Of all the changes that have taken place in English-language newspapers during the past quarter-century, perhaps the most far-reaching has been the inexorable decline in the scope and seriousness of their arts coverage.
It is difficult to the point of impossibility for the average reader under the age of forty to imagine a time when high-quality arts criticism could be found in most big-city newspapers. Yet a considerable number of the most significant collections of criticism published in the 20th century consisted in large part of newspaper reviews. To read such books today is to marvel at the fact that their learned contents were once deemed suitable for publication in general-circulation dailies.
We are even farther removed from the unfocused newspaper reviews published in England between the turn of the 20th century and the eve of World War II, at a time when newsprint was dirt-cheap and stylish arts criticism was considered an ornament to the publications in which it appeared. In those far-off days, it was taken for granted that the critics of major papers would write in detail and at length about the events they covered. Theirs was a serious business, and even those reviews who wore (展示) their learning lightly, like George Bernard Shaw and Ernest Newman, could be trusted to know what they were about. These men believed in journalism as a calling（使命）, and were proud to be published in the daily press. 'So few authors have brains enough or literary gift enough to keep their own end up in journalism,' Newman wrote “that I am tempted to define” journalism “as a term of contempt（轻蔑） applied by writers who are not read to writers who are”.
Unfortunately, these critics are virtually forgotten. Neville Cardus, who wrote for the Manchester Guardian from 1917 until shortly before his death in 1975, is now known solely as a writer of essays on the game of cricket. During his lifetime, though, he was also one of England's foremost classical-music critics, and a stylist so widely admired that his Autobiography (1947) became a best-seller. He was knighted in 1967, the first music critic to be so honored. Yet only one of his books is now in print, and his vast body of writings on music is unknown save to specialists.
Is there any chance that Cardus's criticism will enjoy a revival? The prospect seems remote. Journalistic tastes had changed long before his death, and postmodern readers have little use for the richly polished Vicwardian（维多利亚和爱德华时代） prose in which he specialized. Moreover, the amateur tradition in music criticism has been in headlong retreat.
1. It is indicated in Paragraphs 1 and 2 that| A．arts criticism has disappeared from big-city newspapers. |
| B．English-language newspapers used to carry more arts reviews. |
| C．high-quality newspapers retain a large body of readers. |
| D．young readers doubt the suitability of criticism on dailies. |
| A．free themes. | B．casual style. |
| C．elaborate layout. | D．radical viewpoints |
| A．It is writers' duty to fulfill journalistic goals. |
| B．It is contemptible for writers to be journalists. |
| C．Writers are likely to be tempted into journalism. |
| D．Not all writers are capable of journalistic writing. |
| A．His music criticism may not appeal to readers today. |
| B．His reputation as a music critic has long been in dispute. |
| C．His style caters largely to modern specialists. |
| D．His writings fail to follow the amateur tradition. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Like a tired marriage, the relationship between libraries and publishers has long been dull. E-books, however, are causing heartache. Libraries know they need digital services, but many publishers are too cautious about piracy and lost sales to co-operate. Among the big six publishers, only Random House and Harper Collins license e-books with most libraries.
Publishers are wise to be nervous. Owners of e-readers are exactly the customers they need: book-lovers with money. If these people switch to borrowing e-books instead of buying them, what then? Electronic borrowing is awfully convenient. Unlike printed books, which must be checked out and returned to a physical library miles away, book files can be downloaded at home. The files disappear from the device when they are due.
E-lending is not simple, however. There are various incompatible e-book formats, devices and licenses. Most libraries use a company called OverDrive, which secures rights from publishers and provides e-books and audio files in every format. Yet publishers and libraries are worried by OverDrive’s global market dominance, as the company can control fees and conditions. Publishers were annoyed when OverDrive cooperated with Amazon the world’s biggest online bookseller, last year. Owners of Amazon’s Kindle e-reader who want to borrow e-books from libraries are now redirected to Amazon’s website.
According to Pew, an opinion researcher, library users are a perfect market for Amazon. Late last year Amazon introduced is Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, which lets its best customers borrow free one of thousands of popular books each month. But a recent Pew survey found that more than half of Americans with library cards say they prefer to buy their e-books It also noted that e-books actually are available at most libraries, and that popular titles often involve long waiting lists, which may inspire people to buy.
So publishers keep adjusting their lending arrangements in search of the right balance. Random House raised its licensing price earlier this year, and Harper Collins limits libraries to lending its titles 26 times. The story of the library e-book is a nail-biter.
