When I was seven my father gave me a Timex, my first watch. I loved it, wore it for years, and haven’t had another one since it stopped ticking a decade ago. Why? Because I don’t need one. I have a mobile phone and I’m always near someone with an iPod or something like that. All these devices(装置)tell the time—which is why, if you look around, you’ll see lots of empty wrists; sales of watches to young adults have been going down since 2007.
But while the wise have realized that they don’t need them, others—apparently including some distinguished men of our time—are spending total fortunes on them. Brands such as Rolex, Patek Philippe and Breitling command shocking prices, up to £250.000 for a piece.
This is ridiculous. Expensive cars go faster than cheap cars. Expensive clothes hang better than cheap clothes. But these days all watches tell the time as well as all other watches. Expensive watches come with extra functions—but who needs them? How often do you dive to 300 metres into the sea or need to find your direction in the area around the South Pole? So why pay that much of five years’ school fees for watches that allow you to do these things?
If justice were done, the Swiss watch industry should have closed down when the Japanese discovered how to make accurate watches for a five-pound note. Instead the Swiss reinvented the watch, with the aid of millions of pounds’ worth of advertising, as a message about the man wearing it. Rolexes are for those who spend their weekends climbing icy mountains; a Patek Philippe is for one from a rich or noble family; a Breitling suggests you like to pilot planes across the world.
Watches are now classified as“investments”(投资). A 1994 Philippe recently sold for nearly £350, 000, while 1960s Rolexes have gone from £15, 000 to £30, 000 plus in a year. But a watch is not an investment. It's a toy for self-satisfaction, a matter of fashion. Prices may keep going up—they’ve been rising for 15 years. But when fashion moves on, the owner of that £350, 000 beauty will suddenly find his pride and joy is no more a good investment than my childhood Timex.
It seems ridiculous to the writer that_______________.
A.people dive 300 metres into the sea |
B.expensive clothes sell better than cheap ones |
C.cheap cars don’t run as fast as expensive ones |
D.expensive watches with unnecessary functions still sell |
What can be learnt about Swiss watch industry from the passage?
A.It’s hard for the industry to beat its competitors. |
B.It targets rich people as its potential customers. |
C.It wastes a huge amount of money in advertising. |
D.It’s easy for the industry to reinvent cheap watches. |
Which would be the best title for the passage?
A.Watches? Not for Me! |
B.My Childhood Timex |
C.Timex or Rolex? |
D.Watches—a Valuable Collection |
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 sustainable fabrics for the first time. Several have since made pledges to include organic fabrics in their lines.
The designers who undertake green fashion still face many challenges. Scott Hahn, a cofounder with Gregory of Rogan and Loomstate, which uses all-organic cotton, says high-quality sustainable materials can still be tough to find. “Most designers with existing labels are finding there aren’t comparable materials 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 equivalents(等同物).
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 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 cotton at higher prices, thus helping to expand the supply of a key sustainable material. “Main-stream is about to occur,” says Hahn.
Some analysts are 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.What is said about Future Fashion?
A.It inspired 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. |
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 |
We learn from Paragraph 3 that designers who undertake green fashion ________.
A.can attend various trade shows for free |
B.are readily recognized by the fashion world |
C.can buy organic cotton at favorable prices |
D.are gaining more and more support |
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 opposed to the idea very much. |
What does the author think of green fashion?
A.Green products will soon go main stream. |
B.It has a very promising future. |
C.Consumers have the final say. |
D.It will appeal more to young people. |
CUYAHOGA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
Bay Village Branch, 502 Cahoon Road, 440-871-6392.
The Egyptian Pyramids, 7 p. m. Sept. 17. Join us as Don King, a long-time student of Egyptology,
discusses the pyramids and presents the possible theories of the construction, design and mysteries surrounding
these ancient wonders.
Join us as local Bay Village resident, Tom Bell, discusses his book “My Dad Is a Freak: a Memoir”, 7
p.m.Sept. 27.
Fairview Park Branch, 21255 Lorain Road, 440-333-4700 or cuyahogalibrary. org.
Dress for Success, 7 p. m. Sept. 17. First impressions count. Some job recruiters(招聘人员) use
appearance to determine self-esteem, respect, confidence and organizational skills. Learn how to dress to
emphasize your strengths and improve your employ ability. Registration required.
Music Study Groups, 1:15—2:45 p. m. Wednesdays, Sept. 19—Nov. 28. Explore current concert music
performed by The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall through informal lectures and listening. Classes are
designed for both new and experienced music lovers and are led by Dr. Rose Breckenridge.
Practical Herbs, 7 p. m. Oct. 3. Famous doctor Sarah Hurt will talk about growing, drying and storing
herbs and how to use them. Registration required.
North Olmsted Branch, 27403 Lorain Road. 440-777-6211 or cuyahogalibrary. org.
