An evergreen tree is a Christmas tradition in many American homes. The tree is usually a pine or fir（冷杉） dressed with lights and other colorful decorations.
Families might buy a cut tree or go to a tree farm and cut one down themselves. Some people bring a live tree in a pot into their home for the holidays and then put it back outdoors. Some people rent a Christmas tree. Companies might bring the same live tree to the same family year after year. Or the tree might get planted in a park or someplace else where it could help the environment.
There are some trees that can be reused year after year because they are made of plastic or metal. Or, instead of a tree, some people have a small, sweet-smelling rosemary（迷迭香） plant, cut to look like a little Christmas tree.
Another popular evergreen this time of year is the mistletoe（槲寄生） plant. It has small white berries and leaves that feel like leather. The traditional Christmas mistletoe is native to Europe. Ancient Druids believed mistletoe had magical powers. Mistletoe is a parasitic（寄生的） plant. It connects itself to a tree and steals nutrients and water.
And the poinsettia（一品红）is also one of the plants that many people connect with Christmas. Poinsettias __________ Mexico. They can be white or pink, but most are bright red. They are named after the first American ambassador to Mexico. Joel Poinsett liked them enough to send some back to the United States. Babies or pets that chew on poinsettias might get sick. But experts say the plant is not as poisonous as some people think.What is the main idea of the text? (no more than 8 words)
_______________________________________________________________________Please list at least three kinds of color that Christmas trees may have? (no more than 4 words)
_______________________________________________________________________Fill in the blank in Paragraph 5 with proper words. (no more than 4 words)
_______________________________________________________________________What can be used as Christmas trees according to the passage?(no more than 10 words)
_______________________________________________________________________What does the word “it” (Line 2, Paragraph 2) probably refer to? (no more than 3 words)
_______________________________________________________________________
The United States has announced a plan to fight the quickly growing threat from cyber spies and Internet attackers known as hackers. America's Attorney General Eric Holder recently said that ever - improving technology is making it easier for people and countries to strike at the United States.
Mister Holder said the Justice Department is fighting back aggressively. He said it is working with various states and government agencies to find and bring to justice those involved in cyber theft and cyber espionage（谍报活动）. And, the attorney general called for increased co-operation with private companies. He described the importance of keeping trade secrets a secret.
Attorney General Eric Holder: "A single trade secret can be worth millions – or even billions – of dollars. Trade secret theft can require companies to lay off employees, close factories, to lose sales and profits, to experience a decline in competitive position and advantage, or even to go out of business."
The new policy also calls for fines and trade actions against individuals and countries that target American trade secrets.
The plan was announced the day after the American information security company Mandiant published the findings of its investigation of cyber-attacks. It reports that more than 140 companies have been attacked since 2006. The targets include some of the biggest companies in the United States, companies like Apple Computer, Facebook, Lockheed Martin, CocaCola and many others.
In addition to companies and banks, the hackers are also reported to strike state, federal and international agencies and organizations. Among the areas targeted are satellites, information technology, telecommunications, aerospace, public administration and scientific research.
| US Takes Action |
|
| the |
to fight back the threat from the hackers for the reason that becoming easier than before |
| 1. to 2. not to give 3. to fine and sanction(制裁) those who target trade secrets. |
|
| the results of |
1. Some of the biggest companies have been attacked, 2. ① more ② lost sales and profits. ③ the decline of competitive position and advantage. ④ bankruptcy（破产）. |
阅读下面短文并回答问题，然后将答案写到答题卡相应的位置上（请注意问题后的词数要求）。
【1】The air was pleasant and the music was loud in the vast square in front of the New York State office building in Harlem(哈莱姆，美国纽约市黑人居住区) as health advocates（支持者，提倡者） set up information tables for Harlem wellness Week. It was a wide-ranging effort to educate people about non-communicable diseases: Heart disease, cancer, lung disease, obesity, and so on.
