题目内容

If you’re ever reading a book or watching a movie and get the distinct feeling you’ve come across the story before — or even better, can predict exactly what's going to happen next — there could be a good reason for that.

Researchers from the Computational Story Laboratory at the University of Vermont studied the complete text of some 1,737 fiction works available on Project Gutenberg, an online collection of more than 50,000 digital books in the public area. They discovered that English literature consists of just six kinds of emotional arcs (情感弧线) that make up nearly all of the most well-known stories. By analysing the sentiment (情感) of language used in these texts, the researchers were able to show the emotional ups and downs for the stories as a whole. They discovered that negative words like “poverty”, “dead”, and “punishment” dragged the emotion down, while positive terms like “love”, “peace”, and “friend” brought it up.

According to the researchers, those six core (核心的) emotional arcs are:

“Rags to riches” (An ongoing emotional rise)

“Tragedy, or riches to rags” (An ongoing emotional fall)

“Man in a hole” (A fall followed by a rise)

“Icarus” (A rise followed by a fall)

“Cinderella” (Rise–fall–rise)

“Oedipus” (Fall–rise–fall)

Interestingly, based on download statistics from Project Gutenberg, the researchers say the most popular stories are ones that use more complex emotional arcs, with the “Cinderella” and “Oedipus” arcs registering the most downloads. Also popular are works that combine these core arcs together in new ways within one story, such as two “Man in a hole” arcs stuck together, or the “Cinderella” arc coupled with a tragic ending.

1.Readers often feel familiar when reading a new story because stories have similar ______.

A. beginnings B. endings

C. characters D. emotional arcs

2.How did researchers carry out their study?

A. By conducting surveys among readers.

B. By reading books borrowed from libraries.

C. By analysing works from an online collection.

D. By interviewing authors of the well-known stories.

3.Which set of works may drag emotion down?

A. Hope, fortune and riches.

B. Disease, murder and war.

C. Smile, health and beauty.

D. Cold, earthquake and spring.

4.According to the last paragraph, which kind of works are most popular among readers?

A. Works with an ongoing emotional rise.

B. Works with an ongoing emotional fall.

C. Works with a rise followed by a fall.

D. Works with more than one rise and fall.

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Weeks ago,I was travelling by train.The train stopped at a station.The delivery man from the cafeteria ____ to deliver the pre-booked hot meals and drinks.Just behind him rushed in a 9-year-old girl,who put out her hand,____ for some food.The food supplier was ____ and pushed her out of the coach.Something in me made me ____.I stepped ____ and saw the girl still standing there and crying.I asked her if she was ____ and she nodded.So I decided to buy her food.

When I took her to the coach with the cafeteria,the people standing there had a(n) ____ expression on their faces.____ their reaction,I asked her to ____ whatever she wanted.As I pointed to each item,she kept ____.

Finally,we collected so much food.When I ____ to the cashier to pay the bill,the little girl started hurrying down the ____.The cashier shook his head ____ and said the girl must have ____ me into believing her misery.

As I returned to my coach,the cashier’s ____ made me doubt whether the girl had really fooled me.So I went down the train,following the ____ the little girl had taken.Finally,I walked to a relatively-deserted coach.Here I saw a ____ which left me deep in thought.This little girl was sitting in a circle with two other poor young boys.She had put all the ____ in the center and was putting some into the hand of a boy who was ____ blind.The little girl taught me that one can be ____ even in poverty.

1.A. came around   B. took turns C. turned out D. looked up

2.A. looking B. begging C. caring D. waiting

3.A. annoyed B. excited C. disappointed D. frightened

4.A. wake B. understand C. believe D. react

5.A. inside B. upstairs C. outside D. downward

6.A. thirsty B. hurt C. wrong D. hungry

7.A. satisfied B. worried C. puzzled D. relaxed

8.A. Noticing B. Enjoying C. Ignoring D. Showing

9.A. choose B. eat C. enjoy D. send

10.A. refusing B. nodding C. complaining D. praising

11.A. pointed B. referred C. listened D. turned

12.A. counter B. cafeteria C. train D. road

13.A. in disbelief B. in time C. in surprise D. in horror

14.A. persuaded B. fooled C. forced D. changed

15.A. answers B. dreams C. decisions D. words

16.A. advice B. direction C. example D. trend

17.A. station B. house C. shelter D. sight

18.A. money B. waste C. food D. drinks

19.A. obviously B. heavily C. impossibly D. gradually

20.A. fortunate B. generous C. hopeless D. sad

Holidays

Holiday News

Vacancies (空位) now and in the school holidays at a country hotel in Devon. This comfortable, friendly home-from-home lies near the beautiful quiet countryside, but just a drive away from the sea. The food is simple but good. Children and pets are welcome. Reduced prices for low season.

