We can achieve knowledge either actively or passively(被动地). We achieve it actively by direct experience, by testing and proving an idea, or by reasoning.
We achieve knowledge passively by being told by someone else. Most of the learning that takes place in the classroom and the kind that happens when we watch TV or read newspapers or magazines is passive. Conditioned as we are to passive learning, it’s not surprising that we depend on it in our everyday communication with friends and co-workers.
Unfortunately, passive learning has a serious problem. It makes us tend to accept what we are told even when it is little more than hearsay and rumor(谣言).
Did you ever play the game Rumor? It begins when one person writes down a message but doesn’t show it to anyone. Then the person whispers it, word for word, to another person. That person, in turn, whispers it to still another, and so on, through all the people playing the game. The last person writes down the message word for word as he or she hears it. Then the two written statements are compared. Typically, the original message has changed.
That’s what happens in daily life. The simple fact that people repeat a story in their own words changes the story. Then, too, most people listen imperfectly. And many enjoy adding their own creative touch to a story, trying to improve on it, stamping(打上标记)it with their own personal style. Yet those who hear it think they know.
This process is also found among scholars and authors: A statement of opinion by one writer may be re-stated as fact by another, who may in turn be quoted by yet another; and this process may continue, unless it occurs to someone to question the facts on which the original writer based his opinion or to challenge the interpretation he placed upon those facts.According to the passage, passive learning may occur in _______.
A.visiting an exhibition |
B.solving a math problem |
C.doing a medical experiment |
D.doing scientific reasoning |
The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refers to _____.
A.active learning |
B.passive learning |
C.communication |
D.knowledge |
The author mentions the game Rumor to show that _____.
A.a message should be delivered in different ways |
B.a message may be changed when being passed on |
C.people may have problems with their sense of hearing |
D.people tend not to believe in what they know as rumor |
What can we infer from the passage?
A.Active learning is less important. |
B.Passive learning is not found among scholars. |
C.Active learning occurs more frequently. |
D.Passive learning may not be reliable. |
E
When most people think of tropical islands, lined with white sandy beaches and bright blue seas, it is often the Caribbean or South Pacific that comes to mind. But for Chinese tourists who want a taste of paradise on Earth there is new place to consider. Mauritius, an island lying off the southeast of Africa in the Indian Ocean, has just been added to China’s list of tourist destinations. Rich in history, natural beauty and culture, the island has been a popular destination for the world’s tourists for many years.
On December 15 a total of eight African countries were added to the list. The others are Tunisia, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia and the Seychelles.
The island has passed through the controlling hands of a number of European powers, including Dutch, French and British. In 1968, Mauritius won its independence.
At present, over half the population of Mauritius is Hindu and another fifth is Muslim (穆斯林). Both groups are descendants (后裔) from workers brought to the island from India by the British. Some Chinese were also brought over to work. There are also descendants of African slaves and Franco Mauritians, the original settlers of the island. One of the best things about the island is the food. There is a mouth watering mix of European, Chinese and Indian flavours and seafood is very popular. A typical Mauritian dinner might have Indian chicken curry, Chinese pork, British roast beef and French style vegetables. Boiled rice is served with just about everything. All that is washed down with a plentiful supply of local beer and rum (浪姆酒).
The pleasant tropical climate and scenery provide the perfect setting to enjoy everything. The sea is full of colorful life that lives around the coral reef (珊瑚礁). This makes Mauritius a wonderful place for swimming and diving. The large number of interesting fish means it is also an exciting place for those who like to go fishing.
()72. Which group of the following topics is NOT discussed in the text?
A. Food and history. B. Scenery and population.
C. Location and sports. D. Natural resources and agriculture.
()73. Which of the following is TRUE?
A. Mauritius has something similar to the Caribbean or South Pacific.
B. Mauritius has a history of less than 40 years.
C. Mauritius has been a popular destination for Chinese tourists for many years.
D. The main food in Mauritius is local beer and rum.
()74. The underlined word "This" in the last paragraph refers to "______".
A. pleasant tropical climate B. beautiful scenery
C. the sea with colorful life D. the coral reef
()75. The text is mainly written to_______.
A. attract more Chinese to travel to Mauritius.
B. introduce some information about Mauritius.
C. give some advice on how to visit Mauritius.
D. help the visitors understand more about Mauritius.
D
Who takes care of the elderly in the United States today? Many people wrongly believe that when people reach old age, their families place them in nursing homes. They are left there in the hands of strangers for the rest of their lives. Their grown-up children visit them only occasionally, but more often, they do not have any regular visitors. Actually this is not true. In fact, family members provide over 80 percent of the care that elderly people need.
