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Reading Passage 1: Build a Medieval Castle
A. Michel Guyot, owner and restorer of Saint Fargeau castle in France, first had the idea of building a 13th-century style fortress following the discovery that the 15th-century red bricks of his castle obscured the stone walls of a much older stronghold. His dream was to build a castle just as it would have been in the Middle Ages, an idea which some found mildly amusing and others dismissed as outright folly. However, Maryline Martin - project director - was inspired by the exciting potential for the venture to regenerate the region. It took several months to bring together and mobilise all the various different partners: architects, archaeologists and financial backers. A site in the heart of Guedelon forest was found; a site which offered not only all the resources required for building a castle - a stone quarry, an oak forest and a water supply - but in sufficient quantities to satisfy the demands of this gigantic site. The first team started work and on June 20th 1997 the first stone was laid.
B. Unlike any other present-day building site, Michel Guyot's purpose is clear, he warmly welcomes members of the public to participate. The workers' role is to demonstrate and explain, to a wide audience, the skills of our forefathers. Stone quarrying, the building of vaulted ceilings, the blacksmith's work and the raising of roof timbers are just some of the activities which visitors can witness during a visit to Guedelon. The workers are always on hand to talk about their craft and the progress of the castle. Each year 60,000 children visit Guedelon with their schools. The site is an excellent educational resource, bringing to life the history of the Middle Ages. Guided tours are tailored to the school curriculum and according to age groups: activity trails for primary school children and interactive guided tours for secondary school children. Pupils of all ages have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of medieval stonemasons by taking part in a stone carving workshop or discover the secrets of the medieval master-builders at the geometry workshop.
C. Workers in the Burgundy region of France are building a 13th-century castle. They're not restoring an old castle. They're actually building a new old castle. See the builders are constructing it from scratch. The craftsmen have been working for nearly ten years now but they're not even halfway done yet. That’s because they’re using only medieval tools and techniques. The World's Gerry Hadden takes us to the site of what will be the Guedelon Castle. Another reason said by Jean Francois, a member of Guedelon stone cutter’s guide, for eight hours a day he bangs on a 13th century chisel with a 13th century iron mallet.
D. The progress of construction has to give way to tourists for their visits. The visitors from 2010, however unsightly they may be, are vital to the project. The initial funding came not from pillaging the local peasantry but from regional councils, the European Union and large companies. For the last 10 years, Guedelon, 100 miles southeast of Paris, has funded itself from its entrance fees. Last year it had a record 300,000 visitors, who paid almost €2.5m, making it the second most-visited site in Burgundy. The most-visited site was the Hospice de Beaune, a beautiful 15th-century almshouse built 600 years before, or, if you prefer, 200 years after Guedelon.
E. Limestone is found in the construction of various local buildings, from the great and prestigious edifice of Ratilly castle to the more modest poyaudines houses. This stone contains 30-40% iron oxide; this can make it extremely hard to extract and dress. Having studied the block in order to determine and anticipate the natural fault lines of the stone, the quarrymen first carve a series of rectilinear holes into the block. Iron wedges are then hammered into this line of holes. The shockwaves produced by the quarrymen's sledgehammers cause the stone to split along a straight line. The highest quality blocks are dressed to produce lintels, voussoirs, corbels, ashlars etc. The medium quality blocks are roughly shaped by the stone cutters and used on the uncoursed curtain walls, and as facing stones on the castle's inner walls. There are water-filled clay pits in the forest. Clay is taken from these pits, cleaned and pugged. It is then shaped in wooden moulds to form bricks. After the bricks have been left to air-dry, they are fired in a wood-fired kiln for about 12 hours, at roughly 1000℃.
F. The mortar is the "glue" used to bind the castle's stones. It is made up of precise doses of lime, sand and water. The people working there wear the tunics, skirts and headgear that they might have worn then, but they wear these over jeans and shoes with reinforced toes. They mix their mortar primarily as they would have done then, using sand they dig themselves, but they are not allowed to use the extremely effective hot lime from medieval days, because of its toxicity, and so they add a modern chemical ingredient instead, to achieve the same effect. Workers in the Middle Ages obviously were unaware of it and some died earlier by inhaling toxic gas. And so, we met many wonderful people who do not pretend to be anything but modern human beings practicing an old technique and finding out what it would have felt like, as much as possible, to do it with only the resources of an older time.
