As a critic,his writing is far too ______ (主观的).

When you’re lying on the white sands of the Mexican Rivera, the stresses (压力) of the world seem a million miles away. Hey, stop! This is no vacation—you have to finish something.
Here lies the problem for travel writer and food critic (评论家) Edie Jarolim. “I always loved traveling and always liked to eat, but it never occurred to me that I could make money doing both of those things,” Jarolim said. Now you can read her travel advice everywhere--- in Arts and Antiques, in Brides, or in one of her three books, The Complete Idiot Travel Guide to Mexican Beach Resorts.
Her job in travel writing began some eight years ago. After getting a PhD in English in Canada, she took a test for Frommer’s travel guides, passed it, and got the job. After working at Frommer’s, Jarolim worked for a while at Rough Guides in London, then Fodor’s where she fell so in love with a description of the Southwest of the U.S. that she moved there.
Now as a travel writer, she spends one-third of her year on the road. The rest of the time is spent completing her tasks and writing reviews of restaurants at home in Tucson, Arizona.
As adventurous as the job sounds, the hard part is fact-checking all the information. Sure, it’s great to write about a tourist attraction, but you’d better get the local museum hours correct or you could really ruin someone’s vacation.
【小题1】What is most difficult for Jarolim?

The Chinese word “Shanzhai” means a small mountain village, but now it becomes an accepted name for fakes （假货） after “Shanzhai Cellphones” produced by small workshops in southern China became popular in the mainland market over the past two years．

         Besides “Shanzhai” has electronic products, there are “Shanzhai” movies, “Shanzhai” stars and even a “Shanzhai” Spring Festival Gala, a copy of the 25-year-old traditional show presented by CCTV on Chinese Lunar New Year’s Eve．

         “Shanzhai” has become a culture of its own, symbolizing anything that imitates something famous．The phenomenon has caused a public debate over whether it is healthy or sick being a copycat．

         In southwestern China’s Chongqing Municipality, a “Shanzhai” version “Bird’s Nest” woven by farmers with bamboo attracts wide attention and the “Shanzhai” version “Water Cube” is popular with tourists too．Both are copies of the famous Olympics buildings in Beijing．

         Xie Xizhang, a literature critic, said that taking the “Shanzhai” Gala as an example, when the traditional CCTV program becomes less and less attractive to the audience, the “Shanzhai” version appears naturally to attract people．“In spite of its poor techniques and operation, ‘Shanzhai’culture meets the psychological demands of common people and could be a comfort to their minds,” Xie said．

         Tian Huiqun, a professor at Beijing Normal University, said that “Shanzhai” culture never copies classic things, only trendy products．In that sense, it’s like a computer virus, multiplying without meaning．

         Though controversial, “Shanzhai” culture is becoming a widely accepted phenomenon．

         To the mainstream culture, the rise of “Shanzhai” culture is a challenge as well as a motivation, said Xie．Tian said different kinds of cultures developing together is an ideal situation and it is for the public to choose．

1.The Chinese Word“Shanzhai”may have its origin in _________．

         A．fake cellphones    B．electronic products

         C．Spring Festival Gala        D．Olympics buildings

2.The underlined word “imitates” is closest in meaning to _______．

         A．steals                B．copies               C．advertises        D．cheats

3.According to the passage, “Shanzhai” culture refers to ________．

         A．The action that a person imitates famous people

         B．anything that imitates something famous

         C．those similar names to famous brand

         D．products with poor techniques and quality

4.We can infer that the mainstream culture ________．

         A．will be held back by “Shanzhai” culture

         B．will sooner or later be replaced by “Shanzhai”culture

         C．may develop faster because of the challenging of “Shanzhai”culture

         D．thinks nothing of the challenge of “Shanzhai”culture

The television news feature about Ben Heckmann, an eighth grader from Farmington, Minn, was breathless in its praise. “At 14, he has accomplished something many adults can’t achieve,” the reporter said, “Ben is a twice-published author.” But Ben’s two “Velvet Black” books, describing a fictional rock band, were not picked from a pile of manuscripts（手稿）by an eagle eyed publisher. They were self-published, at the cost of $400 by Ben’s parents.

Over the past five years, print-on-demand technology and a growing number of self publishing companies whose books can be sold online have inspired writers of all ages to avoid the traditional gatekeeping system for determining who could call himself a “published author.”

