The Harlem Renaissance
The word “renaissance” means “rebirth”. The Harlem Renaissance took place during the 1920s. It was a time when the African American artistic community grew and flourished, producing a ton of work in a short period of time. The work celebrated African American culture and spoke to their experiences as minorities---both the good parts and the bad parts.
After the Civil War, many African Americans left the South to escape unfair treatment and laws that discriminated against them. Between 1910 and 1920, massive numbers of black Southerners moved from the rural south into the urban North and West in the Great Migration. The African American population of Chicago more than doubled during that time! And in New York, African Americans flocked to uptown Manhattan, setting in a neighborhood called Harem. Forming a community within the big city let African Americans keep their cultural identity in a white-dominated society. It was a good thing, and a lot of important cultural issues were brought to light during the Harlem Renaissance. One of the most important figures of the time was the African American writer, W. E.B Du Bois. In his book, The Souls of Back Folk, in 1903, Du Bois wrote that African Americans suffered from something called “double consciousness”. They had their own self-image while they saw themselves through the eyes of white Americans. And performers like Josephine Baker and Paul Robeson brought African American culture to all New Yorkers. The Renaissance was so influential that “Harlem” grew into something of a brand name
African Americans were pushing boundaries across all aspects of society. Black businesses began to flourish, creating a growing middle class, like Madame C.J. Walker, who tuned her cosmetics line into a million dollar empire. All together, the artists, and thinkers of this period helped mobilize the larger black population. Young African-Americans took advantage of improved access to higher education. This opened up new career paths and opportunities to attain advanced degrees. Perhaps most importantly, people---black and white---began the push for racial integration, planting the seeds of what would eventually become the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
1. Why did many African Americans leave the South after the Civil War?| A．To escape slavery | B．To find jobs in agriculture |
| C．To avoid racial discrimination | D．To gain citizenship |
| A．He led to movement to return to Africa |
| B．He composed folk music based on African American theme |
| C．He wrote plays about the African-American experience |
| D．He wrote about the struggle for African-American identity |
| A．Nearly all were unemployed at that time |
| B．The vast majority were considered lower class |
| C．Most were regarded as middle class |
| D．A large percentage were recognized as wealthy |
| A．Spread of black businesses | B．Access to higher education |
| C．Shift from agriculture to industry | D．Push for unity among all Africans |
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【推荐1】In 1947 a group of famous people from the art world headed by an Austrian conductor decided to hold an international festival of music, dance and theatre in Edinburgh. The idea was to reunite Europe after the Second World War.
It quickly attracted famous names such as Alec Guinness, Richard Burton, Dame Margot Fonteyn and Marlene Dietrich as well as the big symphony orchestras(交响乐团). It became a fixed event every August and now attracts 400,000 people yearly.
At the same time, the “Fringe” appeared as a challenge(挑战) to the official festival. Eight theatre groups turned up uninvited in 1947, in the belief that everyone should have the right to perform, and they did so in a public house disused for years.
Soon, groups of students firstly from Edinburgh University, and later from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, Durham and Birmingham were making the journey to the Scottish capital each summer to perform theatre by little -- known writers of plays in small church halls to the people of Edinburgh.
Today the “Fringe”, once less recognized, has far outgrown the festival with around 1,500 performances of theatre, music and dance on every one of the 21 days it lasts. And yet as early as 1959,with only 19 theatre groups performing, some said it was getting too big.
A paid administrator(行政人员) was first employed only in 1971, and today there are eight administrators working all year round and the number rises to 150 during August itself. In 2004 there were 200 places housing 1,695 shows by over 600 different groups from 50 different countries. More than 1.25 million tickets were sold.
