【推荐1】Reasons Why Literature is so Important?

Today, there are too many people who believe that literature is simply not important or underestimate its abilities to stand the test of time and give us great knowledge. There is a stigma (耻辱) in society that implies one who is more tempted to science and math will somehow be more successful in life, and that one who is more passionate about literature and other art forms will be bound to live a life of low-paying jobs and unsatisfying careers.    1    

To me, however, literature serves as a gateway to learning of the past and expanding my knowledge and understanding of the world. Here are just a few reasons why literature is important.

Expanding horizons.

First and foremost, literature opens our eyes and makes us see more than just what the front door shows.    2    With this, we begin to learn, ask questions, and build our instincts. We expand our minds.

Appreciation for other cultures and beliefs.

Reading about history, anthropology or religious studies provides a method of learning about cultures and beliefs other than our own. It allows you to understand and experience these other systems of living and other worlds.    3    We can learn, understand and appreciate it.

    4    

All literature, whether it be poems, essays, novels, or short stories, helps us address human nature and conditions which affect all people. We learn that imperfection is not always bad and that normal can be boring. We learn that life must be lived to the fullest. We need literature in order to connect with our own humanity.

    5    Any debate over this makes no sense. It provides growth, strengthens our minds, and gives us the ability to think outside the box.

A．Addressing humanity.

B．Better writing skills.

C．Literature is important and necessary.

D．It helps us understand the wide world outside, surrounding us.

E．Many of us learn what critical thinking is in our language arts classes.

F．We get a view of the inside looking out, personal view and insight into the minds.

G．Somewhere along the line, the world has come to think that literature is insignificant.

【推荐2】Frankenstein

Frankenstein was a book by Mary Shelly — it’s been adapted for the screen dozens of times. The story of Frankenstein is told through a series of letters written by Captain Robert Walton to his sister, as he leads an expedition to the North Pole. On the way, he meets Victor Frankenstein, who tells Walton the story of his life. Frankenstein is the surname of the guy who creates the monster. The monster doesn’t actually have a name. Anyway, Victor is a scientist who’s desperate to discover the secret of life. After years of study, he makes an enormous creature out of human remains and brings it to life. Victor intends it to be beautiful. Unfortunately, the creature turns out really hideous, and Victor runs away in terror. Although the monster is good and kind, humans are scared of it. When they mistreat it, the monster becomes angry and evil. Wanting revenge on its creator, the monster murders Dr. Frankenstein’s brother, his wife, and his best friend. When Victor figures out the monster is behind all the deaths, he swears to track it down and kill it.

This book was written in 1816, right after a period called the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment emphasized the pursuit of knowledge and reason, and gave rise to the scientific method. Mary Shelley criticized the Enlightenment through the character of Victor Frankenstein, “He is a negative example of an Enlightenment scientist — he pursues knowledge at any cost, and his addiction to discovering the secret of life destroys him, as well as his friends and family.” Some Enlightenment thinkers might have seen such a loss as necessary for the advancement of science, but not Mary Shelley. She and her husband, poet Percy Shelly, were part of the Romantic Movement in art and literature. Romanticism was something against the Enlightenment’s embrace of rationality (合理性) and reason. The Romantics emphasized emotion over rationality, and thought people should feel awe and terror in regard to nature. Frankenstein incorporates (包含) all these ideas. To Shelley, Frankenstein doesn’t fear and respect the world of nature enough — she says that by going against nature, he brings about complete disaster. Frankenstein is not just a great romantic novel. It’s also considered one of the first major works of science fiction. It influences a whole generation of writers, and the monster has become one of the most recognizable figures in Western culture.

1. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word hideous in Paragraph 1?

A．Charming

B．Engaging

C．Unattractive

D．Handsome

2. What is Victor Frankenstein’s fatal weakness?

A．His lack of respect for nature.	B．His rejection of his own creation.
C．His love of science.	D．His inability to form human relationship.

3. How was the Romantic era different from the Enlightenment?

A．The Romantic era emphasized poetry; the Enlightenment emphasized prose (散文).

