1 . We often hear friends ask why they should read fiction. There is so much to learn from history, from what is going on at the frontiers of science, and from contemporary studies of human behavior. Why should they spend their scarce "free time" reading fiction, the purpose of which, at best, is only entertainment?
We are disappointed about such comments. Yes, we respond, we do find pleasure in reading fiction. But we also learn much about how to best live our lives in ways that can only be captured by fiction. We recognize that some novels are entertaining, but leave no lasting impression. What makes a novel more than entertainment?
Our answer is that we don't just read great books - they read us as well. The human condition is complex and contradictory, layered like an ice-cream dessert, with flavors mixed among the layers. A great novel reflects that complexity. We may read it several times, as we do with our favorites, and each time it is like finding an old friend and gaining new insights from that friend. We put it down with new understandings of the world around us and, most important, of ourselves.
Let's look at the novel Frankenstein, written in 1818 by Mary Shelley. Frankenstein is not the monster, but a young man seeking out the secrets of the universe. He collects body parts and charges it with life. When the dull yellow eyes open, however, Frankenstein, shocked by what he has done, abandons the creature, which ultimately kills Frankenstein's brother, his bride, and his best friend.
On one level, Frankenstein is entertaining - a good horror story, though a little dated. But Shelley writes more than just that. On a deeper level, her book forces us to ask whether humans reach too far to gain knowledge that is as forbidden as the fruit of the Garden of Eden. This theme, as old as the legend of Prometheus （普罗米修斯），dominates Frankenstein. Shelley, of course, knew nothing of genetic （遗传的）engineering that happens today. She was deeply troubled by what human beings might discover about themselves, and the effects of those discoveries on society. Our reading of great literature can also be enriched by understanding the author's personal interests and anxieties.
1. How does the author feel about fiction reading?| A．It is a window to a whole new world. |
| B．It helps us discover the frontiers of science. |
| C．It offers insight into how to live best lives. |
| D．It holds some clues to understanding our memory. |
| A．Because they deserve reading several times. |
| B．Because they lead us to a rich and colorful life. |
| C．Because they explore humans' complex reality. |
| D．Because they improve the writer-reader relationship. |
| A．It is based on a grand theme. |
| B．It is a record of a historic event. |
| C．It is merely a great horror story. |
| D．It is about the legend of Prometheus. |
| A．Why should we read fiction? |
| B．Can novel reading last long? |
| C．Read for fun or read for none? |
| D．Is Frankenstein really entertaining? |
2 . Pre-College Program Courses
The Harvard Pre-College Program will be hosting all courses online for Summer 2021. To encourage interactive learning, class sizes are small and typically range from 12 to 18 students. In this collegial setting, you will practice the art of healthy debates, learn to communicate clearly on complex topics, and deliver presentations on your own research, all under the guidance of Harvard instructors for a true Ivy League experience. At the end of the program, you will receive a written evaluation from your instructor, as well as a Harvard transcript with a grade of AR or NM （"requirements met" or "requirements not met"）. Please note: You need to attend every online class in its entirety to receive a passing grade of "Met All Requirements".
Course: Care in Critical Times
• Jul 5 —Aug 16, Mon. to Thurs., 8:30 — 11:00 am
• Andrea Wright
What is care? How can and do communities encourage care as a tool for building healing, and hope? This course requires students to not only ask how they might engage in caring acts with their own communities, but to complete a locally based community project that brings care.
Course: Introduction to neuroscience
• Jul 7 — Jul 25, Wed. to Fri., Noon — 3:00 pm
• Grace Francis
This course is an introduction to the nervous system, with emphasis on the structure and function of the human brain.
Course: College Writing
• Jul 1 — Jul 22, Thurs. to Sat., 8:00 — 11:30 am
• Martin T. Greenup
This course introduces students to college writing by taking them through the steps required to complete a five — page analytic essay. Students read a range of classic and contemporary short stories, and develop strategies for careful close reading via class discussion and in-class exercises.
