Research has shown that two-thirds of human conversation is taken up not with discussion of the cultural or political problems of the day, not heated debates about films we've just watched or books we've just finished reading, but plain and simple ____.
Language is our greatest treasure as a species, and what do we ____ do with it? We gossip. About others' behaviour and private lives, such as who's doing what with whom, who's in and who's out-and why; how to deal with difficult ____ situations involving children, lovers, and colleagues.
So why are we keen on gossiping? Are we just natural ____, of both time and words? Or do we talk a lot about nothing in particular simply to avoid facing up to the really important issues of life? It's not the case according to Professor Robin Dunbar. In fact, in his latest book, Grooming, Gossip and the Evolution of Language, the psychologist says gossip is one of these really____issues.
Dunbar ____ the traditional view that language was developed by the men at the early stage of social development in order to organize their manly hunting activities more effectively, or even to promote the exchange of poetic stories about their origins and the supernatural. Instead he suggests that language evolved among women. We don't spend two-thirds of our time gossiping just because we can talk, argues Dunbar—____, he goes on to say, language evolved specifically to allow us to gossip.
Dunbar arrived at his cheery theory by studying the ____ of the higher primates（灵长类动物）like monkeys. By means of grooming--cleaning the fur by brushing it, monkeys form groups with other individuals on whom they can rely for support in the event of some kind of conflict within the group or____ from outside it.
As we human beings evolve from a particular branch of the primate family, Dunbar ____ that at one time in our history we did much the same. Grouping together made sense because the bigger the group, the greater the ____ it provided; on the other hand, the bigger the group, the greater the stresses of living close to others. Grooming helped to ____ the pressure and calm everybody down.
But as the groups got bigger and bigger, the amount of time spent in grooming activities also had to be ____ to maintain its effectiveness. Clearly, a more ____ kind of grooming was needed, and thus language evolved as a kind of vocal（有声的）grooming which allowed humans to develop relationship with ever-larger groups by exchanging information over a wider network of individuals than would be possible by one-to-one ____ contact.
A．claim B．description C．gossip D．language
A．occasionally B．habitually C．independently D．originally
A．social B．political C．historical D．cultural
A．admirers B．masters C．users D．wasters
A．vital B．sensitive C．ideal D．difficult
A．confirms B．rejects C．outlines D．broadens
A．for instance B．in addition C．on the contrary D．as a result
A．motivation B．appearance C．emotion D．behaviour
A．attack B．contact C．inspection D．assistance
A．recalls B．denies C．concludes D．confesses
A．prospect B．responsibility C．leadership D．protection
A．measure B．show C．maintain D．ease
A．saved B．extended C．consumed D．gained
A．common B．efficient C．scientific D．Thoughtful
A．indirect B．daily C．physical D．secret
After stepping into the classroom, I glanced round all the students and began my following words. “Thank you” are my words, which I would like to use to express my deepest to all of you.
Thinking back to the past 3 years, a lot of things remain fresh in my memory. I cannot forget your smile the first time I met you. I cannot forget that you were to for your being late for class, when I asked why you were late, you tried tothe fact of buying me a lovely teddy bear for Teacher's Day. I cannot forget your humorous words of breaking when I was angry about your bad performance. I cannot forget that we share the happiness of success after making great .
With time going by, I come to that you are the mirror of my life. The mirror can reflect my past and my future. Looking through the mirror, I'm more aware of my and weaknesses.
It is you who made me believe love can be . It is you who made me realize sometimes in the of pursuing our dreams, we may some difficulties and setbacks（挫折）, but if we set up our mind to do it, is impossible to a willing heart.
So standing in a higher position, I will help you to the dreams confidently and firmly, suffering the mistakes I made when I was your age.
, I pray that kind of friendship can stand the test of and last forever. I pray that you can get good performance in the entrance examination and make your dreams come true.
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第三节：完形填空（共20小题，每小题1分，满分20分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出适合填入对应空白处的最佳选项。并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
There are about fifteen hundred languages in the world. But 21 a few of them are very 22 . English is one of these. Many, many people use it, not only in England and the USA, but in other parts of the world. About 200 million people speak it as their own language. It is difficult to say how many people are learning it as a 23 language. Millions of people are trying to do so.
Is 24 easy or difficult to learn English? Different people may have different 25 . Have you ever 26 the ads of this kind in the newspapers or magazines?
“Learning English in six months, or your 27 back…”“Easy and funny? Our records and tapes 28 you master your English in a month. 29 your first day your 30 will be excellent. Just send…”Of course, it never 31 quite like this.
The only language that seems easy to learn is the mother tongue. We should 32 that we all learned our own language well when we were 33 . If we could learn English in the same way, it would not seem so difficult. Imagine 34 a small child does. He listens to what people say. He tries what he hears. When he is using a language, talking in it, and 35 it all the time, just imagine how much 36 that gets.
So it is 37 to say that learning English is easy, because a good command （掌握；精通）of English 38 upon a lot of practice. And practice needs great effort and 39 much time. Good teachers, records, tapes, books and dictionaries will work. 40 they cannot do the student’s work for him.
