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 Hocks, 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 it’s century-long history.
As East-West cultural exchange has been booming, Chinese literature has been attracting growing attention in recent years. Hocks 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 between China and its international counterparts — in particular, China knows incomparably more about Europe and America than the other way round — and reading Chinese literature is an effective, simple means of solving that gap.”
【小题1】The underlined word “ignite” in Paragraph 1 probably means “________”.

A．start out

B．set off

C．burn up

D．appeal to

【小题2】Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．In the past, no Chinese writers were accepted outside China.

B．Chinese literature has spread with the development of China.

C．The Nobel Prize for Literature has a history of hundreds of years.

D．Foreigners know about China mainly by reading Mo Yan’s works.

【小题3】Chinese literature has been attracting growing attention mainly because __________.

A．the Chinese government attaches great importance to literature

B．Chinese writers have been writing more and more books in English

C．the Chinese language has become the most widely used language in the world

D．the cultural communication between China and western countries has developed

【小题4】How do you understand the underlined sentence in the last paragraph?

A．China knows more about Europe and America than before.

B．Compared with America, China knows more about Europe.

C．China, Europe and America know one another more than before.

D．China knows more about Europe and America than they know about China.

Christopher Thomas, 27, was a writer by night and a teacher by day when he noticed he was always tired and was losing weight fast. Diagnosed with diabetes(糖尿病), Thomas would need to inject himself with insulin(胰岛素) three times a day for the rest of his life or risk nerve damage, blindness, and even death. And if that weren't bad enough, he had no health insurance.
After a month of feeling upset, Thomas decided he'd better find a way to fight back. He left Canton, Michigan for New York, got a job waiting tables, nicknamed himself the Diabetic Rockstar , and created diabeticrockstar.com, a free online community for diabetics and their loved ones—a place where over 1,100 people share personal stories, information, and resources.
Jason Swencki’s son, Kody, was diagnosed with type diabetes at six. Father and son visit the online children's forums(论坛) together most evenings. "Kody gets so excited, writing to kids from all over," says Swencki, one of the site's volunteers. "They know what he's going through, so he doesn't feel alone."
Kody is anything but alone: Diabetes is now the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, with 24 million diagnosed cases. And more people are being diagnosed at younger ages.
These days, Thomas's main focus is his charity（慈善机构）, Fight It, which provides medicines and supplies to people—225 to date—who can't afford a diabetic's huge expenses. Fight-it.org has raised about $23,000—in products and in cash. In May, Thomas will hold the first annual Diabetic Rockstar Festival in the Caribbean.
Even with a staff of 22 volunteers, Thomas often devotes up to 50 hours a week to his cause, while still doing his full-time job waiting tables. "Of the diabetes charities out there, most are putting money into finding a cure," says Bentley Gubar,  one of Rockstar's original members. "But Christopher is the only person I know saying people need help now."
【小题1】Which of the following is true of Christopher Thomas?

A． He needs to go to the doctor every day.

B． He studies the leading cause of diabetes

C． He has a positive attitude to this disease.

D． He encourages diabetics by writing articles.

【小题2】Diabeitcrockstar.com was created for _________.

A．diabetics to communicate

B．volunteers to find jobs

C．children to amuse themselves

D．rock stars to share resources

【小题3】The last paragraph suggests that Thomas ______.