Course: The Economics of Cities
• Jun 17 — Jul 29, Sun. to Thurs., 3:15 — 6:15 pm
• Thomas Shay Hill
What causes cities to grow, and what limits their growth? What are the costs of urban living, and how can they be overcome? We examine a range of major urban issues from an economic view: traffic and transportation; water, public health and the role of cities in generating economic growth and technological innovation.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To offer an overview of the program. |
| B．To introduce the program instructors. |
| C．To present the contents of the guidance. |
| D．To explain the requirements of the courses. |
| A．Care in Critical Times. | B．College Writing. |
| C．Introduction to neuroscience. | D．The Economics of Cities. |
| A．Andrea Wright's. | B．Grace Francis's. |
| C．Martin T. Greenup's. | D．Thomas Shay Hill's. |
3 . Galaxy saw a man and a woman who communicated with sign language at the train station when she was on the way home one evening. She noticed that the woman was asking the man for direction. He told her that he did not know. Galaxy decided to help them. She had learned sign language when she served as a volunteer in the deaf and mute (聋哑的) school. Then she showed the woman the direction and left her email address to them in case they needed her help later.
She received an email from that man the next day. Kazrim was his name. Galaxy replied his mail sincerely. They both started chatting online soon after and began seeing each other. Although they only communicated with the sign language, it never bothered her.
Galaxy grew fond of him gradually. Obviously, Kazrim was the same too. He presented Galaxy with a bunch of sunflowers and asked her sincerely, “Are you willing to be my girlfriend? Galaxy was pleasantly surprised. She requested him to give her some time to persuade her parents. As she had expected, her parents were furious after they had learned of their love story. Galaxy explained, “Kazrim is an excellent and a very optimistic person. He has a very positive attitude towards life and work. He cares for others always. He is 100% better than the normal. Moreover, the mute is still a human. He should have a perfect and wonderful love.”
Her parents asked to see him then. The very worried Galaxy took Kazrim home a few days later. When they were on the train, Kazrim told her, “I'm going to tell your parents that I'll be looking after you well with all my life!” Galaxy was deeply moved. As soon as they had entered the house, Galaxy introduced him to her parents. She said, “This is Kazrim.” Just right after her speech, an unbelievable thing happened. Kazrim threw the gift away and held her in his arms tightly. He said. “You CAN talk?” It was the same question that Galaxy wanted to ask, too. The four people were shocked all of a sudden. As a matter of fact, Kazrim always believed that Galaxy was a mute and he still fell in love with her deeply.
1. How did Galaxy and Kazrim get to know each other?| A．They were introduced to each other |
| B．They met each other by chance. |
| C．They once studied at the same university. |
| D．They both served in a special needs school. |
| A．Writing words on paper. |
| B．Using sign language. |
| C．Judging from his expression. |
| D．Speaking her native language. |
| A．Very curious. | B．Deeply moved. | C．Extremely angry. | D．Pretty disappointed. |
| A．To have a talk with Kazrim. | B．To prepare for her marriage. |
| C．To treat Kazrim as a normal person. | D．To accept Kazrim as her boyfriend. |
| A．They fell in love at the first sight. |
| B．They cheated each other to win love. |
| C．They mistook each other for being mutes. |
| D．They ignored the anger of Galaxy's parents. |
4 . Scientists are urging that deep sea metal mining should be stopped temporarily. They warn in a report that it can cause severe damaging effects on Pacific Ocean areas.
The recently-released report examined more than 250 published studies on deep-sea mining. The research was examined by the Deep Sea Mining Campaign — a collection of not-for profit organizations. The report centers on mining activities related to small metallic particles(金属颗粒)，called nodules, found on the seabed. The material can contain different metals. Increasing demand for these metals has led to a rise in deep-sea mining operations. The metals are commonly used in battery manufacturing and other technology products.
