When US musician Bob Dylan was announced as the winner of this year’s Nobel Prize for literature last month, many people took to social media to suggest that Leonard Cohen was the only other living songwriter who deserved(值得)the honor.

Sadly, on Nov 7, the deep-voiced Canadian artist died at the age of 82.

Many tributes(称赞)were written for Cohen, who had just released his 14th album, You Want It Darker, on Oct 21st. “Leonard Cohen is as important today as he was in the 1960s,” Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on in a statement. “ His ability to describe human emotion made him one of the most influential and lasting musicians ever.”

Cohen’s most famous song, Hallenlujah, in which he compared physical love to a need for spiritual connection, has been recorded hundreds of times by different musician since it was first released in 1984.

And Cohen’s song Bird on a Wire(1969) could be considered a perfect epitaph(墓志铭)that he wrote for himself. As the song’s first line goes, “Like a bird on a wire, like a drunk in midnight choir(合唱团), I have tired in my way to be free.”

“Cohen writes words that explain what it means to be human. I’ve read poetry that has as much beauty as Cohen’s work, but in the world of music, Cohen is a rarity,” US singer Jennifer Warnes told Austin American-Statesman newspaper. ‘He describes things that go on inside a heart and what it feels like to be here.”

Along with his spirituality, Cohen’s dry, deep voice also helped his popularity. In 2006 he spoke with the NPR radio station about how he got his interesting voice—apparently it was “500 tons of whiskey and a million cigarettes.”

But he never forgot to work on the instruments that made up his songs, even though he was most famous for his lyrics (歌词)and voice.

“There is no difference between a poem and a song,” Cohen said in 1969 interview with the New York Times newspaper. “Some were songs first and some were poems first and some were written at the same time. All of my writing has guitars behind it, even the novels.”

“When people talk about Cohen, they fail to mention the melodies(旋律), which to me, along with his lyrics, are his greatest genius,” Bob Dylan told the New York magazine.” They give a lift to every one of his songs. As far a I know, no one comes close to this in modern music.”

1.What do Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan have in common?

A. They have both written beautiful lyrics.

B. They have both achieved outstanding things in literature

C. They both came from the same country

D. They were both considered the possible winners of Nobel Prize in literature.

2.People often speak highly of Cohen for many things except for_____.

A. his voice B. his melodies

C. his lyrics D. his influence

3.What can be inferred from the article?

A. Hallenlujah is the most performed song in the world

B. Bird on a Wire was written to describe Cohen’s personality

C. Bob Dylan took inspiration from Cohen’s work

D. Cohen said his unhealthy habits contributed to his unique voice.

4.Which of the following words best describe Cohen?

A. Humorous and optimistic B. Sensitive(敏感的)and moody

C. Insightful(深刻的)and talented D. Expressive and rebellious(叛逆的)

Researchers in China and the United States have developed a new cataract(白内障)treatment with cells that has restored vision in babies in a trial and may eventually be used in adults.

The treatment- by doctors and staff members at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Sichuan and Sun Yat-sen universities in China-was published in March 9 edition of the scientific journal Nature.

A cataract is a clouding of the normally clear lens(晶体)of an eye. Typical cataract operation involves the removal of the cloudy lens and the insertion of an artificial one. The new operation has been tested in animals and during a small, human trial. It resulted in fewer complications(并发症)than the current harmful operation, and in regrown lenses with superior visual function in all 12 of the baby cataract patients who received the procedure.

A congenital cataract- lens clouding that occurs at birth or shortly after- is important cause of blindness in children. In the new research, Kand Zhang, head of ophthalmic genetics at US San Diego’s Shiley Eye Institute, and his colleagues relied on the regrown potential of endogenous(同源的)stem cells.

According to Zhang, endogenous stem cells are different from other stem cells that are typically grown in a laboratory, transplanted into a patient, and can have risks of immune(免疫的)rejection, infection or cancers. Zhang told CBS News, “We invented a new operation to make a very small opening at the side of a cataractous lens bag, remove the cataract inside, allow the opening to heal, and promote potential lens stem cells to regrow an entirely new lens with vision.”

The human trial involved 12 babies under the age of 2 who were treated with the new method, while 25 babies received thee standard operation care.. The latter group experienced a higher incidence of pos- operation danger, early- onset eye high blood pressure and increased lens clouding. The scientists reported fewer complications and faster healing among the 12 babies who has the new procedure.

1.What is the text mainly about?

A. The concept of the cataract

B. A new cataract treatment with stem cells

C. Bad effects of post-operation in the cataract

D. The reasons why the cataract comes into being

2.Which of the following best describe the new cataract treatment according to the passage?

A. Convenient B. Comfortable

C. Cheap D. Safe

3.What can we learn about the new cataract treatment?

A. It has more risks

B. It may be used widely

C. It has been put into practice widely

D. It can only restore vision in babies

4.What does the underlined word “congenital” in the fourth paragraph mean?

A. Born B. Strange

C. Serious D. Dangerous.

People lie all the time, but depending on how skilled they are, it can be difficult to determine when someone is lying to you. Do you know how to recognize the signs that someone is lying to you? Some of the signs are obvious while others are more subliminal(难以察觉的), but there are ways to catch someone in a lie, you just need to know what they are. 1.