G. We also learned that even if there is a straight lintel across a doorway, you will usually find an arch of stones built into the wall differently. Because of the physics of an arch, which channels the weight above it down into whatever is supporting it at each side instead of pressing down in the middle, this helps to take a lot of the weight off of the lintel itself, whether it is free standing or buried in the wall against the impact of warfare. The arch is the strongest element for spanning space in stone architecture. This is why, in ancient ruins, you will often find the entire wall missing, and the arched windows and doorways still standing, in beautiful patterns against the sky.
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The French people would not abandon his idea in favor of a realistic one.
- 2
One aim of the castle is to show the ancestral achievement to the public.
- 3
Short lifespan of workers was due to overdue heating.
- 4
Stones were laid not in a straight line arrangement to avoid damaging or collapsing.
- 5
Limestone Processing: When ______ found a suitable block, they began to cut lines of holes into it.
- A. metal wedge
- B. hammer handle
- C. lift
- D. Masons
- E. patterns
- F. heating
- G. bricks
- H. wood
- I. experts
- J. split
- K. walls
- L. holes
- 6
...they began to cut lines of ______ into it.
- 7
______ were used and knocked into the holes, generating shockwaves.
- 8
...to make the stone ______.
- 9
On the other hand, ______ were shaped from clay in a mould.
- 10
...and went through a process of ______ for about 12 hours.
- 11
Why does the castle building project last 10 years for just half progress?
- A. They lack of enough funds
- B. Guedelon castle needs a time-consuming design
- C. Workers obeyed modern working hours
- D. Their progress were delayed by unpredictable weather
- E. Guedelon castle needs to receive valuable visitors
- F. They used old techniques and skills
- G. Stone processing needs more labour and time
- 12
Why does the castle building project last 10 years for just half progress?
- 13
Why does the castle building project last 10 years for just half progress?
Reading Passage 2: Pantomime
A pantomime performance is a unique blend of eccentricity and absurdity, a wild mixture of songs, jokes, outrageous costumes and slapstick physical humour. For many British children, their first family trip to see a pantomime in the Christmas holiday season is their introduction to the magic of the theatre. But what has become a quintessentially British form of entertainment is more than just simple fun. As an art form, pantomime presents a tale of good and evil, where hope finally triumphs after danger and virtual despair.
The story of pantomime begins with the commedia dell'arte tradition in 16th-century Italy. These improvised shows took place in streets and marketplaces in Italy and eventually throughout Europe. Distinctive masks enabled audiences to recognise the people in these stories immediately; they also allowed actors to be rude or disrespectful without fear of being recognised. The key roles in the cast were invariably rich old men, usually portrayed as cowardly and disreputable; young lovers whose parents refuse to let them marry; and ingenious and quick-witted servants. Many commedia plots show the latter, whose lives are a constant struggle to find food and money, outwitting the old men or overthrowing their masters. This theme of the victory of the underdog is still an essential feature of pantomime today.
By the mid-18th century, many thousands of people were going to theatres across Britain every night. Among the most popular performances were harlequinades, a new kind of entertainment which interwove Ovid's first-century Latin poem Metamorphoses with aspects of the Italian commedia. Created by actor John Rich, these early pantomimes cleverly mixed spectacle, music, ballet and myth, and were tremendously enjoyable to watch. Amazing transformations happened at the touch of a magic wand, with mechanical serpents and flying vehicles. They also showed that even early pantomime was fascinated by the crossing of boundaries: the ambiguity of men dressed as women, and the fun of animal characters played by human beings.
Despite their popularity, Rich's spectacular performances attracted huge controversy. Critics bitterly attacked pantomimes, complaining that they would bring about the downfall of Shakespeare and the death of serious theatre. David Garrick, the great 18th-century actor-manager, was quick to join these criticisms, while also realising the commercial opportunities of this new art form. But how could Garrick take advantage of the craze and still maintain his position as the defender of 'legitimate' theatre? His tactic was to set about changing pantomime's cultural identity, partly by confining shows to his theatre's Christmas season. Pantomimes became associated with the frivolity of the holiday season rather than being denounced as a threat. In doing so, Garrick created a convention which has survived to this day.
At the end of the 18th century, popular theatre saw the arrival of the white-faced Clown, in the form of actor Joseph Grimaldi. By the early 19th century, Britain was at war with France; there was intense civil unrest and violent confrontations between the government and the people. Grimaldi's hilarious antics embodied the freedom and liberty of British culture by contrast with the country's supposedly dull, humourless enemies. His anarchic activities included chasing and imprisoning policemen and stealing gigantic quantities of sausages. But the Clown was never caught or sent to jail. Audiences were thrilled by his mischief and his endless eating precisely because he created on stage the fantasy of a different world: a world without hunger, a world of comic revenge against a highly repressive government. Grimaldi became one of the great satirists of his age, a character who offered ludicrous commentaries on everything from the ruling classes to fashion, technology and new forms of transport.
