What makes humans smarter than other animals? We’ve got a bigger brain, of course. But when it comes to brains, is bigger always better?
Traditionally, scientists have thought that humans’ superior intelligence derived(源于)mostly from the fact that our brains are three times bigger than those of our nearest living relatives, chimpanzees. People even used to believe that because men have slightly larger brains than women that men are smarter.
This, however, is not the truth. Scientists at University College London in the UK have found that brain organization, and not brain size, is the key to the superiority of human intelligence, reported Live Science.
Through millions of years of evolution, our ancestors were constantly pushed to get smarter so that they could meet the demands of new environments. However, holding this growing intelligence in increasingly large brains was not the best choice because bigger brains require more energy to power. “This is when reorganization may come into play, ”said Christophe Soligo, a member of the London research team.
In the study, scientists looked at the brains of 17 species of primates(灵长目动物), including monkeys, apes and humans. They found that in the process of evolution, brains didn’t keep growing as a whole. Certain regions of the brain grew prior to others in response to species’ needs, and in this way they could make the best use of their limited brain space.
For example, when early humans were struggling to survive, the brain region in charge of using tools and finding food grew in size more than other regions. But in modern times, the prefrontal cortex(前额皮质)—the region in charge of social cognition(认知), moral judgments and goal-directed planning—grew more than the rest of the brain.
Think of the brain as a room. If a big room is poorly organized, it doesn’t necessarily store more stuff than a smaller one.
Paul Manger, professor at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, explains this principle using the example of whales. He told Scientific American: “Whales have big brains, absolutely. But if you look at the actual structure of the brain, it’s not very complex. Brain size only matters if the rest of the brain is organized properly. ”It has recently been found that humans are smarter than the other animals mainly because .
A.they are a species of primates |
B.they have much larger brains |
C.their brain structure is more complex |
D.they were constantly pushed to get smarter |
According to the article, in recent human evolution, .
A.the brain kept growing in size to adapt to new environments |
B.most regions of the brain didn’t change |
C.the prefrontal cortex grew more than the rest of the brain |
D.humans’ brains became increasingly simple so that humans could survive |
What can we conclude from the article?
A.Gender makes a difference in intelligence. |
B.The size of the brain has nothing to do with intelligence. |
C.Species whose brain is organized properly tend to be smarter. |
D.Larger brains are usually organized better than smaller ones. |
The method the writer uses to develop the last paragraph is .
A.by presenting research data |
B.by giving examples |
C.by making a comparison |
D.by analyzing cause and effect |
If you are afraid of the dark,it’s not a big deal.It’s perfectly normal to feel afraid After all,animals do too. “Fear matters,”says Karen Warkentin,an ecologist.“It’s a good thing,” she adds, “because fear makes you do things that keep you alive.”
Like kids,many animals experience fear and they respond to the feeling in variety of ways.A
frightened turtle pulls its head and legs inside its shell.A small fish will swim away when a big,hungry fish approaches.
Some animals respond to fear in ways you might not expect.The first example is that the fear of being eaten can scare some frogs right out of their eggs. Warkentin made the surprising discovery while studying red—eyed tree frogs in Costa Rica.
In this species,female frogs attach jellylike clumps(果冻一样的块状物)of their eggs to the undersides of leaves.The leaves hang on branches that dangle(悬挂)over ponds.After they hatch from the eggs,the tadpoles(蝌蚪)then fall into the water,where they eventually grow into
adult frogs.
Tree frog eggs usually grow for 6 days before hatching.If they sense that a hungry snake is about to attack,however,they can hatch up to 2 days ahead of schedule. As the snakes are unable to swim,by falling into the water early,the tadpoles can escape.
If hatching early helps protect red—eyed tree frogs from snakes,you might wonder why their eggs don’t always hatch sooner.It turns out that hatching early brings its own danger.Once tadpoles land in the water,hungry fish and other animals like to eat them too.Staying in their eggs for a full 6 days,then,allows frog embryos(胚胎)to grow big and strong.This extra growth improves their chances of surviving in the water.
68.It can be inferred from the passage that fears______
A.help animals grow bigger and stronger
B.are less common among young animals
C.help animals move a lot to fit the environment
D.are more or less important in order for animals to survive
69.We are told in the passage that tree frogs______
A.face danger both inside their eggs and in the water
B.will grow fast if they fall into the water later
C.are surprisingly clever when inside their eggs
D.stay in their eggs longer if they are frightened
70.What do you think would be discussed in the following paragraph?
A.Further explanations as to why tree frogs hatch ahead of schedule.
B.How the unborn frogs know when a snake is about to attack them.
C.Another example of animals that responds to fear in an unexpected way.
D.How tree frogs improve their chances of survival before falling into the water.
