| Welcome to my Message Board! |
|
| Subject: Slimming down classics? |
|
| Mr. Handsome 2007-5-12 6: 34 AM |
Orion Books, which decides there is a market in creating cut-down classics (经典著作), is slimming down some novels by such great writers as L. Tolstoy, M. Mitchell and C. Bronte. Now, each of them has been whittled down to about 400 pages by cutting 30 to 40 pages percent of original, with words, sentences, paragraphs and, in a few cases, chapters removed. The first six shortened editions, all priced at ￡6.99 and advertised as great reads “in half the time”, will go on sale next month, with plans for 50 to 100 more to follow. The publishing house believes that modern readers will welcome the shorter versions. |
| Mr. Edwards 2007-5-12 9: 40 AM |
Well, I’m publisher of Orion Group. Thanks for your attention, Mr. Handsome. I must say, the idea developed from a game of “shame” in my office. Each of us was required to confess (承认) to the most embarrassing blanks in his or her reading. I admitted that I had never read Anna Karenina and tried but failed to get through Gone with the Wind several times. One of my colleagues acknowledged skipping (跳读) Jane Eyre. We realized that life is too short to read all the books you want to and we never were going to read these ones. As a leading publishing house, we are trying to make classics convenient for readers but it’s not as if we’re withdrawing the original versions. They are still there if you want to read them. |
| Ms. Weir 2007-5-12 11:35 AM |
I’m director of the online book club www.lovereading.co.uk. Mr. Edwards, I think your shortened edition is a breath of fresh air. I’ m guilty of never having read Anna Karenina, because it’s just so long. I’d much rather read two 300-page books than one 600-page book. I am looking forward to more shortened classics! |
| Mr. Crockatt 2007-5-12 4:38 PM |
I’m from the London independent bookshop Corckatt & Powell. In my opinion, the practice is completely ridiculous. How can you edit the classics? I’m afraid reading some of these books is hard work, and that is why you have to develop as a reader. If people don’t have time to read Anna Karenina, then fine. But don’t read a shortened version and kid yourself it’s the real thing. |
76. According to the message board, Orion Books ____________ .
A. opposes the reading of original classics B. is embarrassed for cutting down classics
C. thinks cut-down classics have a bright future D. is cautious in its decision to cut down classics
77. In Mr. Edwards’ opinion, Orion Group is shortening classics to ____________.
A. make them easier to read B. meet a large demand in the market
C. increase the sales of literary books D. compete with their original versions
78. By describing the shortened classics as “a breath of fresh air”, Ms. Weir____________.
A. speaks highly of the cut-down classics B. shows her love for original classics
C. feels guilty of not reading the classics D. disapprove of shortening the classics
79. Mr. Crockatt seems to imply that ____________.
A. reading the classic works is a confusing attempt
B. shortening the classics does harm to the original
C. publishing the cut-down classics is a difficult job
D. editing the classic works satisfies children’s needs
80. How many classics are involved in the massage board?
A. Two. B. Three. C. Four. D. Five.
As we know, it is very important that a firm should pay attention to the training of its staff as there exist many weak points in its various departments. Staff training must have a purpose, which is defined when a firm considers its training needs, which are in turn based on job descriptions and job specifications(规范).
A job description should give details of the performance that is required for a particular job, and a job specification should give information about the behaviour, knowledge and skills that are expected of an employee who works in the position. When all of this has been collected, it is possible to make a training specification. This specifies(详细说明) that the training department must teach for the successful performance of the job, and also the best methods to use in the training period.
There are many different training methods, and there are advantages and disadvantages in all of them. Successful training performances depend on an understanding of the difference between learning about skills and training in using them. It is frequently said that learning about skills takes place “off the job” in classroom, but training in using these skills takes place “on the job,” by means of such activities as practice in the workshop.