【2】There is an economic effect caused by these diseases, especially in Harlem, one of the city’s poorest districts. Without healthy employees and healthy customers, you cannot have healthy business, says Patricia Ricketts of the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors Wellness Week.
【3】Dr. Jo Ivy Boufford is president of the New York Academy of Medicine, a Wellness Week partner. She says education about better nutrition is important, but that people with low incomes often lack the means to put what they know into practice. But there is hope. New York is very active in advocating good, effective public health policies. “New York City has banned smoking in public places, both indoors and outdoors. That is a fantastic example of what can be done, without having any impact on the economy. It is a city where you have bike paths. That is a good message for the world, because bikes make your transport active. That is good for your health and lowers air pollution,” she said.
【4】“It is not enough to focus on the management of disease through medication,” Dr. Boufford says. “That’s why health advocates will be trying to persuade UN officials during Wellness Week to pass resolutions that deal with road and transport design and construction and other potential causes of non-communicable diseases.” What is the main idea of the text? (no more than 8 words)
Complete the following statement with words from Paragraph【4】.(no more than 3 words)
________________________the management of disease through medication is not enough.What non-communicable diseases are mentioned in the text?( no more than 6 words)
Do you think it is necessary to hold a Wellness Week to prevent diseases? Why, or why not? (no more than 16 words)
____________________________________________________________________________What does the word “That”(paragraph 3) refer to? (no more than 4 words)
____________________________________________________________________________
[1] If you are applying for an American higher education, you probably dream of getting into an Ivy League （常青藤联盟） university．The eight schools with the best reputations attract top students from the United States and many other countries． However, on average, the Ivy League schools accept less than 15 percent of applicants．And with the applicants growing in size year on year, it is becoming more and more difficult _________．
[2] So how can you give yourself the best chance of admission?
[3]Having a high school grade point average （GPA） in the top 10 percent of your class and being ranked among the top few students dramatically betters your chances．But although GPA and SAT scores are important, they only tell admission deans（主任） part of the story．
[4] The whole admissions process will single out （挑选出） from a large pool of academically strong applicants the unique individuals．They stand out because they have shown in their interviews a range of virtues （优点） expected of these universities．Take Harvard for example．Although there is no guarantee of admission, the school judges applicants based on 15 additional criteria．
[5] Intellectual curiosity （求知欲） comes first tor almost all admission deans．Schools look to such students because they believe their peers find them stimulating（激励人的）inside and outside the classroom．
[6] Leadership also weighs heavily．The school would rather see an applicant who takes on additional responsibility in one or two areas where he or she is good at, rather than one who is merely "very good" academically．This can mean the class presidency（主席职务）, leading the cheerleading team or being the officer of a student union．
[7] Whether a person has personal warmth and cares about others counts a lot with the admission deans．Writing an essay on a personal experience, like a summer spent raising funds for the earthquake victims or teaching in a local school, can show that a person has qualities in addition to academic experience．According to the passage,what’s the attraction of Ivy League universities ?（no more than 3 words）________________________________________________________________________________
What is the purpose of the writer? （no more than 15 words）__________________________________
Fill in the blank in the first paragraph with proper words or phrases to complete the sentence. (no more than 5 words)_________________________________________________________
Based on the passage, list three additional criteria for admission besides academic performance．（no more than 10 words）①____________________ ②_______________ ③____________________
What does the word “They” (Line 2, Paragraph4) probably refer to ? (no more than 3 words)
__________________________________________________________________________________
阅读下面短文，根据所读内容在表格中的空白处填入恰当的单词。注意：每个空格只填写一个单词。
Traveling to all corners of the world gets easier and easier. We live in a global village ,but this doesn’t mean that we all behave in the same way.
How should we behave when you meet someone for the first time? An American shakes your hand firmly while looking you straight in the eye. In many part of Asia, there is no physical contact (接触)at all. In Japan, you should bow, and the more respect you want to show, The deeper you should bow. In Thailand, people greet each other by pressing both hands together at the chest, In both countries, eye contact is avoided as a sign of respect.
