. |
| D．The spade will be passed down to the next generation. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】 
Liang Kaiyu, a 30-year-old engineer, lost his left leg above the knee in an explosion when testing his self-built automatic electronic motor in January 2020. He used his engineering skills to make his prosthetic (假肢的) leg more comfortable and powerful than a real leg.
“I have experienced some awkward moments while using the prosthetic leg, which has made me think about how to upgrade it.” Liang says, “Security checks when traveling, especially at airports, can be a bit problematic: others include trying on clothes in fitting rooms, shoes at shopping malls, and changing from ‘feet’ to a running blade before jogging.” Since late 2020, he has upgraded his high-tech prosthesis. One of the latest upgrades is the addition of colored LED lights to his running blade.
He has become an overnight internet hit on short-video streaming platforms for sharing his designs and upgrades on his high-tech prosthetic leg to make it close to, or even better than, a real one. Liang says, “Although China has millions of amputees (截肢患者), people with a prosthesis are still a rare sight on the street. I hope my videos can be inspiring to people struggling through tough times, just like I have been through. Even a smile will make it worth it.”
Since his optimism and courage made national headlines, Liang has gone viral on social media. On micro-blogging platform Sina Weibo, his story has gained more than 21 million views so far. Many users refer to him by the nickname “Iron Leg Man”. “What amazes me most is not your skills, but your confidence after such a disaster,” a netizen named Modaren says.
To advance functional performance and help amputees maintain or regain their freedom of movement, Liang has provided his experience and suggestions to several prosthetics companies. “If there is a good opportunity, I want to make high-tech prosthetics accessible and affordable to more amputees in China,” Liang says.
1. What caused Liang to upgrade his prosthetic leg?| A．His plan to run faster. | B．The quality of his prosthetic leg. |
| C．His enthusiasm for innovation. | D．The inconveniences from his prosthetic leg. |
| A．To earn his living. | B．To attract more followers. |
| C．To encourage the people in trouble. | D．To show off his professional skills. |
| A．Optimistic and confident. | B．Honest and courageous. |
| C．Determined and modest. | D．Considerate and humorous. |
| A．Two heads are better than one. |
| B．It’s never too late to do what you like. |
| C．What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. |
| D．A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. |
【推荐2】The Catnapper Mystery
Cody, the catnapper, had a talent for taking cats from trees, yards, and porches. He’d keep them until their owners paid for their return. One day, Milly’s kitten Mousie was missing. Milly accused Cody. “No way!” said Detective Denny. “I saw Cody catch a train to Planters Plain this morning. Mousie can’t have been kidnapped (绑架) by Cody!”
“There are no paw prints on my lawn,” noted Milly. “Mousie didn’t just scamper off!”
“And there are no sneaker prints,” said Detective Denny. “Cody only wears sneakers.” Then he noticed tiny holes in the grass that looked like they were made by high-heeled shoes. Denny pulled out a pencil. He was very careful as he measured the holes. “Half a pencil deep! Only Patty Perry’s Pet Shop wears heels that high and thin.”
Milly and Detective Denny ran to Patty’s, where a man was loading pets into a van. “Where are these animals going?” asked Milly.
“To Carter’s Cats in Planters Plain,” he replied.
“Where is Patty Perry?” asked Detective Denny.
“She had to catch a train,” said the man.
“Hmmm,” thought Denny. “Cody’s full name is Cody Carter. Sounds like Carter’s Cats! And he’s on a train to Planters Plain.”
Denny figured Patty would sell the cats and then Cody would steal them back. Only this time, Patty made the snatch. “They resell the cats in Planters Plain,” he realized, “and split the money!”
“Sounds illegal!” said the man with the van.
The Planters Plain police met the train and took the catnappers straight to jail. Best of all, the cats in captivity, including Milly’s Mousie, were returned to their owners.
1. Millie accused Cody of taking her cat because ________.| A．Cody was a detective | B．Cody was a catnapper |
| C．Cody owned a pet shop | D．Cody had a van |
| A．holes from Patty’s high heels | B．prints from Mousie’s paws |
| C．footprints from Cody’s sneakers | D．pets in the van |
| A．Cody left for Planters Plain. | B．Mousie was missing. |
| C．The catnappers went to jail. | D．Denny looked at Milly’s lawn. |
【推荐3】At just six years old, Joey Kilpatrick is Australia’s unofficial hide-and-seek (捉迷藏) champion after he hid in a bedroom cupboard for eight hours while playing his favorite game, causing a big rescue operation.
