The research carried out by the University of Bari in Italy could help prove hospitals who are accused of wasting money on art and decoration as it suggests a pleasant environment helps patients ease discomfort and pain.
A team headed by Professor Marina de Tommaso at the Neurophysiopathology Pain Unit asked a group of men and women to pick the 20 paintings they considered most ugly and most beautiful from a selection of 300works by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Sandro Botticelli. They were then asked to look at either the beautiful paintings, or the ugly paintings, or a blank panel while the team zapped(照射) a short laser pulse at their hand, creating a sensation as if they had been stuck by a pin. He subjects rated the pain as being a third less intense while they were viewing the beautiful paintings, compared with when looking at the ugly paintings or the blank panel. Electrodes measuring the brain's electrical activity also confirmed a reduced response to the pain when the subject looked at beautiful paintings.
While distractions, such as music, are known to reduce pain in hospital patients, Professor Marina de Tommaso says this is the first result to show that beauty plays a part.
The findings, reported in New Scientist, also go a long way to show that beautiful surroundings could aid the healing process.
“Hospitals have been designed to be functional, but we think that their artistic aspects should be taken into account too,” said the neurologist. “Beauty obviously offers a distraction that ugly paintings do not. But at least there is no suggestion that ugly surroundings make the pain worse.” “I think these results show that more research is needed into the field how a beautiful environment can alleviate suffering.”
Pictures they liked included Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh and Botticelli's Birth of Venus. Pictures they found ugly included works by Pablo Picasso, the Italian20thcentury artist Antonio Buenoand Columbian Fernando Botero.“ These people were not art experts so some of the pictures they found ugly would be considered masterpieces by the art world,” said Professor Marina de Tommaso.The underlined word “alleviate” in Paragraph 5 probably means “_____”.
| A．cure | B．ease |
| C．improve | D．kill |
How many artists have been mentioned in the passage?
| A．4. | B．5. |
| C．6. | D．7. |
Which of the following is TRUE about the view of Professor Marina de Tommaso’s?
| A．Beautiful surroundings could help to heal sufferings completely. |
| B．Hospitals must take their artistic aspects into consideration first. |
| C．Ugly surroundings will surely make the pain worse. |
| D．Both music and beauty can reduce pain in hospital patients. |
From the last paragraph, we know that _____.
| A．some artists’ paintings were beautiful, so they were masterpieces |
| B．only art experts could judge whether they were masterpieces or not, though ugly |
| C．the artists mentioned above were not really art masters |
| D．some of them were art masters, while others were not |
Which of the following is the most suitable title for the passage?
| A．Beautiful surroundings can ease pain. |
| B．Ugly paintings could be masterpieces. |
| C．More paintings should be done in the field. |
| D．Latest environmental research |
Have you ever heard the story of the four-minute mile? Many years ago, people believed that it was impossible for a human being to run a mile in less than four minutes until Roger Banister proved it wrong in1954.
What happens if you put an animal in a pond? Any animal, big or small, will swim its way through. What happens when someone, who does not know how to swim, falls in deep waters? They drown. If an animal who has not learned swimming could escape by swimming, why not you? Because you believe you will drown while the animal does not.
Have you ever wondered why the letters are organized in a particular order on hour keyboard? You might have thought it is to increase the typing speed. Most people never question it. But the fact is that this system was developed to reduce the typing speed at a time when typewriter parts would jam if the operator typed too fast.
These three cases show the power of our beliefs. There is no other more powerful directing force in human behavior than belief. Your beliefs have the power to create and to destroy. A belief delivers a direct command to your nervous system.
I used a snake in my workshops for children to show them how unrealistic some of their beliefs are. Students of a school in India, said snakes were slippery, slimy (黏糊糊的) and poisonous. After doing an exercise for changing beliefs, they handled my snake and found it to be dry and clean. They also remembered that only three types of poisonous snakes exist in India.
Did this story end the way you thought? Review your beliefs now and find out which ones you need to change.
