C
Our brains work in complex and strange ways．There are some people who can calculate the day of the week for any given date in 40,000 years, but who cannot add two plus two．Others can perform complex classical piano pieces after hearing them once, but they cannot read or write．
Dr．J．Langdon Down first described this condition in 1887．He called these people idiot savants．An idiot savant is a person who has significant mental impairment （损伤） , such as in autism or retardation．At the same time, the person also exhibits some extraordinary skills, which are unusual for most people．The skills of the savant may vary from being exceptionally gifted in music or in mathematics, or having a photographic memory．
One of the first descriptions of a human who could calculate quickly was written in 1789 by Dr．Benjamin Rush, an American doctor．His patient, Thomas Fuller, was brought to Virginia as a slave in 1724．It took Thomas only 90 seconds to work out that a man who has lived 70 years, 17 days, and 12 hours has lived 2,210,500,800 seconds．Despite this ability, he died in 1790 without ever learning to read or write．
Another idiot savant slave became famous as a pianist in the 1860s．Blind Tom had a vocabulary of only 100 words, but he played 5 ,000 musical 
pieces beautifully．
In the excellent movie Rain Man, made in 1988 and available on video cassette, Dustin Hoffman plays an idiot savant who amazes his brother played by Tom Cruise, with his ability to perform complex calculations very rapidly．
Today we more clearly recognize that the idiot savant is special because of brain impairment．Yet not all brain impairment leads to savant skills．Some studies have shown that people who have purposeful interruption of the left side of the brain can develop idiot savant skills．However few people wish to participate in such experiments．There are many excellent reasons for not undergoing unnecessary experimentation on one's brain．The t
erm idiot savant is outdated and inappropriate．Virtually all savants have a high degree of intelligence and are thus not idiots．
63．What does the passage mainly talk about?
A．Idiot savants have areas of outstanding abilities．
B．Human Beings have complicated thinking process．
C．The brains of the idiot savants are partly impaired．
D．The reasons why people have wonderful skills vary．
64．Which of the following can be done by Rain Man?
A．He can play wonderful pieces of classical music．
B．He can guess out exactly the length of a man's life．
C．He can memorize the contents of the pictures fast．
D．He can count matches dropped on the floor quickly．
65．What can you infer from the passage?
A．Idiot savants have real talents for art and math．
B．Dr．Down is the first person who found idiot savants．
C．Few people wish to risk becoming savants by brain operations．
D．Intentional left brain impairments will surely lead to idiot savants．
66．Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
1—5refer to paragraph 1—5.
Do we need an “Ivy League”?
China may soon have its own “Ivy League”, with a union of top universities.
The term originally referred to an athletic conference of eight top universities in the northeastern US. The Chinese version, which was officially started in mid-October, consists of nine famous universities, including Peking, Tsinghua, Zhejiang and Fudan. The union is supposed to result in student exchange programs, recognition of academic achievements, and other joint programs.
The news of this Chinese “Ivy League” has received mixed responses from the public and press. Some negative critics have dismissed it as yet another example of the wishful copying of international practices without fully understanding them. Others say that the “Ivy League” is not necessary but that the union is a good idea, one that could promote academic development.
So what’s your opinion on a Chinese “Ivy League”? Do we need one?
Yes. Ivy League or not, nine of China’s best universities cooperating is a good thing.
These universities combining resources could create a better environment for students and for research. It could also save a lot of time and resources because it would mean fewer unnecessary investments for some of the universities.
Allowing students to move to or have exchanges with other universities could broaden their horizons, improve their social skills and create more employment opportunities. The results could be more important than lessons and achievements.
The term “Ivy League” carries a sense of academic excellence, tradition and reputation. If borrowing such a term could encourage students’ and professors’ mental state and improve Chinese higher education, then there’s no reason not to do it.
No. Universities should do some work on increasing cooperation instead of copying an “Ivy League” model.
Many Chinese universities already have such cooperation with each other. If this cooperation were associated with the “Ivy League”, it would just distract (分散) attention and resources and have a negative effect.
These Chinese universities are all state-run and most get their funding from the government. They’re quite similar to each other in many ways and more cooperation wouldn’t bring about as much potential ability as between , say, public and private, or Chinese and foreign universities.
China should find its own way to develop world-class universities instead of by copying some foreign practices. We have our own unique conditions and foreign lessons often don’t apply well here.
| Ivy in America |
Originally referred to an athletic conference of eight famous universities in the |
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Ivy in China |
Member universities |
Nine famous universities |
Purposes of the union |
* To exchange students |
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| * To |
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| * To work on joint programs |
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Positive side |
1. The cooperation is good for the combination of resources and |
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| 2. Students will have |
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| 3. The cooperation will encourage students and professors |
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| 1. |
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| 2. The cooperation won’t have great effects because of the |
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| 3. China should develop world-class universities in its unique way without |
You never see him, but they’re with you every time you fly. They record where you are going, how fast you’re traveling and whether everything on your airplane is functioning normally. Their ability to withstand(反抗、抵挡) almost any disaster makes them seem like something out of a comic book. They’re known as the black box.