The determined little boy’s disappearing act led to a careful search, including nine police officers, five State Emergency Service volunteers, tracker dogs and almost all of the people of the town of Goombungee.
His mother, Chris, says she called the police when Joey disappeared one afternoon after telling his older brother, Lachlan, 14, that he was off to play hide-and-seek.
“I called the two boys for dinner,” Chris says. “After about 20 minutes I started to worry, I was shouting to Joey, ‘OK, we can’t find you, time to come out!’”
But there was no sign of her little boy. Within minutes of Chris calling the police, the policemen started one of the biggest ground searches in the town’s history.
“I was really frightened. I rang my husband, Kris, who works out of town, and he immediately hit the road, calling me every 10 minutes,” Chris recalls. “They searched the house from top to bottom; everyone was out looking for him. When a neighbor asked if I’d checked the water tank, that’s when reality hit. I was afraid.”
After hours of searching the town, confused (困惑的) police decided to search the house one more time.
“I just sat there waiting,” Chris says. “Then a strange feeling came over me, and I rushed into the bedroom and put my hand on a pile of blankets in the cupboard. As I pulled them out, there he was—asleep and completely not realizing what was going on! I’ve never held him in my arms so hard.”
Senior officer, Chris Brameld, from Goombungee police, says he is glad that Joey’s game had a happy ending, “When we realized he was safe, we agreed that it didn’t get much better than that!”
And young Joey promises that next time he won’t be so intent (专注于) on finding the best hiding place. “I want to say sorry to the policemen and to Mummy for scaring them,” he says. “I promise next time I’ll hide where they can find me and I won’t fall asleep!”
1. Why did the boy hide in a bedroom cupboard?| A．He thought it was a good place to sleep. |
| B．He wanted to start a big rescue operation. |
| C．He didn’t think he could be easily found there. |
| D．He is Australia’s unofficial hide-and-seek champion. |
| A．She checked the water tank. |
| B．She called the police and her husband. |
| C．She turned to her neighbor for help. |
| D．She searched the town from top to bottom. |
| A．Pitiful. | B．Funny. | C．Frightened. | D．Sorry. |
| A．The boy felt very cold when he was found. |
| B．The boy knew clearly what was going on. |
| C．The mother usually hugged her boy very hard. |
| D．The mother was very grateful to find her boy. |
【推荐1】My fifteen-year-old son has just returned from abroad with rolls of exposed film and a hundred dollars in uncashed traveler’s checks, and is asleep at the moment. His blue duffel (粗呢) bag lies on the floor where he dropped it. Obviously, he postponed as much sleep as he could, when he walked in and we hugged, his electrical system suddenly switched off, and he headed directly for the bed, where I imagine he beat his old record of sixteen hours.
It was his first trip overseas, so weeks before it, I pressed travel books on him, and a tape cassette of useful French phrases; drew up a list of people to visit; advised him on clothing and other things. At the luggage store where we went to buy him a suitcase, he headed for the duffels, saying that suitcases were more for old people.
During the trip, he called home three times: from London, Paris, and a village named Ullapool. Near Ullapool, he climbed a mountain in a rainstorm that almost blew him off. In the village, a man spoke to him in Gaelic, and, too polite to interrupt, my son listened to him for tenor fifteen minutes, trying to nod in the right places. The French he learned from the cassette didn’t hold water in Paris. The French he talked to shrugged and walked on.
When my son called, I sat down at the kitchen table and leaned forward and hung on every word. His voice came through clearly, though two of the calls were like ship-to-shore communication. When I interrupted him with a “Great!” or a “Really?”, I knocked a little hole in his communication. So I just sat and listened. I have never listened to a telephone so attentively and with so much pleasure. It was wonderful to hear news from him that was so new to me. In my book, he was the first man to land on the moon, and I knew that I had no advice to give him and that what I had a ready given was probably not much help.
The unused checks are certainly evidence of that. Youth travels light .No suitcase, not much luggage and a slim expense account, and yet he went to the scene, and came back safely. I sit here amazed. The night when your child returns with dust on his shoes from a country you’ve never seen is a night you would gladly turn into a week.