The mothers and fathers who foot the bill say they are simply trying to encourage their children, in the same way that other parents buy equipment for a promising baseball player. But others see self-publishing as a lost opportunity to teach children about hardship and perseverance. Mr. Robbins, a critic, thinks it is wonderful to start writing at a young age, but worries self-publishing sends the wrong message. “There are no prodigies(神童) in literature,” he said. “Literature requires experience, in a way that mathematics and music do not.” Alan Rinzler, a publishing industry veteran, suggested parents hire a professional editor like him to work with their child to tear a manuscript apart and help make a better. Ben’s father, Ken, said Ben’s ambitions “weren’t to knock Harry Potter off the list,” but “to get that good feeling inside that you’ve done something.”

Ajla Dizdarevic, 12, who has self-published two books of poetry, has been on television and in local newspapers. “Being a published author,” she said, “was always a dream of mine.” Her new dream: three books by age 15.

1.Which of the following is true of Ben?

A．He has achieved something unusual for his age.

B．His self-published books were well received.

C．His manuscripts were favored by the publisher.

D．He was thought little of by the public media.

2.What makes it possible for writers of all ages to self-publish their works?

A．The rapid increase of online readership.

B．The increasing number of publishers.

C．The immediate access to marketing agencies.

D．The development of printing and publishing.

3.Why do some parents pay the self-publishing bill?

A．They want to offer opportunities to their children.

B．They want to give encouragement to their children.

C．They want to help their children avoid hardship.

D．They want to show love and care for their children.

4.What dose Alan Rinzler suggest that children should do?

A．Be forbidden to write books

B．Start writing at an early age

C．Be professionally guided

D．Learn from experience

5.Why do some children self-publish works according to the last part?

A．Just to achieve their dreams.

B．Just to earn more money.

C．Just to gain self-confidence.

D．Just to satisfy their parents.

My mother-in-law, Dorothy, is showing me the red notebook that’s almost as precious to her as my husband’s baby pictures. Inside the notebook is a list of the books she has read since 2007. For some people waking up in the middle of the night is a terrible thing. But for my mother-in-law, that time is a gift. At 87, she is getting the education she never had by working her way through great literature. She has now read close to 100 books, including every single novel by Anthony Trollope, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Edith Wharton, Henry James and Thomas Mann.

My mother-in-law discusses her passion with the enthusiasm of a young girl, although she can also be a very tough critic, writing “VG’ for “ very good” in the margins next to her favorites. So far, only a handful of books have received the top prize.

Born in Ridgefield, Conn, Dorothy was the youngest daughter of an Italian gardener. She taught herself English by reading The New York Times. Eager to come to Manhattan, she became a nurse, married a dentist and spent the next several decades keeping the house and raising a family. In her later years, she put her nursing skills to good use by taking care of my father-in-law, who had lung cancer. There were many trips to the emergency room in the middle of the night and then a long hospital stay. She stayed awake to watch over him for 15 hours a day. Always a light sleeper, she developed sleeplessness as a result of the stress.

It worsened after he died. Deeply sad and lonely for the first time in her life, she began waking up around 2am. Julian and Sylvia, the elderly couple next door suggest she read literature. And so Julian, a great lover of literature, became her “professor”, providing books from his large library. Suddenly the terrifying hole turned onto a world of amazing characters.

1.Why is Dorothy considered a tough critic?

   A. Because no books are inspiring enough in her eyes.                        

B. Because only a few books are thought highly of by her.

   C. Because she only reads books by famous writers.                         

D. Because she finds fault with every book she reads.

2. It can be inferred from the passage that _____.

   A. the books Dorothy has read were bought by her husband.                   

B. the couple next door are college professors.

   C. the author loves literature too.                                         

D. Dorothy was a great wife.

3.The underlined part “the terrifying hole” in the last paragraph refers to _____.

   A. the frightening death                                                   

B. Dorothy’s lack of education

   C. waking up in the middle of the night                                    

D. a hole in a book that Dorothy read

4. What helped Dorothy get over the sadness and loneliness of losing her husband?

   A. Living with her son.                                                 

B. Reading literature.

   C. Seeing her son’s baby pictures.                                         

 D. Talking with neighbors.