Rumors(谣言):we’ve all heard some and we’ve all spread some. In more traditional times they shook entire families. Today, they circulate differently because the way we share information has also changed.
The fact is that rumors have great potential to upset things, whether socially or personally. We don’t enjoy being on the receiving end of one, since they usually don’t have good intentions. They are somewhat veiled(掩饰的) messages.
Normally rumors are oral messages: word of mouth. The paradox(自相矛盾) is that there is no evidence to support rumors, but the more people share it, the more they see it as true. To finish defining rumors, we think that they follow certain very clear laws. Secrecy:The source is unknown. There is also a proven phenomenon that human beings usually forget the source of a message before they forget its content. Certainty: We hardly question rumors simply because of the mental effort involved. On the other hand, no one likes to doubt a person who convinces us that the information they spread is true. Change: It acts like a tree. New rumors branch out to fill in the gaps left by the initial rumor.
Another property of rumors is that they tend to become viral. Each receiver is at the same time a potential transmitter of the information. The receiver often adds their own opinion. Their manner and tone of transmitting it also changes it.
How can we end rumors? The answer is as simple as it is impossible: preventing people from communicating. A more realistic response is equally difficult, although less than the first one. It is that we should be critical of the information we receive. We should ask ourselves if the source is reliable. Ask (if possible) the person you heard it from whether they also trust the information. We should also think about if the rumor benefits someone, and if that someone started the rumor.
One rumor to be especially cautious of is a rumor about groups relatively unable to defend themselves. That’s why we say, “history is always told by the victors.” The first payment the defeated must make is to accept the victor’s version of the story.
1. What’s the author’s attitude towards rumors?| A．Critical. | B．Positive. |
| C．Approving. | D．Cautious. |
| A．We have all heard some and believed them. |
| B．We’re happy to be the receiving end of them. |
| C．They may have negative influence on society. |
| D．They often hide good intentions in the messages. |
| A．Rumors keep changing, just as trees change their color. |
| B．Rumors are deeply rooted in reality, like tree roots in the earth. |
| C．New rumors have gaps, like the space between tree branches. |
| D．New rumors grow out of the original, like branches out of a trunk. |
| A．Something easily spread | B．Something acceptable |
| C．Something easily defended. | D．Something beneficial. |
| A．It is easy to prevent people from spreading rumors. |
| B．People are often active in judging the rumors critically. |
| C．We should think about the hidden message of the rumors. |
| D．Stories told by the victors are usually better worth trusting. |
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Practical tips to stay fit for Spring Festival
The Spring Festival is here and lots of people may not only ruin their usual diets, but also gain a few extra pounds.
Eat before heading out. It is best that you eat something before heading out to visits, trips or family dinners. You will no longer be tempted to eat a lot or overindulge yourself since you have already eaten.
Don’t skip meals, especially breakfast! Even though it can be tempting to skip on certain meals, believing that it will make up for the treats you consumed in the previous day, don’t do it because it will only lead to counterproductive results.
Make the holidays a family affair. Plan outdoor activities where everyone is involved. Even a tour at the shopping mall will burn a lot of calories and keep the children entertained.
You’d better distribute your meals evenly throughout the day, and do not eat everything at once.
These tips will help you avoid gaining weight during the holiday, and will also allow you to enjoy yourself and have a great time with your loved ones. So there you go!
| A．Try to do exercise early in the morning while everyone else is still sleeping. |
| B．Always bear in mind that you can enjoy the holidays and stay fit at the same time. |
| C．Instead of having two enormous meals, have five small ones. |
| D．Based on studies, the majority of people tend to gain additional weight during the holiday season. |
| E．It is best to regulate your drinking. |
| F．Prioritize your workouts and try your best to avoid neglecting meals. |
【推荐2】The world’s first “Sky Pool” has been uncoated-and it’ll give anyone a touch of dizzi-ness, unless he or she is not bothered by heights.
