第四部分任务型阅读(共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分)
Man has been studying the influence of nature and nurture on human development. Nature refers to the biological factors in a human. Essentially, it’s the genetic makeup of an individual. These are the genes that we were born with and that cannot be altered with conditioning. Traits such as hair color and type, eye color and height form a part of what is called “nature”. Disorders and diseases that are inherited (遗传) genetically also form a part of this view. On the other hand, nurture refers to the environmental factors and influences, along with an individual’s personal experiences. This includes the childhood experiences, relationships with friends, families, neighbors and colleagues, events, and so on.
Which one plays a more important role in an individual’s development, nature or nurture? Actually, they interact together in our developmental process and we can’t ignore the existence of one in favor of the other. Our genetic makeup gives us our physical characteristics. Along with it, certain underlying traits are also heritable. For example, behavioral traits like what language we speak, how we interact with others, and how we respond to certain situations are all molded by “nurture”—this is obvious because the environment we’re brought up in shapes these factors over time. But it’s also noted that some of these traits are partially heritable. For instance, aggressive behavior is something partially received from genes. But if the person grew up in an aggressive family environment, or had friends who displayed aggressive behavior, then he / she will eventually become very aggressive.
In the case of intelligence, there are studies which show environmental factors have a bigger hand in molding childhood IQ. But by adulthood, this correlation (关联) is almost absent. They reveal that by adulthood, the difference in IQ among adoptive siblings (兄弟姐妹) may make them seem like strangers, despite the shared environment they grew up in. In natural siblings on the other hand, there is a correlation of about 0.6. In the twin studies, it is showed that identical twin has a higher correlation (about 0.86). This seems to suggest that nature plays a bigger role in shaping intelligence.
But we cannot rule out nurture entirely. For example, nutrition plays an important role in shaping intelligence. If a child isn’t put on a proper diet from the beginning, then his / her neural (神经的) connections get disrupted, which leaves him / her mentally challenged. If a child often feels stressed and is exposed to poisonous things, his / her intellectual growth will also be affected. A person may have natural talents, but if he / she wasn’t brought up in the right surroundings, his / her potential may never be realized. On the contrary, even someone with lower genetic inheritance of intellect may be nurtured in a rich educational environment and may be able to develop their original potentials.
| Nature vs. nurture: which decides your behavior? |
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| Concept of nature |
● Nature refers to a person’s inherent genes that always remain ● One’s |
| Concept of nurture |
● Nurture refers to the environment one is brought up in. ● Childhood experiences, interpersonal relationships and events all are |
| Effects of nature and nurture |
● Nature and nurture are both important for a person’s ● Though some behavioral traits are inherited genetically, they can be changed by the environment the person grows up in. ● For example, aggressive behavior, partially inherited, will become more |
| Effects of nature on intelligence |
● According to studies, the effects of nature on intelligence ● However, this doesn’t mean that nature has no effects on intelligence; instead, it plays a bigger part in the |
| Effects of nurture on intelligence |
● An ● Stress and ● Sometimes whether one’s potentials can be realized is partly |
When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Dr. Gibbs. He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ever known. He never yelled at us for playing in his yard. I remember him as someone who was a lot nicer than most of the adults in our community.
When Dr. Gibbs wasn’t saving lives, he was planting trees. His house sat on ten acres, and his life’s goal was to make it a forest.
The good doctor had some interesting theories concerning plant care and growth. He never watered his new trees, which flew in the face of conventional wisdom. Once I asked why. He said that watering plants spoiled them so that each successive tree generation would grow weaker and weaker. So you have to make things rough for them and weed out(淘汰) the weaker trees early on.
He talked abo
ut how watering trees made for shallow roots, and how trees that weren’t watered had to grow deep roots in search of moisture. I took him to mean that deep roots were to be treasured.
So he never watered his trees. He planted an oak and, instead of watering it every morning, he’d beat it with a rolled-up newspaper. Smack! Slap! Pow! I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the tree’s attention.