1. It can be inferred from Paragraph 1 that ______.| A．several big publishers have sold e-books to libraries |
| B．both libraries and publishers caution the e-book piracy |
| C．some publishers are hesitant to cooperate with libraries |
| D．libraries are eager to keep strong relationship with publishers |
| A．The risk of e-book piracy. |
| B．The possible decline of book sales. |
| C．No time limit for the downloaded book files. |
| D．The availability of the incompatible e-book formats. |
| A．Amazon is adopting measures to win more customers |
| B．OverDrive distributes e-books and audio files to publishers |
| C．over half of Americans are borrowing e-books from libraries |
| D．the fees of lending e-books are under the control of publishers |
【推荐2】Tribute can go to anything
Since 1927, Time has chosen to profile a person or group and feature them on its front page.
“The Computer”, 1982
At the start of the 1980s, home computing was just starting to take off, with companies like Sinclair and Apple releasing consumer-focused machines to the masses.
“This sweetheart here, this little baby, looks like any ordinary machine, isn’t that so?
“You”, 2006
In the age when sites like YouTube and Facebook were in their new and had not developed very much, Time named those who created and uploaded “user-generated content” onto such websites as its choice of the year.
“Endangered Earth”, 1989
During a period of heightened awareness of global warming and climate change,
| A．This created chaos |
| B．A mess of screws and buttons, a whole heap of plastic. |
| C．While the PCs of the early ’80s were primitive compared to today’s |
| D．The decision drew mainly confused and negative feedback from the public and media |
| E．Time featured Earth as its “Planet of the Year”. |
| F．Other than people, objects have made it to front page too. |
| G．But it’s not always people that make the front cover. |
【推荐3】Sometime in the future, the familiar morning newspaper on the front porch (门廊) will disappear. And instead of reading your newspaper, it will read to you. You’ll get up and turn on the computer newspaper just like switching on the TV. An electronic voice will report stories about the latest events, guided by a program that selects the type of news you want. You’ll even get to choose the kind of voice you want to hear. Want more information on this brief story? A simple touch makes the entire text appear. You can save it in your own personal computer if you like. These are among the predictions from communication experts working on the newspapers of the future. Pictured as part of broader home-based media and entertainment systems， computer newspapers will unite print and broadcast reporting, and offer news and analysis with video images of news events.
Most of the technology is available now, but convincing more people that they don’t need to read a newspaper is the next step. But resistance to computer newspapers may be stronger from journalism. Since it is such a cultural change, it may be that the present generation of journalists and publishers will have to die off before the next generation realize that the newspaper industry is no longer a newspaper industry. Technology is making the end of traditional newspapers unavoidable.
Despite technological advances, it could take decades to replace newsprint with computer screens. It might take 30 to 40 years to complete the changeover because people need to buy computers and because newspapers have established financial interests in the paper industry.
1. Which of the following is NOT an advantage of computer newspapers according to the passage?| A．They are cheaper than traditional newspapers. |
| B．They are more convenient to read. |
| C．You can choose the kind of voice you want to hear. |
| D．You can easily save information for future use. |
| A．they don’t know how to use computers |
| B．they think computer newspapers take too much time to read |
| C．they think the new technology is bad |
| D．they have been trained to write for traditional newspapers |
| A．all technological changes are good |
| B．new technology doesn’t always replace the old one |
| C．new technology will eventually replace the old one |
| D．traditional newspapers are here to stay for another century |
【推荐1】Bill Gates on how to fight future pandemics
WHEN HISTORIANS write the book on the covid-19 pandemic, what we've lived through so far will probably take up only the first third or so.The bulk of the story will be what happens next.
I believe that humanity will beat this pandemic, but only when most of the population is vaccinated(接种疫苗）.Until then, life will not return to normal.
As the pandemic slows in developed nations,it will accelerate in developing ones.Their experience,however,will be worse.In poorer countries,where fewer jobs can be done remotely,distancing measures won't work as well.The virus will spread quickly,and health systems won't be able to care for the infected.
Wealthy nations can help.But people in rich and poor places alike will be safe only once we have an effective medical solution for this virus,which means a vaccine.
My hope is that,by the second half of 2021,facilities around the world will be manufacturing a vaccine.If that's the case,it will be a history-making achievement: the fastest humankind has ever gone from recognizing a new disease to immunizing （免疫）against it.
Apart from this progress in vaccines,two other big medical breakthroughs will emerge from the pandemic.One will be in the field of diagnostics.The next time a novel virus crops up,people will probably be able to test for it at home.Researchers could have such a test ready within a few months of identifying a new disease.
The third breakthrough will be in antiviral drugs.We haven't been as effective at developing drugs to fight viruses as we have those to fight bacteria.But that will Researchers will develop large diverse libraries of antivirals,which they'll be able to scan through and quickly find effective treatments for novel viruses.