Many country have rules about what you should and shouldn’t wear. In Muslim countries, you shouldn’t reveal (显露)the body, especially women, who Should wear long blouses and skirts .In Korea ,you should take off your shoes when entering a house Remember to place then neatly together where you came in.
In Spain, lunch is often the biggest meal of the day, and can last two or three hours. For this reason many people eat a light breakfast and a late dinner. In Mexico, Lunch is the time to relax, and many people prefer not to discuss business as they eat ,In Britain ,it’s not unusual to have a business meeting over breakfast.
In most countries, an exchange of business cards is necessary for all introductions. You should include your company name and your position. If you are going to a country where your language is not widely spoken, you can get the back side of your card printed in the local language. In China ,you may present your card with the writing facing the person you are giving it to.
| Title :good |
||
| Aspect |
Country |
Custom |
| Greeting |
·America ·Japan ·Thailand |
■Shaking hands firmly ■ |
| Dressing |
· ·Korea |
Wearing long blouses and skirts Taking off your shoes at the |
___________ |
·Spain ·Mexico |
■Having a light breakfast and a late dinner ■Relaxing while having ■Holding a business meeting over breakfast |
| Doing business |
·Most countries ·China |
■Exchanging business cards when ■Presenting a card to a person |
| Conclusion : When traveling |
When I opened my e-mail the other day, a pretty woman named Rachel appeared on my computer screen. She greeted me by name and started talking enthusiastically. Every now and then she stopped to smile at me or blow a kiss. She was reading to me an e-mail from my brother, and a lot of it was about his getting the phone company to give him a high="speed" Internet connection. It was pretty cool.
Rachel was there thanks to a new technology called Facemail. Facemail lets you send an e-mail that gets read to the receiver by an attractive male or female form or by a clown. The software, which is free, can be downloaded at www. Facemail.com.
Facemail faces are lifelike, and they copy emotions based on the ones that you put in your text. For example, type in X, and Rachel blows a kiss.
Life FX, the company that develops the Facemail is sure there are broad business uses. The reason e-business is not popular, the company says, is that buying over the Internet lacks the human touch. But what if you went to the Nike website and Michael Jordan greeted you by name, waited on you and personally closed the sale? And the company is talking with Whirlpool about using the technology in a computer screen on a fridge. Then if Mom can’t be home when the kids get back from school, she can leave a note with voice and image telling them what there is to eat.
Facemail could get hot fast. Personally, I’m a fan. But Facemail should be used with words in an e-mail and add angry emotions when you’ve got a psycho-mail.
Title: A New Technology on Facemail
| My findings |
|
The other day, when I opened my e-mail, I was greeted by a pretty woman on my computer with great She kept reading to me an e-mail from my brother about a high-speed Internet connection. |
| |
|
She stopped to smile at me |
| |
With the help of a male or female or a clown, Facemail can get your e-mail Facemail’s |
|
| |
|
Life FX is sure to have broad business uses. |
| |
You can be greeted and waited on by Michael Jordan politely. Buying through e-business is not popular for lack |
|
| |
|
The |
| My personal |
|
Facemail is fantastic and fun, but it has some disadvantages; Firstly, it should be used with words in an e-mail. Secondly, it might make you |
| Conclusion |
|
Facemail could get hot fast. |
阅读短文，并按照题目要求用英语回答问题。
When I was in primary school, I got into an argument with a boy in my class．I have forgotten what the argument was about, but I have never forgotten the lesson learned that day．
I was convinced that "I" was right and "he" was wrong --- and he was just as convinced that I was wrong and "he" was right．The teacher decided to teach us a very important lesson．She brought us up to the front of the class and placed him on one side of her desk and me on the other．
In the middle of her desk was a large, round object．I could clearly see that it was black She asked the boy what color the object was．"White," he answered．
I couldn't believe he said the object was white, for it was obviously black! Another argument started between my classmate anytime, this time about the color of the object．
The teacher told me to go to stand where the boy had been standing and told him to come to stand where I had been．We changed places, and now she asked me what the color of the object was．I had to answer, "White．" It was an object with two differently-colored sides, and from his viewpoint it was white．Only from my side was it black
My teacher taught me a very important lesson that day: You must stand in the other persons' shoes and look at the situation through their eyes in order to truly understand their perspective（观点）．What is the main idea of the text? （No more than 10 words）
What is the meaning of the underlined words "was convinced" in Paragraph 2?
