阅读下面的短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中,选出最佳选项。
D
Dr Wiseman started “the laugh lab” project in September 2001. It is the largest study of humour. Participants(参加者)are invited to log onto the laugh lab website, give a few personal details, tell their favourite jokes and judge the jokes told by other people.
The project will last for a year, and the organizers hope to finally discover the world's funniest joke. But there is also a serious purpose. The researchers want to know what people from different nations and cultures find funny. And they want to find out the differences between the male and female sense of humour. The idea is that if we want to understand each other, we have to find out what makes us laugh.
This is a subject that has long interested psychologists(心理学家)and philosophers(哲学家). Most of the time, people are not completely honest. We do things that society expects us to and say things that help us get what we want. But laughing cannot be controlled. When we laugh, we tell the truth about ourselves.
By December 2001 over 10,000 jokes had been submitted. This gave the scientists enough evidence(证据)to make early conclusions. It seems that men and women do have different senses of humor, for instance.
“Our findings show the major differences in the ways in which males and females use humour,”said Dr Wiseman. “Males use humour to appear superior(优越)to others, while women are more skilled in languages and prefer word play.”
Researchers also found that there really is such a thing as a national sense of humour. The British enjoy what is usually called “toilet humor”. But the French like their jokes short and sharp:“You're a high priced lawyer. Will you answer to questions for $ 500?”“Yes. What's the second question?”
The Germans are famous for not having a sense of humor. But the survey found that German participants were more likely to find submitted jokes funny than any other nationality. Perhaps that provides the point. Is this joke funny? I don't know, but let's say yes, just to be safe.
Dr Wiseman and his workmates also submitted jokes created by computer. But none of those who took part in the survey found any of them amusing. Perhaps this is relief. Computers already seem like they can do everything. At least they should leave the funny stuff to us.Scientists started “the laugh lab” project________.
A.to find the funniest joke in European countries. |
B.to know what funny people are from different nations and cultures |
C.to find out the differences between the male and female sense of humor |
D.to get more personal details about participants |
We can infer from the passage that________.
A.most of the people all over the world are completely honest |
B.psychologists and philosophers take interest in “the laugh lab” project |
C.ordinary people are not interested in “the laugh lab” project at all |
D.people tell the truth about themselves only when they laugh |
What is the main idea of the 4th and 5th paragraph?
A.Man and woman have different senses of humour. |
B.Male and female have similar senses of humour. |
C.About 10,000 jokes have been submitted from September 2001 to December 2001. |
D.Scientists have collected enough evidence to make conclusions. |
The writer gave the examples of the British, the French and the Germans________.
A.to show the French people have a better sense of humour |
B.to prove the British people have a sense of“toilet humour” |
C.to show people from different nations have different senses of humour |
D.to prove that the Germans have no sense of humour |
Living in a modern society has its advantages and disadvantages. One disadvantage is that you often have to live closer to other people than you would like to. Sometimes, your neighbors make a noise that you are not comfortable with.
The best way to solve this problem is to talk with your neighbor first. You should be very polite and ask your neighbor if he knows how thin the walls of your homes are. This way doesn’t criticize (批评) his behavior(行为); it simply points out that he may not realize how far his sound travels. Tell him that you know that sometimes you make noise as well, but that you do your best to keep it down. Often this will solve the problem right away, but sometimes the neighbor may become angry.
If your neighbor becomes angry with you, there are some more steps you can take. You might write a letter to the neighborhood committee. Make sure you write down the source of the noise and the time in the letter. They will review the situation and decide whether your neighbor is out of line. Some noise is considered to be reasonable, even if it bothers you. So you may prepare a good pair of earplugs (耳塞).
Even if your neighbor makes too much noise, you don’t have to live your life in discomfort. It’s always a good idea to be friendly with your neighbors. You may clean the rubbish in front of his door. He’s sure to appreciate behavior like this and be more open to your suggestions about noise level.What is the first step to deal with the noisy neighbor?
A.To buy a good pair of earplugs |
B.To offer suggestions to the neighbor |
C.To ask the neighborhood committee for help |
D.To tell the neighbor how bad his behavior is |
The underlined word “reasonable” in the third paragraph probably means “____”.
