Since her first publication in 1968, Louise Cluck has been no stranger to awards over her long and well-known career. In 1993, she won the Pulitzer Prize for her collection of poems, The Wild Iris. And on October 8, she became the 16th woman to win the Nobel Prize in literature.
Often said to be an autobiographical(自传体的)poet, drawing from the inner parts of her life, “Gluck is not to be regarded as a self-reflecting poet. she seeks the universal,” Nobel Committee Chair Anders Olsson said in a statement. Gluck, 77, the author of 12 poetry collections, has been able to turn her life experiences into universal themes covering death, loss, and isolation. Because ofthis, readers have often found her poetry to be “dark”.
However, there is much more than darkness in her voice, as noted by Olsson. “It is straightforward and… also a voice full of humor and insight,” said Olsson. In her poem Snowdrops, Gluck uses the coming of spring after winter to show rebirth of life after death. She leads readers down a depressing path only to reconnect with the light at the near end. At the conclusion of the poem, readers are left to feel the “raw wind of the new world” as they watch a new spring. This is often the case in Gluck’s poetry, being able to feel joy even after not having done so for a long time.
Although she’s already a well-known writer, experienced in exploring trauma(创伤)and healing, Gluck did feel honored to be given the Nobel award. However, when asked what the prize means to her, the lyric poet responded by saying, “It’s too new… I don’t know really what it means. My only hope is to preserve my daily life.”
1. What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 2 refer to?A.Combining daily life with literature. |
B.Making individual existence universal. |
C.Deepening the meaning of being positive. |
D.Turning simple language into poetic voice. |
A.display the process of Gluck’s writing |
B.interpret what a poem can bring about |
C.illustrate Gluck’s unique writing style |
D.show how Cluck keeps her own style |
A.She is self-centered. | B.She is well-mannered. |
C.She seeks for truth of life. | D.She has a low-key attitude. |
A.A woman’s fight for fame. | B.A famous poet’s career. |
C.What hard work can do. | D.How a poet was shaped. |
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【推荐1】At Beijing’s Palace Museum, it sometimes seems that time stands still, but the clocks keep ticking at a small workshop there. This is where clock conservator (文物修复员) Qi Haonan works. .
As part of the fourth generation of conservators to repair and restore antique (古老的) clocks at the museum since 1949, Qi has returned more than 100 clocks to their former glory.
After having majored in mechanical automation during his university studies, Qi joined the cultural relics restoration department at the Palace Museum in 2005. “In the beginning, everything in the palace was new to me. It made me excited to even think about repairing antique clocks,” the 41-year-old told China Daily. But reality soon weakened his warmth. There is a rule at the museum: For the first year you can look, but not touch. From 8 a. m. to5 p. m. every day, he checked and took apart watches and clocks collected from his friends to practice. After a year of repeated work, he could finally get his hands on the clocks in the museum and get a better understanding of the job. To him, restoring such clocks doesn’t mean making them look brand-new. Through cleaning and restoration, he tries to keep them in their original form, bringing back their former function.
Qi still remembered the excitement he felt when the hands of his first repaired clock began to move. It was a French clock, which took him a month to restore. “What amazes me most about these clocks is that they combine the scientific advances, technological precision (精确) and trends in decorative art of their particular times,” Qi told China Daily.
Although the antique clock repairing special skills at the Palace Museum were listed as a national intangible (非物质的) cultural heritage in 2014, it was still a little-known skill and the specialty was in short supply of professionals. Until 2016, a 3-part TV documentary, Masters in the Forbidden City, made it possible to the public.
Qi started posting videos about the antique clocks on social media in 2019, giving viewers a look into the work. “With rising attention and influence, antique clock restoration can not only be further developed, but also expanded to more museums which house antique clocks and watches,” Qi told China Daily.
1. What can be known about the clock conservator Qi Haonan?A.He began to work at the Palace Museum in 1949. |
B.He learned how to restore antique clocks at university. |
C.He has decided to rescue the cultural relics restoration. |
D.He is part of the fourth generation of clock conservators. |
A.He couldn’t touch the antique clocks. |
B.He was asked to do much repeated work. |
C.He had to collect clocks from his friends. |
D.He didn’t understand the meaning of restoration. |
A.Keeping them clean and brand-new. |
B.Making them more beautiful and valuable than ever. |
C.Getting them back to their original form and function. |
D.Combining scientific advances and technological precision. |
A.Worrying. | B.Uncertain. | C.Hopeless. | D.Promising. |
【推荐2】Tight-lipped elders used to say, “It’s not what you want in this world, but what you get.”
