1、Unit 3Life in the future.阅读Perhaps no one knows the power of imagination better than Chinese sci-fi writer Liu Cixin.Up until four years ago,Liu worked full-time as a computer engineer at a power plant in Yangquan,Shanxi province.He only wrote science fiction in his spare time.But it was during this
2、 time that Lius imagination took flight.He had the chanceimaginativelyto do what he could not do in real lifewander in space,fight with aliens,and visit planets light-years away.But even with so powerful an imagination,Liu,55,probably didnt think that one day he would become the first Asian to win t
3、he Hugo Award,science fictions highest prize,in 2015.Perhaps neither did he think that former US President Barack Obama would read his novel The Three-Body Problem(三体,2006)nor that on Nov 9 in Washington DC he would win the 2018 Arthur C.Clarke Award for Imagination in Service to Society.Its the fir
4、st time a Chinese writer has ever won the award.In his acceptance speech,Liu said that he owed his imagination to Arthur C.Clarke(1917-2008),a famous UK sci-fi author.He said that reading Clarkes 1968 classic novel 2001:A Space Odyssey(2001太空漫游)in the early 1980s had a great effect on him.“My mind o
5、pened up like never before.I felt like a narrow stream finally embracing(融入) the sea,”Liu said.“That night,in my eyes,the starry sky was completely different from the past.For the first time in my life,I was awed(使敬畏) by the grandeur(壮丽) and mystery of the universe.”But no matter how far away Lius i
6、magination takes him,somehow his novels always stay grounded(理性的).In The Three-Body Problem,for example,Liu tells of aliens invading(侵略) Earth.But unlike other alien invasion stories,with their fancy weapons(武器) and strange creatures,Lius tale is about relationships between civilizations,rules of su
7、rvival,and the meaning of life.And in The Wandering Earth(流浪地球,2008),Liu looks ahead to the day when our solar system will end and humans have to look for a new place to live.However,all his visions(设想)and solutions are based on “hard science”.Lius works arent simply daydreams.Rather,its the fact th
8、at his imagination is based in reality that makes it such a powerful tool.In this Liu is like his mentor(引路人) Clarke,who,we read on the website of the Arthur C.Clarke Award,believed that “Humankinds most powerful tool to shape its future is its imagination”.1.What do we know about Liu Cixin?A.He bec
9、ame a full-time writer when he was young.B.He dreamed about wandering in space from childhood.C.He is the first Asian to win the Arthur C.Clarke Award.D.He is the first Chinese winner of the Hugo Award.2.Liu Cixins words are quoted mainly to show .A.his long fascination with the mysteries of the uni
10、verseB.his love of reading science fiction in his spare timeC.his confusion when he started writingD.his inspiration gained from Clarkes work3.Why did the author mention The Three-Body Problem and The Wandering Earth?A.To compare the different writing styles in the two books.B.To explain how Liu Cix
11、in came up with his ideas.C.To show that Liu Cixin has a powerful imagination.D.To prove that Liu Cixins works relate science to reality.4.Whats the text mainly about?A.Liu Cixins achievements and writing style.B.The contribution Liu Cixin has made to science fiction.C.How Liu Cixin became a sci-fi
12、writer.D.How Liu Cixin started a new sci-fi style.语篇解读:本文主要介绍了科幻小说家刘慈欣的两部著作三体和流浪地球以及他的写作风格。答案及剖析:1.D细节理解题。根据第二段第一句可知,刘慈欣是第一个获得Hugo奖的亚洲人,故D项符合题意。2.D细节理解题。根据第三段第一句“Liu said that he owed his imagination to Arthur C.Clarke”可知,D项符合题意。3.D细节理解题。根据第六段最后两句:“However,all his visions(设想)and solutions are based
13、on hard science.Lius works arent simply daydreams.”可知,D项符合题意。4.A主旨大意题。纵观全文,本文主要介绍了刘慈欣在科幻小说方面取得的成绩,故A项符合题意。.七选五The holiday season means friends, family, parties and lots of unhealthy food.1.Save your pocket money.If youre going to relax a few times over the season,concentrate on foods that are specia
14、l or unique to this time of year not the ones you can get year round to avoid holiday weight gain, says Gary Foster, PhD,chief scientific officer for Weight Watchers.That means letting yourself enjoy a piece of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving,2. The seasonal focus means when the holidays are past, the t
15、emptations will go with them and you can return to healthy eating.Wait to enjoy.“We recommend you delay your drink until you have food in your stomach,”says Elizabeth Politti, RD, nutrition director for the Duke Diet and Fitness Center.She explains that food can help delay the absorption of alcohol.
