A mouse looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package: What food might it contain? He was astonished to discover that it was a mouse trap!
Retreating（撤退） to the farmyard, the mouse declared the warning, “There is a mouse trap in the house, there is a mouse trap in the house.”
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, “Mr Mouse, I can tell you this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me, I cannot be bothered by it.”
The mouse turned to the pig and told him, “There is a mouse trap in the house.” “I am so sorry, Mr Mouse,” sympathized the pig, “but there is nothing I can do about it but pray; be assured that you are in my prayers.”
The mouse turned to the cow, who replied, “A mouse trap, am I in grave danger, huh?”
So the mouse returned to the house, head down and depressed to face the farmer’s mouse trap alone.
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house, like the sound of a mouse trap catching its prey. The farmer’s wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see that it was an evil snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer’s wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital. She returned home with a fever. Now everyone knew to treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup’s main ingredient. His wife’s sickness continued so that friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig. The farmer’s wife did not get well, in fact, she died, and so many people came for her funeral. The farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide meat for all of them to eat.
So the next time you hear that someone is facing a problem and think that it does not concern you, remember that when the least of us is threatened, we are all at risk.We may infer that the passage is most probably a ______.
| A．fairy tale | B．fable |
| C．science fiction | D．news report |
We could see from the passage that the mouse was ______.
| A．kind and warm-hearted | B．well-informed |
| C．good at cheating others | D．foolish and rude |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The pig was comparatively less friendly than the others in the farmyard. |
| B．The mouse trap that the mouse discovered was not a practical one. |
| C．The farmer and his wife trapped an evil snake that night. |
| D．The farmer’s family was in fact poor and they had no friends. |
The underlined word “ingredient” (Paragraph 7) refers to ______.
| A．the mouse | B．the pig |
| C．the snake | D．the chicken |
根据短文内容，从短文后的七个选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
If you want to develop maximum credibility（可信性）, is it better to be a hedgehog（刺猬）or a fox? According to Isaiah Berlin, the hedgehog knows one thing very well, and the fox knows a lot of things.
Is there a clear advantage of one style over the other? Hedgehog thinkers tend to answer yes. （1） And they are usually very credible in doing so. According to Jim Hart, the “hedgehog concept” is one of the factors that lead companies to greatness. They focus on one thing and do it really well. They figure out what they are good at. （2） The hedgehog concept makes perfect sense for companies.
（3） Philip Tate has studied the track records of those folks on the Sunday talk shows who make predictions about what will happen. He has found that hedgehogs are not only wrong more often than foxes, but that they are less likely to recognise or admit that they are wrong when events do not match their predictions.
The advantage that foxes have is that they are more likely to seek out new information from a broader range of sources, and are comfortable with uncertainty and new information. （4） They try to include it in their viewpoint rather than to exclude it from their thinking. They also have a clearer estimation of what they know and don’t know.
So, which is better? The question can be answered in a foxy hedgehog style. （5） The choice between being a hedgehog or a fox is a false trade-off. The most effective way to go through life is to try to be that rare mixture known as foxy hedgehog.
|
A. In other words, there are clear advantages for each. B. They are more likely to remember people’s mistakes. C. Hence, they have the advantage of clarity and confidence. D. But there can be a downside to concentration on one big thing. E. However, hedgehogs remain open to others’ reactions and inputs. F. When something is contradictory to their view, they don’t treat it as exceptional. G. They come down squarely on one side or the other and fully support their position. |
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。
Franz Boas’s description of Inuit（因纽特人）life in the 19th century illustrates the probable moral code of early humans. Here, norms（规范）were unwritten and rarely expressed clearly, but were well understood and taken to heart. Dishonest and violent behaviours were disapproved of; leadership, marriage and interactions with other groups were loosely governed by traditions. Conflict was often resolved in musical battles. Because arguing angrily leads to chaos, it was strongly discouraged. With life in the unforgiving Northern Canada being so demanding, the Inuit’s practical approach to morality made good sense.