All three technologies will prepare us for the next pandemic by allowing us to intervene(干预）early when the number of cases is still very low.
Our progress won't be in science alone.It will also be in our ability to make sure everyone benefits from that science.In the years after 2021,I think we'll learn from the years after 1945. With the end of the Second World War, leaders built international institutions like the UN to prevent more conflicts.After covid-19, leaders will prepare institutions to prevent the next pandemic.
These will be a mix of national,regional and global organizations.I expect they will participate in regular"germ games”in the same way as armed forces take part in War games.These will keep us ready for the next time a novel virus jumps from bats or birds to humans.
I hope wealthy nations include poorer ones in these preparations,especially by devoting more foreign aid to building up their primary health-care systems.This pandemic has shown us that viruses don't obey border laws and that we are all connected biologically by a network of microscopic germs,whether we like it or not.
The best analogy(类比）for today might be November 10th 1942.Britain had just won its first land victory of the war,and Winston Churchill declared in a speech: “This is not the end.It is not even the beginning of the end.But it is,perhaps,the end of the beginning.”
1. What are the three technologies that will prepare us for the next pandemic?①manufacturing a vaccine fast
②diagnosing a virus at home
③developing antiviral drugs
④allowing us to intervene early
| A．①②③ | B．①②④ | C．①③④ | D．②③④ |
| A．pandemic disease is more likely to begin in poorer countries |
| B．Working from home can work well in poorer countries. |
| C．Health systems are sufficient to care for the infected in poorer countries. |
| D．Virus will cross borders if poorer countries fail to contain it. |
| A．The fight against the COVID-19 is similar to the Second World War. |
| B．People are suffering just as they were in the Second World War. |
| C．We should cooperate globally just as we did after the Second World War. |
| D．Countries are fighting each other like in the Second World War. |
| A．pessimistic | B．optimistic |
| C．neutral | D．indifferent |
【推荐2】New research by Northwestern University is the first to document the effect reactivating (激活) memory during sleep has on face-name learning.
The researchers found that people’s name recall improved significantly when memories of newly learned face-name connections were reactivated while they were sleeping. The key to this improvement was uninterrupted (不间断) deep sleep.
“It’s a new and exciting finding about sleep, because it tells us that the way information is reactivated during sleep to improve memory storage is connected with high-quality sleep. That is, targeted memory reactivation of face name learning depends on enough and uninterrupted slow-wave sleep, ” said the research leader Nathan Whitmore.
A study was conducted on 24 participants, aged 18 to 31, who were asked to memorize the faces and names of 40 pupils from a Latin American history class and another 40 from a Japanese history class. When each face was shown again, they were asked to produce the name that went with it. After the learning exercise, participants took a nap while the researchers carefully monitored brain activity using EEG measurements. When participants reached the “deep sleep ” state, some of the names were softly played on a speaker with music that was connected with one of the classes.
When participants woke up, they were retested on recognizing the faces and recalling the name that went with each face. In those with uninterrupted sleep, the reactivation led to a relative improvement averaging just over 1.5 more names recalled. “ We already know that some sleep disorders can affect memory, ” said Whitmore. “ Our research suggests a possible explanation for this — frequent (频繁的) sleep interruptions at night might be lowering memory. ”
“ This new line of research will let us address many interesting questions — like whether sleep interruption is always harmful or whether it could be used to weaken unwanted memories, ” said Whitmore. “ At any rate, we are increasingly finding good reasons to value high-quality sleep and learn more about the relevant brain functions. ”
1. What did the new research focus on?| A．The balance between napping and health. |
| B．The ties between facial features and names. |
| C．The connections between sleep and memory. |
| D．The cause-effect between reactivation and learning. |
| A．Uncaring. | B．Opposed. | C．Doubtful. | D．Supportive. |
| A．They were students from different majors. |
| B．They showed good ability to recognize faces. |
| C．They performed better after continuous sleep. |
| D．They improved identification by EEG checking. |
| A．Expectations for the future study. | B．Concerns about the present research. |
| C．Methods of screening out information. | D．Explanations of the activated memory level. |
【推荐3】For many buyers, electric vehicles (EVs) are simply too expensive, their range is too limited, and charging them isn’t as quick and convenient as refueling at the gas stations. All these limitations have to do with the lithium-ion batteries (锂电池) that power the vehicles. They’re costly, heavy, and quick to run out of juice. To make matters worse, the batteries rely on liquid electrolytes (电解质) that can burn during crashes.
