1 . Every bookstore in Beijing used to have a massive fiction room piled to the ceiling with great books. These days, you’re as likely as not to find that those rooms have been shrunk down to the size of a solitary (单独的) table thickly covered with the latest releases and best-selling novels. This, however, begs the question: Is fiction dying out, or is print media finally succumbing to (屈服于) its electronic and audio copy rivals (对手)?
Now that Kindle is leaving China, some say that maybe people will get back to traditional reading. I doubt it, however. This downward reading trend has been evident for a long time now. When Jeff Bezos first launched Kindle, Steve Jobs from Apple said it would fail because “people don’t read anymore. It doesn’t matter how good or bad the product is.”
But I don’t think reading itself is dying. It is merely becoming more functional — in other words, something you have to do in order to get some tangible (实际的) benefit. Gone are the days when people just read for fun. Why lumber (迫使担负) through a musty old book when you can watch an action movie or play a video game? Of course, people know that these are poor substitutes (替代品) for a good book.
In fact, there is nothing better than getting lost in a great book. I remember reading Shackleton, the British polar explorer, when I was a boy. After turning over the last leaf of this extraordinary adventure, I felt as if I, too, had just been to the South Pole and back. This imaginary achievement translated into a sense of confidence which must have been infectious, as soon afterwards all of my friends were themselves picking up books to read for fun. Psychologists say that you are the average of the five friends you surround yourself with. We can learn from them and they can also come to have a profound effect on our own habits and mindset. In this way, a book, too, can be a mentor (导师). The ideas, advice, mindset, and experiences of other people living in other times can get transmitted to us down through the pages of a good book.
In the age of fragmented (碎片化的) information, the winners will be those who can stay focused. However, in a world that easily gets distracted, deep reading seems to be getting further away from us. Our biggest problem is not Kindle’s departure from China, but our own departure from reality. Great books transmit universal truths; get them read. How exactly you do so is up to you.
1. The author mentioned Kindle in the text to _______.| A．praise its convenience and popularity in reading |
| B．explore the reason for the decline of print media |
| C．highlight the decreasing trend of traditional reading |
| D．show our regret for its departure from China’s market |
| A．He is famous for imaginary writing. | B．He finds nothing better than an old book. |
| C．He visited the South Pole many times himself. | D．His adventure story influenced the author a lot. |
| A．we can be influenced by positive ideas | B．we’d surround ourselves with good friends |
| C．we can learn from other people’s experiences | D．we can develop good habits and ways of thinking |
| A．great books are more popular than action movies |
| B．we should avoid being distracted by modern technology |
| C．reading great books can help us stay focused |
| D．traditional reading will eventually disappear |
| A．It’s necessary to find a better substitutes for books like Kindle. |
| B．We should read more in order to escape from reality. |
| C．We need to face the reality that reading is becoming less popular. |
| D．We have to accept the fact that Kindle is leaving China. |
| A．To discuss the future trend of reading. | B．To advocate the benefits of reading. |
| C．To analyze the reasons for the decline of reading. | D．To compare different forms of reading. |
2 . In recent studies we have been investigating mirror writing by typical 4-to 6-year-old children. The term is used because the characters — numbered and letters — are reversed (颠倒), yet are correct when looked at in a mirror.
For quite a long time, the mainstream views on the phenomenon were supported by the observation of left-handed children writing reverse characters, which was insufficient and misleading as right-handed children do so as well. Even today, left-handedness is often the favorite explanation of teachers when children produce mirror writing.
We find mirror writing works on both the cerebral(relating to the brain) and the behavioral level. The former has long been limited to the simplistic 1925 theory by Samue Ort on that one of the cerebral hemispheres (大脑半球) (usually the left) would correctly store the letters while the other would store them in a mirrored form. More recently, however, it has been shown that the brain doesn’t consider orientation (方 向) (left or right) when storing images, a process called mirror generalization.
This mirror generalization process, which can be very useful — for example, to recognize a face by both its left and right sides —leads children to know, from memory, the shape of the characters, but not their left / right orientation. It is important to note that the learning of the form of characters by children is mainly visual, and that children produce almost entirely horizontal mirror writing.
