People have wondered for a long time how their personalities and behaviors are formed. It’s not easy to explain why one person is intelligent and another is not, or why one is cooperative and another is competitive.
Social scientists are, of course, extremely interested in these types of question. They want to explain why we possess certain characteristics and exhibit certain behaviors. There are no clear answers yet, but two distinct schools of thought on the matter have developed. As one might expect, the two approaches are very different from each other, and there is a great deal of debate between proponents of each theory. The argument is often conveniently referred to as nature vs. nurture.
Those who support the “nature” side of the conflict believe that our personalities and behavior patterns are largely determined by biological and genetic factors. That our environment has little, if anything, to do with our abilities, characteristics and behavior is central to this theory. Taken to an extreme, this theory maintains that our behavior is predetermined(注定)to such a great degree that we are almost completely governed by our instincts(本能).
Proponents of the “nurture” theory, or, as they are often called, behaviorists, claim that our environment is more important than our biologically based instincts in determining how we will act. Behaviorists see humans as beings whose behavior is almost completely shaped by their surroundings. Their view of the human being is quite mechanistic; they maintain that, like machines, humans respond to environmental stimuli (something that helps sb./ sth. to develop better and more quickly)as the basis of their behavior.
The social and political connections of these two theories are significant. In the United States, for example, blacks often score below whites on standardized intelligent test. This leads some “nature” proponents to conclude that blacks are genetically worse than whites. Behaviorists, in contrast, say that the differences in scores are due to the fact that blacks are often robbed of many of the educational and other environmental advantages that whites enjoy, and that, as a result ,they do not develop the same responses that whites do.
Neither of these theories can yet fully explain human behavior. In fact, it is quite likely that the key to our behavior lies somewhere between these two extremes. That the argument will continue for a long time is certain.The author is mainly concerned about solving the problem .
| A．why our personalities and behaviors differ |
| B．what makes different stages of intelligence |
| C．how social scientists form different theories |
| D．what causes the “nature/ nurture” argument |
The underlined word “proponents” can best be replaced by .
| A．approaches | B．advocates |
| C．principles | D．characters |
Which of the following statements may be supported by the “nature” school?
| A．We are born with certain personalities and behaviors. |
| B．Environment has nothing to do with our personalities. |
| C．Abilities and characteristics are showed by behaviors. |
| D．Only extreme behaviors are determined by instincts. |
What can we learn about the behaviorists?
| A．They believe human beings are mechanical. |
| B．They compare our behaviors to the machines. |
| C．They suggest that we react to the environment as the machines do. |
| D．They agree that the mechanistic theory can be applied on us as well. |
Su Hua is studying at Cambridge, UK. She has bought a bicycle and is worried about security（安全）. Her friend, Kate, found this article and sent it to her.
Introduction
A lot of crime is against bicycles. About 150,000 bicycles are stolen every year and most are never found. You can prevent this happening by following a few careful steps.
Basic Security
Do not leave you bicycle in out-of-the-way places. Always lock your bicycle when you leave. Secure it to lampposts（灯柱）or trees. Take off smaller parts and take them with you, for example lights and saddles（车座）。
Locks
Get a good lock. There are many different types in the shops. Buy one that has been tested against attack. Ask for a recommendation from a bike stop.
Marking
Security marking your bike can act as a deterrent to a thief. It can also help the police find your bicycle. It should be clearly written and include you postcode and your house or flat number. This will provide a simple way to identify your bicycle.
Registration
There are a number of companies who will security mark your bicycle for you. They will then put your registration number and personal details on their computer database. Then if your bicycle is found it will be easy to contact you.
