This month, science fiction magazine Lights peed changed its normal publishing schedule to bring readers a special issue: “Women Destroy Science Fiction! ”
It’s more than just a collection of stories entirely edited and written by women. It’s an exhibition of all the ways in which women are writing—and have written.
Many of the stories will be considered the best hard science fiction even by the pickiest critics (评论家). For example, Tananarive Due’s Like Daughter deals with what happens when humans have easy access to cloning. The Unfathomable Sisterhood of Ick by Charlie Jane Anders takes place in a future where changing brain chemistry is as common as taking vitamins now.
However, it is also true that the authors are more focused on the relations between people, or between people and society, or changing cultural and gender roles. There are stories that refuse to stay firmly within science fiction borders. For example, James Tiptree Jr. ’s Love Is the Plan and the Plan Is Death is a mixture of horror, mystery and even love, something not commonly seen in science fiction.
So are women destroying science fiction?
If your idea of science fiction is limited to the concept formed by works like Isaac Asimov’s Night Fall and Arthur Charles Clarke’s Childhood’s End, then many of the stories within these pages may well seem like devastation.
“But the stories we read and the stories we tell shape who we are, ” Pat Murphy once said in a famous speech back in 1991. “They also shape the culture they’re born into. Thus, if women keep writing such kind of science fiction, and keep calling it science fiction, the room for science fiction will expand. They will exist nicely beside other kinds of science fiction. ”
I cannot agree more. Women have the right to create a space for themselves within science fiction. one filled with their dreams, experiences and realities.
1. What is special about the latest edition of Lights peed?A.All the stories are written by female novelists. |
B.It is a collection of the published love stories. |
C.It has been well received by most of the critics. |
D.Every story in it belongs to hard science fiction. |
A.Like Daughter. | B.The Unfathomable Sisterhood of Ick. |
C.Childhood’s End. | D.Love Is the Plan and the Plan Is Death. |
A.Destruction. | B.Progress. |
C.Contribution. | D.Reward. |
A.Science fiction is an important part of our life. |
B.Women are unsuitable to write science fiction. |
C.The definition of science fiction should be expanded. |
D.Science fiction should focus mainly on future technologies. |
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【推荐1】Throughout history, music spread among people of different cultures. In today’s technological advanced society, however, people spread music online, sometimes without an artist’s permission. This can lead to many problems, and music companies are now cracking down on this practice. Sharing music online without permission is theft.
Sharing music online prevents recording companies from making money from their efforts. They say that sharing music online has resulted in a huge drop in profits and sales over the past 10 years. People who find music for free online are not paying for CDs or every MP3 downloaded. To truly understand the influence of music piracy (盗版行为) on creators, one must understand how many people are involved in the recording process. For the sale of each album, profits must be shared between musicians, sound engineers, music producers, managers, advertisers,and the company selling the product. Many people believe sharing music only affects the recording artist, but the reality is that sharing hurts business for all companies involved.
There are many people who don’t see the harm in sharing music online and even think they have the right to do it.One online blogger states that he originally paid for an entire CD and that he should be able to do with the material whatever he wants. While he may have legally paid for the music, he does not have the right to provide permission,which means people like the blogger are thieves.
Although we don’t spread today’s music the same way we did before, there’s no doubt that people around the world love to share music. However, internet piracy would prevent musicians from continuing producing albums for fear of theft. Therefore, if people want to continue listening to their favorite artists, they need to buy their music so that artists will make enough profit to continue their music careers.
1. The underlined phrase “cracking down on” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ___________.A.bringing up carefully | B.speaking highly of |
C.dealing seriously with | D.destroying completely |
A.Artists are taking action to protect their right. |
B.Sharing music files online affects a lot of people. |
C.Online music sharing increases sales of music CD. |
D.A person who bought a CD has the right to share it online. |
A.Topic-Argument-Explanation. |
B.Opinion-Discussion-Description. |
C.Main idea-Comparison-Supporting statements. |
D.Introduction-Supporting statements-Conclusion. |
【推荐2】Wouldn’t it be wonderful to travel to a foreign country without having to worry about the headache of communicating in a different language?