A．works full-time in a diabetes charity

B．employs 22 people for his website

C．helps diabetics in his own way

D．ties to find a cure for diabetes

Have you heard of the scandal that happened in one of Great Britain’s biggest supermarket chains called Tesco? The British love Tesco as it sells very cheap products and it can be found on almost every corner of a British city or town.
On January 15th 2013 food inspectors discovered 30 % horsemeat in a certain brand of frozen beefburgers that were mostly sold by Tesco in the UK and Ireland.
In times of social media like Facebook and Twitter the news has spread fast and customers have been very concerned about what the food they buy actually contains. Tesco said it had taken away the burgers from the shop shelves immediately, and apologized to their customers. They also promised that they would find out what exactly happened and that they would work harder than ever so this would never happen again. Customers are also able to return the beefburgers and get a refund, that is, their money back.
However, it will be hard for Tesco to get the people’s trust back. Just imagine buying lovely beefburgers that you fry at home and suddenly you find out that you have actually eaten horsemeat! In this case not only horse lovers will be upset!
By the way, why are British people so shocked about eating horsemeat? In history, horses have played great roles as working animals and as an important means of transport. When Britons of today think of horses, they think of majestic animals or cute pets rather than meat.
But this is not the only reason for the protest: Customers also want to be sure that the products they buy contain what it says on the label. Hopefully, supermarkets can avoid mistakes like that in the future. Maybe there should be stricter regulations and more controls of our food? Otherwise we will soon find ourselves eating panda meat instead of pork and parrot instead of chicken. So the next time you are in a supermarket maybe check the ingredients of your food before you buy it or you could get a nasty surprise …
【小题1】What is the scandal?

A．Tesco’s products were much more expensive than they are supposed to be.

B．Tesco didn’t react immediately to a food quality issue.

C．Tesco sold expired food.

D．Horsemeat was found in burgers sold in Tesco.

【小题2】What didn’t Tesco do in response to the scandal?

A．It withdrew the beefburgers.

B．It made an apology to the public.

C．It investigated and found out the cause and effect of the scandal.

D．It returned money to customers who bought the beefburgers.

【小题3】Which statement isn’t among the reasons why customers are furious?

A．People trusted Tesco so much that they never expected a scandal like this.

B．Everyone can call himself or herself a horse lover in the UK.

C．Sellers shouldn’t cheat customers.

D．The horse is humans’ friend.

He was the baby with no name. Found and taken from the north Atlantic 6 days after the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, his tiny body so moved the salvage（救援）workers that they called him “our baby. ” In their home port of Halifax, Nova Scotia, people collected money for a headstone in front of the baby's grave, carved with the words: “To the memory of an unknown child. ” He has rested there ever since.
But history has a way of uncovering its secrets. On Nov. 5, this year, three members of a family from Finland arrived at Halifax and laid fresh flowers at the grave. “This is our baby,” says Magda Schleifer, 68, a banker. She grew up hearing stories about a great-aunt named Maria Panula, 42, who had sailed on the Titanic for America to be reunited with her husband. According to the information Mrs. Schleifer had gathered, Panula gave up her seat on a lifeboat to search for her five children -- including a 13-month-old boy named Eino from whom she had become separated during the final minutes of the crossing. "We thought they were all lost in the sea," says Schleifer.
Now, using teeth and bone pieces taken from the baby's grave, scientists have compared the DNA from the Unknown Child with those collected from members of five families who lost relatives on the Titanic and never recovered the bodies. The result of the test points only to one possible person: young Eino. Now, the family sees: no need for a new grave. "He belongs to the people of Halifax," says Schleifer. "They've taken care of him for 90 years. "
Adapted from People, November 25, 2002
【小题1】The baby travelled on the Titanic with his___________.

A．mother

B．parents

C．aunt

D．relatives

【小题2】What is probably the boy's last name?

A．Schleiferi

B．Eino.

C．Magda.

D．Panula.

【小题3】Some members of the family went to Halifax and put flowers at the child's grave on
Nov. 5__     .

A．1912

B．1954

C．2002

D．2004

【小题4】This text is mainly about how______________.

A．the unknown baby's body was taken from the north Atlantic

B．the unknown baby was buried in Halifax, Nova Scotia

C．people found out who the unknown baby was

D．people took care of the unknown baby for 90 years

Chinese writer Mo Yan has won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature, announced the Swedish Academy in Stockholm on Thursday. The win makes Mo Yan the first Chinese citizen to win the Nobel in its 111-year history. Informed of his win today, the author, who was having dinner at home, was “overjoyed and scared”.
Born in 1955 to parents who were farmers, Mo Yan — a pen name for Guan Moye, grew up in Gaomi, Shandong province in eastern China. At the age of 12, he left school to work, first in agriculture, later in a factory. In 1976 he joined the army and during this time began to study literature and writing.
He published his first book in 1981, but found literary success in 1987 with Hong Gaoliang Jiazu, which was successfully filmed in the same year, directed by famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou. In his writing, Mo Yan draws on his youthful experiences and on settings in the province of his birth and his works show the life of Chinese people as well as the country’s unique culture and folk customs. Mo Yan is known as a productive writer. In addition to his novels, he has published many short stories and essays on various topics. Despite his social criticism, he is seen in his homeland as one of the most famous contemporary authors. Dozens of his works have been translated into English, French, Japanese and many other languages.
The awarding ceremony will be held on December 10. The winner will win a medal, a personal diploma and a cash award of about $1 million.
【小题1】How did Mo Yan feel when he was told about the news?