Finally
Keep a record of the bicycle yourself: its make, model and registration number. You can even take a photograph of it. This will prove the bicycle belongs to you.Which part gives you information on how to lock up your bicycle when you leave it? ______.
| A．Locks. | B．Marking. |
| C．Registration. | D．Basic Security. |
The underlined phrase “act as a deterrent to a thief” means _______.
| A．help you recognize your bike | B．help the police find you bicycle |
| C．stop someone stealing your bicycle | D．stop you worrying about your like |
The article advises you to keep a record of your bicycle _________.
| A．in the bike shop and your computer | B．in a police station and a security company |
| C．in a security company and your university | D．by yourself and in a security company |
The main purpose of this article is _________.
| A．To tell you what to do if your bicycle is stolen |
| B．to suggest way of keeping your bicycle safe |
| C．to give you advice on where to buy a good lock |
| D．to say why you shouldn’t keep your bicycle in a quiet place |
Water goes around and around Earth in a never ending journey called the water cycle（循环）. The sun heats up lakes, oceans, and other wet places on Earth. When the water gets warm enough, it changes into vapour. Plants also give off lots of water vapour. Some of this water vapour cools off high in the sky and becomes clouds. Then it falls back to Earth in a new place as rain or snow. This cycle happens over and over again.
The ground can absorb water like a sponge (海绵). If you could see this groundwater, it wouldn’t look like a lake or river. The groundwater is mixed in with the rocks and sand that lie in layers(层) below Earth’s surface.
Groundwater moves along slowly. How slowly? Maybe 1.5 kilometres in one century. Some of this water has been underground for thousands of years. And once groundwater is pumped out of the ground from a deep well（井） by people, it may take hundreds of years for another water to take its place.In which order does water go around Earth?
a .Fall down as rain or snow. b. Heated up by the sun on lakes, oceans and other wet places.
c. Cool off high in the sky. d. Form clouds. e. Change into vapour.
| A．dacbe | B．becda | C．caebd | D．bceda |
The groundwater seems to________.
| A．be just on the ground | B．be pure water like that in a lake or river |
| C．exist in rocks and sand | D．flow along like rivers or streams |
The underlined word “pumped” in the passage can be replaced by________.
| A．run | B．pushed | C．drawn | D．picked |
What conclusion（结论） can we draw from the passage?
| A．Groundwater can be quickly replaced by other water once pumped out. |
| B．Groundwater is very valuable. |
| C．Groundwater has nothing to do with human beings. |
| D．Groundwater travel in an unknown way. |
Mr. Black and Mr. White were two very famous artists in the city. Their drawings were also very popular in the city. But they tried to see who could draw the best picture.
One day they asked an old man to be the judge. Mr. Black drew an apple tree. He put his picture in the field. Soon the birds came and tried to eat the apples. The old man saw it and said, “You have certainly won. Mr. White cannot draw so good a picture as yours. But we will go to see his picture.”
They went to Mr. White’s house. There were nothing but red beautiful curtains on the wall. The old man asked, “Where is your picture, Mr. White?” He said, “Lift the curtains, and you will find my picture.” The old man tried to lift the curtains but found that they were drawn there. They were Mr. White’s picture. The old man said, “Birds thought the apples were real. Men thought the curtains were real. So Mr. White won. His picture is the best one.”Mr. Black drew .
| A．an apple tree | B．the best picture | C．curtains | D．birds |
The old man thought Mr. Black’s picture was good because .
| A．it was in the field | B．it was an apple tree |
| C．the birds liked it | D．the birds thought it was real |
Mr. White’s picture was .
| A．an apple tree | B．curtains | C．nothing | D．an old man |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．The birds came and ate the apples up. |
| B．The old man said Mr. White’s picture was the best one at last. |
| C．The two pictures were not so good. |
| D．The curtains on the wall were real. |
Would you eat a ready meal from the fridge rather than cook from scratch? Have you been doing internet shopping rather than going to the stores? What can't you be bothered to do?
A study into how lazy British people are has found more than half of adults are so lazy they'd catch the lift rather than climb two flights of stairs.
Just over 2000 people were quizzed by independent researchers at Nuffield Health, Britain's largest health charity. The results were
astonishing.
About one in six people surveyed said if their remote control was broken, they would continue watching the same channel rather than get up.