Prof. Samuel Preston, a sociologist at the University of Pennsylvania, studied how the American family is changing. He reported that by the time the average American couple reaches 40 years of age, they have more parents than children. This statistic (统计) shows the change in life-styles and responsibilities of aging Americans. The average middle-aged couple can look forward to caring for elderly parents some time after their own children have grown up. Moreover, because people today live longer after an illness than people did years ago, family members must provide long-term care. These facts also mean that after care-givers provide for their elderly parents, who will eventually die, they will be old and may require care too. When they do, their spouses (配偶, 指夫或妻) will probably take care of them.
Because Americans are living longer than ever, more psychologists and social workers have begun to study care-giving to improve care of the elderly. They have found that all caregivers share a common characteristic: all caregivers believe that they are the best person for the job, for different reasons. One caregiver said that she had always been close to her mother. Another was the oldest child. In other words, they all felt that they could do the job better than anyone else. Social workers interviewed caregivers to find out why they took on the responsibility of caring for an elderly, dependent relative. They discovered three basic reasons. Many caregivers believed that they had the responsibility to help their relatives. Some stated that helping others made them feel more useful. Others hoped that by helping someone now, they would deserve care when they became old and dependent.
()68. It can be inferred that a middle-aged couple in the US _______.
A. spend more time with their children than with their parents
B. depend on their children’s assistance in caring for the elderly
C. don’t pay more attention to their children than to their parents
D. spend more time taking care of their parents than before
()69. The most common characteristic of caregivers is ______.
A. they all have professional qualifications in care-giving
B. they all believe themselves to be the best caregiver
C. they are the eldest child in the family
D. they are close to their parents
()70. Which of the following is NOT a basic reason for care-giving?
A. Respect from other members of the family.
B. Prepayment for the care they will get in old age.
C. A feeling of being needed and helpful.
D. A strong sense of duty to the elderly.
()71. What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Most old people in the US are living a happy life.
B. Most old people in the US live longer today after an illness than people did years ago.
C. Most elderly people in the US are taken care of by their families, who often find the experience satisfying.
D. Most elderly people in the US prefer living with their families to living nursing houses.
C
I spotted (发现;认出) him at the checkout counter, bagging at No.14. His arms shook violently as he placed a carton (纸板箱;纸盒) of eggs into a plastic bag. He wore a yellow plastic name tag on which he had written “Jerry” in kindergarten penmanship (书法). He looked middle-aged but his mental age must have been about 12.
Ever since I smiled at him the first time he bagged my groceries at my local supermarket, Jerry has followed me around like an adoring fan. His lack of boundaries makes me uncomfortable. I don’t know how to avoid being noticed by him. I don’t want to speak to the manager — my complaint could get him fired. So I start avoiding him.
There are other grocery stores, but I choose this one because it employs people with disabilities, from which my brothers have also suffered.
Last Wednesday after I finished choosing what I wanted, I turned around and drove my cart to Checkout No.3, hoping Jerry would not notice me and stay at No.14.
“Paper or plastic, ma’am?” Jerry’s soft voice surprised me from behind. “Paper, please.” I noticed that the checkout stand created plenty of space between Jerry and the clerk. In this situation, he knew where to stand. The clerk said to me: “$27.30, please.” I handed my own cart, signed my receipt and stepped around the counter, where Jerry was holding my last packet of biscuits. He came towards me, stopping an inch from me. He was too close. I wanted to dash out of the store and leave behind the packet. Instead, I stood with my hand frozen on the cart. His eyes looked lonely — I knew they would follow me after I left the store. I wanted to apologize for my coldness. “I’m …I’m sorry.” A tiny voice inside me said. I tapped my head with my hand as if I had forgotten something. “Forgive me. I’m from New York City. I’m not used to people being so helpful.”
He laughed. I laughed. His eyes brightened. “It’s my job, ma’am. I like it.” he said. When he offered to push my cart, I didn’t care but nodded deeply.
()64. The author feels uncomfortable because _______________ .
A. Jerry is like an adoring fan to her
B. Jerry is mentally younger
C. Jerry’s handwriting is terrible
D. Jerry is too close to her without proper distance
()65. At the checkout stand, _______________ .