However, the scientists warn that mining for these nodules will cause irreversible(不可逆的) damage to an ocean already under pressure. The operations will affect areas across the South Pacific, including the nations of Kiribati, the Cook Islands, Nauru, Tonga and Papua New Guinea.
The report notes that a moratorium is the only responsible way to move forward until certain conditions surrounding deep-sea mining can be met. The scientists are calling for additional study to fully understand the environmental, social and economic risks.
Andrew Chin is the report's lead researcher. He says in a statement that nodule mining will likely result in the loss of sea life and cause damage to deep seabeds for thousands of years. He adds that the operations can put people at risk who depend on the ocean and its continued health.
A company planning to be one of the first to carry out mining operations in the area is Canada's DeepGreen, which aims to begin by 2024. It seeks to mine metallic nodules to be used in power systems for electric vehicles. DeepGreen Chief Executive Officer Gerard Barron defended the company's plans in reaction to the report. He said deep-sea mining offered the best alternative to surface mining, which has long history of pollution and destroying forests and wildlife.
1. Why are deep-sea mining operations on the rise?| A．More metals are needed. | B．Surface mining is banned. |
| C．Battery industry is falling. | D．The seabed is easy to find. |
| A．Loose measure. | B．Thorough study. |
| C．Permanent deal. | D．Temporary stop. |
| A．Conditions surrounding deep-sea mining are great. |
| B．The damage caused by nodule mining is reversible. |
| C．Nodule mining can cause harm in various aspects. |
| D．People sure less likely to be affected by nodule mining, |
| A．Opposed. | B．Supportive. |
| C．Ambiguous. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．introduce a new mining technology |
| B．inspire deep-sea mining |
| C．draw attention to environmental protecting |
| D．call on the stop of mining in the sea |
5 . Scientists are urging that deep sea metal mining should be stopped temporarily. They warn in a report that it can cause severe and damaging effects on Pacific Ocean areas.
The recently-released report examined more than 250 published studies on deep Sea mining. The research was examined by the Deep Sea Mining Campaign——a collection of not-for profit organizations. The report centers on mining activities related to small metallic particles(颗粒; 微粒), called nodules, found on the seabed. The material can contain different metals. Increasing demand for these metals has led to a rise in deep-sea mining operations. The metals are commonly used in battery manufacturing(制造) and other technology products.
However, the scientists warn that mining for these nodules will cause irreversible（无法复原的）damage to an ocean already under pressure. The operations will affect areas across the South Pacific, including the nations of Kiribati, the Cook Islands, Nauru, Tonga and Papua New Guinea.
The report notes that a moratorium is the only responsible way to move forward until certain conditions surrounding deep-sea mining can be met. The scientists are calling for additional study to fully understand the environmental, social and economic risks.
Andrew Chin is the report’s lead researcher. He says in a statement that nodule mining will likely result in the loss of sea life and cause damage to deep seabeds for thousands of years. He adds that the operations can put people at risk who depend on the ocean and its continued health.
A company planning to be one of the first to carry out mining operations in the area is Canada’s Deep Green, which aims to begin by 2024. It seeks to mine metallic nodules to be used in power systems for electric vehicles. Deep Green Chief Executive Officer Gerard Barron defended the company’s plans in reaction to the report. He said deep-sea mining offered the best replacement for surface mining, which has a long history of pollution and destroying forests and wildlife.
1. Why are deep-sea mining operations on the rise?| A．More metals are needed. | B．Surface mining is banned, |
| C．Battery industry is falling. | D．The seabed is easy to find, |
| A．Loose measure. | B．Thorough study. |
| C．Temporary stop. | D．Permanent deal. |
| A．Conditions surrounding deep-sea mining are great. |
| B．The damage caused by nodule mining is reversible. |
| C．Nodule mining can cause harm in various aspects. |
| D．People are less likely to be affected by nodule mining. |
| A．scientists | B．Deep Sea Mining Campaign |
| C．Andrew Chin | D．Gerard Barron |
6 . Modern technology has a strong influence on many things we do. In fact, technology is shaping almost every part of our day-to-day existence, including education. Ashok Goel is a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Every term over 300 graduate students take his class on artificial intelligence (AI). The students never meet in person. All of the classes take place online through a website.
