1 . At a young age, Darrius Simmons fell in love with the piano. As he watched others play, he was _________ by the joy the piano gave them. He wanted to experience that, too, but knew for him it would be a/an _________.

“I decided at age 10 that I wanted to learn how to play the piano, _________ it was going to take a little bit _________ work for me to learn,” Simmons says. “I knew most people had 10 fingers while I had four, yet I was pretty _________ I could make it work.”

The Warren, Ohio teenager was born with a genetic _________ called ectrodactyly (先天性缺指畸形). He has three fingers on his right hand and _________ finger on his left. But it didn’t _________ Simmons from following his _________. With no formal training, Simmons taught himself by ear how to play the piano. He practiced and practiced, finding a way to __________ the keys with four fingers while mastering the pedals with his prostheses(假肢).

Simmons knew he would have to __________ his own style of playing. “I couldn’t base it __________ the technique of somebody who has 10 fingers. It just wouldn’t __________.” He says. “That’s __________ it was hard for me to take piano lessons. It’s very __________ for somebody who has learned how to play with 10 fingers to adjust and teach me with only four.”

The now 18-year-old not only learned how to play and read music but also began composing.

His mother, Tamara Simmons, isn’t surprised by Darrius’ __________. She knows how focused and __________ he can be.

From mastering music to beating __________ challenges, Darrius Simmons sets out to __________ the world. “I like to be somebody’s __________,” he says. “If I play in front of a whole crowd and I see one person smile, that’s a job well done.”

1.

A．frightened

B．amazed

C．interested

D．disturbed

2.

A．challenge

B．opportunity

C．fortune

D．trouble

3.

A．while

B．but

C．and

D．therefore

4.

A．more

B．much

C．fewer

D．less

5.

A．surprised

B．worried

C．sure

D．glad

6.

A．condition

B．environment

C．situation

D．tendency

7.

A．one

B．two

C．three

D．five

8.

A．encourage

B．prevent

C．remove

D．change

9.

A．actions

B．roads

C．instructions

D．passions

10.

A．reach

B．repair

C．remove

D．clean

11.

A．adopt

B．abandon

C．develop

D．change

12.

A．by

B．in

C．through

D．on

13.

A．support

B．run

C．operate

D．work

14.

A．why

B．because

C．when

D．whether

15.

A．easy

B．tough

C．funny

D．stupid

16.

A．ideas

B．creations

C．difficulties

D．achievements

17.

A．kind

B．determined

C．talented

D．generous

18.

A．spiritual

B．mental

C．physical

D．emotional

19.

A．please

B．persuade

C．inspire

D．cheer

20.

A．partner

B．symbol

C．aim

D．motivation

2 . Abraham Lincoln turns 200 this year, and he’s beginning to show his age. When his birthday arrives, on February 12, Congress will hold a special joint session in the Capitol’s National Statuary Hall, a wreath (花环) will be laid at the great memorial in Washington, and a webcast will link school classrooms for a "teach-in" honoring his memory.

Admirable as they are, though, the events will strike many of us Lincoln fans as inadequate, even halfhearted — and another sign that our appreciation for the 16th president and his towering achievements is slipping away. And you don’t have to be a Lincoln enthusiast to believe that this is something we can’t afford to lose.

Compare this year’s celebration with the Lincoln centennial, in 1909. That year, Lincoln’s likeness made its debut on the penny, thanks to approval from the U. S. Secretary of the Treasury. Communities. and civic associations in every comer of the country erupted in parades, concerts, balls, lectures, and military displays. We still feel the effects today: The momentum unloosed in 1909 led to the Lincoln Memorial, opened in 1922, and the Lincoln Highway, the first paved transcontinental thoroughfare (大道) .

The celebrants in 1909 had a few inspirations we lack today. Lincoln’s presidency was still a living memory for countless Americans. In 2009 we are farther in time from the end of the Second World War than they were from the Civil War; families still felt the loss of loved ones from that awful national trauma (创伤) .

But Americans in 1909 had something more: an unembarrassed appreciation for heroes and an acute sense of the way that even long-dead historical figures press in on the present and make us who we are.

One story will illustrate what I’m talking about.

In 2003 a group of local citizens arranged to place a statue of Lincoln in Richmond, Virginia, former capital of the Confederacy (南方联邦). The idea touched off a firestorm of controversy. The Sons of Confederate Veterans held a public conference of carefully selected scholars to “reassess” the legacy of Lincoln. The verdict — no surprise — was negative: Lincoln was labeled everything from a racist totalitarian to a teller of dirty jokes.

