Most painters discover a style(风格) of painting that suits them and stick to that, especially if people admire their pictures. But Picasso, the great Spanish painter, was like a man who had not yet found his own particular style of painting. He kept on struggling to find the perfect expression till his death in 1973.
Some of Picasso's paintings are rich, soft coloured and beautiful. Others are ugly and cruel and strange. But such paintings allow us to imagine things for ourselves. They force us to say to ourselves, “What does he see that makes him paint like that?” And we begin to look beneath(在…之下) the surface of the things we see.
Picasso painted thousands of pictures in different styles. Sometimes he painted the natural look of things. Sometimes he seemed to break them apart and throw the pieces in our faces. He showed us what the mind knows as well as what the eye sees. At the age of 90 he remained as curious about the world as he had been when he was young. That is why people have called him “the youngest painter in the world”.
56. In the passage the writer wants to tell us _________.
A. about some pictures which have different styles
B. about Picasso's style of painting
C. it is not easy for a painter to find his own style
D. that Picasso had not found his own particular style
57. The ugly, cruel and strange paintings by Picasso _________.
A. make us try to notice something latent(潜在的) in the things
B. allow us to ask questions about them
C. force us to question anything we see
D. cause us to think what Picasso saw was different from what we see
58. The sentence“sometimes he seemed to break them apart and throw the pieces in our faces” means _________.
A. sometimes he tore his pictures into pieces
B. he broke something he was painting and threw them away
C. sometimes he showed some broken pictures to others
D. things in some of his pictures seemed to be in disorder
59. Why have people called Picasso “the youngest painter in the world”?
A. Because he looked young when he was old.
B. Because he observed things with the eye and the mind.
C. Because he never stopped painting even when he was old.
D. Because he never gave up looking for something new.
60. What do you suppose the writer thinks of Picasso's paintings?
A. He doesn't understand some of them.
B. He thinks some of them are valuable, some are not.
C. He admires them, including the ugly ones.
D. He doesn't like some of them, but he admires the painter.
High school graduation—the bittersweet feelings are as much a part of me now as they were twenty-one years ago.
As graduation day approached, excitement increased. Being out of high school meant I was finally coming of age. Soon I would be on my own, making my own decisions, doing what I wanted without someone looking over my shoulder and it meant going to school with boys—a welcome change coming from an all-girl high school. There was never any question in my mind that I would go to a college away from home. My mother’s idea, on the other hand, was just the opposite. Trying her best not to force her preferences on me, she would mildly ask whether I had considered particular schools—all of which happened to be located in or near my hometown of Chicago. Once it was established(建立) that, as long as the expenses would not be too heavy a burden on the family budget, I would be going away anyway, my family’s viewpoint changed. Their concern switched from whether I was going away to how far. The schools I was considering on the East Coast suddenly looked much more attractive than those in California. But which college I would attend was just one of what seemed like a never-ending list of unknowns: What would college be like? Would I be unbearably lonely not knowing anyone else who was going to the same school? Would the other students like me? Would I make friends easily? Would I miss my family so much that I wouldn’t be able to stand it? And what about the work—would I be able to keep up? (Being an A student in high school seemed to offer little hope I would be able to survive college.) What if the college I chose turned out to be a terrible mistake? Would I be able to switch to another school?
Then panic set in. My feelings took a 180-degree turn. I really didn’t want to leave high school at all, and it was questionable whether I wanted to grow up after all. It had been nice being respected as a senior by the underclass students for the past year; I didn’t enjoy the idea of being on the bottom rung of the ladder again.
Despite months of expectation, nothing could have prepared me for the impact of the actual day. As the familiar melody (旋律) of “Pomp and Circumstance” echoed in the background, I looked around at the other students in white caps and gowns as we seriously lined into the hall. Tears welled up uncontrollably in my eyes, and I was overcome by a rush of sadness. As if in a daze (恍惚), I rose from my seat when I heard my name called and slowly crossed the stage to receive my diploma(毕业文凭). As I reached out my hand, I knew that I was reaching not just for a piece of paper but for a brand-new life. Exciting as the future of a new life seemed, it wasn’t easy saying good-bye to the old one—the familiar faces, the familiar routine. I would even miss that chemistry class I wasn’t particularly fond of and the long travel each day between home and school that I hated. Good or bad, it was what I knew.
That September, I was fortunate to attend a wonderful university in Providence, Rhode Island. I needn’t have worried about liking it. My years there turned out to be some of the best years of my life. And as for friends, some of the friendships I formed there I still treasure today. Years later, financial difficulties forced my high school to close its doors forever. Although going back is impossible, it’s comforting to know I can revisit my special memories any time. In this article the author mainly describes ________.
A.the great excitement before the graduation ceremony |
B.her mixed feelings before graduation and on the actual graduation day |
C.her happiness to be admitted to a wonderful university |
D.her eagerness to go to a wonderful university far away from home |
The author’s mother ________.