At the behavioral level, when children write the characters from memory, they must give them an. orientation. In countries whose primary languages are written in Latin characters —written from left to right — children tend to reverse mainly characters that face the left, such as 7 and q. However, when children are required to write from right to left, they instead reverse the right-oriented letters. This suggests that children usually orient characters in the direction of their. writing.
Our explanation is supported by analyzing tens of thousands of writing samples from more than a thousand children. Nevertheless, many parents continue to believe that mirror writing might be the indicator of a disorder such as dyslexia (读写困难), as doctors may still suggest that mirror writing by children is a sign of a developmental issue. Our research on typical developing children does not support such claims.
1. What does the author want to show by mentioning the left-handedness view?| A．The necessity of re-explaining mirror writing. |
| B．The role of teachers in addressing mirror writing. |
| C．The difficulty in adjusting children's handedness. |
| D．The challenge of writing faced by left-handed children. |
| A．It can recognize letters in a mirror forms. |
| B．It ignores the orientation during image storage. |
| C．Its ability to store visual images is quite limited. |
| D．Its left hemisphere is more active in storing letters. |
| A．Its pronunciation. | B．Its meaning. |
| C．Its orientation. | D．Its outline. |
| A．7, J and Z. | B．9, D and F. |
| C．6, B and R. | D．8, J and L. |
| A．Limiting children’s exposure to mirror writing. |
| B．Regarding mirror writing as something normal. |
| C．Encouraging children to overcome mirror writing. |
| D．Seeking professional advice on kid’s developmental issues. |
1.分享你的创意；
2.询问Chris的建议。
参考词汇：校园文创设计大赛Campus Cultural and Creative Design Competition
注意：
1.词数不少于 100;
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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4 . Intelligence is not enough to create extraordinary work. The most creative people in history you admire approached problems differently. IQ alone cannot explain creative spark. “Creativity isn’t a talent. It’s a way of operating,” says John Cleese. It’s a central source of meaning in our lives. Creative geniuses are able to bring seemingly contradictor y element s together in unusual and unexpected ways. While there’s no “typical” creative type, Einstein, Picasso and Mozart shared common traits.
You can be insanely talented but if you can’t consistently hone your craft (打磨技能), you can’t be great. The ability to stick with and pursue anything that means a lot to you over a long period of time is an important indicator (指标) of achieving anything worthwhile in life.
Einstein had extremely high intelligence but he genuinely loved his pursuit of Relativity. He committed a greater percentage of his productive years pursuing the Theory of Relativity. And it meant everything to him. Creative people have a strong desire to work hard and long on what they love doing.
The willingness to take risks, to break with the safety of tradition, and step outside the comfort zone is necessary for creativity. History’s creative geniuses risked more to get results. Unless you aim for comfort and stagnation (停滞), taking risks is imperative to every creative process. They valued the process of their work as much as the destination. They enjoyed the process as much as the ultimate outcome. They viewed obstacles as opportunities to explore and make progress.
Picasso was once asked if he knew what a painting was going to look like when he started it. He answered, “No, of course not. If I knew, I wouldn’t bother doing it.”
Curiosity is fundamental to your success. Einstein, Picasso and Mozart embraced curiosity, were open to new ideas, and persistent despite career setbacks.
Mozart once wrote to a friend about his commitment to music and said, “People err who think my art comes easily to me. I assure you, dear friend, nobody has devoted so much time and thought to compositions as I. There is not a famous master whose music I have not industriously studied through many times.”
