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erm idiot savant is outdated and inappropriate.Virtually all savants have a high degree of intelligence and are thus not idiots.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.
Anyone who has ever lost keys or money will have wished for a simple but effective way to make sure it never happens again. A US company is trying to help.
Using a tiny microchip which is implanted into the arm, they have come up with a replacement for cash or credit cards that cannot be left at home or dropped on the bus.
The Verichip is about the size of a grain of rice and works using radio frequency identification technology. At a shop, a radio frequency “reader” would send a signal and the chip in your arm would respond with your unique identity number. That would give the “reader” your financial information, and money could be taken directly from your accounts and you wouldn't even have to reach for your wallet.
The company also hopes to include other information on the chip, such as medical records, building security codes (密码) and passwords, making life even easier.
But not everyone is happy with the developments. Critics say that a lot can go wrong with the chip. A clever thief could build a fake (假的) reader that would steal your information without you knowing. So your money could still be stolen. Privacy is a big issue too. Stores, or even the government, only need to track the chip to find out what you buy, how much you spend and where you go.
And if you wanted to get rid of your chip, you would need an operation to remove it.The Verichip is ________.
| A.the identity number | B.the security code |
| C.a tiny microchip | D.a radio reader |
Which is true of the Verichip?
| A.Your information on it will always be safe. |
| B.Medical records have already been included. |
| C.You can easily reach for your wallet using it. |
| D.An operation has to be performed to remove it. |
Life is like the four seasons. Now I am very old, but when I was young, it was the spring of my life. I was born. I played a lot, and then I started school. I learned many new things. Like a flower, I grew bigger everyday. There were happy days and tragic days; some days the sun shone, and some days it didn’t.
In my twenties, I had a good job. I was strong and happy. Then I married and had a child. In those days, I didn’t have much time to think. Every day, I was busy and worked very hard. And so, I started to get some white hairs. The summer of my life passed quickly.
Then the days got shorter. Leaves fell from the trees. My child was a university student, and then an engineer. My home was much quieter. I started walking more slowly. One day I stopped working, I had more time. I understood this was my autumn, a beautiful time when the trees change colour and give us delicious fruits.
But the days keep getting shorter and colder. Winter has come. I am older and weaker. I know I do not have many days left but I will enjoy them to the end.. According to the passage, which of the following ages may be during the autumn of his life?
| A.15 | B.33 | C.62 | D.87 |
Which of the following is true?
| A.The writer was an engineer. |
| B.The writer had a garden with flowers. |
| C.The writer was always happy as a child. |
| D.The writer now is old and weak, but he still enjoys his life. |
The best title for the passage can be “________”.
| A.Four Seasons |
| B.My Life |
| C.Four Seasons in a Year |
| D.Four Seasons in My Life |
A university graduate described as a “respectable and intelligent” woman is seeking professional help after being convicted of (证明有……罪)shoplifting for the second time in six months.
Ana Luz, recently studying for her Phd, has been told she could end up behind bars unless she can control the desire to steal from shops .
Luz ,who lives with her partner in Fitzwilliam Road ,Cambridge ,admitted stealing clothes worth £9.95 from John Lewis in Oxford Street ,London ,on March 9.
Phillip Lemoyne ,prosecuting(起诉),said Luz selected some clothes from a display and took them to the ladies’ toilet in the store .When she came out again she was wearing one of the skirts she had selected ,having taken off the anti-theft security alarms(防盗警报装置).
She was stopped and caught after leaving the store without paying , Mr. Lemoyne said.
He added that she was upset on her arrest and apologized for her actions.
Luz,28, was said to have been convicted of shoplifting by Cambridge judges last October ,but Morag Duff, defending ,said she had never been in trouble with the police before that .
“She is ashamed and embarrassed but doesn’t really have any explanation why she did this ,” Miss Duff said . “She didn’t intend to steal when she went into the store .She is at a loss to explain it. She is otherwise a very respectable and intelligent young lady .She went to her doctor and asked for advice because she wants to know if there is anything in particular that caused her to do this.”
Judge David Azan fined Luz £ 50, and warned : “You’ve got a criminal record .If you carry on like this ,you will end up in prison ,which will ruin your bright future you may have.”
