Part A: Reading Comprehension
Directions: Read the following text. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)
Text 1
A group of Labour MPs, among them Yvette Cooper, are bringing in the new year with a call to institute a UK “town of culture” award. The proposal is that it should sit alongside the existing city of culture title, which was held by Hull in 2017, and has been awarded to Coventry for 2021. Cooper and her colleagues argue that the success of the crown for Hull, where it brought in £220m of investment and an avalanche of arts, ought not to be confined to cities. Britain’s towns, it is true, are not prevented from applying, but they generally lack the resources to put together a bid to beat their bigger competitors. A town of culture award could, it is argued, become an annual event, attracting funding and creating jobs.
Some might see the proposal as a booby prize for the fact that Britain is no longer able to apply for the much more prestigious title of European capital of culture, a sought-after award bagged by Glasgow in 1990 and Liverpool in 2008. A cynic might speculate that the UK is on the verge of disappearing into an endless fever of self-celebration in its desperation to reinvent itself for the post-Brexit world: after town of culture, who knows what will follow-village of culture? Suburb of culture? Hamlet of culture?
It is also wise to recall that such titles are not a cure-all. A badly run “year of culture” washes in and out of a place like the tide, bringing prominence for a spell but leaving no lasting benefits to the community. The really successful holders of such titles are those that do a great deal more than fill hotel bedrooms and bring in high-profile arts events and good press for a year. They transform the aspirations of the people who live there; they nudge the self-image of the city into a bolder and more optimistic light. It is hard to get right, and requires a remarkable degree of vision, as well as cooperation between city authorities, the private sector, community groups and cultural organisations. But it can be done: Glasgow’s year as European capital of culture can certainly be seen as one of a complex series of factors that have turned the city into the powerhouse of art, music and theatre that it remains today.
A “town of culture” could be not just about the arts but about honouring a town’s peculiarities-helping sustain its high street, supporting local facilities and above all celebrating its people. Jeremy Wright, the culture secretary, should welcome this positive, hope-filled proposal, and turn it into action.
21. Cooper and her colleagues argue that a “town of culture” award could
22. According to Paragraph 2, the proposal might be regarded by some as
23. The author suggests that a title holder is successful only if it
24. Glasgow is mentioned in Paragraph 3 to present
25. What is the author’s attitude towards the proposal?
答案与解析 (Answers)
21. [C] increase the economic strength of Britain’s towns.
解析：第一段末尾明确指出，“A town of culture award could... become an annual event, attracting funding and creating jobs（吸引资金和创造就业）”，这完美对应选项C中提到的增加英国城镇的“经济实力（economic strength）”。
22. [B] a self-deceiving attempt.
解析：第二段提到愤世嫉俗者可能会推测英国在绝望中正走向无休止的“self-celebration（自我吹捧/自我陶醉）”。这种盲目自嗨的表现，恰好对应选项B的“自欺欺人的尝试（self-deceiving attempt）”。
23. [D] commits to its long-term growth.
解析：第三段指出，经营不善的“文化之年”不会留下“lasting benefits（持久的利益）”，而真正成功的不仅是吸引眼球，更是“transform the aspirations（改变追求）”并走向乐观。这些都强调必须关注城镇的“长远发展（long-term growth）”，因此选D。
24. [B] a supporting example.
解析：第三段在论述成功需要长远眼光及各方合作非常困难后，用“But it can be done（但这是可以做到的）”引出格拉斯哥（Glasgow）的例子。这显然是一个“支持性的例子（supporting example）”来证明前文的观点。
25. [C] Favourable.
解析：在最后一段，作者直接评价该提议为“positive, hope-filled proposal（积极的、充满希望的提议）”，并呼吁文化大臣将其付诸实践，这明确体现了作者对其持“赞成的（Favourable）”态度。
核心长难句精解 (Highlighted Sentences)
1. 宾语从句与情感色彩表达：
"A cynic might speculate that the UK is on the verge of disappearing into an endless fever of self-celebration in its desperation to reinvent itself for the post-Brexit world..."
【解析】that 引导宾语从句，说明愤世嫉俗者的推测。be on the verge of 意为“处于...的边缘”；in its desperation to 表示“在绝望/拼命做某事的过程中”。本句运用了带有强烈贬义色彩的词汇（cynic, endless fever, self-celebration, desperation）来生动描述反对者的看法。
【翻译】愤世嫉俗者可能会推测，为了在脱欧后的世界中重塑自我，英国正处于绝望之中，即将陷入一场无休止的自我陶醉的狂热。
"A cynic might speculate that the UK is on the verge of disappearing into an endless fever of self-celebration in its desperation to reinvent itself for the post-Brexit world..."
【解析】that 引导宾语从句，说明愤世嫉俗者的推测。be on the verge of 意为“处于...的边缘”；in its desperation to 表示“在绝望/拼命做某事的过程中”。本句运用了带有强烈贬义色彩的词汇（cynic, endless fever, self-celebration, desperation）来生动描述反对者的看法。
【翻译】愤世嫉俗者可能会推测，为了在脱欧后的世界中重塑自我，英国正处于绝望之中，即将陷入一场无休止的自我陶醉的狂热。
2. 比较结构与定语从句：
"The really successful holders of such titles are those that do a great deal more than fill hotel bedrooms and bring in high-profile arts events and good press for a year."
【解析】those 是表语，后面的 that 引导定语从句修饰 those。more than... 构成了对比，指出成功的持有者所做的远不止表面上的繁荣。
【翻译】这类头衔的真正成功持有者，是那些做得远比仅仅在一年内填满酒店客房、引入备受瞩目的艺术活动和良好媒体报道要多得多的人。
"The really successful holders of such titles are those that do a great deal more than fill hotel bedrooms and bring in high-profile arts events and good press for a year."
【解析】those 是表语，后面的 that 引导定语从句修饰 those。more than... 构成了对比，指出成功的持有者所做的远不止表面上的繁荣。
【翻译】这类头衔的真正成功持有者，是那些做得远比仅仅在一年内填满酒店客房、引入备受瞩目的艺术活动和良好媒体报道要多得多的人。
3. 并列结构与长主语：
"It is hard to get right, and requires a remarkable degree of vision, as well as cooperation between city authorities, the private sector, community groups and cultural organisations."
【解析】It 为形式主语，指代前文提到的实现持久转型。as well as 连接了并列的宾语，详细列举了成功所必需的多方合作要素。
【翻译】这很难做到恰到好处，它需要非凡的远见，以及城市当局、私营部门、社区团体和文化组织之间的通力合作。
"It is hard to get right, and requires a remarkable degree of vision, as well as cooperation between city authorities, the private sector, community groups and cultural organisations."
【解析】It 为形式主语，指代前文提到的实现持久转型。as well as 连接了并列的宾语，详细列举了成功所必需的多方合作要素。
【翻译】这很难做到恰到好处，它需要非凡的远见，以及城市当局、私营部门、社区团体和文化组织之间的通力合作。