People have wondered for a long time how their personalities and behavior are formed. It is not easy to explain why one person is intelligent and another is not, or why one is cooperative and another is competitive.
Social scientists are of course extremely interested in these types of questions. They want to explain why we possess certain characteristics and exhibit certain behavior. There are no clear answers yet, but two distinct schools of thought on the matter have developed. As one might expect, the two approaches are very different from each other, and there is a great deal of debate between proponents of each theory. The controversy is often conveniently referred to as “nature and nurture”.
Those who support the “nature” side of the conflict believe that our personalities and behavior patterns are largely determined by biological factors. That our environment has little, if anything, to do with our abilities, characteristics and behavior is central to this theory. Taken to an extreme,this theory states that our behavior is predetermined to such a great degree that we are almost completely governed by our instincts(本能).
Proponents of the “nurture” theory, or, as they are often called, behaviorists, claim that our environment is more important than our biologically based instincts in determining how we will act. A behaviorist, B. F. Skinner, sees humans as beings whose behavior is almost completely shaped by their surroundings. The behaviorists' view of the human being is quite mechanistic. They state that, like machines, humans respond to environmental stimuli (刺激) as the basis of their behavior.
Socially and politically, the consequences of these two theories are far-reaching. In the US,for example, blacks often score below whites on standardized intelligence tests. This leads some “nature” proponents to conclude that blacks are genetically lower in status than whites. Behaviorists, on the contrary, say that the differences in scores are due to the fact that blacks are often robbed of many of the educational and other environmental advantages that whites enjoy, and that, as a result, they do not develop the same responses that whites do.
Neither of these theories can yet fully explain human behavior. In fact, it is quite likely that the key to our behavior lies somewhere between these two extremes and that the controversy will continue for a long time is certain. This passage is mainly concerned with ________.
A.relation between personality and behavior |
B.relation between behavior and environment |
C.different accounts of patterns of human behavior |
D.different theories of the formation of human behavior |
The underlined word “proponents” in Paragraph 2 means ________.
A.creators | B.advisors |
C.advocates | D.judges |
In Paragraph 5, the author mainly writes about ________.
A.the considerable influence of the two theories |
B.differences between the blacks and whites |
C.racial discrimination in the United States |
D.different responds to intelligence tests |
What's the author's purpose in writing the passage?
A.To call our attention to the changes of human behavior. |
B.To urge scientists to do more research in social science. |
C.To give us a detailed explanation of human behavior. |
D.To present an argument in the field of social science. |
If you’d like to go sightseeing, the following World Heritage Sites may be your best choices.
Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area
The Jiuzhaigou Valley, which lies in the northern part of Sichuan Province, reaches a height of more than 4,800 meters, with a series of different forest ecosystems(生态系统). There you can enjoy watching excellent waterfalls. Some 140 kinds of birds also live in the valley, as well as a number of endangered plants and animals, including the giant panda. For more information, please visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/637.
Khami Ruins National Monument
The city of Khami, which developed after the capital of Great Zimbabwe had been given up in the mid-16th century, is of great archaeological(考古的)interest. The discovery of objects from Europe and China shows that Khami was a major centre for trade over a long period of time. For more information, please visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/365.
Henderson Island
Henderson Island, which lies in the eastern South Pacific, is one of the few atolls(环礁)in the world whose ecology(生态)has not been touched by human beings. It is especially famous for the ten plants and four land birds that can only be seen on the island. For more information, please visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/487.
The Old City of Jerusalem
As a holy city for three different religions in the Middle East, Jerusalem has always been of great religious importance. It was given a World Heritage Status in 1981 and placed on the “List of World Heritage in Danger” the following year. For more information, please visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/148.What can we know about the Jiuzhaigou Valley?
A.It sits at the foot of a 4,800-meter-high mountain. |
B.It has different forest ecosystems. |
C.Few of China’s endangered plants can be found there. |
D.In all about 140 kinds of birds and animals live there. |
The discovery of some of the objects in Khami shows that the city .
A.had a very short history |
B.was ruined in the mid-16th century |
C.was once Great Zimbabwe’s largest city |
D.once played a great role as a trade center |
From the passage we can learn that Henderson Island .
