第二部分阅读理解(共25小题;每一节每一小题2分,第二节每小题1分;满分45分)
第一节阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项。
Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experiences? Strangely enough, the answer to both these questions is yes. To some extent our intelligence is given to us at birth, and no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus the limits of a person’s intelligence are fixed at birth, but whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, now held by most experts can be supported in a number of ways.
It is easy to say that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence. Thus if we take two unrelated people at random from the population, it is likely that their degrees of intelligence will be completely different. If on the other hand we take two identical twins, they will very likely be as intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters, parents and children, usually have similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that intelligence depends on birth.
Imagine that now we take two identical twins and put them in different environments. We might send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory where the work is boring. We would soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates that environment as well as birth plays a part. This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who live in close contact with each other, but who are not related at all, are likely to have similar degrees of intelligence.
41. By using the example that two people closer in blood relationship are closer in intelligence that writer wants to prove .
A. intelligence is given at birth
B. intelligence can be developed by environment
C. intelligence can be developed by experience
D. education plays an important part in the development of education
42. A child who lives in rich and varied surroundings turns out higher in intelligence because .
A. his family is rich and therefore can afford to develop his intelligence
B. he can break the limits of intelligence fixed at birth
C. his family is rich and provides him with various healthy food
D. these surroundings are likely to help him reach the limits of his intelligence
43. The writer of this article believes that .
A. the development of one’s intelligence is determined by many factors working together
B. environment plays the most important role in the development of intelligence
C. education plays the most important role in the development of intelligence
D. birth plays the most important role in the development of intelligence
44. The best title for this passage might be .
A. Intelligence B. Birth and Environment
C. The Answer to a Question D. Why Are Some People Born Clever
An 80-year-old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45-year-old son. Suddenly a crow(乌鸦) landed on their window.
The father asked his son, “What is that?”
The son replied, “That is a crow.”
After a few minutes, the father asked his son for the second time, “What is that?”
The son said, “Father, I told you just now. It is a crow.”
After a little while, the father asked his son the same question for the third time, “What is this?”
This time his son shouted at his father, “Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again? I have told you already. ‘IT IS A CROW.’ Are you not able to understand this?”
A minute later the father went to his room and came back with a diary, which he had kept since his son was born. On opening a page, he asked his son to read that page:
Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa, when a crow suddenly landed on the window edge. My son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied him 23 times that it was a crow. I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question. I did not at all feel angry, but instead felt affection for my son.
If you parents reach old age, do not look at them as a burden, but speak to them gently, and be kind to them. From today say this aloud, “I want to see my parents happy forever. They have cared for me ever since I was a little child. They have always showered me with love. I will take care of my old parents in the BEST way no matter how they behave.”.
The writer mainly intends to ______.
A.tell us the function of a diary | B.call on us to love our parents |
C.teach us what a crow is | D.introduce a pair of son and father |
.
According to the passage, the son felt _____ when his father kept asking the same question.
A.puzzled | B.angry | C.grateful | D.surprised |
.
We can know that the father wrote this diary at the age of ______.
A.eighty | B.forty-give | C.thirty-eight | D.thirty-five |
.
The old man brought out the diary, which he had kept since his son was born, because ___.
A.he forgot what had happened | B.he would like his son to read it |
C.it could remind himself of the past | D.he wanted to find what a crow was in his diary |
Why is setting goals important? Because goals can help you do, be, and experience everything you want in life. Instead of just letting life happen to you, goals allow you to make your life happen.
Successful people imagine how their life should be and set lots of goals. By setting goals you are taking control of your life. It’s like having a map to show you where you want to go. Think of it this way. There are two drivers. One has a destination in mind (her goal) which can be found on a map. She can drive straight there without any wasted time or wrong turns. The other driver has no goal or destination or map. She starts off at the same time from the same place as the first driver, but she drives aimlessly around, never getting anywhere, just using up gas. Which driver do you want to be?
Winners in life set foals and follow through on them. They decide what they want in life and then get there by making plans and setting goals. Unsuccessful people just let life happen by accident. Goals aren’t difficult to set---and they aren’t difficult to reach. It’s up to you to find out what your goals really are. You are the one who must decide what to achieve and in what direction to aim your life.