1. What was the purpose of Edinburgh Festival at the beginning?| A．To bring Europe together again. | B．To honor heroes of World War II. |
| C．To introduce young theatre groups. | D．To attract great artists from Europe. |
| A．They owned a public house there. | B．They came to take up a challenge. |
| C．They thought they were also famous. | D．They wanted to take part in the festival. |
| A．unpopular groups | B．non-official groups |
| C．foreign groups | D．local groups |
| A．has become a non-official event | B．has gone beyond an art festival |
| C．gives shows all year round | D．keeps growing rapidly |
One factor that contributes to this laidback lifestyle is the culture of close family ties in Bali．In the Balinese culture, support is always available．Balinese extended families are so tightly knit that all members usually reside in the same complex．
Balinese culture is based on a form of this religion, which is called "Hindu Darma"．This religion reached the island during the eleventh century．Most of the family customs and
traditions as well as community lifestyles of the Balinese people are influenced by this．The religious influence even expands widely into the arts, which makes Bali distinct from the rest of Indonesia．
In spite of the fact that tourists flood to the island every year, Balinese people have managed to conserve their culture．Almost every native of Bali is an artist in some form or another．Parents and villagers have passed on their skills to their children, who all seem to have inclinations （爱好） either to music, dance, painting, and decor．
Another remarkable mark of the Balinese culture is the series of ceremonies and rituals known as the Manusa Yadnya．This marks the different stages of Balinese life．Cremation （火葬） is very popular on this island—and unlike in the West, death is a joyous and colorful event for the Balinese．
1. What do we know about Balinese according to the first two paragraphs?
| A．They lead a very relaxing but unwealthy life． |
| B．They live in large families and are close to each other． |
| C．Their family members are distributed in different places． |
| D．Their extended families live too close together to get along well． |
| A．people's tight family relationship |
| B．the family customs and traditions |
| C．people's great affection for religion |
| D．the influence of Hinduism on their culture |
| A．preserve | B．spread | C．form | D．expand |
| A．express deep sorrow at his death |
| B．celebrate the death like a great event |
| C．sing and dance joyfully in his honor |
| D．remember what he did in his lifetime |
| A．Balinese religion． | B．The lifestyle of Balinese． |
| C．Balinese culture． | D．The tourism in Bali． |
【推荐3】Psychological research suggests some effective ways you can beat the holiday blues—and flags some especially unhelpful ones. Here are four strategies to help you craft your own happiness recipe this holiday season.
At family gatherings with cousins you secretly can’t stand and inlaws who dole out backhanded compliments, it can be tempting to put on a happy face while you see the inside. Indeed, that might even seem like the most mature response—no drama, no conflict. But a study by researchers at Michigan State University and West Point might make you think twice.
They followed dozens of bus drivers for two weeks, looking to see when they flashed fake versus genuine smiles at their passengers. The results showed that on days when the drivers tried to put on an act and fake a good mood, their actual moods got worse. This was especially true for women.
And another research suggests that people who really want to be happy actually derive less happiness from positive experiences, apparently because their expectations are too high. Again and again, trying to force happiness seems to have the opposite effect.
The results of the bus-driver study can be explained by researchers Oliver John of UC Berkeley and James Gross of Stanford University, who found that negative feelings like sadness or anger only intensify when we try to suppress them. That’s because we feel bad about ourselves when our outward appearance contradicts how we truly feel inside.
We don’t like to be inauthentic. What’s more, when we suppress emotions like sadness, we deny them the important function they serve. Sadness can signal that something is distressing us; if we don’t recognize it, we might not take the necessary steps to improve the situation.
Expressing our sadness can also elicit comfort and compassion from those who care about us, strengthening our bonds. By contrast, suppressing our emotions can actually undermine our relationships
A study led by Sanjay Srivastava of the University of Oregon found that college students who bottled up their emotions experienced less social support, felt less close to others, and were less satisfied with their social lives.
But this does not mean talking endlessly or lashing out at our in-laws. Some ways of processing and acting on our emotions are healthier than others. Recently, scientists have been paying special attention to the benefits of mindfulness. When you respond mindfully to an emotional trigger, you pause rather than reacting. You simply notice what you’re feeling without judging that response as right or wrong.
