Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence (智力) developed by our environment and our experience? Strangely enough, the answer to these questions is yes. In some degree, our intelligence is given to us at birth, and no education can make a genius (天才) 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 environment. Therefore, the limits(限度) of person’s intelligence are fixed at birth, whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This point of view, now is held by most experts.
It is easy to show that intelligence is something that we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be intelligence. If we take two strangers by chance from the population, it seems that their degree of intelligence will be completely different. If, on the other hand, we compare two twins, they will very likely 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 twins and put them in different environments. We might send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory separately where the work is boring. We would soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this shows that environment as well as birth plays an important part. This result 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.How is man’s intelligence given?
A.At birth. |
B.Through education. |
C.Both at birth and through education. |
D.Neither at birth nor through education. |
According to the passage, if a child is born with low intelligence, what might happen to him later?
A.Become a genius. |
B.Still become a genius if he should be given special education. |
C.Reach his intelligence limits in rich environment. |
D.Never reach his intelligence in his life. |
What can we learn from the example of the twins going to a university and to a factory?
A.The importance of their intelligence. |
B.The role of environment on intelligence. |
C.The importance of their jobs. |
D.The part that birth plays. |
What statement is TRUE according to the passage?
A.No education can help make a genius. |
B.Personality is important as intelligence which was given to people at birth. |
C.People who have similar degree of intelligence must be relatives. |
D.Environment influences people in intelligence developing. |
How does the writer make his idea clear?
A.By giving explanation. | B.By giving an example. |
C.By giving figures(数字). | D.By giving suggestions. |
Smile Train is a charity(慈善团体) that helps the millions of children around the world,who suffer
from a facial defect (缺陷).The defect happens when a baby ' s top lip or mouth doesn't form properly before birth.Eating and drinking is very difficult for these babies.The charity provides free operations,which give these children a new smile,and with it,new hope and a new beginning.
Children with the defect need all the help.Although many sufferers are accepted by their families,sadly,others are not.In some countries,children with this defect are often abandoned at birth because their parents feel ashamed of them or cannot afford the operations. The good news is that the operation is not difficult.It takes less than an hour and costs the family nothing.The charity raises money and finds the right medical volunteers to perform the operations.
A Smile Train doctor from the UK said,"Each child who has the operation is given a second chance at
life.After years of staying at home,the children can finally go to school and be happy.Every year I perform hundreds of operations free of cost through Smile Train.Some of the stories I have heard are quite surprising.One newborn baby girl was found abandoned on a train.Luckily for her,she was found and adopted(收养)by a passenger.This lady then heard about Smile Train and brought the baby to our hospital. I did the operation and gave hope to the family.Experienced doctors like me share our kills with local doctors.In this way we make sure that these operations will always be available."
(1)Smile Train is a charity which .
A. provides food and medical care for poor children
B. raises money for all the doctors working in the UK
C. offers free medical help to children with the facial defect
D. gives children without parents new hope and a new beginning
(2)The underlined word "abandoned"in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to .
A. given up
B. dressed up
C. called up
D.brought up
(3)What did the doctor from the UK think of his volunteer work ?
A. Dangerous
B. Surprising
C. Relaxing
D. valuable
(4)It can be inferred from the passage that .
A. children with the facial defect are becoming more ashamed than before.
B. more doctors are trained to help children with the facial defect
C. fewer baby boys with the facial defect are operated on than girls
D. doctors in Smile Train are always well paid for doing the operations
This painting is called The Fighting Temeraire.Temeraire is the name of the big.old sailing ship that you can see on the left of the picture.People chose this picture to be the greatest painting in Britain.
J.M.W.Turner painted it in 1839.It shows the old sailing ship,the Temeraire,on the River Thames near London.There's a small tugboat pulling the old ship. It's in fact taking the Temeraire on its last journey.The old ship is going to the breaker's yard.In the background we can see the sun setting.
The picture,however,is more than just a painting of two boats in the evening.The artist wanted to show the end of an era(时代).The time of the beautiful,old sailing ships is coming to an end.That's why we see this happening at sunset.In the little,brown tugboat we can see the new industrial era starting.The tugboat is small and dark and it's making a lot of smoke,but it's very strong,because it's pulling the much bigger ship.
The painting shows a real event.Turner watched the Temeraire taking its last journey up the Thames,but he changed some of the details.He painted the old ship white and gold so that it looks like a ghost. In fact,the real ship was black and yellow.We also see the sun setting behind the ship,but in fact,the ship travelled towards the sunset.However,Turner wanted to show the sun setting on the time of the beautiful old sailing ships.
Turner painted The Fighting Temeraire when he was quite old,so perhaps he wanted to show the sun
setting on his own life,too.He loved the painting and he never sold it.You can see it today in the National Gallery in London.
(1)The Fighting Temeraire .
A.is the name of a big sailing ship.
B.was thought the best painting in Britain.
C.shows two nice new ships.
D.was painted by a famous young artist.
(2)The old ship was pulled to the yard .
A.to be painted new.
B.to be repaired.
C.to be broken up.
D.to be sold.
(3)What does the tugboat stand for according to the passage ?
A.The new industrial era.
B.The beautiful old era.
C.The painter's own life.
D.The white and gold ghost.
(4)What can we learn from the last two paragraphs ?
A.The color of the real sailing ship was white and gold.
B.In the painting the sailing ship was going towards the sunset.
