The slavery drama “12 Years a Slave” won the Academy Award for best picture on Sunday, making history as the first movie from a black director to win the film industry's highest honor in 86 years of the Oscars．Can anyone tell me your ideas about this movie? —— GreatMartin
“12 Years a Slave is a surprisingly underwhelming movie．It is more of a string of picture about several heartless and evil white men(and women)who are just mean without the motivation of running a plantation on their minds．There is very little character development and most of the film relies on what the audience already knows and feels about slavery．” 一一GeminiJef
‘‘Never have I been stunned into an emotional silence after watching a film in the theater．I've come out of films before thinking” My god，that was unbelievable”，like when I saw The Lord of the Rings for the first time，but this film just hits you on another level entirely．You sit there after it’s over，wondering if what you’d just experienced was real．The day after．you feel the same．”一一Pauljohnson
“This movie is just an average movie about slavery．Are you kidding me，segregation movies are a dime a dozen and this movie beat out Gravity for Golden Globes? Gravity has never been done before．12 Years a Slave I watched once and will never watch again．I watched Gravity 5 times and still love it．’’一一Dominionator
“This movie was realistic and engaging at every second．Even the dramatic pauses were worthwhile and definitely not a waste of time．The script inferred and hinted at events rather than just plain saying them，and that was genius．Outstanding photography，amazing special effects and the acting is top notch．There were a few people that walked out during some scenes．What a shame!” 一一ApolsThe main purpose of GreatMartin’s writing is __________ .
| A．to give a brief introduction of the movie |
| B．to share his own opinions with others |
| C．to invite answers to his question |
| D．to explain why he asks the question |
The underlined word “stunned’’ in the third paragraph probably means __________ .
| A．puzzled | B．shocked | C．disappointed | D．concerned |
Among the four speakers，who made positive comments on the movie?
| A．GeminiJef and Pauljohnson | B．Pauljohnson and Dominionator |
| C．GeminiJef and Dominionator | D．Pauljohnson and Apols |
Which of the following best states Pauljotmson’s ideas about l2 Years a Slave?
| A．It leaves little room for character development． |
| B．It reaches the height of The Lord of the Rings． |
| C．It doesn’t deserve such high praise． |
| D．It amazes the audience with its special effects． |
Bitcoin and other so﹣called cryptocurrenciest （加密货币） have been all over the news lately． Apparently， the idea of money that's not tied to a specific bank or a specific country is appealing to many． But it's worth remembering that the banking system that we now all live with is just that： A modern invention． Not so long ago， money was almost always created and used locally， and bartering was common． （In fact， it still is common among many online local networks， like the Buy Nothing Project．）．
In the past， money's makeup varied from place to place， depending on what was considered valuable there． So while some of the world's first coins were made from a naturally occurring hybrid of gold and silver called electrum （金银矿）， objects other than coins have served as currency， including beads， ivory， livestock， and cowrie shells． In West Africa， bracelets of bronze or copper were used as cash， especially if the transaction was associated with the slave trade there． Throughout the colonial period， tobacco was used to replace coins or paper bills in Virginia， Maryland and North Carolina， even though it was used elsewhere in the colonies and extensively throughout Europe and the U． K．
Today， on an island in the Pacific， a specific type of shell still serves as currency and some people there are even hoarding （储存） it， just like Bitcoin moguls， convinced that one day， it will make them wealthy beyond imagination． On Malaita， the most﹣populated island that's part of the Solomon Islands， shells are accepted at most places in exchange for goods．
"How much tuna （金枪鱼） you can get for your shells depends on their color and shape，" Mary Bruno， a shop owner from the small town of Auki， on Malaita， told Vice． "One strip of darker shells might get you about two cans of smaller tuna， but the red ones are worth more． For the red ones， one strip might get enough tuna to feed a big family for a long time．"
Just like a mintthat creates coins， there's only one place on the island where the shells， which are polished and strung together to form 3﹣foot﹣long ropes， are made． The strips of red， white， and black shells all come from Langa Langa Lagoon， where artificial islands were long﹣ago built by locals to escape from the island﹣dwelling cannibals． Once marooned （困住） out on their islands， locals needed a currency to use among themselves， and so the shell currency was born．
Using shells for money was common throughout the Pacific islands as late as the early 1900s， but Malaita is unique in that they are still used today． And just like cryptocurencies， there are those who think the islanders are smart to invest in this type of money， which is reported to have risen in value over the last three decades． It might seem strange to hoard a bunch of processed， strung﹣together shells， but what is a pile of dollars？ Just a specially printed piece of paper and hemp that we've assigned value to and probably less durable over time than those shells．
（1）According to the passage， which of the following is TRUE？
| A． |
Money was created and was widely used in the world． |
| B． |
Tobacco was used as coins or paper bills in American in the past． |
