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文化艺术
Passage 31
Embracing the knowledge economy age
The knowledge economy age is upon us. We have explored or established many new academic
fields. We are also surprised to find
that more skills and technologies are emerging every year, every month, even
every day, and knowledge is really expanding at an alarming speed. All these
points to the fact that the knowledge economy is rapidly approaching us.
Knowledge will play a dominant role in this current
economic system The possession, manufacture, distribution and consumption of
information are the basis of economic activities. Whoever possess more knowledge
will be the master of today’s society. Hence the pursuit of new knowledge will
be every individual’s goal and lifelong commitment.
How can I better embrace the new age? As a student, I have
already realized how stiff the competition will be. So I have become determined
to make the best of my time to acquire as much knowledge as possible. Even after
graduation, I will do my utmost to update my knowledge and master all necessary
skills needed in my future career. Knowledge is strength and wealth. After all,
opportunity always benefits the prepared mind.
1. Which age is upon us? ________
A. The knowledge economy age. B. The stone age.
C. The industry age.
D. The industry age.
2. Why is the age upon us? _______
A. We have a lot of money.
B. We have a lot of factories.
C. Knowledge is really expanding at an alarming speed.
D. We have already realized how stiff the competition will
be.
3. The person who told the story is probably a ________
A. teacher
B. student C.
businessman D. doctor
Passage 32 One language for everyone
A story from the Bible (圣经) tells of
old Babylon, where the men decided to build a tower that would touch the sky.
But God was unhappy, and he made them speak different languages. They couldn't
understand each other, so their dream never came true.
Yet the dream remains alive: if all men speak the same
language, they can do anything. L.L. Zamenhof from Poland was among the men who
pursue this dream. He developed Esperanto (世界语) between 1877 and 1885.
As the most successful man-made world language, it is
spoken by over two million people around the world.
Last month, the World Esperanto Congress (大会), dealing
with language rights, ended in Sweden. The 2004 conference will be held in
Beijing.
Most Esperanto speakers are in Central and Eastern Europe
and in East Asia, particularly Chinese mainland.
Esperanto has two advantages (优点). First,
it's easy. Each letter has exactly one sound and there are just 16 basic grammar
rules. The second advantage is that it belongs to no one country.
But Esperanto has only reached a small number of people
compared with natural languages widely used around the world — such as English
or Chinese. While these languages are deeply connected with their nations and
cultures, Esperanto doesn't have this background.
Will Esperanto really become a global language? It remains
a question.
1. The writer tells us a story at the beginning to
_______.
A. explain why men have been making the effort to create a language shared
by all
B. explain why men now speak different languages
C. show the relationship between man and God
D. prove language is very important
2. What does the word “pursue” in the second paragraph
mean?
A. Realize.
B. Work for. C.
Be against. D.
Follow.
3. What is the basic difference between Esperanto and
English?
A. More people speak English than Esperanto.
B. Esperanto words are easier to spell.
C. Esperanto has fewer grammar rules.
D. Esperanto is not supported by any country or culture.
4. What does the story mainly talk about?
A. Advantages and disadvantages of Esperanto.
B. Men's dream of sharing the same language.
C. Comparison of Esperanto and other languages like
English and Chinese.
D. The most successful planned language — Esperanto.
Passage 33 World tunes
Beautiful music flows from his dancing hands and speaks a
language for all people — young and old, rich and poor — to hear. It is a
language of love and romance.
With "Pour Elise" (《致爱丽丝》) and
"Ballade Pour Adeline" 《水边的阿蒂丽娜》), French pianist Richard
Clayderman is loved by millions all over the world. His lively, yet soft piano
playing is his trademark.
And now, he has mixed his music with the sounds of the
East. Clayderman, with his blonde (金色的) hair and blue eyes, recently
cooperated with China
Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra (CBCO，中国广播民族乐团) to
record his latest album "New Era" (《新时代》), which was
released across the world last Wednesday.
"I have been intoxicated (陶醉) by Chinese
folk music. It's a treasure worthy of being introduced to the world. I hope my
piano and interpretation (阐释) can bridge the West and the East," said the
49-year-old pianist.
Some of the most famous folk music in China, including
"Faraway Place" (《在那遥远的地方》) and "Kang Ding Love Song" (《康定情歌》), is
interpreted by the pianist, who is also known as the "Prince of
Romance".
Clayderman has created a whirlwind of passion, which
sweeps listeners off their feet and off to a faraway grassland.
And for the first time in his life, Clayderman plays the
piano alongside traditional Chinese instruments such as the erhu, pipa and flute
(笛子).