Psychology teaches that you do get what you want if you know what you want and want the right things.
You can make a mental blueprint of a desire as you would make a blueprint of a house, and each of us is continually making these blueprints in the general routine of everyday living. If we intend to have friends to dinner, we plan the menu, make a shopping list, decide which food to cook first, and such planning is an essential for any type of meal to be served.
Likewise, if you want to find a job, take a sheet of paper, and write a brief account of yourself. In making a blueprint for a job, begin with yourself, for when you know exactly what you have to offer, you can intelligently plan where to sell your services.
This account of yourself is actually a sketch of your working life and should include education, experience and references. Such an account is valuable. It can be referred to in filling out standard application blanks and is extremely helpful in personal interviews. While talking to you, you could-be employer is deciding whether your education, your experience, and other qualifications, will pay him to employ you and your “wares” and abilities must be displayed in an orderly and reasonably connected manner.
When you have carefully prepared a blueprint of your abilities and desires, you have something tangible to sell. Then you are ready to hunt for a job. Get all the possible information about your could-be job. Make inquiries as to the details regarding the job and the firm. Keep your eyes and ears open, and use your own judgment. Spend a certain amount of time each day seeking the employment you wish for, and keep in mind: Securing a job is your job now.
1. What do the elders mean when they say, “It’s not what you want in this world, but what you get.”?A.It’s no use dreaming. |
B.It’s essential to set a goal. |
C.You’ll probably get what you want. |
D.You should be dissatisfied with what you have. |
A.a principle for job evaluation |
B.a guideline for job description |
C.an indication of how to secure a good job |
D.an illustration of how to write an application for a job |
A.that is the requirement of the employer |
B.that is the first step to please the employer |
C.it forces him to become clearly aware of himself |
D.it enables him to know when to sell his services |
A.practical to supply | B.definite to offer |
C.imaginary to provide | D.desirable to present |
【推荐3】The three phases of life are increasingly a thing of the past. Where once working lives fitted neatly into the model of education, employment and then retirement, the simplicity of that division is being challenged by changing standards of the workforce.
Increasing numbers of workers, nearing their long-imagined transition(过渡)into retirement, seem to be actively putting off the moment at which they down tools. Newly released figures from the Office for National Statistics(ONS)have shown that there are over a million more over 50s in part-time work than a decade ago.And with nine out of 10 employers reporting difficulties hiring workers,there’s likely to be a growing market for their talents as bosses extend their searches to older people,including those who are willing to take on part-time responsibilities.
The ending of the three phases of working life isn’t simply down to people living longer or financial necessity-though those are certainly important factors-but also to an increasing desire to maintain a purposeful life. One survey of British retirees over 50 found that 85 per cent of them felt they’d retired too young—stopping working had left a void that they regretted afterwards.
The 2015 film The Intern conveyed this human need to have value. In it, Robert De Niro plays a 70-year-old widower who finds himself a fish out of water when he joins a trendy internet start-up.In the end, not only does he find the sense of belonging that he desires but his colleagues come to rely on his experience and different perspective.It’s a plot we can increasingly expect to happen in real-life offices over the decades to come as people live ever longer.
Already, we are seeing people in their 50s and 60s looking ahead to a retirement lasting 30 years, choosing instead to build second careers that they can maintain into their 70s or beyond. Freed from the financial burden of young children, they can prioritize flexibility, shorter working hours or more rewarding jobs in areas such as charity work or teaching. Many do it for no money at all, volunteering behind the till in charity shops or showing people round National Trust properties.
However, it’s the next generation where the effect of living longer will really be felt, and the financial necessity will start to bite. In the West, more than half of the children born in 2016 have a life expectancy of more than 100 years. In their book, The 100-Year Life, London Business School professors Lynda Gratton and Andrew Scott suggest that acquiring sufficient funds to see oneself through a 40-or 50-year retirement will likely be beyond all but the highest earners.