| C． |
The ingredients of world's first coins may be the combination of gold and silver． |
| D． |
Using shells for money has been out of date in the world． |
（2）The word "mint" in paragraph 5 is closest in the meaning to " "．
| A． |
a kind of money that can exchange |
| B． |
the leaves of a mint plant used fresh or candied |
| C． |
a place to produce and polish shells |
| D． |
a factory that produces currency |
（3）What's opinion of the author towards shells for money？
| A． |
Reasonable． |
| B． |
Imaginary． |
| C． |
Convenient． |
| D． |
Inventive |
（4）Which of the following might be the best title of the passage？
| A． |
The History of Biteoin |
| B． |
Shells Still Money |
| C． |
The Currency Is of Great Use |
| D． |
Some Shells |
There are classes for the mothers of babies， but there's no helping with your mum and dad growing old．
Old people's wards are hell for old people． Geriatric wards are bedlam and bonkers． A toothless woman screaming when left alone， a cry that reaches the high hospital ceiling． A woman effing and blinding ﹣ the polite curtain will not protect her from the indignity of a happy change． A woman who lives the same moment in repeat， dressed up for going home in a bright red， over the dressing grown， asking for the key to her house， saying over and over： "Am I going home today？"
And though my mum， by the time she was released， knew that her life was charmed compared with the lives of the world's refugees． It seems to me as if the plight （困境） of old people， while not as horrible as the plight of refugees， shares some of the horror． Just as we live in a society that hasn't caught up with technology， the kind of moral choices it gives people， we also live in a world that hasn't kept up with its ageing population． We have the advances in medical science and technology that have kept people alive longer， but not the advances in how to treat our ageing population． Society is lagging behind the old， failing and falling．
There are certain small but piercing similarities between the treatment of the old and the treatment of refugees． The old are often displaced from their homes， moved out against their will； decisions are often made for them that they have no say over． Often， they are treated as fools or halfwits， crowded together in one place， given clothes that don't belong to them， treated as a fallen tribe， incapable of any individuality． Nobody imagined my mother was a secretary of the Scottish peace movement， a primary teacher， a lifelong socialist， a witty woman． Out of hospital， my 85﹣year﹣old mum said： "going into hospital at my age puts years on you． God save from old people's wards． You never think of yourself as old． You look across the ward and think， am I like that？"
（1）The treatment of the old is compared of that of the refugees in order to ．
| A． |
prove they have a lot in common |
| B． |
show the terrible status of the old |
| C． |
display their similarities and differences |
| D． |
indicate that old people have to leave their home |
（2）What can be inferred from the passage？
| A． |
Refugees lead a better life than old male patients． |
| B． |
Old people are ill﹣treated due to their loss of individuality． |
| C． |
The author's mom is capable of teaching and being a socialist in the meanwhile． |
| D． |
The treatment of the ageing population doesn't develop as science advances． |
（3）The author's mom felt that life in the hospital ．
| A． |
made her much older． |
| B． |
created her a mature woman． |
| C． |
enable her to look back at life． |
| D． |
let her full of gratitude to children． |
（4）The passage mainly discussed ．
| A． |
the life of refugees and old people． |
| B． |
social responsibility to old women． |
| C． |
improper treatment of old people． |
| D． |
preparing for ageing parents． |
American Airlines
Date of Issue： 233 JAN 10
Ping Luo：
Thank you for choosing American Airlines/American Eagle， a member of the one world TMAlliance． Below is your journey plan for the ticket（s） purchased． Please print and keep possession of this document for use throughout your trip．
Record locator： HPMDLH
You may check in and obtain your boarding pass for U．S． domestic electronic tickets within 24 hours of your flight time online at AA． Come by using www．aa．com/ checkin or at a Self﹣Service Check﹣In machine at the airport． For faster check﹣in at the airport， scan the barcode at any AA Self﹣Service machine．
Effective February 1， American Airlines will be cashless onboard all flights． For in﹣flight purchases， we will accept Citi®/A Advantage®MasterCard® and other major credit or debit cards only． Cashless cabins will not be implemented onboard American Eagle and American Connection flights …only cash will continue to be accepted onboard those flights．
e Ticket
|
Carrier |
Flight number |
Departing |
Arriving |
Booking Code |
|||||
|
City |
Date & time |
City |
Time |
||||||
|
American Airlines |
4290 |
NASHVILLE |
SUN， 31 JAN 11：05 AM |
CHICAGO OHARE |
12：40 PM |
Q |
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|
OPERATED BY AMERICAN EAGLE |
|||||||||
|
Ping Luo |
Economy |
Seats 9C |
Food for Purchase |
||||||
|
American Airline |
4131 |
CHICAGO OHARE |
SUN 31 JAN 2：40 TM |
MADISON |
3：25 PM |
Q |
|||
|
OPERATED BY AMERICAN EAGLE |
|||||||||
|
Ping Luo |
Economy |
Seats 17C |
Food for Purchase |
||||||
（1）The above document serves as ．
| A． |
evidence of booked tickets． |
| B． |
explanations of check﹣in policies． |
| C． |
a reminder of airline regulations． |
| D． |
an airline ticket and its confirmation． |
（2）During his journey， Ping Luo will ．
| A． |
fly non﹣stop to his destination． |
| B． |
arrive in Chicago in the late afternoon of the same day． |
| C． |