A. Jerry offered to pay my biscuits
B. Jerry was left behind with a packet of biscuits.
C. Jerry knew the social importance of distance.
D. Jerry was not close to me.
()66. From the passage we can infer that _______________ .
A. Jerry liked his job
B. the author was afraid of Jerry
C. the author’s brothers were disabled
D. Jerry saw the author as his close friend
()67. What would be the best title for this passage?
A. Too Close for Comfortable
B. Don’t Look Down upon the Disabled
C. How to Keep a Good Relation
D. Don’t Smile at Strangers
B
When a rather dirty, poorly-dressed person kneels at your feet and puts out his hands to beg for a few coins, do you hurry on, not knowing what to do, or do you feel sad and hurriedly hand over some money? What should our attitude to beggars be? There can’t be no question that the world is full of terrible sad stories. It must be terrible to have no idea where our next meal is going to come from. It seems cruel not to give some money to beggars.
Certainly, most of the world’s great religions order us to be open-hearted and share what we have with those less fortunate than ourselves. But has the world changed? Maybe what was morally (道德方面) right in the old days, when one knew exactly who in the village had suffered misfortune and needed help, is no longer the best idea. Quite a few people will not give to beggars. Let us look at their arguments.
First, some believe that many city beggars dress up on purpose to look pitiable and actually make a good living from begging. Giving to beggars only encourages this sort of evil (恶行). Secondly, there is the opinion that there is no real excuse for begging. One might be poor, but that is no reason for losing one’s sense of pride and self-dependence.
Related to this in the opinion that the problem should be dealt with by the government rather than ordinary people . Some people think beggars should go to the local government department and receive help.
It is hard to come to any final conclusion; there are various cases and we must deal with them differently. A few coins can save a life in some situations, and even if the money is wasted, that does not take away the moral goodness of the giver.
()60. What is mainly discussed in the passage?
A. Moral deeds of people.
B. Religious activities of the church.
C. Moral goodness of the giver
D. Arguments on giving to beggars.
()61. What can we infer from the sentence “But has the world changed?” in the second paragraph?
A. People no longer know who was morally right in the past.
B. Some people will not do what was morally right in the past.
C. We don’t meet with those who need help any more.
D. Now it is the government’s duty to help the beggars.
()62. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. Some people dress up to pretend to be beggars.
B. Some beggars want money to help their children go to school.
C. Some beggars use the money to buy drugs.
D. Some beggars have no excuse for begging.
()63. In the last paragraph, the writer thinks that it is hard to come to any final conclusion, because ___________.
A. the cases can be so different
B. there are so many beggars
C. there is so much money wasted
D. there are so many different arguments
第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题满分40分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中选出最佳选项
A
My friend, Emma Daniels, spent the summer of 1974 traveling in Israel. During her month long stay in Jerusalem she often went to a cafe called Chocolate Soup. It was run by two men, one of whom—Alex—used to live in Montreal. One morning when Emma went in for coffee, while chatting with her new friend Alex, she mentioned that she had just finished the book she was reading and had nothing else to read. Alex said he had a wonderful book she might like, and that he’d be happy to lend it to her. As he lived just above the cafe, he quickly ran up to get it. The book he handed to Emma just minutes later was Markings, a book by a former Secretary General of the United Nations (UN).
Emma had never read it, nor had she ever bought a copy. But, when she opened it up, she was floored to see her own name and address inside the cover, in her own handwriting. It turned out that the summer before, at a concert back in Montreal, Emma had met a Californian who was in town visiting friends. They decided to exchange addresses, but neither of them had any paper. The man opened up a book he was carrying in his backpack (背包) and asked Emma to write her name and address inside. When he returned to California, he 1eft the book behind in Montreal, and his friend Alex kept it. When Alex later moved to Jerusalem, he took the book along.
()56. Alex lent Emma the book Markings, __________ .
A. to show his friendliness to her
B. to show his interest in reading
C. to tell her about the importance of the UN
D. to let her write her name and address inside
()57. How did Emma feel the moment she opened the book?
A. Pleased. B. Satisfied C. Worried. D. Surprised.
()58. We can learn from the text that the Californian __________ .
A. met Emma at a concert
B. invited Emma to a concert
C. introduced Emma to his friend
D. left Emma his backpack
()59. Who was supposed to be the first owner of the book?
A. An official of the UN.
B. A coffee shop owner.
C. A friend of the author’s.
D. Alex's friend from California.