But George Eastman is not how he died, and the Eastman Kodak Company is not how it is being killed. Though the ends be needless and premature, they must not be allowed to overshadow the greatness that came before. Few companies have done so much good for so many people, or defined and lifted so profoundly the spirit of a nation and perhaps the world. It is impossible to understand the 20th Century without recognizing the role of the Eastman Kodak Company.
Kodak served mankind through entertainment, science, national defense and the stockpiling of family memories. Kodak took us to the top of Mount Suribachi and to the Sea of Tranquility. It introduced us to the merry old Land of Oz and to stars from Charlie Chaplin to John Wayne, and Elizabeth Taylor to Tom Hanks. It showed us the shot that killed President Kennedy, and his brother bleeding out on a kitchen floor, and a fallen Martin Luther King Jr. on the hard balcony of a Memphis motel. When that sailor kissed the nurse, and when the spy planes saw missiles in Cuba, Kodak was the eyes of a nation. From the deck of the Missouri to the grandeur of Monument Valley, Kodak took us there. Virtually every significant image of the 20th Century is a gift to posterity(繁荣) from the Eastman Kodak Company.
In an era of easy digital photography, when we can take a picture of anything at any time, we cannot imagine what life was like before George Eastman brought photography to people. Yes, there were photographers, and for relatively large sums of money they would take stilted(不自然的) pictures in studios and formal settings. But most people couldn’t afford photographs, and so all they had to remember distant loved ones, or earlier times of their lives, was memory. Children could not know what their parents had looked like as young people, grandparents far away might never learn what their grandchildren looked like. Eastman Kodak allowed memory to move from the uncertainty of recollection, to the permanence of a photograph. But it wasn’t just people whose features were savable; it was events, the sacred and precious times that families cherish. The Kodak moment, was humanity’s moment.
And it wasn’t just people whose features were savable; it was events, the precious times that families cherish. Kodak let the fleeting moments of birthdays and weddings, picnics and parties, be preserved and saved. It allowed for the creation of the most egalitarian art form. Lovers could take one another’s pictures, children were photographed walking out the door on the first day of school, the shutter decided what was worth recording, and hundreds of millions of such decisions were made. And for centuries to come, those long dead will smile and dance and communicate to their unborn progeny(子孙). Family history will be not only names on paper, but smiles on faces.
The cash flow not just provided thousands of people with job, but also allowed the company’s founder to engage in some of the most generous charity in America’s history. Not just in Kodak’s home city of Rochester, New York, but in Tuskegee and London, and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He bankrolled(资助) two historically black colleges, fixed the teeth of Europe’s poor, and quietly did good wherever he could. While doing good, Kodak did very well. Over all the years, all the Kodakers over all the years are essential parts of that monumental legacy. They prospered a great company, but they–with that company–blessed the world.
That is what we should remember about the Eastman Kodak Company. Like its founder, we should remember how it lived, not how it died. History will forget the small men who have scuttled this company. But history will never forget Kodak.
【小题1】According to the passage, which of the following is to blame for the fall of Kodak?A.The invention of easy digital photography. |
B.The poor management of the company. |
C.The early death of George Eastman. |
D.The quick rise of its business competitors. |
A.died a natural death of old age |
B.happened to be on the spot when President Kennedy was shot dead |
C.set up his company in the capital of the US before setting up its branches all over the world |
D.was not only interested in commercial profits, but also in the improvement of other people’s lives |
A.no photos has ever been taken of people or events |
B.photos were very expensive and mostly taken indoors |
C.painting was the only way for people to keep a record of their ancestors |
D.grandparents never knew what their grandchildren looked like |
A.who took the photograph |
B.who wanted to have a photo taken |
C.whose decisions shaped the Eastman Kodak Company |
D.whose smiles could long be seen by their children |
A.Disapproving. | B.Respectful. |
C.Regretful. | D.Critical. |
A.Great Contributions of Kodak |
B.Unforgettable Moments of Kodak |
C.Kodak Is Dead |
D.History of Eastman Kodak Company |
In the film, Wan Guopeng, son of a woodcutter, comes a long way from the Northeast with only 1,000 yuan to the dream factory of the East to become an actor. In real life, when the young man was chosen by the director to play the leading role, he had only 20 yuan left but still hadn’t considered giving up.
Famous Hong Kong actor Tony Leung remembered that 30 years ago, he was a salesman but knew that it was not the kind of life he wanted to live. “Wan is exactly like me back then…Only when I was in an acting training course did I realize that what I wanted to be was an actor, not a star winning the best actor awards.”
Yee chose real nobodies to play themselves in the movie. Their strength was their deep understanding of the feelings of the characters they played. But the disadvantage was also obvious: They lacked acting skills. When emotional performances were needed, their expressions and moves seemed unnatural.
The entertainment industry might be the field with the most broken hearts and most efforts gone
In the film, Qin Peijun, a survivor from a coal mine collapse(煤矿坍塌), goes all out to take hold of every possibility to appear in the lens of the camera, even if only as an extra. However, it is obviously much harder for him to realize the dream of becoming a professional actor than for Wang Zhao, who is a lazy bone with a pretty face.