Then there’s the oft-repeated claim that young people today are the first generation to be poorer than their parents. Certainly property prices are changing the way they plan for the future. In the mid-Nineties, the average home cost less than three times the average wage; last year, ONS stats placed that ratio at eight times wages.
The overall effect of these trends is that young people recognize that they will likely have to postpone dreams of retirement and instead strap on(绑住)more debt spread over longer spans. It’s why 44 per cent of under 30s say they expect to be working well into their 70s and why data this year from the Bank of England show that 16 per cent of UK mortgages(按揭贷款)now have terms of 35 years or more-a figure that has tripled in the past decade.
All of these factors look set to contribute to a workforce that has a significantly wider range of ages in the future. In an era of work when we’ve all learned to be more inclusive, only eight per cent of firms with a diversity programme have adapted it to go beyond gender, race and sexuality and into age. Incorporating older employees into the workforce is set to be the next big thing at the office.
If Robert De Niro has anything to teach us, it’s that this can be an enormous force permanently for both employees and businesses.
1. What do the underlined words “is down to” in Paragraph 3 mean?A.is caused by | B.results in |
C.is responsible for | D.gives birth to |
A.They can live within their means. |
B.Their life expectancy will be longer. |
C.They will be richer than their parents. |
D.They will fail to pay off their mortgage. |
A.tell us Robert De Niro is a helpful retiree |
B.indicate that retirees can also benefit society |
C.share Robert De Niro’s second career with us |
D.illustrate that retirees desire to live meaningfully |
A.The new standards of the workplace. |
B.Age being no hurdle in the modern world of work. |
C.Financial issues facing both old people and young people. |
D.Different attitudes to retirement between the young and old. |
My big moment finally came in the summer of 1998 when I was able to accompany my parents to Europe, where my father was to attend a meeting. We planned to travel to Belgium, Netherlands and West Germany.
I have vivid memories even today of going to Mumbai airport at night all excited about finally going abroad. I had heard several great things about Lufthansa till then but now I finally got to experience them first hand, during the flight to Frankfurt. We flew business class and even today I can remember the excellent service by the Lufthansa crew. The flight was really smooth and thoroughly enjoyable, even for someone like me, who is otherwise scared of flying.
After spending almost two weeks in Europe, we took the Lufthansa airport express from Dusseldorf to Frankfurt airport, for our return flight. What a journey that was! All along the Rhine(莱茵河), it was simply an unforgettable experience. I was in a sombre mood on the flight back to Mumbai as it marked the end of a wonderful vacation, but the Lufthansa crew members were able to change it into a most enjoyable experience yet again, with the quality of their service.
Being the first airline to take me overseas, Lufthansa will always hold a special place in my heart. Even today, I continue to enjoy flights on Lufthansa and simply cannot dream of choosing any other airline. Flying, in general, for me, has always been an ordeal (terrible and painful experience). Flying on Lufthansa, however, is something I always have and always will look forward to.
1. Which country does the author live in now?
A.India. | B.Canada. | C.Belgium. | D.Germany. |
A.The author traveled with one of his parents. |
B.Both their going and return are by air. |
C.They traveled in spring that year. |
D.They stayed in Europe for nearly two months. |
A.a city in India | B.a city in Europe |
C.an airline company | D.a travel agency |
A.happy | B.sad | C.angry | D.enjoyable |
I would never forget the wonderful evening when something changed. The baseball ended about eight or eight thirty when it grew dark. Then it was the custom of the boys to retire to a little stoop(门廊) that stuck out from the candy store on the corner and that somehow had become theirs. No grownup ever sat there or attempted to. There the boys would sit, mostly talking about the games played during the day and of the game to be played tomorrow. Then long silences would fall and the boys would wander off one by one. It was just after one of those long silences that my life as an outsider changed. I can no longer remember which boy it was that summer evening who broke the silence with a question: but whoever he was, I nod to him gratefully now. “What’s in those books you’re always reading?” he asked casually. “Stories,” I answered. “What kind?” asked somebody else without much interest.
