第三部分：阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，共两节, 满分30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。
Perhaps the most famous theory, the study of body movement, was suggested by Professor Ray Birdwhistle．He believes that physical appearance is often culturally programmed．In other words, we learn our looks ---- we are not born with them．A baby has generally unformed face features．A baby, according to Birdwhistle, learns where to set the eyebrows by looking at those around ---- family and friends．This helps explain why the people of some areas of the United States look so much alike, New Englanders or Southerners have certain common face features that cannot be explained by genetics．The exact shape of the mouth is not set at birth, it is learned after．In fact, the final mouth shape is not formed until well after new teeth are set．For many, this can be well into grown-ups．A husband and wife together for a long time often come to look somewhat alike．We learn our looks from those around us．This is perhaps why in a single country there are areas where people smile more than those in other areas．In the United States, for example, the South is the part of the country where the people smile most frequently．In New England they smile less, and in the western part of New York State still less．Many Southerners find cities such as New York cold and unfriendly, partly because people on Madison Avenue smile less than people on Peachtree Street in Atlanta．People in largely populated areas also smile and greet each other in public less than do people in small towns．
56．Ray Birdwhistle believes physical appearance
A．has little to do with culture． B．has much to do with culture．
C．is ever changing． D．is different from place to place
57．According to the passage, the final mouth shape is formed ．
A．before birth． B．as soon as one's teeth are newly set
C．sometime after new teeth are set． D．around 15 years old．
58．Ray Birdwhistle can tell what area of the United States a person is from by
A．how much he or she smiles． B．how he or she raises his or her eyebrows
C．what he or she likes best． D．the way he or she talks．
Multitasking
People who multitask all the time may be the worst at doing two things at once, a new research suggests. The findings, based on performances and self-evaluation by about 275 college students, indicate that many people multitask not out of a desire to increase productivity, but because they are easily distracted (分心) and can’t focus on one activity. And “those people turn out to be the worst at handling different things,” said David Sanbonmatsu, a psychologist at the University of Utah.
Sanbonmatsu and his colleagues gave the students a set of tests and asked them to report how often they multitasked, how good they thought they were at it, and how sensation-seeking (寻求刺激) or imperative (冲动) they were. They then evaluated the participants’ multitasking ability with a tricky mental task that required the students to do simple mathematical calculations while remembering a set of letters.
Not surprisingly, the scientists said, most people thought they were better than average at multitasking, and those who thought they were better at it were more likely to report using a cellphone while driving or viewing multiple kinds of media at once. But those who frequently deal with many things at the same time were found to perform the worst at the actual multitasking test. They also were more likely to admit to sensation-seeking and impulsive behavior, which connects with how easily people get bored and distracted.
“People multitask not because it’s going to lead to greater productivity, but because they’re distractible, and they get sucked into things that are not as important.” Sanbonmatsu said.
Adam Gazzaley, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not a member of the research group, said one limitation of the study was that it couldn’t find out whether people who start out less focused toward multitasking or whether people’s recognizing and understanding abilities change as a result of multitasking.
The findings do suggest, however, why the sensation-seeker who multitask the most may enjoy risky distracted driving. “People who are multitasking are generally less sensitive to risky situations.” said Paul Atchley, another researcher not in the group. “This may partly explain why people go in for these situations even though they’re dangerous.” The research led by Sanbonmatsu indicates that people who multitask.
| A．seek high productivity constantly |
| B．prefer handling different things when getting bored |
| C．are more focused when doing many things at a time |
| D．have the poorest results in doing various things at the same time |
When Sanbonmatsu and his colleagues conducted their research, they .
| A．assessed the multitasking ability of the students |
| B．evaluated the academic achievements of the students |
| C．analyzed the effects of the participants’ tricky mental tasks |
| D．measured the changes of the students’ understanding ability |
According to Sanbonmatsu, people multitask because of their _.
| A．limited power in calculation | B．interests in doing things differently |
| C．inability to concentrate on one task | D．impulsive desire to try new things |
From the last paragraph, we can learn that multitaskers usually____ .
| A．drive very skillfully |
| B．go in for different tasks |
| C．fail to react quickly to potential dangers |
| D．refuse to explain the reasons for their behavior |
Does Fame Drive You Crazy?
Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today's star, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of much of the world's attention. Paparazzi (狗仔队) camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids (小报) publish thrilling stories about their personal lives. Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature.
According to psychologist Christina Villareal, celebrities - famous people - worry constantly about their public appearance. Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. "Over time," Villareal says, "they feel separated and alone."
The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B.C., painters followed
Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his sold-out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain (抱怨) about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film-stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.
Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their "story" alive forever.
If fame is so troublesome, why aren't all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.
Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice. Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.
| 1． |
It can be learned from the passage that stars today.
|
| 2． |
What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?
|
| 3． |
What makes it much harder to be a celebrity today?
|
| 4． |
What is the author's attitude toward modern celebrity?
|
TaIL Spin
Two dolphins race around in a big pool in the Ocean Park. The smaller dolphin Grace, shown off a few of her tricks, turning around and waving hello to the crowd. The most amazing thing about her, however, is that she’s even swimming at all. She doesn’t have a tail.
