Chinese writer Mo Yan’s Nobel Prize for Literature might ignite an explosion of global interest in Chinese literature and lead to more titles translated into English, European experts say.
“Hopefully, the award means more people will read Chinese literature and more works will get translated,” says Michel Hockx, professor of the Languages and Cultures of China and Inner Asia from University of London. “Many very good Chinese writers have been accepted globally for a long time already. Mo Yan is probably the most translated Chinese writer alive, with at least five of his novels made available in English over the past 20 years.”
Jonathan Ruppin, web editor of bookseller Foyles, says Mo’s win coincides with growing interest in Chinese literature and recognizes the talents of a distinctive and visionary(富于幻想的)writer. “We are very excited by the fact that English translations of more of his books should now become available,” Ruppin says. He made the comment after Mo became the first Chinese citizen to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in its century-long history.
As East-West cultural exchange has been booming, Chinese literature has been attracting growing attention in recent years. Hockx explains, “It’s mainly because there are many more opportunities for Chinese writers to visit other countries, to publish their works outside China and to interact with readers abroad. At the same time, more and more people globally are learning Chinese and taking an interest in the Chinese language and culture.”
University of Oxford lecturer in modern Chinese literature Margaret Hillenbrand says, “The obvious reason for the growing global presence of Chinese literature is the growing global presence of China itself. People have come to realize that there is a serious knowledge deficit (缺少)between China and its international counterparts — in particular, China knows incomparably(无比地)more about Europe and America than the other way round — and reading Chinese literature is an effective, simple means of solving that gap.”The underlined word “ignite” in Paragraph 1 probably means “________”.
A.start out | B.burn up | C.set off | D.appeal to |
Chinese literature has been attracting growing attention mainly because ________.
A.Chinese writers have been writing more and more books in English |
B.the Chinese language has become the most widely used language in the world |
C.the Chinese government attaches great importance to literature |
D.the cultural communication between China and western countries has developed |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A.Chinese literature has spread with the development of China. |
B.The Nobel Prize for Literature has a history of hundreds of years. |
C.In the past, no Chinese writers were accepted outside China. |
D.Foreigners know about China mainly by reading Mo Yan’s works. |
How do you understand the underlined sentence in the last paragraph?
A.China knows more about Europe and America than before. |
B.China knows more about Europe and America than they know about China. |
C.China, Europe and America know one another more than before. |
D.Compared with America, China knows more about Europe. |
Today, people all over the world are moving out of small villages in the country to go and live in big, noisy cities. They are moving from the peaceful hills, mountains, fields, rivers and streams of the countryside to the busy world of streets, buildings, traffic and crowds. This movement from rural(乡下的) areas to urban areas has been going on for over two hundred years.
In many countries, the main reason people come to live in towns and cities is work. After one or two large factories have been built in or near a town, people come to find work, and soon an industrial area begins to grow. There is usually a_residential_area nearby, too. The families of these workers need schools, hospitals and shops, so many people come to live in the area to provide these services and a city grows.
In every major city in the world, there is a business district where the big companies have their main offices. In the United States, this area is usually in the city center downtown. It is here that you can see many huge skyscrapers(摩天大楼)and office blocks. The people who work here often travel a long way to work each day. Many of them live in the suburbs of the city, far away from the industrial area and the city center. Some suburbs are very pleasant, with nice houses and big gardens. There are usually parks for children to play in and large department stores where you can buy all you need.
But what is the future of the big cities? Will they continue to get bigger and bigger? Perhaps not. Some major cities have actually become smaller in the last ten years, and it is quite possible that one day we will see people moving out of the major cities and back into smaller towns and villages.The underlined phrase “a residential area” means an area________.
A.where people can buy things |
B.which is suitable for living in |
C.where people can do business |
D.which is near a city center |
Why do people move to live in cities or towns?
A.Because they can live more comfortably there. |
B.Because they like noisy life better than peaceful life. |
C.Because they mainly want to find work there. |
D.Because they are sure of having a better life there. |
Which of the following statement is NOT true about the business district?
A.Big companies usually have their main offices in the business district. |
B.People usually work and live in the business district. |
C.A business district usually lies in the city center downtown. |
D.Nearly every major city has its own business district. |
What’s delicious to eat and comes in a variety of colors? Eggplant! And no, it has nothing to do with chickens! This strangely named vegetable is, however, as versatile as an egg.It can be steamed, fried, and baked.It can be eaten by itself or combined with meats and other vegetables.
Eggplant was first grown in India in the 5th century BC.Its popularity soon spread to China and then throughout Asia.Finally, during the Middle Ages the vegetable made its way to Europe.At that time, eggplant was not the shiny purple vegetable most people know today.Instead, it’s like a white egg.Due to this egg - like appearance, eggplant got its name.In its early days, the vegetable was so bitter that people often called it a “mad apple.” This nickname started because people believed its bitterness was bad for one' s health.People actually thought eggplant could cause madness and cancer.
Fortunately today people know that eggplant doesn't cause insanity or cancer.In fact eggplant is so healthy that it may prevent cancer.In addition, the brain and the heart benefit from this super vegetable.Since it's high in fiber, eggplant can improve digestion.
Italy, Turkey, Egypt, China and Japan are the leading growers of eggplant in the world today.Depending on its location, eggplant may be purple, green, orange or yellow - white.And it can be as small as a tomato or as large as a cucumber.Dish varieties range from simple to complex, with all of them being delicious.
Today, thousands of people gather in Loomis, Calif, for the annual Loomis Eggplant Festival.The main activity at the festival is eating delicious eggplant dishes.There is plenty more to do and see, though.Recipe contests, arts and crafts, performers, races and children's activities all “egg – cite” festival - goers.Most people at the festival would agree—eggplant is an “egg—cellent” vegetable.Eggplant got its name because of its _____.
