AtowninOxfordshirehasbecomethe-优题课

Geniuses amaze us,impress us and make us all a little jealous.How do they differ from the average person? Scientists are working hard to figure out that answer.Tune in to the National Geographic Channel to find out about the discoveries they’re making in the series My Brilliant Brain.
When Marc Yu was only two years old,he began to play the piano.After a year,he started learning pieces by Beethoven.Now he’s a world-famous concert pianist at age eight.He learns newer and more difficult pieces with ease and can identify any note he hears.He seems to be specially designed for music.In Born Genius,National Geographic looks at the science behind child prodigies(神童) to explain why some children seem to be born without limits.
Genius didn’t come naturally to Tommy McHugh.His came only after he nearly died from bleeding in his brain.Afer recovering,McHugh’s head was filled with new thoughts and pictures.So, he began to express them in the form of poetry and art.Now,he’s a seemingly unstoppable creative machine.Sufferers of autism and brain injury have shown that great mental ability can sometimes come from damage or disease.Accidental Genius explores this puzzling relationship.
Can normal people be trained to be geniuses?Susan Polger has shown no signs of extraordinary intelligence.Yet,during her childhood,she studied thousands of chess patterns and learned to recognize them immediately.As a result,she was able to beat skilled adult players by age 10 and can now play up to five games at the same time without even seeing the boards.Make Me a Genius examines what it takes to turn an ordinary brain into that of a genius.
If becoming a genius were easy,we’d all be one.Yet,there is much more to super intelligence than simply being born lucky.Learn more about amazing brains this month on National Geographic’s My Brilliant Brain.
1.My Brilliant Brains is most probably from_________.
A.a websiteB.the radio C.a magazineD.a newspaper
2.The author takes Marc Yu as an example to show that a child prodigy is_________
A.a person who learns something easily B.a child who is eager to learn new things
C.a student who practices an instrument a lot D.a kid who works hard to do well in school
3.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A.New things about the brain are still being discovered.
B.People without natural abilities can learn to do things well.
C.Some people naturally have more active brains.
D.People are usually smarter when they recover from brain injury.
4.From the passage,we know that_________.
A.scientists completely understand the brain B.people can only be born as geniuses
C.there’s no such thing as a true genius D.there are many factors in being a genius
5.The author develops the passage mainly by_________.
A.providing typical examples B.following the natural time order
C.presenting a cause and analyzing its effects D.comparing opinions from different scientists

WASHINGTON—It’s a great achievement that inspires notions of robots with consciousness and independent minds.
When people or animals get hurt,they can usually compensate for minor injuries and keep limping along,but for robots,even slight damage can make them stumble and fall.However,a recently made robot has demonstrated a novel ability:it can heal its own damage.
The new robot,which looks like a splay-legged,four-footed starfish can sense injury to itself and adapt.That ability sets the new robot apart from earlier machines.Because the robot can recover from unfamiliar places.“There is a need for planetary robotic rovers to be able to fix things on their own,” says Josh Bongard,a professor in the University of Vermont,who is one of the device’s creators.“Robots on other planets must be able to continue their mission without human help if they are damaged and cannot communicate their problem back to Earth.”
A typical robot functions according to a computer program,but the new robot works differently.First,sensors in its four legs observe the robot’s movements and signals to its built-in computer.From the formation it collects,the robot creates its own programs that allow it to adapt to different situations.For example,when the researchers shortened one of the robot’s legs,the smart machine simply adjusted its way of walking—it used three legs instead of four.
The researchers are looking for other places to put the resilient robot to work.One pellicle spot is the ocean floor.That dark and dangerous undersea terrain might be a good choice for a robot the scientists call the Starfish.“We never officially named the robot,but we usually refer to it as the Starfish,even though a real starfish has five rather than four legs,”says Bongard.“Also,a real starfish is much better than our robot at recovering from injury,because it can actually grow its legs again.”Scientists have created robots that help humans in many ways:by exploring space,fighting fires,and even performing surgery.
1.The newly designed robot distinguishes itself from the former ones because it _________ .
A.can communicate with people on the earth about their problems
B.works according to a certain computer program
C.can find its problems and solve them automatically
D.can explore unfamiliar places
2.An example is given in the fourth paragraph in order to explain that the robot_________.
A.is used to create new programs
B.has typical robot functions
C.has sensors to observe its movements
D.can gather information and adapt to new conditions
3.The underlined word“resilient”in the last paragraph means the robot is_________.
A.creative B.newly made C.able to recover D.informative
4.Which of the following is TURE about the robot “Starfish”?
A.It was spoken highly of by people for its special ability
B.It will stumble and fall if damaged.
C.It can grow its legs again once they are broken.
D.It has started to work on the ocean floor.
5.What might be the best title of the passage?
A.How does the Starfish Robot work B.Do-It-Yourself Robot Repair
C.Robots Designed to Work on Other Planets D.New Robot Helping Us in Many Ways

