17.US author Colson Whitehead's new novel,The Underground Railroad,was awarded a Pulitzer Prize on April 9.And it's not had to see why.But while it doesn't require any great historical knowledge to be enjoyed,there are a couple of things the reader should bear in mind.
The book's title,The Underground Railroad,is also the name for the people-some black,some white-who ran the network of secret routes and safe houses,through which slaves in America were helped to freedom.
The very beginning setting of the story is a slave plantation in Georgia,in the south of the US.It is a horrific place,and every slave there wants to escape.Only a few of those who try succeed.
One such is Cora,taken by slavers from West Africa.To get to her freedom in Indiana,Cora has to escape from a long list of dangerous people.Her escape gets the attention of notorious(臭名昭著的)slave catcher Ridgeway,who not only wants to take her back but destroys the underground railroad at the same time.
The basic structure of The Underground Railroad comes from the classic"slave narrative"-accounts written by former slaves of their struggle to free themselves.
But although the terrible lives of the slaves are described very believably,The Underground Railroad is nota realistic novel that sticks to the facts.The story makes great use of Whitehead's imagination.While the"Underground Railroad"is a metaphor(暗喻).Whitehead makes it an actual railway.The train travels through wormhole-style black tunnels-like something out of science fiction-taking Cora to different realities within the US.
The reader does not expect this,because stories about slaves very rarely depart from the truth.Btu however inventive he allows himself to be,The Underground Railroad remains a story of slavery and an attempt to understand this awful thing whose impact is still felt in the US today.

24.The underlined word""horrific"can be replaced byA.
A.fearful
 B.peaceful
 C.marvelous
D.mysterious
25.The slaves want to escape intoB.
A.Georgia
B.Indiana
C.the west of Africa
D.the south of the USA
26.What is"slave narrative"according to the passage?A
A.The former slavers'sufferings recorded by themselves.
B.The American slavery system.
C.The later generation's description about the former slaves'life.
D.The slaves'experiences told by the former government.
27.Which statement is true according to the passage?D
A.It requires much historical knowledge to appreciate the novel.
B.The Underground Railroad is entirely based on the facts.
C.Slave stories are always far from the truth.
D.Slavery has been affecting the US till now.
15.Parents should ban electronic media during mealtimes and after bedtime as part of a comprehensive"family media use plan",according to new recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics."Excessive media use is associated with obesity,poor school performance,aggression and lack of sleep,"said Marjorie Hogan,co-author of the new policy.
Families should have a no-device rule during meals and after bedtime,the guidelines say.Parents should also set family rules covering the use of the Internet and cellphones,including,perhaps,which sites can be visited,and who can be called.The policy also restated(重申)the existing recommendations:Kids should limit the amount of screen time for entertainment to less than two hours per day;children younger than 2 shouldn't have any TV or Internet exposure.Also,televisions and Internet-accessible devices should be kept out of Kids'bedrooms.
Doctors say parents need to obey the family rules,too,to model healthy behavior.That,some say,may be the toughest part."If you go to any restaurant,Family 3.0 is Mom and Dad on their devices and the kids on theirs,"says Donald,a pediatrician(儿科医生)and an APP spokesman."Who is talking to each other?"
Children aged from 8-18 spent an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes a day consuming media for fun,including TV,music,video games and other content in 2015,according to a 2016 report from the Kaiser Family Foundation.The report was based on a survey of 2012 third through twelfth graders,702 of whom completed a seven-day media use diary.That was up about an hour and 17 minutes a day from five years earlier.About two-thirds of 8 to 18-year-olds said they had no rules on the amount of time they spent watching TV,playing video games or using the computer,the Kaiser report found.
Use of mobile devices by young kids has soared(飙升).A new report from Common Sense Media,a child-advocacy group based in San Francisco,found that 17% of children aged 8 and younger use mobile devices daily,up from 8% in 2011.

27.What can be inferred according to the 1st paragraph?D
A.Parents are advised to ban electronic media after mealtimes.
B."Family media use plan"is being carried out throughout America.
C.Electronic media are evil in the eyes of parents and educators.
D.Overuse of electronic media has caused many severe problems.
28.Which is Not included in the new policy?B
A.Children's screen time for entertainment should be limited.
B.Children can only play video games in their bedrooms.
C.Children can't call whoever they want to call without parents'permission.
D.Children younger than 2 should neither watch TV nor surf the Internet.
29.Why should parents themselves obey the family rules?B
A.It's beneficial to their health.
B.It's essential to parenting their kids
C.It's beneficial to their work.
D.It's essential to developing good relationship with their kids.
30.What can be the best title of the passage?C
A.Consuming Media for Fun Is a Nature of Kids
B.No use,No Worry
C.Measures Should Be Taken to stop Children's Overuse of Electronic Media
D.Electronic Devices Threaten the Relationship of Many Families.
12.The answer to protecting and saving marine(海洋)wildlife can start with cutting back on something Americans use every day---plastic drinking straws.Actor Adrien Grenier,best known for playing Vincent Chase in 2015movie Entourage,has launched a campaign to reduce the amount of single-use plastic usage in this country in order to protect and save marine wildlife and the environment.Plastic drinking straws are among many single-use plastic products contributing to the shocking loss of marine life,but they're a great place to start because they're something Americans are using by the hundreds of millions without any awareness that they're so damaging.
According to Ecocycle,an international environmental organization,Americans use more than 500million straws daily,which are enough to fill 127 school buses each day,and they can't be recycled.They means plastic straws end up in landfills or oceans,where fish and other marine wildlife mistake the small bits for food and swallow them.After seeing a photo of a whale beached on the shore with a belly full of plastic,Grenier felt the inspiration to launch the Lonely Whale Foundation,hoping to inspire and educate others on the challenges facing marine life.
Along with stopping the use of straws,Grenier hopes to educate consumers on the dangers of other single-use plastic items such as grocery bags and water bottles.While many Americans use these plastic products in their daily life,there are more sustainable alternatives that can help protect the environment.Ecocycle recommends the use of straws made from stainless steel,glass,and even bamboo instead of plastic.You can buy a number of these environmentally friendly straws online and in stores.

24.What initially contributed to the start of Grenier's campaign?B
A.Plastic straws in landfills
B.A picture of a dead whale
C.The severe damage done to the sea
D.The disappearance of some species under the sea
25.What is the primary purpose of the Lonely Whale Foundation?D
A.To advocate a green lifestyle         
B.To promote Grenier's latest movie
C.To save precious natural resources   
 D.To encourage people to protect ocean life
26.Ecocycle advises people to use straws that areD.
A.easy to recycle                    
B.convenient to use
C.special to marine life               
D.harmless to the environment.
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