Romanian-born German writer Herta Mueller won the 2009 Nobel Prize in literature yesterday, honored for work that "with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, describes the landscape of the dispossessed(被流放者)," the Swedish Academy said.
The 56-year-old author, who immigrated to Germany from Romania in 1987, first gained public attention in 1982 with a collection of short stories titled Niederungen, or Lowlands in English, which was promptly censored(审查通过) by her government.
In 1984 an uncensored version was smuggled to Germany where it was published and her work describing life in a small, German-speaking village in Romania was popular with the readers there. That work was followed by Oppressive Tango in Romania.
"The Romanian national press was very critical of these works while, outside of Romania, the German press received them very positively," the Academy said. "Because Mueller had publicly criticized the dictatorship(独裁) in Romania, she was prohibited from publishing in her own country.” In 1987 she immigrated to Germany with her husband two years before dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was toppled from power.
Mueller's parents were members of the German-speaking minority in Romania and father served in the Waffen SS during World War II. After the war ended, many German Romanians were deported(放逐) to the Soviet Union in 1945, including her mother, who spent five years in a work camp in what is now Ukraine.
Most of her works are in German, but some works have been translated into English, French and Spanish, including The Passport, The Land of Green Plums, Traveling on One Leg and The Appointment.
Mueller has given guest lectures at universities, colleges and other venues in Paderborn, Warwick, Hamburg, Swansea, Gainsville (Florida), Kassel, Gottingen, Tubingen and Zurich among other places. She lives in Berlin. Since 1995 she has served as a member of Deutsche Akademie fur Sprache und Dichtung, in Darmstadt."
Mueller is the 12th woman to win the literature prize. Recent female winners include Austria's Elfriede Jelinek in 2004 and British writer Doris Lessing in 2007.
The award includes a $1.4 million prize and will be handed out on December 10
51．Herta Mueller was awarded Nobel Prize in literature because of____________.
A．her public criticism upon the dictatorship in Romania
B．her works with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose
C．her works describing the life of the dispossessed in Germany
D．the popularity of her works with the readers in the German-speaking village
52．Which of the following statements is mentioned by the author?
A．German Romanians were treated unfairly in Germany in the 1940s.
B．Her parents were dispossessed to Ukraine after the World War II.
C．Her first work was published in Germany in the early 1980s.
D．Her works were all translated into versions in different languages.
53．It can be inferred from the fourth paragraph that _____.
A．people then in Romania had the right to say whatever was true.
B．Herta Mueller left her home country after the dictatorship was ended.
C．Herta Mueller immigrated to Germany together with her parents.
D．Romanian citizens lived a hard life without democracy in the 1980s.
54．According to the passage, which of the following works has an English version?
A．Lowlands in English B．Oppressive Tango in Romania.
C．Traveling on One Leg D．The Land of Green Plums
55．What is the passage mainly about?
A．Mueller made great contribution to literature through hard work
B．Mueller won the Nobel Prize for her great literature works.
C．Mueller gained great popularity by describing dictatorship.
D．Mueller was treated badly in Romania and immigrated to Germany.
A Japanese company has ordered its employees to get the same hairstyles--- to help save energy.
Tokyo-based Maeda Corporation has announced the move as part of a national campaingn to cut energy use.
Since Fukushima nuclear plant was destroyed in the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in March, 2011, the county’s government has asked its people to slash their energy consumption.
Men are expected to sport a short back-and-sides, slightly longer on the top, while women have been asked to wear short hair with a fringer (刘海) that can be swept to one side.
Chizuru Inoue, a spokesman for Maeda Crop, said: “Our company is very devoted to protecting the environment and we encourage our staff to adopt many environment-friendly actions.”
“We are not sure of the data yet, but we believe if people have short hair they do not need to use their hairdryers for so long and they will use less water. If all our staff do this, then it may save a lot of power.”
There is another advantage for employees of the construction firm, Ms. Inoue added, as it is easier to make short hair neat again after staff had been wearing hard hats. She said a lot of staff had been calling for information on where they can get their hair cut in the correct style.
Following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March, Japan has been struggling to produce enough electricity for the tsunami ended production at the Fukushima plant. The disaster resulted in a review of the country’s energy policy that now means less than a quarter of its remaining nuclear plants are in use. The government has talked about a move away from nuclear energy towards more sustainable (可持续性的) technologies. Many government institutions have taken measures to save power, including a reduced use of air-conditioning in offices and schools.What does the underlined word ”slash” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
| A．Stop | B．Maintain |
| C．Change | D．Reduce |
According to Chizuru Inoue, there are ____ advantages for the employees to have short hair.
| A．2 | B．3 | C．4 | D．5 |
What can we infer from the last paragraph?
| A．Japan can provide enough electricity for its people. |
| B．The present situation of Japan’s energy is worrying. |
| C．Sustainable technologies are replacing nuclear energy. |
| D．One fourth of Japan’s nuclear plants are out of order. |
What’s the main idea of the text?
| A．Japan takes steps to protect the environment. |
| B．Japan is moving towards sustainable technologies. |
| C．A Japanese company takes measures to save energy. |
| D．Japan starts a campaign to save energy across the country. |
“I can’t live without my mobile phone!” is what I often hear people say as they talk about how mobiles have become an essential part of their lives.
