Every day we experience one of the wonders of the world around us without even realizing it. It is not the amazing complexity of television, nor the impressive technology of transport. The universal wonder we share and experience is our ability to make noises with our mouths, and so transmit ideas and thoughts to each other’s minds. This ability comes so naturally that we tend to forget what a miracle (奇迹) it is.
Obviously, the ability to talk is something that marks humans off from animals. Of course, some animals have powers just as amazing. Birds can fly thousands of miles by observing pos
itions of the stars in the sky in relation to the time of day and year. In Nature’s talent show, humans are a species of animal that have developed their own special act. If we reduce it to basic terms, it’s an ability for communicating information to others, by varying sounds we make as we breathe out.
Not that we don’t have other powers of communication. Our facial expressions convey our emotions, such as anger, or joy, or disappointment. The way we hold our heads can indicate to others whether we are happy or sad. This is so-called “body language”. Bristling (直立的) fur is an unmistakable warning of attack among many animals. Similarly, the bowed head or drooping tail shows a readiness to take second place in any animal gathering.
Such a means of communication is a basic mechanism that animals, including human beings, instinctively acquire and display. Is the ability to speak just another sort of instinct? If so, how did human beings acquire this amazing skill? Biologists can readily indicate that particular area of our brain where speech mechanisms function, but this doesn’t tell us how that part of our bodies originated in our biological history.According to the passage, the wonder we take for granted is .
| A．our ability to use language | B．the miracle of technology |
| C．our ability to make noises with mouth | D．the amazing power of nature |
What feature of “body language” mentioned in the passage is common to both humans and animals?
| A．Lifting heads when sad. | B．Keeping long faces when angry. |
| C．Bowing heads when willing to obey. | D．Bristling hair when ready to attack. |
What can be inferred from Paragraph 3?
| A．Body language is unique to humans. |
| B．Animals express emotions just as humans do. |
| C．Humans are no different from animals to some degree. |
| D．Humans have other powers of communication. |
This passage is mainly about .
| A．the development of body language |
| B．the special role humans play in nature |
| C．the difference between humans and animals in language use |
| D．the power to convey information to others |
A young woman was driving through the lonely countryside. It was dark and raining. Suddenly she saw an old woman by the side of the road, holding her hand out as if she wanted a lift.
“I can’t leave her out in this weather,” the woman said to herself, so she stopped the car and opened the door.
“Do you want a lift?” she asked. The old woman nodded and climbed into the car. After a while, she said to the old woman, “Have you been waiting for a long time?” The old woman shook her head. “Strange,” thought the young woman. She tried again. “Bad weather for the time of year,” she said. The old woman nodded. No matter what she said, the hitchhiker (搭便车的人) gave no answer except for a nod of the head or a shrug.
Then the young woman noticed the hitchhiker’s hands which were large and hairy.
Suddenly she realized that the hitchhiker was actually a man! She stopped the car. “I can’t see out of the rear screen,” she said. “Would you mind clearing it for me?”
The hitchhiker nodded and opened the door. As soon as the hitchhiker was out of the car, the terrified young woman raced off.
When she got to the next village she pulled up. She noticed that the hitchhiker had left his handbag behind. She picked it up and opened it. She gave a gasp — inside the bag was a gun.The young woman stopped the car because ______.
| A．“the old woman” asked her to |
| B．she recognized “the old woman” |
| C．she knocked “the old woman” down |
| D．she wanted to help “the old woman” out in the bad weather |
The young woman asked the hitchhiker to clear the rear screen because _______.
| A．this was the way she thought of to get rid of him |
| B．she couldn’t see out of the rear screen |
| C．the hitchhiker was very helpful |
| D．the rear screen was covered with dirt |
The hitchhiker left the bag with a gun in it behind because _______.
| A．he wanted to give the young woman a warning |
| B．he had not expected that the young woman would leave him behind in the rain |
| C．it was his present for the young woman |
| D．he wanted to kill the young woman with the gun |
What might the man be?
| A．a policeman | B．a soldier | C．a robber | D．an actor |
For thousands of years, man has enjoyed the taste of apples. Apples, which are about 85 percent water, grow almost everywhere in the world but the hottest and coldest areas. Among the leading countries in apple production are China, France and the United States.
There are various kinds of apples, but a very few make up the majority of those grown for sale. The three most common kinds grown in the United States are Delicious, Golden Delicious, and McIntosh..
Apples are different in color, size and taste. The color of the skin may be red, green or yellow. They have various sizes, with Delicious apples being among the largest. The taste may be sweet or tart(酸的). Generally, sweet apples are tasted fresh while tart apples are used to make applesauce(果酱).
Apple trees may grow as tall as twelve meters. They do best in areas that have very cold winters. Although no fruit is yielded during the winter, this cold period is good for the tree.It can be learned from the text that Delicious apples are_______.
| A．grown in France | B．sold everywhere | C．very big | D．quite sweet |
Cold winter weather is good for________.
| A．the growth of apple trees | B．producing large apples |
| C．improving the taste of apples | D．the increase of water in apples |
China, France and the United States are considered to_______.
| A．be small producers of apples |
| B．be large producers of applesauce |
| C．have the longest history in apple production |
| D．have the coldest winter among apple production |
The word yielded in the last sentence means________.