51. In the author’s opinion, if a person in deep water doesn’t know how to swim he will drown because _________.
A. he is afraid of water B. he doesn’t want to live in the world
C. he hasn’t learned to swim before D. he believes he will drown
52. The author thinks that the letters are organized in a particular order on your keyboard in order to _________.
A. reduce one’s typing speed B. satisfy the operator
C. save more space D. increase one’s typing speed
53. The author’s experiment shows that __________.
A. snakes in India aren’t poisonous B. snakes can be caught easily
C. snakes are slimy and poisonous D. snakes are dry and clean
54. According to the passage, we know that ________.
A. students from India have unrealistic beliefs on how to live a better life
B. an animal who has not learned to swim will drown if you put it in a pond.
C. Roger Banister was the first person who ran a mile in less than four minutes.
D. most people don’t like the order the letters are arranged on your keyboard
55. The main idea of this passage should be that _______.
A. beliefs make us seem stupid
B. beliefs are very powerful
C. changing your beliefs now if necessary
D. people should always believe in themselves
What should you think about when trying to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others. These may show strengths that you can use in your work. A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work. So it is important to know the subjects you do well in at school. On the other hand, you may not have any specially strong subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value. A knowledge of history is not required for most jobs but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details. This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs.
Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work. You may be good at metalwork or cookery and look for a job where you can improve these skills. If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in the summer, think what you gained from it. If nothing else, you may have learned how to get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job.
Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself. You may be all thumbs when you handle tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is better to face any weakness than to pretend they do not exist. Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not be apologetic about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.
( ) 46. We can infer from the first paragraph that ________.
learning better at school shows power in your job
the better you are at school subjects, the more helpful they are in your career.
learning each subject well is an ability in many jobs.
we should think about how to find our career
( ) 47. From the passage we learn that if a student’s school performance is not good, he
will _____.
A. have no hope in his future work
B. be hopeful to find a suitable job
C. regret not having worked harder at school
D. have an opportunity of a new beginning in his future work
( )48. All the subjects may have direct value for job hunting except _________.
A. mathematics B. English C. history D. technical drawing
( )49. The underlined phrase “be all thumbs” (in Paragraph 3) probably means “_________”.
A. heavy- handed B. the best C. important D. skilled
( )50. The passage mainly discusses ___________.
A. The relationship between school performance and career
B. how to get a job
C. How to show strengths in your work
D. working experience and knowledge at school
第三部分：阅读 (共两节，满分40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。
Here’s an unusual story: a diamond ring was recently found in an egg. The magician, Liu Qian, discovered it in front of an audience of millions at CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala. Liu’s magic tricks have made the centuries – old art of magic fashionable once again, and made him the hottest magician in China.
As a seasoned magician from Taiwan, Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include the United States, Japan, South Korea and the UK.
Witnessing something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people’s love for magic.
Liu is known for his interaction with his audiences. He has a unique understanding of showmanship(演出技巧)。
“It’s actually thinking rather than one’s manipulation (处理) skills that is more important to achieving a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively, to make them appear more interesting,” Liu said.
Liu Qian’s success dated back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan, he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12, he won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest, which was judged by the great American magician, David Copperfield.
Yet, Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur magician in his spare time. However, his failure to find a proper job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career.
To refine his performing skills, he has performed on streets, roads and fields, for passersby, policemen and farmers.
“Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds,” Liu said.
41. The story is about ________.
A. why people love magic B. how Liu Qian became China’s hottest magician
C. how fashionable magic is D. what magic tricks are
42. People love to watch magic because ________.
A. they love watching magicians make the impossible happen
B. it arouses their curiosity
C. they can’t figure out the secret of magic
D. it is a centuries – old art
43. Which of the following is the key reason that Liu Qian decided to make magic his career?
A. He was interested in magic when he was little.
B. He had won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest.
C. He couldn’t find an acceptable job after graduation.
D. He became an amateur magician in his spare time.
44. What does the underlined word “seasoned” in Paragraph2 mean?
A. experienced B. freshman C. amateur D. unskillful
45. Liu Qian improved his performing skills by ______.
A. learning from David Copperfield.
B. learning magic in a university
C. performing in public on streets
D. joining in Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest
It has been more than twenty years since pioneering British computer programmer, Sir Tim Berners Lee, created the World Wide Web. But could he have ever imagined how much the web would change our lives? And would he approve of how some British students are taking advantage of his invention?
Universities and exam boards around the UK are becoming increasingly concerned with the rising number of cases of plagiarism, many of which are facilitated (助长) by the Internet access.