第三部分阅读理解(共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分)
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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Can you imagine a stranger will read your e-mails without your permission or scan the website you’ve visited or perhaps someone will casually glance through your credit card purchases or cell phone bills? All of the things may happen to you one day.
In fact,it’s likely that some of these things have already happened to you.Who would watch you without your permission? It might be a spouse,a girlfriend,a marketing company,a boss,a cop or a criminal.Whoever it is,they will see you in a way you never intended to be seen or even do something that may bring a disaster to you.
Psychologists tell us boundaries are healthy,and that it’s important to reveal to friends,family and lovers at appropriate times.But few boundaries remain nowadays.The digital bread crumbs（碎屑）you leave everywhere make it easy for strangers to know who you are,where you are and what you like.In some cases,a simple Google search can leak the deepest thought in your mind.Like it or not,increasingly we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret.
The key question is:Does that matter? For many Americans,the answer apparently is“no”.
When opinion polls ask Americans about privacy,most of them say they are really concerned about losing it.And 60 percent of the respondents say they feel their privacy is “slipping away,and that bothers me”.
But people say one thing and do another.Only a small of Americans change any behaviors in an effort to preserve their privacy.Few people turn down a discount at tollbooths(收费站)to avoid using the EZ-Pass system that can track automobile movements.Privacy economist Acquisti has run a series of tests that reveal people will give up personal information such as telephone number,address,or social security numbers just to get their hands on a pitiful 50-cents-off coupon(优惠券).But privacy does matter—at least sometimes.It’s like health;when you have it,you don’t notice it.Only when it’s gone do you wish you’d done more to protect it.Without privacy,one will be naked in front of others.
1.What would psychologists advise on the relationships between friends?
A.Friends should open their hearts to each other.
B.Friends should always be faithful to each other.
C.There should be a distance even between friends.
D.There should be fewer quarrels between friends.
2.Why does the author say “we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret”?
A.Modern society has finally developed into an open society.
B.People leave traces around when using modern technology.
C.There are always people who are curious about others’ affairs.
D.Many search engines profit by revealing people’s identities.
3.What do most Americans do about privacy protection?
A.They change behavior that might disclose their identity.
B.People turn down a discount at tollbooths to avoid using the EZ-Pass system.
C.They rely more and more on advanced technology.
D.They talk a lot but hardly do anything about it.
4.According to the passage,privacy is like health in that _________ .
A.people will make every effort to keep it B.its importance is hardly understood
C.It is something that can easily be lost D.people don’t value it until they lose it
5.What would be the best title for the passage?
A.No privacy,no health.
B.Treasure your privacy.
C.Boundaries are important between friends.
D.The information age has its own shortcomings.