A.did not care very much which college her daughter went to |
B.was greatly disappointed at her decision to go to a college on the East Coast |
C.willingly allowed her to go to a college of her own choice |
D.wished that she would study at a college or university close to home |
Expectation and excitement suddenly changed into anxiety and fear. Which of the following did the author NOT mention as a reason for that change?
A.Growing homesick might seriously affect her physical health. |
B.She might make a wrong choice and enter a university she did not like at all. |
C.Her being a top student at high school did not mean she could be successful at college. |
D.It might be hard for her to make friends in the new environment. |
On the actual graduation day, ________.
A.she sang a song “Pomp and Circumstance” |
B.she went through the whole ceremony in a daze |
C.she came to realize that she was the only one who had a passion for her old school |
D.reaching out for diploma, she was aware of a new stage in life ahead of her |
The author adopts a(n)________ tone in writing this article.
A.negative | B.serious |
C.emotional | D.cold-blooded |
Depression is the second most common cause of disability worldwide after back pain, according to a review of research. The disease must be treated as a global public health priority (优先考虑的事), experts report in the journal PLOS Medicine. The study compared depression with more than 200 other diseases and injuries as a cause of disability. “Globally, only a small part of patients have opportunities to be treated,” the World Health Organization (WHO) says.
Depression was ranked at number two as a global cause of disability, but its effects varied in different countries and regions. For example, rates of major depression were highest in Afghanistan and lowest in Japan. In the UK, depression was ranked number three in terms of years when people lived with a disability.
Dr Alize Ferrari from the University of Queensland’s School of Population Health led the study. “Depression is a big problem and we definitely need to pay more attention to it than we do now,” she told BBC News. “There’s still more work to be done in terms of awareness of the disease and also successful ways of treating it. The burden is different between countries, so the rate of depression tends to be higher in low and middle income countries and lower in high income countries.” Policy-makers have made an effort to bring depression to the forefront, but there is still a lot more work to be done.”
“There’re lots of confusions we know related to mental health,” Prof. Alize Ferrari explained. “What one person recognizes as disabling might be different to another person and might be different across countries as well, there are lots of cultural effects and explanations that are related to depression, which makes it more important to raise awareness of the size of the problem and also signs and how to find depression.”
The data—for the year 2010—follows similar studies in 1990 and 2000 looking at the global burden of depression. Commenting on the study, Dr Daniel Chisholm, a health economist at the department of mental health and substance abuse (药物滥用) at the WHO said depression was a very disabling condition.
“It's a big public health challenge and a big problem to be thought about but not enough is being done. Around the world only a tiny part of people get any sort of treatment or diagnosis.” Dr Daniel Chisholm said.
The WHO recently started a global mental health action plan to raise awareness of depression among policy-makers. According to the passage, which of the following ranks NO. 1 among the causes of disability?
A.Cancer. | B.Depression. |
C.Back pain | D.Heart disease. |
What can we learn from the first paragraph?
A.Depression has been treated as a global public health priority. |
B.PLOS Medicine is a website dealing with medical problems. |
C.The study only analyzes depression all over the world. |
D.Most patients with depression haven’t been treated. |
Who is Alize Ferrari?
A.She is a doctor working in a hospital. |
B.She is a professor at a university leading the study. |
C.She is an official from the government. |
D.She is a common teacher taking part in the study. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to Paragraph 4?
A.There is a common standard of recognizing disability worldwide. |
B.Most reasons for disability are similar. |
C.Mental health has raised much attention among people. |
D.How to find patients suffering from depression is not easy. |
Why did the WHO start a global mental health action plan?
A.To make policy-makers of all countries pay attention to the problem of depression. |
B.To help patients become healthier. |
C.To raise the status of doctors in the world. |
D.To help build more colleges that study mental health. |
Big trees are very important in ecology. For a start, they provide food for countless other species and shelter for many animals. With their tall branches in the sun, they take in vast amounts of energy. This allows them to produce massive crops of fruit and flowers that much of the animal life in the forest feed on.
Only a small number of tree species have the genetic(基因的) ability to grow really big. The biggest are native to North America, but big trees grow all over the globe, from the tropics(热带地区) to the forests of the high latitudes(纬度). To achieve giant size, a tree needs three things: the right place to establish(建立) its seedling, good growing conditions and lots of time with low adult death rate. Lose any of these, and you will lose your biggest trees.
In some parts of the world, populations of big trees are dwindling because their seedlings cannot survive. In southern India, for instance, an aggressive non-native bush, Lantana camara, is invading the floor of many forests. Lantana grows so thickly that young trees often fail to take root. With no young trees to replace them, it is only a matter of time before most of the big trees disappear.
Without the right growing conditions, trees cannot get really big and there is some evidence to suggest tree growth could slow in a warmer world, particularly in environments that are already warm. Having worked for decades at La Selva Biological Station in Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, David and Deborah Clark and colleagues have shown that tree growth there slows obviously in warmer years. “During the day, their growth shuts down when it gets too warm, and at night they consume more energy because their metabolic(新陈代谢的) rate increases,” explains David Clark. With less energy produced in warmer years and more being consumed just to survive, there is even less energy available for growth.
