I keep hammering this because I keep seeing people who don’t do it.
1. Look up English to Elvish.
2. Look up the Elvish word in the best Elvish dictionary you have, and, preferably, find out the context（上下文） in Tolkien’s language dictionary.
3. Change the word to suit rules of grammar: singular or plural, mutations, verb tenses, etc.
You cannot leave out any of these steps. If you do, you’re almost certain to have errors. Why you have to do step 2:
Languages never match up one- to-one. English and Elvish are closer than usual, but there are still problems. And English has strange idioms: why are there no baths or beds in public bathrooms or restrooms? You can’t translate literally（逐字地）. You have to understand the meaning behind each word.
In Elvish this is even more true, since our dictionaries contain more or less questionable reconstructions, and words that Tolkien later threw away or replaced. Find the best one you can.
Consider the word “fair”. We tend to use it to mean “just”. Tolkien tends to use it to mean “beautiful”. In Elvish, these are two entirely different words. So when you look up “fair”, you’ll have to go to the Elvish dictionary to see that you’ve got the right one.
Consider the nightmare（噩梦）of He left the bar. Is “left” the opposite of “right” （which also has two meanings） ? Is “bar” extruded steel（型材钢）, or something to do with law? You have to know what words mean in both languages.
And you’d be amazed at how many people ignore step 3, forgetting that language is more than a string of words, and there are rules about how to fit those words together. You can’t simply look up the word “I” and use it everywhere. Sometimes you need “me” or “my”. There’s a reason it takes a while to learn a language: you have to learn the rules.
It drives me completely mad when people give a questionable translation they insist is right because “it’s in the dictionary”. A dictionary is a tool, a resource. but its entries（词目）should not be mistaken for a finished product. They are raw materials.The underlined word “this” in paragraph 1 refers to .
A．consulting the dictionaries when translating between language s |
| B．finding out the true meaning in context |
| C．ignoring the rules of grammar |
| D．leaving out some of the three steps the author mentions |
According to the author, you have to do step 2 because .
| A．you have to understand the meaning behind each word |
| B．Elvish and English are quite different in forms |
| C．there are no baths or beds in public bathrooms |
| D．Elvish has some words which are hard to find |
Grammar is also very important because it .
| A．helps fit the words together |
| B．takes a while to learn a language |
| C．is a rule to obey |
| D．is often forgotten in translating |
In the last paragraph, the author shows .
| A．his impatience to those who insist their wrong translation is right |
| B．his puzzle to the questionable translation |
| C．the importance of the correct use of dictionaries |
| D．the mistaken entries in the dictionaries |
The passage is mainly about how to .
| A．learn a foreign language with a dictionary |
| B．avoid errors when looking up a dictionary |
| C．understand the meaning of a strange word |
| D．use a dictionary to translate between languages |
Steve Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, made his first public appearance since going on medical leave six weeks ago, taking the stage at a San Francisco media event to introduce the iPad 2, the second generation of the company’s tablet computer.
Thin but energetic, Mr. Jobs showed off a thinner iPad. “ We’ve been working on this product for a while and I just didn’t want to miss this day,” he said.
His absence has concerned investors, especially since the group has given no details of his condition. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2004 and had a liver transplant during almost six moths of medical leave in 2009. People close to him said last month his health had been changing.
Apple’s stock rose more than 2 percent in the minutes after Mr. Jobs began speaking, then gave up some of its gain as he detailed the iPad 2.
The iPad 2 will go on sale in black and white versions in the US on March 11 and in 26 other countries, including the UK and Germany, on March 25. The table is Apple’s biggest product launch since the iPhone three years ago, and is comparable to the iPhone as the most expected in Apple’s history.
Most of the improvements in the latest version had been expected, including front and rear-facing video, which allows video conferencing between iPads, Mac computers and the most recent iPhones and iPods, a larger speaker, a faster processor and other upgrades. The iPad 2 is one-third thinner than the original tablet and slightly lighter, with a 9.7-inch touchscreen. It can run movies, books, games and a complete range of applications. In the US it will work with AT&T and Verizon, the top two mobile carriers. The pricing will be the same to the 2010 iPad at its introduction, ranging from $499 to $829 in six models. But Apple dropped prices on the older iPad on Wednesday by $100 across the board.