A.hasn’t been greatly influenced by human activities |
B.isn’t suitable for humans to live on |
C.has been open to visitors for years |
D.is made up of a few large atolls |
If you are interested in religion, you should visit .
A.http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/148 |
B.http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/365 |
C.http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/487 |
D.http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/637 |
A new word has suddenly become wildly popular in China —"tuhao" — which loosely translated means "nouveau riche". There have been more than 100 million references to the word "tuhao" on social media since early September.
It's being used to describe everything from the new People's Daily building, to expensive celebrity weddings full of bling, and the new gold-coloured iPhone.
In Chinese "tu" means earth and "hao" means rich. To say someone is tuhao is to imply they come from a poor peasant background, and have made it rich quick — but don't quite have the manners, or sophistication to go along with it. It's like the term "nouveau riche", says Professor Steve Tsang at the School of Contemporary Chinese Studies in Nottingham - but has even more negative meanings, suggesting a certain vulgarity(粗俗).
"Tuhao" is actually an old word, dating back perhaps as far as the Southern Dynasty 1,500 years ago,but it has always meant something rather different. During the communist revolution, from the 1920s to early 1950s, it was widely used to refer to landholders and gentry who would bully those beneath them.
This new usage of the term took off in September after a widely-shared joke about a rich, but unhappy man, who goes to a Buddhist monk for advice, expecting to be told to live a more simple life. The monk replies instead with the phrase: "Tuhao, let's be friends!"
Chinese Internet users are highly creative in their use of language, and are constantly inventing, and re-inventing words as a way of getting past censorship(审查) rules. But in this case, its popularity seems to be down to the fact that it expresses China's changing society so well — many people sneer at those with wealth, but are secretly jealous.What is the best title of the passage?
A.Tuhao, a new popular word in China |
B.The long history of Tuhao |
C.The new usage of Tuhao |
D.Tuhao, a newly-invented Chinese word |
Which of the following may NOT be considered “tuhao”?
A.A vulgar nouveau riche |
B.A bully landholder |
C.A quick-rich peasant without proper manners |
D.A Buddhist monk. |
The last but one paragraph mainly tells us ______.
A.what the new usage of the word is |
B.how the word becomes popular again |
C.why the unhappy man went to the Buddhist monk |
D.what advice the monk gave the unhappy man |
What does the underlined word in the last paragraph mean?
A.respect | B.envy |
C.laugh | D.disbelieve |
The artist Grandma Moses became famous for her simple, bright, cheerful paintings of American farm life.Her full name was Anna Mary Robertson Moses.But she was known to everyone as Grandma Moses because she did not begin to paint seriously until in her seventies.
Born on a farm in New York, Anna had little schooling.Her days were filled with farm chores.But she often found time to make pictures.Soon, however, she became too busy to draw or paint.At the age of 12, she went to work as a servant for a family nearby.She worked for other people for many years.Then, when she was 27, she married Thomas Moses, a farmer.And they began raising a family of their own.
Anna Moses could no longer do heavy farm work with age.Then, in her seventies, she began to paint in oils.Her pictures showed things she recalled from childhood-farm scenes, ice-skating, bringing home the Christmas tree.Later, she began to display her art at county fairs.Her pictures recorded a way of life that was quickly passing away.People everywhere loved these happy scenes, and soon her paintings were shown in art galleries.Grandma Moses became famous partially on account of her age, but mainly because her approach to art was modest and simple compared to many other painters of her time.Without formal training or even knowledge of Modernism, she relied on her own simple techniques to create her landscapes and scenes.She continued to paint almost until her death, on December 13, 1961 , at the age of 101.
The themes in her paintings provided the comfort of a rural life that many busy Americans treasured from their past.The threat of nuclear arms that appeared on television screens and in magazines had Americans starving for something more.Grandma Moses' art appealed to those who had lost hope for the future.Her classic paintings still appear on TV commercials, greeting cards, and magazine and book covers.What can be inferred from the fact that Grandma Moses picked up a paintbrush?
A.She had no other ways to kill time. |
B.Her friend and family suggested it. |
C.She had had a love for painting since her childhood. |
D.She needed to make a living by selling her paintings. |
The key reason for her success is ___.
A.her old age |
B.her plain style |
C.her lack of training |
D.her modern knowledge |
We can know from the passage that ______.
