STOCKHOLM, Oct.11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese writer Mo Yan has won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature, announced Peter Englund, Permanent Secretary of the Swedish Academy in Stockholm on Thursday. The Nobel Prize in Literature 2012 is awarded to Chinese writer Mo Yan "who with hallucinatory realism merges folk tales, history and the contemporary," said Englund at a press conference. Mo Yan, a pseudonym for Guan Moye, was born in 1955 and grew up in Gaomi in Shandong province in eastern China.His parents were farmers. As a 12-year-old during the Cultural Revolution he left school to work, first in agriculture, later in a factory.In 1976 he joined the People's Liberation Army and during this time began to study literature and write.His first short story was published in a literary journal in 1981. "In his writing, Mo Yan draws on his youthful experiences and on settings in the province of his birth.This is apparent in his novel Hong gaoliang jiazu (1987, in English Red Sorghum 1993)," said the academy in a statement of Mo's biography. The book consists of five stories that unfold and interweave in Gaomi in several turbulent decades in the 20th century, with depictions of bandit culture, the Japanese occupation and the harsh conditions endured by poor farm workers, according to the biography.Red Sorghum was successfully filmed in 1987, directed by famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou. Through a mixture of fantasy and reality, historical and social perspectives, Mo Yan has created a world reminiscent in its complexity of those in the writings of William Faulkner and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, at the same time finding a departure point in old Chinese literature and in oral tradition, the academy commented in the biographical statement. In addition to his novels, Mo Yan has published many short stories and essays on various topics.In spite of his social criticism, he is seen in his homeland as one of the foremost contemporary authors, the statement added. Dozens of his works have been translated into English, French and... Where can you possibly read tins article? A) In a magazine B) At the front of a novel C) In a Business brochure D) on the newspaper
D


At first, the earth's surface layer   was made up of huge blocks of hard, solid rocks. Then slowly, the rocks broke up into smaller and smaller pieces. Finally stones, pebbles   and grains of sand were formed. Many sorts of plants and animals lived and died on the surface of the earth. Their remains mixed up with the stones, pebbles and formed soil. The outmost layer of the earth is soil. There are many ways in which large pieces of rock break into smaller ones. Wind, water, heat and cold help to break up rocks. When winds blow grains of sand against a large rock for a long time, the softer layers of the rock are slowly worn away. These leave holes and cracks in the rock, which become bigger and finally the rock breaks up into smaller pieces. The moving water of streams and rivers also helps to break up rocks. As the water moves along, it carries with it small pieces of rock. These rub the larger ones. Thus, the larger rocks are worn down to smaller pieces. The heat of the sun is also helpful to breaking up rocks. When the sun shines, the rocks become very hot. If these rocks are suddenly cooled, they may crack. Ice also plays a part in making soil. Water in the cracks can turn into ice in cold weather. As this happens, it becomes bigger and the cracks become wider, and finally break into smaller pieces. Which of the following speeds up  the breaks of rocks most? A) Hot weather. B) Cold water. C) Sharp changes in temperature. D) More dead plants in the cracks.
C


Q: From early times, man has been interested in art. People have often worked together to collect and save the world's art treasures. Fine art treasures from many countries are kept in an art museum called the Louvre   in Paris, France. The works of art have been collected by the people of France over many centuries. It is the biggest art museum in the world. The Louvre has not always been a museum. The first building was a fort. In 1190, it was the king's castle with high walls and a round tower, which had a river around it to keep out the enemies. Over the years, the number of buildings around the castle grew. By 1350, the castle no longer needed a fort. The Louvre became a palace home for French kings and queens. During times of peace, new treasures were brought in. During the days of war, many treasures were stolen, and the buildings were damaged. When Francis I became king of France in 1515, he brought in many artists from other countries. One of the artists was Lenardo da Vinci from Italy. Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" is the best known painting in the museum today. In 1793, the Louvre became a public museum. It is a place where art treasures are kept for everyone to enjoy. Every year millions of people from all over the world come to the Louvre to see the masterpieces. Most of works of art in the Louvre have been collected probably by   _  . A) the French people B) Francis I C) Leonardo da Vinci D) people of the world
A: A


Q: English Conversation Leader: Mandi Ashmore english@ iwc-lausanne. org We meet on Mondays at 14:30 at the IWC clubhouse. We chat for about an hour and discuss everything. Mandi asks "students" to contact her on Monday to confirm the class as sometimes she needs to cancel for various reasons or occasionally she may choose to hold the class at a different venue  or at an earlier time for us to be able to have lunch together. French Conversation, Advanced Beginner Leader: Marielle Sulmoni frenchconvo@ iwc-lausanne. org I'm French (born in Bordeaux) and Swiss by marriage. I hold an advanced beginners' French conversation class on Tuesday afternoons from 14:30 16:00. We meet weekly at the clubhouse in a friendly atmosphere. I hope to help you use your knowledge of French, allowing you to speak with no fear of making mistakes, which in time will become fewer and fewer. French Language Lab, Beginner Leader: Maija Remlinger frenchlab@ iwc-lausanne. org The group meets on Thursday afternoons from 15:00-16:30 at the clubhouse. The first half of the class is devoted to reading out loud from the book "Easy French Reader", working on pronunciation and phrasing. During the second half, we listen to audio recordings from "New French with Ease" and work on oral comprehension. French Conversation, Advanced Leader: Juliette Brull french@ iwc-lausanne, org We meet every Tuesday at the IWC clubhouse from 9:30-11:00. Most of our time is devoted to very lively discussions about current events and various topics. We also read a book written by a French author and sometimes we see a French movie. Why are you advised to contact Mandi? A) To check the arrangement. B) To exchange ideas. C) To decide the topics. D) To ask for leave.

A: A