“To repair ancient books, we have a lot to do,” says Song Jing, 34, who has been working in the restoration division for ancient books at the National Library of China in Beijing for eight years. Before starting a restoration project, Song and her colleagues have to evaluate the subject to consider what problems can be solved through restoration and those that cannot. Fearing the chemicals in commercially produced pastes (胶水) might harm the books, they have to make the glues they need by themselves, starting from removing starch(淀粉) from flour.
“The restoration also requires high levels of control in brushing the paper. If the pressure is not properly controlled during the brushing process, the paper may tear, but if the touch is too light, the paper won’t stick,” Song explains.
Song was determined to join the field from an early age. As a child, she was attracted by documentaries about the world’s cultural relics (遗物) and became deeply interested in the art of artifact restoration.
In senior middle school, those earlier experiences helped her to set her sights on becoming a master restorer of ancient books.
There were not many schools offering cultural-relic restoration courses back then, and her dream destination, Peking University, only offered openings every other year.
As Song looked into undergraduate curricula (本科课程) arrangement for that particular field of study, she found it was mostly related to chemistry. Therefore, she chose to start a chemistry degree at Fudan University in Shanghai in 2008. In her spare time, she continued to read up on cultural relics and study how museums operate.
“I got to learn how certain aspects of chemistry are going a long way in restoring cultural relics,” she says.
After graduating from Fudan, she was accepted as a master’s candidate to the cultural heritage preservation program at Peking University. From then on, she has been on a mission to make her dreams a reality.
1. What will ruin a restoration work?| A．Brushing the paper. | B．Man-made glue. |
| C．Removing starch. | D．Incorrect assessment. |
| A．Demanding and Boring. | B．Complex and challenging. |
| C．Complicated and Dangerous. | D．Entertaining and profitable. |
| A．She didn’t reach the requirement of Peking University. |
| B．Only Fudan University offered her favorite course. |
| C．She wanted to be better prepared for her dream occupation. |
| D．Her interest had shifted from book restoration to chemistry. |
| A．History mirrors future. | B．Courage is the key to achievements. |
| C．Education breaks down barriers. | D．Commitment and hard work pay off. |
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【推荐1】Technology has come to the rescue of Japanese farmers. For thousands of years they have tried to keep animals away from their farms. However, engineers have invented the “Super Monster Wolf” to finally scare away wild animals that want to eat crops of rice, pumpkin or sweet potato. Super Monster Wolf is a solar-powered robot that looks like a real wolf. It has lookalike wolf hair, big scary teeth and red LED eyes with infrared (红外线的) sensors. It also has 48 different wolf howls and other noises that real wolves don’t have. Super Monster Wolf will be used to keep animals like wild pigs and deer out of rice paddies (稻田), farms and fruit orchards (果园). Farmers lose millions of dollars of crops every year to hungry animals.
Members of Japan’s agricultural association took part in trials of the Super Monster Wolf in nine locations across Japan. The association’s spokesman Chikao Umezawa reported that the robot wolf significantly reduced crop losses. He said it was more effective than an electric fence at keeping animals out. The robot can sense movement up to one kilometre away and immediately make its scary sounds.
But one farmer said the cost of buying a Super Monster Wolf was too high and he thought few people would pay for such a robot.“We can protect crops by making simple tools. It’s much cheaper!” he added.
Chikao Umezawa said,“It will have the option of renting the wolf by the month. In the long run, the Super Monster Wolf can effectively save labor costs, and the scope of protection of the robot Wolf is far greater than human.” “The cost of robots will also come down as technology continues to advance, and people will be able to use them at a very cheap price in the future.” he added.
1. What problem do the Japanese farmers face?| A．High cost. | B．Lack of land. |
| C．Terrible pollution. | D．Damage to farm from wild animals. |
| A．Protecting birds from wild animals. |
| B．Attracting other animals to the farm. |
| C．Preventing animals from being killed. |
| D．Scaring off animals that will destroy crops. |
| A．He thinks it’s hard to operate. |
| B．He thinks it’s too expensive to afford. |
| C．He thinks its quality is poor. |
| D．He thinks its noises are too loud. |
| A．Positive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Cautious | D．Neutral |
【推荐2】Oracle Bone Scripts
China’s oracle bone scripts, an ancient type of Chinese characters inscribed on animal bones or turtle shells, have successfully entered the UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register, according to the Chinese Ministry of Education. So far, China has 11 pieces of documentary files on the list, including the documents of the Nanjing Massacre.
The characters inscribed on the bones and shells have contributed greatly to Chinese civilization, enabling Chinese culture to be passed on from generation to generation and become the only civilization to last up to the present. However, in the past 100 years since being discovered, only about 2,000 characters from the oracle bone scripts have been decoded. There are at least 3,000 more remaining to be deciphered.
