BERLINAGermanwoman，fearfulthat-优题课

The French word renaissance means rebirth. It was first used in 1855 by the historian Jules Michelet in his History of France, then adopted by historians of culture, by art historians, and eventually by music historians, all of whom applied it to European culture during the 150 years spanning 1450-1600. The concept of rebirth was appropriate to this period of European history because of the renewed interest in ancient Greek and Roman culture that began in Italy and then spread throughout Europe. Scholars and artists of this period wanted to restore the learning and ideals of the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome. To these scholars this meant a return to human. Fulfillment in life became a desirable goal, and expressing the entire range of human emotions and enjoying the pleasures of the senses were no longer frowned on. Artists and writers now turned to religious subject matter and sought to make their works understandable and appealing.
These changes in outlook deeply affected the musical culture of the Renaissance period--- how people thought about music as well as the way music was composed and experienced. They could see the architectural monuments, sculptures, plays, and poems that were being rediscovered, but they could not actually hear ancient music --- although they could read the writings of classical philosophers, poets, essayists, and music theorists that were becoming available in translation. They learned about the power of ancient music to move the listener and wondered why modern music did not have the same effect. For example, the influential religious leader Bernardino Cirillo expressed disappointment with the learned music of his time. He urged musicians to follow the example of the sculptors, painters, architects, and scholars who had rediscovered ancient art and literature.
The musical Renaissance in Europe was more a general cultural movement and state of mind than a specific set of musical techniques. Furthermore, music changed so rapidly during this century and a half-though at different rates in different countries---that we cannot define a single Renaissance style.
1. What does the author mean by using the word “eventually” in line 3?
A. That music historians used the term “Renaissance” after the other historians did
B. That most music historians used the term “Renaissance”
C. The term “Renaissance” became widely used by art historians but not by music historians
D. That music historians used the term “Renaissance” very differently than it had been used by Jules Michelet
2. The phrase "frowned on" in line 9 is closest in meaning to
A. given up B. forgotten about C. argued about D. disapproved of
3. It can be inferred from the passage that thinkers of the Renaissance were seeking a rebirth of__.
A. communication among artists across Europe
B. spirituality in everyday life
C. a cultural emphasis on human values
D. religious themes in art that would accompany the traditional secular themes
4. According to the passage, why was Bemardino Cirillo disappointed with the music of his time?
A. It was not complex enough to appeal to musicians.
B. It had little emotional impact on audiences.
C. It was too dependent on the art and literature of his time.
D. It did not contain enough religious themes.
5. Which of the following is mentioned in the passage as a reason for the absence of a single Renaissance musical style?
A. The musical Renaissance was defined by technique rather than style.
B. The musical Renaissance was too short to give rise to a new musical style.
C. Renaissance musicians adopted the styles of both Greek and Roman musicians.
D. During the Renaissance, music never remained the same for very long.

Romantic love is a culture trait found primarily in industrialized societies. Elsewhere in the world, pragmatic(重实效的) considerations rather than flights of fancy are often used to make a choice of partner, and romantic love is seen as an unfortunate inconvenience that gets in the way of the ordinary, rational process of mate selection. Traces of this attitude persist in the American upper classes, where daughters are expected to marry “well”-----that is, to a male who is eligible by reason of family background and earning potential. Most Americans, however, see romantic love as essential for a successful marriage, and tend to look askance（轻蔑地）at anyone who marries for a more practical reason in which love plays no part.
The phenomenon of romantic love occurs when two young people meet and find one another personally and physically attractive. They become mutually absorbed, start to behave in what appears to be a flighty（充满幻想的）, even irrational manner, decide that they are right for one another, and may then enter a marriage whose success is expected to be guaranteed by their enduring love. Behavior of this kind is portrayed and warmly endorsed（赞同）throughout American popular culture, by books, magazines, comics, records, popular songs, movies, and TV.
Romantic love is a noble ideal, and it can certainly provide a basis for the spouses to “live happily ever after.” But a marriage can equally well be founded on much more practical considerations”----as indeed they have been in most societies throughout most of history. Why is romantic love of such importance in the modern world? The reason seems to be that it has some basic functions in maintaining the institution of the nuclear family（小家庭）.
1. Romantic love is less frequently found in many non-industrial societies because people in these societies_______.
A . firmly believe that only money can make the world go round
B. fail to bring the imaginative power of the mind into full play
C. fondly think that flights of fancy prevent them from making a correct choice of partner
D. have far more practical considerations to determine who will marry whom
2. The word eligible (in Line5, Para. l), could best be replaced by ____.
A . qualified B. available C. chosen D. influential
3. According to the passage, most Americans _____.
A. expect their daughters to fall in love with a male at first sight
B. regard romantic love as the basis for a successful marriage
C. look up to those who marry for the sake of wealth
D. consider romantic love to be the most desirable thing in the world
4. What can we learn from the second paragraph about romantic love?
A. It is a common occurrence among the old.
B. It is primarily depicted by books.
C. It is characterized by mutual attraction and absorption.
D. It is rejected as unreasonable.
5. The author seems to believe that ___________
A. romantic love makes people unable to think clearly in the process of mate selection
B. only romantic love can make a marriage happy ever after
C. much more practical considerations can also be the basis for a successful marriage