In a recent Wall Street journal article, technology policy expert A lec Ross argued that, within a decade or so. We’ll be able to communicate with one another via small earpieces with built-in microphones. That’s because technological progress is extremely rapid. It’s only a matter of time. Indeed, some parents are so convinced that this technology is imminent that they’re wondering if their kids should even learn a second language.
It’s true that an increase in the quantity and accuracy of the data loaded into computers make them cleverer at translating “No es bueno dormir mucho” as “It’s not good to sleep too much.” Replacing a word with its equivalent (同义词) in the target language is actually the “easy part of a translator’s job”. But even this seems to be a discouraging task for computers.
It’s so difficult for computers because translation doesn’t—or shouldn’t—involve simply translating words, sentences or paragraphs. Rather, it’s about translating meaning. And in order to infer meaning from a specific expression, humans have to interpret a mass of information at the same time. Think about all the related clues that go into understanding an expression: volume, gesture, situation, and even your culture. All are likely to convey as much meaning as the words you use.
Therefore, we should doubt whether a machine is able to translate the world around us. If people from different cultures can offend each other without realizing it, how can we expect a machine to do better? Unless engineers actually find a way to breathe a soul into a computer, undoubtedly when it comes to conveying and translation meaning using a natural language, a machine will never fully take our place.
1. What does the underlined word “imminent” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?A.Confusing. | B.Approaching. | C.Helpful. | D.Advanced. |
A.The real meaning of words can vary. |
B.Their data is not adequate (充足的) enough. |
C.Their accuracy needs big improvement. |
D.A soul hasn’t been breathed into them. |
A.Some machines will translate our world properly. |
B.Slight difference mean little in translation. |
C.Proper translation can be tough for humans. |
D.Cultures deserve more attention than words used. |
A.A new language translating machine |
B.Will Language Barrier (障碍) Actually Fall? |
C.Who Will Be a Better Translator? |
D.Translation will become easier |
【推荐3】Many people would answer the question of what makes us human by insisting that we are cultural beings. There is no doubt that we are. But one definition of culture is the totality of traditions acquired in a community by social learning from other individuals, and many animal species have traditions. Can we then say that some animals are cultural beings too?
One approach to study culture in animals is the so-called Method of Exclusion (排除), in which scientists investigate behavioral variations across populations of one species. In a famous study, scientists learned that chimpanzee (黑猩猩) behaviors were socially passed on as they were present at some sites but not at others, despite having same ecological settings. For example, chimpanzees in Tai National Park in Ivory Coast are well-known for their nut-cracking skills. Chimpanzees in Gombe national part in Tanzania, on the other hand, do not crack nuts, although nuts exist in their environment too.
However, when applying the Method of Exclusion, one has to be very careful. There are other factors that could also explain the pattern of behavioral evaluation. For example, some of the chimpanzee techniques scientists evaluated occur in only one of the three subspecies. So it’s quite possible that these behaviors also have an innate component. This would mean that one chimpanzee subspecies uses a new technique not out of cultural tradition, but because the behavior is fixed to specific genes. Another factor that has to be excluded is of course the environment Chimpanzees in Mahale do not fish algae (水藻), simply because algae does not exist there.
But when we exclude all the variations that can be explained by genes or environment, we still find that animals do show cultural variations. Does that mean there is no real difference between them and us after all? Not exactly: There is a fundamental difference between human and animal culture. Only humans can build culturally on what generations before us have learned. This is called “cumulative culture”. We don’t have to keep reinventing the wheel. This is called the “ratchet (棘轮) effect”. Like a ratchet that can be turned forward but not back, people’s cultural techniques evolve.
It is likely that behaviors we see today in chimpanzee cultures could be invented over and over again by individual animals themselves. In contrast, a child born today would not be able to invent a computer without the knowledge of many past generations.