Job Club, 1:30—3 p. m. Tuesdays. Join Jim Hansen for helpful tips on resumes, job search strategies and
interviewing. Anyone who is job hunting or looking to change careers is welcome.
War of 1812, 7—8:45 p. m. Sept. 17. This year marks the 200th anniversary. Professor Catherine Rokicky
From Cuyahoga Community College will give a presentation about the war, and immediately following we’ll
discuss the book “Mr. and Mrs. Madison’s War: America’s First Couple and the Second War of Independence”
by Hugh Howard. Registration required.
Olmsted Falls Library, 7850 Main St. , Olmsted Falls. 440-235-1150 or cuyahogalibrary. org.
Family Story-time, 7—7:30 p. m. Wednesdays, through Nov. 27. Join us for rhymes, songs, finger-plays
and a story or two. For children ages birth through age 8 with their caregivers.
Huntington Practice SAT Test, 10 a. m. to 1 p. m. Sept. 15. Follow up, 4—5 p. m. Sept. 26. Get ready for
college by taking a practice SAT exam. Discuss strategies to improve your score, and get tips on preparing for
the real exam. Registration required.
Imaginative Illustrations, 11 a. m. to noon Sept. 29. A hands-on drawing program where children exercise
their imagination while experiencing some basic techniques of cartooning. Grades K-5. Registration required.There are many activities for you to choose on Sept. 17 EXCEPT ___________.
A.listening to a speech which is about the war |
B.attending a discussion about ancient Egyptian pyramids |
C.attending a program about how to reduce exam anxiety |
D.learning about how to leave a good first impression on others |
If you want to study some medical knowledge, you can call ___________.
A.440-871-6392 | B.440-333-4700 | C.440-777-6211 | D.440-235-1150 |
If you want to learn how to educate your children, you should contact ___________.
A.Bay Village Branch | B.Fairview Park Branch |
C.North Olmsted Branch | D.Olmsted Falls Library |
In order to help yourself find a new job soon, you’d better go to___________.
A.Bay Village Branch and Fairview Park Branch |
B.North Olmsted Branch and Olmsted Falls Library |
C.Fairview Park Branch and Olmsted Falls Library |
D.Fairview Park Branch and North Olmsted Branch |
It is learned from the passage that ___________.
A.you can study music for more than one month in Fairview Park Branch |
B.you can get the information about the four branches on the Internet |
C.you can choose to take part in all the mentioned events in the afternoon |
D.both Don King and Catherine Rokicky are college professors |
Throughout the history of the arts, the nature of creativity has remained constant to artists. No matter what objects they select, artists are to bring forth new forces and forms that cause change-to find poetry where no one has ever seen or experienced it before.
Landscape(风景) is another unchanging element of art. It can be found from ancient times through the 17th-century Dutch painters to the 19th-century romanticists and impressionists. In the 1970s, Alfred Leslie, one of the new American realists, continued this practice. Leslie sought out the same place where Thomas Cole, a romanticist, had produced paintings of the same scene a century and a half before. Unlike Cole who insists on a feeling of loneliness and the idea of finding peace in nature, Leslie paints what he actually sees. In his paintings, there is no particular change in emotion, and he includes ordinary things like the highway in the background. He also takes advantage of the latest developments of color photography(摄影术) to help both the eye and the memory when he improves his painting back in his workroom.
Besides, all art begs the age-old question: What is real? Each generation of artists has shown their understanding of reality in one form or another. The impressionists saw reality in brief emotional effects, the realists in everyday subjects and in forest scenes, and the Cro-Magnon cave people in their naturalistic drawings of the animals in the ancient forests. To sum up, understanding reality is a necessary struggle for artists of all periods.
Over thousands of years the function of the arts has remained relatively constant. Past or present, Eastern or Western, the arts are a basic part of our immediate experience. Many and different are the faces of art, and together they express the basic need and hope of human beings. The underlined word “poetry” most probably means __________.
A.an object for artistic creation | B.a collection of poems |
C.an unusual quality | D.a natural scene |
Leslie's paintings are extraordinary because .
A.they are close in style to works in ancient times |
B.they look like works by 19th-century painters |
C.they draw attention to common things in life |
D.they depend heavily on color photography |
What is the author's opinion of artistic reality?
A.It will not be found in future works of art. |
B.It does not have a long-lasting standard. |
C.It is expressed in a fixed artistic form. |
D.It is lacking in modern works of art. |
What does the author suggest about the arts in the last paragraph?
A.They express people's curiosity about the past. |
B.They make people interested in everyday experience. |
C.They are considered important for variety in form. |
D.They are regarded as a mirror of the human situation. |
Which of the following is the main topic of the passage?