The justification for a university is that it preserves the connection between knowledge and the zest of life, by uniting the young and the old in the imaginative consideration of learning. The university imparts information, but it imparts it imaginatively. At least, this is the function which it should perform for society. A university which fails in this respect has no reason for existence. This atmosphere of excitement, arising from imaginative consideration, transforms knowledge. A fact is no longer a burden on the memory, it is energizing as the poet of our dreams and as the architect of our purposes.
Imagination is not to be divorced from the facts: it is a way of illuminating the facts. It works by eliciting the general principles which apply to the facts, as they exist, and then by an intellectual survey of alternative possibilities which are consistent with those principles. It enables men to construct an intellectual vision of a new world, and it preserves the zest of life by the suggestion of satisfying purposes.
Youth is imaginative, and if the imagination be strengthened by discipline, this energy of imagination can in great measure be preserved through life. The tragedy of the world is that those who are imaginative have but slight experience, and those who are experienced have feeble imagination. Fools act on imagination without knowledge; pedants（学究）act on knowledge without imagination. The task of university is to weld together imagination and experience.
1. The main theme of the passage is ____.
A. the access to knowledge in university B. the function of universities
C. the role of imagination in our lives
D. the relationship between imagination and experience
2. According to the passage, the justification for a university is that ____.
A. it presents facts and experience to young and old
B. it imparts knowledge to imaginative people
C. it combines imagination with knowledge and experience
D. it enables men to construct an intellectual vision of the world
3. The word “eliciting” in paragraph 2 probably means ____.
A. applyingB. challenging C. drawing forth D. preserving
4. Which of the following is NOT discussed as one of the things imagination can do?
A. It makes our life exciting and worthwhile. B. It helps us to understand the world.
C. It helps us to formulate Laws about the facts. D. It provides inspiration to the artists.
5. According to the author, the tragedy of the world is that ____.
A. our energy of imagination cannot be preserved B. our imagination is seldom disciplined
C. we grow old inevitably D. too many people are either fools or pedants

Scientists have devised a way to determine roughly where a person has lived using a strand (缕) of hair, a technique that could help track the movements of criminal suspects or unidentified murder victims. The method relies on measuring how chemical variations in drinking water show up in people’s hair.
“You’re what you eat and drink, and that’s recorded in your hair,” said Thure Ceding, a geologist at the University of Utah.
While U.S. diet is relatively identical, water supplies vary. The differences result from weather patterns. The chemical composition of rainfall changes slightly as rain clouds move.
Most hydrogen and oxygen atoms in water are stable, but traces of both elements are also present as heavier isotopes (同位素). The heaviest rain falls first. As a result, storms that form over the Pacific deliver heavier water to California than to Utah.
Similar patterns exist throughout the U.S. By measuring the proportion of heavier hydrogen and oxygen isotopes along a strand of hair, scientists can construct a geographic timeline. Each inch of hair corresponds to about two months.
Ceding’s team collected tap water samples from 600 cities and constructed a map of the regional differences. They checked the accuracy of the map by testing 200 hair samples collected from 65 barber shops. They were able to accurately place the hair samples in broad regions roughly corresponding to the movement of rain systems.
“It’s not good for pinpointing (精确定位),” Ceding said. “It’s good for eliminating many possibilities.” Todd Park, a local detective, said the method has helped him learn more about an unidentified woman whose skeleton was found near Great Salt Lake. The woman was 5 feet tall. Police recovered 26 bones, a T-shirt and several strands of hair. When Park heard about the research, he gave the hair samples to the researchers. Chemical testing showed that over the two years before her death, she moved about every two months. She stayed in the Northwest, although the test could not be more specific than somewhere between eastern Oregon and western Wyoming. “It’s still a substantial area,” Park said. “But it narrows its way down for me.”
1. What is the scientists’ new discovery?
A. One’s hair growth has to do with the amount of water they drink.
B. A person’s hair may reveal where they have lived.
C. Hair analysis accurately identifies criminal suspects.
D. The chemical composition of hair varies from person to person.
2. What does the author mean by “You’re what you eat and drink” (Line 1, Para. 3)?
A. Food and drink affect one’s personality development.
B. Food and drink preferences vary with individuals.
C. Food and drink leave traces in one’s body tissues.
D. Food and drink are indispensable to one’s existence.
3.What is said about the rainfall in America’s West?
A. There is much more rainfall in California than in Utah.
B. The water it delivers becomes lighter when it moves inland.
C. Its chemical composition is less stable than in other areas.
D. It gathers more light isotopes as it moves eastward.
4. What did Ceding’s team produce in their research?
A. A map showing the regional differences of tap water.
B. A collection of hair samples from various barber shops.
C. A method to measure the amount of water in human hair.
D. A chart illustrating the movement of the rain system.
5. What is the practical value of Ceding’s research?
A. It helps analyze the quality of water in different regions.
B. It helps the police determine where a crime is committed.
C. It helps the police narrow down possibilities in detective work.
D. It helps identify the drinking habits of the person under investigation.