（No more than 3 words）What did the teacher ask the students while changing positions?
（No more than 8 words）Why are both of their answers right? （No more than 10 words）
What do you think of the teacher? And why? （No more than 20 words）
(1) So long as teachers fail to distinguish between teaching and learning, they will continue to undertake to do for children that which only children can do for themselves. Teaching children to read is not passing reading on to them. It is certainly not endless hours spent in activities about reading. Douglas insists that “reading cannot be taught directly and schools should stop trying to do the impossible”.
(2) Teaching and learning are two different processes. _________ in function and in kind. The function of teaching is to create the conditions and the climate that will make it possible for children to devise the most efficient system for teaching themselves to read. Teaching is also public activity. It can be seen and observed.
(3) Learning to read involves all that each individual does to make sense of the world of printed language. Almost all of it is private, for learning is an occupation of the mind, and that process is not open to public observation.
(4) If teacher and learner roles are not interchangeable, what then can be done through teaching that will aid the child in exploring knowledge? Smith has one principal rule for all teaching instructions. “Make learning to read easy, which means making reading a meaningful, enjoyable and frequent experience for children.”
(5) When the roles of teacher and learner are seen for what they are, and when both teacher and learner fulfill them appropriately, then much of the pressure and feeling of failure for both is eliminated. Learning to read is made easier when teachers create an environment where children are given the opportunity to solve the problem of learning to read by reading.What is the main idea of the passage? ( no more than 8 words)
___________________________________________________________________________Fill in the blank in Paragraph 2 with proper words. (no more than 3 words)
___________________________________________________________________________ What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 5 refers to? (2 words)
___________________________________________________________________________. How does the author develop Paragraph 4? (no more than 4 words)
___________________________________________________________________________What does it mean according to the author if teachers can enable students to develop their own way of reading? (no more than 8 words)
On Christmas morning, Linda wakes up, and tries to imagine the wide-eyed surprise of children in another household as they unwrap the presents she carefully chose for them. Linda has never met the children, but that’s all part of the joy of giving as secret Santas, she says.
"It's an amazing feeling to buy gifts on an anonymous (匿名的) basis," says Linda.
"It brings a whole new meaning to the holidays."
Linda and Tony are an American couple living in Toronto, Canada, and Linda did charitable work as a member of the American Women's Club of Toronto. As the name suggests, members are U.S. citizens living in Toronto, who join together for fellowship and community service.
To find her "adopted" family, Linda goes to the local schools and requests a wish list for a family that's struggling to survive. Last year she helped a single mother with three children. The mother works as a cleaning lady in a nursing home.
"The list is always heartbreaking. They have an opportunity to ask for anything and do just the opposite, asking for basic clothes or simple toys," she says. "We always buy the kids a new winter coat, hats, and gloves." She also buys gifts for the parents.
Last year Linda asked the mother for a second wish list--one that didn't include the basics. "Every child should have a Christmas that sticks with them for a lifetime." She purchased iPods for the two older children and a video game system for the youngest."I have learned a very valuable lesson in all of this," says Linda. "Pay attention to what's going on in your own backyard--no matter where you live."
The joy of giving as secret Santas is much sweeter when the gift is anonymous.What reaction does Linda imagine the children will have?