Making electric cars more competitive with gas-powered ones will require a breakthrough battery that overcomes those shortcomings. That, at least, is the argument of Jagdeep Singh, chief executive of QuantumScape, a Silicon Valley startup that claims to have developed just such a technology. The company says it did so by solving a chemistry puzzle: how to use lithium to boost the amount of energy that can be packed into a battery without posing a routine risk of fire or otherwise weakening performance. The company says it achieved this by developing a solid version of the flammable (易燃的) liquid electrolyte.
In an online presentation in December, QuantumScape displayed a series of charts showing that a single-layer lab version of the battery can be charged to more than 80% of its capacity in 15 minutes, last for hundreds of thousands of miles, and work fine at freezing temperatures. The company expects the batteries to be able to boost electric vehicles’ range by more than 80%: a car that can go 250 miles on a single charge today could drive 450 miles instead.
Indeed, the battery field is littered with examples of startups that promised breakthrough technologies but ultimately failed. And the challenges ahead of QuantumScape are enormous, particularly when it comes to turning its samples into commercial products that can be produced cheaply.
If the company succeeded, it could transform the EV marketplace. Cutting costs, boosting the range, and making charging convenient enough could broaden demand beyond people who can afford charging ports at home, and ease the anxieties of those who fear being left on longer trips.
1. What does the author mainly want to tell us in the first paragraph?| A．The high cost of electric vehicles. | B．The complaints of vehicle consumers. |
| C．The disadvantages of present batteries. | D．The inconvenience of charging cars. |
| A．They consume more energy than gas-powered ones. |
| B．They should reduce performance to avoid the risk of fire. |
| C．They have gained an advantage over gas-powered ones now. |
| D．They need technology improvement in batteries’ performance. |
| A．By showing lab data online. |
| B．By testing the battery capacity on site. |
| C．By challenging the previous range record. |
| D．By displaying the working principles of electric cars. |
| A．Dismissive. | B．Objective. | C．Doubtful. | D．Positive. |
In Britain, there is a constant debate about the relevance(相关性) of the royal family to modern British society. However, Windsor (the family name of the British Royal Family) and Middleton have been seen to represent a more modern, forward-looking nation.
Nigel Baker, the British ambassador to Bolivia, believes that the royal wedding is “about modern Britain”. “The estimated 2 billion spectators across the world will see that Britain is one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse nations in the world, home to 270 nationalities speaking 300 different languages, founded on tolerance and respect for difference,” wrote Baker on his blog.
According to Baker, the wedding could help viewers to see “why Britain is one of the most dynamic and creative countries in the world”: The television on which most people watched the event was invented by John Logie Baird, a Briton, and the World Wide Web that broadcast the event to millions more was invented by another Briton, Tim Berners-Lee.
The guests who attended the wedding ceremony gave more than a few clues as to the nature of modern Britain. David and Victoria Beckham represent Britain’s obsession (着迷)with football and celebrity.
Leaders from different religious backgrounds supported Baker’s comments on the multicultural nature of modern British society.
Before the wedding, David Elliott, arts director of the British Council China, agreed that the wedding would be a showcase for modern Britain: “I think, and hope, that it (modern British influence) would be values like openness, multiculturalism, creativity, sense of humor and the traditional British sense of fair play,” he said.
Furthermore, events such as the Olympics in London in 2012 may also increase people’s sense of Britishness.
According to a poll published in Daily Telegraph, more than a third of people in the UK admitted they felt “very British” when watching the Olympics.
1. . What is the point of the article?
| A．To introduce Prince William’s wedding arrangements in detail. |
| B．To comment on the significance of the royal wedding. |
| C．To question the relevance of the royal family in modern British society. |
| D．To explain why the royal wedding is linked with the 2012 Olympics. |
| A．Some say that the royal wedding is a reflection on modern Britain.B Some think the royal wedding shows Britain’s multiculturalism and sense of fair play. | B．About 2 billion people across the world will see the wedding ceremony online. |
| C．Britons are obsessed with football due to the influence of David Beckham. | |
| A．To inform readers about some well-known British inventors. |
| B．To point to the importance of the World Wide Web for the wedding. |
| C．In support of the idea that Britain is a nation of creative and original people.D. To encourage people to watch the wedding on the Internet. |
| A．have increased the British sense of national identity |
| B．have promoted traditional British values |
| C．represent a more modern Britain |
| D．have encouraged the interest of Britons in Football |
【推荐2】If maths is the language of the universe, bees may have just uttered their first words. New research suggests these busybodies of the insect world are capable of addition and subtraction (减法) — using colors in the place of plus and minus symbols.