C.Finally Turner sold this painting because he didn′t like it.
D.Today the painting is kept in the National Gallery in London.
The Coffee Pot Restaurant
We're looking for Saturday assistants(帮手)in our busy town centre restaurant.The job will include setting and clearing tables,serving customers and helping in the kitchen.We′re looking for polite and patient people who can work under pressure.
Hours:10 am﹣4 pm including a half﹣hour lunch break
Pay:£5 an hour +lunch
Film Extras Wanted
Have you ever wanted to be in the movies?Are you interested in acting?We′re making a film in the local area during July and August and we'll need several young people as extras(临时演员).
We′re looking for active and social 14﹣18﹣year﹣olds.
Pay:£50 a day+meals
Please include a recent photograph in your application.
Newspaper Boys/Girls
We′re looking for honest young people to deliver (投递)newspapers and magazines,We need one person for morning deliveries(7﹣8)and two people for evening deliveries(5﹣6).You must be at least 13 years old and have your own bicycle.For morning deliveries you need to be good at getting up early,too!
Pay:£30 a week
When you apply(申请),please say whether you prefer mornings or evenings.
PART﹣TIME ASSISTANTS WANTED
Shop′n′ Save Supermarket needs two young people (14﹣18)for evening and weekend work.The job includes helping customers,putting things on the shelves,collecting trolleys,etc.
Hours:5﹣7 evenings or 10﹣5 Saturdays and Sundays.
Pay:£4 an hour and free lunch for weekend hours
(1)To be a film extra,one has to be .
A.polite an patient.
B.active and social.
C.honest and strong.
D.helpful and careful.
(2)A part﹣time assistant at Shop′n′Save Supermarket needs to .
A.set and clear tables.
B.provide a photo.
C.deliver newspapers.
D.help customers.
(3)If 13﹣year﹣old Tom is free from 5: 00 pm to 7:00 pm, which job can he apply for ?
A.A restaurant assistant.
B.A film extra.
C.A newspaper boy.
D.A supermarket assistant.
Sometimes we throw apple remains into forests,hoping small animals around may find them.But what if they are never noticed?People believe they would rot(腐烂)one day.So it doesn't matter.Is that true?
Sure they will.But it won't happen overnight.
Marjorie Woodruff,works in the Grand Canyon,set up a small experiment.She put a banana peel(皮),orange peels in a box,wide enough to allow small animals to go in and out.After six months,the orange peels had dried out,the banana had turned black.Nothing had been eaten or had rotted.
She buried the same things in sand and soil and six months later everything could still be seen.
In fact,it takes two months for apple remains to rot and an orange peel can take up to one year.
"Do we eat orange peels? We do not.So why would a squirrel(松鼠)eat? "Woodruff writes in High Country News. "The animals do just fine on nuts and berries.They do not need us."There's another point to think about.
When animals start to get food from people.they may stop looking for their own food in nature.This is dangerous because it may weaken their hunting ability.Besides,they need different food.
Food waste also attracts animals to areas where there are a lot of people,says the Leave No Trace organization.This may put their life in danger as they may get used to looking for food alongside busy roads. Many of them are too small to be noticed by drivers.
When you're throwing fruit remains,you may be fined(罚款).Fines are different.Some states might only fine people 100,but a few states fine people more than 6,000 for a first time.
(1)Where does Marjorie Woodruff work?
(2)How long does it take for apple remains to rot?
(3)Which animal is mentioned?
(4)How much might you be fined at least if you throw fruit remains?
(5)Why can't we give food waste to animals?
The 2030 Agenda says that ending poverty in all its forms,including extreme poverty(极度贫困),is the greatest task.Because 1.4 billion people in developing countries live on less than ﹩1.25 a day.Another 842 million people,or one in eight people,do not have enough to eat,today.
The good news is that there are ways to end poverty.
Creating jobs,both in the United States and abroad,is a great way to deal with poverty.When people have jobs,they have money,and when people have money,they can more easily get themselves out of poverty.The U.N.says that "For the poor,labor is often the only thing they can use to improve their well﹣being."
The education of girls and women impacts(影响)the rest of the societies.A woman's degree of education is linked to the age at which she marries and has children,to her health and diseases.Educating girls and women can end poverty in developing nations,as well as in the United States.
The United States hasn't raised the lowest pay since 2007.Because of this,right now,"A full﹣time worker with two children getting the lowest pay will still raise his or her family in poverty."And this is a problem in almost every other country,especially in developing nations.Raising the lowest pay could possibly increase the health and well﹣being of millions.
The president of the World Bank,Jim Yong Kim,says that he believes "health care covering in all countries can help achieve a goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030." He says that health care could end poverty.Because about 100 million people are pushed into extreme poverty every year by having to spend money on health problems,and health problems push about another 150 million into very serious hardship.
These ways to end poverty show that while there is a difficult road ahead,there is a practical path forward.
(1)How many people do not have enough to eat today?
A.100 million.
B.150 million.
C.842 million.
(2)What is the only thing the poor can use to improve their well﹣being?
A.Creating.
B.Labor.
C.Studying.
(3)The fourth paragraph mainly tells us .
A.the importance of educating girls and women.
B.the ways of educating girls and women.
C.the time of educating girls and women.
(4)Who is Jim Yong Kim?
A.The President of the U.N.
B.The president of the World Bank.
C.The President of the United States.
(5)How many ways to end poverty are mentioned?
A.4.
B.6.
C.7.