It seems that people are gradually losing their smartness as smartphones become increasingly important assistants in their lives. As we rely too much on technology instead of our brains, many people have lost three basic abilities.
The first skill many people have lost is remembering phone numbers. Because phone numbers are stored in smartphone contacts, there's now no need to dial a number or look at it again. This is fine until you need to call someone for help, only to find your phone is not around.
And some people may also have lost their sense of direction because navigation apps can guide people anywhere they want. People get so dependent on them that when they can't use their smartphones, they get lost and anxious.
But the worst lost skills may be social ones, meaning that some people are becoming socially inept(无能的)People often bury themselves in their smartphones. As we're too absent-minded by what's happening in the virtual(虚拟的)some of us have lost conversational skills and sometimes can't even distinguish whether a person is happy or not.
Last August, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, studied 51 students aged 11 and 12 who had over five hours' screen time every day. Their task was to tell the emotions of 48 pictures of faces that were happy, sad, angry or scared.
The children made an average of 14. 02 mistakes at the beginning. But after a five-day camp without electronic products, they made only 9.41 mistakes on average.
Luckily, people still have a chance to get these abilities back. You should try to keep your parents' numbers in mind for emergencies. You should also pay more attention to street signs and stores , which will help you to draw a mind map and stop you from getting lost. And the easiest solution to social skill loss is to take a break from electronic products.The underlined sentence in the second paragraph implies that .
A.you are able to turn to others for help |
B.others are able to call you anytime and anywhere |
C.others are unable to get in touch with you by smartphone |
D.you are unable to contact others without your smartphone |
The experiment by researchers indicated that without electronic products, one could .
A.recognize more facial expressions correctly |
B.lose the sense of direction frequently |
C.tell different emotions immediately |
D.more pictures of faces easily |
Overusing smartphones, people will probably according to the passage
A.lose face-to-face communication skills |
B.have no sense of numbers |
C.weaken their senses of hearing and sight |
D.fail to find their destination |
The passage mainly tells us that many people are .
A.becoming no smarter than smartphones |
B.benefiting from smartphones' intelligence |
C.losing some basic abilities because of using samrtphones |
D.trying hard to break away from smartphones’intelligence |
The writer’s attitude towards electronic products is .
A.critical | B.sympathetic |
C.supportive | D.optimistic |
C
Recently the World Health Organization announced that the disease of
smallpox(天花)had almost been wiped out in most parts of the world, thanks to widespread vaccination(种牛痘). Most people are vaccinated at least once in their lives and if they wish to travel from one country to another they must be able to prove that they have had a recent vaccination. In this way the disease has been prevented from spreading and today one seldom hears of it at all.
This is mainly because of the great discovery made by a village doctor, Edward
Jenner, in about 1798 when he published his report of his new experiment called vaccination (from the word ‘vacca’ meaning a cow). Jenner discovered that people who worked with cattle often suffered from a harmless disease which they caught from the cattle, but these people never seemed to get smallpox. So he experimented by putting the disease into a small opening on the arms of healthy people, and though their arms became painful for a day or two, they soon recovered and none of these people ever got smallpox.
So the news of the wonderful discovery spread to other countries and people
rushed to their doctors to be vaccinated. In many countries the simple way to deal with the arm was done on thousands of people, and the terrible smallpox began to disappear.
71.Vaccination against smallpox has been so successful that _________ .
A.the discoverer made a large amount of money
B.Dr Jenner was given a prize by the World Health Organization
C.smallpox has almost disappeared in most countries
D.smallpox was no longer in existence on earth
72 .Smallpox has been prevented from spreading through the following measures EXCEPT that ________.
A.most people were vaccinated against the disease at least once
B.people going abroad should promise not to spread the disease
C.people travelling from one country to another must prove they are vaccinated
D.people must be vaccinated shortly before going to foreign countries
73 .What led Dr Jenner to experiment with vaccination was that ________ .
A.he wanted to make a great discovery and publish it
B.vaccination could make people's arms safe
C.he tried to cure the farmers of some disease caught from the cattle
D.those who worked with cattle seemed free from getting smallpox
74.The doctor's new discovery was called ‘vaccination’ for the reason that ________ .
A.he discovered smallpox near a farm
B.he experimented with a disease from the cattle
C.he was working with cattle in the countryside
D.people got the disease of smallpox from the cattle
75.The news of the discovery ________.
A.caught people's attention from all corners of the world
B.spread far and near in the western countries
C.made people rush to Dr Jenner for vaccination
D.helped to get rid of the terrible disease of smallpox
B
China is going green.In order to reduce air pollution and oil shortages, carmakers have announced their plans to develop hybrid vehicles (混合燃料汽车) for the Chinese market.Toyota’s hybrid car Prius will be ready to drive in China this week.Let’s have a look at the new car.
Any vehicle is a hybrid run on a rechargeable battery and gas.Hybrid cars have special engines, which are smaller than traditional gas engines.The gasoline engine provides 99 percent of the power when the car is going at a steady speed. A specially designed battery motor provides extra power for running up hills or when it needs to speed up.