Studies suggest that a mindful response to a negative event reduces the amount of sadness we experience, is associated with less depression and anxiety, and may even carry physiological benefits, such as lowering our heart rates. It’s a way to avoid suppressing your emotions without reacting hastily or getting consumed by rumination（沉思）. Fortunately, research suggests that mindfulness is a skill you can cultivate over time.
Unavoidably, the holidays will bring a mix of highs and lows. Perhaps the most important lesson to keep in mind is that this variety of emotions might be the best thing possible for your overall well-being.
That was the key insight from a study published in 2014 by a team of researchers from Yale University, Harvard Business School, and other institutions spanning four countries. Their survey of more than 37,000 people found that experiencing more “emodiversity” 一 a greater variety and abundance of emotions—was consistently linked to lower depression. In fact, people with more emodiversity took less medication, visited doctors less frequently, spent fewer days in hospitals, practiced better dietary and exercise habits, and smoked less.
In other words, sadness, anger, and other difficult emotions are like so many other staples of the holidays, from eggnog to office parties: In moderation, they’re nothing to fear. Just make sure you’re balancing them with lighter experiences. And don’t forget to give yourself a break.
The 4-Step Guide to Dealing with Sadness During the Holidays | |
| Don’t | To avoid conflict, people often Researchers find that there is no point in forcing happiness by observing drivers who feel worse when they give passengers a |
| Don’t support sadness | We feel bad when our appearance |
| Respond | Mindful responses to negative emotions can be |
| Research find that experiencing various emotions can have many advantages, especially in terms of people’s | |
【推荐1】The commonly held view is that people arrived in North America from Asia via a land bridge once connecting the two continents. But recent discoveries have suggested humans might have been there earlier. Researchers studying fossilized (化石的) human footprints in New Mexico say that humans were there at least 23,000 years ago.
Matthew Bennett, a specialist in ancient footprints and author of a study on the new findings published in Science, and his colleagues studied 61 footprints by radiocarbon (放射性碳) dating layers of aquatic (水生的) plant seeds preserved above and below the footprints and correctly dated they were made 21,000 to 23,000 years ago. The people who made the footprints were living there in the last Ice Age when two huge ice sheets covering the continent and cold temperatures would have made a journey between Asia and Alaska impossible, indicating humans must have been there much earlier than previously thought.
According to their analysis of the footprints, they were likely made in soft ground at the edge of a wetland by children who were sent to do the work like fetching and catching by adults. Wind probably blew dust over the surface, accumulating (积累) in the prints, thus, leaving footprints that previously recorded.
Their finding also makes it possible to explore the older and more controversial (有争议的) sites with a different light. One such site is Chiquihuite Cave in central Mexico, where stone tools dating back to 30,000 years ago have been found.
David Rachal, an uninvolved but experienced geoarchaeologist (地质考古学家) thought the footprint dates provided by Bennett and his team looked "solid", with seeds providing very reliable and exact ages through radiocarbon dating. "You could not ask for a better setup," said Rachal. However, he was puzzled that no artifacts, such as stone tools, had been found in the area. He thought it was just a theme that would inspire others to explore further.
1. What is the most important evidence dating the time in the passage?| A．The aquatic plant seeds. | B．The fossilized human footprints. |
| C．The stone tools. | D．The huge ice sheets. |
| A．To introduce a historical site. | B．To show the significance of the footprints. |
| C．To compare geoarchaeological discoveries. | D．To explain the course of making a discovery. |
| A．Unconcerned and uncertain. | B．Doubtful and dissatisfied. |
| C．Negative but curious. | D．Favorable but confused. |
| A．The discovery of human footprints. | B．Scientific methods of dating footprints. |
| C．The earlier arrival of people in North America. | D．A discussion on human history among researchers. |
【推荐2】Believe it nor not, ancient Chinese people had their own methods of heat preservation in winter.
