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. |
Most people feel lonely sometimes, but it usually only lasts between a few minutes and a few hours．This kind of loneliness is not serious．In fact, it is quite normal．For some people, though, loneliness can last for years．Now researchers say there are three different types of loneliness．
The first kind of loneliness is temporary（暂时的）．This is the most common type．It usually disappears quickly and does not require any special attention．The second kind, situational loneliness, is a natural result of a particular situation--- for exa
mple, a family problem, the death of a loved one, or moving to a new place．Although this kind of loneliness can cause physical problems, such as headaches and sleeplessness, it usually does not last for more than a year．The third kind of loneliness is the most severe．Unlike the second type, chronic（长期的）loneliness usually lasts more than two years and has no specific cause．People who experience habitual loneliness have problems socializing and becoming close to others．Unfortunately, many chronically lonely people think there is little or nothing they can do to improve their condition．
Psychologists are trying to find ways to help habitually lonely people for two reasons: they are unhappy and unable to socialize and there is a connection between chronic loneliness and serious illness such as heart disease．While temporary and situational loneliness can 
be a normal, healthy part of life, chronic loneliness can be a very sad, and sometimes dangerous condition．How would you treat temporary loneliness according to the passage ?
A．Talk to friends． |
B．Just ignore it． |
| C．Go to see a doctor． | D．Ask your teachers for guidance． |
“ It” in the last sentence of the second paragraph refers to ______．
| A．temporary loneliness | B．situational loneliness |
| C．a new place | D．sleeplessness |
Why do psychologists want to help chronically lonely people ?
| A．Chronic loneliness can cause family problems． |
| B．Chronic loneliness can cause serious illness． |
| C．Chronic loneliness can not be overcome． |
| D．Such people are harmful to society． |
What is the best title for the passage ?
| A．Three kinds of loneliness | B．Loneliness and Diseases |
| C．Loneliness and Social Contacts | D．Chronic Loneliness |
Plastic is one of the most important technological discoveries of the 20th century. However, it may soon be replaced. The new development- liquid wood- can replace plastics in all branches of modern-day industries.
Plastic as a material enjoys the biggest demand in the modern world, but it does have a number of drawbacks. First and foremost, plastic isn’t recyclable. Secondly, it contains toxins (毒物) helping develop cancerous diseases. Finally, it’s made of oil and oil reserves aren’t endless.
The liquid wood technology is likely to replace plastic and providing mankind with new materials for many years ahead. Norbert Eisenfreich, a senior researcher at the Faunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology in Germany (ICT), said that arboform, the new material, is made of lignin(木素质）, which can be obtained from soft tissues of wood. Once mixed with several other matenals, it turns into solid and non-toxic alternative for plastics.
ICT team leader Emilia Regina Inone-Kauffmann said the wood-working industry separates wood into three basic components, including lignin. Lignin isn’t used for the production of paper. Specialists of ICT mixed lignin with several natural materials and thus invented the material which could be melted and molded (铸型）.
When solid, arboform looks like plastic and possesses tho qualitie of polished wood. It can be used for the production of any items. Arboform is already used for the production of car parts which require extra strength. In addition, liquid wood can be recycled repeatedly. The material preserved all of its qualities even if it’s reprocessed ten times.
However, the new invention doesn’t enjoy an extensive use due to the high content of sulfur(硫) in it. German researchers are sure to reduce the amount of sulfur by 90% very soon to make arboform usable for home needs.According to the passage, plastic.
| A．helps us to reduce the use of petrol |
| B．helps to protect our environment in some way |
| C．does harm to our society in some way |
| D．has been replaced by the newly discovered material |
What’s the advantage of arboform over plastic?
| A．It is easier made from natural oil. |
| B．It is more widely used in household |
| C．It is recyclable and friendly to environment. |
| D．It contains no poisonous materials. |
The underlined word “altemative” in Paragraph 3 means.
| A．lignin or arboform | B．soft tissues of wood |
| C．plastics or wood | D．mixture of several materials |
It can be concluded that German researchers will focus their future work firstly on.
| A．the material’s extensive use | B．the content of sulfur in arboform |
| C．the production cost of arboform | D．the qualities of liquid wood |
The main purpose of the text is to.
| A．introduce liquid wood which will replace plastic |
| B．show readers how to produce arboform |
| C．advertise the new material-arboform |
| D．advertise new products made of arboform |
The day before the deadline for this article,I had no clue what I was going to write about. I took my problem to the editor-in-chief, and.he said to me:“Don’t worry; you’re creative. ”
I’m not sure where the editor-in-chief reached the conclusion that I was “creative”. Maybe it was through the poems I wrote. Personally, I simply enjoy writing because it’s fun. There’s also the fact that I can’t draw or do anything else creatively, I’m equally sure that there are people in the boat on the other side who can make things look excellent, but can’t write a poem.
At this point you probably want to ask me what poetry and art have to do with engineering. For one, it makes you a more rounded person, making you a better engineer. More importantly, as an engineer, you will be faced with many problems every day. There are some that can be solved by consulting a textbook, but more often than not, you will need that thing in your brain to put together things in a completely original combination to solve the problem at hand.
Think of the wonderful things that creative engineers have done. Civil engineers have made the road more long-lasting so we don’t have to close them for repairs as often. Coming up with a new innovation (创新) is similar to writing a good poem. It’s not some-thing you plan to do. The critical moment comes unexpectedly in the middle of nowhere. You don’t think about what you’re doing, you simply do. After some mad struggling you take a look at the end product and say to yourself, “This is a masterpiece. ” This is perhaps the greatest personal satisfaction one can
experience.