Step into a Prius, and turn on the engine.The first thing you notice is that it is quieter than a traditional car.At this point, the car’s gas engine is at rest.The electric motor will provide power until the car reaches about 24km/h.If you stay at a low speed, you are effectively driving an electric car, with no gas being used, and no waste gas given off.
The computer decides when to use the gas engine, when to go electric, and when to use a combination of the two.If you go over 24km/h, when you step on the gas pedal (油门), you are telling the computer how fast you want to go.
The electric motor recharges automatically using a set of batteries.And when driving at a high speed, the gas engine not only powers the car but also recharges the batteries.When you use the brake, the electric motor in the wheels will work like a generator (发电机) to produce electricity to recharge the batteries.As a result, the car’s batteries will last for around 200,000 miles.
66.The underlined sentence probably means ________.
A.there will be more and more green land in China
B.China’s new cars are combinations of different green models
C.China is still young and lacking in experience
D.the environment is getting better in China
67. What is the most important feature of hybrid cars?
A. They are powered by both a rechargeable battery and gas.
B. They have smaller engines than traditional gas ones.
C. They only use 99 percent of their power to run up hill.
D. They are much quieter than traditional cars.
68. We can know from the story that ________.
A. the gas engine recharges the batteries as well as powering the car
B. using the brake suggests that the gas engine should work
C. the car’s batteries will last for around 200,000 miles without being recharged
D. the batteries can be recharged at any time you want
69. The author writes the passage mainly to________.
A. announce plans to develop hybrid vehicles for the Chinese market
B. let people know how to save their gas when driving a car
C. teach people how to drive a hybrid car
D. introduce a new kind of “green” car
70.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text?
A.The hybrid car is environmentally friendly.
B.The hybrid car is unable to get itself recharged.
C.The hybrid car has been made in mass.
D.The hybrid car can decide what power to use
III. 阅读 (共两节,满分35分)
第一节阅读理解 (共15小题;每小题2分,满分30分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
“Can I see my baby?” asked the happy new mother. The bundle (婴儿包) was placed in her arms and when she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped--the baby had been born without ears. Time, however, proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect except his appearance.
One day when he rushed home from school and threw himself into his mother’s arms, he cried out bitterly,“A boy, a big boy…called me-a f... freak.” She sighed, knowing that his life was to be endless of heartbreaks.
He grew up,handsome for his misfortune.A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that.He developed a gift for literature and music.
The boy’s father had a talk with the family doctor.Could nothing be done? “I believe we could graft (移植) on a pair of outer ears,if they could be donated (捐献) ,” the doctor decided.So the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice (牺牲) for a young man.Two years went by.Then, “You’re going to the hospital,son.Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need.But it’s a secret.” said the father.
The operation was a brilliant success.His talents blossomed into genius.School and college became a series of successes.Later he married and entered the diplomatic (外交) service.“But I must know!” he urged his father.“Who gave so much for me? I could never do enough for him.”
“I do not believe you could,” said the father,“but the agreement was that you are not to know…not yet.” The years kept the secret, but the day did come...one of the darkest days that ever passed through a son.He stood with his father over his mother’s casket(棺材).Slowly and tenderly,the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick,reddish-brown hair to let out the secret.
61.The story is mainly about________.
A.how a boy had new ears through an operation
B.what a devoted parent privately did for the child
C.how a disabled boy turned into a useful person
D.why a donator made a sacrifice to a bright boy
62.From the first paragraph we know that the mother ________.
A.was determined to donate her ears to perfect her son
B.kept her husband unknown about the baby’s situation
C.felt shocked and disappointed to see her new baby
D.complained of her bad luck to have a disabled child
63.The underlined word “freak” in Paragraph 2 is the closest in meaning to “________”.
A. slow-acting person B.ugly-looking child
C.badly-behaved student D.strangely-shaped creature
64.What can be inferred from the passage?
A.The agreement was between the donator and the family.
B.The boy was so popular that he was made class president.
C.Finally the boy came to know who the donator was.
D.The mother donated her ears to her son after she died.
65. What moral (道德的) lesson can we draw from this reading?
A. Real love lies in what is done unknown rather than what is done known.
B. It is parents’ responsibility to help their children heart and soul.
C. True beauty lies only in the heart not in appearance.
D. Young generations should learn to be grateful.
Both warm-blooded and cold-blooded desert animals have ways to escape the desert heat. Warm-blooded desert animals, such as rats and mice, rest during the day, often staying in cool underground burrows. At night they search for food. Animals that are out during the day, such as cold-blooded lizards and snakes, are active only for short periods. As their body temperature rises, these reptiles move into the shade in order to cool down. In the early evening, when the sun grows weaker, the reptiles become more active and begin their search for food again.
Getting enough water to survive is a major problem for all desert animals. Some desert animals, such as the kangaroo rat and the related jerboa, get water only from the food that they eat. Because these animals eat mainly dry seeds, they must survive on a tiny amount of water.