Situated in the capital’s new riverside district beside Battersea Power Station, the glass pool, hanging 10 storeys, or 110 feet up as a bridge between two apartment buildings, is 25m long, 5m wide and 3m deep with a water depth of 1. 2m. Swimmers will be able to look down 35 metres to the street below as they take a dip, with only 20cm of glass between them and the outside world It’s even got a bar, folding chairs and an orange garden.
The pool will be part of Embassy Gardens at Nine Elms, a huge billion building pro-ject beside the new American Embassy in south-west London. The project is creating thou-sands of apartments, the smallest of which are expected to cost nearly $ 1 million, and the pool will only be open to the apartments’ owners.
Embassy Gardens takes design inspiration from the Meatpacking District of New York with floor to ceiling windows and brick frontages. The designer, Sean Mulryan, desired to push the boundaries in the capability of construction and engineering and do something that had never been done before. The Sky Pool’s transparent structure is the result of significant advancements in technologies over the last decade.
The experience of the pool will be truly unique and it will feel like floating through the air in central London.
Those people lucky enough to swim there will have a faultless view of the Palace of West-minster and the London Eye. It will be a selling point for developers when the second stage of the development is released to market.
1. Who can swim in the Sky Pool?| A．Anyone at Nine Elms. | B．Visitors to London. |
| C．People living in Embassy Gardens. | D．Those who are not terrified of heights. |
| A．drinking with friends | B．sitting in the orange garden |
| C．appreciating the London Eye | D．experiencing diving and surfing |
| A．The pool is 25 metres above the ground. |
| B．The pool was similar to New York’s modern constructions. |
| C．The pool lies in the centre of London. |
| D．The pool is helpful for selling apartments in Embassy Gardens. |
| A．The apartments of Embassy Garden are fairly expensive |
| B．the new American Embassy has been moved away |
| C．Nine Elms is a street in Embassy Gardens |
| D．building the pool is not a complex job |
【推荐3】How to Remember the Future
One of the trickiest recall tasks is called prospective memory: remembering what you want or need to do, in time to do it.
Diaries and alarms help, but your imagination plays a vital role in holding onto brief thoughts and keeping you in control of your future plans. For example, don’t just have an idea about going to the bank.
But that’s only the beginning. This process allows you to do much more than just reminding yourself to do things.
Here are some tips:
●Experiment to see if you prefer viewing this “mental movie” through your own eyes, or by watching yourself from someone else’s point of view.
●
●Use your full range of senses.
| A．Control the time frame. |
| B．Minimize all the feelings. |
| C．You can use it to do them better so try it now. |
| D．Engaging them all will create a rich, multi-dimensional memory. |
| E．Paint a mental picture of yourself there and actively make it memorable. |
| F．Pick an important event around the corner: a driving test or a public speech. |
| G．The reason it often fails is that we have an idea in mind but don’t make it into a memory. |
【推荐1】That children are the hopes of our tomorrow is statement that is repeated time and again. And it is an axiom(格言); they are our pillars of the coming time. But then do we train them into becoming healthy human beings?
Healthy human beings here are not meant the physical well being, but the good human being, that is, one with virtues and values keeps them in the state of working towards the benefit of humanity.
How can children absorb within themselves the virtues and values? Well, this is the primary responsibility of parents and other immediate family members, followed by school authorities. The values and virtues of an individual is sown in their childhood and as they grow up.
Depending on the way we bring up our children, we decide our own future. It is vital that in the formative years we give them quality time and attention. We teach them to discriminate between the good, bad and the ugly. We have to teach them use positive emotive like love and compassion and teach them actions of kindness and generosity. At the same time we have to help them do away with the negatives of hatred, anger, jealousy, selfishness, etc.
Your child is like a plant. You sow the seeds and also reap the benefits of its growth and development. First and foremost you as a parent have to realize your responsibility in nurturing a child to grow into a good human being. And it is just not up to anyone of the parents, but both together to inculcate(谆谆教诲)the values and virtues into your child.