1. During the trip, the author’s son ______.| A．ran out of money | B．had inadequate sleep |
| C．forgot to call his mother | D．failed to take good pictures |
| A．Polite and careless. | B．Creative and stubborn. |
| C．Considerate and independent. | D．Self-centered and adventurous. |
| A．Good parents should protect their children from potential dangers. |
| B．The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page. |
| C．It’s a win-win choice to give a child space to experience and explore. |
| D．Communication between parents and children is extremely important. |
【推荐2】When I started graduate school, I wanted to know how many hours a day I was expected to be in the lab. Not that I was planning to put in the least effort — instead, I was young and loved working, and I didn’t have much else to do anyway.
I don't remember who answered my question. But I do remember that they shrugged and said “It doesn't matter, as long as you get your work done.”
That seemed reasonable. After all, I knew from my previous research experience that sometimes I'd end up staying in the lab until midnight. I also knew that sometimes I wouldn’t get to the lab until noon because I was taking or teaching cases in the mornings. An “as long as you get your work done” policy seemed like a great way to say that graduate students are largely responsible workers who enjoy science.
I never stopped to think about the most important word in that phrase: “done”. As long as I get my work done? Super! But come to think of it. I've never met a scientist who has, even for a day, considered their work “done”. There are always more experiments to do, discoveries to make and questions to answer.
There are always interesting new problems to research into and scientific truths to elucidate. But if there’s no such thing as “done” in science, and you're supposed to work until you get your work done, your working hours are not certain.
Though it may seem like a wise opinion—responsibility in place of flexibility — the truth is that you can never really pull away from work. You can always do a little more, and a little more, but that extra effort doesn’t ease tomorrow’s workload.
1. What can we know about the author from paragraph 1?| A．He could spend much time in the lab. | B．He had made plans for his other wok. |
| C．He wanted to reduce lab hours to the least. | D．He didn’t meet the teacher's requirements |
| A．It was difficult to carry out | B．It was fit for graduate students. |
| C．It was a duty for graduate students. | D．It forced graduate students to work long hours. |
| A．Boring. | B．Exciting. | C．Endless. | D．Difficult. |
| A．Explain. | B．Change. | C．Create. | D．Treasure. |
【推荐3】If happy is what you want to be, you must take responsibility and stop expecting things or people to make you happy. You are the source of your own happiness, so stop looking elsewhere.
Be grateful to others.
Perform acts of kindness. Don’t wait to be asked.
Make a decision to be happy. This is the most important step on the road to a happy life.
| A．Be polite to other people. |
| B．Show respect to other people. |
| C．You can change your feelings by acting the way you want to feel. |
| D．Start creating happiness instead of looking for it. |
| E．Be thankful to the people in your life, and practice saying thank you for any politeness they show you. |
| F．If you see a chance to do something nice for someone else, do it! |
| G．Simply make up your mind to be the happiest person you know, and you will be. |
【推荐1】In 2015, Professor Wang Zhenyi, who specializes in treating acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) (急性早幼粒细胞白血病), received a letter of thanks from America. The writer of the letter was Mrs. Berna- dette Giandomenico, who once suffered from APL but was cured with all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) (全反式维甲酸), a treatment developed by Wang and his medical team.
Working at Ruijin Hospital, Wang has been devoting his life to the treatment of leukenia. He received the country’s highest honor in science and technology in 2010.
Born in 1924 in Shanghai, Wang was inspired by a family friend’s experience of pursuing a career in medicine as a child. His grandmother’s death caused by typhoid (伤寒) further strengthened his resolve (决心) to fight against diseases and rescue patients. With outstanding academic performance, Wang became a doctor at Guangci Hospital, today’s Ruijin Hospital,
In 1978, a research paper from Israeli experts gave Wang inspiration on studying how leukemia cells could become normal. His research didn’t progress as expected, though. In 1983, another research paper shed light on his study. As the paper suggested, after being treated with 13-cis-retinoic acid, white blood cells in patients with APL could become normal. Considering the difficulties and high cost of producing a drug made from 13-cis-retinoic acid, Wang’s team decided to replace that ingredient with ATRA, and they verified its positive effect after several months’ experiments. In 1986, the drug was first adopted in treating a five-year-old patient. It turned out successful. After eight years of research, Wang’s team eventually made the first breakthrough in the battle against APL.
To make sure every APL patient could afford the medicine, Wang has not patented (获取专利权) his research result to date. “One cannot be a real doctor if one does not have expertise in medicine,” Wang said in an interview. “However, without a kind heart, a skilled doctor may cause harm to patients.”
Having worked in the field of hematopathology for over 70 years, Wang has been well recognized for his remarkable contribution to saving lives.