A．Excited and proud.	B．Worried and cautious.
C．Happy and surprised.	D．Uncertain and shocked.

【小题2】One of Mo Yan’s characteristics of writing is that he ________.

A．writes about topics he is familiar with

B．focuses on social problems in the country

C．describes his characters in a unique way

D．explains difficult matters in simple words

【小题3】What’s the best title for this passage?

A．How Mo Yan Gets Nobel Prize

B．An Introduction to Nobel Prize

C．Mo Yan Wins Nobel Prize in Literature

D．A World Famous Writer, Mo Yan

March 22, 2011---Most restaurants in the United States offer their customers a glass of tap water at no charge with their meal, but this week many restaurants are asking dinners to pay a dollar, or more, for a glass of water. Cards on their tables explain that this small amount helps bring clean water to children around the world. It’s called the UNICEF Tap Project.
“UNICEF’s Tap Project is really all about bringing attention to the fact that over 900 million people around the globe do not have access to good, clean, healthy drinking water,” says Cary Stem, who heads the US Fund for UNICEF. She adds that water-borne illness is the second-highest cause of preventable childhood death in the world.
“Each and every day approximately 4,100 children die just because they don’t have that access - 4,100 every single day.”
The public service campaign encourages people to help change that statistic with a simple, affordable action: paying a dollar to get a glass of tap water at a restaurant.
“One dollar buys enough good, clean water for a child for 40 days,” Stem says.
“The tap project has expanded since it began five years ago with 300 restaurants in New York City. This year, Stem says, about 3,000 restaurants across the country are participating in the campaign. We raised about $2.5 million over the last five years of this campaign,” says Stem. “Last year, we raised over $1 million for the first time. This year we’re hoping to top that.”
Stem credits the continued success of the campaign to an army of volunteers who support the tap project and raise money in their communities.
The UNICEF Tap Project is promoting its efforts with a simple motto: when you take water, give water. Currently, UNICEF works in more than 100 countries around the world to improve access to safe water and sanitation facilities in schools and communities.
Stem hopes that, by participating in the project, more Americans will realize that what they often take for granted is a precious and scarce resource in many other parts of the world.
【小题1】Restaurants began to charge for tap water to _______.

A．increase their profit

B．urge customers to save water

C．raise people’s awareness of the world water problem

D．collect money for those without access to safe water

【小题2】We can learn from the text that the Tap Project ________.

A．began in New York City

B．was started by volunteers

C．is hoping to collect $2.5 million this year

D．provides help for 1,000 countries in the world

【小题3】It can be learned that _______.

A．the Tap Project began in 2006

B．America suffers a serious problem

C．4,100 children die of water pollution every year

D．water-borne illnesses are the biggest killer of children

【小题4】How does Cary Stem feel about the work of the Tap Project?

A．Concerned

B．Hopeful

C．Disappointed

D．Angry

One of the world's richest men has taken a close interest in one of man's most basic functions: visiting the toilet．Bill Gates's charitable organization, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is looking for inventors to design the loo of the future, which, they hope, would improve sanitation for millions of people around the world.
So, what's wrong with the traditional flush toilet? Firstly, it wastes a huge amount, of potential drinking water．Secondly, they are more likely to cause pollution．This is a real problem in many areas of the developing world, where, according to United Nations estimates, unsafe sanitation causes half of all hospitalizations．Younger people are particularly at risk．Illnesses which cause diarrhea are responsible for the deaths of about 1．5 million children a year．Finally, standard lavatories simply aren't practical in remote areas．
The challenge set by Bill Gates was to come up with a latrine which works without running water, electricity or aseptic tank．It also needed to operate for less than 5 cents．28 designs were displayed at the recent Reinvent the Toilet Fair．in Seattle, USA．Among them was one which turned human waste into electricity using microwaves, another which converted human waste into charcoal, and yet another which used urine for flushing．
But the winner was a solar-powered design which generated hydrogen gas and electricity．The team from the California Institute of Technology（CIT）picked up a prize of $ 100,000.
But clearly Bill Gates doesn't feel he's flushing money down the toilet．After the Seattle event he said, "We, couldn't be happier with the response we've gotten," Gates has even pledged $370 million more to the future toilet project．They hope to field test more, prototypes over the next three years．
【小题1】Why is Bill Gates paying people to invent new toilets?