A.her paintings raised people's hope for the future |
B.her paintings expressed the reality of her old age |
C.many Americans were interested in purchasing art works |
D.people wanted to get comfort by remembering grandmas |
Bamboo (竹子) is one of nature’s (自然) most surprising plants. Many people call this plant a tree, but it is a kind of grass.
Like other kinds of grass, a bamboo plant may be cut very low to the ground, but it will grow back very quickly. A Japanese scientist reported one bamboo plant which grew 1.5 metres (4 feet) in 24 hours! Bamboo grows almost everywhere in the world except Europe. There are more than 1, 000 kinds of bamboo.
Not all bamboo looks the same. Some bamboo plants are very thin. They may only grow to be a few centimeters wide while others may grow to more than 30 centimetres (1 foot) across. This plant also comes in different colors, from yellow to black to green.
Bamboo has been used to make many things such as hats and kitchen tools. Because it is strong, bamboo is also used to build buildings.
Many Asian countries have used bamboo for hundreds of years. They often use bamboo for buildings and supporting new buildings and bridges while they are being built.
In Africa, poor farmers are taught how to find water using bamboo. These African countries need cheap way to find water because they have no money, and their crops often die from no rain and no water. Bamboo pipes help poor farmers bring water to their thirsty fields without spending a lot of money. How is bamboo like grass?
A.It grows quickly. | B.It’s wood. |
C.It is easy to cut | D.It is very thin |
Though you can see bamboo everywhere, it doesn’t grow ______.
A.in China | B.in Europe |
C.on mountains | D.in Africa |
Why is bamboo used by African poor farmers?
A.Because it is cheap. |
B.Because it has different colours . |
C.Because it is strong. |
D.Because it has been used by Asians. |
Bamboo pipes can ______.
A.make money | B.be trees |
C.grow quickly | D.carry water |
HOTEL INFORMATION
Baymont Inn Ft.Lauderdale
3800 W.Commercial, Ft. Lauderdale.FL 33309
Lowest Prices 110% Guaranteed (保证)
Room Information
Rooms are equipped with Double, Queen , or King bed (s) , smoking or non-smoking based on location and availability. Provided in each spacious guest room is a hair dryer, coffee maker, iron, ironing board, 25’TV and guest voice mail.
Check-in Time:7:00 P. M.
Hotel Amenities:Air Conditioned, Free Parking, 24 Hour Front Desk, Pool, Television with Cable, Coffee Maker in Room, Hairdryers Available.
Beach Plaza Hotel
625 N.Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd, Ft.Lauderdale, FL 33304
Room Information
The oceanfront accommodations at Beach Plaza Hotel are some of the most affordable on Fort Lauderdale Beach.Each room features direct-dial telephone, cable television and daily maid service.The very affordable efficiency studios even include full kitchens! All rooms surround the private poolside garden courtyard.
Check-in Time:7:05 P. M.
Hotel Amenities:Air Conditioned, Coffee Maker in Room, 24 Hour Front Desk, Parking, Hairdryers Available, Pool, Television with Cable.
Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel
3711 N.Ocean Blvd, Ft.Lauderdale, FL 33308
Room Information
Guest rooms feature TVs, in-room movies, Internet access, in-room safes, alarm clock radios, hairdryers, refrigerators, microwaves, and balconies.
Check-in Time:7:00 A.M.
Hotel Amenities:Parking,Heated Pool, Television with Cable, and Coffee Maker in Room.Which hotel gives a promise?
A.Beach Plaza Hotel. | B.Baymont Inn Ft . Lauderdale. |
C.Baymont Inn Hotel. | D.Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel. |
In which hotel parking is the cheapest?
A.Beach Plaza Hotel. | B.Baymont Inn Ft . Lauderdale. |
C.Baymont Inn Hotel. | D.Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel. |
If you ______ , you will probably go to Beach Plaza Hotel.
A.enjoy seeing films without leaving your hotel room |
B.want to eat food cooked by yourself in the hotel |
C.are fond of swimming in heated water |
D.are a cigarette smoker |
Which of the following is NOT true to the ads?
A.In Beach Plaza Hotel a 24-hour maid is available. |
B.All of the three hotels provide television with cable. |
C.You can keep your money in the room safe in Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel. |
D.While staying in Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel, you can surf the Internet. |