B．The Romantic era occurred during the 20th century; the Enlightenment occurred during the 19th century.

C．The Romantic era emphasized emotion; the Enlightenment emphasized reason.

D．The Romantic era saw major scientific discoveries; the Enlightenment was an era of literary discovery.

4. What effect did “Frankenstein” have on later works of fiction ?

A．It inspired books about the Enlightenment.	B．It inspired science-fiction writing.
C．It inspired books of poetry.	D．It inspired technical writing.

【推荐3】It’s the worst event in human being’s nautical（航海的）history , six times more deadly than the Titanic . When the German cruise ship Wilhelm Gustloff was hit by torpedoes（鱼雷）fired from a Russian submarine in the final winter of World War II , more than 10,000 people – mostly women , children and old people fleeing the final Red Army push into Nazi Germany – were packed aboard .
An ice storm had turned the decks into frozen sheets that sent hundreds of families sliding into the sea as the ship tilted and began to go down . Others desperately tried to put lifeboats down . Some who succeeded fought off those in the water who had the strength to try to claw their way aboard . Most people froze immediately . “ I’ll never forget the screams , ” says Christa Ntitzmann , 87 , one of the 1,200 survivors . She recalls watching the ship , brightly lit , slipping into its dark grave-and into seeming nothingness , rarely mentioned for more than half a century .
Now Germany’s Nobel Prize-winning author Gtinter Grass has revived the memory of the 9,000 dead , including more than 4,000 children-with his latest novel Crab Walk , published last month . The book ,which will be out in English next year , doesn’t dwell on the sinking : its heroine is a pregnant young woman who survives the catastrophe only to say later : “ Nobody wanted to hear about it , not here in the West ( of Germany ) and not at all in the East . ”
The reason was obvious . As Grass put in a recent interview with the weekly Die Woche : “ Because the crimes we Germans are responsible for were and are so dominant , we didn’t have the energy left to tell of our own sufferings . ” The long silence about the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff was probably unavoidable – and necessary .
By unreservedly owning up to their country’s monstrous crimes in the Second World War , Germans have managed to win acceptance abroad , marginalize the neo-Nazis at home and make peace with their neighbors .
Today’s unified Germany is more prosperous and stable than at any time in its long , troubled history . For that , a half century of willful forgetting about painful memories like the German Titanic was perhaps a reasonable price to pay . But even the most politically correct Germans believe that they’ve now earned the right to discuss the full historical record . Not to equate German suffering with that of its victims , but simply to acknowledge a terrible tragedy .
1. Why does the author say the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff was the worst event in nautical history ?

A．It was attacked by Russian torpedoes .

B．Most of its passengers were frozen to death .

C．Its victims were mostly women and children .

D．It caused the largest number of casualties .

2. How does Gunter Grass revive the memory of the Wilhelm Gustloff tragedy ?

A．By presenting the horrible scene of the torpedo attack .

B．By describing the ship’s sinking in great detail .

C．By giving an interview to the weekly Die Woche .

D．By illustrating the survival of a young pregnant woman .

3. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “ marginalize ”

A．highlight	B．weaken
C．strengthen	D．fasten

4. It can be learned from the passage that Germans no longer think that

A．they will be misunderstood if they talk about the Wilhelm Gustloff tragedy

B．the Wilhelm Gustloff tragedy is a reasonable price to pay for the nation’s past misdeeds