"The magic erhu works very well with the piano and
helps to create a sense of quietness and mystery in the peaceful beauty of the
music."
To record "Cicada" (《蝉之歌》), a
folk song of the Dong ethnic group (侗族), the musician made several visits to the mountainous
villages where the Dong people live in Yunnan Province. "Cicada", he
says, is a conversation between the piano and erhu. It is also a communication
between western and traditional Chinese music.
Clayderman is not the first western musician to be charmed
by Chinese folk music. In 1992, Heinrich Schweizer, a composer (作曲家) in
Switzerland, wrote the "East and West Symphony" (《东西之声交响乐》) to
celebrate the cultural meeting of China and the West. His work weaves Chinese
traditional folk songs with classical Western music to produce an original (原创的) orchestral
sound.
Traditional ways of life are disappearing in this fast
developing world. So, combining the old with the new is important in keeping
alive the great diversity (多样性) of cultures. "This cooperation with western music
is an efficient way to promote Chinese folk music to the world," said Zhang
Gaoxiang, vice-director of CBCO.
1. What makes Richard Clayderman different from other
musicians?
A. He is called Prince of Romance.
B. Pour Elise & Ballade Pour Adeline.
C. East and West Symphony.
D. His vibrant yet soft piano playing.
2. It was the pianist's hope to ________ through his
latest album.
A. play the piano alongside traditional Chinese music
instruments.
B. celebrate the cultural meeting of east and west.
C. create a world of quietness and mystery.
D. interpret Chinese music in his own way.
3. What does the word in the tenth paragraph
"weave" mean?
A. Mix.
B. Include.
C. Play.
D. Show.
He lived his whole life as a poor man. His art and talent
were recognized by almost no one. He suffered from a mental illness that led him
to cut off part of his left ear in 1888 and to shoot himself two years later.
But in his death, he achieved world fame.
Today, Dutch (荷兰) artist Vincent van Gogh is
recognized as one of the leading artists of all time. Postcards and posters of
his paintings and drawings continue to sell like hot cakes.
Now, 150 years after his birth on March 30, 1853, Zundert,
the town of his birth, has made 2003 "The van Gogh Year" in his
honour.
And the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam (阿姆斯特丹),
home to the biggest collection of his masterpieces, is marking the anniversary (周年纪念) with
exhibitions throughout the year.
"He is a big name like Einstein and Beethoven. He is
such a great figure. We are always amazed by how popular he is and his
popularity seems to be growing," said Andreas Bluehm, the museum's head of
exhibitions.
The museum draws around 1.3 million visitors every year.
Some people enjoy the art and then learn about his life. Others are first
interested in his life, which then helps them understand his art.
Van Gogh was the son of a pastor (牧师). He left
school when he was just 15. By the age of 27, he had already tried many jobs
including an art gallery (画廊) salesman and a French teacher. Finally in 1880, he
decided to begin his studies in art.
His masterpieces including portraits (人物肖像), sunflowers
and landscapes (风景) were produced in just 10 years.
Van Gogh is famed for his ability to put his own emotions
into his paintings and show his feelings about a scene. His style is marked by
short, broad brushstrokes (笔画).
"Instead of trying to reproduce exactly what I have
before my eyes, I use colour more freely, in order to express myself more
forcibly," he wrote in a letter to his brother, Theo, in 1888.
Van Gogh sold only one painting during his short life. He
relied heavily on support from Theo, an art dealer who lived in Paris.
But now his works are sold for millions of dollars. His
"Portrait of Dr. Gachet" (《伽塞医生的肖像》) sold for US$89.5 million in
1990. It is the highest price ever paid for a painting.
"I think his paintings are powerful and the brilliant
colours in them are attractive to people," said Molly Anderson, a van Gogh
fan.
1. What does the fifth paragraph mean?
A. The van Gogh museum will give exhibitions the whole
year through.
B. The van Gogh museum holds the biggest collection of his
masterpieces.
C. The van Gogh museum will host a big and long
celebration for van Gogh this year.
D. The exhibitions will be held in honour of van Gogh.
2. What does the word “figure” in the sixth paragraph
mean?
A. Man.
B. Name.
C. Number.
D. Form.
3. Why did the writer cite (引用) a part of a
letter written by van Gogh?
A. To show van Gogh's skill.
B. To show his style.
C. To show that he was an emotional person.
D. To show he was an unusual man.
Passage 35 Norah wins big at Grammy Awards
Norah Jones had a sleepless night on February 23. The
23-year-old American jazz singer, who found her voice in the small clubs of New
York, dominated (统治) the 45th annual Grammy Awards — the music industry's
most prestigious (赫赫有名的) award ceremony.