Apple has made the most of its year-long head start in tablets, selling 15,000,000 units of the older iPad last year and taking about 85 percent of the market. Forrester predicted that the iPad 2 would clain 80 percent of the US market this year, or 20,000,000 out of 24,000,000 total shipped. This prediction was based on both the technical improvements to the iPad 2, and the distribution difficulties and higher prices for Apple’s rivals.
Motorola, BlackBerry maker Research in Motion, Samsung and others have brought out competing tablets, many based on Google’s Android software.
Mr. Jobs said the rest of the field was still catching up with the first iPad and their markets for applications designed for tablets had, at best, 100 small programs. This compares with 65,000 on Apple’s applications store.Why are the investors of Apple worried according to the text?
| A．Apple’s stock price changes a lot |
| B．Steve Jobs’ health condition is not stable |
| C．The iPad 2 has some technical drawbacks |
| D．Apple faces strong competition from other companies. |
In what respect are the iPad 2 and the 2010 iPad exactly alike?
| A．the weight | B．the speaker |
| C．the thickness | D．the pricing at the introduction |
How many tablet computers were sold in the market last year?
| A．about 15,000,000 | B．about 17,000,000 |
| C．about 20,000,000 | D．about 24,000,000 |
What makes Apple’s tablets superior to the competing tablets of other companies?
| A．the low price |
| B．the Android software |
| C．the full kinds of models |
| D．the tens of thousands of applications |
What is the best title for the text?
| A．Jobs on Stage to Introduce iPad 2 |
| B．iPad 2 Better than the Original |
| C．Best Applications for iPad 2 |
| D．iPad 2 vs. Competitors |
If I see one more article about how wonderful alternative energy is compared to oil, I will flip(翻页). Alternative energy sources can be good---- very good in fact. And it’s pretty obvious that we’re going to need them, and that our dependence on oil is a Bad Thing. But accepting that does not mean accepting that any kind of alternative energy is a good thing.
To be a good thing, it has to have three properties: 1) It has to help reduce our dependence on oil, 2) It has to be no worse for the environment, and 3) It has to be economically practical.
Many of the things praised meet one or even two of those properties. Solar panels, for example. They can reduce our need for oil, at least in certain regions, and they’re certainly not bad for the environment. But they’re expensive. If you spend the money to make your home solar-powered, you probably won’t get back your costs for at least 15 years, which approaches the lifespan of the panels.
Certainly we need to clean up our act big time and find workable sources of alternative energy. But we also have to keep in mind that every one of these alternative-energy sources comes at a cost, which is something people seem to forget. They hear the phrase “alternative energy” and automatically assume it’s got to be good. But green isn’t always good, and oil isn’t always bad.
One seemingly “green” technology that pops up again and again is electric cars. It is praised by well-meaning people as good for the environment and a way to reduce our oil dependence, especially as oil prices continue to rise.
Electric cars are dirty. In fact, not only are they dirty, they might even be more dirty than their gasoline-powered cousins.
People in California love to talk about “ zero-emissions vehicles”, but people in California seem to be clueless about where electricity comes from. Power plants mostly use fire to make it. Aside from the new folks who have their roofs covered with solar cells, we get our electricity from generators. Generators are fueled by something---- usually coal, oil, but also by heat generated in nuclear power plants. There are a few wind farms and geothermal（地热的） plants as well, but by far we get electricity mainly by burning something.
In other words, those “zero-emissions” cars are likely coal-burning cars. It’s just because the coal is burned somewhere else that it looks clean. It is not. It’s as if the California Greens are covering their eyes ---- “ If I can’t see it, it’s not happening. “ Gasoline is an incredibly efficient way to power a vehicle; a gallon of gas has a lot of energy in it. But when you take that gas ( or another fue) and first use it to make electricity, you waste a nice part of that energy, mostly in the form of wasted heat ---- at the generator, through the transmission（传送） lines, etc.
A gallon of gas may propel your car 25 miles. But the electricity you get from that gallon of gas won’t get you nearly as far ---- so electric cars burn more fuel than gas- powered ones. If our electricity came mostly from nukes; or geothermal, or hydro, or solar, or wind, then an electric car truly would be clean. But for political, technical, and economic reasons, we don’t use much of those energy sources.