It’s always difficult to evaluate the costs of a training programme. The success of such a programme depends not only on the methods used but also on the quality of the staff who do the training. A company can often check savings in time and cost by examining the work performed by the workers and technicians who have completed a training programme. The evaluation of management training is much more complex than that. The writer mainly wants to tell us_____by the passage.
| A． Why firms should pay attention to staff training |
| B． Staff training must have a purpose |
| C． Purposes and methods are most important in staff training |
| D． How to evaluate a training programme |
A training specification specifies_____
| A． the training contents and methods |
| B． the cost and savings of the programme |
| C． the performance required for a certain job |
| D． the behaviour, knowledge and skills expected of an employee |
To be successful in training programmes, we must understand the difference between_____
| A． the purposes and the methods |
| B． job description and job specification |
| C． what is taught and how it is taught |
| D． learning about skills and training in using them |
The underlined word “evaluate”means_____
| A．find out the price of | B．judge the value of |
| C．deal with | D．expect and believe |
ple — their clothes, ideas, or languages—has changed as much as what they eat. The original chocolate drink was made from the seeds of the cocoa tree(可可树)by South American. Indians. The Spanish introduced it to the rest of the world during the 1500’s. And although it was very expensive, it quickly became fashionable. In London, shops where chocolate drinks were served became important meeting places. Some still exist today.
The potato is also from the New World. Around 1600, the Spanish brought it from Peru to Eu??rope, where it soon was widely grown. Ireland became so dependent on it that thousands of Irish peo??ple starved when the crop failed during the "Potato Famine (饥荒)" of 1845—1846, and thousands more were forced to leave their homeland and move to America.
There are many other foods that have traveled from South America to the Old World. But some others went in the opposite direction. Brazil is now the world’s largest grower of coffee, and coffee is an important crop in Colombia and other South American countries. But it is native to Ethiopia, a country in Africa. It was first made into a drink by Arabs during the 1400’s.
according to an. Arabic legend, coffee was discovered when a person named Kaldi noticed that his goats were attracted to the red berries on a coffee, bush. He tried one and experienced the " wide-awake" feeling that one third of the world’s population now starts the day with.according to the passage, which of the following has changed the most in the last 500 years?
| A．Food. | B．Clothing. | C．Ideology. | D．Language. |
The word "some" in the last sentence of the first paragraph refers to________.
| A．some cocoa trees | B．some chocolate drinks. |
| C．some shops | D．some South American Indians |
Thousands of Irish people starved during the " Potato Famine" because________
| A．they were so dependent on potatoes that they refused to eat anything else |
| B．they were forced to leave their homeland and move to America |
| C．the weather conditions in Ireland were not suitable for growing potatoes |
| D．the potato harvest was bad |
according to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．One third of the world’s population drinks coffee. |
| B．Coffee is native to Colombia. |
| C．Coffee can keep one awake. |
| D．Coffee drinks were first made by Arabs. |
Dearest Mom and Dad,
I'm afraid I have some very bad news for you. I have been very naughty and the school principal is very angry with me. She is going to write to you. You must come and take me away from here. She does not want me in the school any longer.
The trouble started last night when I was smoking a cigarette in bed. This is against the rules, of course. We are not supposed to smoke at all.
As I was smoking, I heard footsteps coming towards the room. I did not want a teacher to catch me smoking, so I threw the cigarette away.
Unfortunately, the cigarette fell into the waste-paper basket, which caught fire. There was a curtain near the waste-paper basket which caught fire, too. Soon the whole room was burning.
The principal phoned for the fire department. The school is a long way from the town and by the time the fire department arrived, the whole school was in flames. Many of the girls are in the hospital.
The principal says the fire was my fault and you must pay for the damage. She will send you a bill for about a million dollars.
I am very sorry about this.
Much love, Sarah
P.S.
None of the above is true, but I have failed my exams. I just want you to know how bad things could have been! Sarah wrote to her parent______
| A． to inform them about an accident |
| B． to ask them for money |
| C． to them wonderful news |
| D． to tell then she had failed her exams |
Sarah told her parents the story about the fire because______
| A．she wanted to make them worried |
| B．she wanted them to have some fun |
| C．she wanted to make them less angry at the real news |
| D．she wanted to make them even more angry |
The main body of the letter was_____
| A．mostly true | B．partly true |
| C．all true | D．completely untrue |
Sarah said the principal was angry because____
| A．she had failed her exams |
| B．it was her fault that the fire had broken out |
| C．she not make the phone call in time |
| D．she had caught her smoking in bed |
The United States will introduce a new and comprehensive(综合的) exam for students who seek to study in American and other English-speaking countries, Xinhua News Agency reported from New York.
The exam, which stands for a great change from the current English level test, was disclosed by Theresa Chang Wei Jen, associate director of the International Service of the US College Board, America’s leading educational organization.