According to published materials, there are about 150,000 pieces of unearthed oracle bone scripts, and about 100,000 were preserved in the Chinese mainland, 30,000 in Taiwan and the other 20,000 were scattered across the world. It is expected that by entering the Memory of the World Register, the archaeological study of the ancient characters could be encouraged.
“It is only a new beginning,” said Song Zhenhao, director of the Oracle Bone Scripts Study Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, hoping that the new achievement could inject a vigor into the ancient study.
1. What is oracle bone scripts according to the passage?| A．A form of Chinese characters inscribed on animal bones or turtle plastrons used in divination. |
| B．A form of Chinese literature inscribed on animal bones or turtle plastrons used in divination. |
| C．A kind of inscriptions on ancient bronze objects. |
| D．A kind of traditional painting on ancient bronze objects. |
| A．12 pieces. | B．11 pieces. | C．10 pieces. | D．9 pieces. |
| A．Oracle bone script enables Chinese culture to be passed on from generation to generation. |
| B．In the past 100 years since being discovered, only about 2,000 characters from the oracle bone scripts have been decoded. |
| C．There are at least 3,000 more oracle bone scripts remaining to be deciphered. |
| D．Study on oracle bone script is sound enough and needs no more progress. |
| A．Taiwan | B．America | C．India | D．Chinese mainland |
| A．Regular script. | B．Chinese bronze inscriptions. |
| C．Blue and white porcelain. | D．Cursive script. |
【推荐3】A trip to Venice – the poster child for tourism – will now leave your wallet even emptier. Earlier this year, the city announced that anyone who enters Venice and doesn’t stay overnight is set to pay a fee ranging from 3 to 10 euros (about 21 to 70 yuan), depending on factors such as advance booking and whether it’s peak season or if the city is very crowded. This rule will come into effect in January 2023.
According to The Associated Press, as mass tourism gained popularity in Venice in the mid-1960s, the number of visitors increased year by year. In 2019, the last year before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were some 19 million day-trippers who visited the city.
As more visitors come to enjoy the charm of the distinctive Italian city, lots of Venetian residents have been forced to leave their homes. According to CNN, due to congestion and the soaring costs of delivering food and other goods in careless Venice, around 70 percent of Venetian residents have left the city in the past 70 years.
The government hopes the new rule could help to regulate tourism in the city and “find a balance between Venetian residents and long-term and short-term visitors”, as noted by AP. The money they collect will be used to clean up waste and maintain the heritage of the city.
Local Marco Malafante, who manages luxury vacation rentals in the city, also expressed his approval for the move. “As a Venetian I often found myself stuck in crowded lanes. Venice is engulfed by tourists and we have to reduce the day-trippers in favor of a more qualified, let’s call it ‘luxury’ tourism,” Malafante told CNN. But a Venetian gondolier, simply called Cuba, was worried and thought the government moves would “commercialize” the city and disrupt the lives of ordinary people. “Entering Venice will be like entering a museum. I don’t think the measure will help the problem of transforming Venice into a Disneyland, with fake glass shops and piazza sellers replacing the old artisan shops,” Cuba told CNN.
1. Which one of the followings is not a factor that influences the future entrance fee of Venice?| A．Bookings ahead of arrivals. |
| B．The number of tourists. |
| C．Whether Venice is crowded or not. |
| D．The water conditions of Venice. |
| A．Tourism has greatly benefited the city as well as its local citizens. |
| B．A total of 19 million tourists visited Venice from 1960s to 2019. |
| C．The high delivery fees of goods in Venice make life there expensive. |
| D．About 30% of Venetian residents are thinking about leaving the city. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Neutral. | C．Uncaring. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．Venice—the Italian water city that you must visit. |
| B．Visitors will pay for day-trips in Venice starting in 2023. |
| C．Will Venice lose its charm from 2023? |
| D．A new policy that might ruin the water city—Venice. |
【推荐1】Jane Goodall is a famous animal behaviorist and has spent many years observing the behavior of chimps in their native habitat. Jane Goodall was born on April 3rd, 1934 in London, England. Her childhood dream was to spend time with animals in the wild. In particular, she was drawn to Africa and the dream of seeing wild animals in their native habitat. It was an unusual dream for a girl at the time, but her parents said to her, “We know it’s different, but we are at your back.”
In 1956, Jane jumped at the opportunity to travel to a friend’s farm in Kenya. It was there that Jane met the famous anthropologist, Dr. Louis S.B. Leakey. Leakey was impressed with Jane’s passion and knowledge of Africa and wildlife.
In 1960, Leakey and Jane began an important study of wild chimps by Lake Tanganyika. The chimps showed some fascinating habits to the group. These included meat eating, which is completely different from the previous opinion about chimps. Also, Jane saw chimps making tools to catch insects. This was an important discovery because, at the time, it was assumed only humans made tools.
The study of chimps in their native habitat was a significant event, leading to many new observations. Jane’s first article My life among wild chimpanzees was published in National Geographic in 1963. Some aspects of the study were challenged. For example, some feared her decision to feed the animals might have distorted their behavior and made them more aggressive (好斗的).
