【文章內(nèi)容簡介】 ovels you will miss a lot of treasures. English essays can at once inform you, entertain you, and improve your taste in English. The best example is Bertrand Russell’s work. Its language is plain, yet you cannot help feeling the elegance and the peculiar sense of humor. His simple language enables his philosophy within the reach of ordinary people. Here es my second suggestion—essays are indispensable. Never follow others’ remendations and opinions blindly, however famous or influential(有很大影響的) the person might be. We should be open to various ideas, but always think and determine for ourselves. As a saying goes, one man’s meat is another man’s poison. With that in mind, we are bound to find out our favorite writers through reading and develop our fine taste in English. 【語篇概述】作者建議初學(xué)者不要盲從他人,要挑選自己喜歡的英語書來讀。24. What made the first English novel that the author read hard to understand?A. Complicated conversations. B. Sentences and Austen’s thinking pattern. C. The oldfashioned vocabulary. D. Not knowing the social background. 【解析】選B。細節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第二段but rather the way Austen constructs sentences, and her way of thinking,可知奧斯汀的句子和思維模式是作者很難理解的,故B項正確。25. Which can best replace the underlined word“indispensable”?A. Necessary. B. Challenging. C. Relevant. D. Inspirational. 【解析】選A。詞義猜測題。第三段作者介紹了讀英語散文的好處,因此可推斷出畫線詞表示“有必要的”,故A項正確。26. What advice does the author give in the last paragraph?A. Choose books that challenge us most. B. Read books that are instructive. C. Don’t be affected by others’ choices. D. Compare books before buying. 【解析】選C。細節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)最后一段中Never follow others’ remendations and opinions blindly,可知作者建議不要盲從他人的推薦和觀點,故C項正確。27. What is the author’s purpose of writing the passage?A. Give ments on literature works. B. Tell beginners how to choose English books. C. Encourage people to read more English books. D. Remend first class books to English learners. 【解析】選B。目的意圖題。本文介紹了作者給予初學(xué)者怎樣挑選英語書來讀的建議。由此可知B項正確。CWele to Glass of Venice, the number one importer and retailer of authentic Murano Glass in the US and one of the top names among Murano Glass retailers worldwide. We work directly with artisans (工匠) from Murano, Italy to bring you the unique centuries old art rooted in tradition and skill. Every item is handcrafted with passion using ancient techniques that made Murano glassmakers worldfamous since the 8th century. Now you needn’t make a trip to Murano to own an authentic piece of art as beautiful as Venice itself. At the time of massproduced products that carry no special meaning,Murano Glass gives you an opportunity to express your individuality. Every piece is unique. Murano Glass is 100% handcrafted in Venice. Be a part of the centuriesold Venetian tradition!A piece of the artisan’s heart and soul is captured in every Murano Glass creation. Crafting Murano Glass jewelry, vases, sculptures and other functional and decorative pieces is a plicated process from silica, minerals, water, and fire. Venetian artisans create masterpieces. The techniques they use are centuries old, and artisans have been trained for many years in their fathers’ and grandfathers’ workshops before they can attain a revered status of the true master of the craft. Murano Glass masters are not just artisans。 they are artists. Ever since Murano glassmakers guild (公會) was established on this Venetian island in 1291, they have been innovating, seeking new methods of creating glass, and pushing forward to express new philosophies and artistic visions through glass. This made Murano Glass get its own art form, and it has been recognized at international expositions and top art museums and galleries worldwide. Today the famous glass masters working on Murano Island are first and foremost artists, and Glass of Venice is proud to offer artistic masterpieces from top Murano glass workshops. 【語篇概述】文章介紹了由玻璃大師們創(chuàng)造的“慕拉諾玻璃”。28. What can be inferred about Murano Glass?A. It is made by using modern machines. B. Every piece is made in the US. C. Every piece has a special style. D. It was designed in the 8th century. 【解析】選C。細節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第二段Murano Glass gives you an opportunity to express your individuality. Every piece is unique. 可知每塊玻璃都是獨一無二的,故C項正確。29. The underlined word “revered” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to “_______”. A. considerate　　　　 B. relievedC. plex D. respected【解析】選D。詞義猜測題。根據(jù)第四段可知工匠們在他們父輩和祖父輩的工作坊里訓(xùn)練了許多年之后才能獲得工藝大師的身份,因此這個地位是受人尊敬的,故D項正確。30. What were Murano Glass masters devoted to doing according to the text?A. Exploring ways to develop the creation of glass. B. Exporting Murano Glass to many foreign countries. C. Building art museums to show the beauty of Murano Glass. D. Creating a special art form to express their philosophies of life. 【解析】選A。細節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)最后一段中they have been innovating, seeking new methods of creating glass, and pushing forward to express new philosophies and artistic visions through glass. 可知這些玻璃大師致力于探索創(chuàng)造玻璃的方法,故A項正確。31. What is the author’s attitude to Murano Glass masters’ works?A. Critical. B. Admirable. C. Cautious. D. Aggressive. 【解析】選B。推理判斷題。根據(jù)第一段Every item is handcrafted with passion using ancient techniques that made Murano glassmakers worldfamous. . . 可推斷出作者對“慕拉諾玻璃”大師的作品持贊賞態(tài)度。故選B。DThe popular smartphone application Instagram has changed the way we look at photography, even our world. The photoworthy moments we share serve as an important function in cultivating the photographic artistic eye. Instagram has got people to start noticing the art in their everyday life. It has also allowed us to share the artful moments in our lives with others. Clearly, making people focus on beautiful moments in their lives and how to share them is a positive takeaway from Instagram. Not only has Instagram changed the way we look at things around us, but it has also changed the way people view professional photography. Instagram has turned everyone with a smartphone into an artist. Opening up ar