Almost everyone wants to get smarter. We struggle to improve our 16_ , intelligence and attention. We drink cup after cup of coffee to help us 17_ the day.
18 __, a new study published in Current Directions in Psychological Science warns that there are 19___ to how smart humans can get.
Each of our body parts develops in a certain way for a reason. 20 _, we are not 3 meters tall 21 _ most people’s hearts are not strong enough to send 22 _ up that high. Scientists say that our thinking ability works in the same way. A baby’s brain size is limited by a series of __23 , such as the size of the mother’s pelvis (骨盆). If our brains developed to be bigger, there could be more 24 during childbirth.
The study of Jews, who have an average IQ much _ 25_ than other Europeans, showed they were more _26_ to develop diseases of the _27_ system. This might be because of their increased brainpower.
If intelligence cannot be improved, can we at least get better at _ 28 _ ? Not really, say scientists. They studied _29_ like caffeine (咖啡因)that improve attention. They found the drugs only helped people with serious 30 _ problems. For those who did not have trouble paying attention, the drugs could have the 31 _ effect. Scientists say that this suggests there is a(n) 32 limit to how much people can or should concentrate.
Our memory is also a “double-edged sword”. People with extremely good memories could 33__ having a difficult life because they cannot _34 bad things that happen to them.
Thomas Hills, one of the authors of the paper, said that 35 all the problems in trying to get smarter, it’s unlikely that there will ever be a “super mind”.
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(1)Paul Smith's College
The College of Nature
Experience a different kind of classroom: 14,200 acres of forests, lakes and streams, a hotel and a restaurant, 99% placement upon graduation. Two-and-four-year degree programs.
PO. Box 265
Paul Smiths, NY12970
1-800-421-2605
www.paulsmiths.edu
(2) SIMMONS
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES AND MODERN STUDIES
Simmons educates women to achieve their work and life goals. More than 40 majors.
Lie in the heart of Boston. U.S .News & World Report ranks Simmons among the top state universities in the North and among the best values.
617-521-2051
www.simmons.edu
(3) ST.MARYS UNTVERSITY
Personal Attention Powerful Programs
Experience the technology of today at our co-educational university
One Camino Santa Maria
Utah 78228-8503
800-FOR-SIMU
www.stmarytx.edu
(4) Northern University
A famous private university
with 3,200 students in Colleges of Arts & Sciences
●Business and Engineering
●Medicine and Law
Among the top ten by U.S. News and World Report
Old Union 232
CA 94305-3005
650-723-2091If a man is tired of working indoors and wouldn't like to be too far aw
ay from his girl friend who studies at Simmons, which college will be choose?
A.Simmons. | B.ST. Mary's | C.Paul Smith's | D.Northern. |
If a girl wanted to learn modern science and she prefers to stay by the ocean or in the northeast, which college will like best?
A.Simmons.![]() |
B.ST. Mary's. | C.Paul Smith's. | D.Northern. |
If a man wishes to study business and in a non-state-run university, which of the following is her favorite?
A.Simmons. | B.ST. Mary's. | C.Paul Smith's | D.Northern. |
She was known to millions as the "Queen of Crime" or the "Duchess (女公爵) of death". But surprisingly, she hated violence and blood, and knew nothing of the weapons most often used in murder. "I don't think I dare look at a really horrible and damaged body." Agatha Christie once said.
But her pen dared travel where her eyes would not. In a 50-year writing career, Christie's murder stories made her the world's best-known mystery writer. She is outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare.
Her works have been turned into films and TV series, and a line of computer games is to be released over the next six years.
"My grandmother liked to use new ways to reach people who wanted to enjoy her work," said Christie's grandson, Mathew Pritchard. "Turning her stories into PC games allows us to introduce classic mysteries to new audiences."
Born in 1890 in England, Christie was educated at home and began her writing career while working as a nurse during World War I. She went on to produce 79 novels and numerous short stories, dying at the age of 86.
"With her knowledge of murder, Christie could have been a teacher at police academies," said one fan. By saying "her pen dared travel where her eyes would not", the writer means
A.she would like to make a trip with her pen rather than other things |
B.she couldn't live without her pen |
C.she could describe anything with her pen that she would not like to face |
D.she made up stories with her pen |
By which means can't we learn the works of Christie?
A.Watching TV. | B.Going to the cinema. | C.Reading novels. | D.Playing computer games. |
Mathew Prichard's words suggest that _
A.Christie had been trying to write different stories in different styles |
B.Christie was fond of changing styles while writing |
C.Christie's works are short of audiences |
D.People began to lose interest in Christie's works |
The fifth paragraph mainly
A.tells us Christie is a productive writer | B.gives us a brief introduction of Christie |
C.tells us when Christie took up writing | D.tells us why Christie was popular |
第II卷(非选择题,共45分)
第四部分:书面表达(共两节,满分45分)
第一节:阅读表达(共5小题;每小题3分, 共15分)
阅读下面短文, 请根据短文后的要求进行答题。(请注意问题后的字数要求)
[1]World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated annually by consumer organizations worldwide. It commemorates the historic declaration on March 15, 1962 by John F. Kennedy, the former U.S. President, of the basic Rights of consumers, which include: "the right to safety", "the right to be informed", "the right to choose", and "the right to be heard".
[2]This declaration has led to international recognition by governments and the United Nations that all citizens, regardless of their incomes or social standing, have certain basic Rights as consumers. Officially, World Consumer Rights Day was first observed on March 15,1983 and has since become an important occasion for mobilizing citizen action, with recognition of consumer rights taking off around the world. On April 9,1985, the United Nations Assembly General Assembly adopted the UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection that provide a framework for strengthening national consumer protection policies around the world.