Dr. Gibbs passed away a couple of years after I left home. Every now and again, I walked by his house and looked at the trees that I’d watched him plant some twenty-five years ago. They’re extremely tall, big and robust since they have deep roots now. However, the trees in
my garden trembled in a cold wind although I had watered them for several years.
It seems that adversity(逆境) and suffering benefit these trees in ways comfort and ease never could. I stood there deep in thought.
Every night before I go to bed, I check on my two sons. I stand over them and watch their little bodies, the rising and falling of life within. I often pray for them. Mostly I pray that their lives will be easy. But I think it’s time to change my prayer(祷词) because now I know my children are going to encounter hardship..According to Dr. Gibbs’ theories, trees will become weaker if they______
| A．are lack of care | B．are watered | C．are weeded out | D．are beaten |
.According to Para.3 and Pare.4, we can infer that Dr. Gibbs’moto（座右铭）may be_____
| A．“seeing is believing” | B．“Put everything in proper use” |
| C．”Practice makes perfect” | D．“No pains, no gains” |
.The underlined word robust in Para.5 most probably means______
| A．strong | B．strange | C．deep | D．old |
Which of the following may be the author’s best prayer for his two sons now ?
| A．I wish them strong wings, with which they can fly higher and touch the sky. |
| B．I wish them nice fortune so that they can meet people like Dr. Gibbs in the future. |
| C．I wish them deep roots into the earth since the rains fall and the winds blow often. |
| D．I wish them great shades under the tree since the sunlight is always sharp and bitter. |
Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
| A．A Nice Doctor | B．The Deep Roots |
| C．Adversity and Suffering | D．My Childhood Memory |
A man was on the side of the road hitchhiking（搭便车）on a very dark night in the middle of a terrible rainstorm, with no cars on the road．The storm was so strong that the man could hardly see a few feet ahead of him．Suddenly, he saw a car come towards him and stop．The man, without thinking about it, got in the car and closed the door and only then did he realize that there was nobody behind the steering wheel（方向盘）!
The car started to move very slowly．The man looked at the road and saw a curve （拐弯处）coming his way．Terrified, he started to pray, begging for his life．He had not come out of shock when, just before the car hit the curve, a hand suddenly appeared through the window and moved the wheel．The man, paralyzed with fear, watched how the hand appeared every time the car was drawing near a curve．Finally, although terrified, the man managed to open the door and jump out of the spooky car．Without looking back, the man ran through the storm all the way to the nearest town．In a state of complete horror, the man walked into a nearby bar and asked for two glasses of Scotch whisky．
Then, still shaking with fright, he started telling everybody in the bar about the horrible experience he just went through in the spooky car．Everyone in the bar listened in silence and became frightened, with hair standing on end, when they realized the man was telling the truth because he was crying and he was certainly not drunk!
About half an hour later, two other young men walked into the same bar and one said to the other, “Hey, there’s a stupid man who jumped into the car while we were pushing it!”When the car was first drawing near a curve, the man ________．
| A．felt very curious | B．was extremely frightened |
| C．cried for help | D．remained as calm as possible |
According to the passage, what made the man’s experience believable?
