1 . Of all the changes that have taken place in English-language newspapers during the past quarter-century, perhaps the most far-reaching has been the inexorable decline in the scope and seriousness of their arts coverage.

It is difficult to the point of impossibility for the average reader under the age of forty to imagine a time when high-quality arts criticism could be found in most big-city newspapers. Yet a considerable number of the most significant collections of criticism published in the 20th century consisted in large part of newspaper reviews. To read such books today is to marvel at the fact that their learned contents were once deemed suitable for publication in general-circulation dailies.

We are even farther removed from the unfocused newspaper reviews published in England between the turn of the 20th century and the eve of World War II, at a time when newsprint was dirt-cheap and stylish arts criticism was considered an ornament to the publications in which it appeared. In those far-off days, it was taken for granted that the critics of major papers would write in detail and at length about the events they covered. Theirs was a serious business, and even those reviews who wore (展示) their learning lightly, like George Bernard Shaw and Ernest Newman, could be trusted to know what they were about. These men believed in journalism as a calling（使命）, and were proud to be published in the daily press. 'So few authors have brains enough or literary gift enough to keep their own end up in journalism,' Newman wrote “that I am tempted to define” journalism “as a term of contempt（轻蔑） applied by writers who are not read to writers who are”.

Unfortunately, these critics are virtually forgotten. Neville Cardus, who wrote for the Manchester Guardian from 1917 until shortly before his death in 1975, is now known solely as a writer of essays on the game of cricket. During his lifetime, though, he was also one of England's foremost classical-music critics, and a stylist so widely admired that his Autobiography (1947) became a best-seller. He was knighted in 1967, the first music critic to be so honored. Yet only one of his books is now in print, and his vast body of writings on music is unknown save to specialists.

Is there any chance that Cardus's criticism will enjoy a revival? The prospect seems remote. Journalistic tastes had changed long before his death, and postmodern readers have little use for the richly polished Vicwardian（维多利亚和爱德华时代） prose in which he specialized. Moreover, the amateur tradition in music criticism has been in headlong retreat.

1. It is indicated in Paragraphs 1 and 2 that

A．arts criticism has disappeared from big-city newspapers.

B．English-language newspapers used to carry more arts reviews.

C．high-quality newspapers retain a large body of readers.

D．young readers doubt the suitability of criticism on dailies.

2. Newspaper reviews in England before World War 2 were characterized by ___________.

A．free themes.	B．casual style.
C．elaborate layout.	D．radical viewpoints

3. Which of the following would Shaw and Newman most probably agree on?

A．It is writers' duty to fulfill journalistic goals.

B．It is contemptible for writers to be journalists.

C．Writers are likely to be tempted into journalism.

D．Not all writers are capable of journalistic writing.

4. What can be learned about Cardus according to the last two paragraphs?

A．His music criticism may not appeal to readers today.

B．His reputation as a music critic has long been in dispute.

C．His style caters largely to modern specialists.

D．His writings fail to follow the amateur tradition.

2 . Google’s new camera, called Clips, is a smart device. It comes with a case that has a clip (夹 子), but it’s not   designed to be worn   on   your   clothing. Most interestingly,   it uses   artificial intelligence to take photography out of your hands and captures moments entirely on its own!

What sets this roughly 2-inch by 2-inch camera, with a three-hour battery life and Gorilla Glass for toughness apart is that it is specially intended for candid moments, like when a child does something cute that may happen too quickly for you to pull out your smartphone.

The Clips device, it uses machine learning algorithms (   计 算 程 序 ) to help capture scenes. Those algorithms include face recognition. “Once it learns that there’s a face you see frequently, it’ll try to get nice photos of those faces,” said Juston Payne, the device’s product manager. And they also want it to recognize facial expressions, which involved “training it to know what happiness looks like”. The Google team also trained it to recognize what not to shoot—like when a child’s hand is over the lens, or if it is tossed in a dark purse.

The only way to see the images is by connecting the camera with your phone, as it has no screen for viewing or editing.

Concerned it could seem strange? Yes, Payne admitted, but he said they addressed that by making it obvious what it is. A green light on the front signals that it is on. Besides, unlike a camera meant to monitor your home, it is not connected to the Internet.

“This product is only possible because of the way that silicon(硅) has advanced,” Payne said that now they could squeeze the technology down into a device this size. Going forward, we’re likely to get more assistance from the artificial intelligence packed into our apps and gadgets.

1. What is the most outstanding feature of Clips?

A．It enables easy Internet access.

B．It is equipped with tough glass.

C．It can be worn on your clothing.

D．It allows of hands-free photography.

2. What does the underlined word “candid” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Awkward.	B．Brief.
C．Touching.	D．Unforgettable.

3. What makes Clips a reality according to Juston Payne?

A．The advance in technology.

B．The popularity of the Internet.

C．The screen for viewing and editing.