When planes fall from the sky, as a Yemeni airliner did on its way to Comoros Islands in the India ocean June 30, 2009, the black box is the best bet for identifying what went wrong. So when a French submarine (潜水艇) detected the device’s homing signal five days later, the discovery marked a huge step toward determining the cause of a tragedy in which 152 passengers were killed.
In 1958, Australian scientist David Warren developed a flight-memory recorder that would track basic information like altitude and direction. That was the first mode for a black box, which became a requirement on all U.S. commercial flights by 1960. Early models often failed to withstand crashes, however, so in 1965 the device was completely redesigned and moved to the rear of the plane – the area least subject to impact – from its original position in the landing wells (起落架舱). The same year, the Federal Aviation Authority required that the boxes, which were never actually black, be painted orange or yellow to aid visibility.
Modern airplanes have two black boxes: a voice recorder, which tracks pilots’ conversations,and a flight-data recorder, which monitors fuel levels, engine noises and other operating functions that help investigators reconstruct the aircraft’s final moments. Placed in an isolated (隔绝的) case and surrounded by a quarter-inch-thick panels of stainless steel, the boxes can withstand massive force and temperatures up to 2,000℉. When submerged, they’re also able to emit signals from depths of 20,000 ft. Experts believe the boxes from Air France Flight 447, which crashed near Brazil on June 1, 2009, are in water nearly that deep, but statistics say they’re still likely to turn up. In the approximately 20 deep-sea crashes over the past 30 years, only one plane’s black boxes were never recovered. What does the author say about the black box?
| A．The idea for its design comes from a comic book. |
| B．Its ability to ward off (抗御) disasters is unbelievable. |
| C．It is an indispensable device on an airplane. |
| D．It ensures the normal functioning of an airplane. |
What information could be found from the black box on the Yemeni airliner?
| A．The total number of passengers on board. |
| B．The scene of the crash and extent of the damage. |
| C．Data for analyzing the cause of the crash. |
| D．Homing signals sent by the pilot before the crash. |
What do you think was the reason why the black box was redesigned in 1965?
| A．The early models didn’t provide the needed data. |
| B．The early models often got damaged in the crash. |
| C．Too much space was needed for its installation. |
| D．New materials became available by that time. |
What do we know about the black boxes from Air France Flight 447?
| A．They were destroyed somewhere near Brazil. |
| B．There is an urgent need for them to be reconstructed. |
| C．They have stopped sending homing signals. |
| D．There is still a good chance of their being recovered. |
A scientist turns out to be able to see the future by offering each of some four-year-olds a piece of candy and watching how he or she deals with it. Some children reach eagerly for the treat they see. Some last a few minutes before they give in. But others are determined to wait until the last moment.
By the time the children reach high school, something remarkable has happened. A survey found that those who as four-year-olds had enough self-control to hold out generally grew up to be more popular, adventurous, confident and dependable. The children who gave in to temptation early on were more likely to be lonely, easily frustrated and inflexible.
Actually, the ability to delay reward is a sign of emotional intelligence which doesn’t show up on an IQ test.
The hardware of the brain and the software of the mind have long been scientists’ concerns. But brain theory can’t explain what we wonder about most, like the question why some people remain upbeat in the face of troubles that would sink a less resistant soul.
Here comes the theory of Daniel Goleman, writer of Emotional Intelligence: when it comes to predicting people’s success, brain ability as measured by IQ may actually matter less than the qualities of mind once thought of as “character”.
EQ is not the opposite of IQ. What researchers have been trying to understand is how they work together; how one’s ability to handle stress, for instance, affects the ability to concentrate and put intelligence to use. Among the ingredients(要素) for success, researchers now generally agree that IQ counts for about 20%; the rest depends on everything from social class to luck.
While many researchers in this relatively new field are glad to see emotional issues finally taken seriously, some few fear EQ invites misuse. The experiment with the four-year-olds makes it clear that .
| A．the age of 4 is a proper time for scientific experiment |
| B．emotional intelligence won’t show up until adolescence |
| C．the ability of self-control plays a role in personal success |
| D．candy can be used to measure a person’s emotional intelligence |
The underlined word “upbeat” in Paragraph 4 probably means .
| A．kind | B．floating | C．excited | D．optimistic |
Why does the author mention the experiment at the beginning of the text?
| A．To amuse both the children and readers. |
| B．To prove the scientist’s wisdom. |
| C．To introduce the topic of the text. |
| D．To show us how to do an IQ test. |
What is most likely to be written in the paragraph that follows?