| A．His reasonable behavior． | B．His vivid description． |
| C．His plain appearance． | D．His honest attitude． |
We can infer from the passage that ________．
| A．it is unsafe for people to take a free ride |
| B．the man was telling a lie to his listeners |
| C．the car probably broke down on the way |
| D．the two young men were familiar with the man |
Dolphins and sharks are showing up in surprisingly shallow water just off the Florida coast．Mullets，crabs，rays and small fish gather by the thousands off an Alabama pier．Birds covered in oil are crawling（爬）deep into marshes（沼泽），never to be seen again．
Marine scientists studying the effects of the BP disaster（英国石油公司漏油事件）are seeing some strange phenomena．Fish and other wildlife seem to be fleeing the oil out in the Gulf and gathering in cleaner waters along the coast in a trend that some researchers see as a potentially troubling sign．The animals.presence close to shore means their usual habitat is badly polluted，and the crowding could result in mass die-offs as fish run out of oxygen．Also，the animals could easily be captured by their enemies．
The nearly two-month-old spill（漏油）has created an environmental disaster in US history as tens of millions of gallons have flown into the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem．Scienfists are seeing some unusual things as they try to understand the effects on thousands of species of marine life．For nearly four hours Monday，a three-person crew with Greenpeace cruised（巡航）past delicate islands and mangrove-dotted inlets in Barataria Bay off southern Louisiana．They saw dolphins by the dozen frolicking（嬉戏）in the oily sheen（光泽）and oil-tinged pelicans feeding their young．But they spotted no dead animals．
“I think part of the reason why we’re not seeing more yet is that the impacts of this crisis are really just beginning，”Greenpeace marine biologist John Hocevar said．
The counting of dead wildlife in the Gulf is more than an academic exercise；the deaths will help determine how much BP pays in damages．What do the marine life react to the BP disaster？
| A．Dolphins and sharks show up in deep water． |
| B．Tens of thousands of marine animals are found dead． |
| C．Sea creatures flee from oil spill，gathering near seashore． |
| D．Birds crawl（爬）deep into caves． |
The environmental disaster was caused by．
| A．the lack of environmental sense of BP |
| B．the nearly two-mouth-old oil spill |
| C．the crowding marine life |
| D．the damage of Mexico Gulf ecosystem |
What is John Hocevar’s attitude towards the disaster？
| A．Disappointed | B．Depressed | C．Neutral | D．Worried |
From the passage，we can infer that．
| A．marine scientists have seen some strange phenomena． |
| B．the disaster has little influence on dolphins． |
| C．a three-person crew reached no conclusion． |
| D．BP will pay much money according to the number of dead wildlife there． |
In this age of Internet chat，videogames and reality television，there is no shortage of mindless activities to keep a child occupied．Yet，despite the competition，my 8-year-old daughter Rebecca wants to spend her leisure time writing short stories．She wants to enter one of her stories into a writing contest，a competition she won last year．
As a writer I know about winning contests，and about losing them．I know what it is like to work hard on a story only to receive a rejection slip from the publisher．I also know the pressure of trying to live up to a reputation created by previous victories．What if she doesn.t win the contest again？That’s the strange thing about being a parent．So many of our own past scars and dashed hopes can surface．
A revelation（启示）came last week when l asked her，”Don’t you want to win again？” “No,” she replied，“I
just want to tell the story of an angel（天使）going to first grade．”
I had just spent weeks correcting her stories as she spontaneously（自发地）told them．Telling myself that l was merely an experienced writer guiding the young writer across the hall. I offered suggestions for characters，conflicts and endings for her tales．The story about a fearful angel starting first grade was quickly“guided”by me into the tale of a little girl with a wild imagination taking her first music lesson．I had turned her contest into my contest without even realizing it．
Staying back and giving kids space to grow is not as easy as it looks．Because I know very little about farm animals who use tools or angels who go to first grade，I had to accept the fact that I was co-opting（借用）my daughter’s experience．
While stepping back was difficult for me，it was certainly a good first step that l will quickly follow with more steps，putting myself far enough away to give her room but close enough to help if asked．All the while I will be reminding myself that children need room to experiment，grow and find their own voices．What did the author say about her own writing experience？
| A．Most of her stories had been rejected by publishers． |
| B．She did not quite live up to her reputation as a writer． |