(No more than 5 words) (2 marks)
Why did Linda join the American Women's Club of Toronto?
(No more than 10 words) (2 marks)
Why did Linda ask for a second wish list?
(No more than 15 words) (3 marks)
What kind of people does "secret Santas" in the passage refer to?
(No more than 12 words) (3 marks)
Simple living doesn’t mean that you give up your job and start living in the countryside, but it means that we spend our time, energy and efforts on important things in life. It can be good for us in some ways.
Firstly, simple living can keep your mind peaceful. It makes sure that unnecessary things are out of your life and you concentrate on the real factors that affect the quality of life. Through simple living you can see the positive side of life and won’t feel jealous and greedy.
Secondly, simple living can make you have time for your loved ones. Most of us become so busy in our lives that we forget to spend time with our dear ones. People who believe in simple living value the time spent with their loved ones.
Thirdly, simple living is helpful in the improvement of health. By choosing to be simple, you feel less stressed in daily life. Simple living gives you a new view on things and helps you join in creative activities. It allows you to devote some time to recreational activities（娱乐活动）, physical exercises, etc., which help you in leading a healthy lifestyle.
Fourthly, living simply allows you to have time to look back on the precious moments in your life. It makes you aware of your strengths and weaknesses. People who aimlessly pursue materialistic pleasure （物质享受）are often not sure what they exactly want from life. They never have time to analyze themselves. Simple living helps you stay happy with what life has offered you and helps in creating positives in your life.
Lastly, simple living can reduce your expenses. It can make sure that you’re doing your bit for the protection of the environment. If all of us reduce our daily expenses on electricity, fuels, etc, we’ll be able to stop the degradation (退化)of the environment.
Title: __________ of Simple Living
● Keeping your mind __________:
Concentrating on the real factors that__________
Seeing the positive side of life and avoiding bad feelings like jealousy and greediness
● Making you have time for your loved ones
Making you__________ in your lives with your dear ones
Making you value the time spent with your loved ones
● Helping you__________
__________ your stress
Giving you a new view on things
Helping you in leading a healthy lifestyle
● Allowing you to look back on__________ in your life
Making you know your__________
Making you know what you exactly want from life
Giving you time to analyze yourself
Helping you__________with life offering you and helping in creating positives in your life
● Helping protect the environment__________ the environment from becoming bad by reducing the use of electricity, fuels, etc.
任务型阅读（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）
On the morning of Apr. 20, different from any other Saturdays, a powerful earthquake which measured 7.0 magnitude occurred in Ya’an, Sichuan Province. The quake happened close to the area where 70,000 died when another powerful hit took place in 2008. The 4.20 earthquake shook Sichuan with 208 people missing or dead. Nearly 14, 000 are reported to have been injured. Thousands of buildings collapsed, leaving victims homeless. Water and electricity supplies were cut off, which left concerns about the welfare of the survivors. In Lushan, where the most of the damage was concentrated, facilities of communication broke down. Victims lost contact with the outside world.
All the country have been shocked at the tragic news. Numerous relief is pouring in from all over China to the victims of the Lushan earthquake. Governments of all levels have taken some efficient measures to relieve the impact of earthquake. On Sunday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang made it to the worst-stricken Lushan, issuing several statements to ensure rescuing the buried and other injured people. Meanwhile, he visited some of those being treated for their injuries in the temporary hospitals set up with an open-air emergency facility. Rows of Red Cross tents are now home to some of the thousands left homeless by this deadly earthquake. State media says thousands of troops along with volunteers help with the rescue operation and to hand out supplies.