I covered the conference as a reporter, but what really unnerved me was a counter-conference of scholars to refute the earlier one. These scholars drew a picture of Lincoln that only our touchy-feely age could recall. The man who oversaw the most savage war in our history was described — by his admirers, remember — as “nonjudgmental,” “unmoralistic,” “comfortable with ambiguity (模棱两可) .”

I felt the way a friend of mine felt as we later watched the unveiling of the Richmond statue in a subdued (征服) ceremony: “But he’s so small!”

The statue in Richmond was indeed small; like nearly every Lincoln statue put up in the past half century, it was life-size and was placed at ground level, a conscious rejection of the heroic — approachable and human, yes, but not something to look up to.

The Richmond episode taught me that Americans have lost the language to explain Lincoln’s greatness even to ourselves. Earlier generations said they wanted their children to be like Lincoln: principled, kind, compassionate, resolute. Today we want Lincoln to be like us.

“This helps to explain the long string of recent books in which writers have presented a Lincoln made after their own image. We’ve had Lincoln as humorist and Lincoln as manic-depressive, Lincoln the business sage, the conservative Lincoln and the liberal Lincoln, the emancipator and the racist, the stoic philosopher, the Christian, the atheist (无神论者) — Lincoln over easy (两面煎的) and Lincoln scrambled (把…搅乱) .

What’s often missing, though, is the timeless Lincoln, the Lincoln whom all generations, our own no less than that of 1909, can lay claim to. Lucky for us, those memorializers from a century ago — and, through them, Lincoln himself — have left us a hint of where to find him. The Lincoln Memorial is the most visited of our presidential monuments. Here is where we find the Lincoln who endures: in the words he left us, defining the country we’ve inherited. Here is the Lincoln who can be endlessly renewed and who, 200 years after his birth, retains the power to renew us.

1. The author thinks that this year’s celebration inadequate and even halfhearted because ________.

A．no Lincoln statue will be unveiled.

B．no memorial coins will be issued.

C．no similar appreciation of Lincoln will be seen.

D．no activities can be compared to those in 1909.

2. In the author’s opinion, the counter-conference ________.

A．approved of the judgment by those carefully selected scholars.

B．offered a brand new reassessment perspective.

C．came up with somewhat favourable conclusions.

D．resulted in similar critical remarks on Lincoln.

3. According to the author, the image Lincoln conceived by contemporary people ________.

A．conforms to traditional images.

B．reflects the present-day tendency of worship.

C．shows the present-day desire to match Lincoln.

D．reveals the variety of current opinions on heroes.

4. Which of the following best explains the implication of the last paragraph?

A．Lincoln’s greatness remains despite the passage of time.

B．The memorial is symbolic of the great man’s achievements.

C．Each generation has its own interpretation of Lincoln.

D．People get to know Lincoln through memorializers.

3 . If you wear glasses, chances are you are smarter. Research published in the famous British journal Nature Communications has found that people who displayed higher levels of intelligence were almost 30 percent more likely to wear glasses.

The scientists studied the genes of thousands of people between the ages of 16 and 102.The study showed intelligence can be connected to physical characteristics. One characteristic was eyesight. In out of 10 people who were more intelligent, there was a higher chance they needed glasses. Scientists also said being smarter has other benefits. It is connected to better health.

It is important to remember these are connections which are not proven causes. Scientists call this correlation. Just because something is connected to something else does not mean one of those things caused the other. And it’s worth noting that what constitutes intelligence is subjective and can be difficult, if not impossible, to measure.

Forget genes though. Plenty of proof shows wearing glasses makes people think you are more intelligent, even if you do not need glasses. A number of studies have found people who wear glasses are seen as smarter, hard-working and honest. Many lawyers use this idea to help win their cases. Lawyer Harvey Solves explained this. Glasses soften their appearance. He said Sometimes there has been a huge amount of proof showing that people he was defending broke the law. He had them wear glasses and they weren’t found guilty.

Glasses are also used to show someone is intelligent in movies and on TV. Ideas about people who wear glasses have begun to shift. People who do not need glasses sometimes wear them for fashion only. They want to look worldly or cool. But not everyone is impressed by this idea, though. GQ magazine said people who wear glasses for fashion are trying too hard to look smart and hip (时髦的). However, that hasn’t stopped many celebrities from happily wearing glasses even if they do not need them. Justin Bieber is just one high-profile fan of fashion glasses.