The Advanced Placement International English Language (APIEL) will be offered for the first time throughout the world on May 10, 2002, said Jen.
However, the APIEL is a strange title to most Chinese students, and it is unlikely to soon gain the similarity of other already existing exams, such as the TOEFL(Test of English as a Foreign Language), the GRE(Graduate Record Examination), or the IELTS(International English Language Testing System).
“I have never heard of such a test and I would prefer the IELTS if I need another exam,” said Xu Jingyan, a graduating student from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, who wants to study in England and has already taken the TOEFL.
Most of Xu’s classmates have never heard of the APIEL. “The APIEL is designed for international students who wish to get university studies in English-speaking countries, including the United States, Britain, Canada, and Australia.” said Jen.
The APIEL has been adopted, said Jen, because the TOEFL can no longer accurately reflect the abilities of students of using the English language comprehensively in an academic environment. Xinhua reported that a fairly large number of foreign students who earned high scores in TOEFL exam turned out to be very ordinary educational performers after admission.
Compared with the TOEFL, the APIEL measures a student’s ability to read, write, speak and understand English through testing his or her skills in listening comprehension, speaking with accuracy(精确) and resourcefulness, and writing with clarity and fluency(流畅), Jen said.The United States will introduce a new exam because _______.
| A．more and more students want to get further education in the USA |
| B．the Chinese people pay special attention to English studies with China’s entry into the WTO |
| C．the already existing exam systems seem to be far from perfect |
| D．it will bring the US government quite a lot of money |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the selection？
| A．It will take quite a period of time for people to accept the APIEL. |
| B．The TOEFL is more popular with the Chinese than the IELTS. |
| C．A student will have to take the APIEL if he or she wants to study in English—speaking countries from 2002. |
| D．Chinese students will prefer the IELTS rather than the APIEL even in the future. |
The underlined word current in the second paragraph means _______.
| A．modern | B．present | C．standard | D．formal |
Please decide which of the following would be the best title for this news report.
| A．The Key to English-speaking Countries |
| B．The Four Skills in Learning English |
| C．TOEFL, IELTS and GRE to be Out of Date |
| D．New Exam Designed for Students |
June 26, 2000 — the Human Genome(基因组) Project, a great $3 billion, 15-year task aimed at drawing the genetic map of humans, is now more than 90 percent completed. The scientific and medical communities are very excited about the chances genetic research provides for getting rid of diseases and prolonging(延长) human life. But those communities and policy makers also are careful about the scientific door they are opening as the project uncovers the mysteries of life.
For the last few years, the genetic advances in the developing field of biotechnology have provides material for all kinds of work, but the developments of modern science in unlocking the secrets of the human genetic code(密码) have opened a world of possibilities for human health, as well as for the popular imagination.
While European and Japanese researchers are making rapid progress in decoding(解码) human DNA, the leading organization for genetic research is in the United States, which began in 1990, is “unlocking the code” of the human body to learn how to defeat fatal diseases. Already, the Human Genome Project has become widely known and praised for finding the genes connected with terrible diseases as yet(迄今), and making progress toward separating the genes that show a sign of breast cancer or AIDS.
Once these genes are found and studied, researchers can develop new ways to attack infections, and genetic diseases. Medical companies are very interested in mapping the human genome, as they expect to develop a lot of new drugs for these illnesses. Why did the scientists work hard at mapping the human genome?
| A．Because the human genome can destroy many illnesses. |
| B．Because the human genome's completion can help them get rid of many diseases. |
| C．Because they wanted to be better known than others. |
| D．Because the human genome can provide a lot of chances of work. |
Which country studied the genes most rapidly in the world?
| A．Japan. | B．Germany. | C．The United States. | D．China. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．If the genes can be found, scientists can study many new ways to cure illnesses. |
| B．The scientists have made great progress in connecting the genes with the cancers. |
| C．Many medical companies show great interest in drawing the human genome map. |
| D．The United States began the Genes Study early in the 19th century. |
The author suggests that the Human Genome Project can cause _______.
| A．the policy makers to feel very worried and careful |
| B．the scientists to work harder |
| C．many people to find work easily |
| D．a lot of companies to produce many new drugs |
The main idea of this article is about _______.
| A．unlocking genetic code |
| B．the genes' discovery |
| C．the great human genome |
| D．the genes and the scientists |