By the late 19th century, photography had arrived, the telegraph had been invented and the first motor cars were starting to appear on British streets. Meanwhile, the spotlight on the comic stage shifted away from the Clown and towards an unexpected star, the pantomime 'Dame': a tired housewife - always played by a man struggling to cope in an unfriendly world. Dan Leno was the celebrated performer who created and played this talkative and eccentric working-class woman, a mother facing the difficulties of poverty, which he and his audiences knew all too well. In the Dame, Leno developed a persona whose theatrical power comes from the locking together of compassion and laughter. At the same time, artists such as Leno began to infuse pantomime with the plots and dilemmas of working people's culture.
Pantomimes are as popular today as they have ever been. Our delight in this form comes from a complex mixture of emotions and relationships. Pantomime offers us the anarchic excitements of a topsy-turvy world only to give up the assurance of harmony restored. The engaging character of the Dame exemplifies pantomime's self-proclaimed absurdity. Her comical conversations with the audience cut across the boundaries between performers and spectators, drawing us into her chaotic world. While she presides over the anarchy which Grimaldi once visited on policemen, the Dame also embodies the collective ties which bind us together as families, as neighbours, and as members of society.
- 14
Paragraph A
- i. A character who provoked sympathy and amusement
- ii. Outdoor performances with a standard set of characters
- iii. Pantomime as a means of focusing on political issues
- iv. Discovering pantomime at a young age
- v. A way of dealing with a negative attitude toward pantomime
- vi. An explanation of how a pantomime character appeals to modern audiences
- vii. Debate about the origins of pantomime
- viii. A successful merging of artistic sources
- 15
Paragraph B
- 16
Paragraph C
- 17
Paragraph D
- 18
Paragraph E
- 19
Paragraph F
- 20
Paragraph G
- 21
Commedia dell'arte actors used ______ to disguise their real identities.
- 22
Harlequinades combined elements of a 16th-century art form with a ______ written centuries earlier.
- 23
In early 19th-century pantomimes, ______ were often victims of the Clown's act.
- 24
His performances focused on the situation of the less wealthy sections of society.
- A. John Rich
- B. David Garrick
- C. Joseph Grimaldi
- D. Dan Leno
- 25
He introduced elements of the supernatural to the pantomime genre.
- 26
His pantomime character was never seen to be punished for his on-stage crimes.
Reading Passage 3: Video Games’ Unexpected Benefits to the Human Brain
A James Paul Gee, professor of education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, played his first video game years ago when his six-year-old son Sam was playing Pajama Sam: No Need to Hide When It’s Dark Outside. He wanted to play the game so he could support Sam’s problem-solving. Though Pajama Sam is not an “educational game”, it is replete with the types of problems psychologists study when they examine thinking and learning. When he saw how well the game held Sam’s attention, he wondered what sort of beast a more mature video game might be.
B Video and computer games, like many other popular, entertaining and addicting kids’ activities, are looked down upon by many parents as time-wasters, and worse, parents think that these games rot the brain. Violent video games are readily blamed by the media and some experts as the reason why some youth become violent or commit extreme anti-social behaviour. Recent content analyses of video games show that as many as 89% of games contain some violent content, and there is some form of aggressive content in 70% of popular games. Many scientists and psychologists, like James Paul Gee, find that video games actually have many benefits – the main one being making kids smart. Video games may actually teach kids high-level thinking skills that they will need in the future.
C “Video games change your brain,” according to University of Wisconsin psychologist C. Shawn Green. Video games alter the brain’s physical structure the same way as learning to read, playing the piano, or navigating with a map. Much like exercise can build muscle, the powerful combination of concentration and rewarding surges of neurotransmitters like dopamine, which strengthens neural circuits, can build the player’s brain.
D Video games give your child’s brain a real workout. In many video games, the skills required to win involve abstract and high-level thinking. These skills are not even taught at school. Some of the mental skills trained by video games include: following instructions, problem-solving, logic, hand-eye coordination, fine-motor and spatial skills. Research also suggests that people can learn iconic, spatial, and visual attention skills from video games. There have even been studies with adults showing that experience with video games is related to better surgical skills. Jacob Benjamin, a doctor from Beth Israel Medical Center, NY, found a direct link between skill at video gaming and skill at keyhole or laparoscopic surgery. Also, a reason given by experts as to why fighter pilots of today are more skilful is that this generation’s pilots were weaned on video games.