If you’re a male and you’re reading this, congratulations! You’re a survivor. According to statistics,you’re more than twice as likely to die of skin cancer than a woman,and nine times more likely to die of AIDS. Assuming you make it to the end of your natural term,about 78 years for men in Australia,you’ll die on average five years before a woman.
There're many reasons for this--typically,men take more risks than women and are more likely to drink and smoke but perhaps more importantly, men don’t go to the doctor.
“Men aren't seeing doctors as often as they should,” says Dr. Gullotta.“This is particularly so
for the over-40s, when diseases tend to strike. According to a recent survey, 95%of women aged between 15 and early 49s see a doctor once a year, compared to 70%of men in the same age group.
“A lot of men think they’re unbeatable,”Gullotta says.“They only come in when a friend drops dead on the golf course and they think, Geez, if it could happen to him …”
Then there’s the ostrich(鸵鸟)approach.“Some men are scared of what might be there and would rather not know,” says Dr. Ross Cartmill.
“Most men get their cars serviced more regularly than they service their bodies,” Cartmill says. He believes most diseases that commonly affect men could be addressed by preventive check-ups.
“Prevention is cheaper in the long run than having to treat the diseases.Besides, the final cost is far greater,it’s called premature death.”
64.Why does the author congratulate male readers at the beginning of the passage?
A.They can live longer than they expected.
B.They are sure to enjoy a longer and happier life.
C.They have lived long enough to read this article.
D.They are more likely to survive serious diseases now.
65.Which of the author’s statements is the most important reason that men die five years earlier on
average than women according to the passage?
A.Men drink and smoke much more than women.
B.Men don’t seek medical care as often as women.
C.Men are more likely to suffer from deadly diseases.
D.Men aren’t as cautious as women in face of danger.
66.Which of the following best completes the underlined sentence “Geez, if it could happen to him…” (in Para 4) ?
A.it could happen to me,too.
B.it would be a big misfortune.
C.I should avoid playing golf.
D.I should consider myself lucky.
67.What does Dr.Ross Cartmill mean by“the ostrich approach”(in Para 5)?
A.A casual attitude towards one’s health conditions.
B.A new treatment for certain psychological problems.
C.Refusal to get medical treatment for fear of the pain involved.
D.Unwillingness to find out about one’s disease because of fear.
The Harvard Student-led Walking Tour
Let a student show you Harvard … on a free walking tour.
We welcome our neighbors to stop by the Harvard University Events & Information Center, located in the Holyoke Center Arcade at 1350 Massachusetts Avenue in the heart of Harvard Square in Cambridge.
Let a student take you and your family,school,or organization on an engaging,hour-long historical tour of the Harvard campus.The tours leave from the Events & Information Center. Not only will you discover the location of fascinating exhibitions and programmes on campus,you will also see Harvard’s rich sampling of American history and architecture from the Colonial period to the present
Schedule of Tours
Tours leave the Events & Information Center at 10 am and 2 pm Monday through Friday, and at 2 pm on Saturday through the academic year(February 4 through May 2;September 23 through December 16). Summer tours(June 24 through August 15)are offered at 10 am,11:15 am,2 pm,and 3:1 5 pm Monday through Saturday.Reservations for special tours of 20 or more people may be made by calling the Events & Information Center at(617)495—1573 or emailing icenter@camail. Harvard. edu. Tours are stopped March 23 through April 2 for Spring break,May 3 through June 23 for Spring intercession(祷告), and August 1 6 through September 22 for Summer intercession.
NOTE:Prospective(未来的)students may take tours originating at the Harvard Admissions Office,located at Byerly Hall on 8 Garden Street in Cambridge.The Admissions staff will conduct information sessions.For more information,please call at(617)495—1551.
Harvard University Events & Information Center
Location:Holyoke Center Arcade,1350 Massachusetts Avenue,Cambridge MA 02138
Phone:(617)495—1573
60.If you want to join in a tour,you can go on______
A.May 2 B.June 23 C.August 20. D.September 1
61.How can you book special tours of 20 people?
A.By calling at(617)495—1573
B.By calling at(617)495—1551
C.By visiting the Harvard Admissions Office.
D.By calling the Events & Information Center any time.
62.A student who wants an information session may______for more information.
A.call(617)495—1573.
B.call(617)495—1551
C.email icenter@camail. Harvard.edu
D.go to the Events & Information Center
63.The above ads is mainly intended for______.
A.foreign visitors B.high school students
C.new students in the university D.those living near Harvard University
第三部分:阅读理解(共两节,40分)
第一节(共15小题;每小题2分,共30分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
It was a Sunday morning, and I was in a terrible mood. Two of my friends had gone to the movies the night before and hadn’t invited me.I was in my room thinking of ways to make them sorry when my father came in. “Want to go for a ride,today,Beck? It’s a beautiful day.”