1. What does the new study show?

A．People wearing glasses are smarter.

B．People wearing glasses are healthier.

C．Wearing glasses can make people cleverer.

D．Wearing glasses is associated with higher IQ.

2. What does the underlined word in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Shift.

B．Link.

C．Proof.

D．Consequence.

3. Why do some lawyers ask their clients to wear glasses in court?

A．Because it can create a moral image.

B．Because it can mislead the witnesses.

C．Because it can highlight clients’ qualities.

D．Because it can prove the clients’ innocence.

4. What is the general attitude to those who wear glasses for fashion?

A．Positive.

B．Negative.

C．Mixed

D．Indifferent.

4 . A robot created by Washington State University (WSU) scientists could help elderly people with dementia (痴呆) and other limitations live independently in their own homes.

The Robot Activity Support System, or RAS, uses sensors installed in a WSU smart home to determine where its residents are, what they are doing and when they need assistance with daily activities. It navigates (定位) through rooms and around obstacles to find people on its own, provides video instructions on how to do simple tasks and can even lead its owner to objects like their medication or a snack in the kitchen.

“RAS combines the convenience of a mobile robot with the activity detection technology of a WSU smart home to provide assistance in the moment, as the need for help is detected,” said Bryan Minor, a postdoctoral researcher in the WSU School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Currently, an estimated 50 percent of adults over the age of 85 need assistance with every day activities such as preparing meals and taking medication and the annual cost for this assistance in the US is nearly $2 trillion. With the number of adults over 85 expected to triple by 2050, researchers hope that technologies like RAS and the WSU smart home will relieve some of the financial strain on the healthcare system by making it easier for older adults to live alone.

RAS is the first robot researchers have tried to incorporate into their smart home environment. They recently published a study in the journal Cognitive Systems Research that demonstrates how RAS could make life easier for older adults struggling to live independently.

“While we are still in an early stage of development, our initial results with RAS have been promising,” Minor said. “The next step in the research will be to test RAS’ performance with a group of older adults to get a better idea of what prompts, video reminders and other preferences they have regarding the robot.”

1. How does RAS serve elderly people?

A．Through sensors.	B．Through objects.
C．Through a mobile robot.	D．Through their daily activities.

2. What can we know about RAS?

A．It is the first robot used in daily life.	B．Its function remains to be tested.
C．It can locate people and do any task.	D．It can cook for owners on its own.

3. What’s Minor’s attitude toward the future of RAS?

A．Doubtful.	B．Negative.
C．Optimistic.	D．Uncertain.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Elderly people leave the nursing home.

B．Smart Home Tests first elder-Care robot.

C．RAS, the first robot to make home smart.

D．Older adults have benefited from RAS.

5 . Although it is difficult to make direct year-to-year comparisons because of increase in viewing on digital devices, the trend over the past decade is clear in numerous studies, including the Nielsen ratings. The average age of those who watch nationally televised Major League Baseball games has been _____ these years. Asked in a survey whether they _____ baseball, nearly two-thirds of those ages 18 to 36 said no.

Michael Haupert, a professor of economics at the University of Wisconsin ----la Crosse who studies baseball as a business, explains why many young people might be _____ by what to an older and more knowledgeable fan is one of the most exciting experiences in sports: a no-hitter. ” Failure is more ______ than success,” he says. ”If my students get a third of the answers right on their test, they fail. However, if a ballplayer gets a hit a third of the time, he’s often one of the _____ .” But watch an NBA game for 15 seconds, and you will likely see one team score.

It is not surprising that ______ the length of games----about three hours in recent years-----and increasing the pace of action has become a subject of discussion among those who love baseball. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is strongly ______ of both. For the 2018 season, the league issued a set of new rules designed to do just that. Mound visits are limited. A timer countdown is designed to shorten the break between innings(局).

No one knows if any of these changes will significantly shorten games. According to MLB, the average length of a nine-inning outing this season has been three hours---about five minutes shorter than the 2017 average, itself the longest mean on record.

All of those proposed changes seem to ______ the point. I interviewed at least 100 semi-fans in their late teens and early 20s for my recent book. All considered themselves fans to some degree, though they ______   watched more than snatches—on iPads or smartphones. They told me it made no difference whether a game lasted two or three hours: they would not pay attention for _____ amount of time.