D．The rise of the smartphone industry.

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．New gadgets in the age of apps.

B．Artificial intelligence in daily Life.

C．A new digital camera from Google.

D．An alternative way to photograph.

5 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Female Entertainers Fight Ageism in the Reality Show

A band of entertainment industry "has-beens" has stepped back into the spotlight in Older Sisters Riding Winds and Breaking Waves. It is a girl group knockout reality show     1     (feature) performers older than 30.

Produced by Mango TV, the reality show has made huge waves across China's social platforms.The show consists of 30 seasoned, established female singers, actors and hosts,     2    were born before 1990.

"    3     some possibilities in life fade after you hit 30, you can still transcend time and reinvent yourself," reads part of the show's preamble(开场白), conveying a clear message     4     the ageism facing women.

Some contestants spoke out about their attitude towards aging and age discrimination.

Wu Xin, 37, a hostess on the popular variety show Happy Camp,     5    (voice) her opinion, believing she's at the best age of her life. "I used to limit myself due to a narrow vision, and thus missed a lot of opportunities.     6    I get older, I've come to realize that I can do many things, so I decided       7    (seize) this chance to stretch myself," she said.

While some people see the successfully staged show as a progression in challenging society’s youth-obsessed pop culture,     8     remain doubtful and critical.

Some viewers reveal that their anxiety towards aging has gotten     9     (bad) after watching the show.

“My heart quivered as I heard 50-year-old Christy Chung say she still feels as young as 20 physically and would always be 18 at heart. The show actually points out the possibility     10    a woman’s actual age is neither acceptable for the public nor for herself,” reads a Weibo post by Tang Shuang, a senior fashion editor of Vogue China.

6 . 假设你是学生会主席李华，你校拟组织美国交换生到孔子庙参观，委托你通知相关事宜, 请你写一则书面通知，要点包括:
1 .集合时间和地点;
2.活动内容:参观孔子庙、古建筑、观看木偶戏；
3.预先准备:简要了解孔子文化。
注意:
1.可适当发挥，使短文连贯、通顺；
2.文中不能出现考生的具体信息；
3. 词数:100左右。
参考词汇:1.孔子庙the Confucius Temple     2.木偶戏puppet show
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . Like a tired marriage, the relationship between libraries and publishers has long been dull. E-books, however, are causing heartache. Libraries know they need digital services, but many publishers are too cautious about piracy and lost sales to co-operate. Among the big six publishers, only Random House and Harper Collins license e-books with most libraries.

Publishers are wise to be nervous. Owners of e-readers are exactly the customers they need: book-lovers with money. If these people switch to borrowing e-books instead of buying them, what then? Electronic borrowing is awfully convenient. Unlike printed books, which must be checked out and returned to a physical library miles away, book files can be downloaded at home. The files disappear from the device when they are due.

E-lending is not simple, however. There are various incompatible e-book formats, devices and licenses. Most libraries use a company called OverDrive, which secures rights from publishers and provides e-books and audio files in every format. Yet publishers and libraries are worried by OverDrive’s global market dominance, as the company can control fees and conditions. Publishers were annoyed when OverDrive cooperated with Amazon the world’s biggest online bookseller, last year. Owners of Amazon’s Kindle e-reader who want to borrow e-books from libraries are now redirected to Amazon’s website.

According to Pew, an opinion researcher, library users are a perfect market for Amazon. Late last year Amazon introduced is Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, which lets its best customers borrow free one of thousands of popular books each month. But a recent Pew survey found that more than half of Americans with library cards say they prefer to buy their e-books It also noted that e-books actually are available at most libraries, and that popular titles often involve long waiting lists, which may inspire people to buy.

So publishers keep adjusting their lending arrangements in search of the right balance. Random House raised its licensing price earlier this year, and Harper Collins limits libraries to lending its titles 26 times. The story of the library e-book is a nail-biter.

1. It can be inferred from Paragraph 1 that ______.

A．several big publishers have sold e-books to libraries

B．both libraries and publishers caution the e-book piracy

C．some publishers are hesitant to cooperate with libraries

D．libraries are eager to keep strong relationship with publishers

2. What worries publishers about people’s switch to e-books?

A．The risk of e-book piracy.

B．The possible decline of book sales.

C．No time limit for the downloaded book files.

D．The availability of the incompatible e-book formats.

3. We can learn from Paragraph 3 and 4 that ______.

A．Amazon is adopting measures to win more customers

B．OverDrive distributes e-books and audio files to publishers

C．over half of Americans are borrowing e-books from libraries

D．the fees of lending e-books are under the control of publishers

9 . Like a tired marriage, the relationship between libraries and publishers has long been dull. E-books, however, are causing heartache. Libraries know they need digital wares, but many publishers are too cautious about piracy(盗版)and lost sales to co-operate. Among the big six, only Random House and Harper Collins license e-books with most libraries.