1. Why did Mrs.Giandomenico write a letter to Professor Wang?| A．To express her thanks. | B．To ask for medical suggestions. |
| C．To share her battle against APL. | D．To update information about APL treatment. |
| A．His grandmother’s death. | B．The example of a family friend. |
| C．His great academic achievements. | D．The inspiration from foreign experts. |
| A．Denied. | B．Researched. | C．Predicted. | D．Confirmed. |
| A．The application of ATRA | B．A doctor with a kind heart |
| C．The Chinese cure for APL patients | D．The remarkable honors a lifesaver got |
【推荐2】Fear started taking over. I was walking into my first school in Peru. I had traveled a long distance from India in order to join my parents, who had been here for three years, hoping Peru would help my future. My father decided that I would be better off going to school here, so I enrolled(登记)in the local high school in my new town.
I was afraid how I would do. On the first day, I went to my second period class after I had missed my first. With anxiety, I reached for the door, opening it slowly: Without paying attention to my classmates, I went straight to the teacher and asked if this was the right class. With a sol voice he answered. “Yes.” His voice comforted me a little. He gave me a sheet called Course Requirements, which I would never get in India because we didn’t have anything like that. Then he asked me to choose where I would sit. I didn’t actually want to pick a seat. In India wo had fixed seats, so I never needed to worry about that. I spent the rest of the class taking notes from the image produced by the overhead projector. In Indian schools, we didn’t use the technology we had. We had to take notes as the teacher spoke.
It was noon. I was very confused about when I would have lunch. I went to my next class and the bell rang as I entered. I went through the regular process of asking the teacher if I was in the right class. She said, “It’s still fourth period.”
“But the bell just rang,” I said.
Changing from a gentle tone to a harsher(刺耳的)one, she said, “That is the lunch bell, young man.”
I apologized. Without another word 1 headed for the cafeteria. I felt lucky because we didn’t have this in India. Every confusion seemed like a barrier I had to get through to reach my goal. At the end of the day, I was on my way to the bus which we didn’t have in India either. I spotted my bus and sat down inside happily. I was thinking, today wasn`t so bad.
1. The author attended a Peru’s high school because________.| A．his father preferred Peru’s schools |
| B．his family wanted him to have a bright future |
| C．his mother had worked in it for 3 years |
| D．he had been longing to leave his homeland |
| A．He went to the wrong class for the second period. |
| B．He met some enthusiastic teachers and classmates. |
| C．He got the Course Requirements sheet from his classmate. |
| D．He experienced differences from the Indian schools in many ways. |
| A．Worried | B．Puzzled | C．Relieved | D．Excited |
| A．I Began to Go to School | B．My First Day of School |
| C．To Stan a School Day Isn’t Easy | D．My Work at School |
【推荐3】As the lyrics to Taylor Swifs hit song “Bad Blood” go: “Cause, baby, now we got bad blood. You know it used to be mad love.” It'’s a song about falling out of friendship, but to 14-year-old Hallie Barnard, who was born with a rare blood disorder, the song holds a much deeper meaning.
At just 15 months old, Barnard was diagnosed with Diamon Blackfin Anemia, or DBA, and she spent most of her life in and out of the hospital. The Swiftie said she relied on the singer to bring her joy.
The only way to survive DBA is with a bone marrow transplant (骨髓移植)and Barnard was desperate for one. But she knew thousands of other patients are, too. So, a few years ago, she decided to do something about it, creating her own foundation: Hallie’s Heroes. “It started selfishly as just trying to save my life, but then we realized there were so many other children out there that needed a bone marrow transplant,” she said. “So, so far we've tested 8,000 people and found over 300 matches.”
After a 9-year wait, Bamard got her own match —through her own foundation. But more obstacles stood between her and normal life as a kid. The blood disorder led to a cancer diagnosis: osteosarcoma. She received surgery to cut the cancer out of her leg at MD Anderson in Houston.
The recovery was dificult, but Hallie said she stayed hopeful. “My survival instinct just kicked in. I was trying to do anything that I could to survive. So, of course, it was scary but in my mind, I was just thinking that I wanted to be at my sister's future weddings. I wanted to play games and run again,” she said.
Her survival instinct-combined with Taylor Swift helped her through her operation, where doctors cut her cancer out, and reattached her foot and ankle to her upper leg to work as a knee.