The similarity of moral virtues across cultures is striking, even though the relative ranking of the virtues may vary with a social group’s history and environment. Typically, cruelty and cheating are discouraged, while cooperation, humbleness and courage are praised. These universal norms far pre-date the concept of any moralising religion or written law. Instead, they are rooted in the similarity of basic human needs and our shared mechanisms for learning and problem solving. Our social instincts（本能）include the intense desire to belong. The approval of others is rewarding, while their disapproval is strongly disliked. These social emotions prepare our brains to shape our behaviour according to the norms and values of our family and our community. More generally, social instincts motivate us to learn how to behave in a socially complex world.
The mechanism involves a repurposed reward system originally used to develop habits important for self-care. Our brains use the system to acquire behavioural patterns regarding safe routes home, efficient food gathering and dangers to avoid. Good habits save time, energy and sometimes your life. Good social habits do something similar in a social context. We learn to tell the truth, even when lying is self-serving; we help a grandparent even when it is inconvenient. We acquire what we call a sense of right and wrong.
Social benefits are accompanied by social demands: we must get along, but not put up with too much. Hence self-discipline is advantageous. In humans, a greatly enlarged brain boosts self-control, just as it boosts problem-solving skills in the social as well as the physical world. These abilities are strengthened by our capacity for language, which allows social practices to develop in extremely unobvious ways.
（1）What can be inferred about the forming of the Inuit’s moral code?
| A． |
Living conditions were the drive. |
B． |
Unwritten rules were the target. |
| C． |
Social tradition was the basis. |
D． |
Honesty was the key. |
（2）What can we learn from this passage?
| A． |
Inconveniences are the cause of telling lies. |
B． |
Basic human needs lead to universal norms. |
| C． |
Language capacity is limited by self-control. |
D． |
Written laws have great influence on virtues. |
（3）Which would be the best title for this passage?
| A． |
Virtues: Bridges Across Cultures |
B． |
The Values of Self-discipline |
| C． |
Brains: Walls Against Chaos |
D． |
The Roots of Morality |
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。
The notion that we live in someone else’s video game is irresistible to many. Searching the term “simulation hypothesis”（模拟假说）returns numerous results that debate whether the universe is a computer simulation — a concept that some scientists actually take seriously. Unfortunately, this is not a scientific question. We will probably never know whether it’s true. We can, instead, use this idea to advance scientific knowledge.
The 18th-century philosopher Kant argued that the universe ultimately consists of things-in-themselves that are unknowable. While he held the notion that objective reality exists, he said our mind plays a necessary role in structuring and shaping our perceptions. Modern sciences have revealed that our perceptual experience of the world is the result of many stages of processing by sensory systems and cognitive（认知的）functions in the brain. No one knows exactly what happens within this black box. If empirical（实证的）experience fails to reveal reality, reasoning won’t reveal reality either since it relies on concepts and words that are contingent on our social, cultural and psychological histories. Again, a black box.
So, if we accept that the universe is unknowable, we also accept we will never know if we live in a computer simulation. And then, we can shift our inquiry from “Is the universe a computer simulation?” to “Can we model the universe as a computer simulation? ” Modelling reality is what we do. To facilitate our comprehension of the world, we build models based on conceptual metaphors（隐喻）that are familiar to us. In Newton’s era, we imagined the universe as a clock. In Einstein’s, we uncovered the standard model of particle（粒子）physics.
Now that we are in the information age, we have new concepts such as the computer, information processing, virtual reality, and simulation. Unsurprisingly, these new concepts inspire us to build new models of the universe. Models are not the reality, however. There is no point in arguing if the universe is a clock, a set of particles or an output of computation. All these models are tools to deal with the unknown and to make discoveries. And the more tools we have, the more effective and insightful we can become.
It can be imagined that comparable to the process of building previous scientific models, developing the “computer simulation” metaphor-based model will also be a hugely rewarding exercise.
（1）What does the author intend to do by challenging a hypothesis?
| A． |
Make an assumption. |
B． |
Illustrate an argument. |
| C． |
Give a suggestion. |
D． |
Justify a comparison. |
（2）What does the phrase “contingent on” underlined in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
| A． |
Accepted by. |
B． |
Determined by. |
C． |
Awakened by. |
D． |
Discovered by. |
（3）As for Kant’s argument, the author is _________.
| A． |
appreciative |
B． |
doubtful |
C． |
unconcerned |
D． |
disapproving |
（4）It is implied in this passage that we should _________.
| A． |
compare the current models with the previous ones |
| B． |
continue exploring the classical models in history |
| C． |
stop arguing whether the universe is a simulation |
| D． |
turn simulations of the universe into realities up. |
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。
When I was a little girl, I liked drawing, freely and joyously making marks on the walls at home. In primary school, I learned to write using chalks. Writing seemed to be another form of drawing. I shaped individual letters into repeating lines, which were abstract forms, delightful but meaningless patterns.