The January fashion show, called Future Fashion, exemplified how far green design has come. Organized by the New York-based nonprofit Earth Pledge, the show inspired many top designers to work with long-lasting fabrics（织物） for the first time. Several have since made promise to include organic fabrics in their lines.
The designers who undertake green fashion still face many challenges. Scott Hahn, co-founder with Gregory of Rogan and Loomstate, which uses all-organic cotton, says high-quality long-lasting materials can still be tough to find. “Most designers with existing labels are finding there aren’t comparable fabrics that can just replace what you’re doing and what your customers are used to,” he says. For example, organic cotton and non-organic cotton are virtually indistinguishable once woven into a dress. But some popular synthetics, like stretch nylon, still have few eco-friendly equals.
Those who do make the switch are finding they have more support. Last year the influential trade show Designers & Agents stopped charging its participation fee for young green entrepreneurs (企业家) who attend its two springtime shows in Los Angeles and New York and gave special recognition to designers whose collections are at least 25% sustainable. It now counts more than 50 green designers, up from fewer than a dozen two years ago. This week Wal-Mart is set to announce a major initiative aimed at helping cotton farmers go organic: it will buy transitional (过渡型的) cotton at higher prices, thus helping to expand the supply of a key sustainable material. “Mainstream is about to occur,” says Hahn.
Some analysts (分析师) flare less sure. Among consumers, only 18% are even aware that eco-fashion exists, up from 6% four years ago. Natalie Hormilla, a fashion writer, is an example of the unconverted consumer. When asked if she owned any sustainable clothes, she replied: “Not that I’m aware of.” Like most consumers, she finds little time to shop, and when she does, she’s on the hunt for “cute stuff that isn’t too expensive.” By her own admission, green just isn’t yet on her mind. But—thanks to the combined efforts of designers, retailers and suppliers—one day it will be.
1. What is said about Future Fashion?
A. It inspired many leading designers to start going green.
B. It showed that designers using organic fabrics would go far.
C. It served as an example of how fashion shows should be organized.
D. It convinced the public that fashionable clothes should be made durable.
2. According to Scott Hahn, one big challenge to designers who will go organic is that ____.
A. much more time is needed to finish a dress using sustainable materials
B. they have to create new brands for clothes made of organic materials
C. customers have difficulty telling organic from non-organic materials
D. quality organic replacements for synthetics are not readily available
3. We learn from the Paragraph that designers who undertake green fashion ____.
A. can attend various trade shows free
B. are readily recognized by the fashion world
C. can buy organic cotton at favorable prices
D. are gaining more and more support
4. What is Natalie Hormilla’s attitude toward eco-fashion?
A. She doesn’t seem to care about it. B. She doesn’t think it is sustainable.
C. She is doubtful of its practical value. D. She is very much opposed to the idea.
5. What does the author think of green fashion?
A. Green products will soon go mainstream. B. It has a very promising future.
C. Consumers have the final say. D. It will appeal more to young people.