Most deserts have only a small number of frogs and toads because these animals must be near water to survive. Yet even these creatures have adapted to desert conditions. When small amounts of water collect in temporary streams, the desert-living frogs and toads become active. After a rainfall, they lay their eggs. The eggs grow into tadpoles in a few days and into adults in just four weeks. When the puddles dry up, the adult frogs or toads dig into the ground. Their metabolism(新陈代谢) slows, and they stay beneath the ground until the next rain, which may be as good as a year away. Until then, their bodily activities continue at a reduced rate.
The camel---often called the ship of the desert---is one of the most successful desert animals. Camels can go for long periods without water, but eventually they must drink. When water becomes available to them after a long drought, they may drink 95 liters of water or more. When water is not available, what helps camels survive the desert heat is the fat stored in their humps. A camel’s hump contains about 12 kilograms of fat. Fat is rich in hydrogen. As the fat is digested, hydrogen from the fat combines with oxygen in the air that the camel breathes. The result is H2O, or water. Each kilogram of fat that a camel digests produces about a liter of water.
71. Desert animals are usually more active at night because ______.
A. it is cooler at night B.it is easier to find water
C.they like the dark D. they are less likely to be attacked at night
72. Which of the following desert animals can get water only from the food?
A. The camel. B. The kangaroo rat. C. The frog.D. The toad
73. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. All the desert animals rest during the day.
B. All the desert animals don’t rest during the day.
C. Cold-blooded desert animals don’t rest during the day.
D. None of the cold-blooded desert animals go out during the day.
74. The title for this passage could probably be ________.
A. Hot Deserts B. Desert Animals
C. How Desert Animals Get Water D. Ways To Escape the Desert Heat
75. The underlined word “burrows” in the first paragraph can be replaced by _________.
A. holes B. caves C. rooms D. openings
What do consumers really want? That’s a question market researchers would love to answer. But since people don’t always say what they think, marketers would need direct access to consumers’ thoughts to get the truth.
Now, in a way, that is possible. At the “Mind of the Market” laboratory at Harvard Business School, researchers are looking inside shoppers’ skulls to develop more effective advertisements and marketing styles. Using imaging techniques that measure blood flow to various parts of the brain, the Harvard team hopes to predict how consumers will react to particular products and to discover the most effective ways to present information. Stephen Kosslyn, a professor of psychology at Harvard, and business school professor Gerald Zaltman, oversee the lab. “The goal is not to influence people’s preferences,” says Kosslyn, “just to speak to their actual desires."
The group’s findings, though still preliminary (初步的), could change how firms develop and market new products. The Harvard group use position emission tomography (PET) scans to monitor the brain activity. These PET scans, along with other imaging techniques, enable researchers to see which parts of the brain are active during specific tasks(such as remembering a word).Correlations (相互关系) have been found between blood flow to specific areas and future behavior. Because of this, Harvard researchers believe the scans can also predict future purchasing patterns. According to an unpublished paper the group produced, “It is possible to use these techniques to predict not only whether people will remember and have specific emotional reactions to certain materials, but also whether they tend to want those materials months later.”
The Harvard group is now moving into the next stage of experiments. They will explore how people remember advertisements as part of an effort to predict how they will react to a product after having seen an ad. The researchers believe that once key areas of the brain are identified, scans on about two dozen volunteers will be enough to draw conclusions about the reactions of specific sections of the population. Large corporations-including Coca Cola, Eastman Kodak, General Motors, and Hallmark-have already signed up to fund further investigations.
For their financial support, these firms gain access to the experiments but cannot control them.If Kosslyn and Zahman and their team really can read the mind of the market, then consumers may find it even harder to get those advertising jingles-out of heir heads.
66. Which of the following statements can be the best title for this passage?
A. Reading the Mind of the Market.
B. Influencing the Customers’ Choice.
C. Influencing the Style of Advertising.
D. Experimenting with the Way to Foretell
67. Why do the Harvard researchers use scientific technology in the experiments?
A. Because they want to find a better way to persuade people into purchasing patterns in the future in the different market.
B. Because they don’t trust the findings already done by other researchers.
C. Because they want to see how particular products can influence consumers and find out the most effective ways to advertise.
D.Because they think the marketing strategies can actually be changed after the experiments.
68. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A. People sometimes hide their true feelings when questioned by the marketing surveyors.
B. Stephen Kosslyn and Gerald Zaltman are in charge of the experiment and think ill of the study.
C. Harvard researchers have found some relation between people’s brain and future behavior.
D. Many large companies finance the Harvard group’s further investigations.
69. What does “to speak to” in the 2nd paragraph mean?
A. To communicate with. B. To say to. C. To talk to. D. To respond to.
70. The last sentence of the passage implies that ___________.
A. it is very likely that customers will buy unnecessary things just depending on the ads in the future.
B. in fact, the real purpose of Harvard group’s research is to attract more consumers into the market.
C. Coca Cola or the General Motors can exploit the findings of the experiments in their own marketing.
D. Consumers may find it more difficult to get out of the advertising jungle and it may cause them headaches.