1. Liars make false eye contact.

A person who is lying to you won’t make eye contact with you or they make too much eye contact. If a person is lying they may feel you are watching him and he will look down at the floor or away from your eyes. Some people try to stare you in the face deliberately. 2.

2.Liars avoid using contractions(缩略形式)

The liar will say “I did NOT notice that.” instead of “I didn’t notice that.”3.. Usually it ends up making the story a lot less believable.

3.Unnatural Body Language.

Liars often feel uneasy, turn away from the person to whom they are speaking, blink(眨眼) rapidly, smile less and have pitch changes in their tone of voice. They may cross their arms which is a sign of being “closed” or trying not to reveal too much information. 4.. They could touch parts of their face, an ear or a nose or play with keys or another item that they have in their hand.

.4.Liars provide additional information without being asked for it

5.The result is the more complicated the story is, the less believable it will be. You will have the feeling that nothing could be further from the truth.

A. This is an attempt by the liar to be absolutely clear what they mean.

B. Here are some easy ways to recognize liars and catch lies.

C. Sometimes people look unnatural when they are lying

D. They will get angry if you doubt their story

E. They seem to think that by telling their story in detail, you will find it more believable.

F. They try to change the subject or move the conversation in a different direction

G. In this way they feel like making eye contact will make what they are saying more believable.

When I was a boy I didn’t have a smart phone. Home computers were unheard of, and our 13-inch television could only get one channel in clearly. Yet, I was never ___. When spring arrived I would ____ my trusty bike and ride. I would pedal for hours, feel the wind on my face and laugh with ___ as I rode down the hills. When summer came I would find myself _____ every day at the local pool or the river down the hill from my home. I never got sunburned___ I was never out of the water long enough. When it was ____ my friends and I would play football for hours and when the leaves fell we would gather them into huge golden and red ____ to jump in. The first

____ of winter didn’t stop the fun either: my brothers and I would have snowball fights and ____ into the woods to cut down our Christmas tree. ____ I would sit in my favorite chair by the warm, wood stove and read books that carried my_____away to different lands and endless adventures.

Those simple ____ always brought me so much fun, so much laughter, and so much happiness. There was ____ to be bored about because there was always something to do, something to enjoy, and something to_____ I fell a bit sorry for the children of today because they are spending so much time watching and so little time ______

One thing I am______, though, is that even in this technological world the simple pleasures of life can still comfort your soul. A hug still warms your heart. A walk in the woods still ____ your spirit. Petting a dog, playing a game, ____ a hand, and saying “I love you” still make you feel joy. God loves us so much and God gives us the simple pleasures of life to enjoy and to ____. Embrace them all. Welcome them into your day, take them into your heart, and share them with everyone. Live and love as a joyous Child of God today and ____ .

1.A. annoyed B. bored C. frustrated D. confused

2.A. put out B. give out C. pull out D. work out

3.A. optimism B. pressure C. satisfaction D. joy

4.A. swimming B. playing C. fishing D. diving

5.A. though B. once C. while D. because

6.A. vacation B. fall C. evening D. weekend

7.A. sheets B. squares C. piles D. rolls

8.A. frost B. ice C. snow D. cold

9.A. walk B. advance C. steal D. slide

10.A. Soon B. However C. Therefore D. Later

11.A. enthusiasm B. imagination C. emotion D. devotion

12.A. seasons B. memories C. pleasures D. accounts

13.A. nothing B. such C. much D. none

14.A. love B. intend C. attempt D. feel

15.A. sleeping B. living C. traveling D. riding

16.A. sure about B. proud of C. considerate of D. curious about

17.A. loses B. breaks C. calms D. shows

18.A. shaking B. waving C. getting D. holding

19.A. share B. appreciate C. reserve D. possess

20.A. yesterday B. always C. never D. nowadays

There is a story about a man who lost his legs and left arm in an accident. After the accident, only a finger and thumb on his right hand remained.

He was a brilliant, creative, and educated man. He had gained a lot of experience while traveling around the world, so he became very depressed after his accident. He was afraid that he would spend the rest of his life suffering and would no longer be able to spend his life in a meaningful way. Then, he realized that he still had partial function of his right hand and could still write even though it was very difficult. An idea occurred to him, “Why not write to other people who need encouragement?”

He wrote to the prison ministry about sending letters to the prisoners. The prison minister replied, “Writing to the prisoners is acceptable, but your letters will not be answered.”

Filled with excitement, the man knew he could write his letters. He began sending one-way messages of God’s love, hope, strength, and encouragement. He wrote twice a week, testing his strength and ability to the limit. He poured his heart and soul into his words and shared his experience, sense of humor, optimism, and faith.

It was difficult to write those letters, especially without hope of a reply. One day he received a letter from the prison ministry. It was a short note from the officer who monitored and checked the prison mail.

The letter said, “Please write on the best paper you can afford. Your letters are passed from room to room until they fall to pieces!”

No matter what circumstances life may present, we all have unique experiences, abilities, and God-given talents. We can discover ways to reach others who desperately need messages of encouragement and strength.