1. Why does the author mention Taylor Swift's song “Bad Blood”?| A．To stress the power of music. |
| B．To introduce the topic of the text. |
| C．To show Taylor Swift’s popularity. |
| D．To state Taylor Swift’s song is a hit. |
| A．To raise money for her heroes. |
| B．To treat her rare blood disorder. |
| C．To help other children with DBA. |
| D．To have an operation for her cancer. |
| A．begin to play a role | B．disappear |
| C．speed up | D．break down |
| A．Strong-minded and selfish | B．Hard-working and patient. |
| C．Kind and optimistic. | D．Outgoing and helpful. |
| A．‘Bad Blood’ Inspired More People |
| B．Hallie's Heroes: a Useful Foundation |
| C．Taylor Swift: a Popular Singer with Teens |
| D．A Cancer Survivor Helped Others Find Matches |
【推荐1】BOXTEL, Netherlands — chickens roam the orchards, cows chew the cud and pigs roll in the mud on a warm day on a Dutch farm ——but the pastoral (乡村)scene is not as traditional as it seems.
The farm is owned and run by a cooperative of hundreds of local consumers and aims to change habits in a low-lying country engaged in an existential fight against climate change. Nearly 200 families decide what the farm will produce — and they will eventually eat — and employ a farmer to tend to the animals for meat and eggs and grow the dozen kinds of fruits and vegetables.
“The main aim of the members is to eat natural products, produced near to where they live, in a more sustainable (可持续的)way,” said Douwe Korting, co-leader of the Boxtel Cooperative, in the southern Netherlands. People are really starting to see that a change toward a different way of eating is essential," he added.
It costs 2,000 euros ($2,200) to join the collective (集体的)farm, which is 10 minutes by bicycle from the town, and then a weekly fee of around 10 euros per person.
In return, members receive the food they want and stress the importance of knowing what they eat is local and seasonal.
Known as Herenboderderij, or People's Farming, the guiding principle is that everything centers on the needs and riches of nature, even while using new technologies, ” said its founder Geert van der Veer. Soon the poultry (家禽) will be joined by a robot that can sense when the fruit is ripe, as well as a drone that will survey the fields to support and reduce the needs for manpower.
1. Why did the families start the farm?| A．To reduce the cost of food. | B．To improve their eating habits. |
| C．To replace the old tradition. | D．To provide more chances for exercise. |
| A．Decide what to produce and eat what they grow. |
| B．Work on the farm close to where they live. |
| C．Own and operate the farm in a more effective way. |
| D．Feed the animals and grow fruits and vegetables. |
| A．It'll provide natural products. | B．It'll be charged by new technology. |
| C．It'll cost everyone less than 10 euros. | D．It'll encourage people to love nature. |
| A．A diary. | B．A guidebook. |
| C．A novel. | D．A newspaper. |
【推荐2】When I woke up on Aug.4, 2016, there was only one thing on my mind: what to wear. A billion thoughts raced through my brain in the closet. I didn't want to come off as trying too hard, but I also didn't want to be seen as a lazy and untidy person. Not only was it my first day of high school, but it was my first day of school in a new state. First impressions are everything, and it was important for me to impress the people who I would spend the next four years with.
This was my third time being a new kid. But this time was different because my dad promised that I would start and finish high school in the same place. This time mattered, and that made me nervous.
After meticulously searching my closet, I proudly came out in a dress from Target. The soft cotton was comfortable, and the ruffled shoulders added a bit of fun. Yes, this outfit was the one. An hour later, I felt powerful as I headed toward Room 1136. But as I entered, my jaw dropped to the floor.
Sitting at her desk was Mrs. Hutfilz, my English teacher, wearing exactly the same dress as me. I kept my head down and tiptoed to my seat. I made it through my minute introduction speech until she stood up, jokingly adding that she liked my style. Although this was the moment I had been afraid of from the moment I walked in, all my anxiety surprisingly melted away, and the students paid attention as I shared my story. My smile grew as I laughed with the students. After class, I stayed behind and talked to Mrs. Hutfilz, relieved to make a humorous and real connection.
Looking back four years later, the ten minutes I spent afraid of giving my speech were really not worth it. My first period of high school certainly made the day unforgettable in the best way and taught me that Mrs. Hutfilz had an awesome sense of style!