Having hundreds of students in a class means Ashok Goel has to answer thousands of questions. He has eight teaching assistants to help him. But even that is not enough to give all the students the help they need. So, in January, he decided to try an experiment. At the start of the spring 2016 semester, he added a new member to his teaching team: Jill Watson. She was able to answer questions faster than most other teaching assistants. And she was available 24 hours a day. It was only at the end of the semester that Goel’s students learned Watson’s secret: she was not a real person. Jill Watson is an AI computer program. Goel said only two students came close to predicting Watson’s true identity. He was worried about telling his students because he thought they would not like being part of the experiment. But once they learned Watson’s identity, they became very excited. “Then, you know what happened? They not only asked that question about Jill, ‘Is she an AI?’ Once the identity of Jill was revealed they also asked if I was an AI.”
Goel now uses Watson in two other classes, but still does not tell his students which of his teaching assistants is a computer program. He hopes this technology will make it easier for teachers to create their own programs to use in and outside the classroom.
1. How does Goel give his students help?| A．Through the Internet. |
| B．By writing to them. |
| C．By face-to-face teaching. |
| D．Through books. |
| A．Because some questions were difficult to answer. |
| B．Because it was hard to satisfy students’ need. |
| C．Because it was too tired to answer those questions. |
| D．Because he wanted to improve students’ self-study ability. |
| A．Surprised. | B．Indifferent. | C．Excited. | D．Shocked. |
| A．Technology Makes Education Easier |
| B．Ashok Goel, a Professor Shaping Education |
| C．Jill Watson: an Excellent Teaching Assistant |
| D．The Internet Has a Strong Impact on Our Life |
7 . On New Year’s Eve
At midnight on New Year’s Eve, people in Rome, Italy, throw out all the things they no longer want. The streets are filled with old chairs, beds, clothes and dishes. In Madrid, Spain, the new year comes in more quietly. People flock to the main square. Each holds a bag of grapes. As the clock strikes twelve, the people eat the grapes— one for each stroke.
In Tokyo people eat noodles on New Year’s Eve. This food is said to bring long life. Early the next morning, some Japanese families climb Mount Fuji. There they watch the first sunrise of the new year.
In china, New Year’s food include a whole fish and a chicken.The chicken must be presented with a head,tail and two feet to symbolize（象征）completeness.
1. This story is about New Year’s Eve in ________.| A．Italy and Spain | B．China and Japan | C．Japan | D．both A and C |
| A．Throwing everything | B．playing games |
| C．eating some special food | D．drinking coke |
| A．are Spanish | B．are Japanese | C．are Chinese | D．are Italians |
| A．grapes | B．noodles | C．fish and chicken | D．a whole fish and a chicken |
8 . The food we eat seems to have a great effect on our health. Although science has made big steps in making food more fit to eat, it has, at the same time, made many foods unfit to eat. Some research has shown that perhaps eighty percent of human illness is related to food and forty percent of cancer is related to food as well. That food is related to illness is not a new discovery. In 1945, some researchers realized that things commonly used to keep colour in meats and other food additives（添加剂）caused cancer.
Yet, these additives remain in our food, and it is difficult to know which things on the wrappings（包装）of foods are helpful or harmful. The additives which we eat are not all so direct. Farmers often give penicillin to their animals, and because of this, penicillin has been found in the milk of cows. Sometimes similar tings are supplied to animals not for their health, but just to make a profit.
The farmers are simply trying to fatten the animals in order to get a higher price on the market. Although some countries have tried to control such things, the practice continues.
