What will man be like in the future — in 5,000 or even 50,000 years from now? We can only make guesses, of course, but we can be sure that he will be different from what he is today, for man is slowly changing all the time.
Let us take an obvious example. Man, even five hundred years ago, was shorter than he is today. Now, on average, men are about three inches taller. Five hundred years is relatively a short period of time, so we may suppose that man will continue to grow taller. Again, in the modern world we use our brains a great deal. Even so, we still make use of only about 20% of the brain’s capacity(容量). As time goes on, however, we shall have to use our brains more and more, and finally we shall need our brains more and more, and finally we shall need larger ones! This is likely to bring a physical change too: the head, in particular the forehead, will grow larger.
Nowadays our eyes are in constant use. In fact, we use them so much that very often they become weaker and we have to wear glasses. But over long period of time it is likely that man’s eyes will grow stronger.
On the other hand, we tend to make less use of our arms and legs. These, as a result, are likely to grow weaker. At the same time, however, our fingers will grow more sensitive because they are used a great deal in modern life.
But what about hair? This will probably disappear from the body altogether in course of time because it does not serve a useful purpose any longer. In the future, then, both sexes are likely to be bald.
Perhaps all this gives the impression that future man will not be a very attractive creature to look at! This may well be true. All the same, in spite of all these changes, future man will still have a lot in common with us. He will still be a human being, with thoughts and motions similar to our own.The passage mainly tells us that __________.
| A．Man’s life will be different in the future |
| B．Future man will look quite different from us |
| C．Man is growing taller and uglier as time passes |
| D．Man’s organs’ functions will change |
What serves as the evidence that man is changing?
| A．Man has got stronger eyes now than he ever had. |
| B．Man’s hair is getting thinner and thinner. |
| C．Man’s arms and legs have become lighter and weaker. |
| D．Man has been growing taller over the past 500 years. |
The change in man’s size of the forehead is probably because __________.
| A．he makes use of only 20% of the brain’s capacity |
| B．his brain has grown larger over the past centuries |
| C．he will use his brain more and more as time goes on |
| D．the other 80% of his brain will grow in due time |
Which of the following is TRUE about a human being in the future?
| A．He is hairless because hair is no longer useful. |
| B．He has smaller eyes and wears better glasses. |
| C．His fingers grow weaker because he doesn’t have to make use of them. |
| D．He thinks and feels in a different way. |
It is implied that __________.
| A．human beings will become less attractive in the future |
| B．body organs will become poorer if they are not used often |
| C．human beings hope for a change in the future life |
| D．future life is always predictable |
We can make mistakes at any age. Some mistakes we make are about money. But most mistakes are about people. "Did Jerry really care when I broke up with Helen?" "When I got that great job, did Jim really feel good about it as a friend? Or did he envy my luck?" "And why didn’t Paul pick up that he was friendly just because I had a car?" When we look back, doubts like these can make us feel bad. But when we look back, it’s too late.
Why do we go wrong about our friends – or our enemies? Sometimes what people say hides their real meaning. And if we don’t really listen we miss the feelings behind the words. Suppose someone tells you，"You’re a lucky dog." that’s being friendly. But "lucky dog"? There’s a bit of envy in those words. Maybe he doesn’t see it himself. But bringing in the "dog" bit puts you down a little. What he may be saying is that he doesn’t think you deserve your luck.
"Just think of all the things you have to be thankful for" is another noise that says one thing and means another. It could mean that the speaker is trying to get you to see your problem as part of your life as a whole. But is he? Wrapped up in this phrase is the thought that your problem isn’t important. It’s telling you to think of all the starving people in the world when you haven’t got a date for Saturday night.
How can you tell the real meaning behind someone’s words? One way is to take a good look at the person while talking. Do his words fit the way he looks? Does what he says agree with the tone of voice? His posture? The look in his eyes? Stop and think. The minute you spend thinking about the real meaning of what people say to you may save another mistake.In the first paragraph, the writer recalls some things that happened between some friends and they __________.
| A．think it was a mistake to have broken up with their girl friends |
| B．feel happy, thinking of how nice their friends were to them in the past |
| C．feel very sorry that their friends didn't help them and let them down |
| D．feel they may not have "read" their friends' true feelings correctly |
In this passage, the writer tries to tell us how to __________.
| A．avoid mistakes about money and our friends |
| B．avoid mistakes in understanding what people really want to tell us |
| C．"size up" people in a more scientific and meaningful way |
| D．keep people friendly without trusting them any more |
While we are listening to a person, the important thing for us is __________.
| A．to check his words against his manner, tone of voice and posture |
| B．to notice his tone of voice, his posture, and the look in his eyes |
| C．to listen to how he pronounces his words in front of you |
| D．not to believe what he says in any situation or any time |
According to this passage, the underlined phrase "puts you down" can be replaced by another phrase "__________".
| A．reduces you to silence | B．presses you down |
| C．makes you humble | D．makes you sad |
Siberia is a huge territory in Russia. It is more than half of Russia and is 4,000 miles wide. Most of this area is a forest with animals and birds. In autumn, the forests in Siberia are full of mushrooms and berries(浆果). Many people like picking mushrooms, but that is not as simple as you might think. Old people who live in the villages know places where you can pick lots of mushrooms. Some mushrooms grow in colonies. If you find one, you only need to look around because nearby you'll find more of them.
However, when picking mushrooms, it is important not to choose the wrong kind. You have to be careful because some mushrooms are poisonous even though they look good. The smell can help you choose them, because good mushrooms smell very good.
Siberian people are very friendly and hospitable. If someone invites you home for dinner, you'll soon be full. You should try everything the host is having.
