1 . For the arts “to mean more, to more people,” as Arts Council England (ACE) argues that they should, would be excellent. Music, drama, dance, visual arts, poetry and literature are among the most precious human achievements. To live in a country in which these are more widely shared and enjoyed would be proof that we are making progress. The point is not to entertain or educate people, or bring communities together. Nor is it all about boosting jobs and investment. Imagination has intrinsic (内在的) value, and research carried out by ACE in the course of preparing its 10-year strategy showed that people from all walks of life value and get pleasure from cultural activities.
Positioning itself as a development agency, ACE will now hope to win government backing for a change of direction that orients it away from the biggest and most prestigious national institutions and towards the towns, villages and grassroots organizations that should be similarly deserving of attention. There, it envisions a role for itself “building the identity and prosperity of places,” bringing professional artists together with voluntary groups, particular in areas that have previously not been well represented on the cultural map.
ACE’s chair, Sir Nicholas Serota, quotes the first world war centenary (百年纪念) project devised by the artist, Jeremy Deller, and theatre director, Rufus Norris, as the model of what he wants his organization to be about. By dressing up volunteers as soldiers, and orchestrating their encounters with members of the public in settings across England, the artists succeeded in “dissolving the barriers between artists and audiences.”
The emphasis on participation- on culture as something that more people should actually do- is newer. This is the difference between being in a play or a band and buying tickets to watch them, and for ACE to play a more active role in promoting the former would be beneficial. This begins in childhood, and ACE clearly hopes that the government will think again about policies that have seen music, drama and other arts subjects systematically downgraded in favour of science, technology and maths.
To what extent the vision is realized will depend in part on whether ACE’s ambitions catch the government’s interest sufficiently to influence the upcoming spending review, and provide a counterweight to the scorn (轻视) that is regularly poured on the humanities. Around £400m has been cut from local government arts budgets since 2010, and ACE cannot plug this gap. The closure of youth clubs and live music venues, and growing financial pressures linked to the property market, are among other reasons for this worrisome narrowing of opportunities. So far Boris Johnson has offered few signs that he has in mind a starring role for the arts in post-Brexit Britain, although 2022’s Festival of Brexit is one such event. ACE’s plan should boost the profile of all those, in government and outside, who are arguing for more.
1. The purpose of making arts available to more people is to __________.| A．enlighten people from all walks of life |
| B．consolidate various communities |
| C．create job opportunities for artists |
| D．maximize the natural value of art |
| A．national institutions |
| B．commercial centers |
| C．local governments |
| D．towns and villages |
| A．Audiences with little education can also gain pleasure from cultural activities. |
| B．Artists and audiences can create and enjoy the arts together without barriers. |
| C．The soldiers and volunteers should vividly show scenes about the First World War. |
| D．Science, technology and maths are more important than humanities and arts nowadays. |
| A．For the arts to get revitalized more extensive efforts are needed. |
| B．The current British government has done enough to promote arts. |
| C．ACE should narrow the financial gap left by the local government. |
| D．Many performing venues have closed due to the rising property market. |
2 . States will be able to force more people to pay sales tax when they make online purchases under a Supreme Court decision Thursday that will leave shoppers with lighter wallets but is a big financial win for states.
The Supreme Court’s opinion Thursday overruled a pair of decades-old decisions that states said cost them billions of dollars in lost revenue annually. The decisions made it more difficult for states to collect sales tax on certain online purchases.
The cases the court overturned said that if a business was shipping a customer’s purchase to a state where the business didn’t have a physical presence such as a warehouse or office, the business didn’t have to collect sales tax for the state. Customers were generally responsible for paying the sales tax to the state themselves if they weren’t charged it, but most didn’t realize they owed it and few paid.
Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote that the previous decisions were flawed. “Each year the physical presence rule becomes further removed from economic reality and results in significant revenue losses to the States,” he wrote in an opinion joined by four other justices. Kennedy wrote that the rule “limited States’ ability to seek long-term prosperity and has prevented market participants from competing on an even playing field.”
The ruling is a victory for big chains with a presence in many states, since they usually collect sales tax on online purchases already. Now, rivals will be charging sales tax where they hadn’t before. Big chains have been collecting sales tax nationwide because they typically have physical stores in whatever state a purchase is being shipped to. Amazon.com, with its network of warehouses, also collects sales tax in every state that charges it, though third-party sellers who use the site don’t have to.
Until now, many sellers that have a physical presence in only a single state or a few states have been able to avoid charging sales taxes when they ship to addresses outside those states. Sellers that use eBay and Etsy, which provide platforms for smaller sellers, also haven’t been collecting sales tax nationwide. Under the ruling Thursday, states can pass laws requiring out-of-state sellers to collect the state’s sales tax from customers and send it to the state.