1. Why does the author mention the example of the chimpanzees in two parks in Paragraph 2?A.To prove that culture does exist in animals. |
B.To justify the uniqueness of the research method. |
C.To compare how chimpanzees behave in different parks. |
D.To stress the importance of environment in studying culture. |
A.Advanced. | B.Inborn. | C.Adaptive. | D.Intelligent. |
A.Cumulative culture is what sets humans apart from animals. |
B.Culure in animals is as worthy to be valued as human culture. |
C.Animals don’t have the ability to invent behaviors in a community. |
D.The “ratchet effect” decides if humans can build on past experiences. |
【推荐1】TOM RACHMAN’S latest novel records the life and legend of Bear Bavinsky, a painter of enormous appetites and all-consuming ego (自我), largely through the eyes of his son, Charles (known as Pinch). Pinch shrinks, unable to escape the giant’s shadow, hoping only to avoid being stepped underfoot.
Pinch is far from the only victim of the Bavinsky legend. Speaking to Natty, his current wife—Pinch’s mother, and a potter whose insecurities provide the ripe target for his bossy (专横的) personality—Bavinsky states,“You are a talent, my Natty, if you want to be. All it takes is a bit more charm.” Bear charms and bullies (霸凌), occupying physical and psychic space. Even his encouragement turns out to be another way to exercise control, proving how far those close to him have fallen short of his own achievement.
“The Italian Teacher” unfolds a story over more than 60 years and across two continents. One of Mr Rachman’s gifts is his ability to describe a time and place in a few skillful strokes. He describes the social and economic shifts of Italy in the 1950s through the Bavinskys’ downstairs neighbors, “a family of workers who, for generations, carved traditional decorations but whose sons are now selling West German electrical devices”.
Though Bear features in the novel, it is Pinch who commands the readers’ respect. Admittedly, he is wanting in confidence, filled with self-hatred, incapable of standing up to his bullying father. Like Natty, he is all damage and insecurity, a victim of Bear’s endless needs. Yet he turns out to be far more than the sum of his failures. He is compensated by his integrity and intelligence. His struggle to find meaning in the mess holds readers’ interest to the end. For all his faults, Pinch is gifted with wisdom, as is the author of this sad, funny and moving novel.
1. Who is “the giant” mentioned in Paragraph One?A.Tom. | B.Bear. |
C.Natty. | D.Pinch. |
A.vain | B.secure |
C.bossy | D.considerate |
A.He was born into an artistic family, Father being a painter. |
B.He was honest and brilliant despite unfavorable conditions. |
C.He dared to fight against his father to find meaning in life. |
D.He went through the social and economic shifts of Italy. |
A.To introduce a book. |
B.To explain an educational phenomenon. |
C.To recommend a writer . |
D.To bring back an era. |
【推荐2】Despite their popularity, only three of Jin Yong’s martial arts novels have been translated into English. But fans will soon get more from the writer as his most popular trilogy, named after the first of the three books, Legends of the Condor Heroes, is scheduled to hit bookstores in February.
Jin Yong is the pen name of Louis Cha. And the author, who lives in Hong Kong, is one of the best-selling Chinese authors alive. With regard to Jin Yong’s works this latest translation project is the most ambitious. The trilogy, written by Jin Yong in the 1950s and 60s, covers the Song Dynasty and the early Ming Dynasty, and features hundreds of characters.
According to the publishing house, Maclehose Press, the translated work will come in 12 volumes, including Legends of the Condor Heroes; Divine Condor, Errant Knight; and Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre.
Speaking of the project which she took up in 2012, Holmwood, a self-employed translator focusing on Chinese-English literary translations, says in an email interview: “It had to be Jin Yong then. It was the obvious place to start, not only because of the quality of his writing, but also because of his standing and reputation in Asia.”
Having studied history at the University of Oxford, Holmwood was determined to learn Chinese due to her previous trip to China. She then went to Taiwan Normal University for language training in 2,009. In a bookshop there, she saw a whole shelf dedicated to Jin Yong. She bought a copy of Jin Yong’s work—Lu Ding Ji (The Deer and the Cauldron), the longest of his novels. “What is a bigger challenge for the translator is making the original pace and excitement into English. It’s all about whether the English reader will be lured by the emotions and characters.”