A.History of the arts. |
B.Basic questions of the arts. |
C.New developments in the arts. |
D.Use of modern technology in the arts. |
When a first-time father saw his newborn son, he immediately noticedthe baby's ears obviously standing out from his head. He expressed hisconcern to the nurse that some children might tease his child. A doctor examined the baby and reassured the new dadthat his son was healthy- the ears presented only a minor problem with its appearance.
But the nervous father persisted. He wondered if the child might sufferpsychological effects of ridicule(嘲笑), or if they should consider plastic surgery(整形手术). The nurse assured him that it was really no problem, and he should justwait to see if the boy grows into his ears.
The father finally felt more optimistic about his child, but now heworried about his wife's reaction to those large ears. She had beendelivered by operation, and had not yet seen the child.
“She doesn't take things as easily as I do,” he said to the nurse.
By this time, the new mother was settled in the recovery room and ready tomeet her new baby. The nurse went along with the dad to lend some supportin case this inexperienced mother became upset about her baby's large ears.
The baby was in a receiving blanket with his head covered forthe short trip through the cold air-conditioned corridor(走廊). The baby wasplaced in his mother's arms, who eased the blanket back so that she couldlook at her child for the first time.
She took one look at her baby's face and looked to her husband and gasped(喘气说),“Oh, Honey! Look! He has your ears!”
No problem with Mom. She married those ears...and she loves the man towhom they are attached.
The poet Kahlil Gibran said, “Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a lightin the heart.” It's hard to see the ears when you're looking into the light.When the father first saw his baby, he was worried that________.
A.the baby might not grow up healthily. |
B.the baby might be laughed at by others. |
C.the baby might disappoint its mother. |
D.the baby might have mental problems. |
According to the doctor and nurse, the baby’s ears________.
A.could not function well. |
B.looked the same as others. |
C.only caused a small problem. |
D.needed to have plastic surgery. |
What is true about the baby’s mother?
A.She blamed her husband for the baby’s big ears. |
B.She was the first to discover the baby’s large ears. |
C.She suggested having an operation on the baby immediately. |
D.She found something similar between the baby and its father. |
What does the underlined word they refer to?
A. The ears. B The parents. C. The doctor and nurse. D. The problemsWhat’s the function of the last paragraph?
A.To advise readers to listen carefully. |
B.To draw a conclusion from the story. |
C.To criticize the wrong attitude to physical beauty. |
D.To stress the importance of doctor-patient relationship. |
Most students try to learn English grammar using grammar textbooks. They study grammar rules and take grammar tests. They use an analytical(分析的) approach, attempting to memorize, and then apply, a great number of rules.
However, research has proved this method inefficient and ineffective. The truth is, the human brain simply cannot consciously remember process and use hundreds of or thousands of grammar rules. Real speech is too fast.
Native speakers do not learn grammar in this way, but rather intuitively (凭直觉地) and unconsciously. They learn in a complete way, not by attempting to memorize individual grammar rules. As a result, native speakers use correct grammar fluently and easily.
Fortunately, it is possible for English learners to learn grammar this way. Language teacher Blaine Ray has developed a unique "intuitive" approach to teach English grammar. Her system uses "point of view" stories to teach the patterns of English grammar, allowing students unconsciously to acquire correct grammar without ever studying grammar rules.
In this system, the teacher first tells a simple story from one point of view. It may be told about the past, then repeated, but beginning with "since he was a child"; then repeated again, but this time about the future.
Listening to these stories allows students intuitively and effortlessly to learn English grammar and makes them be able to use it correctly when they speak.
Point of View Stories is a creative new way to study English grammar, and offers hope to millions of frustrated English learners.Which of the following ways is approved by the author?
A.Remembering grammar rules. |
B.Taking grammar tests. |
C.Analyzing grammatical structure. |
D.Applying language to situations. |
What does the underlined part "this way" in the fourth paragraph refer to?
A.Talking to native speakers when learning. |
B.Learning English grammar in a complete way. |
C.Using correct English grammar. |
D.Learning English grammar from a teacher. |
From this passage we learn that ______.
A.native speakers learn English grammar by listening to stories |
B.Blaine Ray’s method gets students to grasp correct grammar unconsciously |
C.Blaine Ray teaches grammar rules by asking students to tell stories |
D.it’s hard for students to speak correct English in the new system |
This passage wants to ______.
A.criticize the traditional way of learning grammar |
B.introduce a new way to study English grammar |
C.ask students to learn English grammar by listening to stories |
D.tell us how the native speakers learn English grammar |
Why shouldn’t the English learners use an analytical approach?
A.because the analytical approach can let them learn English grammar effortlessly |
B.because the analytical approach makes them be able to use English correctly when they speak. |
C.because the analytical approach can’t let them memorize and then apply a great number of rules. |
D.because Real speech is too fast. |