1. What can we know about creativity and intelligence?| A．Intelligence is the decisive factor of success. |
| B．Creativity has nothing to do with intelligence. |
| C．There is more to creativity than just intelligence. |
| D．Creativity belongs to people with great intelligence. |
| A．perseverance is a better predictor for success |
| B．talent is necessary in one’s achievements |
| C．high competence is key to high performance |
| D．innovation results from strong motivation |
| A．good at career planning | B．sensitive to public criticism |
| C．satisfied with the present life | D．brave to embrace the unknown |
| A．difficult | B．important | C．controversial | D．superficial |
| A．Einstein’s Pursuit of the Theory of Relativity |
| B．The Creative Habits of Einstein, Picasso and Mozart |
| C．Dedication of an Unusual Degree to Achieve Greatness |
| D．The Great Contribution Made by Einstein, Picasso and Mozart |
5 . Just how bad of a mother am I, I silently wondered, as I watched my 13-year-old son deep in conversation with Siri. Gus has autism (自闭症), and Siri, Apple's “intelligent personal assistant” on the iPhone, is currently his BFF(Best Friend Forever). Obsessed with weather formations, Gus had spent the past hour exploring the difference between isolated and scaltered thunderstorms—an hour during which, thank God, I didn't have to discuss with him myself. After a while I heard this:
Gus:“You're a really nice computer.”
Siri:“It's nice to be appreciated.”
Gus:“You're always asking if you can help me.Is there anything you want?” Siri: “Thank you, but I have very few wants.”
Gus: “OK. Well, good night!”
Siri: “See you later!”
That is Siri. She does not let my communicatively impaired son get away with anything. When Gus discovered there was someone who would not only find information for him related to his various obsessions but would also be willing to tirelessly discuss these subjects, he was hooked.
She is also wonderful for someone who does not pick up on social cues: Siri's responses are not entirely predictable, but they are predictably kind—even when Gus is rude. I heard him talking to Siri about music, and Siri offered some suggestions. “I don't like that kind of music.” Gus snapped(厉声说). Siri replied, “You're certainly entitled to your opinion.” Siri's politeness reminded Gus what he owed Siri. “Thank you for that music, though.” Gus said.
My son's practice conversations with Siri are starting to translate into increased facility with actual humans. Yesterday I had the longest ever conversation with him. Admittedly, it was about different species of turtles which might not have been my choice of topic, but it was back and forth, and followed a logic. For most of my son's 13 years of existence, this has not been the case.
Indeed, many of us wanted an imaginary friend when we were young, and now we can all have one not entirely imaginary anytime we wish to. In a world where the commonly held wisdom is that technology isolates us, it's worth considering another side of the story.
The developers of intelligent assistants recognize their potential usefulness for those with speech and communication problems, and some are currently pondering new ways in which the assistants can help. “For example, the assistant would be able to track eye movements and help the autistic learn to look you in the eye while talking." said William Mark, vice president of the company from whom Apple purchased the technology behind Siri. “See, that's the wonderful thing about technology. Getting results requires a lot of repetition. Machines are very, very patient."
1. What did the author feel when she watched her son having a deep conversation with Siri about thunderstorms?| A．Concerned but helpless. | B．Excited and overjoyed. |
| C．Guilty but relieved | D．Hopeless and surprised. |
| A．He had always dreamed of having an imaginary friend. |
| B．He shows no interest in anything that is not related to weather. |
| C．He has trouble communicating with others because of his illness. |
| D．He has been friends with Siri since he was diagnosed with autism. |
| A．setting a fixed bedtime routine |
| B．exploring his special interests |
| C．shaping his logic while talking |
| D．improving his interaction with people |
| A．Siri makes people feel much lonely in modern society. |
| B．Siri sometimes provides better assistance than people. |
| C．Siri has a better academic performance than the author. |
| D．Siri is likely to be an effective cure for her son's autism. |
| A．Intelligent assistants will be more widely employed in the future. |
| B．The use of intelligent assistants will likely be limited to autistic people. |
| C．Machines are more skilled and patient at communication than humans. |
| D．William Mark was critical of the future development of intelligent assistants. |
| A．have fallen | B．have been fallen | C．had fallen | D．had been fallen |
7 . To put it simply, stress can be the father of growth, while a crisis can be the mother of innovation. The notion that great good can emerge from great adversity (逆境) is as old as the legend of the great phoenix (凤凰), who not only arises but soars to new heights from its own ashes.
In 1598, William Shakespeare penned the play As You Like It. One of the most famous lines from that play is spoken in Act 2 Scene 1 by Duke Senior, “Sweet are the uses of adversity which, like the toad (癞蛤蟆), ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head.” Even 500 years ago, the potential value of adversity was recognized, not by a great healer, but by a great playwright. Can this really be the case?