The Clarks’ theory, if correct, means tropical forests would be smaller over time. The largest, oldest trees would gradually die off and tend not to be replaced. According to the Clarks, this might cause a destabilization of the climate; as older trees die, forests would release some of their stored carbon into the atmosphere, causing a cycle of further warming, forest shrinkage and carbon emissions.
Besides, big trees face threats from elsewhere.According to the passage, big trees make great contributions to the ecosystem because ________.
A.they can take in large amounts of energy |
B.they determine the change of global climate |
C.they provide the essentials for many creatures |
D.they can improve a new cycle of further warming |
All the following factors are a must for making big trees EXCEPT ______.
A.no deadly damage |
B.the suitable place for new plants’ growing |
C.good environment for growth |
D.the highest location |
The word “dwindling” (paragraph3) is closest in meaning to “______”.
A.exploding | B.growing |
C.changing | D.dropping |
What is the best title of the passage?
A.Big trees in trouble. |
B.Advantages of big trees. |
C.Results of big trees’ disappearing. |
D.Importance of big trees to humans. |
What will the author most probably discuss after the last paragraph?
A.More threats to the existence of big trees. |
B.The effect of human activities on big trees. |
C.Benefits of big trees to the whole atmosphere. |
D.Comparison between common trees and big ones. |
The oldest and most common source of renewable energy known to man, biomass(生物质) is one of the most important forms energy production in the United States and elsewhere. Since such a wide variety of biomass materials is everywhere —- from trees and grasses to agricultural and city —- life wastes —-biomass promises to play a continuing role in providing power and heat for millions of people around the world.
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists(UCS), biomass is a kind of renewable energy source that produces no carbon dioxide(二氧化碳), because the energy it contains comes from the sun. When plant matter is burned, it gives off the sun’s energy. In this way, biomass serves as a sort of natural battery(电池) for storing the sun’s energy. As long as biomass is produced continuously —-with only as much grown as is used— the “battery” lasts forever.
According to the Energy Information Administration, biomass has been one of the leading renewable energy sources in the United States for several years running through 2007, making up between 0.5 and 0.9 percent of the nation’s total electricity supply. In 2008—-although the numbers aren’t all in yet—-wind power probably took over first place because of the rapid development of wind farms across the country.
Producing power from biomass helps reduce some 11 million tons of carbon dioxide each year. Some homeowners also try to make their own heat by using biomass materials. Such practice may save homeowner’s money, but it also produces a lot of pollution. So, the best way is to encourage power plants to use it.Why is biomass considered as “ a sort of natural battery”?
A.It burns merely plant matter. |
B.It keeps producing electricity. |
C.It stores the energy from the sun. |
D.It produces zero carbon dioxide |
We learn from the text that in 2008 ______.
A.Wind power would be the leader of renewable energy. |
B.there was a rapid growth of electricity production |
C.biomass might become the main energy source |
D.0.5~0.9 of power supply came from biomass |
Why does the author encourage power plants to use biomass?
A.To prevent the waste of energy. |
B.To increase production safety. |
C.To reduce pollution. |
D.To save money. |
Where does the text probably come from?
A.A research plan. | B.A science magazine |
C.A book review. | D.A business report. |
![]() Encourage Me! Inspirational Poetry Gloria Coykendall ISBN 978141202785 It is an easy to read collection of poems originally written to encourage in faith and to be a cure for chronic depression(长期抑郁) … cure to strengthen identity and purpose. |
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Creation or Evolution Michael Ebifegha ISBN 9781450289023 ![]() Were humans created, or did they evolve? How old is the Earth? The debate between science and religion continues to be heated. In Creation or Evolution, Michael Ebifegha examines these two opposed world views within the structure of empirical(实证的) science. |
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![]() Seeking the Edge Dr. Joseph L. Rose ISBN 9781462031795 Seeking the Edge provides the tools and techniques to find that edge in one’s life. ---driving readers to achieve success whether in your current job, finding a new job, in education, family, or even hobbies. |
Who wrote the story about a little boy and a little mouse?
A.Bill Bosworth. | B.Michelle O. Donovan. |
C.Dr. Joseph L. Rose. | D.Gloria Coykendall. |
The ISBN for the book of poems is _______.
A.9781462031795 | B.9781412027854 |
C.9780595433582 | D.9781462058679 |
What kind of readers will probably like reading More Things in Heaven?
A.Those who are searching for the meaning of life. |
B.Those who are trying to be spiritual leaders. |
C.Those who study the art of writing. |
D.Those who like traveling abroad. |
Which of the following books explores the origin of humans?
A.Seeking the Edge. |
B.Creation or Evolution. |
C.Joshua, Helmut, and Bethlehem. |
D.More Things in Heaven. |