A.terrible | B.loud | C.proper | D.unpleasant |
What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?
A.You should control your noise as well |
B.You can live comfortably even if there is noise |
C.Your neighbor may be more friendly than you think |
D.You should build good relationship with your neighbor |
The author wrote this passage to tell us ____ .
A.why we should get on well with neighbors |
B.how to relax ourselves in a modern society |
C.how to become known among neighbors |
D.what we should do with our noisy neighbor |
Nick Petrels is a doctor in Montreal. He works 60 hours a week. He takes care of 159 patients a week in the hospital and at his office. He’s been a doctor for ten years.
Dr. Petrels gives his patients good medical advice. But he doesn’t just tell his patients what to do. He also sings to them on television! Dr. Petrels has his own TV show. The show is in Italian, English and French. The doctor starts the show with a song and then gives medical advice. He explains a medical problem or disease in simple language. After that, he sings another song.
Dr. Petrels produces and performs in his own show every week. The program is very popular with his patients and with people who enjoy his singing. His dream is to perform in Las Vegas. His favorite songs are love songs, and he has a compact disk of love songs that he wrote. Dr. Petrels says, “I always loved to sing. All my problems are gone when I sing.” But when Dr. Petrels was young, his father didn’t want him to be a singer, so he went to medical school.
Some people tell Dr. Petrels he can help people more as a doctor. But Dr. Petrels says he helps people when he sings, too. “I like to make people smile. Sometimes it’s difficult to make a sick person smile. Medicine and pleasure both try to do the same thing. They try to make people feel good.” Dr. Petrels works 60 hours a week, because he _______.
A.gives his patients medical advice |
B.takes care of 159 patients a week |
C.sings on television |
D.has his own TV show |
Dr. Petrels _______, so he is called a singing doctor.
A.also sings to his patients on TV |
B.always loves to sing |
C.is popular with his patients |
D.has been a doctor for ten years |
In his TV show, Dr. Petrel _______.
A.sings and gives medical advice |
B.sings about different diseases |
C.starts to explain diseases with a song |
D.sings love songs he wrote |
Dr. Petrels says he likes to _______.
A.help people sing | B.make people feel better |
C.do the same thing | D.make difficult people smile |
When Joan gave birth to the first boy in her family in three generations, she and her husband were overjoyed. So were her parents. Joan expected her elder sister, Sally, to be just as delighted as them. Joan had always admired Sally--the beauty and the star of the family--and felt happy about her achievements.
But since the baby's arrival, the sisters have become distant. Joan feels hurt for Sally seems completely uninterested in her baby. Sally, who has no children, claims that her younger sister "acts as if no one ever had a baby before."
Neither Sally nor Joan understands that the real cause of the current coldness is that their family roles have suddenly changed to the opposite. Finally Joan seems to be better than her elder sister--and Sally doesn't like it! Their distance may be temporary, but it shows that childhood competition don't fade easily as ages grow. It can remain powerful in relationships throughout life.
In a study of the University of Cincinnati, 65 men and women between ages 25 and 93 were asked how they felt about their brothers and sisters. Nearly 75 percent admitted having hidden competitive feelings. In a few cases, these emotions were so strong as to have affected their entire lives.
Many adult brothers and sisters are close, supportive--yet still tend to compete. Two brothers I know turn into killers when on opposite sides of a tennis net. Off the court, they are the best of friends. My own younger sister can't wait to tell me when I've put on weight. However, she's a terrible cook and that pleases me; I tease her when she comes to dinner. Happily, despite these small failings, we have been an important resource for each other.
In between the very competitive and the generally supportive children lie those who say that no friendship should survive. Some brothers and sisters stay at arm's length, but never give up competition completely. Why do these puzzling, unproductive, often painful relationships continue to exist?When Joan's son was born, Sally.
A.felt very happy | B.felt not delighted | C.moved away | D.admired her a lot |
What happens to children's desire to compete with their brothers and sisters?
A.It sometimes will disappear when they grow up. |
B.It will never disappear throughout life. |
C.It will improve their relationships when they grow up. |
D.It will never harm their relationships when they grow up. |
Why does the author's sister often tell her when she's put on weight?