Luz achieved a degree in design at university in her native Spain ,went on to a famous university in Berlin , Germany for her master’s degree and is now studying for a PhD at Cambridge University ,UK.What is Ana Luz’s nationality?
| A.American. | B.British. |
| C.Spanish. | D.German. |
What does the underlined sentence “She is at a loss to explain it” mean?
| A.In her opinion it was a loss to the clothes shops where she stole things . |
| B.She doesn’t have any idea why she has the desire to steal from shops . |
| C.She thinks it is a loss for her to explain why she stole things from shops. |
| D.Personally she feels ashamed and embarrassed for her shoplifting actions. |
Which of the following best explains the meaning of the word “shoplifting” used in the passage?
| A.Carrying goods in a lift for a shop. |
| B.Taking goods to the ladies’ toilet . |
| C.Selecting some goods from a display. |
| D.Taking goods from a shop without paying. |
From the passage we can learn that .
| A.Ana Luz is already got her PhD at Cambridge University ,UK |
| B.Ana Luz is ashamed and embarrassed and knows why she often did so |
| C.the university graduate will be put in prison if she steals in shops once more |
| D.Phillip Lemoyne is the “respectable and intelligent” woman’s defense lawyer |
Good health is the most valuable thing a person can have, but one cannot take good health for granted. It is important to remember that the body needs proper care in order to be healthy. There are three things that a person can do to help stay in good shape: eat right food, get enough sleep, and exercise regularly.
Proper nutrition (营养) is important for good health. Your body cannot work well unless it receives the proper kind of “fuel” (燃料). Don't eat too much food with lots of sugar and fat. Eat plenty of foods high in protein (蛋白质) , like meat, fish, eggs and nuts. Vegetables and fruits are very important because they provide necessary vitamins and minerals. However, don't overeat. It is not helpful to be overweight.
Getting the proper amount of sleep is also important. If you don't get enough sleep, you feel tired and easily get angry. You have no energy. Over a long period of time a little amount of sleep may even result in a change of personality (个性).Be sure to allow yourself from seven to nine hours of sleep each night. If you do, your body will feel strong and refreshed, and your mind will be sharp.
Finally, get plenty of exercise. Exercise forms the body, strengthens the muscles, and prevents you from gaining weight. It also improves your heart and lungs. If you follow a regular exercise program, you will probably increase your life-span (寿命).Any kind of exercise is good. Most sports are excellent for keeping the body in good shapes: basketball, swimming, bicycling, running and so on are good examples. Sports are not only good for your body, but they are enjoyable and interesting, too.
If everybody, were to eat the right foods, get plenty of sleep and exercise regularly, the world would be a happier and healthier place. We would all live to be much older and wiser.According to the passage,_________.
| A.we should always keep fit |
| B.if we were healthy, we could spend our days in doing things with less sleep |
| C.one can eat a lot to stay in good shape |
| D.one needn't take any exercise if he is healthy |
In order to keep good health, ___________ .
| A.we should eat a lot of sweets |
| B.one needs a large amount of fat |
| C.people should eat according to the foods nutrition |
| D.we must try to sleep now and then |
Eating more and sleeping less________.
| A.can keep healthy | B.is no good for you |
| C.gets you more energy | D.will keep your personality |
The title of the article should be___________.
| A.Eating and Exercising |
| B.How Vitamins Work in Man's Body |
| C.Staying Healthy |
| D.Sleeping Well |
People in the United States honor their parents with 2 special days: Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May and Father’s Day on the 3rd Sunday in June. These days are to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care. These two days offer an opportunity to think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers now work outside the home and more fathers must help with childcare.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On mother’s Day, people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honor parents. It’s also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery (grave). On these days families get together at home as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecue for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are more valued than those bought in stores. It’s not the value of the gift that is important, but “the thought that counts”. Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakers, phone companies and other stores do lots of business during these holidays.Which is NOT a reason for children to show love and respect for parents?
| A.Parents bring up children. |
| B.Parents give love and care to children. |
| C.Parents educate children to be good persons. |
| D.Parents pass away before children grow up. |
What do you know from the passage?
| A.Both festivals are in May. |
| B.Fewer women worked outside the home in the past. |
| C.Not all the children respect their parents. |
| D.Fathers are not as important as mothers at home. |
Which do you know about “carnation”?
| A.It only has two kinds of color. |
| B.It refers to the special clothes people wear on Mother’s Day. |
| C.It’s a kind of flower showing love and best wishes. |
| D.People can wear them only on the second Sunday in May. |
On Mother’s Day and Father’s Day ___________.
| A.people sometimes have family parties |
| B.everyone goes to the cemetery |
| C.children always go to parents’ home |
| D.hand-made cards are the most valuable gifts. |