The historic May 14 Supreme Court decision allowing all states to legalize sports betting could have an impact on all this. More people will soon be able to gamble on sports while watching a game on their couch. But whether ______ gambling will attract more young people to baseball is a huge unknown. Many already gamble, both legally and illegally, on fantasy sports, but legalization will provide yet another ______ during games in real time. Will some states allow betting reports in broadcasts? Will it make the young more likely to bet on baseball than on other sports? Stay tuned.

I don’t know what will hook young people on baseball. But abandoning the game’s unique selling proposition---the timelessness that provides both suspense and great conversationhe educated fan -----is not the ______ . Baseball, Clark told me, is like a game of chess---and too many ______ - changes might turn it into something “more similar to a game of checkers.” Baseball may survive in spite of its challenges, precisely because it stands out and stands up against the short ______ spans that negatively affect every aspect of our culture, including politics and education. As Casey Stengel is reported to have said,” Never make predictions, especially about the future. ”

1.

A．arising

B．declining

C．varying

D．rising

2.

A．followed

B．abandoned

C．secured

D．played

3.

A．Held up

B．taken up

C．picked up

D．fed up

4.

A．honorable

B．common

C．acceptable

D．worthwhile

5.

A．stars

B．losers

C．hitters

D．winners

6.

A．decreasing

B．extending

C．increasing

D．balancing

7.

A．disapproving

B．capable

C．supportive

D．independent

8.

A．miss

B．reach

C．deny

D．clarify

9.

A．frequently

B．sometimes

C．rarely

D．typically

10.

A．excessive

B．specific

C．either

D．total

11.

A．risky

B．organized

C．addictive

D．easy

12.

A．distraction

B．appeal

C．pastime

D．channel

13.

A．inspiration

B．answer

C．achievement

D．recreation

14.

A．overwhelming

B．simplifying

C．sweeping

D．underlying

15.

A．information

B．time

C．memory

D．attention

6 . I was cycling and noticed a person, about a quarter of a kilometer in front of me. I could tell he was cycling a little slower than me and decided to try to _______ him. I had about a kilometer to go on the road _______ turning off.

So I _______ cycling faster and faster and every _______ I was gaining on him just a little bit. After just a few minutes I was only about 100 yards _______ him, so I really picked up the pace and _______ myself You would have _______ I was cycling in the last section of London Olympic triathlon.

_______,I caught up with him and passed him by. On the inside I felt so _______.I beat him, of course, but he didn't even know we were __________ .

After I passed him, I __________ that I had been so focused on competing against him that I had __________ my turn. I had gone nearly six blocks past it and had to turn around and go all the way back.

Isn't that what happens in life when we __________ competing with co-workers, neighbors, and friends, trying to __________ that we are more successful or more important? We spend our time and ____________ chasing after them and we miss out on our own __________ to our future.

The __________ of unhealthy competition is that it's a never-ending ____________, because there will__________ be somebody ahead of you, someone   with a better job, more money and more education, etc.

Therefore, just take what life has given you, your height, weight and personality. Stay focused and live a healthy life. There's no __________in life. Run your own race and wish others well!

1.

A．follow

B．catch

C．remind

D．grasp

2.

A．before

B．after

C．unless

D．when

3.

A．stopped

B．enjoyed

C．started

D．regretted

4.

A．way

B．block

C．step

D．time

5.

A．apart from

B．above

C．ahead of

D．behind

6.

A．protected

B．pushed

C．supported

D．comforted

7.

A．thought

B．remembered

C．dreamt

D．hoped

8.

A．Fortunately

B．Finally

C．Surprisingly

D．Apparently

9.

A．calm

B．lucky

C．astonished

D．good

10.

A．racing

B．exercising

C．celebrating

D．cycling

11.

A．believed

B．expected

C．realized

D．understood

12.

A．escaped

B．missed

C．made

D．lost

13.

A．worry about

B．care for

C．depend on

D．focus on

14.

A．prove

B．declare

C．explain

D．inform

15.

A．tears

B．money

C．energy

D．pain

16.

A．paths

B．entrances

C．plans

D．barriers

17.

A．task

B．difficulty

C．problem

D．goal

18.

A．movement

B．cycle

C．event

D．routine

19.

A．never

B．often

C．sometimes

D．always

20.

A．mistake

B．competition

C．pressure

D．challenge

7 . Anecdotal evidence has long held that creativity in artists and writers can be associated with living in foreign parts. Rudyard Kipling, Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, Paul Gauguin, Samuel Beckett and others spent years living abroad. Now a pair of psychologist has proven that there is indeed a link.