1. What should a good human being have?| A．A good physical state | B．A good virtue or value |
| C．A good career in society | D．A powerful relationship net |
| A．Safety sense | B．Lifestyle sense |
| C．Transportation sense | D．Responsibility sense |
| A．Family parents | B．Child experts |
| C．Health researchers | D．Primary school teachers |
| A．Children are parents’ hope |
| B．Educating children is a tough thing |
| C．Parents take responsibilities for educating children |
| D．Parents have trouble in educating children |
【推荐2】Most of us are already aware of the direct effect we have on our friends and family. But we rarely consider that everything we think, feel, do, or say can spread far beyond the people we know. Conversely(相反地), our friends and family serve as conduits(渠道) for us to be influenced by hundreds or even thousands of other people. In a kind of social chain reaction, we can be deeply affected by events we do not witness that happen to people we do not know. As part of a social network, we go beyond ourselves, for good or ill, and become a part of something much larger.
Our connectedness carries with it fundamental implications(影响) for the way we understand the human condition. Social networks have value precisely because they can help us to achieve what we could not achieve on our own. Yet, socialnetwork effects are not always positive. Depression, obesity, financial panic, and violence also spread. Social networks, it turns out, tend to magnify(放大) whatever they are seeded with.
Partly for this reason, social networks are creative. And what these networks create does not belong to any one individual—it is shared by all those in the network. In this way, a social network is like a commonly owned forest: We all stand to benefit from it, but we also must work together to ensure it remains healthy and productive. While social networks are fundamentally and distinctively human, and can be seen everywhere, they should not be taken for granted.
If you are happier or richer or healthier than others, it may have a lot to do with where you happen to be in the network, even if you cannot recognize your own location. And it may have a lot to do with the overall structure of the network, even if you cannot control that structure at all. And in some cases, the process feeds back to the network itself. A person with many friends may become rich and then attract even more friends. This richgetricher dynamic means social networks can dramatically reinforce two different kinds of inequality in our society: situational inequality and positional inequality.
Lawmakers have not yet considered the consequences of positional inequality. Still, understanding the way we are connected is an essential step in creating a more just society and in carrying out public policies affecting everything from public health to the economy. We might be better off vaccinating(接种疫苗) centrally located individuals rather than weak individuals. We might be better off helping interconnected groups of people to avoid criminal behaviour rather than preventing or punishing crimes one at a time.
If we want to understand how society works, we need to fill in the missing links between individuals. We need to understand how interconnections and interactions between people give rise to wholly new aspects of human experience that are not present in the individuals themselves. If we do not understand social networks, we cannot hope to fully understand either ourselves or the world we inhabit.
1. Why is a social network like a commonly owned forest?| A．It remains healthy and productive. |
| B．What it creates can be enjoyed by everyone in the network. |
| C．It is creative and shared by people in the whole society. |
| D．It tends to magnify negative things. |
| A．whether we are richer depends on the number of friends we make |
| B．the wealth we possess has nothing to do with individual continuous efforts |
| C．sometimes our success may be largely due to our position in social networks |
| D．we won't succeed unless we fully control the overall structure of the network |
| A．To introduce the characteristics of social networks. |
| B．To urge people to understand how our society works. |
| C．To show the significance of understanding social networks. |
| D．To explain the possible consequences of ignoring social networks. |
| A．We can't be easily affected by strangers. |
| B．We have negative effects on other social members. |
| C．We are connected and form a social network. |
| D．We will not make a difference in a specific group. |
【推荐3】Recently, a new law in Arizona requires high school students to pass the United States’ citizenship test. There’re 100 questions on US history and government in the test.
The Joe Foss Institute helped created the law. They want to pass a law in each of the 50 states to require high school student to pass the test.
A 2010 national test showed only about 25 percent of students in their final year of high school had a good understanding of American government. Thirty-six percent did not have even a basic understanding.
“That’s a shame, and it’s not only a shame.” Said John Hale, the Associate Director of the Center for Civic Education California. Mr. Hale thinks it is dangerous when citizens do not know or care about how their government works. He says students do not only to learn facts about government. They should also learn how to take part in their communities. “Requiring high school student to take the test might be a way to improve students’ civic behavior,” he says.