In the UK most school and university students complete coursework throughout the academic year which contributes toward their final mark. In many cases coursework makes up the main part of the qualification. Since coursework is completed in the students’ own time it cannot be monitored by teachers in the same way as an exam.
Derec Stockley, director of examinations in the UK, explains, “Plagiarism affects coursework more than anything else, and in the cases that come to our attention, more and more are linked to the Internet.”
At a university level recent reports suggest that plagiarism has evolved from separate cases of individual cheating to systematic and even commercial operation. Students can now pay for bespoke essays to be written for them by experts.
It is estimated that the market in online plagiarism is now worth 200 million pounds a year. Every month more and more websites offering to write student’s essays for them appear on the Internet.
Barclay Littlewood, owner of Degree Essays UK employs 3,500 specialist writers and charges between 120 pounds and 4,000 pounds per essay. However, Mr. Littlewood refutes the accusation that he is helping students to cheat.
51．What dose the underlined word “plagiarism” in Paragrha 2 mean in the passage?
A．cheating B．problems of the InternetC．learning pressure D．coursework
52．Which of the following statements is mentioned by the author?
A．With the help of online plagiarism, students can write more creative coursework.
B．There will be no problem if online plagiarism is a systematic and commercial operation.
C．The Internet seems to have contributed much to the problem of online plagiarism.
D．Teachers should lay more emphasis on exams than coursework.
53．It can be inferred from the text that the author seems to _____.
A．blame Sir Tim Berners Lee for having created the World Wide Web
B．worry about the quality of students’ coursework influenced by the World Wide Web
C．be in favour of Littlewood’s defence against the accusation of him
D．have studied the problem of online plagiarism for nearly 20 years
54．Who should be blamed for online plagiarism?
A．Barclay Littlewood. B．Sir Tim Berners Lee. C．Derec Stockley. D．Nobody.
55．The paragraph following the passage will most probably be about_____.
A．the author’s opinions of Mr. Littlewood
B．different people’s opinions on plagiarism
C．how students use the website of Mr. Littlewood
D．Mr. Littlewood’s defence against those who accused him of his website
Like all animal species, plant species must spread their offspring to suitable areas where they can grow and pass on their parents’ genes. Young animals generally spread by walking or flying. Because plants don’t have that ability, they must somehow hitchhike(搭车). Some plant seeds scatter by blowing in the wind or floating on water. Many other plant species, though, trick an animal into carrying their seeds. How do they do this? They enclose the seeds within a tasty fruit and advertise the fruit’s ripeness by its colour or smell. The hungry animal collects and swallows the fruit, walks or flies off, and later spits out the seeds somewhere far from its parent tree. Seeds can thereby be carried for thousands of miles. It may surprise you to learn that plant seeds can resist digestion. In fact, some seeds actually require passage through an animal’s body before they can grow.
Wild strawberries offer a good example of hitchhiking tactics. When strawberry seeds are still young and not yet ready to be planted, the surrounding fruit is green, sour and hard. When the seeds finally mature, the berries turn red, sweet, and tender. The change in the berries’ colour serves as a signal to birds which then eat the strawberries, fly off, and eventually spit out the seeds.
Naturally, strawberry plants didn’t set out with a conscious intention of attracting birds only when their seeds were ready to be dispersed. Nor did birds set out with the intent of planting strawberries. Rather, strawberry plants evolved through natural selection. The sweeter and redder the final strawberry, the more birds spread its ripe seeds; the greener and more sour the young strawberry, the fewer birds destroyed the seeds by eating berries before the seeds were ready.
46．What does the underlined word “dispersed” in the third paragraph mean?
A．spreadB．eaten
C．born D．planted
47．For plants, which of the following is NOT a way of spreading their offspring to suitable areas?
A．Hitchhiking. B．Blowing in the wind.
C．Floating on water.D．Tracking an animal.
48．Which strategy does the example of wild strawberries describe?
A．The conscious intent of attracting birds. B．Spreading by walking.
C．Spreading by flying.D．The strategy of taking a lift.
49．Why does the author describe how strawberry seeds are spread?
A．To show plants are good at adapting to the environment. .
B．To show strawberry’s special way.
C．To show the plant has different ways of spreading seeds.
D．To show the mystery of plant.
50．What’s the passage mainly about?
A．How animals disperse offspring.B．How plants disperse their offspring.
C．Plant evolution.D．Plants’ hitchhiking on animals.