have to stay at CHICAGO OHARE airport for two hours． |
| D． |
reach his final destination on the next day． |
（3）According to the document， in order to check in at the airport faster， a passenger may ．
| A． |
arrive at the airport far ahead of time． |
| B． |
choose the seat in advance． |
| C． |
use a self﹣service machine． |
| D． |
contact the record locator online． |
The adaptation of books to the big screen is nothing new to our society． Books have become well﹣respected tools for creating a better Hollywood． However， films should be just as respected for their ability to create better writers．
The main skill films help writers develop is attention to progress． Most directors and screenwriters know that the majority of people are not willing to sit through a five﹣hour film． Thus， every scene must have a purpose． This is a vital objective to keep in mind when writing a novel or short story． With most writing courses placing emphasis on literary techniques， it is easy to become more invested in diction than with actually moving the plot forward． Films remind the writer that while a novel ought to have some degree of literary complexity， the goal at the end of each chapter， page， or sentence is simple： keep the story moving． Films not only help writers develop a plot， but also help writers develop specific moments within their stories． Although writing a means of expression， not all things are easy to express in writing， especially facial expressions and emotions． Films allow writers to study the bodily and emotional actions that make characters read more realistically and make stories more tempting．
Lastly， sometimes it takes a film to bring about a story idea in the first place． Stop using a horribly specific or extremely uninteresting prompt． A pleasing theme or aesthetic can be enough to inspire a character or setting． As writers， whether fiction or independent， our works often arise from the things we see around us or the things we wish we could see． Nonetheless， our works also arise from the visuals that have been created for us． As literature continues to enter the film industry， perhaps we should make use of film techniques in our literature．
（1）Reminded by films， a writer can move the plot forward by ．
| A． |
keeping in mind that every word should mean something． |
| B． |
providing a description of as many details as possible． |
| C． |
paying attention to further enhancing literary complexity． |
| D． |
choosing the perfect word to go with his/her thought． |
（2）According to the passage， films help writers develop in many aspects except ．
| A． |
getting an improved expressiveness |
| B． |
focusing on keeping the story moving． |
| C． |
complicating their thinking and life． |
| D． |
bringing in inspiration for new works． |
（3）The word "prompt" （paragraph 4）probably means ．
| A． |
a reason to write． |
| B． |
a topic to start from． |
| C． |
an excuse to put off working． |
| D． |
an element to attract relationship． |
（4）Which of the following statements best represents the author's thoughts in this passage？
| A． |
book writers are the ones promoting the growth of the film industry． |
| B． |
directors and screenwriters are more respected than fiction writers． |
| C． |
writers should spend more time on wording rather than on other things． |
| D． |
filmmaking technique could help book writers to improve themselves． |
Adults understand what it feels like to be flooded with objects． Why do we often assume that more is morewhen it comes to kids and their belongings？ The good news is that I can help my own kids learn earlier than I did how to live more with less．
I found the pre﹣holidays a good time to encourage young children to donate less﹣used things， and it worked． Because of our efforts， our daughter Georgia did decide to donate a large bag of toys to a little girl whose mother was unable to pay for her holiday due to illness． She chose to sell a few larger objects that were less often used when we promised to put the money into her school fund （基金）（our kindergarten is serious about becoming a doctor）
For weeks， I've been thinking of bigger， deeper questions． How do we make it a habit for them？ And how do we train ourselves to help them live with， need， and use less？ Yesterday， I sat with my son， Shepherd， determined to test my own theory on this． I decided to play with him with only one toy for as long as it would keep his interest． I expected that one toy would keep his attention for about five minutes， ten minutes， max． I chose a red rubber ball﹣simple， universally available． We passed it， he tried to put it in his mouth， he tried bouncing it， rolling it， sitting on it， throwing it． It was totally， completely enough for him． Before I knew it an hour had passed and it was time to move on to lunch．
We both became absorbed in the simplicity of playing together． He had my full attention and I had his． My little experiment to find joy in a single object worked for both of us．
（1）What do the words "more is more" in paragraph l probably mean？
| A． |
The more， the better． |
| B． |
Enough is enough． |
| C． |
More money， more worries． |
| D． |
Earn more and spend more． |
（2）What made Georgia agree to sell some of her objects？
| A． |
Saving up for her holiday |
| B． |
Raising money for a poor girl |
| C． |
Adding the money to her fund |
| D． |
Giving the money to a sick mother |
（3）Why did the author play the ball with Shepherd？
| A． |
To try out an idea |
| B． |
To show a parent's love |
| C． |
To train his attention |
| D． |
To help him start a hobby |
（4）What can be a suitable title for the text？
| A． |
Take it or leave it |
| B． |
A Lesson from Kids |
| C． |
Live More with Less |
| D． |
The Pleasure of Giving |