She seemed as surprised as everyone else that her first
album, "Come Away With Me", was such a big success. It won her the
most wanted awards, including Album of the Year (年度最佳专辑), Song of
the Year and Best New Artist.
"I can't believe this, I feel really blessed and
really lucky to have this year," said the wide-eyed girl at the ceremony.
Jones grew up in Texas, US, with her mother. Her parents
separated before she was born. She began singing in church choirs (唱诗班) at the age
of five and started piano lessons two years later.
At the age of 15, Jones entered the High School for the
Performing Arts in Washington. She won Best Jazz Singer and Best Original
Composition (最佳原创作品) at the 1996 and 1997 Student Music Awards.
She had always enjoyed singing, but felt the piano would
be a more solid foundation in life. So Jones chose to study jazz piano music at
the University of North Texas for two years before taking a trip to New York
city.
The trip started out as a summer vacation. But Jones soon
realized she wanted to stay for a while. "The music scene in New York is so
huge and exciting. Everything opened up for me. I couldn't leave," she
said.
Jones became friends with local songwriters and was
inspired (激励) to write her own songs. She began to sing and play the
piano in a band. She got her break in 2001 and released "Come Away With
Me" the following year.
The album is a blend (融合) of jazz, country and folk-pop.
It has now sold more than 6 million copies around the world and has won much
praise from the music industry. "She makes an album that people will
remember in 20 years," said American country singer Faith Hill.
What is jazz?
Jazz is generally thought to have begun in New Orleans,
US. It developed in the latter part of the 19th century from African work songs,
songs of sorrow and hymns (赞美诗). The character of Jazz is
spontaneous (自然的) and emotional. It is usually played by small bands made
up of a cornet (短号), clarinet (单簧管), trombone (长号) and guitar.
1. Norah Jones had a sleepless night on February 23. From
this sentence, we can see she was ______ that night.
A. tired
B. having difficulties going to sleep
C. excited
D. too busy to sleep
2. What does the writer mean by saying"…who found
her voice in the small clubs of New York" in the first paragraph?
A. She once lost her voice and after some medical
treatment in New York, she found her voice.
B. Her experiences in those clubs helped her realize she
was a good singer.
C. She started to sing in those clubs.
D. Her experiences in those clubs helped her develop her
singing style.
3. At the end of paragraph 3, the writer uses the
description "wide-eyed" to show Norah was ______.
A. a girl with big eyes
B. very surprised
C. inexperienced
D. opening her eyes wide
4. Put the events listed below in the correct order.
a. Norah started learning the piano b. she won Student
Music Awards
c. she studied Jazz piano music d. she sang in church
choirs
e. she took a trip to New York
A. abcde
B. dabce C.
dcabe D.
abdce
5. At the end of the last paragraph but two (倒数第二段), the
writer mentions that "she got her break in 2001". What does it mean?
A. She got a rest that year.
B. She made some changes that year.
C. She reached a high point that year.
D. A lucky chance appeared and she made some achievement
that year.
A young man stood for a long time in front of a grocery
store (杂货店). His eyes were fixed upon the busy shopkeeper: his
laugh, his frown (皱眉头) and the way he chatted with the customers. Suddenly he
got an idea.
No, this is not a scene from a detective story. The young
man was simply an apprentice (学徒) doing his homework. He had been asked to portray (描绘) the
shopkeeper so that he could be easily recognized. And his work would be
presented, not with a brush, but with words on paper.
The young man was Guy de Maupassant, one of the greatest
French short story writers to have ever lived. He practised this method of
observation for a whole year under the guidance of his teacher, Gustave Flaubert
(古斯塔夫?福楼拜), who was also a master of French literature (文学) in the 19th
century.
Maupassant's sharp observations later greatly contributed
to his stories.
Maupassant was brought up in Normandy (诺曼底) in
northwest France. At the age of 20, he studied law in Paris for a short time and
then served in the army during the Franco-Prussian War (普法战争). When he returned from battle,
he worked as a civil servant for eight years. In 1880, he published his first
short story "Ball of Fat" (《羊脂球》), which became one of his 300
works.
Maupassant treated his subjects with simplicity, clarity,
and objectivity (客观性). He was mainly inspired (产生灵感) by peasant
life, the cruel war he experienced and life in Paris.
His stories tend to be built around simple everyday
events, which show people's hidden characteristics and mirror the truths of
society. Later, Maupassant suffered
from mental illness and he died in 1893 at the age of 43.
1. Why did the young man stand for a long time in front of
a store? Because he was ______.