In addition, electric cars’ batteries which are poisonous for a long time will eventually end up in a landfill. And finally, when cars are the polluters, the pollution is spread across all the roads. When it’s a power plant, though, all the junk is in one lace. Nature is very good at cleaning up when things are too concentrated, but it takes a lot longer when all the garbage is in one spot.Which of the following statements will the writer support?
| A．Any kind of alternative energy is a good thing. |
| B．Alternative energy is bound to take the place of oil. |
| C．People should have an objective view towards alternative energy. |
| D．Solar panel is a good example of alternative energy that meets three properties. |
What does “ clueless” mean in Paragraph 7?
| A．People see the California Greens everywhere. |
| B．People in California love to talk about zero-emissions vehicles. |
| C．People in California love to have their roofs covered with solar cells. |
| D．People there have no idea that so far electrically mainly comes from burning coal, oil, etc. |
What is the main idea for the text?
| A．Green technology is not always green. |
| B．Alternative energy is economically practical. |
| C．Electric cars are not clean at all. |
| D．Gasoline is an efficient way to power a vehicle. |
According to the text, electric cars ___________.
| A．are more environmentally friendly |
| B．burn more fuel than gas-powered ones |
| C．are very good at cleaning up when things are not too concentrated |
| D．are poisonous for a long time and will eventually end up in a landfill |
It can be inferred from the text that _________.
| A．being green is good and should be encouraged in communication |
| B．electric cars are not clean in that we get electricity mainly by burning something |
| C．zero-emissions vehicles should be chosen to protect our environment |
| D．electric cars are now the dominant vehicle compared with gasoline-powered cousins |
Beauty has always been regarded as something praiseworthy. Almost everyone thinks attractive people are happier and healthier，have better marriages and have more respectable occupations. Personal consultants give them better advice for finding jobs. Even judges are softer on attractive defendants(被告)．But in the executive circle，beauty can become a liability.
While attractiveness is a positive factor for a man on his way up the executive ladder，it is harmful to a woman.
Handsome male executives were thought as having more integrity than plainer men；effort and ability were thought to account for their success.
Attractive female executives were considered to have less integrity than unattractive ones；their success was attributed not to ability but to factors such as luck.
All unattractive women executives were thought to have more integrity and to be more capable than the attractive female executives. Interestingly，though，the rise of the unattractive overnight successes was attributed more to personal relationships and less to ability than that of attractive overnight successes.
Why are attractive women not thought to be able？An attractive woman is thought to be more feminine and an attractive man more masculine(有男子气概的)than the less attractive ones. Thus，an attractive woman has an advantage in traditionally female jobs，but an attractive woman in a traditionally masculine position appears to lack the “masculine” qualities required.
This is true even in politics. “When the only clue is how he or she looks，people treat men and women differently，”says Anne Bowman，who recently published a study on the effects of attractiveness on political candidates. She asked 125 undergraduate students to rank two groups of photographs，one of men and one of women，in order of attractiveness. The students were told the photographs were of candidates for political offices. They were asked to rank them again，in the order they would vote for them.
The results showed that attractive males utterly defeated unattractive men，but the women who had been ranked most attractive invariably received the fewest votes.The underlined word “liability”(in Para.1)most probably means “________”．
| A．misfortune | B．instability | C．disadvantage | D．burden |
In traditionally female jobs，attractiveness________.
| A．reinforces(加强)the feminine qualities required |
| B．makes women look more honest and capable |
| C．is of primary importance to women |
| D．often enables women to succeed quickly |
Bowman's experiment reveals that when it comes to politics，attractiveness________.
| A．turns out to be an obstacle to men |
| B．affects men and women alike |
| C．has as little effect on men as on women |
| D．is more of an obstacle than a benefit to women |
It can be inferred from the passage that people's views on beauty are often________.
| A．practical | B．prejudiced | C．oldfashioned | D．pessimistic |
The author writes this passage to________.
| A．demand equal rights for women |
| B．emphasize the importance of appearance |
| C．discuss the negative aspects of being attractive |
| D．give advice to jobseekers who are attractive |
There is one type of illness in the world that affects more people than anything else and is very deadly. If untreated this illness could affect everything you do. What is this illness? Depression. Serious depression requires professional treatment. Self-induced depression is something each of us can change.
Everyone's circumstances are different, but the causes of self-induced depression are common: low self-esteem, hurtful thinking and a bad attitude.