The all so common sight of heads bent, eyes staring at mobile screens and fingers busy tapping away repeats itself across major cities around the world. Whenever there is a moment to spare while on the train, taxi or waiting in a queue, people busy themselves with their mobile phones.
Some people believe our unhealthy obsession(着迷) with mobile phones is destroying how we appreciate the little things in life or miss the moments that matter. The truth is that technology overall should be seen as just a tool to improve our lives.
Mobile phones have certainly had a great influence on our lives, but I truly believe it is for the better.
It’s changed the way we communicate, whether for work or play. We are now less constrained(限制)by time and geographical location. With my mobile phone, I can dial into conference calls while stuck in a traffic jam, or reply to urgent e-mails while on the go. I can send a text message or share photos and videos with friends who aren’t living in the same country. My phone calendar keeps my life organized, and even Facebook, Twitter, and instant messaging are now accessible from mobile phones!
The mobile revolution isn’t just changing the lives of urbanities (都市人) like myself. I know of a young Bangladeshi woman named Shompa Akhter who is crazy about fashion and design. She dreamt about starting her own business and she did just that, opening a shop in Kushtia featuring her own creations. Dealing with supplies in different towns was a problem for Shompa --- purchase orders had to either be hand delivered or mailed out to supplies. Shompa also found it tough publicizing her business to potential customers outside her town. But once she learnt to operate the mobile phone, she was addicted. The 25-year-old businesswoman now stays in touch easily with her suppliers. Mobile e-mail is a blessing in her life.
Who would have thought that mobility could bring about such enormous change? It shouldn’t really be a surprise though.In the first two paragraphs, the author wants to show ____.
| A．mobile phones make people communicate less |
| B．mobile phones make people’s life more enjoyable |
| C．people’s health is greatly affected by mobile phones |
| D．people become addicted to mobile phones in daily life |
What’s the author’s attitude towards mobile phones? .
| A．Doubtful | B．Supportive |
| C．Critical | D．Uninterested |
Paragraph 5 is mainly about__________.
| A．New functions of mobile phones |
| B．New changes in Information Age |
| C．The advantages of mobile phones |
| D．The author’s personal experiences |
How is the text mainly developed?
| A．By inferring. | B．By analysing causes. |
| C．By giving examples. | D．By comparing different ideas. |
If you are interested in animals, you probably heard about the tragedy at Seaworld Orlando. On February 24, Tillicum, a six-ton orca(虎鲸)，was performing with his trainer, Dawn Brancheau, who stood on a platform by his pool.
They had done the same show together many times before, without incident. This time, though, events took a terrible turn. Without warning, Tillicum leaped from the water, took hold of Branchcheau by her hair, and dragged her deep below the water’s surface. Before other trainers could react, Brancheau drowned.
Although known as killer whales, orcas are the largest member of the dolphin family. They are easy to train, and performances like Tillicum’s have been done safely thousands of times. Yet Dawn Brancheau’s death was a shocking reminder of what can happen when human being act together with wild animals. People began to ask, “Should orcas be kept in captivity(囚禁)”
Yes
Worldwide, only 42 orcas are being kept by humans. Scientists know very little about these huge sea animals, which are difficult to study in the wild. However, they do know that orcas are easily harmed by pollution. As our oceans become ever more damaged by human activity, observing orcas up close helps us understand them and do a better job of protecting them in nature.
“I think that some dangerous animals, such as killer whales, should be kept in captivity because it raises awareness about them and educates people about wild animals,” says Lauren, 12, a 6-grader from Colorado. “Keeping some in captivity will help protect their species.”
No
Enclosed habitats can be painful to wild animals, and make them act in unpredictable even harmful ways.
“It is wrong to keep these animals in captivity”, says Prathm, 12. The 7th-grader from New Jersey, adds, “They should live in their own habitats, not be used as entertainment slaves.”