But some wonder if a test young people take in high school will make adults more active in their communities.
Sam Stone writes reports for the Joe Foss Institute. He says research shows that civic education does result in more involved adults. He noted a 2012 survey found that the more young people studied civics in high school, the more likely they were to get actively involved in their communities.
In another state, Virginia, many people are against the test. Meg Gruver is the president of the Virginia Education Association. She says students already take classes in civics and US history. And, she says, schools should not have to pay more for the test.
Sam Stone agrees. He says his organization is paying for an online testing website. Schools can use the website to give the test for free.
1. The US citizen test________.| A．is a required test all over America |
| B．was created by the Joe Foss Institute |
| C．helps students understand America government |
| D．has been included in American law for five years |
| A．How the US government works should not be open to the public. |
| B．It’s a shame that the US government is unpopular with students. |
| C．Community activities outweigh facts about the US government. |
| D．The US citizenship test will be good for students and society |
| A．was different from Sam Stone’s findings |
| B．showed civics helped students become more active citizen |
| C．showed it was hard for more young people to pass the civics test |
| D．showed students were as interested as adults in their government |
| A．Uninteresting | B．Unsatisfying |
| C．Acceptable | D．Fair |
【推荐1】Victor Frankl, the author of Mans Search for Meaning, once wrote, “Everything can be taken from a person but one thing: the last of human freedoms-to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances. Frankl was right. Attitude is a choice. You could be faced with a thousand problems, many or most over which you have absolutely no control. However, there is always one thing you are in complete and absolute control of and that is your own attitude.
To be honest, it wasn’t until I was in my late 20s that I finally understood its full impact. All through my teens and into my early adult life, I can’t tell you the number of times that I heard, “Bob, if you’d just change your attitude, you would do a lot better.”At that time, I didn’t know what attitude was, let alone know how to change it!
Attitude and results are inseparable. They follow one another as night follows day. One is the cause, while the other, the result. There is a term we use to distinguish this “cause and effect” relationship, which is called The Law of Cause and Effect. Simply stated, if you think in negative terms, you will get negative results; if you think in positive terms, you will achieve positive results. Some people always see wrong things in the world. These individuals are quick to blame circumstances or other people for their problems, rather than accepting responsibility for their life and their attitude. Thus, it would appear as if they were born with bad luck and it has followed them around their whole life. However, there are others who are forever winning and living the good life. They are the real movers and shakers who make things happen. They seem to go from one major accomplishment to another. They’re in control of their life. Their wins are a matter of choice.
You can experience that kind of life as well, you only need to decide. Dorothea Brand once said, “Act as if it were impossible to fail,” and I challenge you to do so. By simply becoming aware that you can choose your thoughts each and every day, you will change your entire outlook. You have the power to choose an abundant life no matter what your circumstances are. Don’t wait to experience all the wonderful things the universe has in store for you. Start today by working on your attitude and welcome the abundant life that you are meant to lead.
1. What’s the main idea of Paragraph 1?| A．Freedom is the last thing we can control. | B．Most problems in life are in our control. |
| C．A man can lose anything but freedom. | D．We can choose our attitude at any time. |
| A．To show attitude is important to the old. | B．To prove attitude changes on its own. |
| C．To show understanding attitude takes time. | D．To prove the author was very stubborn. |
| A．Understand what causes a good attitude. | B．Know the benefit of choosing active attitude. |
| C．Analyze the effect of a negative attitude. | D．Understand “cause and effect”relationship better. |
| A．Attitude is human freedom. | B．Winnings is a matter of control. |
| C．Attitude and results are separable. | D．Success begins with positive attitude. |
【推荐2】The Nobles are the originals, of course. Alfred Nobel, the man who invented deadly explosives, decided to try and do something good with all the money he earned, and gave prizes to people who made progress in literature, science, economics and-- perhaps most importantly--peace.