A．Because he wants to test people's sense of creativity．

B．Because he thinks the traditional ones are out of fashion

C．Because he wants to improve sanitation for many people．

D．Because he can't design this kind of things himself．

【小题2】Which of the following is NOT a problem with the traditional flush toilet?

A．They are too complicated to use.	B．They waste too much water
C．They might cause diseases．	D．They are not always practical.

【小题3】The underlined word "latrine" in the third paragraph might have similar meanings to the word "__   " in the text．

A．sanitation

B．loo

C．diarrhea

D．prototype

【小题4】The team from CIT won the prize because their design        .

A．can change human waste into electricity

B．can turn human waste into charcoal

C．can use urine for flushing

D．can produce power with solar energy

【小题5】If someone "flush money down the toilet", they are       .

A．wasting money for nothing

B．being angry with their work conditions

C．showing—off their wealth

D．expressing their great determination

Mainland couples who give birth to a second child in Hong Kong will be fined forbreaking the family planning policy a senior official has warned． As more women flock to Hong Kong to give birth to their second child，Zhang Feng，family planning department director of Guangdong Province，stressed that this violated Chinaspolicies． “And those who are government employees will even be dismissed from their posts．”he said．
''It doesn't matter if they give birth to their second child on the mainland or in other countries and regions, they have violated the country's policies and the province's regulations''.
He said that some families had been punished in the past few months after having a second child in Hong Kong, but gave no details.
Zhang made his remarks when a Hong Kong newspaper carried a controversial notice claiming residents' medical services had been affected by the growing number of mainland women who arrive in the city to give birth and gain right of abode (居住) there.
According to statistics revealed by Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, about 88,000 babies were born in Hong Kong in 2010, but more than 41,000 or 47 percent, were to mainland couples, including a large number from Guangdong.
Hong Kong has limited the number of mainland women permitted to give birth in the city at 34,000 this year.
The issue also has caused calls for an amendment to Hong Kong's Basic Law so that babies born to mainland women are no longer granted permanent right of abode.
''I support Hong Kong government's decision to reduce or limit the number for mainland women giving birth in Hong Kong.'' Zhang said.
China introduced its family planning policy in 1979 to limit births in the world's most populous nation, although the rules have been relaxed in recent years.
【小题1】Which of the following is true?

A．Zhang Feng is family planning department director of Guangdong Province.

B．Many government employees have been dismissed from their posts.

C．Those who give birth to a second child in Hong Kong will be fined.

D．It doesn’t matter if they give birth to their second child on the mainland.

【小题2】 What does the word ''violated'' mean in the second paragraph?

A．was obeyed

B．went against

C．was for

D．was dismissed

【小题3】Zhang Feng said that______.

A．few families had been punished after having a second child in China

B．about 88,000 babies were born in Hong Kong in 2010

C．he agreed to reduce or limit the number for mainland women giving birth in Hong Kong

D．the residents' medical services in Hong Kong had been affected

【小题4】From the passage we can infer______.

A．in 2010 most of the babies born in Hong Kong belonged to mainland couples

B．babies born to mainland women in Hong Kong can't get permanent right of abode now

C．the number of mainland women permitted to give birth in Hong Kong has been reduced

D．the family planning policy in China is as strict as before

【小题5】Which is NOT the reason why some people want to give birth to a second child in Hong Kong?

A．They want to gain right of abode there for their babies.

B．They want to escape being punished for breaking the family planning policy.

C．They want their babies to enjoy the good medical services in Hong Kong.

D．They want to cause calls for an amendment to Hong Kong's Basic Law.