Fast-forward to the great silent film star Mary Pickford. She was called the most popular actress in the world in the 1910s and 1920s. Failing to continue acting with the advent of the “talkies”(movies with recorded sound), she co-founded the film company United Artists. Shifting her talents to producing and directing, she became the most powerful woman in the entertainment industry. She once noted, “You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call ‘failure’ is not the falling down, but the staying down.”
Rather than fear and try to avoid adversity, perhaps we should accept the inevitability (必然) of adversity and prepare for it. Indeed, positive things can emerge from adversity.
Adversity reveals true opportunities for those preparing to take advantage. Dr. John Krumboltz’s happenstance theory states that career and life development is best fostered by preparing for opportunities that you may not know even exist in the current moment. Numerous unpredictable factors are potentially shaping the future. These include the crises adversity brings.
In Friedrich Nietzsche’s book, Behold the Man, the German philosopher writes that a person who has “turned out well” could be recognized by the ability to take advantage of and prosper from adversity, just as he wrote before, “What does not kill him makes him stronger.”
So, the next time adversity enters your life, will you run from it, or will you embrace it and use it as a step ping stone to greater happiness and success?
1. Why does the author quote the line from Shakespeare’s play?| A．To emphasize the great wisdom of Shakespeare. |
| B．To highlight the beauty of Shakespeare’s language. |
| C．To challenge the conventional belief regarding adversity. |
| D．To show the long-standing recognition of adversity’s value. |
| A．Fame can block one’s achievements. |
| B．Strong determination overcomes adversity. |
| C．Accepting adversity results in positive outcomes. |
| D．Courage in the face of challenges leads to success. |
| A．Embracing uncertainty. | B．Managing life’s challenges. |
| C．Seizing hidden opportunities. | D．Focusing on personal growth. |
| A．Cautious. | B．Favorable. | C．Neutral. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．Finding value and opportunity in facing adversity. |
| B．Stress as the primary cause of growth and innovation. |
| C．How to avoid adversity and negative experiences in life. |
| D．Historical figures who failed to overcome adversity effectively. |
I am sitting in an empty football field after my last high school football game has finished a few hours ago. I’m the quarterback (前卫) on my team. But in fact that’s not true now. I was the quarterback, and that’s a good way to end a high school football career at a high point.
I’ve been sitting here by myself shivering in the cold and thinking back over the game and other games I’ve played in my life. I’m looking at the goal and thinking how it always seemed to reach out and pull me with a secret, magical force.
I was 8 when I first started playing football. My dad loved football and would practice with me at home- passing, catching, running. He tried to teach me everything he knew about the game. “Just remember: don’t ever give up.” “Stay in the game. Don’t lose your concentration.” “Go out there-and give 110 percent every time.” Well, that was a long time ago but I still hear his words ringing in my ears. I had a lot on my mind before the game today. I don’t like things to be an end, I guess, and this was the last game, and it was the league championship. I was talking to myself and reminding myself about what to do and not to do. I didn’t sleep at all last night. But when the game started my mind became empty. Everything dropped away from me. I just lived in this game, this moment. I didn’t hear the crowd; I didn’t feel the cold or the pain; I never felt tired. I just kept my eyes on the ball, and inside a soft white light showing me the way to the goal, which was a beautiful feeling.
It’s all over now and it’s really getting cold here. It’s starting to snow. The sun’s almost gone and I can hardly see the goal. Now it’s dark and I’m sitting here all alone. Well, I guess it’s time to say goodbye and move on.
1. Why does the writer say that he was the quarterback in paragraph 1? (no more than 15 words)2. For what reason did the writer have a lot on his mind before the game? (no more than 20 words)
3. What made him feel beautiful in his last game? (no more than 15 words)
4. How can you understand the underlined sentence? (no more than 10 words)
5. What is the goal of your life? And how will you make it realized? (no more than 20 words)
| A．could | B．must | C．needn’t | D．shouldn’t |
| A．Having devoted | B．Devoted | C．To be devoted | D．Being devoted |