Not all rewards are as noble as the Nobles. Even though most countries have a system of recognizing, honoring and rewarding people who have done something good in their countries, there are now hundreds of awards and award ceremonies for all kinds of thing.
The Oscars are probably the most famous, a time for the (mostly) American film industry to tell itself how good it is and an annual opportunity for lots big stars to give each other awards and make tearful speeches. As well as that there are also the Golden Globes, evidently for the same thing.
But it’s not only films -- there are also Grammies Brits. the Mercury prize and the mtv for music. In Britain. a writer who wins the Booker Prize can expect to see their difficult, literary novel hit the bestseller lists and compete with the Da Vinci Code for popularity. The Turner Prize is an award for British contemporary artists -- each year it causes controversy by apparently giving lots of money to artists who do things like displaying their beds, putting animals in glass cases or -- this year -- building a garden shed.
Awards don’ only exist for arts. There are now awards for Sports Personality of the Year, for European Footballer of the Year and World Footballer of the Year. This seems very strange -- sometimes awards can be good to give recognition to people who deserve it, or to help people who don’t make a lot of money carry on their work without worrying about finances, but professional soccer players these days certainly aren’t short of cash!
Many small towns and communities all over the world also have their own award ceremonies, for local writers or artists, or just for people who have graduated from high school or, got a university degree. Even the British Council has its own awards for “Innovation in English Language Teaching”.
Why have all these awards and ceremonies appeared recently? Shakespeare never won a prize, nor did Leonardo Da Vinci or Adam Smith or Charles Dickens.
It would be possible to say, however, that in the past, scientists and artists could win “patronage” form rich people -- a king or lord would give the artists or scientists money to have them paint their palaces or help them develop new ways of making money. With the change in social systems across the world, this no longer happens. A lot of scientific research is now either funded by the state or by private companies.
Perhaps award ceremonies are just the most recent phase of this process.
However, there is more to it than that. When a film wins an Oscar, many more people will go and see it, or buy the DVD. When a writer wins the Nobel Prize, many more people buy their books. When a group win s the/MTV awards, the ceremony is seen by hundreds of thousands of people across the world. The result? The group sells lots more records.
Most award ceremonies are now sponsored by big organizations or companies. This means that it is not only the person who wins the award who benefits - but also the sponsors. The MTV awards, for example, are great for publicizing not only music, but also MTV itself!
On the surface, it seems to be a “Win-win” situation, with everyone being happy, but let me ask you a question -- how far do you think that publicity and marketing are winning here, and how much genuine recognition of achievement is taking place?
1. What is the author’s tone when he mentions awards such as the Oscars the Golden Globes and Grammies?| A．Amused | B．Appreciative. |
| C．Sarcastic. | D．Serious. |
| A．They would enjoy a much larger readship. |
| B．They would turn to popular novel writing. |
| C．They would continue non-fiction writing. |
| D．They would try controversial forms of art. |
| A．Awards ceremonies are held for local people. |
| B．Awards ceremonies are held on important occasions. |
| C．Awards ceremonies are held in certain professions. |
| D．Awards ceremonies are held for all sorts of reasons. |
| A．nature of work | B．personal contact |
| C．source of funding | D．social status |
【推荐3】Everybody, at some point in their lives, has experienced failure. It could be something as simple as not getting the job you wanted, or getting fewer marks even after hard work. But what makes you is not your failure, but how you get back up after being bit.
Once, a young school boy was caught in a fire accident in his school and was assumed that he would not live. His mother was told that he was sure to die, for the terrible fire had destroyed the lower half of his body. Even if he were to survive, he would be lame throughout his life.
But the brave boy did not want to die nor did he want to be lame. Much to the amazement of the doctor, he did survive. But unfortunately from his waist down, he had no motor ability. His thin legs just hung there, lifeless. Eventually he left the hospital. But his determination to walk was unshakable. At home, when he was not in bed, he had to stay in a wheelchair. One day, he threw himself from the chair and pulled himself across the grass, dragging his legs behind him. He reached the fence, raised himself up and then began dragging himself along the fence, firmly determined. He did this every day, with faith in himself that he would be able to walk unaided. With his iron determination, he did develop the ability to stand up, then to walk on and off, then to walk by himself and then to run.