President Barack Obama has complained about the loss of privacy that comes with being leader of the United States, regretting the loss of simple pleasures such as a long walk or a trip to the car wash or supermarket．
"I just miss - I miss being anonymous," he said"I miss Saturday morning, rolling out of bed, not shaving, getting into my car with my girls, driving to the supermarket, squeezing the fruit, getting my car washed, taking walks. I can't take a walk． "
His dream, he said, was to "go through Central Park and watch folks passing by．．．spend the day watching people --- I miss that"．
Faced with angry criticism for playing more golf than most previous occupants of the White House, he explained that the sport was simply the best way of getting away from it all． "It's the only excuse I have to get outside for four hours." he told Hearst magazines．
Though he said he enjoyed his life in the White House, he felt disappointed with some of the ways of Washington, which he has failed in his pledge to change, such as the "kabuki dance" （日本歌舞）among political parties before serious policy discussions begin． His comments may be seen as vindication （证实） by critics who have accused him of appearing too detached（漠然）, and being slow to engage in vital issues such as Libya and the near shutdown of the US government last week．
Since arriving at the White House in January 2009, Mr.Obama has already racked up （打）60 rounds of golf in office, more than George W Bush did in his eight years．
In terms of ability, Golf Digest magazine has ranked Mr.Obama eighth out of the 18 presidents who played the game since it became established in the early 20th century．
【小题1】What do the second paragraph and the third paragraph mainly tell us?

A．Obama likes living a busy life．

B．Obama used to spend most of his time with his family．

C．Obama wishes to enjoy simple pleasures．

D．He used to wash his car himself．

【小题2】According to Obama, he plays golf to          .

A．release his pressure	B．keep fit
C．balance his work	D．show his ability

【小题3】We can infer from the passage that Obama is             kabuki dance．

A．curious about	B．interested in
C．content with	D．tired of

【小题4】Which of the following statements is from the critics?

A．The president lost lots of privacy, but he loves the life in the White House

B．There are always unnecessary procedures among political parties．

C．The president seems to be indifferent towards some really important issues

D．The president is really a great golf player．

【小题5】What is the passage mainly about?

A．Obama's favorite pastime．

B．Obama’s complaints about lack of privacy as president．

C．The public's criticism of Obama．

D．Obama’s regrets for being the U．S．president．

The hottest show this summer-the “Voice” just finished on Sunday at the Shanghai Stadium．But the show that had a good start didn't end to everyone's satisfaction．The two and a half hour show dragged on for more than four hours because of the huge amount of advertising, which the audience and residents（居民） living nearby could hardly bear．
This summer, something hotter than the weather came to Shanghai. That is the Voice of China．The show soon became a cash cow for the organizer as the advertisement prices reached 1.16 million yuan for 15 seconds. And the show has earned more than 100 million yuan up to now in ad income only. But the organizers’ bliss（快乐） was audiences’ melancholy（悲哀）．
In the final live show on Sunday, about 14 rounds of advertisements were aired, each of which came at a crucial result-announcing moment.
Frequently interrupted by advertisements, some audience complained that the show wasn’t worth its ticket prices of 180 to 1680 yuan.
The planned two and a half hour show went two hours overtime because of the advertising. This annoyed audience members, and touched the nerves(神经) of residents living near the site.
Someone called the police, and the show is now facing punishment for going over-time and disturbing residents late at night.
【小题1】Why didn’t “the Voice” make audience satisfied?

A．It failed to attract audience attention in the end．

B．It failed to make audience satisfied．

C．It increased by one and a half hours and audience couldn’t bear it．

D．It was full of so many advertisements that audience can’t tolerate them．

【小题2】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The show lasted for two and a half hours.

B．Someone called the police because they can’t bear the noises late at night.

C．The show was worth its ticket prices because the audience watched many advertisements.

D．The show has earned more than 100 million yuan up to now totally.

【小题3】Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?

A．The Voice of China—the most popular TV show of last summer.

B．The Voice of China—I want you.

C．The Voice of China—hard to say I love you.

D．The Voice of China—the noises of China.

【小题4】This passage is organized in the pattern of____.

A．time and event	B．comparison and contrast
C．cause and effect	D．definition and classification