As they report in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, William Maddux of INSEAD, a business school in Fontainebleau, France, and Adam Galinsky, of the Kellogg School of Management in Chicago, presented 155 American business students and 55 foreign ones studying in America with a test used by psychologists as a measure of creativity Given a candle, some matches and a box of drawing pins, the students were asked to attach the candle to a cardboard wall so that no wax would drip on the floor when the candle was lit. (The solution is to use the box as a candleholder and fix it to the wall with the pin.) They found 60% of the students who were either living abroad or had spent some time doing so, solved the problem, whereas only 42% of those who had not lived abroad did so.

A follow-up study with 72 Americans and 36 foreigners explored their creative negotiating skills. Pairs of students were asked to play the role of seller of a petrol station who then needed to get a job and a buyer who would need to hire staff to run the business. The two were likely to reach a deadlock because the buyer had been told he could not afford what the seller was told was his minimum price. Nevertheless, when both negotiators had lived abroad 70 % struck a deal in which the seller was offered a management job at the petrol station in return for a lower asking price. When neither of the negotiators had lived abroad, none was able to reach a deal.

Merely travelling abroad, however, was not enough. You do have to live there. Packing your beach towel and suntan lotion will not, by itself make you Hemingway.

1. What is the purpose of mentioning the famous names in the opening paragraph?

A．To show the relationship between creativity and living abroad.

B．To indicate the link between artistic creation and life experience.

C．To emphasize how great these artists are.

D．To impress the importance of creativity.

2. What can be inferred from the text?

A．William Maddux and Adam Galinsky have carefully designed the test.

B．Negotiators who had lived abroad are more flexible in negotiating.

C．American business students are less creative than those oversea students.

D．One's creativity is associated with the length one has spent abroad.

3. What does the author mean in the last sentence of paragraph 4?

A．There exist sharp differences between travelling and living abroad.

B．You shouldn't lie on the beach when travelling.

C．Only real experience of living abroad can help drive creativity.

D．Living abroad is more meaningful than just travelling abroad.

4. Where is the text most likely from?

A．A diary.	B．A magazine.
C．A novel.	D．A guidebook.

8 . Taking at least twenty minutes out of your day to walk or sit in a place that makes you feel in contact with nature will significantly lower your stress hormone levels. That's the finding of a study that has established for the first time the most effective amount of an urban nature experience. Healthcare professionals can use this discovery to prescribe (开药) “nature-pills" in the knowledge that they have a real measurable effect

"We know that spending time in nature reduces stress, but until now it was unclear how much is enough, how often to do it, or even what kind of nature experience will benefit us,” says Dr. Hunter, a lead author of this research. “Our study shows that for the greatest payoff, in terms of efficiently lowering levels of the stress hormone, you should spend 20 to 30 minutes sitting or walking in a place that provides you with a sense of nature.

To assist healthcare professionals looking for evidence-based guidelines on what exactly to distribute, Hunter and her colleagues designed an experiment that would give a realistic estimate of an effective amount.

Over an 8-week period, participants were asked to take a nature pill with a duration of 10 minutes or more, at least 3 times a week. Levels of stress hormone, were measured from saliva (唾液)samples taken before and after a nature pill, once every two weeks. The data revealed that just a twenty-minute nature experience was enough to significantly reduce stress levels.

Healthcare professionals can use our results as an evidence-based rule of thumb on what to put in a nature-pill prescription," said Hunter. "It provides the first estimates of how na- ture experiences impact stress levels in the context of normal daily life. It breaks new ground by addressing some of the complexities of measuring an effective nature amount."

1. What's the great significance of the study?

A．It finds out a new way to release stress.

B．It can help doctors prescribe various pills

C．It makes it clear that exercise can help release stress.

D．It finds out the accurate amount of nature experience.

2. How did Hunter get the finding?

A．By working with some doctors.	B．By asking participants questions.
C．By carrying out an experiment.	D．By comparing the previous data.

3. What did Hunter think of the result of the study?

A．It has drawbacks.	B．It's meaningful.
C．It's worth researching further.	D．It needs more discussions.

4. What's the main idea of the text?

A．Nature has close relationship with stress.

B．We should stay in nature to keep healthy.

C．We cannot get close to nature frequently.

D．Staying in nature for proper time will lower stress level.