Grace lost her tail as a baby when she got caught up in a fish trap. When the dolphin arrived at the Ocean Park in December 2005, she was fighting for her life. “Is she going to make it?” Her trainer, Abbey Stone, feared the worst. Grace did make it --- but her tail didn’t. She ended up losing her flukes and the lower part of her peduncle.
Over the past six years, she has learned to swim without her tail. Dolphins swim by moving their flukes and peduncle up and down. Grace taught herself to move another way---like a fish! She pushed herself forward through the water by moving her peduncles from side to side.
The movement put harmful pressure on Grace’s backbone. So a company offered to create a man-made tail for her. The tail had to be strong enough to stay on Grace as she swam but soft enough that it wouldn’t hurt her.
The first time Grace wore the artificial tail. She soon shook it off and let it sink in the bottom of the pool. Now, she is still learning to use the tail. Some days she wears it for an hour at a time, others not at all. “The tail isn’t
necessary for her to feel comfortable,” says Stone, “but it helps to keep that range of motion(动作) and build muscles(肌肉).”
Now, the dolphin is about to get an even happier ending. This month, Grace will star in Dolphin Tale, a film that focus on her rescue and recovery. Her progress has inspired more than just a new movie. Many people travel from near and far to meet her. Seeing Grace swim with her man-made tail gives people so much courage. When Grace first arrived at the Ocean Park, her trainer worried about her .
| A．physical build | B．potential ability |
| C．chance of survival | D．adaptation to the surroundings. |
A man-made tail is created for Grace to _.
| A．let her recover faster | B．make her comfortable |
| C．adjust her way of swimming | D．help her perform better tricks |
The story of Grace inspires people to_ .
| A．stick to their dreams | B．treat animals friendly |
| C．treasure what they have | D．face difficulties bravely |
EP Portable Heater
We all know that the cost of heating our homes will continue to be a significant burden on the family budget. Now millions of people are saving on their heating bills with the EP Portable Heater. With over one million satisfied customers around the world, the new EP heats better and faster, saves more on heating bills, and runs almost silent.
The EP has no exposed heating parts that can cause a fire. The outside of EP only gets warm to the touch so that it will not burn children or pets.
The EP will not reduce oxygen in the room. With other heaters, you’ll notice that you get sleepy when the heat comes on because they are burning up oxygen.
The advanced EP also heats the room evenly, wall to wall and floor to ceiling. it comfortably covers an area up to 350 square feet. Other heaters heat rooms unevenly with most of the heat concentrated to the center of the room. And they only heat an area a few feet around the heater. With the EP, the temperature will not vary in any part of the room.
The EP comes with a 3-year warranty(保修) and a 60-day. no questions asked. Satisfaction guarantee. If you are not totally satisfied, return it to our expertise and your money will be given back to you.
Now, we have a special offer for 10 days, during which you can enjoy a half price discount and a free delivery. if you order that, we reserve the right to either accept or reject order requests at the discounted price.
Take action right now!What is mainly discussed in paragraph 2?
| A．the heat of the EP | B．the safety of the EP |
| C．the appearance of the EP | D．the material of the EP |
From the passage, we can learn that the EP.
| A．doesn’t burn up oxygen | B．runs without any noise |
| C．makes people get sleepy | D．is unsuitable for children and pets |
The underlined word “evenly” in paragraph 4 probably means.
| A．continuously | B．separately |
| C．quickly | D．equally |
The main purpose of the passage is to.
| A．persuade people to buy the product |
| B．advise people to save on heating bills |
| C．report the new development of portable heaters |
| D．compare the difference of different heart brands |
The oldest and most common source(来源) of renewaBle energy known to man, Biomass is one of the most important forms energy production in the United States and elsewhere. Since such a wide variety of Biomass materials is everywhere ---- from trees and grasses to agricultural and city ---- life wastes ----Biomass promises to play a continuing role in providing power and heat for millions of people around the world.
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists(UCS), Biomass is a kind of renewaBle energy source that produces no carBon dioxide(二氧化碳), Because the energy it contains comes from the sun. When plant matter is Burned, it gives off the sun's energy. In this way, Biomass serves as a sort of natural Battery(电池) for storing the sun's energy. As long as Biomass is produced continuously ----with only as much grown as is used--- the "Battery" lasts forever.
According to the Energy Information Administration, Biomass has Been one of the leading renewaBle energy sources in the United States for several years running through 2007, making up Between 0.5 and 0.9 percent of the nation's total electricity supply. In 2008----although the numBers aren't all in yet----wind power proBaBly took over first place Because of the rapid development of wind farms across the country.
Producing power from Biomass helps reduce some 11 million tons of carBon dioxide each year. Some homeowners also try to make their own heat By using Biomass materials. Such practice may save homeowner's money, But it also produces a lot of pollution. So, the Best way is to encourage power plants to use it.
| 1． |
Why is Biomass considered as " a sort of natural Battery"?
|
| 2． |
We learn from the text that in 2008.
|
| 3． |
Why does the author encourage power plants to use Biomass?
|
| 4． |
Where does the text proBaBly come from?
|