“No ! Leave me alone!”Those were the last words I said to him that morning.
My friends called and invited me to go to the mall with them a few hours later.I forgot to be mad at them and went I came home to find a note on the table. My mother put it where I would be sure to see it. “Dad has had an accident. Please meet us at Highland Park Hospital”.
When I reached the hospital,my mother came out and told me my father’s injuries were extensive.“Your lather told the driver to leave him alone and just call 911,thank God! If he had moved Daddy,there’s no telling what might have happened.A broken rib(肋骨)might have pierced(穿透)a lung….”
My mother may have said more,but I didn’t hear.I didn’t hear anything except those terrible
words:Leave me alone.My dad said them to save himself from being hurt more.How much had I hurt him when I hurled those words at him earlier in the day?
It was several days later that he was finally able to have a conversation.I held his hand gently, afraid of hurting him.
“Daddy… I am so sorry….”
“It’s okay,sweetheart.I'll be okay.”
“No,”I said,“I mean about what I said to you that day.You know, that morning?”
My father could no more tell a lie than he could fly.He looked at me and said.“Sweetheart,
I don’t remember anything about that day, not before,during or after the accident. I remember
kissing you goodnight the night before,though.”He managed a weak smile.
My English teacher once told me that words have immeasurable power.They can hurt or they
can heal.And we all have the power to choose our words. I intend to do that very carefully from now on.
56.The author was in bad mood that morning because______.
A.his father had a terrible accident
B.he couldn’t drive to the mall with his friends
C.his friends hadn’t invited him to the cinema
D.his father didn’t allow him to go out with his friends
57.Why did the author say sorry to his father in the hospital?
A.Because he didn’t go along with his father.
B.Because he was rude to his father that morning.
C.Because he failed to come earlier after the accident.
D.Because he couldn’t look after his father in the hospital
58.The reason why the author’s father said he forgot everything about that day is that______
A.he had a poor memory
B.he didn’t wanted to comfort his son
C.he just wanted to comfort his son
D.he lost his memory after the accident
59.What lesson did Beck learn from the matter?
A.Don’t treat your parents badly.
B.Don’t hurt others with rude words.
C.Don’t move the injured in an accident.
D.Don’t be angry with friends at small things
第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题,每题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。
At the age of sixteen, I joined a volunteer group with my dad. I went on my first volunteer project in West Virginia. On the night we arrived, we discovered that “our family” was living in a trailer(拖车) that was in poor condition. A crew had been working on it for two weeks, but every time they finished one problem, another surfaced.
We decided the only reasonable solution was to build a new house – something unusual but necessary under these circumstances. The family was overjoyed with their new house that was twenty by thirty feet with three bedrooms, a bath and a kitchen.
On Tuesday of that week, while we ate lunch together, I asked the family’s three boys, Josh, Eric and Ryan, "What do you want for your new room?" Expecting toys and other gadgets that children usually ask for, we were surprised when Josh responded, "I just want a bed."
The boys had never slept in a bed! They were accustomed to plastic mats. That night we had a meeting and decided that beds would be the perfect gift. On Thursday night, a few adults in our group drove to the nearest city and bought beds and new bedding.
When we saw the delivery truck coming, we told the family about the surprise. We could hardly contain ourselves. It was like watching excited children on Christmas morning.
That afternoon, as we fitted the frames of the beds tog tether, Eric ran into the house to watch us. Too dirty to enter his room, he observed with wide-eyed enthusiasm from the doorway.
As my father slipped a pillowcase onto one of the pillows, Eric asked, "What is that?"
"A pillow," she replied.
"What do you do with it?" Eric continued to ask.
"When you go to sleep, you put your head on it,” I answered softly. Tears came to our eyes as she handed Eric the pillow.
"Oh . . . that's soft," he said, hugging it tightly.
Now, when my sister or I start to ask for something that seems urgent, my Dad gently asks, "Do you have a pillow?"
We know exactly what he means.
56.The writer’s first volunteer project was .
A.working on a poor trailer B.helping a poor family
C.donating beds and bedding D.dealing with a housing problem
57.On bearing Josh’s answer, the writer was shocked because .
A.the family lived in a trailer B.he expected to get some toys
C.he didn’t know what a bed was D.the boys had no bed to sleep in
58.From the passage, we can learn that Eric had never seenbefore.
A.a trailer B.a truck C.a pillow D.a house
59.By saying “Do you have a pillow?”, the writer’s father means that .
A.what they want to get may be unnecessary
B.they should not waste money on small things
C.they should do more volunteer work for the poor
D.what he will buy is not what they want but a pillow