Some critical comments are directed at the sudden inversion(反转) in the last part of the film. The two leading actors’ happy endings seem to disagree with the film’s realistic style. But anyway, this movie is not a documentary but a way to reinforce(硬化) that every brave heart deserves to have their dreams realized.
【小题1】Which of the following can best describe Wan Guopeng?
A.Determined. | B.Careful. |
C.Intelligent. | D.Easy-going. |
A.he respected these people |
B.they knew well about the characters |
C.he needed emotional performances |
D.they asked for less money |
A.Wrongly. | B.Secretly. |
C.Without success. | D.Without consideration. |
A.It’s OK to be nobody. |
B.It’s really hard to become a successful actor. |
C.Live the dreams. |
D.Be a person of dreams. |
Many of us were delighted to learn that a high school senior Kwasi Enin was accepted to all eight Ivy (常青藤)League universities. To our surprise, he wasn't excited as expected, but appeared extra calm. He announced that he would revisit the universities to find the best suitable in music or medicine. He also wanted to compare their financial aid packages.
Kwasi's success story is rare, but his reaction is not. After the admission letters arrive at home, students have 30 days to really think about what kind of school would help them grow as a person, which school would best prepare them for the future, and at which school they would be happiest. And they also have to think about whether they can afford the school they choose.
But how to answer the questions about which school is the best suitable university? Some young people are attracted to large universities with great school spirit and a list of offerings. But besides those advantages, many of these universities focus on graduate work and research, with undergraduates (本科生)taught mostly by part-time instructors. Others are attracted to smaller boarding schools with discussion-based classes. But some of these schools will have much limitation for students who want a high-energy city life experience.
Many students today seem to think they should pick the university where they will get the diploma that will help them get the most highly paid job. This is a sad misunderstanding of what a college education should provide. A good college education should prepare them to overcome any difficulty and thrive in society. It helps them to form the habit of creative mind and spirit that will continue to develop far beyond their university years. So when you choose college, you should consider if it is filled with useful learning to help create new spaces for different possibilities of growth.
以下A(易)、B(难)两种题型任选一种,做A题型的不做B,做B题型的不做A。(前4题是A种题型,后4题是B种题型)
【小题1】What can we know about Kwasi Enin from paragraph 1?
A.He was from a very poor family. |
B.He would choose the top university. |
C.He was too excited to calm himself at the good news. |
D.He considered his interests when choosing his university. |
A.Few students can be admitted to university. |
B.Many students face the choices like Kwasi. |
C.Top universities are the first choice for most students. |
D.American students can 4 afford their university by themselves. |
A.fail. | B.Succeed. |
C.Research. | D.Work. |
A.Very large and have good instructors. |
B.Small boarding schools with discussion-based classes. |
C.It will offer the diploma to get the most highly paid job. |
D.It will help continue to develop far beyond university years. |
【小题6】How long does it take students to make a decision after they get the admission letters?
【小题7】What disadvantages do some smaller boarding schools have?
【小题8】How should students choose college education according to the text?
The sea could be the food bowl of the future. In Jervis Bay, south of Sydney, seaweed, which is rich in fibre and omega 3, is grown and harvested.
Pia Winberg is a marine scientist who runs Australia's first food-grade fanned seaweed company. Her crop is grown alongside mussels (贻贝)and is used as an additive in pasta (意大利面)and other products.
Seaweed is also raised in large tanks, where it absorbs carbon dioxide waste from a wheat processing factory. The business is small, but could help to reduce the ecological footprint of traditional farming.
“We used ten percent of seaweed instead of wheat in breads and pastas, we've eliminated a million hectares of land, we've eliminated all of the carbon dioxide emissions associated with that, and we've also reduced the pressures on very precious fresh water.” said Pia Winberg.
Spiny sea urchins (多刺海胆虫)are another blue economy resource. They can destroy marine habitats, but a recent competition for environmental start-ups in Australia, saw them not as a pest but a delicacy (美味).
Martina Doblin, CEO of Sydney Institute of Marine Science, said, “By 2050 we will have some ten billion people on the planet, and about half the food they eat will come from the ocean. So, we really do need to pay attention to the way that we manage the blue economy-generating wealth from the ocean but in a sustainable (可持续的)way.”
Farming at sea has its challenges. Infrastructure (基础设施)has to be sound, as do supply chains and biosecurity. But get these things right, and the ocean might just be the next great economic frontier.
【小题1】What is the function of the first paragraph?A.To lead to the main topic. |
B.To describe a new kind of seaweed. |
C.Tell how important the food safety is. |
D.To explain the meaning of blue economy. |
A.Ocean exploration has made little progress so far. |
B.More and more people will die of hunger in the future. |
C.More work is needed for a better use of the natural resources. |
D.Sea farming will be a good way to solve the coming world food problem. |
A.Skeptical. | B.Objective. | C.Tolerant. | D.Negative. |
A.How to Protect the Marine Animals |
B.Measures to Develop Blue Economy |
C.Farming the Sea for the Future of Food |
D.Traditional Farming is Gradually Disappearing |
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