Retail trade groups praised the ruling, saying it levels the playing field for local and online businesses. The losers, said retail analyst Neil Saunders, are online-only retailers, especially smaller ones. Those retailers may face headaches complying with various state sales tax laws. The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council advocacy group said in a statement, “Small businesses and internet entrepreneurs are not well served at all by this decision.”
1. The Supreme Court decision Thursday will ______.| A．better businesses’ relations with states |
| B．put most online businesses in a dilemma |
| C．make more online shoppers pay sales tax |
| D．force some states to cut sales tax |
| A．have led to the dominance of e-commerce |
| B．have cost consumers a lot over the years |
| C．were widely criticized by online purchasers |
| D．were considered unfavorable by states |
| A．hindered economic development | B．brought prosperity to the country |
| C．harmed fair market competition | D．boosted growth in states revenue |
| A．gives a factual account of it and discusses its consequences |
| B．describes the long and complicated process of its making |
| C．presents its main points with conflicting views on them |
| D．cites some cases related to it and analyzes their implications |
3 . AI can transform education for the better
As students return to classrooms for the new year, it is striking to reflect on how little education has changed in recent decades. The sector remains a digital laggard (落后者). American schools and universities spend 2% and 5% of their budgets,
When the pandemic forced schools and universities to shut down, the moment for a digital
If the pandemic couldn’t overcome the education sector’s
Learners, for their part, are
For one, AI chatbots often talk nonsense, an unhelpful trait in an educational context. “Students want content from
Bringing AI to education will not be easy, but once answers on how to make use of this technology become clearer, such a development will certainly deserve top marks.
1.| A．respectively | B．appropriately | C．totally | D．ultimately |
| A．divide | B．reverse | C．boom | D．withdrawal |
| A．tendency | B．resistance | C．attention | D．anxiety |
| A．serve the purpose | B．break the ice | C．take the initiative | D．do some good |
| A．maintain | B．panic | C．doubt | D．wonder |
| A．personalized | B．individualistic | C．characteristic | D．attentive |
| A．attempting | B．declining | C．opposing | D．embracing |
| A．for | B．under | C．to | D．in |
| A．detect | B．transform | C．overtake | D．enhance |
| A．comprehensive | B．advanced | C．distinguished | D．trusted |
| A．give away | B．take in | C．bring about | D．hold up |
| A．By contrast | B．Despite this | C．What’s more | D．As a result |
| A．applause | B．edge | C．hesitation | D．improvement |
| A．convince | B．engage | C．capture | D．challenge |
| A．intervals | B．cost | C．mercy | D．best |
4 . 我逐渐明白，颜宁之所以被世界认可并被授予杰出女科学家称号是因她对卓越的追求和对研究的投入。(dawn) (汉译英)
6 . 在异国他乡，使我不能入乡随俗的不是文化差异，而是无法吃上一口我从小熟悉的上海菜。（familiar）(汉译英)
| 1 | 自动贩卖机 vending machine |
| 2 | 空调 air-conditioner |
| 3 | 微波炉 microwave oven |
| A．Move her bag at the desk. | B．Tell a story with humor. |
| C．Undergo an operation. | D．Have a quarrel with the man. |
| A. avoided B. processed C. suited D. equal E. steer F. interfere G. understandably H. concentration I. thirst J. cabin K. unsettle |
Eating on a plane used to be common practice. But in the age of COVID-19, many passengers are
As a result, it’s more common to eat at home before embarking on a flight. Those with longer travel journeys may even eat a large meal to carry them through the day. Still, not all preflight eats are created
Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, a registered dietitian based in New York City, said it’s worth considering your overall health as you prep for travel, including what you eat and drink. “It’s important to eat foods that will keep your immune system strong, keep you hydrated and are easily digested before flying,” Beckerman said.
So, which foods are best
“It’s super common for dehydration to set in when flying, thanks to the lack of humidity and dry air in the
Alcohol consumption tends to cause dehydration and has a different effect on the body than if you were to have a drink at ground level due to the low pressure in the cabin and the low oxygen
A cup of coffee can leave you dehydrated in an already dry environment and coffee also has a mild diuretic effect, which can lead to more frequent trips to the bathroom.
Beyond the dehydrating effects, caffeine can also keep you awake during a flight, which is often an opportunity to catch up on sleep. The need for more frequent bathroom visits can also
If you have a sensitive stomach, you might want to
A balanced meal that satisfies your
| A．He eats too much when playing chess. |
| B．He won’t join the chess club. |
| C．Chess is his favorite game. |
| D．He doesn’t enjoy chess as much as he used to. |