Richard Ellis, a marine conservationist in New York, agrees. “It is part of human nature to keep wild animals in small spaces and train them to do tricks,” he says. “I’ m against it because I think it humiliates the animals.”Why does the author tell the tragedy of Dawn Brancheau?
| A．To introduce the topic. |
| B．To express his sympathy. |
| C．To describe the human-animal relationship. |
| D．To warn people of the danger of keeping animals. |
What can we infer from the text?
| A．It is hard to train orcas. |
| B．Orcas are rare sea animals. |
| C．Orcas’ habitat is being destroyed. |
| D．Many orcas are hunted each year. |
The underlined word ”humiliates” in the last paragraph most probably means “ _____”.
| A．makes somebody less intelligent |
| B．makes somebody feel ashamed |
| C．makes somebody physically weak |
| D．makes somebody feel threatened |
The text is mainly about_______.
| A．how to help animals live a better life |
| B．how to develop friendship with animals |
| C．whether killer whales should be protected |
| D．whether animals should be kept in captivity |
NEW YORK---Booksellers and technology companies are diving into the world of digital books. Sony Corp is selling the Reader Digital Book for $299, while giant online shopping company Amazon.com offers the Kindle for $399.
The digital books are light, easy on the eyes and let readers carry around as many as 200 titles in hardware that weighs less than a pound.
But to some people, there’s something missing.
“It’s , I guess, the feel of holding a book that someone really put a lot of effort into writing,” said Katy Farina, 21.
Farina, a college student who was browsing (浏览) at a bookstore, said, “It feels real, while the reader separates you a little bit from the story.”
Harry Howe, a professor, said he might use an e-book reader in search of materials while away from home, but not for reading a novel. “It’s just not a physical experience that I’m yet comfortable with. On the other hand, I didn’t grow up reading things on websites.”
Farina said she would like a reader for travelling because she would not have to transport so many books. “To put 10 books on your Sony reader or on your Kindle is a lot better than carrying 10 books,” she said.
Neither Sony nor Amazon would say how many machines they have sold, but enough people are interested in trying them out. An Amazon official at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week said the Kindle sold out on its first day in 6 hours.
And for people hesitating between paper and e-books, Sony does offer a compromising — an optional paper cover. “I think it’s a clever move.” Said Howe.Which section is the passage most likely to appear in?
| A．Advertisements. | B．Technology. |
| C．Education. | D．Entertainment. |
According to the passage, Farina_______.
| A．dislikes e-books |
| B．likes e-books very much |
| C．never uses e-books |
| D．prefers e-books when traveling |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．E-books are better than paper books. |
| B．E-books are becoming more and more popular. |
| C．E-books read well, but some people prefer paper books. |
| D．E-books will take the place of paper books one day. |
“Be nice to people.” This sounds like a platitude（老生常谈）,but I’ll never forget my father’s words. I was 10, and I had been unkind to someone. He said, “There is no point in being unkind to anyone at any time. You never know who you’re going to meet later in life. And by the way, you don’t change anything by being unkind. Usually you don’t get anywhere.”
“Remember you can do anything you want to do. Don’t let anyone say, ‘You’re not smart enough, it’s too hard, it’s a foolish idea, no one has done that before, girls don’t do that.’ ”My mom gave me that advice in 1973. And it allowed me to never worry what others were saying about my job direction.
“Always do the best job you can do at whatever you’re given, even if you think it’s boring.” Jerry Parkinson, my boss at P&G, told me this in 1979. Here I was fresh out of Harvard Business School(HBS), and I was told to decide how big the hole in the Ivory shampoo bottle should be: 3/8 of an inch or 1/8 of an inch. I did research, focus groups and I would come home at night wondering how I had gone from HBS to this. But later I realized any job you’re given is an opportunity to prove yourself.
“Don’t be greedy(贪婪的). If you’re constantly in the neighborhood of good things, good things will happen to you.” Tom Tierney, who was my boss at Bain in 1981 and is now on the eBay board, told me this. It’s true that you get ahead by praising other people.
Finally, in 1998, I was in New York watching the ticker(倒计时牌) as eBay went public. My husband is a surgeon（外科医生）.I called him and told him the great news. And he said, “That’s nice. But Meg, remember that it’s not brain surgery.”According to the passage, which of the following is different from the other three?
| A．P&G． | B．HBS． |
| C．Bain． | D．eBay． |
How many pieces of advice were given by her family?
| A．Two. | B．Four. | C．Three. | D．One. |
This passage was written by _____ order.
| A．story development | B．time |
| C．working conditions | D．place |
According to the last paragraph, what her husband actually meant was that _____．
| A．he was a nice doctor |
| B．he was better than Meg |
| C．1ife matters the most |
| D．eBay was nothing at all |
What’s the main idea of the whole passage?
| A．Advice in life really makes a difference to us. |
| B．We should be nice to people around us. |
| C．People can succeed by praising others. |
| D．Too unkind persons will get nothing from life. |
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