| A．Information about famous people with high EQ. |
| B．Examples showing the opposite voice about EQ. |
| C．Some reasons why EQ is a relatively new field. |
| D．Strong demand for basic emotional education. |
| Museum of the Moving Image(MMI) （Monday Closed） As the best museum in New York City and with a balance of hands-on(实际操作的)activities and information, it’s the rare bird that can entertain and educate people of different ages. It’s a perfect destination for a family trip of a couple hours. Pros - Excellent movie screenings. Easy subway access. Cons - Difficult to reach by car. |
| New York Hall of Science(NYHS) （Monday Closed） Being New York City’s only hands-on science and technology center, it is an interactive science museum focused on its audience of children. It has the most hands-on exhibits in an NYC museum, and it’s a fun destination for ages 5 and up. Older folks might take great interest in the NASA rockets outside the museum, but don’t bother unless you’ve kids to keep you company. Pros - Cool interactive science exhibits, the rockets. Cons - Hard to reach by public transportation. |
| Queens County Farm Museum(QCFM) （Year-round 7 days a week） It is an actual farm in New York City and home to animals your kids can feed and a yard full of a climbing plant whose fruit can be made into wine. Good chance to meet sheep, goats, pigs, chickens and cow! The animals are mostly readily accessible to visitors. And the museum sells feed for young hands willing to get licked by sheep and goats. Pros - Outdoor fun. Cons - Expensive Festivals, long bus ride, no subway. |
| Queens Museum of Art(QMA) （Monday and Tuesday Closed） Opened in 1972 to serve as a cultural center for the borough（行政区）, it exhibits art by local and international artists. Its best exhibits are on the two World’s Fairs, and of course, the Panorama of New York City, a giant, highly detailed diorama（透景画）of all five New York City boroughs. Pros - The Panorama!, great gift shop. Easy subway access. Cons – not much for kids. |
The least likely choice for 5-year-old Jack to make among the museums is .
| A．MMI | B．NYHS | C．QMA | D．QCFM |
According to the text, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．All the museums mentioned above lie in New York City. |
| B．No other museum in New York City is better than MMI. |
| C．Lucky visitors can see grapes in one of the museums. |
| D．NYHS has the most hands-on activities in America. |
We can know from the text that .
| A．people can visit only one of the museums any time and any day |
| B．visitors can pay a visit to all the museums by subway |
| C．there is often a rare bird flying in the sky above MMI |
| D．the Panorama is, as a matter of fact, a great gift shop |
Stonehenge may have been a prehistoric health center rather than a site for observing stars or a temple in honor of the dead, scientists said yesterday. New evidence unearthed at the World Heritage Site in more than 40 years suggests that the monument was a place where the diseased and injured went in groups, seeking cures.
After a two-week dig, scientists have concluded that Stonehenge was “the ancient healthcare centre of southern England” because of the existence of “bluestones”---the smaller columns of dolerite that formed an earlier stone structure.
By dating pieces of remains to around 7330BC, Tim Darvill, of Bournemouth University, and Goff Wainwright, of the Society of Antiquaries have found that hunter-gatherers were at the site on Salisbury Plain 4,000 years earlier than thought. The first stage of Stonehenge, a round earthwork structure, was built around 3000BC. Professor Wainwright added: “I did not expect the degree of complexity we discovered. We’re able to say so much more about when Stonehenge was built and why---all of which changes our previous understanding of the monument.”
The research reveals the importance of the henge’s famous bluestones. Hundreds of bluestone chips gathered at the site have led the team to conclude that the bluestones were valued for their curing effects---the key reason that about 80 of them, each weighing up to 4 tons and a half, were dragged more than 150 miles from the Preseli Hills to Wiltshire. After years of research, Professors Darvill and Wainwright have concluded that, for thousands of years, the Preseli mountain range was home to magical health centers and holy wells.
Even today there are those who believe in the curing powers of the springs for coughs and heart disease, and people who use crystals and bluestones for self-curing. Radiocarbon tests have also revealed that the construction of the original bluestone circle took place around 2300BC, three centuries later than originally thought. Interestingly, on the same day died the “Amesbury Archer”---a sick traveler from the Swiss or German Alps who had an infected knee---whose remains were discovered about five miles from Stonehenge. The professors believe that he was a devoted religious person who was hoping to benefit from the curing powers of the monument.Stonehenge is recently believed to be a place for people.
| A．to recover from poor health | B．to observe star movements |
| C．to hold religious ceremonies | D．to gather huge bluestones |
What can be inferred about Stonehenge from the passage?
A. The springs could cure coughs and heart disease best.
B. The new discovery was the same as what had been expected.
C. Some huge bluestones were not produced at Stonehenge.
D. The original bluestone circle was thought to be constructed around 2000BC.The sick traveler in the passage is supposed to be.
| A．a devoted religious person from Stonehenge |
| B．one of the earliest discoverers of Stonehenge |
| C．the first explorer to test the magical power of bluestones |
| D．a patient trying to cure his infection at Stonehenge |
Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Stonehenge: A New Place of Interest | B．Stonehenge: Still Making News |
| C．Stonehenge: Heaven for Adventurers | D．Stonehenge: A Site for Observing Stars |