F The players learn to manage resources that are limited and decide the best use of those resources, just as in real life. In strategy games, for instance, while developing a city, an unexpected surprise like an enemy might emerge. This forces the player to be flexible and quickly change tactics, sometimes almost every second of the game, giving the brain a real workout. According to researchers at the University of Rochester led by Daphne Bavelier, a cognitive scientist, games simulating stressful events such as those found in battle or action games could be a training tool for real-world situations. The study suggests that playing action games could be a training tool for real-world situations. The study suggests that playing action video games primes the brain to make quick decisions. Video games can be used to train soldiers and surgeons, according to the study. Steven Johnson, author of Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today’s Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter, says gamers must deal with immediate problems while keeping their long-term goals on the horizon. Young gamers force themselves to read to get instructions, follow storylines of games, and glean information from the game texts.
G James Paul Gee says that playing a video game is similar to working through a science problem. Like students in a laboratory, gamers must come up with a hypothesis. For example, players in some games constantly try out combinations of weapons and powers to defeat an enemy. If one does not work, they change the hypothesis and try the next one. Video games are goal-driven experiences, says Gee, which are fundamental to learning. Also, using math skills is important to win in many games that involve quantitative analysis such as managing resources. In higher levels of a game, players usually fail the first time around, but they keep on trying until they succeed and move on to the next level.
H Many games are played online and involve cooperation with other online players in order to win. Video and computer games also help children gain self-confidence, and many games are based on history, city-building, and governance, and so on. Such games indirectly teach children about various aspects of life on Earth.
I In an upcoming study in the journal Current Biology, authors Daphne Bavelier, Alexandre Pouget and C. Shawn Green report that video games could provide a potent training regimen for speeding up reactions in many real-life situations. The researchers tested dozens of 18- to 25-year-olds who were not ordinarily video-game players. They split the subjects: one group played 50 hours of the fast-paced action video game Unreal Tournament, and the other group played 50 hours of the slow-moving strategy game The Sims 2. After this training period, all subjects were asked to make quick decisions in several tasks designed by the researchers. The action-game players were up to 25% faster at reaching a conclusion and answered just as many questions correctly as their strategy-game-playing peers.
- 27
What is the main purpose of paragraph A?
- A. Introduction of Professor James Paul Gee.
- B. Introduction of the video game Pajama Sam.
- C. Introduction of types of video games.
- D. Introduction of the background of this passage.
- 28
What does the author want to express in the second paragraph?
- A. Video games are widely considered harmful for children's brains.
- B. Most violent video games are the direct cause of juvenile delinquency.
- C. Even though there is a certain proportion of violence in most video games, scientists and psychologists see their benefits to children's intellectual abilities.
- D. Many parents regard video games as time-wasters that rot children's brains.
- 29
What is correctly mentioned in paragraph D?
- A. Some schools use video games to teach students abstract and high-level thinking.
- B. Video games improve brain ability in various aspects.
- C. Some surgeons have better skills because they play more video games.
- D. Skilful fighter pilots in this generation love to play video games.
- 30
What is the finding of the experiment the three researchers conducted in the last paragraph?
- A. Gamers have to make the best use of limited resources.
- B. Gamers with better math skills will win in the end.
- C. Strategy-game players have better ability to make quick decisions.
- D. Video games help increase the speed of players' reactions effectively.
- 31
Most video games are popular because of their violent content.
- 32
It would be a good idea for schools to apply video games in their classrooms.
- 33
Those people who are addicted to video games have lots of dopamine in their brains.
- 34
The action-game players minimised the percentage of mistakes in the experiment.
- 35
Video games, like other daily-life skills, alter the brain's physical structure.
- A. The writer's opinion
- B. James Paul Gee
- C. Shawn Green
- D. Daphne Bavelier
- E. Steven Johnson
- F. Jacob Benjamin
- 36
The brain is ready to make decisions without hesitation when players are immersed in stressful games.
- 37
The purpose-motivated experience that video games offer plays an essential role in studying.
- 38
Players are good at tackling immediate issues while keeping future intentions in mind.
- 39
Video games help children broaden their horizons in many aspects and gain self-confidence.
Phiếu trả lời
Điền đáp án khi làm bài — kiểm tra kết quả ngay lập tức và lưu cục bộ, mọi câu sai sẽ vào nhật ký lỗi cùng bài học khắc phục.
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