Nor do I know what drove me to behave as I did,for usually I just sat there in silence, glad enough to be allowed to reain among them; but instead of answering his question, I told them for two hours the story I was reading at the moment. The book was Sister Carrie. They listened bug-eyed and breathless. I must have told it well, but I think there was another and deeper reason that made them to keep an audience. Listening to a tale being told in the dark is one of the most ancient of man’s entertainments, but I was offering them as well, without being aware of doing it, a new and exciting experience.
The books they themselves read were the Rover Boys or Tom Swift or G.A.Henty. I had read them too, but at thirteen I had long since left them behind. Since I was much alone I had become an enthusiastic reader and I had gone through the books-for-boys series. In those days there was no reading material between children’s and grownups’books or I could find none. I had gone right fromTome Swift and His Flying Machine to Theodore Dreiser and Sister Carrie. Dreiser had hit my young mind, and they listened to me tell the story with some of the wonder that I had had in reading it.
The next night and many nights thereafter, a kind of unspoken ritual (仪式) took place. As it grew dark, I would take my place in the center of the stoop and begin the evening’s tale. Some nights, in order to taste my victory more completely, I cheated. I would stop at the most exciting part of a story by Jack London or Bret Harte, and without warning tell them that that was as far as I had gone in the book and it would have to be continued the following evening. It was not true, of course; but I had to make certain of my new-found power and position. I enjoyed the long summer evenings until school began in the fall. Other words of mine have been listened to by larger and more fashionable audiences, but for that tough and athletic one that sat close on the stoop outside the candy store, I have an unreasoning love that will last forever.
1. Watching the boys playing baseball, the writer must have felt ________.
A.bitter and lonely | B.special and different |
C.pleased and excited | D.disturbed and annoyed |
A.invited him to join in their game |
B.liked the book that he was reading |
C.broke the long silence of that summer evening |
D.offered him an opportunity that changed his life |
A.the story was from a children’s book |
B.listening to tales was an age-old practice |
C.the boys had few entertainments after dark |
D.the boys didn’t read books by themselves |
A.it was written by Theodore Dreiser |
B.it was specifically targeted at boys |
C.it gave them a deeper feeling of pleasure |
D.it talked about the wonders of the world |
A.play a mean trick on the boys |
B.experience more joy of achievement |
C.add his own imagination to the story |
D.help the boys understand the story better |
A.One can find his position in life in his own way. |
B.Friendship is built upon respect for each other. |
C.Reading is more important than playing games. |
D.Adult habits are developed from childhood. |
【推荐3】One morning more than thirty years ago, I entered the Track Kitchen, a restaurant where everyone from the ordinary to the most powerful came for breakfast. I noticed an empty chair next to an elderly, unshaven man, who looked somewhat disheveled. He was wearing a worn-out hat and was alone. I asked if I might join him. He agreed quietly and I sat down to have my breakfast.
We cautiously began a conversation and spoke about a wide range of things. We never introduced ourselves. I was concerned that he might have no money and not be able to afford something to eat. So as I rose to go back to the counter and buy a second cup of coffee, I asked, “May I get you something?”
“A coffee would be nice.”
Then I bought him a cup of coffee. We talked more, and he accepted another cup of coffee. Finally, I rose to leave, wished him well, and headed for the exit. At the door I met one of my friends. He asked, “How did you get to know Mr. Galbreath?”
“Who?”
“The man you were sitting with. He is chairman of the Board of Churchill Downs.”
I could hardly believe it. I was buying, offering a free breakfast, and feeling pity for one of the world's richest and most powerful men!
My few minutes with Mr. Gallbreath changed my life. Now I try to treat everyone with respect, no matter who I think they are, and to meet another human being with kindness and sincerity.
1. What does the underlined word “disheveled” mean?A.unfriendly | B.generous | C.untidy | D.gentle |
A.he thought the old man was poor. | B.he wanted to start a conversation. |
C.he intended to show his politeness. | D.he would like to thank the old man. |
A.Disappointed | B.Pitiful | C.Astonished | D.Regretful. |
A.Many hands make light work. | B.Never judge a book by its cover. |
C.A friend in need is a friend indeed. | D.Helping others is helping yourself. |
【推荐1】The two giant pandas living at Ouwehands Dierenpark in the Dutch city of Rhenen staged a charming debut(初次登台) for hundreds of long- awaited admirers on Tuesday afternoon.
