Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experience? Strangely enough, the answer to these questions is yes. To some extent our intelligence is given to us at birth, and no amount of education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus the limits of person’s intelligence are fixed at birth, whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, now held by most experts, can be supported in a number of ways.
It is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be intelligence. Thus if we take two unrelated people at random from population, it is likely that their degree of intelligence will be completely different. If, on the other hand, we take two identical twins, they will very probably be as intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters, parents and children, usually have similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that intelligence depends on birth.
Imagine now that we take two identical twins and put them in different environments. We might send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory where the work is boring. We would soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates that environment as well as birth plays a part. This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who live in close contact with each other, but who are not related at all are likely to have similar degree of intelligence. The writer is in favor of the view that man’s intelligence is given to him____________.
| A．at birth |
| B．through education |
| C．neither at birth nor through education |
| D．both at birth and through education |
If a child is born with low intelligence, he can_____________________.
| A．become a genius |
| B．still become a genius if he should be given special education |
| C．reach his intelligence limits in rich surroundings |
| D．not reach his intelligence in his life. |
The example of the twins going to a university and to a factory separately shows_________.
| A．the importance of their intelligence |
| B．the importance of their positions |
| C．the role of environment on intelligence |
| D．the part that birth plays |
I had the meanest mother in the whole world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have porridge, eggs or toast. When others had Cokes and candy for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich. But at least I wasn’t alone when I was sad. My sister and two brothers had the same mean(刻薄的) mother as I did.
My mother preferred to know where we were all the time. She had to know who our friends were and where we were going. We had to clean clothes and take a bath every day. The other kids got to wear the same clothes for days. We could not lie in bed “sick” in order to miss school.
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by nine each night and get up at eight the next morning. We couldn’t sleep till noon like our friends. So while they slept, my mother was brave to break the Child Labour Law. She made us work. We had to wash dishes, make beds, and learn to cook and all sorts of things at home. I believe she lay awake thinking up all things for us to do.
My mother was a complete failure as a mother. Two of her children received higher education. None of us have ever been arrested (taken away by the police) or divorced. She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults. I am trying to raise my three children this way. I am filled with pride when my children call me “mean”. Why? Because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the world.How many children does the writer’s mother have?
| A．Four | B．Two | C．Three | D．Six |
What can you infer(推测) from the passage?
| A．My family was rich, so I ate a sandwich for lunch. |
| B．My mother was a great success. We love her. |
| C．If we didn’t want to go to school, the best way was to pretend to be sick. |
| D．We needn’t share the housework at home. |
The best title for this passage may be________.
| A．My childhood | B．The meanest mother |
| C．I do as my mother did | D．Unforgettable memories |
One of my wonderful memories is about a Christmas gift. Unlike other gifts, it came without wrap(包装).
On September 11th. 1958. Mum gave birth to Richard. After she brought him home from hospital, she put him in my lap, saying. "I promised you a gift, and here it is. " What an honor! I turned four a month earlier and none of my friends had such a baby doll of their own. I played with it day and night. I sang to it. I told it stories. 1 told it over and over how much I loved it!
One morning, however, I found its bed empty. My doll was gone! I cried for it. Mum wept and told me that the poor little thing had been sent to a hospital. It had a fever. For several days, I heard Mum and Dad whispering such words as "hopeless", "pitiful", and "dying", which sounded ominous.
Christmas was coming. "Don’t expect any presents this year." Dad said, pointing at the socks I hung in the living room. "If your baby brother lives, that'll be Christmas enough. " As he spoke, his eyes filled with tears. I'd never seen him cry before.
The phone rang early on Christmas morning. Dad jumped out of bed to answer it. From my bedroom I heard him say. "What? He's all right?" He hung up and shouted upstairs. " The hospital said we can bring Richard home!"
"Thank God.'" I heard Mum cry.
From the upstairs window, I watched my parents rush out to the car. I had never seen them happy. And I was also full of joy. What a wonderful day! My baby doll would be home. I downstairs. My sacks still hung there flat. But I knew they were not empty; they were filled with love!what happened to the author on September 11 1958 ?
| A．He got a baby brother |
| B．He got a Christmas gift |
| C．He became four years old |
| D．He received a doll |
What does the underlined word “ominous” in Paragraph 3 probably mean？
| A．Impossible. | B．Boring |
| C．Difficult | D．Fearful |
Which word can best describe the feeling of the father when Christmas was coming?
| A．Excitement. | B．Happiness. |
| C．Sadness. | D．Disappointment. |
What is the passage mainly about ?