A.appearance | B.taste | C.color | D.value |
Which of the following does NOT belong to the qualities of eggplant?
A.It can be cooked in various ways. | B.It is easy to digest. |
C.It can prevent cancer. | D.It is valuable and priceless. |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A.Eggplant can be eaten to cure cancer | B.Eggplant used to taste bitter. |
C.India produce the most eggplant in the world today. | D.Eggplant has a history of nearly 1,000 years. |
Most people come to the Loomis Eggplant Festival to_____.
A.see arts and crafts | B.enjoy food with eggplants |
C.take part in recipe contests | D.promote eggplant |
When Frida Kahlo's paintings were on show in London, a poet described her paintings as “ a ribbon (丝带)around a bomb”. Such comments seem to suggest Kahlo had a big influence on the art world of her time. Sadly, she is actually a much bigger name today than she was during her time.
Born in 1907 in a village near Mexico City , Kahlo suffered from polio(小儿麻痹症)at the age of seven. Her spine (脊柱)become bent as she grew older. Then, in 1925, her back was broken in several places in a school-bus accident. Throughout the rest of her life, the artist had many operations, but nothing was able to cure the terrible pain in her back. However, the accident had an unexpected side effect. While lying in her bed recovering, Kahlo taught herself to paint.
In 1929, she got married to Diego Rivera, another famous Mexican artist. Rivera’s strong influences on Kahlo’s style can be seen in her early works, but her later works from the 1940s, known today as her best works, show less influence from her husband.
Unfortunately, her works did not attract much attention in the 1930s and1940s, even in her home country. Her first one-woman show in Mexico was not held until 1953.For more than a decade after her death in 1954, Kahlo’s works remained largely unnoticed by the world, but in the 1970s her works began to gain international fame at last. What does the phrase “a much bigger name” in paragraph 1 most nearly mean?
A.a far better artist |
B.a far more gifted artist |
C.a much stronger person |
D.a much more famous person |
The terrible pain Kahlo suffered was caused by .
A.polio | B.back injuries |
C.the operations she had | D.her bent spine |
Kahlo’s style had become increasingly independent since the .
A.1950s | B. 1930s | C.1940s | D.1970s |
What is author’s attitude toward Kahlo?
A.Devotion | B.Sympathy | C.Worry | D.Encouragement |
Sometimes people cheat in daily life. When people cheat, it’s not fair to other people, like the kids who studied for the test or who were the true winners of a game.
Many people like the action of cheating. It makes difficult things seem easy, like getting all the right answers on the test. But it doesn’t solve the problem of not knowing the material and it won’t help on the next test --- unless the person cheats again.
Some people lose respect for cheaters and think less of them. The cheaters themselves may feel bad because they know they are not really earning that good grade. And, if they get caught cheating, they will be in trouble at school, and maybe at home, too.
Some kids cheat because they’re busy or lazy and they want to get good grades without spending the time studying. Other kids might feel like they can’t pass the test without cheating. Even when there seems to be a “good reason” for cheating, cheating isn’t a good idea.
If you were sick or upset about something the night before and couldn’t study, it would be better to talk with the teacher about this. And if you don’t have enough time to study for a test because of swim practice, you need to talk with your parents about how to balance swimming and school.
A kid who thinks cheating is the only way to pass a test needs to talk with the teacher and his or her parents so they can find some solutions(解决办法) together. Talking about these problems and working them out will feel better than cheating.The author thinks that when kids cheat in class, _______.
A.teachers should punish them |
B.it does harm to their heath |
C.it is unfair to other people |
D.teachers shouldn’t stop them at once |
Some students like cheating mainly because_________.
A.the material in the test is very difficult |
B.they want to do better than the others |
C.cheating can make hard things seem very easy |
D.they have little time to study their lessons |
The fourth paragraph mainly tells us______.
A.cheating isn’t a good idea |
B.some kids don’t spend the time studying |
C.some kids can’t pass the test without cheating |
D.why kids cheat in the test |
We can learn from the passage______.
A.cheaters are often thought highly of |
B.people show no respect for those who cheat |
C.parents whose kids cheat are often in trouble |
D.kids cheat in the test because of swim practice |
Elizabeth Blackwell was born in England in 1821, and moved to New York City when she was ten years old. One day she decided that she wanted to become a doctor. That was nearly impossible for a woman in the middle of the nineteenth century. After writing many letters asking for admission(录取) to medical schools, she was finally accepted by a doctor in Philadelphia. She was so determined that she taught school and gave music lessons to get money for the cost of schooling.
In 1849, after graduation from medical school. she decided to further her education in Paris. She wanted to be a surgeon(外科医师) , but a serious eye problem forced her to give up the idea.
Upon returning to the United States, she found it difficult to start her own practice because she was a woman. By 1857 Elizabeth and her sister, also a doctor, along with another woman doctor, managed to open a new hospital, the first for women and children. Besides being the first woman physician and founding her own hospital , she also set up the first medical school for women.What main obstacle(障碍) almost destroyed Elizabeth’s chances for becoming for a doctor?
A.She wrote too many letters. |
B.She was a woman. |
C.She couldn’t graduate from medical school. |
D.She couldn’t set up her hospital. |
Why couldn’t Elizabeth Blackwell realize her dream of becoming a surgeon?
A.She couldn’t get admitted to medical school |
B.She decided to further her education in Paris |
C.A serious eye problem stopped her |
D.It was difficult for her to start a practice in the United States |
How many years passed between her graduation from medical school and the opening of her hospital?
A.Nineteen years | B.Ten years | C.Eight years | D.Thirty-six years |
Eilzabeth Blackwell spent most of her lift in _______.
A.the United States | B.Paris | C.England | D.New York City |