People from across the country are called on to donate to relieve and help rebuild the earthquake-hit area. Lots of students ranging from university students to kindergarten kids have given away their pocket money just to do their own bit in this relief campaign. Hong Kong special government at first proposed to donate 100 million HONG Kong dollars, which was rejected by some of members of government’s parliament（议员）, who questioned whether China’s Red Cross could put every cent into practical use honestly, for in 2008 Wenchuan earthquake China’s Red Cross failed to make it clear how they spent the charity money. Anyway the proposal was at last passed on May 3. At the same time, China’s Red Cross, determined to make a bit change, promised to give a detailed account of where every cent would go.
| Title |
Ya’an Earthquake |
| Time |
April 20, 2013 |
| Outbreak |
A powerful earthquake |
| Destruction |
The quake Thousands of buildings Water and electricity supplies were cut off. |
| measures |
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang made several statements to ensure the Volunteers throughout the nation along with troops are participating in helping to |
| Donation |
A nationwide donation campaign has been Some of Hong Kong members of parliament questioned the HK donation proposal was |
阅读下面短文并回答问题，然后将答案写到答题卡相应的位置上（请注意题后词数要求）。
Good sleep is needed for good health. During sleep, your body repairs itself. Your immune system is built up. Don't shortchange（亏待，欺骗） yourself of the sleep you need. Here are someof an expert's tips for getting a good night's sleep.
1. Make sure your room is dark. Pull down the shades. Let no light of any kind in.
2. Before you go to sleep, ask your family not to turn on a light. Light breaks the sleep rhythm. Once broken, it's hard to get the sleep clock running right. As a result, you will not sleep well. You will wake up tired.
3. A hot bath just before bed is good. It makes you relax. You are at peace. This starts the desire for sleep.
4. During the day, ____________________.Even jogging(慢跑) will show good results. How about a good long walk? This will get your body to work. You will find that toward evening you will get that nice, tired feeling. Sleep then will come easily. Added to this, exercise is good for your health.
5. Here is what to do when you get up. Open the shades or blinds. Let the sun in. Open the windows. Let the fresh air in. This sun and air get imprinted on your brain. The rhythm of being awake gets started. Your body clock is set for the day. That clock will let you know when it is the right time to go to sleep.What does the underlined word ”It” mean? (Please answer within 5 words)
_________________________________________________________________What's the main idea of the passage? (Please answer within 15 words)
____________________________________________________________________Please fill in the blank in the paragraph with the proper words or phrases to complete the sentence. (Please answer within 5 words)
___________________________________________________________________________Which sentence in the passage can be replaced by the following one? (Please answer within 10 words) To be healthy, you need good sleep.
_____________________________________________________________________________How can we get a good sleep?(at least 3 suggestions) (Please answer within 30 words)
①____________________________________________________________________________
②____________________________________________________________________________
③_______________________________________________________________________
阅读短文，按照题目要求用英语回答问题。
My name is Clara. I still remember that chilly December day, sitting in science class. I’d finished a worksheet early and picked up a Time for Kids magazine. A piece of news caught my eye. NASA was holding an essay contest to name its Mars rover (火星探测器). Before I even knew anything else about it, a single word flooded my 11-year-old mind: Curiosity.
I couldn’t wait for the bell to ring so I could get started on my essay. That afternoon, I raced home, sat down at the computer, and typed until my fingers ached. “Curiosity is an everlasting flame that burns in everyone’s mind…”
Five months later, my mom received a phone call, and immediately, a wide smile spread across her face.
On August 5, 2012, at 10:31 p.m., the rover named Curiosity touched down safely on the surface of Mars, and I was honored to have a front-row seat in NASA.
Curiosity is such an important part of who I am. I have always been fascinated by the stars, the planets, the sky and the universe. I remember as a little girl, my grandmother and I would sit together in the backyard for hours. She’d tell me stories and point out the stars. Grandma lived in China, thousands of miles away from my home in Kansas, but the stars kept us together even when we were apart. They were always there, yet there was so much I didn’t know about them. That’s what I love so much about space.