| A．A sad Christmas day |
| B．Life with a lovely baby |
| C．A special Christmas gift. |
| D．Memories of a happy family |
任务型阅读（共10小题;每小题1分，共10分）
I used to be the messiest person alive．Over the years, through watching others and by trial and error, I have finally found ways to come up with plans, organize them and follow through with them．
Make an outline of everything you need to have and do to make your plan happen．Make a list of all of the steps that need to be accomplished and think about what needs to be done．
Detail everything thoroughly and read over it so you can start coming up with some mental solutions of how to carry out your plans．
You should ensure that if for some reason way one doesn’t work, you have way two and way three to lean back on．Therefore, different ways are needed at hand．It’s just a matter of being organized．Chances are that there is always more than one way of doing things, and chances are that if one of those ways doesn’t work, one of the other ones will．
Committing yourself to finishing at least part if not all of your plan at once is also necessary．It will show that you not only have initiative to get things rolling, but that you are interested in the results obtained with making the move to get everything done．
If you make a commitment to finish before a specific time, make sure that you carry that out, and be sure to do everything in the way you said you would, within the time-frame you set for yourself．
Don’t try to tackle more things all at a time．All that does is delay your progress, distract you and make you lose your interest, motivation and energy．
Carrying out an effective plan requires being as organized as possible．You will only achieve this by sticking to the order of the plan and not deviating or trying to do more at a time．
Last but not least, you should never abandon things mid-project．It will only annoy everyone around you including yourself．Unfinished plans are a waste of time, energy and, in some cases, even money．
So, don’t be afraid of organization．The older we get, the more necessary it becomes to have the skills to follow through with confidence and to be able to carry through plans in an organized and manageable way．It pays to be organized, after all．
| Title: Tips on how to be |
||
| Tips |
Details |
|
| ◆List everything you need ◆List the |
To make your plan happen |
|
| Prepare three |
To |
|
| Do everything |
To show yourself you are determined to get things started and caring about the results. |
|
| Do one thing at once |
Stick to the order of your plan |
To save your interest, motivation and energy |
| Finish what you have started |
To get your plan |
|
| You shouldn’t be afraid of organization because it’s really worthwhile． |
The iPhone, the iPad, each of Apple’s products sounds cool and has become a fad (一时的风尚). Apple has cleverly taken advantage of the power of the letter “i” – and many other brands are following suit. The BBC’s iPlayer – which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the Internet –adopted the title in 2008. A lovely bear – popular in the US and UK – that plays music and video is called “iTeddy”. A slimmed-down version of London’s Independent newspaper was launched last week under the name “i”.
In general, single-letter prefixes (前缀) have been popular since the 1990s, when terms such as e-mail and e-commerce first came into use.
Most “i” products are targeted at young people and considering the major readers of Independent’s “i”, it’s no surprise that they’ve selected this fashionable name.
But it’s hard to see what’s so special about the letter “i”. Why not use “a”, “b”, or “c” instead? According to Tony Thorne, head of the Language Center at King’s College, London, “i” works because its meaning has become ambiguous. When Apple uses “i”, no one knows whether it means Internet, information, individual or interactive, Thorne told BBC Magazines. “Even when Apple created the iPod, it seems it didn’t have one clear definition,” he says.
“However, thanks to Apple, the term is now associated with portability (轻便) .”adds Thorne.
Clearly the letter “i” also agrees with the idea that the Western World is centered on the individual. Each person believes they have their own needs, and we love personalized products for this reason.
Along with “Google” and “blog”, readers of BBC Magazines voted “i” as one of the top 20 words that have come to define the last decade.
But as history shows, people grow tired of fads. From the 1900s to 1990s, products with “2000” in their names became fashionable as the year was associated with all things advanced and modern. However, as we entered the new century, the trend inevitably disappeared.People use iPlayer to __________.
| A．listen to music | B．make a call |
| C．watch TV programs online | D．read newspapers |
We can infer that the Independent’s “i” is aimed at __________.
| A．young readers | B．old readers |
| C．fashionable women | D．engineers |
The underlined word “ambiguous” means “__________”.
| A．popular | B．uncertain |
| C．definite | D．unique |
Nowadays, the “i” term often reminds people of the products which are __________.
| A．portable | B．environmentally friendly |
| C．advanced | D．recyclable |
The writer suggests that __________.
| A．“i” products are often of high quality |
| B．iTeddy is alive bear |
| C．the letter “b” replaces letter “i” to name the products |
| D．the popularity of “i” products may not last long |
Different countries have different customs. When you travel to another countries, please follow their customs, just as the saying goes, “.”
Very often people who travel to the United States forget to tip. It is usual to tip porters who help carry your bags, taxi drivers and waiters. Waiters expect to get a 15% tip on the cost of your meal. Taxi drivers expect about the same amount.
In England, make sure to stand in line even if there are only two of you. It’s important to respect lines there. It’s a good idea to talk about the weather. It’s a favorite subject of conversation with the British.
In Spain, it’s a good idea to have a light meal in the afternoon if someone invites you for dinner. People have dinner very late, and restaurants do not generally open until after 9 pm.
In Arab countries, men kiss one another on the cheek. Your host may welcome you with a kiss on both cheeks. It is polite for you to do the same.
In Japan, people usually give personal or business cards to each other when they meet for the first time. When a person gives you a card, don’t put it into your pocket right away. The person expects you to read it.
Don’t forget to be careful of your body language to express something in conversation. A kind of body language that is acceptable in one culture may be impolite in another.When you travel to the USA, you don’t need to tip.
| A．porters | B．waiters |
| C．teachers | D．taxi drivers |
The missing sentence in the first paragraph should be“.”
| A．Love me, love my dog |
| B．He who laughs last laughs best |
| C．When in Rome, do as the Romans do |
| D．Where there is a will, there is a way |
The underline word “porters” in the passage means.
| A．搬运工 | B．清洁工 |
| C．接线员 | D．售票员 |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．In Spain, People usually have dinner very early. |
| B．In England, It’s a not polite to talk about the weather. |
| C．In Arab countries, men kiss one another on the cheek. |
| D．In Japan you should not read the business card as soon as you get it. |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．How to Tip |
| B．Body Language |
| C．When to Have Dinne |
| D．Advice to International Travelers |