Publishers are wise to be nervous. Owners of E-readers are exactly the customers they need: book-lovers with money. If these people switch to borrowing c-books instead of buying them, what then? Electronic borrowing is awfully convenient. Unlike printed hooks, which must be checked out and returned to a physical library miles from where you live, book files can be downloaded at home. The tiles disappear from the device when they are due.

E-lending is not simple, however. There are lots of different and often incompatible(不兼容的)e-book formats, devices and licenses. Most libraries use a company called OverDrive, which secures rights from publishers and provides E-books and audio files in every format. Yet publishers and libraries are worried by OverDrive's global market dominance, as the company can control fees and conditions. Publishers were annoyed when OverDrive cooperated with Amazon, the world's biggest online bookseller, last year. Owners of Amazon's Kindle E-reader who want to borrow E-books from libraries are now redirected to Amazon's website, where they must use their Amazon accounts to secure a loan.

According to Pew, an opinion researcher, library users are perfect for market for Amazon. Late last year Amazon Introduced its Kindle Owners' Lending Library, which lets its best customers borrow free one of thousands of popular books each month.

Library supporters argue that book borrowers are also book buyers and that libraries are vital spaces for readers to discover new work. Many were cheered by a recent Pew survey, which found that more than half of Americans with library-cards say they prefer to buy their e-books.

1. It can be inferred from paragraph I that         .

A．libraries and publishers face the same problem of e-books' piracy

B．libraries are eager to keep strong relationship with publishers

C．most publishers are hesitant to cooperate with libraries

D．several big publishers have sold E-books to libraries

2. Why are publishers worried that people will switch to electronic borrowing?

A．Book sales may drop sharply because of convenient electronic borrowing.

B．There are lots of different and incompatible E-book formats available.

C．There is no time limit for the book files downloaded on the device.

D．E-books must be checked out and returned to libraries regularly.

3. What do we learn about Over Drive?

A．It has the privilege to offer readers various brands of E-readers.

B．It distributes E-books and audio files to publishers.

C．Its market control threatens publishers and libraries.

D．It devotes itself to improving conditions of e-book market.

4. We can learn from the passage that        .

A．E-books can be lent at libraries as many times as you like

B．OverDrive distributes E-books and audio files to publishers

C．over half of Americans are borrowing E-books from libraries

D．Amazon is adopting measures to win more customers

5. What is the best title for the text?

A．The Hopeful Future of Publishing Business

B．Libraries and E-books

C．The Dull Relationship between Libraries and Publishers

D．The Close Cooperation between OverDrive and Amazon

10 . As much as we may want to protect children from all the terrible, horrible and very had things in life, too often we don’t get a choice. These four new kids’ books serve as guides for a variety of difficulties and as important reminders that we have a choice in how we react to such trails__These stories introduce young readers to relatable characters who are processing and recovering from hardships and sorrows. Each book, in its own way, offers a guide for young readers who are facing their won struggles. Together, they teach a lesson for us all in resilience   （还原能力）and hope.

The Secret Horses Of Briar Hill By Megan Shepherd Twelve-year-old Emmaline has a secret: she can see winged horses in the mirrors at Briar Hili hospital, a British hospital for children during World War Ⅱ. The magical adventures of the horses come to life as Emmaline recovers from her illness and must face the sickness of those she loves.	Goodbye Days By JeffZentner Carver Briggs blames himself for the deaths of his three best friends(he sent the text message that likely caused the car accident resulting in their deaths). What’s more, he could face a criminal investigation into his role. The novel follows his journey as he tries his best to make peace with his loss and guilt.
StefSoto, Taco Queen	Why Can’t Grangma Remember My Name?
By Jennifer Torres Now in middle school, Estefania Stef Soto has become embarrassed by her Mexican-American family’s food truck and is tired of being joked at school as the “taco（墨西哥煎玉米卷）queen.” But when the family business is threatened, she becomes one of its biggest protectors and learns to accept her identity.	By Kent L Karosen, Illustrated by Chana Sticfel Driven by questions from Ashley, a child whose grandmother has Alzhelmer’s （早老性痴呆病）, this book offers an outline for families dealing with the illness. Drawings in this book are done by children and by Alzheimer’s patients

1. “Such trials” in paragraph 1 most probably refers to ______.

A．creative processes	B．lovable characters
C．painful reminders	D．difficult experiences

2. Suppose you have just moved from Asia to America and your kids have trouble getting along with others at school, which of the following books are you going to pick for your children?

A．The Secret Horses Of Briar Hill

B．Goodbye Days

C．Stef Soto, Taco Queen

D．Why Can’t Grandma Remember My Name?

3. The author writes this passage to ______.

A．share some new parental skills with parents

B．teach kids how to write some dramatic stories

C．start a discussion on the topics of the new books

D．introduce some newly published books for kids