The snowdonia Centre

The Snowdonia Center for young mountain climbers has a mountain 1068.The beginners' costs are £57 for a week, including food and rooms. Equipment is included except walking shoes, which can be hired at a low cost.

You must be in good health and prepared to go through a period of body exercises. This could be the beginning of a lifetime of mountain climbing adventure.

The World Sea Trip of a Lifetime

Our World Sea Trip of 2008 will be unlike any holiday you have ever been on before. Instead of one hotel after another, with all its packing and unpacking waiting and traveling, you just go to bed in one country and wake up in another.

Acapulco and Hawaii

On board the ship, you will be well taken care of. Every meal will be first-class and every cabin like your home. During the trip, you can rest on deck(甲板), enjoy yourself in the games rooms and in the evening dance to our musical team and watch our wonderful play. You will visit all the places most people only dream about - from Acapulco and Hawaii to Tokyo and Hong Kong.

For a few thousand pounds, all you've ever hoped for can be yours.

1.What can you do if you like to go on holidays with pets?

A. Choose the holiday in Devon.

B. Go to the Snowdonia Centre

C. Join the World Sea Trip of 2008

D. Visit Acapulco and Hawaii

2.In what way is the Snowdonia Centre different from the other two holidays?

A. It provides chances of family gatherings.

B. It provides customers with good food.

C. It offers a sport lesson.

D. It offers comfortable room.

3.What is special about the World Sea Trip of 2008?

A. You can have free meals on deck every day.

B. You can sleep on a ship and tour many places.

C. You will have chances to watch and act in a play.

D. You have to do your own packing and unpacking.

Valentine's Day had arrived and like other days of the year, I was very busy.

My romantic husband, Roy, planned a date like we had never had before. A reservation at an expensive restaurant was made. A beautifully wrapped present had been sitting on my dresser for a few days before the heart-filled holiday.

After a hard day at work, I hurried home, ran into the house and jumped into the shower.

When my sweetheart arrived, I was dressed in my finest outfit and ready to go. He hugged me, just as the babysitter arrived. We were both excited.

Unfortunately, the youngest member in our household wasn't so happy.

"Daddy, you were going to take me to buy Mamma a present," Becky, my eight-year-old daughter said, as she sadly walked over to the sofa and sat down beside the babysitter.

Roy looked at his watch and realized that if we were to make our reservations, we had to leave right away. He didn't even have a few minutes to take her to the store to buy a heart-shaped box of chocolate candy. "I'm sorry, I was late getting home, honey," he said.

"That's OK," Becky replied. "I understand."

The entire evening was bittersweet. I couldn't help being concerned about the disappointment in Becky's eyes. I remembered how the joy of Valentine's Day had left her face just before the door closed behind us. She wanted me to know how much she loved me. She didn't realize it, but I already knew it very well.

Today, I can't remember what was wrapped in that beautiful box, which I was excited for sev- eral days, but I'll never forget the special gift, which I received when we arrived, back home.

Becky was asleep on the sofa., holding a box, which was sitting on her lap. When I kissed her cheek, she awoke. "I've made something for you, Mamma," she said, as a big smile covered her ti- ny face.

The little box was wrapped in newspaper. As I tore the paper off and opened the box, I found the sweetest Valentine gift that I have ever received. It was a heart-shaped pillow, filled with love, which I'll cherish forever.

My wonderful Valentine gift has a special place in my bedroom today, some thirteen years later. As she was growing up into a young woman, many times I held that pillow close to my heart. I don't know if a pillow can hold magic, but this pillow has surely held a great deal of joy for me over the years. It has helped me through several sleepless nights since she left home for college. I not only treasure the gift, but the memory, as well.

I know that I am a very lucky mother, indeed, to have such a wonderful little girl, who wanted so much to share her heart with me. As long as I live, there will never be another Valentine's Day, which will be any more special to me.

1.How did the writer plan to spend Valentine's Day?

A. To stay at work.

B. To have dinner with her husband.

C. To have a family dinner.

D. To celebrate the day alone.

2.How did Becky feel when she knew her father had no time to take her to buy mother a gift?

A. She was sad and cried.

B. She was lonely and frightened.

C. She was disappointed but understanding.

D. She was happy to be together with the babysitter.

3.What's the best title for this passage?

A. A Gift in Newspaper. B. Becky's Dream.

C. Valentine's Day. D. A Special Gift.

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