[3]The guidelines included Kennedy's four basic consumer rights plus another four: the right to satisfaction of basic needs; the right to redress(赔偿); the right to education; and the right to a healthy environment. Currently, the fundamental consumer rights are recognized globally.
[4]World Consumer Rights Day normally has a theme associated with an activity or development that is relevant to consumers. Whatever their objectives, they share the same underlying aim of bringing about important and needed benefits for consumers.
[5]In recent years, progress has been made for recognition and protection of consumer rights in developing countries. At least, March 15 is a day when consumers are filled with pride and satisfaction. However, there are many reports on violation of consumer rights by unethical marketing practices.
76. What is the main idea of the passage? (Please answer within 10 words.) _______________________________________________________________________________
77. What was John F. Kennedy mentioned in the first paragraph? (Please answer within 15 words.)
_______________________________________________________________________________78. Which of the sentence in the passage can be replaced by the given one?
Presently, countries around the world acknowledge the basic consumer rights. _____________________________________________________________________________
79. Please translate the underlined sentence in the second paragraph into Chinese. ______________________________________________________________________________
80. What do you think will follow the passage? (Please answer within 20 words.) ______________________________________________________________________________
D
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The term is most commonly used to refer to those eight schools considered as a group. The term is also connected with academic excellence, selectivity in admissions, and social elitism(精英主义).
The term became official, especially in sports terminology, after the formation of the NCAA Division I athletic conference in 1954, when much of the nation polarized around favorite college teams. “IV” was used because originally the league consisted only of four members. The use of the phrase is no longer limited to athletics, and now represents an educational philosophy inherent to the nation's oldest schools. In addition, Ivy League schools are often viewed by the public as some of the most prestigious universities worldwide and are often ranked amongst the best universities in the United States and worldwide. The eight institutions are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University.
All of the Ivy League's institutions place near the top in the U.S. News & World Report college and university rankings and rank within the top one percent of the world's academic institutions in terms of financial endowment(捐助). Seven of the eight schools were founded during America's colonial period; the exception is Cornell, which was founded in 1865. Ivy League institutions, therefore, account for seven of the nine Colonial Colleges chartered before the American Revolution. The Ivies are all in the Northeast geographic region of the United States. All eight schools receive millions of dollars in research grants and other subsidies from federal and state government.
Undergraduate enrollments among the Ivy League schools range from about 4,000 to 14,000, making them larger than those of a typical private liberal arts college and smaller than a typical public state university. Ivy League university financial endowments range from Brown's $2.01 billion to Harvard's $26 billion, the largest financial endowment of any academic institution in the world.
71. From the passage, we know the word “Ivy” in “the Ivy League” was first chosen to refer to _______.
A. a plant B. a number C. a sport D. a spirit
72. What is special about Cornell University in the League?
A. It is the oldest one. B. It was founded by colonists.
C. It has the smallest endowment. D. It is the youngest one.
73. Which meaning can the term “the Ivy League” convey today?
A. The largest enrollment. B. The strongest government support.
C. The most expensive schools. D. First-class education.
74. Which of the following statements is true?
A. There is no longer sports competition in the Ivy League.
B. Seven colleges were set up before the USA was founded.
C. Brown University has the smallest number of students.
D. Typical public state universities are larger than the Ivies.
75. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
A. The ABC of “The Ivy League”
B. Best Universities in the USA
C. The Financial Income of American Universities
D. How to Apply to an Ivy League University
C
The World Trade Organization came into existence in the 1990s. It operates a system of trade rules. It serves as a place for nations to settle disagreements and negotiate agreements to reduce trade barriers. The newest of its 150 members, Vietnam, joined in January.
But the roots of the W.T.O. date back to World War Two and the years that followed. In 1944, the International Monetary(货币的) Conference agreed to create the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. But they could not agree on an organization to deal with international trade.
Three years later, in 1947, twenty-three nations approved the General Agreement on Tariffs (关税)and Trade, or GATT. It was meant to be temporary. Trade negotiations under GATT were carried out in a series of talks called rounds. The first round lowered import taxes on one-fifth of world trade. Later rounds produced additional cuts, and negotiators added more issues.
The sixth round began in 1963. It was called the Kennedy Round after the murder of President John F. Kennedy. The results included an agreement against trade dumping. This is when one country sells a product in another country at an unfairly low price.
The eighth round of talks began in Punta del Este, Uruguay, in 1986. The Uruguay Round lasted almost twice as long as planned. In all, 123 nations took part in seven-and-a-half years of work. They set time limits for future negotiations. They also agreed to create a permanent system to settle trade disagreements.
In April of 1994, most of those123 nations signed an agreement. It replaced GATT with the World Trade Organization.
The W.T.O. launched a new round on development issues in Doha, Qatar, in November of 2001. These talks were supposed to end by January of 2005. But negotiators could not agree on issues involving agricultural protections. The current round has been suspended since last July.
66. The WTO got this name in the year _____.
A. 1947 B. 1963 C. 1986 D. 1994
67. Which of the following statements about GATT is NOT true?
A. It was set up after World War II.
B. It was first approved by less than 30 countries.
C. It was a branch of the World Bank.
D. It was meant to improve international trade.
68. What does the underlined sentence in the third paragraph mean?
A. The founders wanted GATT to bring in money.
B. The founders didn’t expect GATT to last long.
C. GATT was ready to change its name at the very beginning.
D. GATT was open for more member countries.
69. What is one of the results of the Uruguay Round?
A. A permanent system was agreed on.
B. It lasted almost eight years.
C. More countries took part in it.
D. More disagreements than expected were settled.
70. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A. Why the WTO was Called GATT?
B. WTO Talk Rounds Last Longer
C. A Brief Introduction to the WTO
D. GATT or WTO? A Real Question