The climate there depends on the territory. Some places have very comfortable climates with hot summers and cold winters. In my opinion, the best season is spring, when nature wakes up after a long winter. It is the time for blossoms and love. Birds come back from other warm countries. Trees become dressed in green. The sun becomes warm and the days are longer. The mood is wonderful and people smile a lot. It is an amazing time.
In winter, you have opportunity for sports. The most popular sport in winter in Russia is cross-country skiing. During weekends, many people go into the country and ski. Noses freeze and cheeks hurt, but people continue to enjoy these times. What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Siberia, an interesting and beautiful place. |
| B．The climate in Siberia. |
| C．The four seasons in Siberia. |
| D．Collecting mushrooms in Siberia. |
Which of the following can help to choose the right mushrooms for dinner?
| A．The places. | B．The colonies. | C．The smell. | D．The outlook. |
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of Siberia in spring?
| A．The night is longer. | B．Tress turn green. |
| C．It is warmer. | D．There are many birds. |
What can we conclude about the climate in Siberia?
| A．It's cold all the year round. |
| B．It's hot in summer. |
| C．The climate is very comfortable. |
| D．It depends on where your are in Siberia. |
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas（胰腺). I didn’t even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that was incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which was doctor’s code for preparing to die. It meant to try to tell your kids everything you thought you’d have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It meant to make sure everything was buttoned up so that it would be as easy as possible for your family. It meant to say your goodbyes.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy(活组织检查). I was calm, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I’m fine now.
This is the closest I’ve been to facing death. No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by the principle — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.The author's main purpose in writing the passage is to let the readers __________.
| A．be brave when facing a cancer |
| B．treasure their lifetime to fulfill their own business |
| C．know a sorrowful experience of his won |
| D．know how he treasured his family. |
Why can the author's illness be cured so soon?
| A．He prepared everything in order. | B．He had a biopsy. |
| C．His pancreatic cancer can be curable with surgery. | D．His wife helped him. |
The impression the author gave readers is that __________.
| A．he was so optimistic that the incurable illness wouldn't bring him down. |
| B．he could leave death alone and had enough courage to become what he wanted to. |
| C．he was so determined that he wasn't scared at death. |
| D．he was such a responsible man that he prepared well before he died. |
What does the underlined word "they" in the last paragraph refer to?
| A．Gods. | B．The doctors |
| C．Heart and intuition | D．Other persons |
As any housewives who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows, there is far more to a family meal than food. Sociologist Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more.
Lewis carried out his study by videotaping the families while they ate ordinary meals in their own homes. They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and their children. But as the number of children gets larger, conversation gives way to the parents’ efforts to control the loud noise they make. That can have an important effect on the children. “In general the more question-asking the parents do, the higher the children’s IQ scores,” Lewis says. “And the more children there are, the less question-asking there is.”
The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in life than their siblings. Lewis found that in families with three or four children, dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child, who has the most to talk about, and the youngest, who needs the most attention. “Middle children are invisible,” says Lewis. “When you see someone get up from the table and walk around during dinner, chances are it’s the middle child.” There is, however, one thing that stops all conversation and prevents anyone from having attention: “When the TV is on,” Lewis says, “dinner is nothing.”The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to _________.
| A．show the relationship between parents and children |
| B．teach parents ways to keep order at the dinner table |
| C．report on the findings of a study |
| D．give information about family problems |
By saying “Middle children are invisible” in paragraph 3, Lewis means that middle children _________.
| A．have to help their parents to serve dinner |
| B．get the least attention from the family |
| C．are often not allowed to come to the dinner table |
| D．find it hard to get along well with other children |
Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?
| A．Parents should talk to each of their children frequently. |
| B．It is a good idea to have the TV on during dinner. |
| C．It is important to have the right food for children. |
| D．Elder children should help the younger ones at dinner. |
Much of the water we use comes from snow. Melting snow provides water for rivers, electric power centers and agricultural crops. In the western United States, mountain snow provides up to 75% of all surface water supplies.
Snowfall helps to protect plants and some wild animals from cold, winter weather. Fresh snow is made largely of air trapped among the snow crystals. Because the air has trouble moving, the movement of heat is greatly reduced.
Snow also is known to influence the movement of sound waves. When there is fresh snow on the ground, the surface of the snow takes in, or absorbs, sound waves. However, snow can become hard and flat as it becomes older or if there have been strong winds. Then the snow's surface will help to send back sound waves. Under these conditions, sounds may seem clearer and travel farther.
Generally, the color of snow and ice appears white. This is because the light we see from the sun is white. Most natural materials take in some sunlight. This gives them their color. However, when light travels from air to snow, some light is sent back, or reflected. Snow crystals have many surfaces to reflect sunlight. Yet the snow does take in a little sunlight. It is this light that gives snow its white appearance.
Sometimes, snow or ice may appear to be blue. The blue light is the product of a long travel path through the snow or ice. In simple terms, think of snow or ice as a filter. A filter is designed to reject some substances, while permitting others to pass through. In the case of snow, all the light makes it through if the snow is only a centimeter thick. If it is a meter or more thick, however, blue light often can be seen.How many functions of snow are discussed in the passage?
| A．One | B．Two | C．Three | D．Four |
Why does snowfall help to protect plants from cold?
| A．Because snow crystals contain heat. |
| B．Because snow crystals have air in them. |
| C．Because snow crystals are easy to blow away. |
| D．Because snow crystals send out heat when melting. |
It can be inferred that ______.
| A．hard snow is better in protecting wild animals than fresh snow |
| B．fresh snow is better in sending sound waves than hard snow |
| C．fresh snow is better in taking in sound waves than hard snow |
| D．hard snow provides less water than fresh snow |
The color of snow and ice appears white because snow crystals________.
| A．send back none of the sunlight | B．send back all of the sunlight |
| C．take in most of the sunlight | D．take in some of the sunlight |