16、“Set some limits for yourself about alcohol such as that you wont have more than one or two drinks.”3. If one glass of wine makes you completely lose your eating inhibitions(抑制),maybe its better to hold in the face of food temptation.4.If youre a regular gym rat,great.But if not,you can still avoid
17、holiday weight gain by taking every opportunity to stay physically active.That means taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or getting off the bus a few stops early5. And add bits of intensity, short bursts of more activity, whenever you can.These are the best workouts for people who hate exerci
18、se.A.Stay active.B.And know yourself.C.When youre tired, your defenses go down.D.but not a stack of chocolate chip cookies at the office Christmas party.E.Thanksgiving and New Years arent really 12 weeks of nonstop eating.F.all the little tricks for adding activity to your day youve read before.G.Th
19、ese expert tips will help you avoid holiday weight gain without compromising the fun.答案:1-5GDBAF.完形填空I did my first marathon at 25.Id 1 running to get fit and thought Id give it a go.I started too fast,found it very painful but 2 to finish.Then,seven years ago,I went to a talk by someone who had jus
20、t done the Sahara desert race.I felt so 3 .Ive always wanted to do something 4 .I registered for the 2007 Sahara marathon.My 5 was shocking and I was two stone(12.7kg) overweight,but once Id paid the 3,000 deposit,I knew there was no going back.On my first five-mile run,I kept pretending my shoelace
21、s(鞋带) needed tying just so I could 6 .But I kept 7 until I was doing 30,then 40 miles.People assumed I found it easy by thenI didnt.I just learned to push through the pain.But nothing can truly prepare you for running in desert temperatures.As the 8 always looked the same,the distance never seemed t
22、o get any shorter. 9 ,I was never boredI was too focused on reaching the checkpoints,and the water waiting there.Blisters(水泡) were unavoidablethe 10 gets everywhere.At night,the doctors treating us would slice them off with knives.In the following days,my feet would be hurting.I kept telling myself
23、I couldnt 11 .If I quit,the pain would stop,but I knew I would regret it for the rest of my life.Finally,I finished.Any suffering you experience is overridden(压倒) by the sense of 12 at the end.Its been a long progression,from being a(n) 13 slacker(懒虫) to 14 I am now.Ive lost 101b(4.5kg) of body fat,
24、but gained a lot of muscleI have a better body now than at any point in my life.Anyone can do this.Im not superhuman,Im just 15 .1.A.ended up B.taken up C.given up D.backed up2.A.hated B.refused C.struggled D.offered3.A.inspired B.bored C.panicked D.confused4.A.strange B.ordinary C.secret D.extreme5
25、.A.fitness B.height C.strength D.wisdom6.A.wait B.stop C.complain D.drink7.A.dropping off B.tripping overC.building up D.slowing down8.A.surroundings B.volunteers C.sandstormsD.athletes9.A.Therefore B.However C.Moreover D.Otherwise10.A.sand B.water C.grass D.rubbish11.A.fail B.run C.bear D.cry12.A.b
26、elonging B.failure C.equality D.achievement13.A.proud B.brave C.unfit D.unfriendly14.A.which B.when C.where D.why15.A.learned B.considerate C.determinedD.fortunate语篇解读:本文为记叙文。作者讲述了自己参加2007年撒哈拉沙漠马拉松比赛的过程,虽然异常地艰难和痛苦,但是作者还是凭借自己坚定的毅力完成了比赛。答案及剖析:1.BA.ended up结束;B.taken up开始从事;C.given up放弃;D.backed up支持。根
27、据下文give it a go (试一下)可知,作者开始跑步是为了健身。故B选项正确。2.CA.hated讨厌;B.refused拒绝;C.struggled努力;D.offered提出。句意:我开始跑得太快了,觉得很痛苦,但是努力完成了。故C选项正确。3.AA.inspired受到启发的;B.bored无聊的;C.panicked恐慌的;D.confused疑惑的。通过下文得知,作者去跑了马拉松,有了切身感悟,可知是受到启发的。故A选项正确。4.DA.strange奇怪的;B.ordinary普通的;C.secret秘密的;D.extreme极度的,极端的。根据常识可知,在沙漠当中跑马拉松是
28、一种极限的运动,因此作者一直是想做一些极端的事情。故D选项正确。5.AA.fitness健康;B.height高度;C.strength力量;D.wisdom智慧。下文shocking指的是不好的方面,所以这里说的是作者当时的健康状况不好。故A选项正确。6.BA.wait等;B.stop停止;C.complain抱怨;D.drink喝。前五公里,作者不断地假装需要系鞋带,只是为了能停一下。故B选项正确。7.CA.dropping off落下;B.tripping over绊倒;C.building up增强;D.slowing down变慢。根据下文People assumed I found
29、 it easy by thenI didnt.可知,作者一直在增强自己,坚持跑到30英里,然后是40英里。根据I was doing 30,then 40 miles.可知作者在不断增强。故C选项正确。8.AA.surroundings周围的环境;B.volunteers志愿者;C.sandstorms沙尘暴;D.athletes运动员。根据下文looked the same,the distance never seemed to get any shorter.可知,因为在沙漠中周围的环境看起来是一样的,所以距离似乎从来没有缩短过。故A选项正确。9.BA.Therefore所以;B.Ho
30、wever然而;C.Moreover此外;D.Otherwise否则。根据上文指出环境都相同并且看起来距离没有减少,下文说作者感到不无聊,所以这里应该填一个表示转折关系的词。故B选项正确。10.AA.sand沙子;B.water水;C.grass草;D.rubbish垃圾。根据本文背景,作者是在沙漠里跑步,所以应该是到处都是沙子。故A选项正确。11.AA.fail失败;B.run跑;C.bear忍受;D.cry哭。根据下文讲的多是作者如果退出了之后对自己产生的不好的影响,所以这里说明他一直告诉自己不能失败。故A选项正确。12.DA.belonging所有物;B.failure失败;C.equa
31、lity平等;D.achievement成就。句意:你所经历的任何痛苦最终都会被成就感所覆盖。故D选项正确。13.CA.proud骄傲的;B.brave勇敢的;C.unfit不健康的;D.unfriendly不友好的。后面提到自己是懒虫,还有前文说作者健康状况不好,因此这里指一个不健康的懒虫。故C选项正确。14.CA.which哪个;B.when当的时候;C.where在地方;D.why为什么。此处缺少的是状语,这里用where表示一个抽象的地点,到达了我今天的位置。故C选项正确。15.CA.learned博学的;B.considerate体贴的;C.determined坚决的,坚定的;D.fortunate幸运的。从上文可知,作者是一个很有毅力的人,即使身体状况不好,还要坚持跑完全程,因此作者认为自己不是超人,只是意志坚定而已。故C选项正确。