| A．improved | B．increased | C．produced | D．sold |
Scientists are trying to make the deserts into good land again．They want to bring water to the deserts，so people can live and grow food．They are learning a lot about the deserts．But more and more of the earth is becoming desert all the time．Scientists may not be able to change the desert in time．
Why is more and more land becoming desert？Scientists think that people make deserts．People are doing bad things to the earth．
Some places on the earth don’t get much rain． But they still don’t become deserts． This is because some green plants are growing there． Small green plants and grass are very important to dry places． Plants don’t let the sun make the earth even drier． Plants do not let the wind blow the dirt away． When a bit of rain falls， the plants hold the water． Without plants， the land can become desert more easily． Deserts ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ ．
| A．never have any plants or animals in them |
| B．can all be turned into good land before long |
| C．are becoming smaller and smaller |
| D．get very little rain |
Smallgreenplantsareveryimportanttodryplaces because ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ ．
| A．they don’t let the sun make the earth even drier |
| B．they don’t let the wind blow the soil away |
| C．they hold water |
| D．All of the above． |
Landisbecomingdesertlittlebylittlebecause ＿＿＿＿＿＿．
| A．plants can’t grow there |
| B．there is not enough rain |
| C．people haven’t done what scientists wish them to do |
| D．scientists know little about the deserts |
Why is more and more land becoming desert according to this passage？
| A．Earthquakes make deserts. | B．Wind makes deserts. |
| C． Lack of water makes deserts. | D．People make deserts． |
Every year holidays Broughton teams up with Sopraviva Trekking to offer twelve days of unforgettable adventure in a tropical rain forest. Depending on where this year's rain forest adventure is located, you may be going to Borneo, Malaysia, Indonesia, or even to the greatest rain forest of them all, the mighty Amazonian forest.
You will fly with your fellow adventurers to one of our special base camps at the edge of the forest, where you will be given five days of survival training, and talks on the local wildlife by trained and experienced experts. You will also go on walks which take you deeper and deeper under the forest canopy until on your final night you camp out in the rain forest itself.
Then you transfer by bus into the forest itself. If you go on one of the Asian holidays, you will have to walk the final five miles to the camp site itself, to avoid disturbing the local ecology. All of the Sopraviva sites have been carefully built to conform with the latest regulations, and to cause the minimal amount of disturbance to the local wildlife.
From the camp, you will go on daily walking tours to experience for yourself the beauty and diversity of the forests, and plants and vegetation that can be found nowhere else on the planet. Remember that these adventure holidays take you deep into the wilderness, and they are not suitable for families with young children or for anyone who is not physically able to meet the demands of this kind of adventure. Also remember that in order to preserve the delicate ecological system that you will be walking through, no more than two dozen guests can stay at any camp at one time, so if you want to go on one of these very special holidays, you will need to book early!If you want to go on the camp, you will first have to___________.
| A．attend talks on the local wildlife | B．have survival training |
| C．walk the final five miles | D．book beforehand |
What does the organizer of the camp mainly stress?
| A．Disturbing the local ecology. |
| B．Preserving the forest environment. |
| C．Private possessions and possible dangers. |
| D．The survival training. |
Go on daily walking tours and you’ll enjoy___________.
| A．the wilderness | B．the Amazonian forest |
| C．the Asian forest | D．the forest canopy |
Which of the following people is/are allowed to enter the forest?
| A．A family with young kids. |
| B．A person with physical problems. |
| C．Walking tourists |
| D．Cyclists. |
Which of the following is true of the holiday camp?
| A．It is free of charge. |
| B．It lasts 12 days. |
| C．It is organized by Broughton. |
| D．It attaches little importance to ecology. |
Cameron thought of himself as merely organized. He certainly did not consider that he took great pains over anything, he did just enough to get it right. Exactly right, of course, for as he was fond of telling his staff, "if it's not exactly right, it's wrong". Occasionally a worker might be sad on hearing these words, because it meant another hour or so of going over the same bit of work, correcting the mistakes which Cameron had patiently pointed out. And doing the corrections exactly right of course.
Strangely enough, his department had the reputation for performing the highest quality work in the company, and it was seen, and not only by those who worked in the department, as a sort of elite (出类拔萃) unit. Those programmes that had to work first time, straight out of the box, Cameron's men got those. "It's mission (任务) critical—give it to Cameron" was almost a catch-phrase with his team.
It helped that Cameron was not merely particular about things. He wanted things done just so, not because of a personal taste, but because he had discovered through patient experimentation that this was the best way for it to be done.
In Cameron's dictionary, "Take as long as you want" meant that you could work on your task not just in office hours, but that evening, and late into the early hours of the following morning if you so desired. But the project had to be in by its completion date, and yes, done exactly right. Or you did it again.
But he would always be regarded, and not least by himself, as someone who had failed to meet requirements, one of those who just couldn't cut it. You had to face it, if you were not working for Cameron, you were second best. So when word got out that Cameron had messed up, big time, the news was greeted with a mixture of sympathy, and entire relief that this perfection too was human.Cameron was a___________.
| A．software programmer | B．a chief scientist |
| C．quality controller | D．head of department |
"Mission-critical" work was given to Cameron because___________.
| A．Cameron's work was error-free | B．Cameron was critical |
| C．he didn't mind working late | D．he had a good team |
Working for Cameron, people felt that___________.
| A．they were part of an elite |
| B．their mission was critical |
| C．Cameron was very particular about things |
| D．Cameron was patient and responsible |
According to the underlined part in Paragraph 5, what is meant by someone “who couldn't cut it” ?
| A．He didn’t cut corners. | B．He wasn't good enough. |
| C．He had the wrong measurements. | D．He was a perfection. |
What can we learn about Cameron?
| A．He never got things wrong. |
| B．He didn’t allow for any mistake. |
| C．He encouraged work to be done in office hours. |
| D．He was often misunderstood. |
The attitude of the author towards Cameron is that of being___________.
| A．positive | B．sympathetic |
| C．non-subjective | D．optimistic |