In 1977, Jane set up the Jane Goodall Institute which promotes plans to look after chimps and their environment. The institute has many networks and programs all over the world.
1. How did Jane Goodall’s parents respond to her childhood dream?| A．They supported her. | B．They laughed at her. |
| C．They worried about her. | D．They got angry with her. |
| A．Chimps were used to living alone. |
| B．Chimps were good at making tools. |
| C．Chimps were thought not to eat meat. |
| D．Chimps liked eating insects very much. |
| A．Affected | B．Trained | C．Protected | D．Controlled |
| A．The secrets of chimpanzees |
| B．The mysteries of African land |
| C．Jane Goodall—a friend of the wild world |
| D．Jane Goodall—a woman living with chimps |
【推荐2】Visitors to England love going to see the many palaces, castles and great old houses that are open to the public. A lot of these buildings have beautiful grounds around them—with green hills, small lakes or streams and, perhaps, an old ruin half-hidden among some distant trees. These landscapes(景观) look like the natural countryside. But many of them are the work of England’s most famous landscape architect(建筑师), Lancelot “Capability” Brown.
In the early 1700, English gardens copied French ones—like the famous gardens at Versailles, near Paris. In these gardens, owners wanted to show their power over nature. Trees were planted in long lines. Flowerbeds and paths made symmetrical patterns(对称式样) on the ground. But Capability Brown changed all that. He didn’t want to see patterns in a garden. He wanted a piece of countryside.
Born in 1716, Brown began his working life as a gardener’s helper. At twenty-five, he went to work for well-known gardener William Kent at Stowe House, northwest of London. Kent was beginning to design more natural gardens and it was here that Brown’s ideas began to form. He was allowed to design gardens for other homes and was soon working for many wealthy families. When first looked at the land for a garden that he was going to create, he often used to say “It has great capabilities” (meaning he was sure he could improve it) so everyone began to call him “Capability” Brown.
To make his gardens, he pulled everything out and started again. He sometimes told his gardeners to move whole hills or change the path of a stream. Carefully placing trees, hills, water and bridges, he created a “dream” of nature—an idea of England that is still much loved today.
1. What is the main purpose of the passage?| A．To explain how English landscape architects worked then. |
| B．To describe how Capability Brown became a landscape architect. |
| C．To describe the work of the landscape architect Capability Brown. |
| D．To explain the differences between English gardens and French gardens. |
| A．were open to the public | B．were all built in cities |
| C．looked like the natural countryside | D．looked like French gardens |
| A．William Kent. | B．His helper. |
| C．Visitors to English gardens. | D．Rich owners of gardens. |
| A．moving whole hills and paths | B．planting trees and flowers in lines |
| C．creating a piece of countryside | D．making regular patterns on the ground |
【推荐3】
Emma Morano, the oldest living person celebrated her 117th birthday on November 29, 2016. Friends, neighbors and her doctor joined Morano in her small apartment home in the northern Italian mountain town of Verbania. She blew out three candles on her birthday cake. Each candle represented a number in her age. “I hope I don’t have to cut it,” Morano joked.
“She dressed up and she was very proud,” said her long-time doctor, Carlo Bava. “She posed for a photographer, and even asked if her hair looked good.” “I am happy to turn 117,” Morano told those attending her party. She received a greeting from Italy’s president, Sergio Mattarella. He wished her peace and continued good health. She is thought to be the last living person born in the 1800s. She outlived all her brothers and sisters, including one who died at age 102.
Her doctor noted that when Morano was young, people used to say she was weak and often sick. “Yes, yes,” she said. The world’s oldest person told the Reuters (路透社) news agency that while she is lucky to have lived so long, parts of her life were “not so nice.” She worked in a factory until she retired at age 65. Morano once told a reporter that the first man she planned to marry was killed in World War One. Then, at age 26, she was forced to marry a man she did not love. She said the man threatened to kill her if he did not marry her. She had a son, but the baby died after just six months. She said the marriage was not happy and her husband was abusive (虐待的). She kicked him out in 1938 and has lived alone since then.
Emma Morano says one of her secrets to living long is eating at least two uncooked eggs every day. Her doctor credits Morano’s long life to her unusual diet, her genes (基因) and positive outlook on life.
1. According to the text, when did Emma Morano retired from a factory?| A．In 2011 | B．In 1925 | C．In 1964 | D．In 1994 |
| A．Emma Morano’s baby died of her husband’s abuse |
| B．Emma Morano lived a bitter life in her youth |
| C．Although Emma Morano often falls sick, she lives the longest life so far |
| D．Other people’s caring about Emma Morano contributes greatly to her long life |
| A．deserted | B．respected | C．disliked | D．survived |
| A．Secrets to the Longest Life |
| B．World’s Oldest Person Turns 117 |
| C．Celebration of the Oldest Living Person |
| D．Backgrounds of the Oldest Living Person |
