A
For its outsize reputation, Silicon Valley is a narrow thing. America’s innovation (创新) capital mainly consists of many small towns and cities on the San Francisco Peninsula (半岛) squeezed between the coastal mountain range to the west and the bay to the east. It is traditionally made up of the top of Santa Clara County as well as the very bottom of San Mateo County.
Not long ago, this place was known as the Valley of Heart’s Delight, famous for its plentiful fruit yards. The circumstances that turned the countryside into a technological center have been studied carefully, and many have attempted to replicate the magic in Silicon Valley. But for the past two decades, photographer Beth Yarnelle Edwards has been documenting the one aspect often unnoticed by these observers: Silicon Valley’s fundamentally suburban (郊区的) character.
Edwards’ Suburban Dreams project was born in 1997. “I felt lonely and trapped, but I realized that the people around me really loved being there, ” she recalled. She began by photographing friends and acquaintances near her home in San Carlos. The project grew as she interviewed her subjects to understand how their environment shaped their hopes and dreams. “It’s really important to me that the pictures are true to what is happening in the home, ” she says. In 2016, Edwards began revisiting her subjects to see the effects of the economic growth and the wealth. But she was surprised by how little had changed in the lives of those still there.
Many Silicon Valley natives do not recognize much of what they see there nowadays. It’s true that modest bungalows (平房) have been replaced by very large houses. Almost everything is more crowded and more expensive. But a lot will never change. The main roads—Highway 101, El Camino Real—are the same. So are the freestanding oak trees and gentle hills surrounded by golden grass. And at the heart of them all, as Edwards’ photos illustrate, the suburban dream is still alive.
【文章大意】本文是一篇夹叙夹议文。硅谷是由美国旧金山附近的郊区乡镇发展而成的, 虽然经济富裕, 高楼大厦取代了平房, 但是从爱德华兹所拍摄的硅谷人民生活变化的照片可以看出, 经济的发展对许多人的生活并没有产生很大的影响。人们仍旧保留着“郊区之梦”。
1. Where is Silicon Valley?
A. In the center of San Francisco.
B. On the San Francisco Peninsula.
C. On the top of Santa Clara County.
D. At the bottom of San Mateo County.
【解析】选B。细节理解题。根据第一段第二句“America’s innovation capital mainly consists of many small towns and cities on the San Francisco Peninsula squeezed between the coastal mountain range to the west and the bay to the east. ”可知, 硅谷位于美国旧金山半岛处, 夹在位于西方的沿海山脉和位于东方的海湾之间, 故B项正确。
2. Which of the following best explains the underlined word “replicate” in Paragraph 2?
A. Copy. B. Replace.
C. Study. D. Report.
【解析】选A。词义猜测题。根据第二段第二句“The circumstances that turned the countryside into a technological center have been studied carefully, and many have attempted to replicate the magic in Silicon Valley. ”可知, 将农村变成科技中心的环境已经被仔细研究过; 由该句中的“have been studied carefully”并结合语境可知, 画线词意为“复制”, 即复制硅谷的魔力, 故A项正确。
3. What did the project focus on later?
A. People’s hopes and dreams.
B. The wish of the acquaintances.
C. The true life of the local people.
D. Silicon Valley’s influences on the locals.
【解析】选D。推理判断题。根据第三段最后两句“In 2016, Edwards began revisiting her subjects to see the effects of the economic growth and the wealth. But she was surprised by how little had changed in the lives of those still there. ”可知, 在2016年, 爱德华兹开始再次拜访她的研究对象, 看看经济增长和财富带来的影响; 但令她惊讶的是, 那些仍在那里的人的生活变化甚微。据此可知, 该项目后来关注的是硅谷对当地人生活的影响, 故D项正确。
4. What can be a suitable title for the text?
A. Crazy Changes, Crazy Followers
B. Wild Dream, Successful Project
C. Lively City, Major Innovation
D. Unchanging Life, Unchanging Dream
【解析】选D。标题判断题。根据尾段第四句“But a lot will never change. ”和最后一句“And at the heart of them all, as Edwards’ photos illustrate, the suburban dream is still alive. ”, 并结合全文内容可知, 本文主要讲述了“虽然硅谷在经济上取得了巨大的成功, 但是人们的生活并没有由此发生太大的变化, 人们的郊区之梦也没有改变”这一主题, 故D项最适合作本文的标题。
【知识拓展】长难句分析
It’s really important to me that the pictures are true to what is happening in the home.
分析: 本句是it 为形式主语, that引导的从句为主语从句, 主语从句中to后跟宾语从句, 连词what在该宾语从句中作主语。
翻译: 这对我来说真的很重要, 这些照片是真实的发生在家里的。