A. asked to spy on the shopkeeper
B. studying the shopkeeper
C. portraying the shopkeeper D. going to be a shopkeeper
2. What does the word "apprentice" in the second
paragraph mean?
A. Student.
B. Clerk. C.
Detective. D. Painter.
3. What helped him with his writing?
A. His simplicity.
B. His knowledge.
C. His observation.
D. His clarity.
4. What does the word "mirror" in the last but
two paragraphs (倒数第二段) mean?
A.
Copy.
B. Tell.
B.
C. Explain.
C.
D. Show.
EDITOR'S note: The works of British essayist (散文家) Sir Francis
Bacon (1561-1626) are well-known throughout Chinese high schools.
Nearly 400 years ago in April he breathed his last breath.
Today, his essays on friendship, self-love and being young, for example, still
remain relevant (相关的) to students throughout the world.
Here, the School Edition presents Sir Bacon's essay on
studying. Some of the words have been simplified.
Of study
Studies serve to delight, for ornament (装饰), and for
ability. Their chief use for delight, is in private; for ornament, is in
conversation; and for ability, is in the judgment of business... To spend too
much time in studies is not healthy; to use them too much for ornament, is
affectation (矫揉造作); to make judgment wholly by their rules, is the
characteristic of a scholar (学究).
Studies perfect nature, and are perfected by experience:
for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning (修剪); and
studies themselves, give too many general directions in life, they need to be
bound (约束) by
experiences...
Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and
some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in
parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and
with diligence and attention...
Reading makes a full man; discussion a ready man (明辨是非的人); and
writing an exact man.
And therefore, if a man writes little, he has need for a
great memory; if he discusses little, he has need for a ready wit (睿智); and if he
reads little, he has need for much cunning (狡黠) to pretend he has more
knowledge than he does...
Bowling (球类运动) is good for kidneys (肾); shooting
for the lungs and breast; gentle walking for the stomach; riding for the head;
and the like.
So if a man's wit lacks focus, let him study mathematics.
For if his mind starts wandering (走神), even a little, he must go
back to the beginning of his problem again. If his wit is not able to find
differences, let him study the philosophers; for they are cymini sectores (Latin
for "hair-splitters" — people who examine problems very closely). If
he is not able to use one thing to prove another, let him study the lawyers'
cases.
So every defect (缺陷) of the mind may have a special
remedy (治疗法).
1. When you talk with someone, your studies enable you to
______.
A. enjoy discussions.
B. understand others.
C. contribute something to the discussions.
D. make judgements.
2. What does the writer mean by saying: "Studies are
perfected by experiences"?
A. There are so many directions in life, you may get lost
without experiences.
B. Without your own experiences, you won't know what to
believe in life.
C. Without your own experiences, you won't really
understand what you've studied.
D. Without your own experiences, you won't know what
direction to follow.
3. In the fourth paragraph，the sentence: "Reading
makes a full man", full means ______.
A. cunning
B. knowledgeable
C. complete
D. satisfied
4. Studying law helps a person _____.
A. examine problems
B. learn to prove things
C. focus
D. find differences
Passage 38 Colors and feelings
Human feelings are affected by color unconsciously.
Manufacturers have discovered by trial and error that sugar sells badly in green
wrappings, that blue foods are considered by consumers as tasteless, and that
cosmetics should never be packaged in brown. These discoveries have grown into a
whole discipline of color psychology. Some of our preferences are clearly
psychological. Dark blue is the color of the night sky and therefore associated
with quiet and calm; While yellow is a key color in association with energy. For
primitive men, activity during the day time meant hunting and attacking, which
he soon saw red,the color of blood and the fire. So it was natural that green,
the complementary color to red, should be associated with passive defense.
Experiments have shown that colors also have a direct psychological effect.
People when exposed to bright red, show an increase in breathing rate, heart
beat and blood pressure. Red is exciting. Similar exposure to pure blue has
exactly the opposite effect, because it is a calming color. Because red has an
implication of exciting, it was chosen as the signal for danger. Some analysis
shows that a vivid yellow can produce a more basic state of alarm. So fire
engines and ambulances in some advanced countries are now rushing around in
bright yellow colors that stop traffic deed.
1. What color makes people feel exciting? __________-
A. Red.
B. Green.
C. Blue.
D. Brown.
2. Why should green be associated with passive defense?
Because ________
A. we usually see it
B. it can make us excited
C. it’s the complementary color to red
D. it makes people feel comfortable
3. When you are angry, what color is suitable for you?
________
A. Red
B. Yellow C.
Blue. D. White.
Passage 39 Antique Map Fair Opens in Miami