9 . It is 27 years since my last conversation with my mother,who didn’t finish school like many of her contemporary girls. She often told me，“I never got my __ but one day you will. ”

Pointing to a tree or cow，she asked me to __ their English names after her. Feeling __ ,1 asked，“Mama，why do I have to learn these foreign __ ?”She held her pen right before my eyes. “Hold it firmly，”she __ me，“for this pen and the new foreign language will be your compass to ___around the world. ” Sadly, my mother died of breast cancer when I was six.

Turning seven.I __ 30 miles to live closer to my school. But“closer”is a___ term in Uganda，which means I had to get up as the ___sun rose and then ran 8.8 miles barefoot to __ Also,I needed to carry a stick to __ snakes and dogs. During the __ season,the   path to school was   __ daily and I'd swim with one hand，using the other hand to hold the   book bag on my __.

Research shows 70 percent of poor children don’t __ primary school in Uganda. Reasons for this high dropout rate(辍学率)includes the long __ some children must __ among many other reasons.

Fortunately，I’ve made it. Whenever I see the sun rise, I am reminded of the __ of my mother, who __ me to dream big and to use the __ of the pen to make my dream come true.

1.

A．degree

B．scholarship

C．recommendation

D．admission

2.

A．recite

B．use

C．repeat

D．guess

3.

A．anxious

B．cautious

C．disappointed

D．annoyed

4.

A．sentences

B．languages

C．phrases

D．texts

5.

A．encouraged

B．consulted

C．blamed

D．frightened

6.

A．look

B．turn

C．hang

D．sail

7.

A．traveled

B．drove

C．rode

D．climbed

8.

A．relative

B．real

C．simple

D．technical

9.

A．warm

B．early

C．bright

D．hot

10.

A．work

B．school

C．lessons

D．my mom

11.

A．seek for

B．make use of

C．look after

D．look out for

12.

A．hot

B．cold

C．rainy

D．dry

13.

A．damaged

B．repaired

C．blocked

D．flooded

14.

A．hand

B．head

C．arm

D．finger

15.

A．attend

B．enter

C．complete

D．continue

16.

A．lists

B．periods

C．distances

D．experiments

17.

A．measure

B．consider

C．judge

D．cover

18.

A．love

B．support

C．wisdom

D．kindness

19.

A．enabled

B．inspired

C．commanded

D．trained

20.

A．value

B．power

C．symbol

D．length

10 . As the international demand for narrative(叙事的) film/TV content continues to increase with popular streaming services like Netflix and others the two questions then come: will the coming generations receive most of their entertainment through visual means rather than through the written word and will such an increase of narrative film/ TV reduce the importance of reading?

Growing examples of this trend include the diminishment(减少) of fiction in the common core (核心的)curriculum, the ever－rising culture of computer games, the wave of streaming services of wide international reach, and movies filled with special effects made for children and teenagers. Nor must we ignore the economic dangers that lie ahead for the written word. The narrative film industry is a moneymaker that dwarfs(使相形见绌) the publishing industry.

The other underlying question, of course, is “does it really matter if the written word bows to the world of film/TV?” From my point of view, any diminishment of fiction delivered by words is a loss for mankind.

There is no greater human feature than the imagination. It lies at the very soul of the human species. It is the brain’s most powerful engine. It is the essential muscle of life and like all muscles it must be exercised and strengthened.

Writing and reading are the principal tools that inspire, create and empower our imagination. Anything that diminishes that power is the enemy of mankind.

It should be known that I am not opposed to new media and technological advances. Instead, I have always felt it necessary to adapt to advancing technology. In fact, a number of my novels are in various stages of development for film, TV, and live stage productions. My hope is that the written word will only stand to be complemented(补充)by its visual counterparts(对应物), not pushed to the edge of extinction.

Of course, there are those who will present arguments for the superiority of the moving image over the written word. Each has its place. My argument is for finding the right balance between it and the moving image.

1. In what way does narrative film/TV embarrass the written word?

A．Economic benefits	B．International reach
C．Cultural influence	D．Educational importance

2. Why does the author value the role of the written word?

A．It strengthens our muscles.	B．It helps sharpen imagination.
C．It distinguishes man from each other.	D．It paves the way for narrative film/TV.

3. What is the author’s attitude towards technology?

A．Cautious	B．Skeptical
C．Positive	D．Critical

4. What’s the author concerned about?

A．The fate of reading.	B．The extinction of fiction.
C．The impact of the written word.	D．The future of the moving image.