• “Wen Ding”, ancient rice cooker
The “Wen Ding”, an ancient cooking container, preserved heat by burning fuels like charcoal. The one unearthed in Nanjing in 1989 is thought to be the oldest of its kind discovered in China, dating back to the Stone Age.
• “Ran Lu”, ancient small hot pot
The “Ran Lu” is a small-sized cooking vessel (器皿) made of bronze. A charcoal stove forms the main structure, with a bottom tray to hold charcoal ashes, and a movable cup at the top. Some experts have concluded that the vessel’s structure suggests that these vessels became popular in the Warring States Period (475—221 BC).
• Bronze You, ancient kettle
The Bronze You, one of the most common wine containers during the Shang and Zhou, dynasties, could also be used to warm wine. For example, the Bronze You with beast mask design, unearthed in Jiangxi province, had an opening where charcoals could be placed, allowing people to enjoy a hot drink.
• Bronze Yan, ancient steamer
Although the “Wen Ding” was effective at keeping food warm, ancient Chinese people later found that its burning produced pollution. As a result, the Bronze Van was made with a two-tier (双层的) structure and used to steam rice and other grains. After the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-AD 220), further improvements to the Bronze Yan led to the modern day steamer.
1. When did the “Ran Lu” begin to gain popularity?| A．In the Zhou Dynasty | B．In the Warring States Period. |
| C．In the Eastern Han Dynasty. | D．In the Stone Age. |
| A．place hot charcoals | B．pour hot water |
| C．keep wine warm | D．hold charcoal ashes |
| A．it was useful | B．it was convenient |
| C．it was environment-friendly | D．it was warm |
| A．The “Wen Ding”. | B．The “Ran Lu”. |
| C．The Bronze You. | D．The Bronze Yan. |
【推荐3】Mirroring China’s Past: Emperors and Their Bronzes
Chinese bronzes (青铜) of the second and first millennia BC are some of the most distinctive achievements in the history of art. These vessels (容器) were made to carry sacrificial offerings, to use in burial or to honor noble families in public ceremonies. When they were found by emperors centuries later, these spiritually significant objects were seen as signs of heavenly messages about a ruler or a dynasty and became prized items in royal collections. This exhibition—the first to explore these ancient objects throughout Chinese history—presents a rare opportunity to experience a large number of these works together in the United States.
Unlike Greek and Roman bronze sculptures of human and animal forms, most objects from Bronze Age China (about 2000 - 221 BC) were vessels for ceremonial use. Beginning with the Song dynasty (960 - 1279), emperors unearthed these symbolic works and began collecting them, considering them to be evidence of their own authority as rulers. In addition to impressive collections, the royal fascination with bronzes led to the creation of numerous reproductions and the comprehensive cataloguing of palace holdings. These catalogues are works of art themselves, featuring beautiful drawings and detailed descriptions of each object.
From the 12th century onward, scholars and artists also engaged in collecting and understanding ancient bronzes. Unlike emperors, scholars regarded bronzes as material evidence of their efforts to recover and reconstruct the past, and they occasionally exchanged them as tokens (象征) of friendship. Today ancient bronzes still occupy a primary position in Chinese culture — as historical objects and as signifiers of an important cultural heritage that inspires new generations, as seen in the works of contemporary artists on view in this presentation.
Mirroring China’s Past brings together approximately 180 works from the An Institute of Chicago’s strong holdings and from the Palace Museum in Beijing, the Shanghai Museum, and important museums and private collections in the United States. By providing viewers with a new understanding of ancient bronzes and their significance through time, the exhibition demonstrates China’s fascinating history and its developing present.
1. In what way are Chinese bronzes different from Greek and Roman ones?| A．They fascinated the royal family. |
| B．They took animal or human forms. |
| C．They served ceremonial purposes. |
| D．They were important cultural heritage. |
| A．Unreal. | B．Creative. |
| C．Artistic. | D．Necessary. |
| A．It is held in China. | B．It is arranged by time. |
| C．It is organized by scholars. | D．It includes modern artworks. |
| A．Viewers. | B．Collections. |
| C．Museums. | D．Art dealers. |
【推荐1】Scientists say they have discovered a possible cure for all five known Ebola viruses. Antibodies that are used in the cure were discovered in the blood of a survivor.