| C．Her way to success was full of pains and frustrations． |
| D．She was constantly under pressure of writing more． |
Why did Rebecca want to enter this year’s writing contest？
| A．She wanted to share her stories with readers． |
| B．She was sure of winning with her mother’s help． |
| C．She believed she possessed real talent for writing． |
| D．She had won a prize in the previous contest． |
The author took great pains to refine her daughter’s stories because ．
| A．she was afraid Rebecca’s imagination might run wild while writing |
| B．she did not want to disappoint Rebecca who needed her help so much |
| C．she believed she had the knowledge and experience to offer guidance |
| D．she wanted to help Rebecca realize her dreams of becoming a writer |
What’s the author’s advice for parents？
| A．Parents should keep an eye on the activities their kids engage in． |
| B．Children should be allowed freedom to grow through experience． |
| C．A writing career，though attractive，is not for every child to pursue． |
| D．Children should be given every chance to voice their opinions． |
When you are at odds with someone close to you，the One-Minute Drill can show you how to express your feelings effectively-and how to listen more skillfully．All it requires is two individuals who are committed to improving their relationship．
Set aside at least ten minutes，and then sit facing each other．Decide who will be the Talker and who will be the Lastener．It makes no difference，because later you will change roles．
How to perform the One-Minute Drill
For approximately 30 seconds，the Talker can say anything he or she wants．Your job will be to express your thoughts and feelings．You can discuss problems you’ve had a hard time talking about．Remember to limit yourself to about 30 seconds．When the Talker finishes，the Listener will summarize what the Talker just said，as well as how the Talker was feeling inside，as accurately as possible．
The Talker now gives the Listener a grade between 0 and 100 percent to indicate how accurate the summary was．If the rat
ing is 95 percent or more，you can change roles；the new Talker can continue with the same topic or move on to something entirely new．
However，if the grade is below 95 percent，the Talker should point out what the Listener missed or got wrong，and repeat the process until the overall rating is 95 percent or more．Then you can change roles and repeat the exercise for as long as you both like．
How it works
Thirty seconds of emotionally charged information is sufficiently challenging for anyone．Express your feelings in strong，clear，direct language，but as your partner will be listening attentively，you won’t need to shout，exaggerate or put your partner down．
The Listener should sit and listen respectfully without interrupting．Look into your partner’s eyes，but avoid using negative body language． If you like，take a few notes．
So the Talker might say：“When I come home from work， I feel tired and I need some quiet time．But you tell me I’m supposed to spend time with the kids．This makes me feel frustrated．I work hard and I’m exhausted at the end of the day．I feel like I deserve a little time to relax，not listen to more demands．”
In response，the Listener might summarize like this：“You just told me that you feel exhausted when you come home at night because you’ve been working hard all day．When l tell you l want you to spend time with the kids，you feel frustrated and ticked off because you’re tired and you need time to relax．You see me as very demanding，and you’re probably feeling like I don’t appreciate you．”
The first time you attempt the One-Minute Drill，you may get a low score．Don’t worry，because you’ll get up to speed quickly．Once you’ve tried this exercise a few times，you’ll find that you can nearly always get ratings of 95 percent or better on the first or second try．Who is the One-Minute Drill intended for？
| A．Those who are preparing for the interview in order to make a good first impression． |
| B．Those who have difficulty communicating with their colleagues or family members． |
| C．Those who have troubled relationships with their friends or family members and try to improve them． |
| D．Those who are to act some roles in a certain play for the first time in their life． |
Which of the following is NOT true？
| A．The Talker should talk about his/her thoughts and feelings in a brief way． |
| B．The Listener should listen carefully，respectfully and later summarize accurately． |
| C．After the Talker finishes talking，the Listener is to give him/her a grade． |
| D．In the One-Minute Drill，the Talker and the Listener change roles in the process． |
From the example given in“How it works”，we can guess that the talk might be between ．
| A．father and son | B．mother and daughter |
| C．sister and brother | D．husband and wife |
What does the underlined part“ticked off”probably mean in this reading？
| A．very angry | B．burst into tears |
| C．marked with a symbol | D．fast asleep |