After six weeks since their arrival on April 12, Wu Wen, the female giant panda made tentative steps into her outdoor enclosure(围场). She threw herself at the first bamboo plant. she saw and started to chew. Xing Ya, the male, sat on a rock to enjoy the early summer sunshine. Wu Wen and Xing Ya, both three-and-a-half-year old, will stay at Ouwehands for 15 years. Native to south central China, they belong to a species which counts only 1,864 individuals.
" Both are in perfect health and adapt well to their new home, " said Zhang Hongwen, chief economist of China’s National Forestry and Grassland Administration."I am glad to see that Wu Wen and Xing Ya are so popular in the Netherlands. Their stay will surely promote Sino-Dutch cooperation relating to the protection of forest and biodiversity.
Martijn van Dam, Dutch State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Sad, "From today on, Dutch children will get to know Wu Wen and Xing Ya.They can get inspired by all the beautiful and powerful things nature has offered.
China has succeeded in stopping the decline of the number of pandas. China also makes efforts to maintain the natural habitat of the giant pandas. We would also like to contribute to that."
He stressed, "Wu Wen and Xing Ya underline these good developments. Let this be a sign of hope that with joint forces we can protect our nature worldwide, and let this be the beginning of a wave of inspiration for the new generation."
1. What did Wu Wen do after she went outdoors?A.She walked step by step. |
B.She threw herself on a rock. |
C.She enjoyed the sunshine. |
D.She ate a bamboo plant. |
A.They belong to an endangered species. |
B.People in the Netherlands love them. |
C.They inspire young children to protect nature. |
D.Hundreds of people have been scared by them. |
A.Stopping the increase of panda numbers. |
B.Welcoming pandas to the Netherlands. |
C.Protecting pandas and their habitat. |
D.Learning more about the nature of pandas. |
A.Two giant pandas meet the public in the Netherlands. |
B.Giant pandas adapt to the lite in foreign countries easy. |
C.Giant pandas are becoming fewer and fewer. |
D.How China protects giant pandas. |
【推荐2】An Edinburgh inventor has created a fully biodegradable bottle that is made from paper and a secret combination of plant materials, and it could help save the planet's oceans from plastic pollution and can also be eaten by sea creatures.
The Edinburgh-based Durham University chemistry graduate James Longcroft started a non-profit bottled water company two years ago. He wanted to put all his profits into a charity that provided clean drinking water to countries in Africa.
However, after concerns about the environmental impact of plastic bottles, Mr. Longcroft decided the Edinburgh and London-based company, Choose Water, should go plastic-free. So he came up with a new type of water bottle—a waterproof paper bottle.
“The outside is made from recycled paper, but the inside has to be waterproof, and provides strength so the bottle would keep its structure, and keep the water fresh,” Mr. Longcroft said.
When the bottle is thrown in the ocean the degrading process begins within hours leaving the bottle totally degraded (分解)within weeks. The steel cap breaks down within a year.
Mr. Longcroft now believes these novel bottles could revolutionise the industry and says the cost of producing the bottle is around 5 pence more than one made from single-use plastic.
“The main difficulty we face is breaking into a saturated (饱和的)market and competing with an old industry,” he said. “Changing an industry will be a big uphill battle, but with the support from the public, we will change the way we look at bottled water.”
Researchers warn that eight million tonnes of plastics currently find their way into the ocean every year which will stay in the environment for centuries.
“We really want to get our bottles on shelves and into people's hands as soon as possible—if we can stop even one plastic bottle ending up in the environment it will be worth it,” said Mr Longcroft.
1. What is special about the bottle?A.It can be recycled. | B.It is plastic-free. |
C.It purifies sea water. | D.It can be used for food. |
A.To raise money for charity. | B.To keep the water fresh |
C.To reduce ocean pollution. | D.To prompt the sale of bottled water. |
A.They face stiff competition to enter market. |
B.They are more costly than plastic ones. |
C.They still lack in the public support. |
D.They take a long time to break down. |
A.Cutting down on plastic pollution. | B.Providing clean water to the public. |
C.Stopping the use of the plastic bottles. | D.Getting people to accept the new bottles. |
【推荐3】Next time your plane lands, listen to the sound of the tyres hitting the ground. The reason the tyres don’t explode is because they are made of natural rubber. The tyres of cars, motorbikes and trucks are also often made of the same stuff.