Kartik Chandran of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine helped discover the antibodies. They are described online in the journal Cell. Chandran says studies of the antibody in non-human primates have shown positive results. He says he is optimistic that the antibodies can be used to protect and treat people, too.
The virus was given the name Ebola because the first recorded outbreak of the disease took place along the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) — then known as Zaire — in 1976.
Since then, there have been about 24 Ebola outbreaks in Africa, including one happening now in the DRC. Nine people have been infected and three people have died. The most recent Ebola epidemic took place from 2013 to 2016. It killed more than 11,000 people and infected 29,000 in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.
During that epidemic, researchers were studying an anti-Ebola drug called Zmapp. Doctors began using it even before the study was complete. Zmapp uses antibodies discovered in mice. They use the body’s natural immune system to fight infection. If the drug is given within five days after Ebola infection symptoms appear, it can cure the disease.
Promising results
But researcher Kartik Chandran says Zmapp is effective only against Ebola Zaire. It does not fight the other four known Ebola viruses.
Chandran says the recently discovered human antibodies attack and destroy all five of the viruses. Researchers say the antibodies work by interfering with a process that the disease uses to infect and multiply inside cells. Chandran says scientists discovered the antibodies in just six months.
The drug company Mapp Pharmaceutical Incorporated is now testing the antibodies in monkeys that have been exposed to Ebola. Spokespeople for the company say the antibodies have so far been safe and effective.
Chandran says he hopes the antibodies can also be tested in people soon. And, he says, he hopes they can finally be used both as a treatment and as a vaccine to prevent people from getting Ebola in the first place.
1. Where should the subtitle “A challenging history” be placed?| A．Between paragraphs 1 and 2. | B．Between paragraphs 2 and 3. |
| C．Between paragraphs 3 and 4. | D．Between paragraphs 4 and 5. |
| A．The study about it was a failure. | B．It mainly uses human antibodies. |
| C．Its medical function is limited. | D．It is only effective for five days. |
| A．Ebola virus can multiply inside cells. | B．DRC suffers most from Ebola virus. |
| C．Ebola virus poses no threat to monkeys. | D．Human antibody relies on body’s immune system. |
| A．It’s time for Ebola Virus to disappear | B．Scientists discover cure for Ebola Virus |
| C．Zmapp loses advantage in fighting Ebola | D．A drug company contributes to fighting Ebola |
【推荐2】What do you do when you have a problem? Would you ask a crowd of strangers for a solution? It may sound strange, but it has encouraged this successful innovation (创新). That's the thinking behind a challenge prize.
Challenge prizes come in many shapes and sizes but the basic concept (观念) remains the same. Rather than paying an expert to work out a solution, you offer the prize to anyone who believes they can solve it and presented the first to do so with a prize. Many would argue, “who is better qualified (有资格的) than an expert”. But actually, not using an expert will result in a great deal of thinking outside of the box.
Some argue that formal education can kill creativity, because it sometimes only teaches a single method to achieve the task. Similarly, some suggests that experts can have the same problem. “If we set up a challenge prize, the ‘experts’ that come to compete in it may tell us it can't be done,” says Marcus Shingles, the former CEO of the XPRIZE Foundation.
There are other advantages too. “You are not asking people to use a particular solution set on how to solve that problems. So you get the large amount of diversity,” adds Shingles. And because the crowd acts like a think tank (智囊团). Various thinking can throw up issues that may have been overlooked (忽视).
However, there are dangerous connected to challenge prizes. “You don't want to be creating a challenge prize which inspires people to solve a problem where there is no demand,” says Tris Dyson, the Executive Director of Nesta’s Center for Challenge prizes. This happened in 1979 when a prize of £100,000 was claimed by the first person to fly under human power across the English Channel. Despite its success, it has not led to the adoption of human powered flight as a form of travel. And of course, there are those who invest their personal time and money only to see no return at all.