He began to walk to school, and then run to school, to run for the joy of running. Later in college he was on the track team.
In February 1934, in New York City's Madison Square Garden, this young man who was not expected to survive, who would surely never walk, who could never hope to run—this determined young man, Dr. Glenn Cunningham, ran the world's fastest mile.
A good example of the power of positive thinking and faith in one's self, Glenn Cunningham continues to be an inspiration for many, and his story, a brilliant evidence to how one can bounce back even when all difficulties are piled against one, to the degree that death seemed the preferable option.
1. The first paragraph is intended to________.| A．present an argument | B．make preparations for statement |
| C．contradict an argument | D．function as a brief introduction |
| A．Glenn was able to walk with his own great effort. |
| B．Great determination could make a difference to Glenn. |
| C．There was a slim chance that Glenn could survive. |
| D．Glenn could live a normal life with the upper half of his body. |
| A．Glenn took recovery exercise in hospital. |
| B．Glenn inspired people with his moving story. |
| C．Glenn won the first place in Marathon. |
| D．Glenn organized a track team in college. |
| A．Believe in Luck | B．Stand up After Failure |
| C．Go After Dreams | D．Face the Reality |
【推荐1】China will have the most 5G connections of any nation by 2025, according to a new study, while Europe will fall behind Korea, the United States and Japan in terms of 5G penetration (渗透) by that year.
5G is the fifth generation of network technology. It is expected to bring unbelievable speeds to Internet users, with some operations running 10 times faster than on 4G networks. 5G is also expected to unlock the potential in a lot of new services, including artificial intelligence, science of robots, self-driving cars, and the Internet of things.
The GSMA said that China’s three major mobile operators — China Unicom, China Mobile, and China Telecom—are already moving ahead with 5G networks. While most nations will have 5G by updating existing foundations, the study noted that China plans to build part of its 5G networks.
A One of the major distinguishing factors between Chinese mobile operators and those in the rest of the world is the intention to erect the new and independent 5G networks. That is, China is determined to build a completely advanced 5G. The high cost underlines China’s seriousness about paying whatever it takes.
Korea will lead the world in terms of 5G penetration in 2025, when 66 percent of the nation’s total connections will be 5G, according to GSMA. This compares to 50 percent in the US,49 percent in Japan, 36 percent in China, 30 percent in Europe, and a global average of 18 percent. Out of the five economies leading on 5G, Europe will have the lowest participation in 2025, as the area is moving more slowly in having its 5G networks.
1. What will 5G bring?| A．A completely new pattern for daily life. |
| B．Excellent networks and national safety. |
| C．Amazing speeds for public transportation. |
| D．Realizing the potential in many new services. |
| A．It will develop rapidly. | B．It may be lack of government support. |
| C．It will move forward slowly. | D．It may fall behind Europe. |
| A．bring up. | B．set up. |
| C．turn up. | D．pick up. |
| A．Some Chinese will use 5G in 2025. |
| B．Koreans cannot own 5G in 2025. |
| C．Only five countries will have 5G in 2025. |
| D．Europe will pay little attention to 5G in 2025. |
【推荐2】Literature is an important part of a total language arts program at all grade levels because of the many benefits it offers.
Literature provides pleasure to listeners and readers.It is a relaxing escape from daily problems,and it fills leisure moments.Making time for recreational reading and using high-quality literature help to develop enthusiastic readers and improve achievement.Developing a love of literature as a recreational activity is possibly the most important outcome of a literature program.
Literature builds experience.Through reading,children expand their horizons through vicarious(引起共鸣的)experiences.They visit new places,gain new experiences,and meet new people.They learn about the past as well as the present and learn about a variety of cultures,including their own.They discover the common goals and similar emotions found in people of all times and places. Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Reilly,Giff,a hard survival story,is set in Ireland during the potato hunger of I845,and Patricia Polacco's The Butterfly ,deals with Nazis,resistance,and Jewish persecution(迫害)during World War II.
