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 washes 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.

1.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.

解析：选C。C 观点态度题。首段第五句指出，库珀等人认为“文化之镇”奖能够“吸引投资，创造就业”，可以概括为“增强英国小镇的经济实力”，故选C。

2.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

解析：选B。B 推理判断题。本段第一句指岀，一些人认为该提议是英国失去申请“欧洲文化之都”资格后的自我安慰；第二句指出英国正陷入无休止的自我庆祝之中。B项是对质疑者态度的合理概括。

3.The author suggests that a title holder is successful only if it _________.

A endeavours to maintain its image

B meets the aspiration of its people

C brings its local arts to prominence

D commits to its long-term growth

解析：选D。D 观点态度题。第三段第二句描述失败的“文化年”只带来一时的风光而不是长远的利益，暗示“成功的称号获得者”应该为当地带来长远的利益。第三四句正面展开对成功的称号获得者的论述，即成功者不止于短期的酒店客房满员、备受瞩目的艺术活动以及一整年的正面报道，还应改变当地人民的愿景（transform the aspirations of the people who live there）、将城市的自我认知引向更加乐观的一面（nudge the self-image of the city into a bolder and more optimistic light），这显然在强调长期发展。正确项D是原文观点的合理推断。

4.Glasgow is mentioned in Paragraph 3 to present _________.

A a contrasting case

B a supporting example

C a background story

D a related topic

解析：选B。B 细节理解题。定位到第三段第六句，Glasgow出现在But it can be done之后，是冒号之后的论证内容。要搞清Glasgow的功能需要确定前面的it所指。往回看，第三四五句都在阐述如何才能成为成功的称号获得者，it指代的是“成为成功的称号获得者”这件事，而Glasgow所在的句子讲的正是它当选“欧洲文化之都”后成功转变为艺术、音乐以及戏剧重镇，并持续至今，与上文逻辑吻合，因此是一个正面例证，B正确。

5.What is the author’s attitude towards the proposal?

A Skeptical.

B Objective.

C Favourable.

D Critical.

解析：选C。C 观点态度题。末段末句作者明确建议文化部长应该“欣然接受”这一积极向上、充满希望的提议，体现出其对提议的支持态度。C项正确。