1. Why did the author care about her clothes on her first high school day?| A．She was picky about clothes |
| B．She followed her father's advice. |
| C．She wanted to leave a good impression. |
| D．She cared too much about her appearance. |
| A．Carefully | B．gradually | C．regularly | D．suddenly |
| A．Calm. | B．Uneasy. | C．Proud | D．Powerful. |
| A．To explore the tips on dressing. |
| B．To show her good taste in clothes. |
| C．To share a memorable experience. |
| D．To introduce her stylish English teacher |
【推荐3】“WHAT IS CIVILIZATION?” asked Kenneth Clark 50 years ago in the BBC series on the subject. “I don’t know, and I can’t define it in abstract terms, yet. But I think I can recognize it when I see it, and I’m looking at it now.” And he turned to gesture behind him, at the soaring Gothic towers and flying buttresses of Notre Dame（巴黎圣母院）.
It seems inhuman to care more about a building than about people. That the sight of Notre Dame going up in flames has attracted so much more attention than floods in southern Africa which killed over 1,000 arouses understandable feelings of guilt. Yet the widespread, intense grief at the sight of the cathedral’s collapsing tower is in fact profoundly human—and in a particularly 21st-century way.
It is not just the economy that is global today, it is culture too. People wander the world in search not just of jobs and security but also of beauty and history. Familiarity breeds affection. A building on whose sunny steps you have rested, in front of which you have taken a photo with your loved one, becomes a warm part of your memories and thus of yourself. That helps explain why China is in mourning—WeChat, young China’s principal means of talking to itself, has been throbbing with the story, and Xi Jinping, the country’s president, sent a message of condolence to Emmanuel Macron, his French counterpart—while India was largely indifferent. Tourism from India to the West is a trickle(细流) compared with the flood from China.
This visual age has endowed beauty with new power, and social media have turned great works of art into superstars. Only a few, though, have achieved this status. Just as there is only ever a handful of world-famous actors, so the pantheon（万神殿）of globally recognizable cultural symbols is tiny: the Mona Lisa, Michelangelo’s David, the Taj Mahal, the Great Pyramid—and Notre Dame. Disaster, too, is visual. In the 24 hours after the fire started videos on social media of the burning cathedral were viewed nearly a quarter of a billion times.
Yet the emotions the sight aroused were less about the building itself than about what losing it might mean. Notre Dame is an expression of humanity at its collective best. Nobody could look up into that ceiling without wondering at the genius of the thousands of anonymous craftsmen who, over a century and a half, realized a vision so grand in its structural ambition and so delicate in its detail. Its survival through 850 years of political turbulence—through war, revolution and Nazi occupation—binds the present to the past.
The fire also binds people to each other. The outpouring of emotion it has brought forth is proof that, despite the dark forces of division now abroad, we are all in it together. When nationalism is a rising threat, shared sadness makes borders suddenly irrelevant. When politics is polarized, a love of culture has the power to unite. When extremism divides Muslim from Christian and religious people from atheists, those of all faiths and none are mourning together. An building built for the glory of God also represents the unity of the human spirit.
And it will be rebuilt. The morning after the fire, the many Parisians who went to the cathedral to mourn its destruction found comfort instead. Although the spire is gone, the towers are still standing and it seems likely that the whole building can be reconstructed. The effort to rebuild it, like the fire, will bring people together. Within 24 hours, €600m ($677m) had been raised from businesses and rich people, and a rash of crowd funding campaigns started. A high-resolution laser scan of the building, carried out recently, should help.
It will never be the same, but that is as it should be. As Victor Hugo wrote in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”, a three-volume love-letter to the cathedral: “Great buildings, like great mountains, are the work of centuries. Art is often transformed as it is being made…Time is the architect, the nation is the builder.”
1. The underlined word “condolence” in Paragraph 3 means __________.| A．sympathy | B．compliment | C．gratitude | D．suspicion |
| A．Because Indians care more about jobs and security. |
| B．Because Indians have no access to social media like WeChat. |
| C．Because Indians have less familiarity with Notre Dame. |
| D．Because Indians are not fond of travelling. |
| A．People’s sadness at the misfortune mainly lies in the building itself. |
| B．People wondered who contributed to such an artistic achievement. |
| C．Notre Dame is a witness to Nazi invasion and French revolution. |
| D．Fortunately we are blessed with countless splendid works of art. |
| A．the high-resolution laser scan of the building helps but far from enough |
| B．it’s impossible to replicate (复制) it for lack of the genius of craftsmen |
| C．dark forces, nationalism and extremism are barriers to replicating it |
| D．time has changed and the rebuilding will change accordingly |
| A．What is civilization? |
| B．Why do people care about Notre Dame? |
| C．What binds people together? |
| D．How should we rebuild Notre Dame? |