So how can we change the way we think, feel, and cultivate a cheerful attitude?
First we must look at ourselves, truly and honestly examining our motives for what we wish to achieve. If you are dissatisfied because you feel you haven't or can't do anything, then one step is needed - to set goals.
Always start your goals relatively small and easy to attain. Think of them as sand; one grain may be insignificant but as a group they form the beach. Once you have set and attained small goals for yourself, move on to slightly larger, more challenging goals.
It takes more than just setting goals to be happy. It takes positive thinking. How can we attain this?
There are a number of factors that can make us think negatively and one of those is diet.
In my opinion, a person who eats a lot of take out and fast food is feeding their body junk. Start by eating better foods which give the body much NEEDED minerals. If your physical body is happy, it's much easier for your mental body or "thinking ability" to be happy.
Next, exercise. A half-hour a day is recommended for positive well being. Then think about good memories you had, or generally think of things that make you smile. Remember, everything you wear costs money but to wear a smile is free. A smile can be the difference between an average day and a great day.
If you follow these steps, positive change is inevitable. Which of the statements about depression is TRUE?
| A．Depression is a kind of illness that can’t be cured like some cancer. |
| B．Depression can all be cured successfully by patients themselves. |
| C．Those who suffer from depression feel dissatisfied with themselves. |
| D．Those who suffer from depression live in similar circumstances. |
According to the passage we can learn that ____________.
| A．a practical goal can help people to achieve a sense of success |
| B．we shouldn’t be satisfied with small goals that are insignificant |
| C．we should avoid challenging goals that may lead to failure |
| D．people can enjoy happiness only if they set reasonable goals |
In order to achieve positive thinking a person should do these things EXCEPT____________.
| A．set challenging goals | B．eat healthier foods |
| C．exercise half an hour a day | D．always wear a smile |
What’s the passage mainly about?
| A．To prove the argument that depression can be changed. |
| B．To analyze the danger depression can bring to people. |
| C．To introduce to readers how to keep positive thinking. |
| D．To recommend some ways to deal with depression. |
Barack Obama makes his first trip to Asia as president this week, leaving behind a host of domestic (国内的) problems with the visit that recognizes the region’s economic and diplomatic importance. “Obama”s trip includes stops in Japan, Singapore, China and South Korea, and his message will be simple, says Nicolas Lardy at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. “Well, I think his broadest aim is to convince Asians that the United States is fully committed to the region that we have an agenda that’s much broader than they saw over the past eight years of the very heavy focus on anti-terrorism.”
Obama’s first stop is Japan, where he meets with the new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama who has promised to steer a diplomatic course more independent of Washington. While Japan is seen as a getting-to-know-you stop, when Obama heads to the Singapore for the APEC meeting, he will likely face pressure on trade. “Many Asians are concerned about what US trade policy will be, and they’ve been somewhat alarmed by the fact that the president really hasn’t set out very much revision for what US trade policy is in his administration.”
But the critical leg of the trip will come in China, his third stop where Obama will have to navigate the complex relationship with the country that is the largest holder of US debt. “As you say, you know, if you owe the bank one dollar, it’s your problem, if you owe the bank, you know, 3 million dollars, it’s the bank’s problem, so it’s similar with China. I mean they have no interest in trying to use the influence with us, because eventually, they’re the one that they own all those dollars.”
Also on the table will be North Korea and Iran’s nuclear ambitions as well as cooperation on Afghanistan.
With Obama enjoying sky high popularity level in the countries he is visiting, detailed results may be beside the point, given that Obama is still in his first year in office, analysts say this trip is mostly about laying the ground work for the future. From the second paragraph, we can infer that .
| A．Japan has not been the closest friend of America |
| B．Japan and Singapore will give America some pressure on trade |
| C．Japan is concerned about what US trade policy will be |
| D．Japan decides not to rely on America too much |
What can you infer about China’s relation with America in the third paragraph?
| A．China will sell all its shares in US national debt. |
| B．It will hurt China if the value of the dollar falls. |
| C．China will not be the largest debt holder of US. |
| D．China is US’ s overseas bank where US can borrow money. |
The author develops the passage mainly .
| A．by examples | B．by cause and effect |
| C．by comparison | D．by order in time |
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