It took five years for Holmwood to finish the translation of the first volume. As for why his works need to be translated, she says: “Many have considered Jin Yong’s world too foreign, too Chinese for an English-speaking readership.Impossible to translate.” “And yet this story of love, loyalty, honor and the power of the individual against successive corrupt (腐败的) governments and invading forces is as universal as any story could hope to be.” “The greatest loss that can occur in translation can only come from not translating it at all.”
1. According to the passage, which statement of the following is TRUE?A.Jin Yong is the best-selling Chinese author. |
B.Legends of the Condor Heroes is planned to come out in February. |
C.Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre is the longest of Jin Yong’s novel. |
D.Only Jin Yong’s fame in Asia made him write the popular works. |
A.attracted | B.amused |
C.occupied | D.distracted |
A.Jin Yong’s world is too Chinese. |
B.Jin Yong’s novel will be universally received. |
C.Loss can’t occur when a novel is translated. |
D.Jin Yong’s novel includes many noble personal qualities. |
A.Jin Yong, a Great Writer on Martial Arts. |
B.Translating Promotes Cultural Exchanges. |
C.Louis Cha’s Popular Trilogy to Be Translated into English. |
D.Fall in Love with Jin Yong’s Novels. |
【推荐3】Charles Darnay was arrested again. Lucie, his wife was very worried.
“This is a desperate time,” said Sydney Carton. “We need to have a friend in the prison that will help us, and I think that Basard here will be that friend.”
“Why should I be your friend?” asked John Basard.
“I could begin telling people that you were and may still be a spy for England, the enemy of France. What do you say?”
“You are my sister’s friend,” Basard argued. “I’m sure you wouldn’t want to upset her.”
“I think the best thing to be done for her is to get rid of her brother,” said Sydney calmly. “I have another reason that you should help me. I think I know your friend in the wine shop.”
“No, no, that’s not possible. He is French!”
“He spoke very good French, but there was something strange about him. I think it may have been Cly.”
Now Basard laughed.
“No, no, Cly has been dead and buried for several years. He was buried in London, I helped to put his body in the coffin, and I can show you his burial certificate.”
Suddenly, Jerry Cruncher stood up, next to Basard.
“If you put him in his coffin, who took him out of it?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that he was never in it! All you buried was rocks and earth!”
Sydney Carton rubbed his chin. “If we tell people that you have been talking to another England spy, and one who is supposed to be dead. I am sure that you will go to the guillotine, Basard. What do you say now?”
“What do you want?”
“Can you go in and out of the prison whenever you want?”
“Yes, I can. The guards know me and trust me.”
“Come into the other room with me. I need to talk to you in private now,” said Carton.
Jerry and then Basard were sent out.
Left in the room now were Carton and Lorry, sitting and looking into the fire.
“You are a good man and a true friend,” said Carton. “I am sorry that I could not do more than one visit to Charles.”
Then Sydney Carton continued.
“You are an old man, Mr. Lorry, and many people respect you. You have lived a useful life, and you will be missed when you are gone.”
“I have only done my job,” replied Mr. Lorry. “I am just an old bachelor, and nobody will miss me when I die.”
“Lucie will cry for you, and little Lucie will cry for you, too.”
“Yes, that’s true, thank God!”
“If nobody cried for you, then that would make all your years of work a waste of time, wouldn’t it?”
“Yes, you are right, Mr. Carton.”
1. How did Sydney Carton ask John Basard to be his friend?A.In a pleasing tune. |
B.In an appealing tune. |
C.In a threatening tune. |
D.In a hesitating tune. |
A.To give up the business of a spy. |
B.To help Carton visit Charles. |
C.To be a true friend of Sydney’s. |
D.To go to the guillotine with Cly. |
A.To show all people’s respect for his work. |
B.To tell him of two Lucies’ cry for his death. |
C.To wish he would help Lucie and her family. |
D.To say good-bye to the faithful businessman. |
A.Lorry deserved a father figure to Lucie. |
B.People took pity on Darnay’s misfortune. |
C.Barsad was unwilling to make friends with Carton. |
D.Carton went to great lengths to rescue Darnay in prison. |