In the animal kingdom, the ability to count — or at least distinguish between differing quantities — isn’t unusual: It has been seen in frogs, spiders, and even fish. But solving equations (方程式) using symbols is rare, so far only achieved by famously brainy animals such as chimpanzees and African grey parrots.
Building on previous research that says the social insects can count to four and understand the concept of zero, researchers wanted to test the limits of what their tiny brains can do.
Scientists trained 14 bees to link the colors blue and yellow to addition and subtraction, respectively. They placed the bees at the entrance of a Y-shaped maze (迷宫), where they were shown several shapes in either yellow or blue. If the shapes were blue, bees got a reward if they went to the end of the maze with one more blue shape (the other end had one less blue shape); if the shapes were yellow, they got a reward if they went to the end of the maze with one less yellow shape.
The testing worked the same way: Bees that “subtracted” one shape when they saw yellow, or “added” one shape when they saw blue were considered to have aced the test. The bees got the right answer 63% to 72% of the time, depending on the type of equation and the direction of the right answer — much better than random guesses would allow—the researchers report today in Science Advances.
Though the results came from just 14 bees, researchers say the advance is exciting. If a brain about 20,000 times smaller than ours can perform maths using symbols, it could pave the way to novel approaches in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Just don’t ask the bees to do your homework anytime soon.
1. Why do the scientists conduct the research?| A．To teach them maths. | B．To test the power of tiny brains. |
| C．To explain the meaning of colors. | D．To get access to machine learning. |
| A．Given up. | B．Entered for. |
| C．Got through. | D．Checked over. |
| A．Language acquisition. | B．Arithmetic learning. |
| C．Protection of animals. | D．Development of AI. |
| A．Bees “Like” Counting |
| B．Bees “Tell” Colors Apart |
| C．Bees “Perform” Maths Using Shapes |
| D．Bees “Get” Addition and Subtraction |
【推荐3】Robots have certain advantages compared to humans: They are efficient, tireless, can be repaired when damaged and they never get sick. This last trait has made them the star during our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. While hundreds of thousands of medical workers have fallen ill dealing with this highly infectious virus and a lot more are forced to stay at home for fear of getting the disease, this isn’t a problem for robots.
This is why the COVID-19 outbreak is seen as the “tipping point”---noted The Independent Science reporter Anthony Cuthbertson---for robots to start to replace humans in certain jobs.
In areas like hospitals and healthcare facilities, robots are used to perform high-risk tasks. In China, for example, a hotel in Hangzhou employed a robot named “Little Peanut” to deliver food to people under quarantine（隔离期）. In Spain, robots are about to be used to test people for the coronavirus. Ultraviolet-light-disinfection (紫外线消毒) robots are also being widely used to clean hospital corridors and wards.
“Hospitals around the world are waking up to autonomous disinfection,” Per Juul Nielsen, CEO of Denmark’s UVD Robots, a leading company manufacturing disinfection robots, told Forbes. “We can’t build these robots fast enough.”
In non-medical companies, robots are also replacing human employees since they don’t have the problem of social distancing and will never take sick leave. Walmart and Amazon, for example, where robots are already used in sorting, packing and shipping, are planning to increase the number of robots in their facilities. Fast-food chains like McDonald’s are not only delivering food with robots in some areas, but also looking to use them as cooks and servers.
According to futurist Martin Ford, using more robots than human employees can prove to be rewarding for companies---even when the pandemic is over. “People will prefer to go to a place that has fewer workers and more machines because they feel they can lower overall risk,” Ford told the BBC.
But this sudden surge (激增) in robot demand doesn’t mean that they triumph over humans in every aspect. According to Bill Smart, a roboticist at Oregon State University, the human contact between doctors and patients is still important. Doctors comfort the patients and guide them through hard decisions while robots are only doing routine tasks, like cleaning and giving tests, just to free up doctors and nurses.
It might be true that robots have certain advantages over humans, but they are still secondary to human interaction.
1. What is the text mainly about?| A．The advantages of robots compared to humans. |
| B．Different views toward applying robots to fight COVID-19. |
| C．Why the COVID-19 outbreak has fueled robot demand. |
| D．The important role humans play in certain areas. |
| A．They can be repaired when damaged. |
| B．They test people for coronavirus more precisely. |
| C．They never get tired and can replace doctors and nurses. |
| D．They are not vulnerable to the coronavirus. |
| A．Its benefits are appealing and lasting. |
| B．Machines are less disturbing than humans. |
| C．It poses a threat to human employment. |
| D．There are some risks with the use of robots. |
| A．The demand for robots is too great to meet. |
| B．Human interaction is essential in some areas. |
| C．Doctors can make more accurate judgments than robots. |
| D．Robots need updating to improve contact with humans. |
