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 . Windows are a key component in a building's design, but they are also the least energy- efficient part. According to a 2009 report by the United Nations, buildings account for 40 percent of global energy usage, and windows are responsible for half of that energy consumption. If conventional windows are used to better block sunlight passing into a building, they need expensive coatings. Even so, they can not adjust the indoor temperature effectively.
Scientists at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU) have developed a smart liquid window panel that can help. By creating a mixture of micro-hydrogel (水凝胶), water, and a stabilizer, they found that it can effectively reduce energy consumption in a variety of climates. Thanks to the hydrogel, the mixture becomes hard-to-see- through when exposed to heat, thus blocking sunlight, and, when cool, it returns to its original clear state. The high heat capacity of water allows a large amount of heat energy to be stored instead of getting transferred through the glass and into the building during the hot daytime when office buildings mainly operate. The heat will then be gradually cooled and released at night when the staff are off duty.
As a proof of concept, the scientists conducted outdoor tests in hot (Singapore, Guangzhou) and cold (Beijing) environments. The Singapore test revealed that the smart liquid window had a lower temperature (50°C) during the hottest time of the day (noon) compared to a normal glass window (84°C), The Beijing tests showed that the room using the smart liquid window consumed 11 percent less energy to maintain the same temperature compared to the room with a normal glass window. They also measured when the highest value of stored heat energy of the day occurred. This "temperature peak" in the normal glass window was 2 pm, and in the smart liquid window was shifted to 3 pm. If this temperature peak shift leads to a shift in the time when a building needs to draw on electrical power to cool or warm the building, it should result in lower energy charges for users. The research team is seeking ways to cut down the cost of producing the smart window and so far, they have found several industry partners to commercialize it.
1. What is the disadvantage of conventional windows?| A．They are expensive. |
| B．They are not heatproof. |
| C．They contribute less to energy saving. |
| D．They can't block light into the building. |
| A．By taking in much of heat energy. |
| B．By returning to its original clear state. |
| C．By getting most of sunlight transferred. |
| D．By spreading sunlight in different directions. |
| A．It will make the windows long-lasting. |
| B．It could help the building users reduce costs. |
| C．It makes the buildings rely on no electrical power. |
| D．It helps the windows maintain a constant temperature. |
| A．It will be unaffordable. |
| B．It needs to be further improved. |
| C．It will be widely used in the city. |
| D．It will come onto the market soon. |
3 . In middle school, math was my least favorite subject. I understood history. I loved English. However, math never made sense to me, no matter how many times I worked through a problem. I wanted to be good at math, but I didn’t think it possible.
I started taking classes offered by Art of Problem Solving (AoPS) during the summer after my eighth-grade year. I had to admit that in my first class I felt like I was completely unqualified (不合格的) to be in the class, surrounded by so many smart kids. There were times when I felt lost in a sea of materials that I could never hope to understand. But slowly and surely, a few weeks later, AoPS taught me how to love the process of learning math. I went from being a kid who hated math classes to begging my parents to let me take an extra math class on Friday nights.
The most common wrong idea I hear is that people who are skilled at math come by their skills naturally. Many of my high school friends laughed at me for being a math nerd (书呆子). People thought that math came easy to me, when, in fact, the exact opposite was true. Math was not easy for me to learn. It was something I worked hard at.
Math is often viewed as a subject you either “get” or you don’t. But most of math is not about natural talent. If people approach math thinking they can’t be good at it, then they have set themselves up to fail. Just like any other skills, success comes with practice. There are many great mathematicians in this world, but we should remember they all had to start at the beginning just like we do.
The skills we learn from problem-solving in math can be useful in our lives. So don’t give up math. Just remember that you can learn math well if you have a right attitude towards it and work hard enough.
1. What can we learn about the author when he was in eighth grade?| A．He considered math a challenging subject. |
| B．He missed math classes on purpose. |
| C．He failed to study hard in math. |
| D．He showed little interest in any school subject. |
| A．Math was not interesting at all. | B．He should turn to others for help. |
| C．He wasn’t qualified for math classes. | D．Math learning could actually be attractive. |
| A．He was really good at math. | B．He made few friends at school. |
| C．He brought music joy to his classmates. | D．He should find a new way to learn math. |
| A．Using it in real life. | B．Attending after-school classes. |
| C．Learning from great mathematicians. | D．Practicing with a positive attitude. |
4 . Facebook appears to be extending its controversial (有争议的) colored posts to comments. The company is testing a feature that would allow users to comment in a variety of different colors. Much like the colored-post feature, this is allowing users to choose from a variety of background colors to overlay (覆盖) their comments on.
Facebook confirmed the test, telling The Next Web, “We’re always exploring new ways for people to connect and have conversations, so we are testing new features on comments.”
Facebook users, however, don’t seem to be interested in the new color choices. Comments regarding the new feature on Twitter were negative overall.
Last December, Facebook first started introducing colored posts with a feature that allows users to choose colors for their text. While it appears to be an image, it’s actually still in text form and the text can be highlighted and copied.
“We’re making people’s text posts more visual,” a Facebook spokesman said.
Starting today, people can update the background color of their text-only posts on Android. The feature’s latest update lets users choose a background color.
