题目内容
Having a good command of the language of the country where you are going to study is necessary, because language skills affect you perform academically.
A. how B. that C. what D. when
At Japan’s Studio Ghibli, which has produced extraordinary animated films(动画片)since 1985, the best-known figure has always been one of the company’s founders, Hayao Miyazaki.
But an equally key figure is co-founder Isao Takahata, who has recently made a new feature, The Tale of Princess Kagnya. It is an unforgettable feature with an unusual hand-drawn aesthetic(美感).
The title character is a tiny baby girl who appears in a bamboo plant. She is found by a woodcutter, who takes her home and brings her up. He believes the little girl is a princess, and sets about preparing what he regards as a suitable world for her.
This original story is the oldest work of fiction in Japan; every child knows it in its simplified folktale form.
“It is a fascinating story with elements of wonder, humour, and sorrow,’’ Takahata says, “but these three elements are scattered(分散)about.” The chief challenge for anyone trying to adapt it is that “we are completely unable to comprehend what was in the heart of Princess Kaguya. Because of this, despite its being well known, few people consider it interesting. There have been several attempts at making a film out of the story, but they ended up being abandoned.”
He was connected with one of these attempts, but no one paid any attention to his concept.
“Fifty-five years later, I thought my concept was still appealing, and used it as a basis for turning the story into a feature film.”
His concept involves the princess’s origins, her expectations and her access to “the full range of human emotions”.
To realize his vision, Takahata says, “I needed to take the extremely individualistic brushwork and key designs of Osamu Tanabe and Kazuo Oga, two brilliantly talented artists, and have them permeate(扩散)throughout the film. The two of them drew many pictures, but they weren’t nearly enough. The most challenging part was to have all the other animation staff copy their styles in a free and easy way.”
The Tale of Princess Kaguya has been released, and people are saying that the two founders, now in their seventies, have directed their final films. But is it as clear-cut as that? When I ask Takahata about a scene of escape and urgency with a particularly distinctive (独特的) visual style, he says he had intended to use “this type of rough-drawn, forceful animation, in a project before this film.
“That project hasn’t been realized yet, but if it comes to pass, this style is essential.”
A hint, perhaps, there's still more to come.
1.Which of the following choices has got the right match?
①Hayao Miyazaki | a. one of the founders of Studio Ghibli |
② Isao Takahata | b. fictional character |
③ Kazuo Oga | c. famous artist |
④ Princess Kaguya | d. animation staff member of The Tale of Princess Kaguya |
A.① d B. ② a C.③ b D.④ c
2.Why is it challenging to adapt the original story to a feature film according to the passage?
A. Because people are in the dark about the feelings of Princess Kaguya.
B. Because the story itself offers a combination of wonder, humour and sorrow.
C. Because the story is too old to appeal to the audience nowadays.
D. Because every Japanese has been familiar with the story ever since childhood
3.From the Takahata version of The Tale of Princess Kaguya, we can expect the following except ________.
A. more details about the Princess’s origins and expectations
B. a forceful animation type featuring fine images and gentle brushwork
C. the distinctive brushwork and key designs from two gifted artists
D. a hand-drawn visual effect that brings out a unique sense of beauty
Escape from FoMO
Here’s a test you might enjoy: rate these situations on a number scale, ranging from 1 for mild discomfort to 7 for unbearable distress.
Situation 1: you’re visiting New York City and realize there’s no way you’ll be able to get to all the exhibits, see all the recommended plays or take in even part of the “musts”. How do you feel now? Something like 5?
Situation 2: you’re at dinner with friends, and you’ve all agreed to make it a strictly phone-free evening. But your smartphone won’t stop keeping Twitter and text alerts. Something is obviously up in your social network, but you can’t check. Even 7 wouldn’t match the stress you’re feeling now.
Welcome to FoMO (Fear of Missing Out), the latest mental disorder caused by social media connections sharing updates that leaves individuals feeling that they are missing out on something more exciting, important, or interesting going on somewhere else. It is an outcome of technological advancement and booming social information. According to a recent study, 56 per cent of those who use social networks suffer this.
It is not uncommon that at night when you’ve sworn again to put the phone aside or turn off the computer, you cast one last glance at the screen on your way to bed in case you miss some titbit (趣闻)supplied by mere acquaintances or even strangers’ requesting your “friendship”.
We all know the studies showing that end-of-life regrets centre on what we didn’t do, rather than on what we did. If so, constantly watching others doing things that we are not is rich ground for a future of looking back in sorrow. Attractive online images—so charming from afar—make FoMO more destructive. Technology has become the major construct through which we define intimacy (亲密).You may look on in wonder as someone taps out an endless text message instead of actually talking to the person they’re with. Being connected to everyone, all the time, is a new human experience; we’re just not equipped to cope with it yet.
Researchers say our dependence on technology can be reduced if we manage to separate ourselves, even for short periods of time, from our gadgets. However, the problem can only be settled when we grasp that our brains and our humanity—not our technologies—enable this addiction. We cannot seek solutions without honestly asking ourselves why we are so afraid of missing out. Researchers find FoMO occurs mostly in people with unfulfilled psychological needs in fields such as love, respect and security. FoMO levels are highest in young people, in particular young men.
What, then, can we do about something so damaging to our quality of life? The best way to cope with FoMO is to recognize that, at our fast-paced life, we are sometimes bound to miss out. Instead of trying to maximize our benefits, we seek a merely “good enough” result. If you still doubt that“good enough” is the best cure for FoMO, the words of the American essayist and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson might strike the right chord,“For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.”
Escape from FoMO
Main Points | Details |
Concept of FoMO | FoMO, constantly 1. our peace of mind, refers to the unease of feeling that we are not part of social connection. |
Examples of FoMO | • When having dinner with friends, we feel extremely depressed when 2. to check our social network. • Determined as we are to put aside phones, we can’t shift our (73) from them until we go to bed. |
3. behind FoMO | • Technology develops and social information explodes. • Images of online friends 4. more to us, compared to our real world friends. • Some of us attempt to feel5.A fulfilled on social network. |
Bad effects of FoMO | • We are constantly6. for things that we didn’t do. • Communicating with friends in the virtual world gives7. to the decline of important relationships with friends and family. |
Suggestions on avoiding FoMo | • Get (8. from the modern technology. • Recognize that missing out is part of our life. • Accept that9.can sometimes be “a blessing in disguise”. |