People often ask me why we go to faraway places like Mars. My answer is simple because we’re curious. We human beings do not just hole up in one place. We are constantly wondering and trying to find out what’s over the hill and beyond the horizon.How did Clara get the news about the essay contest? (no more than 10 words)
Why did Clara have a front-row seat in NASA? (no more than 10 words)
What does Clara remember about the time spent with Grandma? (no more than 15 words)
What does the underlined phrase “hole up” mean? (1 word)
In your opinion, why is curiosity important? (no more than 20 words)
阅读下面短文，并按照题目要求用英语问答问题（请注意问题后词数要求）。
A nurse of 78 this weekend celebrates 60 years of walking the wards - and she has no plans to retire.
Jackie Reid was 18 when she started work in 1953 - when the National Health Service (NHS) was just five years old - and is believed to be the oldest nurse in Britain.
The diabetes(糖尿病) specialist had to retire at 65 but returned as a nurse within two weeks and still does up to four seven-and-a-half hour shifts(轮班）each week.
Mrs. Reid said: "Nursing is hard if you do it correctly but I love my job. Working for the NHS has been my life. I have no other hobbies because I have worked all my life.
Jackie has worked at a number of different hospitals--including one in Scotland.
Her specialist field has been diabetes for the past 40 years. She retrained after her 12-year-old daughter Michelle developed the disease. She currently works at Southend Hospital, Essex.
Over the last 60years she has treated tens of thousands of patients.
Jackie believes nursing should be protected from government cuts. She said: "There're lots of things I would say to the government. If you are going to get good care you have to have the resources(资源), you can't do it without enough money. They shouldn't need the cuts that there are in the NHS. It's hard now because there's a shortage of staff."
Jackie has lived alone in Grays, Essex, since her husband did three years ago.
The couple have two daughters Michelle, 50, and Karen, 54.
Jackie added: "My youngest daughter worried about me - she doesn't think I should work as much as I do. I constantly say 'don't worry about me, I'm fine', but she never believes me. I don't like the thought of giving it up and will try to keep going forever." In which year was the NHS set up? (within 2 words)
What does Jackie think of nursing? (within 6 words)
When did Jackie retrain in the field of diabetes? (within 6 words)
What does Jackie wish the government to do? (within 7 words)
Why does Jackie's daughter worry about her? (within 8 words)
A study of more than five million books, both fiction and non-fiction, has found a marked decline in the use of emotional words over time. The researchers form the University of Bristol used Google Ngram Viewer, a facility for finding the frequency of terms in scanned books, to search for more than 600 particular words identified as representing anger, dislike, fear, joy, sadness and surprise.
They found that almost all of the categories (类别) showed a drop in these “mood words” over time. Only in the category of fear was there an increase in usage.
“It is a steady and continuous decrease,” said Dr Alberto Acerbi. He assumed that the result might be explained by a change in the position occupied by literature, in a crowded media landscape. “One thing could be that in parallel to books the 20th century saw the start of other media. Maybe these media—movies, radio, drama—had more emotional content than books.”
Although both joy and sadness followed the general downwards trend, the research, published in the journal PLOS One, found that they also exhibited another interesting behaviour：the ratio (比率) between the two varied greatly, apparently mirroring historical events.
During the Roaring Twenties the joy-to-sadness ratio reached a peak that would not occur again until before the recent financial crash. But the ratio plunged at the height of the Second World War. Nevertheless, the researchers held a reserved opinion about their claim that their result reflected wider social trends. In the paper, they even argue that the reverse could be true.
“It has been suggested, for example, that it was the suppression (压抑) of desire in ordinary Elizabethan English life that increased demand for writing ‘filled with romance and sex’… perhaps,” they conclude, “songs and books may not reflect the real population any more than catwalk models reflect the average body.”
(Note：Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN TEN WORDS.)A study of more than five million books indicated a decline in “mood words” over time except
According to Dr Alberto Acerbi, one reason for the drop of “mood words” in books may be that
What were the two periods when the joy-to-sadness ratio was at its highest?
While the researchers found some changes in the use of “mood words” in books, they werenot sure that
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