Whenever something looks interesting or beautiful, there is a natural desire of us to capture(捕捉) and preserve it—which means, in this day and age, that we are likely to reach for our phones to take a picture.
Though this would seem to be an ideal solution, there are two big problems associated with taking pictures. Firstly, we are likely to be so busy taking pictures that we forget to look at the world whose beauty and interest encourage us to take a photograph in the first place. And secondly, because we feel the pictures are safely stored on our phones, we never get around to looking at them, so sure are we that we’ll get around to them one day.
The first person to notice the problems was the English art critic(评论家), John Ruskin. He was a keen traveler who realized that most tourists make a poor job of noticing or remembering the beautiful things they see. He argued that humans have a natural tendency to respond to beauty and desire to have it, but there are better and worse expressions of this desire. At worst, we get into buying souvenirs or taking photographs. But, in Ruskin’s eyes, there’s just one thing we should do—attempting to draw the interesting things we see, regardless of whether we happen to have any talent for doing so.
Ruskin said, “Drawing can teach us to see: to notice properly rather than gaze absentmindedly.In the process of recreating with our own hands what lies before our eyes, we naturally move from a position of observing beauty in a loose way to one where we acquire a deep understanding of its parts.”
Ruskin deplored the blindness and hurry of modern tourists, especially those who prided themselves on traveling around the whole Europe in a week by train, “No changing of places at a hundred miles an hour will make us stronger, happier, or wiser. There was always more in the world than men could see, if they ever walked slowly. The really precious things are thoughts and sights, not pace.”
【解题导语】 本文主要讨论了旅游中如何享受美景以及游客普遍存在的问题。
1．According to Paragraph 2, when taking pictures, people tend to ．
A．forget to appreciate something attractive on the spot
B．find it hard to learn skills of taking good pictures
C．find a good way to keep things in their minds
D．have a chance to meet the challenge of new technology
A 解析：细节理解题。根据文章第二段的第二句可知，人们忙着拍照而忘了欣赏风景。
2．According to Ruskin, what should travelers do to best express their appreciation of and desire for something beautiful?
A．To speak it out openly.
B．To photograph it instantly.
C．To purchase it immediately.
D．To paint it directly.
D 解析：细节理解题。根据第三段的最后一句可知，Ruskin认为，旅游者把自己看到的美景直接画下来就是对美景欣赏的最好表达。
3．From the fourth paragraph, we can infer that Ruskin encourages us to be ．
A．considerate and determined
B．active and adventurous
C．creative and thoughtful
D．sensitive and ambitious
C 解析：推理判断题。根据第四段的“In the process of recreating with our own hands ... we acquire a deep understanding of its parts.”可推知，Ruskin鼓励我们要有创造性，对景观要有深刻的理解。
4．The underlined word “deplored” in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to “ ”．
A．appreciated B．criticized
C．favored D．ignored
B 解析：词义猜测题。根据最后一段的“the blindness and hurry of modern tourists”并结合Ruskin的主张可推知，deplore意为“批判，不赞成”，故选B。
语法填空。
Anyone who has had a longterm disease knows that recovering at home can be lonely. This can be __1__ (especial) true of children. They may feel __2__ (leave) out. Now, these children may have a hightech friend to help feel less lonely. A small robot may help children who are recovering from a longterm __3__ (ill). The robot like human beings takes their place at school. And their school friends must help carry the robot between classes and place the robot on their desks.
Through the robot, a child can hear his or her teachers and friends. He or she can also attend classes from wherever they are recovering—whether at home __4__ from a hospital bed. Dolva, one of the scientists who __5__ (be) concentrating on developing the robot, explains __6__ the robot AV1 works. She says from home, the child uses a tablet or phone to start the robot. __7__ (use) the same device, he or she can control the robot's movements. Inside the robot, there is a small computer linked __8__ a 4G network. The robot is __9__ (equip) with speakers, microphones and cameras, which makes communicating __10__ (easy). So it's the eyes and the ears and the voices at school. Hopefully AV1 will help some children feel less lonely while they are absent from class.
1．________ 2.________ 3.________ 4.________ 5.________ 6.________ 7.________ 8.________ 9.________ 10.________
篇章导读：本文是一篇说明文。病人由于长期患病在家，可能会感觉很孤独，对于孩子更是如此。本文介绍了一种机器人，可以帮助患病的孩子减少孤独感。
1．especially 考查词性转换。设空处修饰形容词true，要用副词，故填especially。
2．left 考查非谓语动词。leave out表示“遗漏；忽略”，与主语they构成逻辑上的动宾关系，所以用过去分词作表语。故填left。
3．illness 考查词性转换。longterm为形容词，意为“长期的”，后应接名词。故填illness。
4．or 考查连词。根据句中的whether可知应填or，whether ... or ... 为固定搭配，“无论……还是……”。
5．are 考查主谓一致和动词的时态。本句中，who引导定语从句，先行词为the scientists，故从句谓语动词应用复数形式；全文客观地介绍一种机器人，应用一般现在时。故填are。
6．how 考查宾语从句的连接词。设空处引导宾语从句，作explains的宾语。分析句子结构可知，句中缺少状语，表“方式”，故用how连接该从句。
7．Using 考查非谓语动词。句中已有谓语can control，因此，设空处应用非谓语动词；use与其逻辑主语he or she之间为主动关系，且非谓语动词在句中作方式状语。故填Using。
8．to/with 考查介词。be linked to/with ... 为固定搭配，“与……连接”。故填to/with。
9．equipped 考查动词的语态。be equipped with ... 为固定搭配，“装配有……”。故填equipped。
10．easier 考查形容词的比较级。设空处在定语从句中作宾语补足语，而且本句暗含比较意义，应用形容词的比较级。故填easier。