In secondary school, art was my favourite subject. Since I loved it so much I thought I was good at it. For the art O-level exam I had to present an oil painting. I found it difficult, but still hoped to pass. I failed, with a low grade. I’d been over-confident. Now I’d been declared talentless.
But other channels of creativity stayed open: I went on writing poems and stories. Still, I went to exhibitions often. I continued my habitual drawing, which I now characterised as childish doodling（乱画）. In my 30s, I made painter friends and learned new ways of looking at art. However, I couldn’t let myself have a go at actually doing it. Though these new friends were abstract painters using oil paints, or were printmakers or sculptors, I took oil painting as the taboo（禁忌）high form I wasn’t allowed to practice.
One night, in my early 40s, I dreamed that a big woman in red approached me, handed me a bag of paints, and told me to start painting. The dream felt so authoritative that it shook me. It was a form of energy, giving me back something I’d lost. Accordingly, I started by experimenting with water colours. Finally, I bought some oil paints.
Although I have enjoyed breaking my decades-long taboo about working with oil paints, I have discovered I now prefer chalks and ink. I let my line drawings turn into cartoons I send to friends. It all feels free and easy. Un-anxious. This time around, I can accept my limitations but keep going.
Becoming a successful painter calls for being resolute. I realised I was always afraid of wanting too much. That dream reminded me that those fears and desires could encourage me to take risks and make experiments.
（1）How did the author feel about the result of the art exam?
| A． |
Scared. |
B． |
Worried. |
C． |
Discouraged. |
D． |
Wronged. |
（2）In her 30s, the author _________.
| A． |
avoided oil painting practice |
B． |
sought for a painting career |
| C． |
fancied abstract painting |
D． |
exhibited child paintings |
（3）Which word would best describe the author’s dream?
| A． |
Confusing. |
B． |
Empowering. |
| C． |
Disturbing. |
D． |
Entertaining. |
（4）What can we learn from this passage?
| A． |
Actions speak louder than words. |
B． |
Hard work is the mother of success. |
| C． |
Dreams are the reflections of realities. |
D． |
Creative activities involve being confident. |
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。
The Language Exchange Programme allows students in pairs to communicate in two different languages they wish to share and learn each week. Students record short entries after each partner meeting noting the language skills practised and the topics discussed. Each pair of students meets three times throughout the term with a teacher who decides if the exchange is effective. Students who successfully complete the programme will receive one credit each.
Requirements for completion:
•One welcoming session on the second Friday of the term
•18 weekly one-hour pair meetings
•Weekly progress reports for all pair meetings
•At least three pair-teacher meetings
•One five-minute final video
Sign up!
The sign-up and registration process is as follows:
•Students sign up and indicate the languages they can share and languages they are interested in learning.
•Based on the information entered by each student, potential pairs are identified.
•Proficiency（熟练）levels are confirmed through coursework or placement tests.
•Once a pair has been determined to be suitable, the students will be contacted individually with a special permission number to register for the programme.
Reminders:
Signing up for the programme does not automatically mean that you will be able to register and participate. Pairs are matched by languages of interest and proficiency levels. Since there are many factors involved in the pairing process, not all students who sign up will be matched with a partner and be able to register for the programme.
（1）In the programme, students will _________.
| A． |
chair daily meetings |
B． |
evaluate the exchange |
| C． |
meet teachers each week |
D． |
practise their language skills |
（2）To complete the programme, students are required to _________.
| A． |
development tests |
B． |
participate in pair meetings |
| C． |
welcome new students |
D． |
work on weekly videos |
（3）What do students need to do during the registration?
| A． |
Indicate their languages of interest. |
B． |
Select their own coursework. |
| C． |
Make individual contact. |
D． |
Choose their partners. |