【改编】Can you believe everything that you read? It seems as if every day, some new articles come out about a new discovery about this or that. For example, water is bad for you, or good for you. The answer depends on which scientific study has just come out. People cannot decide which food items are healthy, how pyramids were constructed, and why dinosaurs disappeared. When we look for answers we sometimes can believe persuasive researches and scientists. But how trustworthy are they really? Here are two examples of scientific hoaxes.
As far back as 1726, Johann Beringer was fooled by his fellow scientists into thinking he had made an amazing discovery. The fossils of spiders, lizards, and even birds with the name of God written on them in Hebrew were unlike anything that had been found before. He wrote several papers on them and was famous for those only to have it revealed that they were planted by jealous colleagues to ruin his reputation.
When an early human being was discovered in 1912, scientists at this time were wild with excitement over the meaning it had for the theory of evolution. There were hundreds of papers about this Piltdown man over the next fifty years until it was finally discovered to be a complex hoax. The skull (头骨) of a man had been mixed with the jawbone of an orangutan (猩猩) to make the ape (猿) man.
The next time you read the exciting new findings of a study of the best scientist, do not automatically assume that it is true. Even qualified people can get it wrong. While we certainly should not ignore scientific research, we do need to take it with a grain of salt. Just because it is accepted as the truth today does not mean it will still be trustworthy tomorrow.What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Everything in the newspaper is doubtful. |
| B．People are encouraged to suspect everything. |
| C．Not everything you read is believable. |
| D．Sometimes scientists may make mistakes. |
What does the underlined word “ hoaxes” mean?
| A．Truths. | B．Tricks. | C．Researches. | D．Result. |
From the second paragraph we can know______.
| A．Johann Beringer was envied by his colleagues. |
| B．Johann Beringer lived in the seventeenth century. |
| C．Johann Beringer found the Piltdown man. |
| D．Johann Beringer found he was fooled by others in time. |
According to the passage ,the discovery of Piltdown man______.
| A．was significant to the theory of evolution. |
| B．proved orangutan developed from man. |
| C．didn’t prove false until 50 years later. |
| D．proved that scientists were very careless. |
From the last paragraph we can infer the author thinks_____.
| A．scientists are unreliable. |
| B．everyone can make a mistake. |
| C．we should ignore scientific research. |
| D．we should treat scientific research reasonably. |
A Scottish university is considering allowing students to use their own computers in exams. Edinburgh University already has the equipment to allow a small number of students to use computers during exams. Senior officials at Edinburgh University say that it is unfair to expect students to use pens and paper in exams when the majority of their coursework is done on computers. Undergraduates at the School of Divinity have the choice of using computers with their final answers being collected on a USB stick, but the take-up stands at less than 10 per cent.
Dai Hounsell, professor of higher education at the university, said, “We’ve got to look at alternatives to the handwritten exam. Looking ahead ten years from now, I’m sure there will not be handwritten answers any longer in the exam of certain subjects, but how we get there from here isn’t easy. The plan doesn’t apply so much to science and engineering subjects where students have to use charts and mathematical formulae（公式）. There isn’t technology at the moment to allow them to do that on a computer.” He adds that the approval of students is the key before anything is carried out. He also said, “We don’t want to put students’ future at risk by experimenting as there are technical things which can go wrong. There could be a power failure.”
Nora Mogey, head of Media and Learning Technology Service at the university, said, “A lot of students are not assured enough to make that step in such an important situation. They don’t feel they’ve had enough practice in typing on a computer with a time limit in a high-pressure environment. They think they do better with a pen in their hand than on a keyboard.”
Jennifer Cadiz, president at the National Union of Students in the UK, said, “It’s great to see universities recognizing that times have changed. Exams can be a really stressful time for students and it’s helpful to offer them a flexible（灵活的）way to complete exams.”
No other major Scottish universities have plans to follow in Edinburgh University’s footsteps and the Scottish Qualifications Authority says it has decided not to carry out the plan in its universities.According to Para. 1, we know that in Edinburgh University _________.
| A．computers are not allowed to be used during exams |
| B．students shouldn’t use their pens during exams |
| C．most coursework is done on computers |
| D．most students will use computers during exams |
What’s Dai Hounsell’s attitude towards Edinburgh University’s new plan?
| A．He opposes it. |
| B．He isn’t optimistic about it. |
| C．He is fond of it. |
| D．He thinks it necessary. |
The underlined word “assured” in Para. 3 probably means “___________”.
| A．confident | B．ready |
| C．fortunate | D．wealthy |
We can infer from the passage that ____________.
| A．other universities will try to carry out the challenging plan |
| B．universities shouldn’t make students stressful during exams |
| C．the use of computers in exams won’t spread widely in a short time |
| D．students should get ready to use computers in exams in future |
I think people everywhere dream about having lots of money. You could win a large amount of money in the United States through lotteries. People pay money for tickets with numbers. If your combination of numbers is chosen, you win a huge amount of money --- often in the millions.