1.Before the man had the accident, he __________.

A. had toured around the world

B. had visited local prisons

C. had tried doing exercise to recover himself

D. had been friends with the prison minister

2.In order to live in a meaningful way, the man began to ________.

A. receive the school education

B. write to other people who needed encouragement

C. meet the people who were depressed

D. help other people who lost arms and legs

3.From the officer’s short note we are told that __________.

A. the man would be offered free paper to write letters on

B. some of the prisoners were not satisfied with his letters

C. the prisoners eagerly wanted to write back to the man

D. his letters were very popular among the prisoners

4.What can be the best title for the passage?

A. Stories about a Humorous Person

B. Popularity of Special Letters

C. Special Letters of Encouragement

D. Relationship between Writers and Prisoners

Two recent studies have found that punishment is not the best way to influence behavior.

One showed that adults are much more cooperative if they work in a system based on rewards. Researchers at Harvard University in the United States and the Stockholm School of Economics in Sweden did the study.

They had about two hundred college students play a version of the game known as the Prisoner’s Dilemma. The game is based on the tension between the interests of an individual and a group. The students played in groups of four. Each player could win points for the group, so they would all gain equally. But each player could also reward or punish each of the other three players. Harvard researcher David Rand says the most successful behavior proved to be cooperation. The groups that rewarded the most earned about twice as much in the game as the groups that rewarded the least. And the more a group punished itself, the lower its earnings. The study appeared last month in the journal Science.

The other study involved children. It was presented last month in California at a conference on violence and abuse(虐待). Researchers used intelligence tests given to two groups. More than eight hundred children were aged two to four the first time they were tested. More than seven hundred children were aged five to nine. The two groups were retested four years later, and the study compared the results with the first test. Both groups contained children whose parents used physical punishment and children whose parents did not.

The study says the IQs of the younger children who were not spanked were five points higher than those who were. In the older group, the difference was almost three points. The more they are spanked, the slower their mental development.

1.Which of the following is TRUE according to the second study?

A. Children’s IQs have much to do with physical punishment.

B. The study is about violence and cooperation of children.

C. The children tested were divided into groups of four.

D. Children’s mental development only relies on their IQs.

2.What does the underlined word “spanked” refer to?

A. punished B. blamed

C. tested D. praised

3.What might be the best title for the text?

A. The Best Way to Correct Misbehavior

B. Punishment Is the Best Way of Education

C. Cooperation Is the Most Successful Behavior

D. Punishment or Reward: Which Works Better on Behavior?

Car companies are developing vehicles that will plug into electric sockets, ust like many laptops, digital cameras, cell phones and Mp4 do. Called “plug-in vehicles”, these cars will get most of their power from electricity. Their drivers won't have to stop at gas stations as often as usual.

The technology is more than just cool. In our car-filled world, plug-in vehicles could reduce the amount of gas we use, which keeps rising in cost now and then. Besides, driving around in these vehicles may even help the environment. Gas-burning cars produce a lot of greenhouse gas, which causes global warming.

The first company-produced plug-in vehicles could hit the roads by 2020. But engineers still have a lot of work to do to make the technology practical and inexpensive.

Batteries are the biggest challenge. In the plug-in-vehicle world,Li-ion(锂离子)batteries are getting the most attention. These batteries can store a large amount of energy in a small package, and they last a longer time between charges. Li-ion batteries can fit laptops, cell phones, heart instruments and other similar pocket ones.

But because cars are so big and heavy, it would still require a suitcase-sized Li-ion batteries to power about 12km of driving. What's more, the batteries are much expensive.

“A car filled with batteries could go a long distance,” says Ted Bohn, an electrical engineer in Chicago. “But it couldn't pull any people, and it would cost $100,000.” So researchers need to work out how to make batteries smaller and cheaper, among other questions.

“The answers don't exist yet, ” Bohn says, “As a kid, I thought someone someplace knows the answer to everything. All of these questions haven't been decided. That's what engineering is about-making a guess, running tests and getting fine results.”

1.According to the passage, the main problem of the new car is ______________.

A. the developing B. the speed

C. the appearance D. the batteries

2.Which is true according to the passage?

A. The “plug-in vehicles” will use electricity completely as driving power.

B. The new technology will help protect our environment.

C. The technology of using electricity as driving is quite practical now.

D. The biggest challenge of the new technology is that it will cost us more energy.

3.How does Bohn feel about the future of the technology according to the last paragraph?

A. Confident B. Puzzled.

C. Worried. D. Disappointed.

4.According to the passage, the new technology is facing the problems except that_______.

A. the new technology cannot come into use at present

B. the cost of the new technology is quite high

C. the government won't support the technology

D. the size of the batteries is too big at present

 0  143938  143946  143952  143956  143962  143964  143968  143974  143976  143982  143988  143992  143994  143998  144004  144006  144012  144016  144018  144022  144024  144028  144030  144032  144033  144034  144036  144037  144038  144040  144042  144046  144048  144052  144054  144058  144064  144066  144072  144076  144078  144082  144088  144094  144096  144102  144106  144108  144114  144118  144124  144132  151629 

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网