A.Because she wants the author to go on a diet. |
B.Because she wants the author to stop calling her a bad cook. |
C.Because she wants to make fun of the author's weight. |
D.Because she wants to be honest with the author. |
The underlined sentence means that although some brothers and sisters.
A.live near each other, they still have competitions |
B.live away from each other, they stop their competitions |
C.live together, they often think of ending their competitions |
D.live within a big family, they often try to end their competitions |
Do you like seahorses? What do you know about them?
The seahorse is actually not a horse but a fish, and much smaller than any regular horse. In general, a seahorse is about an inch long. It is a beautiful fish that likes warm waters, swims upright (直立的), and looks a little like a chess piece.
Seahorses are an unusual kind of animal because the males (雄性) give birth to babies. Mating (交配) takes place in cooler waters on spring and summer nights with a full moon. The females (雌性) put their eggs into the bodies of the males, and the males give birth to baby seahorses.
The seahorse can use each eye separately, which allows it to search for food without moving the rest of its body. Seahorses situate themselves near deep, fast-running channels rich in plankton, a kind of life on which they feed. They can catch food from an inch and a half away. Seahorses can change from gray or black to yellow or purple within seconds to fit in with their surroundings, and in this way escape from most of their enemies.
One of the surprising facts about seahorses for most people is that they are vertebrates (脊椎动物). They can turn and curl freely, and like to swim in pairs connected by their tails. Their tails are powerful, and they can use them to grasp the surrounding seaweed (海藻) to keep themselves from being swept away. So seahorses are usually found in warm water filled with seaweed.
Now that you know all these facts about seahorses, don’t you find them more interesting?We can learn from the passage that seahorses _______.
A.are beautiful, and live on seaweed |
B.are as big as regular horses |
C.live near deep channels |
D.like to be alone |
The third paragraph tells us that _______.
A.male seahorses lay eggs |
B.seahorses mate in spring or autumn |
C.male seahorses give birth to babies |
D.seahorses mate in warmer waters at night |
Which of the following protects seahorses from being eaten by their enemies?
A.Their fast speed of swimming. |
B.Their ability to change colours. |
C.Their unique eyes. |
D.Their strong tails. |
Which of the following can replace the underlined word "grasp"?
A.Eat. | B.Hold. | C.Make. | D.Handle. |
The influence of America is increasing in my country. Spanish people drink Coca Cola, wear blue jeans, watch Hollywood movies, listen to American music, and eat fast food, and they do these things every day.
I think that American movies are a good way to spread American culture because people are often influenced by what they see in the movies. Most of the programs and documentaries (纪录片) we watch on TV are from America, and most of the movies we go to see are made in Hollywood.
In the last few years, the government has tried to protect the Spanish movies. Now, in our cinemas, at least twenty percent of the movies which are shown must be from Spain or from other countries in Europe.
American culture is a part of Spanish life now. It’s certain that many things from America are as much a part of people’s lives as Spanish things. For example, Coca Cola is as familiar to everybody as any typical Spanish product. I’ve known about Coca Cola for my whole life.
However, it’s different with Western fast food. For example, I don’t think McDonald’s is as successful in Spain as it is in other countries. In my opinion, one of the reasons may be the lifestyle of the Spanish people. The Spanish people normally eat at home.
On the other hand, maybe McDonald’s hamburgers will eventually replace the famous Spanish tapas. It’s true that in every city in Spain you can find a McDonald’s, and it is more popular among the Spanish children than among the adults. In any case, it’s obvious that American culture is becoming more and more a part of our lives every day.From the first paragraph we can know that ____.
A.the influence of America on Spain can be found everywhere |
B.most Spanish people don’t like to listen to their own music |
C.fast food spreads from Spain to the United States |
D.some Spanish actors go to America to improve their acting skills |
What plays an important part in the spreading of American culture in Spain?
A.American novels. | B.Hollywood movies. |
C.McDonald’s. | D.American music. |
Why did the government set some rules for the films shown in Spain?
A.To protect foreign culture in Spain. |
B.To earn more money from Spanish films. |
C.To limit the number of foreign movies. |
D.To unite the European Community. |
What do you think Spanish tapas might be?
A.The name of a drink. | B.The name of a restaurant. |
C.A clothing brand. | D.A certain kind of food. |