Natural rubber comes from trees. Workers cut the trunks of the trees and collect a white liquid called latex(乳胶). In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, huge numbers of rubber trees were planted in countries including Malaysia, Burma and Brazil. More than a century ago, scientists discovered how to make man-made rubber, but natural rubber is much stronger and can last much longer. Nearly half the rubber which is produced each year is natural rubber and there is always a need for more.
Rubber trees are not easy to grow. They are affected by changes in temperature, too much or not enough rain, high winds and disease. Some trees survive while others die and it’s all down to their genes. Two British organizations, the Tun Abdul Razak Research Center(TARRC) and The Genome (基因组)Analysis Center (TGAC) , have been working together to look at rubber trees. This is the genes fit together in very long chains of DNA. The genome for a plant such as a rubber tree or animal needs to grow. The genome contains all the information the plant or animal needs to grow. The genome for a plant such as a rubber tree is smaller than a human genome but it is still very long, which is why it has been so difficult to find. As Ewan Mollison of TARRC says, the work has been like putting a picture puzzle together where all the pieces show blue sea and blue sky.
Now scientists can use the rubber tree genome to produce stronger trees. By understanding the genome, they can change the DNA in rubber trees in useful ways. They can also do it much faster than before. In the future, it will be possible to grow trees which survive climate change and disease.
1. What’s the author’s purpose of writing Paragraph 1?A.To explain the landing of airplanes. |
B.To introduce the advantage of natural rubber. |
C.To provide the information about tyres. |
D.To compare air traffic with road traffic. |
A.Quantities of rubber trees were planted in Southeast Asia. |
B.Rubber trees are not easily affected by the climate change. |
C.By now scientists haven,t discovered how to make man-made rubber. |
D.Natural rubber is much tougher and more lasting than man-made rubber. |
A.Finding the genome sounds as interesting as a picture puzzle. |
B.The genome of a rubber tree is as blue as sea and sky. |
C.The genome of a rubber tree is not easy to be identified. |
D.Completing a picture puzzle with sea and sky is difficult. |
A.The Origin of Natural Rubber. |
B.The Application of Natural Rubber. |
C.Natural Rubber: It’s All in the Genes. |
D.Natural Rubber VS Man-made Rubber. |
【推荐1】You may not pay much attention to your daily elevator ride. Many of us use a lift several times during a day without really thinking about it. But Lee Gray, PhD, of the University of North Carolina, US, has made it his business to examine this overlooked form of public transport. He is known as the “Elevator Guy”.
“The lift becomes an interesting social space where etiquette (礼仪) is sort of strange,” Gray told the BBC. “They are socially very interesting but often very awkward places.”
We walk in and usually turn around to face the door. If someone else comes in, we may have to move. And here, according to Gray, lift-users unthinkingly go through a set pattern of movements. He told the BBC what he had observed.
He explained that when you are the only one inside a lift, you can do whatever you want — it’s your own little box. If there are two of you, you go into different corners, standing diagonally (对角线地) across from each other to create distance.
Newcomers to the lift will need to size up the situation when the doors slide open and then act quickly. Once in, for most people the rule is simple — look down, or look at your phone.
Why are we so awkward in lifts? “You don’t have enough space,” Professor Babette Renneberg, a clinical psychologist at the Free University of Berlin, told the BBC. “Usually when we meet other people, we have about an arm’s length of distance between us. And that’s not possible in most elevators.”
In such a small, enclosed space it becomes very important to act in a way that cannot be considered to be threatening or strange, “The easiest way do this is avoid eye contact,” she said.
1. What is people’s response to the lift etiquette according to Gray?A.Thinking much of it. | B.Avoiding it on purpose. |
C.Researching it continuously. | D.Ignoring it unconsciously. |
A.It’s funny and quick. | B.It’s strange and dangerous. |
C.It’s interesting but awkward. | D.It’s convenient but boring. |
A.Talk loudly to each other. | B.Keep still and silence. |
C.Use mobile phones. | D.Keep a close distance. |
A.To show how to ride each elevators. |
B.To introduce some rules of elevator etiquette. |
C.To show how to break awkwardness of riding lifts, |
D.To analyze the reasons for keeping elevator etiquette. |
【推荐2】One of the greatest gifts one generation can give to other generations is the wisdom it has gained from experience. This idea has inspired the award-winning photographer Andrew Zuckerman. He interviewed and took photos of fifty over-sixty-five-year-olds all over the world. His project explores various aspects of their lives. The photos and interviews are now available on our website.