21. A. not B. quite C. only D. very
22. A. difficult B. important C. necessary D. easy
23. A. native B. foreign C. useful D. mother
24. A. this B. that C. it D. which
25. A. questions B. problems C. ideas D. answers
26. A. found B. watched C. noticed D. known
27. A. knowledge B. time C. money D. English
28. A. make B. help C. let D. allow
29. A. From B. On C. Since D. After
30. A. spelling B. grammar C. English D. pronunciation
31. A. happened B. knew C. seemed D. felt
32. A. know B. remember C. understandD. think
33. A. students B. children C. babies D. grown-ups
34. A. what B. which C. who D. whose
35. A. using B. thinking C. trying D. practicing
36. A. time B. moneyC. language D. practice
37. A. hard B. easy C. funny D. silly
38. A. depends B. tries C. has D. takes
39. A. uses B. takes C. gets D. costs
40. A. And B. But C. So D. So
三、完形填空
One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried 36for hours as the farmer tried to figure out 37to do. Finally he decided the animal was 38and the well needed to be 39up anyway, so it just wasn’t 40it to rescue the donkey.
He invited all his 41to come over and help him. They all grabbed (握起) a shovel (铁铲) and began to shovel 42into the well. At first, the donkey 43what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s 44, he was quiet.
A few shovel loads later, the farmer looked 45the well and was 46at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that 47his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would 48it off and take a step up. As the farmer’s neighbors 49to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take another 50up. Pretty soon, everyone was surprised as the donkey stepped up over the 51of the well and ran off.
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The best way of 52out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our 53is a stepping-stone. We can get out of the deepest 54just by not stopping, never 55! Shake it off and take a step upward!
36. A. sadly B. confidently C. frequently D. gradually
37. A. how B. what C. that D. which
38. A. strong B. old C. stubborn D. powerful
39. A. dug B. flowed C. covered D. emptied
40. A. important B. possible C. necessary D. worth
41. A. neighbors B. relatives C. partners D. friends
42. A. dust B. pain C. stone D. dirt
43. A. determined B. recognized C. realized D. admitted
44. A. relief B. surprise C. fear D. joy
45. A. down B. around C. for D. after
46. A. annoyed B. delighted C. astonished D. disappointed
47. A. attacked B. packed C. recovered D. hit
48. A. shake B. blow C. take D. wash
49. A. decided B. continued C. pretended D. volunteered
50. A. base B. stage C. step D. breath
51. A. bottom B. track C. appearance D. entrance
52. A. holding B. getting C. sorting D. sticking
53. A. troubles B. happiness C. successes D. losses
54. A. reality B. distance C. caves D. wells
55. A. setting up B. blowing up C. giving up D. picking up
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从16-25各题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Most children want to be pop stars or footballers when they grow up. But 11-year-old Amy Jones had the chance to ____16____ more about her ____17____ job—a medical biologist —when she won an essay writing competition for primary students.
Amy’s __18__ for the best essay on “What I want to be when I’m older” was a day at Oxford Medical Science Institute. Staff organised a special programme for the would-be __19__, introducing her to the projects being worked on by medical biologists at Oxford. The sessions included a look at the ___20___ of medical biologists in fighting cancer and ___21___ to become a medical biologist.
Amy said she was ___22___ to become a biologist after watching a television programme. In her essay she wrote: “The medical biologist plays a big part in many discoveries and it would be a challenging, exciting and ___23__ job.”
Dr. Kathryn Robson, the Institute director said: “ It’s ___24___that we encourage young people to study science and think about scientific research as a job. I hope Amy now has a better __25__of what it takes to become a medical biologist.”
A．carry out B．sort out C．find out D．look out
A．dream B．father’s C．first D．mother’s
A．idea B．prize C．wish D．topic
A．pop star B．journalist C．scientist D．writer
A．performance B．action C．operation D．role
A．when B．whether C．how D．where
A．inspired B．chosen C．made D．forced
A．disappointing B．tiring C．surprising D．rewarding
A．vital B．simple C．funny D．unusual
A．decision B．understanding C．desire D．taste
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从31～40各题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Life on Land probably began about 430 millions years ago, though it has existed in the water for perhaps as much as 3,000 million years. When we think of the first thing on land, we probably think of strange 31 coming out of the oceans, but in fact no animals could have been 32 if plants had not been on land first. Plants had to be on land before animals arrived. They 33 the first land animals with the surrounding and food necessity, since then, the plants are the only form of life that is able to get and store 34 .
The first plants to exist out of water were probably 35 kinds of algae ( 海藻) which were 36 by other plants that grow 37 to the ground and needed water in which to reproduce. Once the move to land had been made, however, evolution (进化) took place quickly. By the end of 100 million years, plants had developed their 38 , and some had got tree-like forms since 39 was very important in gaining sunlight. About 30 million years ago, much of the world was covered with forests of huge trees. In most
ways they were like 40 modern trees. They had roots, leaves, wood, but mostly they had not developed seeds.
A．tree B．plants C．seeds D．animals
A．living B．making C．dying D．eating
A．offered B．supplied C．gave D．afforded
A．heat B．sunlight C．energy D．water
A．many B．little C．sure D．certain
A．followed B．made C．copied D．existed
A．close B．far C．strong D．tall
A．branches B．trunks C．roots D．leaves
A．weight B．height C．soil D．water
A．modern B．ancient C．big D．small