C．Germany is responsible for the horrible crimes it committed in World War II

D．it is wrong to equate their sufferings with those of other countries

【推荐1】Code Offence Points
What is Driving Offence Points System?
After the introduction of this system, certain traffic offences will make the driver lose points besides other punishments (惩罚). A driver makes any of these offences, the points will be recorded. When the driver gets a certain number of points, he will be forbidden (禁止) to drive for a certain amount of time.
what are the purposes of this system?
This is a system designed to make road much safer. It can improve standards (水平) of driving and reduce accidents.
Which traffic offences will result in Driving Offence Points?
Of course, not all traffic offences are covered by this system. Only those that have direct effect on road safety are included．There are fourteen items in all.
1 Causing death by dangerous driving 10
2 Dangerous driving 10
3 Careless driving 5
4 Driving after drinking or taking drugs 10
5 Driving over speed limit by more than15 km/hour 3
6 Driving in a motor race on the road 10
7 Failing to stop after an accident 3
8 Failing to give information after an accident 3
9 Failing to report an accident 3
10 Failing to obey directions of police officers 3
11 Crossing double white lines 3
12 Failing to obey traffic signals 3
13 Failing to give way to walkers at a crosswalk. Failing to stop for people walking 3
14 Failing to stop at school crossing 3
What will happen if you have got up to 10 points?
If you have got 10 points or above, but still less than 15 points, you will receive a warning letter from the Transport Department. This letter will tell your record of Driving Offence Points and remind you of the result of getting more points. It is hoped that this warning will change your driving behavior for the better.
What will happen if you have got 15 points?
If you have got 15 points or more within two years, a court will take away your driving license. The first time you are found guilty you will not be able to drive for three months, but if you are caught a second time you will not be able to drive for six months.
1. The underlined word “Offence” (Paragraph 1) refers to ______.

A．a driving habit

B．an action against the traffic law

C．bad behavior in the office

D．an official of road safety

2. The Driving Offence Points _________.

A．are points earned because of dangerous driving

B．is a system that helps to improve the driving standards

C．shows traffic offences of different kinds

D．is a guide dealing with traffic offences

3. What will happen to you if you have got 13 points?

A．You will be punished for the points.

B．Your driving license will be taken away.

C．You will get a warning letter from the Transport Department.

D．Your record will be sent to the Transport Department.

4. What will happen to you if you are caught driving dangerously and two months later you are caught careless driving?

A．Your license will be taken away.

B．You will be taken to the police station.

C．You will not be able to drive for 6 months.

D．You will not be able to drive for 3 months.

【推荐2】Starting Cycling

We have two services designed to give people the confidence and knowledge to cycle successfully.

Lessons

All our instructors have been trained to National Standards level of “Bikeability”. This means you will be trained to a standard consistent across the whole country.

There are 3 levels of skills to progress through. Children would start with levels 1 & 2, progressing from the playground or park to cycle on less busy local roads. Teenager and adult beginners can also learn levels 1 & 2 in an off-road and quiet environment.

Confident teenagers and adults can broaden their skills by learning level 3, using multi-lane (多道) roads and larger roundabouts (环岛). We provide both a complete package of lessons for the beginner or individual lessons tailored to the client. You can ride a bike but don’t feel confident about right turns on multi-lane roads. Whatever the need

We can address and practice until perfect!

Everyone can be taught to ride a bike!

We train both adults and children.

We cover London Zones 1 & 2

The cost is ￡30 per hour.

Guided Ride

We know that riding on the roads in London can be scary, and if you have to navigate (确定行车路线) as well it can become a real hard task! The Guided Ride service takes all the stress out of it for you by providing the following:

Route planned in advance to suit your skill level. Route map provided to you.

Cycle and equipment checked. We will teach you a simple method to check basic roadworthiness (车辆性能) of your bike that you can perform on a weekly basis.

Route discussed and focus given to any areas requiring special attention.

Cycle along with the instructor close behind. Here the traffic can be controlled by the instructor and rider observed.

Occasionally stopping to discuss events.

We currently cover London Zones 1 & 2. Please contact us if your requirements are outside of these areas.

Cost ￡30

1. Where can   Level 1 & 2 lessons for adult beginners   be carried out？

A．Off road

B．Near large roundabouts

C．On busy local roads

D．On multi-lane roads

2. What service does the Guided Ride mainly provide?.

A．They help you to be familiar with London roads

B．They check your cycle and equipment every week.

C．They let users experience the busiest road in London.

D．They ensure users ride safely in London Zones 1 & 2

3. Who is the text probably intended for ?.

A．Bike riding lovers.

B．Children and teenagers

C．Travelers in London

D．Parents loving cycling