Research tells us that when we write a goal down we are more likely to achieve it. Written goals can be reviewed regularly, and have more power. Like a contract with yourself, they are harder to neglect or forget. Also when you write your goals in a particular way, you are able to make yourself continuously aware of situations that will bring you nearer to your goals.
.
The article is written to throw light on ______.
A.the importance of setting goals | B.the way of setting goals |
C.the winners of competitions | D.the goals in life |
.
The example of two drivers is adopted in order to ______.
A.compare the difference of goals | B.explain the traffic rules |
C.help readers understand the importance of goals | D.tell the function of a map |
.
The main idea of the fourth paragraph is that ______.
A.it’s better to write a goal down | B.written goals can’t be forgotten easily |
C.try to make yourself aware of your goals | D.written goals can be reviewed regularly |
Research shows that humans switch from selfish to unselfish behavior when they are watched. Do you?
A picture of a set of eyes on a computer screen can cause a change in the way people act. Even images of eyes on a charity donation, collection box encourage people to be unselfish, because people put more money in a
collection box that has a picture of eyes on it than they do when a flower symbol is on the box.
Manfred Milinski from the Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Germany and Bettina Rockenbach of the University of Berlin, the authors of a new study, found that people act better when they are being watched because they feel they will be rewarded for good behavior. Their report also referred to other research showing that this response of behaving well when watched is somehow coded into humans and people respond this way unconsciously, or without realizing it.
It is not just humans that act unselfishly when they are being watched. A fish called the grooming fish cleans other fish. When other fish are around, it is gentler. When no other fish are around, however, the grooming fish bites chunks from the fish it is supposed to be cleaning.
The researchers suggest that the best way to get people to behave in the correct way is to make them feel watched. This could be the reason for the success of a famous American army poster. On it was a picture of an elderly man staring fiercely and pointing, it appeared, to the person who was looking at the poster. Under the picture was the caption 'I Want You' It encouraged hundreds of thousands of young American men to join the army during the Second World War to fight the Germans and Japanese..
According to the report, why does a person behave better when he feels he is being watched?
A.He does not want to be shamed by others. |
B.He needs to show he is a good person. |
C.He desires others to like him more. |
D.He feels he will receive some social reward. |
.
.What is the text mainly about?
A.It describes changed behavior when observed. |
B.It details ways to control people's be![]() |
C.It tells how to make people work harder. |
D.It discusses different advertising methods. |
.
According to the text, which of the following statements is true?
A.People pretend to behave better when they are watched. | |
B.Fish bite other fish in a fish tank when they are alone. | C.People donate![]() |
D.Soldiers fought better during World War II because of a poster. |
.
.Where would the study described in the text most likely be found?
A.In a newspaper. | B.In a scientific journal. |
C.In an advertising magazine. | D.In a science textbook. |
What’s your dream vacation? Watching wildlife in Kenya? Boating down the Amazon? Sunbathing in Malaysia? New chances are opening up all the time to explore the world. So we visit travel agents, compare packages and prices, and pay our money.
We know what our vacation costs us. But do we know what it might cost someone else? It’s true that many poorer countries now depend on tourism for foreign income. Unfortunately, though, tourism often harms the local people more than it helps them.
It might cost their homes and lands. In Myanmar, 5,200 people were forced to leave their homes among the pagodas(佛塔)in Bagan so that tourists could visit the pagodas.
Tourism might also cost the local people their livelihood and dignity. Local workers often find only menial(卑微的)jobs in the tourist industry. And most of the profits do not help the local economy. Instead, profits return to the tour operators in wealthier countries. When the Maasai people in Tanzania were driven from their lands, some moved to city slums. Others now make a little money selling souvenirs or posing for photos.
Problems like these were observed more than 20 years ago. But now some non-government organizations, tour operators and local governments are working together to begin correcting them. Tourists, too, are putting on the pressure.
The result is responsible tourism, or“ethical tourism.”Ethical tourism has people at its heart. New international agreements and codes of conduct can help protect the people’s lands, homes, economies and cultures. The beginnings are small, though, and the problems are complex.