“Whether you’re looking for vacation recommendations or informing a group of the address for a party, the text-based feature allows you to update your contacts in a fun and personal way,” the spokesperson said.
Giving users a more customized (定制的) way to share updates is likely part of Facebook’s strategy to get users back to posting more updates personal to themselves.
As videos and news articles have begun taking up more of people’s needs, people have become less comfortable posting their own, raw content among the professional videos, photos and writing.
1. What does Facebook want to do?| A．To make its posts meaningful. |
| B．To make comments colorful. |
| C．To allow its users to comment. |
| D．To forbid users’ comments about posts. |
| A．Strange. | B．Enthusiastic. | C．Supportive. | D．Critical. |
| A．It will have unexpected effects. |
| B．It costs the company a lot of money. |
| C．It will be fun and personal for the users. |
| D．It provides the only customized way to chat. |
| A．To make the comments easier to understand. |
| B．To let people make more friends through it. |
| C．To make it the most popular chatting website. |
| D．To attract its users to make more personal posts. |
5 . Rosie Dutton teaches a weekly class for 10- and 11-year-olds. During a recent class, Dutton used apples to brilliantly explain the effects of bullying.
Rosie Dutton started out by showing the class two perfect-looking apples. But unknown to the students, she had dropped one of the apples repeatedly on the floor. She picked up the dropped apple and began insulting (侮辱；损害) it.
“I started to tell the children how I disliked this apple, that I thought it was ugly and it was a horrible color,” Dutton wrote. “I told them that because I didn't like it, I didn't want them to like it either.”
They passed that apple around in a circle and the kids joined in on the insults. Then, Dutton took a completely different approach with the other apple.
“We then passed another apple around and started to say kind words to it,” the 31-year-old wrote.
She eventually cut both of them open to reveal that the apple that had been insulted was bruised (青肿的) inside. The apple that received praise wasn't.
“When people are bullied, especially children, they feel horrible inside and sometimes don't show or tell others how they are feeling,” Dutton wrote in her post. “If we hadn't cut that apple open, we would never have known how much pain we had caused it.”
“Unlike an apple, we have the ability to stop this from happening. We can teach children that it's not OK to say unkind things to each other,” the 31-year-old explained in her post. She later added, “More and more hurt and damage happens inside if nobody does anything to stop the bullying. Let's create a generation of kind, caring children.”
1. What didn't the students know in advance?| A．She had dropped one apple repeatedly on the floor. |
| B．She had dropped two apples repeatedly on the floor. |
| C．The two apples were perfect-looking in appearance. |
| D．She had picked the two apples from the same tree. |
| A．By reading famous sayings. | B．By listing the numbers. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By quoting some examples. |
| A．brave | B．considerate |
| C．active | D．honest |
| A．One woman found an incredible way to teach a history lesson. |
| B．People have the ability to stop bullying from happening again. |
| C．A teacher encourages students to put what they learned to use. |
| D．A teacher uses a bruised apple to show bad effects of bullying. |
6 . City Information Sheet
The city has several services and events each year that may interest you and are listed below:
•The city has an Animal Control Office that enforces laws for dogs and cats running at large in the city. All dogs and cats are required to be leashed (系住) unless they are kept inside your house. You can contact Dispatch to report animals running without the owner’s company.
•Each family is allowed two two-day yard sales per calendar year. You don’t have to get a permit before you hold a yard sale in the city limits.
•The city requires anyone doing business in the city to first obtain a business license. This license can be obtained from the City Hall.
Spring Cleanup — Held for one week in spring each year. Citizens may place unwanted furniture at the road edge in front of their location and the Spring Cleanup Crew (SCC) will remove them at the end of the event. If any nonresident is putting garbage at your address or in your neighborhood, please get the license plate number and description of the vehicles. Call City Council Center at 270-265-2501 to report it. The SCC is not authorized to take your garbage, so please place your daily garbage in the proper trash can.
Harvest Festival — Street festival with live music, children's activities, food stands, arts and crafts, fashion clothing and much, much more! The festival is sponsored by the Community Alliance and is held annually on the first Saturday in October.
Leaf Pickup — During the month of October, citizens may take the leaves to the road edge and the city will remove them. The machine will not vacuum(吸走)up sticks.
Elkton Bike Night — Every Thursday night, currently from May through September, the city welcomes cycle enthusiasts from around the region. Local food stands set up, restaurants have specials and the Todd County Community Alliance provides live entertainment such as live bands, karaoke or radio music. Even if you are not a cycle rider, everyone is welcome to join us for the free entertainment and food!
1. Which organization should you report to when spotting a dog running alone outside?| A．Dispatch. | B．Animal Control Office. |
| C．City Council Center. | D．The Community Alliance. |
| A．A couple preparing to hold a yard sale. |
| B．A retired man planning to open a bike shop. |
| C．A businessman organising a charity event. |
| D．A neighbor placing the unwanted furniture. |
| A．The city events cover all the seasons of a year. |
| B．Machines are used to collect the leaves and sticks. |
| C．The fun of Elkton Bike Night is not limited to cycling. |
| D．The SCC can take daily garbage away if properly placed. |