The pros and cons of challenge prizes affect both problems-setters and problem-solvers. But they don't seem to be going out of style anytime soon. To many, the challenge to innovate and the attraction of the prize are too much to resist (抵制). And there is no solution for that.
1. What is the basic concept behind a challenging prize?| A．Rewarding the first one to solve a challenging problem. |
| B．Competing with the experts to get a particular solution. |
| C．Challenging the formal education that kills creativity. |
| D．Picking out someone more qualified than experts. |
| A．Overlooking possible details about a problem. |
| B．The lack of connection on practical innovations. |
| C．Failure to find a solution due to habitual thinking. |
| D．Overconfidence in finding a best solution. |
| A．Prizes received no return in terms of practical use. |
| B．The money shortage prevents the adoption of innovations. |
| C．Innovations are likely to go out of date in a short time. |
| D．The attraction of prize money is hard to resist. |
| A．Arguments for formal education. |
| B．The problem-solving prizes. |
| C．Dangers connected with challenge prizes. |
| D．The attraction of innovation. |
【推荐3】In the fog of uncertainty about how new technology will change the way we work, policymakers around the world say confidently that we will need to upskill the workforce in order to cope. The view sounds reassuringly sensible: if computers are growing smarter, humans will need to learn to use them or be replaced by them. But the truth is, the people who are being “upskilled” in today’s economy are the ones who need it the least.
Research shows that workers with degrees are over three times more likely to participate in training as adults than workers with no qualifications. That creates a virtuous circle for those who did well at school, and a vicious circle for those who did not. If the robots are coming for both the accountants and the taxi drivers, you can bet it is those working with money that will be more able to retrain themselves out of danger, because the better educated tend to have more confidence and money to pay for their own training.
Employers also invest in these workers more. In the UK, a surprising number of employers send their senior managers to business schools. It is no good blaming employers for directing investments at their highly-skilled workers. They are simply aiming for the highest return they can get. And, for some types of lower-paid work, it is not always true that technological progress requires more skills. Sometimes, technology can de-skill a job. Just look at Uber drivers who follow the driving routes set by their app, rather than expanding their own knowledge of the streets. The UK’s latest Employment and Skills Survey suggests the use of literacy and numeracy skills at work has fallen since 2012, even as the use of computers has increased. However, the trouble is, when the computer makes your job easier one day, it might make it redundant the next. Many of those affected by automation will need to switch occupations, or even industries. But a retailer or warehouse company is not going to retrain its staff to help them move to a different sector.
It is time to revisit older ideas. The UK once had a vibrant culture of night schools, for adults to attend after their day jobs. A revival of it could be exactly what the 21st century needs. Rather than just “upskilling” in a narrow way, people could choose to learn an entirely new skill or trade, or explore interests they never had a chance to nurture before.
It is still not clear whether the impact of new technology on the labour market will come in a trickle or a flood. But in an already unequal world, continuing to reserve all the lifeboats for the better-off would be a dangerous mistake.
1. According to the writer, policymakers’ belief in upskilling the workforce __________.| A．is contrary to popular belief | B．is helpful in coping with new technology |
| C．is too difficult to put it into practice | D．is not beneficial to those who need it most |
| A．have confidence in outperforming those with degrees at school |
| B．persuade their employers to make an investment in them |
| C．minimize the risk of job loss caused by new technology |
| D．assess how new technology will change the way they work |
| A．unnecessary | B．undesirable | C．unskilled | D．unrewarding |
| A．Workers’ literacy and numeracy skills should be enhanced without delay. |
| B．Night schools can help to eliminate skill gaps among workers. |
| C．Companies should attach much importance to retraining of workers. |
| D．Those lower-skilled workers deserve giving more chances of retraining. |
