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 zozl. Cooper and her colleagues argue that the success of the crown for Hull, where it brought in E220m of investment and an avalache of arts, out not to be confined to cities. Britain' town, it is true are not prevented from applying, but they generally lack the resources to put together a bit to beat their bigger competitions. 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 boo by prize for the fact that Britain is no longer be able to apply for the much more prestigious title of European capital of culture, a sought-after award bagged by Glasgow in 1990 and Livorpool 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 that 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 organizations. But it can be done : Glasgow' s year as European capital of culture can certainly be seen as one of complex series of factors that have turned the city into the power 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 and turn it into action.
21. Cooper and her colleagues argue that a "town of culture" award could________
[A] consolidate the town-city ties in Britain.
[B] promote cooperation among Britain's towns.
[C] increase the economic strength of Britain's towns.
[D] focus Britain's limited resources on cultural events.
22. According to Paragraph 2, the proposal might be regarded by some as________
[A] a sensible compromise.
[B] a self-deceiving attempt.
[C] an eye-catching bonus.
[D] an inaccessible target.
23. The author suggests that a title holder is successful only if it________
[A] endeavours to maintain its image.
[B] meets the aspirations of its people.
[C] brings its local arts to prominence.
D] commits to its long-term growth.
24. Glasgow is mentioned in Paragraph 3 to present________
[A] a contrasting case.
[B] a supporting example.
[C] a background story,
[D] a related topic.
25. What is the author's attitude towards the proposal ?
[A] Skeptical
[B] Objective
[C] Favourable
[D] Critical
21 C increase the economic strength of Britain’s towns
這道題是細節題。題干問庫珀和她的同事們認為“文化之城”這一獎項可能會怎樣可以定位在第一段第三句：“Cooper and her colleagues argue that the success of the crown for Hull,……” “赫爾之冠”的成功并不局限于城市，它為赫爾帶來了2.2億歐元的投資和大量藝術作品。英國的城鎮，確實沒有被阻止申請，但他們通常缺乏資源來湊齊一點來擊敗他們更大的競爭對手。有人認為，“文化之城”獎可以成為一項年度活動，吸引資金并創造就業機會。所以能看出答案是C. 增強英國城鎮的經濟實力。
22 B a self-deceiving attempt
該題是推斷題, 題干問:根據第二段，這一提議或許會被一些人認為是…….。 可以定位在第二段第一句“Some might see the proposal as a boo by prize for the fact that……”“有些人可能會把這個提議看作是一個噓聲，因為英國已經不能再申請更有聲望的歐洲文化之都的稱號了……” 能看出來有些人是持反面態度的。很多人不認識boo，但是也能從后面的on the verge of disappearing into an endless fever of self-celebration in its desperation to reinvent itself for,在絕望地為英國退歐后的世界重塑形象之際，英國即將消失在一場無休止的自我慶祝熱潮之中. 接下來幾個反問句，能看出來是一種自我欺騙的嘗試，所以選擇B。