Literature provides a language model for those who hear and read it.Good literature exposes children to correct sentence patterns,standard story structures,and varied word usage.Children for whom English is a second language can improve their English with the interesting context,and all children benefit from new vocabulary that is woven into the stories.
Literature develops thinking skills.Discussions of literature bring out reasoning related to sequence;cause and effect; character motivation; predictions;visualization of actions, characters, and settings; critical analysis of the story;and creative responses.
Literature helps children deal with their problems.By finding out about the problems of others through books, children receive insights into dealing with their own problems,a process called bibliotherapy. Children might identify with Gilly,living angrily in a foster home in Katherine Paterson's The Great Gilly Hopkins,or with Mary Alice,a city girl forced to live with her grandma in a“hick town"in Richard Peck's A Year Down Yonder.
1. What is likely to be the most significant consequence of a literature program?| A．The habit of reading for pleasure. | B．The lessons learned from works. |
| C．The achievements of language skills. | D．The ways of thinking developed by reading. |
| A．To introduce two great masterpieces.. |
| B．To expand children's horizons in literature. |
| C．To prove literature includes a variety of cultures. |
| D．To give examples of books that provide such experiences. |
| A．educational | B．practical |
| C．changeable | D．reliable |
| A．Power of Books | B．Ways of Reading |
| C．Source of Human Progress | D．Benefits of Literature |
【推荐3】In spring, chickens start laying again, bringing a welcome source of protein at winter's end. So it's no surprise that cultures around the world celebrate spring by honoring the egg.
Some traditions are simple, like the red eggs that get baked into Greek Easter breads. Others elevate the egg into a fancy art, like the heavily jewel-covered "eggs" that were favored by the Russians starting in the 19th century.
One ancient form of egg art comes to us from Ukraine. For centuries, Ukrainians have been drawing complicated patterns on eggs. Contemporary artists have followed this tradition to create eggs that speak to the anxieties of our age: Life is precious, and delicate. Eggs are, too.
"There's something about their delicate nature that appeals to me," says New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast. Several years ago, she became interested in eggs and learned the traditional Ukrainian technique to draw her very modern characters. "I've broken eggs at every stage of the process—from the very beginning to the very, very end. "
But there's an appeal in that vulnerability. "There's part of this sickening horror of knowing you're walking on the edge with this, that I kind of like, knowing that it could all fall apart at any second" Chast's designs, such as a worried man alone in a tiny rowboat, reflect that delicateness.
Traditional Ukrainian decorated eggs also spoke to those fears. The elaborate patterns were believed to offer protection against evil.
"There's an ancient legend that as long as these eggs are made, evil will not prevail in the world," says Joan Brander, a Canadian egg-painter who has been painting eggs for over 60 years, having learned the art from her Ukrainian relatives.
The tradition, dating back to 300 B. C., was later incorporated into the Christian church. The old symbols, however, still endure. A decorated egg with a bird on it, given to a young married couple, is a wish for children. A decorated egg thrown into the field would be a wish for a good harvest.
1. Why do people in many cultures prize the egg?| A．It is a welcome sign of the coming of spring. |
| B．It is their major source of protein in winter. |
| C．It can easily be made into a work of art. |
| D．It can bring wealth and honor to them. |
| A．They are shaped like jewel cases. |
| B．They are cherished by the rich. |
| C．They are heavily painted in red. |
| D．They are favored as a form of art. |
| A．Eggs serve as an enduring symbol of new life. |
| B．Eggs have an oval shape appealing to artists. |
| C．Eggs reflect the anxieties of people today. |
| D．Eggs provide a unique surface to paint on. |
| A．She never knows if the egg will break before the design is completed. |
| B．She can add multiple details to the design to communicate her idea. |
| C．She always derives great pleasure from designing something new. |
| D．She is never sure what the final design will look like until the end. |