1. According to this passage, we can know________.| A．perhaps most of human illness is caused by what we eat |
| B．perhaps most kinds of cancer are related to what people eat |
| C．cancer was discovered in 1945 |
| D．science has made food unfit to eat |
| A．harmful | B．useless | C．helpless | D．dangerous |
| A．are bright and colourless | B．are not bright and colourful |
| C．have indirect effects on our health | D．have direct effects on our health |
| A．to make food more unfit to eat | B．to improve the colour and taste of the food |
| C．to change colour of the food | D．to take off the disease of the food. |
9 . When a close friend dies, it often forces you to consider your own death. The more you have in common with the friend, the more his death will make you wonder about your own. Sometimes you will naturally say to yourself, "It could just as easily have been me." Such a death has a way of reminding us how fragile life is, and it may cause you to reassess(重新评价)the direction of your own life.
Jack's story is a good example. A successful businessman making a lot of money, Jack didn't spend as much time with his family as he wanted. His job required him to work long hours. But three years ago one of his best friends, a man who worked in the same office, had a heart attack. He died while celebrating his daughter’s eighteenth birthday in a restaurant. He was only fifty years old.
Not long after his friend's death, Jack started to have a chest pain. Finally he had a good physical check-up. He received a clean bill of health. But the chest pain continued. He kept thinking of the death of his friend. Jack thought about how much his friend missed in life and he saw how hard it was for his friend's family to manage after he passed away.
Jack realized that he didn't want to end up his life that way. He talked his feelings over with his wife and children, and decided to change his way of life. The family moved to a small town where he started a simple life. Now he is running a small art gallery（画廊）. He is relaxed, and says he has never been so happy in his life, and he has got no more chest pain.
1. Your close friend's death is ________ to you.| A．a warning | B．common | C．a direction of life | D．an example |
| A．The doctor didn't write a word on his bill |
| B．The doctor didn't want Jack to pay for the bill |
| C．The doctor didn't find anything wrong with him |
| D．The doctor didn't want to treat his pain |
| A．lose much interest in life | B．realize that he missed the friend very much |
| C．doubt his way of life | D．ill for some time |
| A．earns less money | B．gets more time |
| C．has a happier life | D．does all these mentioned above |
10 . When there are some strangers in front of us, which of them will we trust?
According to a new study in the online PLOS One, people make their decisions to trust others largely based on their faces. Your appearance can do a lot for you, especially if you are in the financial industry. The more trustworthy you look, the more likely people will buy what you're selling.
Researchers from Britain's University of Warwick Business School, University College London, and Dartmouth College, US, did a number of experiments.
The research team used computer software to make 40 faces from the least to the most trustworthy-looking.The study said that the difference between a trustworthy face and one that isn't as trustworthy comes from features that look slightly angry or slightly happy, even when the face is at rest. However, a slightly happy face is more likely to be trusted.
Researchers gave participants some money and asked them which face they trusted to invest the money for them. Then researchers gave some good and bad information about the people with these faces, and asked the participants again whom they trusted. The results showed that even if they got different information, the participants didn't change their choices. They were still more likely to invest their money with the more trustworthy-looking faces.
Chris Olivola, one of the study's authors, said in the University of Warwick's press release: "It seems we are still willing to go with our own instincts about whether we think someone looks like we can trust them."
1. According to the study, which of the following faces is most likely to be trusted?| A．A slightly smiling face. | B．A disappointed face. |
| C．An embarrassed face. | D．A nervous face. |
| A．The trustworthy faces were given good information. |
| B．Researchers took photos of the 40 people's faces in colleges. |
| C．Participants liked to choose the faces with good information. |
| D．Most participants gave their money to the trustworthy-looking faces. |
| A．Opinions that grow out of social practice. |
| B．Judgments that are easily changed by others. |
| C．Good information that are given by people around. |
| D．Feelings rather than opinions or ideas based on facts. |
| A．Why people trust a stranger with good appearance. |
| B．People usually judge strangers according to their faces. |
| C．How different information affects people's decisions. |
| D．Why the research team carried out the experiment. |