A few years ago, my friend Al won the lottery. It changed his life. He did not have a rich family. He was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Instead, my friend was always hard up for cash. And the money he did earn was chicken feed --- very little.
Sometimes Al even had to accept gifts from his family and friends. But do not get me wrong. My friend was not a deadbeat. He was not the kind of person who never paid the money he owed. He was always very careful with the money he spent. In fact, he was often a cheapskate（守财奴）. He did not like to spend money.
One day, Al got together a few dollars for a lottery ticket. He thought he would never strike it rich or gain lots of money unexpectedly. But his combination of numbers was chosen and he won the lottery and won a great deal of money.
Al was so excited. The first thing he did was to buy a costly new car. Then he started spending money on unnecessary things. He started to waste it. It was like he had money to burn. He had more money than he needed and it was burning a hole in his pocket so he spent it quickly.
When we got together for a meal at a restaurant, Al paid every time. He told me the money made him feel like a million dollars. He was very happy.
But, Al spent too much money. Soon my friend was down and out again. He had no money left. He had spent his bottom dollar, his very last amount. He did not even build up a nest egg. He had not saved any of the money. Some might say he was penny wise and pound foolish. He was wise about small things, but not about important things.The role of the first paragraph is to __________.
| A．show the attraction of lotteries |
| B．tell some facts about lotteries |
| C．explain how to win the lottery |
| D．introduce the story of Al |
Before winning the lottery, Al ____________.
| A．failed to make both ends meet |
| B．earned nothing and borrowed money |
| C．once had a relatively rich family |
| D．didn’t know how to save money |
The underlined word “deadbeat” in Para. 3 probably refers to a person who _______.
| A．is lazy with no job to do |
| B．tries to avoid his debts |
| C．likes to spend money |
| D．is generous |
What was to become of Al, according to the passage?
| A．He had built up a nest egg. |
| B．He was a cheapskate again. |
| C．He felt like a million dollars. |
| D．He was penny wise and pound foolish. |
James knew the decision was not going to be an easy one to make as he sat on the hill near the small town that he lived in. There was no one he could turn to for advice. His only sister lived away and he hardly ever saw her and when his sister came over, they always ended up in an argument.
It had been a hot day and James’s clothes seemed to stick to his body. He had felt terrible for weeks and he was just tired of feeling sick. He had started vomiting（呕吐）after he would eat anything and he knew that something would have to be done.
After going to the doctor, he was told to come back in a few days. The next three days had gone by slowly and it was time for his visit to the doctor. He had been shown into the doctor’s office and James knew it was bad news. The end result was he had stomach cancer.
James sat on the hill looking down at the town and wonder what he would do. Taking out his phone, he dialed his sister’s number and told her the bad news. She started to cry and said, “If anything happens to you, I will be alone in this world.”
Marie, his sister said, “You are moving up here and you will live with me until you get back on your feet, so go home, pack up and I will be there to get you in two days.”
He smiled and said, “It sounds wonderful, but I still haven’t decided if I am going to have the surgery or not?” Hearing this, she softly whispered, “Of course you are having the surgery. I will pick you up in two days. I love you.”
James knew the final word was still up to him and he would think about it because this was a decision that wouldn’t come easy to him.From the very beginning, we know that James ________________.
| A．used to sit on the hill when in trouble |
| B．lived alone and seldom met others |
| C．didn’t get along well with Marie |
| D．never made a decision by himself |
James decided to go to his doctor when _____________.
| A．he felt it had been too hot for him |
| B．he vomited anything he ate |
| C．he felt sick for several weeks |
| D．he got a call from his sister |
The underlined word “it” in the passage refers to _____________.
| A．James having the surgery |
| B．Packing up within two days |
| C．Marie coming to meet him |
| D．James moving to live with Marie |
What is the message expressed in the passage?
| A．Health is not valued till sickness comes. |
| B．Blood is thicker than water. |
| C．Each day brings its own bread. |
| D．Good health is above wealth. |
To protect you and your fellow passengers, the Transportation Security（安全） Administration (TSA) is required by law to check all checked baggage. As part of this process, some bags are opened and checked. Your bag was among those selected for check.