But take heart. The good news is that everyone, including us, can play a part to help the local people in the places we visit. Tour operators and companies can help by making sure that local people work in good conditions and earn reasonable wages.
They can make it a point to use only locally owned hotels, restaurants and guide services. They can share profits fairly to help the local economy. And they can involve the local people in planning and managing tourism.
What can tourists do? First, we can ask tour companies to provide information about the conditions of local citizens. We can then make our choices and tell them why. And while we’re abroad, we can:
★Buy local foods and products, not imported ones.
★Pay a fair price for goods and services and not bargain for the cheapest price.
★Avoid flaunting(炫耀) wealth.
★Ask before taking photographs of people. They are not just part of the landscape! Let’s enjoy our vacation and make sure others do, too..
.What is probably the best title for the article?
A.Tourism Causes Bad Effects | B.Tourism Calls for Good Behavior |
C.Vacations Bring a Lot of Fun | D.Vacations Cost More Than You Think |
.
The underlined phrase“take heart”means“”.
A.pay attention | B.take care | C.cheer up | D.calm down |
.
According to the passage, the writer thinks.
A.tourism is not a promising industry. |
B.dream vacations should be spent abroad |
C.the problems caused by tourism are easy to settle. |
D.tourists should respect local customs and culture |
When the shooting of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was complete, it was much more than a movie wrap-up (结束).
Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley, told The Sunday Times that he’s happy to have the time for romance now filming is over. Emma Watson, who is Hermione Granger in the movies, said she looked forward to “finally being free, being my own person” – a change signaled by her new haircut.
Daniel Radcliffe, who has been the face of the boy wizard since 2001, said that he “did cry like a little girl” when the last movie finished.
“It’s like the ending of a relationship,” he told The Vancouver Sun. “There’s a sense of, ‘God, what am I going to do now?’” He said he was eager to see “what life holds for him beyond Hogwarts”.
Along with the three actors, Harry Potter fans, now in their late teens, came of age with J.K. Rowling’s characters. For them, the last film isn’t just a goodbye to a decade of magic, but the close of their childhoods.
“We are the Harry Potter generation,” Canadian Andrea Hill, 19, told The Vancouver Sun. “We started in elementary school, reading about a boy our age who was going through the same things we were going through. We grew up, so did he.”
For Emily Chahal, an 18-year-old student, the series has been an inspiring journey. “That first book was what started my love of literature. It was the inspiration for everything – really teaching me to appreciate my friends, and to face difficulties with a sense of courage,” she said. “I have a sense of sadness. The end of the movies is kind of the end of my childhood, too.”
Fortunately, to the delight of die-hard fans, there are many things that keep the boy wizard alive. For example, in June this year, a Harry Potter theme park opened in Florida, US.
Some schools in the US and UK also have Quidditch teams – players ride broomsticks. “We’re not waiting anymore to see what happens to Harry next,” Hill told The Vancouver Sun. She founded a Quidditch club at Carleton University in Canada. “We’re still engaged in that magical world.”
.
How did Emma Watson feel when she finished the shooting of the Harry Potter series?
A.She cried like a little girl. |
B.She was ready to move onto something new. |
C.She was happy to have the time for romance. |
D.She felt it was like the end of a relationship. |
.
. What did Daniel Radcliffe mean by saying he was eager to see “what life holds for him beyond Hogwarts”?
A.He was bored with life in Hogwarts. |
B.He couldn’t wait to graduate from Hogwarts. |
C.He missed life in Hogwarts now he had left. |
D.He was looking forward to new life out of Hogwarts. |
.
. The series has brought Emily Chahal all the following EXCEPT _______.
A.the chance to live in a magical world |
B.the courage to face difficulties |
C.the appreciation of her friends |
D.encouragement to love literature |
.
What is the main focus of the article?
A.Celebration of the close of childhood. |
B.Fans’ love for the Harry Potter series. |
C.Mixed feelings about the end of the series. |
D.Excited anticipation of the opening of the Harry Potter theme park. |