We often don' t give importance to minor things thinking they won' t matter. But at times, some things look very minor but their result can be really powerful. Here are some of the efforts which can change the relationship between parents and children.
Pat your child when he loses：May it be failure in the class, or on the field, speak words of encouragement to your child. The trust and confidence in your relationship will go to another level. After all, words of encouragement during failure are more valuable than words of praise after success.
Give him importance, like a member of the family：Hang his painting in your room or in the office, take his opinion when you are buying furniture for the house. Your child will believe in himself and be a winner throughout.
Share your own experience when your child makes a mistake：When you see your child lying or stealing, share with him the mistakes you made in your life. He' 11 know it is all right to make mistakes and that he can share with you anything.
Appreciate at least one quality in your child every day：Each day look at what qualities your child possesses and appreciate him, maybe for his caring attitude, his dance skills or his observation power. Tell him how proud you are of him because of those qualities.
Become his age before bedtime：Jump on the bed, have pillow fights, act silly, dance—become a child with your child for sometime. You' 11 forget all your day's stress.
Try these minor things; you' 11 see the love deepen and the relationship blossom.
1．According to the first paragraph, ______.
A．we should pay attention to powerful minor things
B．we should make efforts to become strict parents
C．minor things in daily life shouldn't be ignored
D．parents and children should respect each others
2．Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A．Children should be patted when they lose something.
B．Children should be encouraged if they are in trouble.
C．Both failure and mistakes should be ignored.
D．Children should help parents buy furniture for the house.
3．The passage suggests the following things except ____.
A．painting your room or office
B．encouraging them during failure
C．helping them to be self - confident
D．appreciating your children' s qualities
4．The writer introduces his opinion with ____.
A．facts B．arguments C．examples D．stories
5．What' s the writer' s purpose of writing this passage?
A．To tell the parents how to do help their children out of trouble.
B．To help the parents appreciate one quality in their children.
C．To help people forget all the stress of daytime and become younger.
D．To help improve the relationship between parents and children.

A recent Auburn University study provides some real numbers to back a theory we’ve all known was true for some time—planting a shade tree near your home reduces energy bills significantly in the spring and summer months. The study, conducted in Auburn,
Alabama, included 160 homes with different levels of shade. Each home’s energy usage was monitored and compared to other houses with similar energy— using patterns, size, type of cooling system, etc. Here are some highlights from the study:
Houses with trees on the west side of their home had a “much lower power bill”.
Older homes had the most shade coverage, because people did not use to rely on air conditioning as much to keep them cool.
Children under age 12 consume the most power in a home as they watch television, play games and frequently leave lights on.
Fall and early winter are the perfect seasons to plant a tree. This time of year many nurseries（苗圃）are trying to reduce their inventory of trees heading into the winter, so you may find a deal on trees easily to plant around your lot.
While you have the spade out, consider planting a tree near your outside air conditioning unit. The shade will keep the unit cooler and help it operate more efficiently. Be sure to plant far enough from the unit to allow proper airflow, and account for the tree’s growth over time.
It actually hurts to watch the trees being knocked over when land developers plan neighborhoods because trees could provide much needed shade to new homeowners, reducing their electric bill and the amount of energy they consume. Hopefully this study, and more like it in the future, will encourage developers and builders to plan around trees as much as possible to offer homeowners a shaded lot.
1．What does the passage mainly tell us?
A．A new study about planting trees.
B．Planting trees to reduce your power bill.
C．Houses with trees on the west side.
D．Don't cut trees down when planning neighborhoods.
2．The underlined word "inventory" in Paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to ________.
A．invention B．volume C．list D．type
3．According to the passage, ____ might spend more energy cost.
A．houses with trees on the west side of their home
B．older houses with the most shade coverage
C．houses with different levels of shade
D．houses with the children under age 12
4．Which is NOT the benefit of planting a tree near the outside air conditioning unit?
A．The shade will keep the unit much cooler.
B．The shade helps the unit operate more efficiently.
C．The trees stops the unit having proper airflow.
D．The shade prevents the sunlight from shining on the unit.
5．What can we learn from this study?
A．The study is carried out by the students at Auburn University, Alabama.
B．While planning new neighborhoods, developers often cut down the trees there.
C．Houses with trees on the east side of their house had a lower power bill.
D．The study will prevent developers and builders from planning more trees.