More than one third of those questioned said they would not run to catch a bus. Worryingly, of the 654 respondents with children, 64% said they were often too tired to play with them.
This led the report to conclude that it's no wonder that one in six children in the UK are classified as obese (very fat) before they start school.
Dr Sarah Dauncey, medical director of Nuffield Health, said: "People need to get fitter, not just for their own sake, but for the sake of their families, friends and evidently their pets too.
"If we don't start to take control of this problem, a whole generation will become too unfit to perform even the most rudimentary of tasks."
And Scotland's largest city, Glasgow, was shamed as the most inactive city in the UK, with 75% surveyed admitting they do not get enough exercise, followed closely by Birmingham and Southampton, both with 67%.
The results ca
use serious challenges for the National Health Service, where obesity-related illnesses such as heart disease and cancer have been on a steady increase for the past 40 years and are costing billions of pounds every year.What causes children in the UK to be obese?
| A．Eating ready meal | B．Watching TV |
| C．Doing Internet shopping | D．Being lazy |
What can be inferred from the pas
sage?
| A．British people are too lazy to do anything. |
| B．Internet shopping will do harm to your health. |
| C．Many people would not run to catch a bus in Britain. |
| D．People should be more active and take regular exercise to keep fit. |
Which of the following is Not true according to the passage?
| A．One sixth of British people use remote control when watching TV. |
B．People will benefit not only themselves but their families by getting fit. |
| C．Fatness can cause diseases such as heart disease and cancer. |
| D．More people get obesity-related illnesses now than 40 years ago. |
What does the underlined word rudimentary most probably mean?
| A．basic | B．serious | C．vital | D．hard |
All the following are among the most l
azy cities in the UK except .
| A．Glasgow | B．Birmingham | C．Nuffield | D．Southampton |
The world of the science-fiction 3-D film Avatar is so perfect that the line between fact and fiction has bec
ome somewhat blurred (模糊) .
Movie-goers have admitted being annoyed by depression at not being able to visit the planet Pandora. Set in the future when Earth's resources have been used up, director James Cameron's film tells the story of a company trying to exploit a rare mineral on a new planet. The humans clash with the natives — a peace-loving race of 7-foot-tall, blue-skinned creatures called the Na'vi, who exist in perfect harmony with nature.
Fans have flooded the Internet with their confused feelings. On the site Avatar Forums (论坛), the topic "Ways to deal with the depression of the dream of Pandora not being able to come true" has more than 1,000 posts. In a similar forum, Louis, one user, wrote: "When I woke up this morning after watching Avatar for the first time yesterday, the world seemed grey. It just seems so meaningless. I still don't really see any reason to keep doing things at all. I live in a dying world." On the Avatar site Naviblue, a fan calling himself Jorba has even asked others to join him in starting a real Na'vi tribe.
This fantasy world, with its wonderful plants and animal life, is brought to life by using impressive special effects. Many people believe that 2010 is the break
through year for the technology helped by 3-D movies such as Avatar. "It has taken the best of our technology to create this virtual world and real life will never be as perfect as it seems on screen. It makes real life seem more imperfect."What is the best title of the text?
| A．A blockbuster movie: Avatar |
| B．The Avatar effect: movie-goers feel depressed after watching Avatar |
| C．2010: a breakthrough year for. 3-D movies |
| D．Pandora: a perfect world |
We can infer that Louis after watching the film Avatar.
| A．will cherish his present life more |
| B．feels disappointed about the real world |
| C．will intend to create a real Na'vi tribe |
| D．is proud of living on the earth |
Thanks to the success of Av'atar, .
| A．3-D technology will probably develop quickly in 2010 |
| B．most people look forward to living on another planet |
| C．many more science-fiction films will be made in the coming years |
| D．people have become more realistic about life |
The underlined word "virtual" probably means .
| A．unreal | B．true | C．perfect | D．practical |
According to the passage the natives on the planet are .
| A．not harmony with the nature | B．blue-haired race |
| C．peace-loving creatures | D．fond of fighting with human race |