Click on the introductions to read the complete interviews.
Let us now have a culture of peace.
—Federico Mayor Zaragoza, Spain
Federico Mayor Zaragoza obtained a doctorate in pharmacy (药学) from the Complutense University of Madrid in 1958. After many years spent in politics, he became Director-General of UNESCO in 1987. In 1999, he created the Foundation for a Culture of Peace, of which he is now the president. In addition to many scientific publications, he has published four collections of poems and several books of essays.
Writing is a discovery.
—Nadine Gordlmer, South Africa
Due to a weak heart, Nadine Gordimer attended school and university briefly. She read widely and began writing at an early age. She published her first short story at the age of fifteen, and has completed a large number of works, which have been translated into forty languages. In 1991, Gordimer won the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Jazz is about the only form of art today.
—Dave Brubeck, USA
Dave Brubeck studied music at the University of the Pacific and graduated in 1942. After World War Two he was encouraged to play jazz. In 1951, he recorded his first album (专辑). Brubeck’s 1959 album has become a jazz standard. He received a Grammy lifetime Achievement Award in 1996.
For more figures CLICK HERE.
1. Why did Andrew Zuckerman choose the fifty elders for his project?A.Because their wisdom deserves to be passed on. | B.Because they are physically impressive. |
C.Because their accomplishments inspired him. | D.Because they have similar experiences. |
A.Andrew Zuckerman. | B.Federico Mayor Zaragoza. | C.Nadine Gordimer. | D.Dave Brubeck. |
A.To show Zuckerman’s awards. | B.To advertise Zuckerman’s project. |
C.To spread the wisdom of the three people. | D.To celebrate the achievements of the three people. |
【推荐3】The Miao Sisters Festival is held every year in Guizhou's Taijiang County, where 97 percent of the 168,000 people there are from the ethnic (民族)Miao group. It is an ancient tradition, which brings men and women together through food, gifts and music.
In the days before the festival, young women gather leaves and wild flowers, which they use to dye (给•••染色)sticky rice with bright colors. This brightly colored rice, known as Sister Rice, gives the festival its name. During the festival, the young women dress in beautiful traditional clothes with large amounts of silver jewelry (首饰).
The festival includes parades (游行),horse races and musical performances. But the real focus is the interaction (互动)between the young women and the young men who visit from surrounding villages and sing songs. In one traditional type of song, a man and woman take turns singing to each other, and the first one to make a mistake loses the game. The loser must give the winner a gift, but the winner is expected to give a gift in return too.
After meeting the men, the women send them home with a bamboo basket containing dyed rice and hidden objects with special meanings. For example, a pair of chopsticks means she wants to marry the man, while garlic shows that she is not interested.
One of several stories about the festival’s beginning of a girl and a boy who fell in love. The girl's parents wanted her to marry her uncle's son» as was traditional at the time. She refused, and the boy likewise refused to marry anyone else. For a time, they could only meet in a field and pass hidden messages to each other through rice in a bamboo basket. Finally, the pair overcame their parents' opposition and were allowed to marry.
The Sister Rice Festival is perhaps the oldest festival in Asia that encourages love.
1. What is the purpose of young women collecting leaves and wild flowers?A.To decorate their rooms. |
B.To sell them and make money. |
C.To give sticky rice different colors. |
D.To cover some objects in a basket. |
A.Water skiing. | B.Horse races. |
C.Parades. | D.Singing songs. |
A.A woman often loses the game. |
B.A hidden pair of chopsticks suggests good things. |
C.The winner need not send a gift. |
D.Often a man needs to sing songs to a young woman. |
A.the boy's parents didn't like the girl |
B.they were not married in the end |
C.the boy refused to marry the girl at first |
D.the rice in the bamboo basket carried their love |