So all you engineers out there get out and do something creative. I don’t care if it’s writing a poem or a computer program, just be natural and do something creative.This passage mainly deals with.
| A．the creativity of engineers | B．the power of editor-in-chief |
| C．engineering in general | D．a way of thinking |
In the author’s opinion, writing poems can.
| A．show one is creative | B．make him happy |
| C．bring him in lots of money | D．have an effect on one’s mental health |
According to the author, art can help an engineer to.
| A．find the solutions to problems | B．learn to write poetry |
| C．be courageous in face of challenges | D．get along well with others |
Coming up with a new innovation is similar to writing a good poem in that both are.
| A．logically developed | B．strictly planned |
| C．experience- based | D．naturally creative |
The greatest personal satisfaction of an engineer comes from.
| A．planning his work successfully | B．building things quickly |
| C．finishing his work innovatively | D．writing good poems naturally |
For many of us, cartoon strips are simply one of our pastimes. The popular Japanese manga(漫画) provides us with an escape from reality into a world of fantasy, adventure and romance.With much less text and pictures running for pages, it fits perfectly into today’s fast, throwing away city lifestyle.
But Tsai Chih-chung,a famous Taiwanese illustrator (漫画家), doesn’t agree.He believes cartoons can be a bridge connecting traditional Chinese culture and wisdom with the modern world in a much wittier and more acceptable way.
He has interpreted Lao Zi, Confucius, Mencius，Zhuang Zi and Sun Zi and made their works accessible to a global audience. He has also produced two books about Zen (禅宗), introducing oriental philosophy. His cartoons are humorous yet full of wisdom and are admired as an easy way to learn Chinese classics.
After avoiding the public for ten years, Tsai made a comeback in late April with seven new works. But does his age, 61, work as a gap between him and his young readers? Tsai doesn’t think so. The topics he has covered range from philosophy in a time of individuality to the learning and memorizing techniques used at school. “Every child is a genius and has the potential beyond his own imagination, ” he said.
If popular Japanese manga is purely for entertainment, Tsai’s work, to a large extent, is to light the power of thinking in a light-hearted way. Tsai uses differenr forms of water to refer to people. In his eyes some people are like an ocean, some are like vapor, while others may be ice or
rain. But in essence(本质上)they share a similarity-human being’s forever chasing for the true and the good. “The person who thinks over life issues is not necessarily a scholar or a philosopher,” he said. “I’ve dedicated my whole life to thinking and individual freedom, not making a living.”What is the main idea of the first paragraph in the passage?
| A．Japanese manga is a simple way of killing time. |
| B．What Japanese manga is mainly about. |
| C．Japanese manga presents a world of fantasy, adventure and romance. |
| D．Why Japanese manga is so popular. |
The underlined word “it” in paragraph l refers to .
| A．much less text | B．Japanese manga |
| C．pictures running for pages | D．an escape from reality |
In Tsai Chih-chung’s opinion, cartoon .
| A．connects traditional Chinese culture and wisdom |
| B．helps connect Chinese classics with modern world |
| C．uses a wiser and acceptable way to draw cartoons |
| D．builds up a bridge between cartoons and illustration |
Compared to Japanese manga, Tsai’s works are.
| A．mainly designed for a pure time killer for all |
| B．more popular with young readers in China now |
| C．to inspire people to think in a cheerful way |
| D．much more interesting and instructive |
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE about Tsai Chih-chung?
| A．He values more thinking and personal freedom than making a living. |
| B．He says that one who thinks over life is either a scholar or a philosopher. |
| C．He thinks some people are like ocean, some like vapor, while others like ice cream. |
| D．Tsai devoted his life to creating cartoons in order to make money. |
You’re rushing to work and a man ahead of you collapses on the sidewalk. Do you stop to help? In a study of by-standers, it was found that some people avert their gaze and keep on walking rather than stop and get involved.
“There is a tendency to decide that no action is needed.” says a psychologist. “The first thoughts that pop into your mind often keep you from offering help. In order to take action, you have to work against them.” Here are some common thoughts that might prevent you from helping.
● Why should I be the one? I’m probably not the most competent person in this crowd. You might think someone older or with more medical knowledge should offer assistance.
● What if he doesn’t really need my help? The fear of embarrassment is powerful; no one wants to risk looking foolish in front of others.
● No one else looks concerned- this must not be a problem. We can follow the people around us, but most people tend to hold back their emotions in public.
“If you spot trouble and find yourself explaining inaction, force yourself to stop and evaluate the situation instead of walking on,” says the psychologist. “Then retry to involve other people; you don’t have to take on the entire responsibility of being helpful. Sometimes it’s just a matter of turning to the person next to you and saying, ‘It looks like we should do something.’ Or asking someone if an ambulance has been called and, if not, to call for one. Once you take action, most people will follow you.”Which is NOT the common thought that stops you from helping others?
| A．I’m not the very person capable of setting the problenu. |
| B．It looks like we should do something. |
| C．It must not be a problem as no one else is concerned. |
| D．He doesn’t really need my help. |
According to a study of by-standers, what will some people do when a man ahead falls down on the sidewalk?
| A．They will call for help and then walk away. |
| B．They will stop and offer help. |
| C．They will turn away their eyes and go on walking. |
| D．They will laugh at him. |
We learn from the last paragraph that if we spot ttouble, ．
| A．we sbould call the ambulance as soon as we can. |
| B．we should take on the whole responsibility and do something alone. |
| C．we should stop and evaluate the situation and try to make other people follow. |
| D．we should turn to other people and ask them to take on the responsibility |
In order to offer others your timely help, you need to．
| A．ask others for help and call the police |
| B．get along well with the passers-by who spot the trouble |
| C．go directly to the police station |
| D．work against the rirst thoughts that prevent you offering help |
The main purpose of the text is to tell readers．
| A．to give others a hand | B．to be more competent |
| C．not to risk looking foolish | D．to stop and evaluate the situation |