During the check, your bag and its contents may have been searched for items forbidden by law such
as fireworks, fuels, gunpowder, etc. At the completion of the check, the contents were returned to your bag, which was resealed（重新封口）with a "special" lock.
If the TSA screener was unable to open your bag for check because it was locked, the screener may have been forced to break the locks on your bag. TSA sincerely regrets having to do this, and has taken care to reseal your bag upon completion of check. However, TSA is not liable for damage to your locks resulting from this necessary security precaution (预防措施) .
For packing tips and other suggestions that may assist you during your next trip, visit: WWW.TSATravelTips.us.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation. If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact the Transportation Security Administration Consumer Response Center:
Phone: toll-free at (866) 289-9673
Email: TellTSA@tas.dot.govThe passage is trying to ______.
| A．introduce one of the security acts |
| B．tell people about baggage check |
| C．warn against the damage of locking the baggage |
| D．persuade people to contact TSA |
The passage is most probably written to those who ______.
| A．had their baggage selected for checking |
| B．refused to check their baggage |
| C．kept some damaged items in their baggage |
| D．left their baggage unlocked |
The underlined word “liable” means “______”.
| A．suitable by law | B．permitted by law |
| C．responsible by law | D．prepared by law |
For packing tips and other suggestions, visit ______.
| A．TellTSA@tas.dot.gov |
| B．TSA Consumer Response Center |
| C．toll-free at (866) 289-9673 |
| D．WWW.TSATravelTips.us |
My son and I were trying to sell the house we had repaired, but in the barn（谷仓）there were bats and they would not leave. The barn was their home. They told us so in their own way they hung for the season. “Don’t worry about it, Dad.” Patrick said. “They keep down the mosquitoes（蚊子）.”
Unfortunately they also kept the buyers away. When we had asked a person to sell the house for us he had refused to show it because of the bats. “Bats are popular,” Patrick comforted me. “They are ecological.” “Isn’t there a machine you can buy that produces high-frequency sounds to keep bats away?” “ I don’t know,” said Patrick. “But I like bats, and whoever buys this house will probably like them too.’ “Probably?” I hated that word. “How many bats are there, anyway?” “I counted about 90 last night,” said Patrick. “They were dropping out from under the edge of the roof.” “You mean there are more------outside?” “They’re everywhere, Dad. But look at it this way. When the cold weather comes, they’ll be off to Mexico. Maybe in the spring we can keep them out. Don’t worry about it,” he said for the
the hundredth time. “It’s not a problem.”
The bat expert I called was even more active than Patrick. “I think you’ve got a large number there,” he said in wonder. “I’ve been trying to attract bats to our house for 25 years. A single bat ears up his weight in mosquitoes and black flies three times every night. You’ve a very lucky man.” I offered to share my luck with him. He could take them away. “Bats have a remarkable homing instinct（本能）,” he said. “They’d fly straight back even if I transported them 100 miles. Once they have settled, you can’t stop them from coming back.” I was silent.
Finally we managed to rent the house to a young family, who were also interested in buying it. “What about the bats?” I said to Patrick. “Oh, they love the bats,” he said. “No mosquitoes. No black flies. It’s one of the things that attracted them.” “Do you think they will really buy the house?” “Probably? Well, if they do, I suppose I’ll have to admit that I was wrong.” “You mean you’re going to eat your words?”
“Yes. I am.”What was the problem the author had with his house?
| A．Bats were living in the barn and wouldn’t go away. |
| B．The author and his son couldn’t sleep well because of the bats |
| C．The author and his son might be able to stay for the season. |
| D．The house was still badly in need of repair. |
What did Patrick suggest the author should do to stop the bats living in the barn?
| A．Buy a high-frequency machine. |
| B．Close the barn in the spring. |
| C．Reduce the number of mosquitoes. |
| D．Move them one hundred miles away. |
What happened to the house in the end?
| A．Some people agreed to rent the house. |
| B．The author failed to find anybody who wanted to live in the house |
| C．The bat expert made the decision to buy the house. |
| D．The bats left the house for Mexico in the spring. |
Why did the author think he might have to “eat his words”?
| A．He felt sorry for the bats. |
| B．He was happy about selling the house. |
| C．He realized they might be wrong about the bats’ actions |
| D．He might be mistaken about being unable to sell the house. |