Manyyearsago，mydadwasfacingase-优题课

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Research on the human brain has been attracting more and more scientists in recent years, just like the booming hi-tech industry. One of the latest research topics is how to change the human brain or combine the computer and the human brain, i.e. to transplant a chip into a human brain. This idea may make everyone’s dream come true. If we compare a human brain to a hard disc, what the scientists are doing is to enlarge the capacity of the hard disc. For the time being, there are some difficulties in such transplant experiments, but scientists never give up.
Experiments have started on animals. In 1996, a transplant experiment performed at the Defense and Military Physiology Research Institute in the U.S. turned a bear into a dolphin.
The dolphin was named Ted, and the bear was named Tallin. Using the most advanced technology available, deep and detailed images were made of the memory area in Ted’s brain containing information about swimming by the scientists. They obtained a series of useful information, the signals transferred by the nervous system. Such information was saved into a button-sized chip, which was then transplanted into the action memory area in Tallin’s brain. The information saved on the chip was released by means of electric power.
Recently, another comprehensive memory transplant was performed at the Motor Nerve Research Institute of the University of California. The comprehensive memory transplanted in the experiment included actions, moods, logic, words, images, etc. The experiment involved an entire transplant of the memory area. This was the largest such experiment done so far.
The transplant was performed making a transfer from a dog named “Genius” to a dog named “Idiot”. “Genius” could understand and follow up to 100 gestures and orders made by its master. It was a real genius in memorizing. “Idiot” was the younger brother of “Genius”. It had no contact with people at all since its birth. It became an animal with nothing in its brain, without any memory.
The operation was a complete success. When the two dogs woke up, “Idiot” had grasped all the abilities “Genius” possessed; it was good at memorizing and sensible. It could follow every gesture and any command given by its master. But “Genius” gave no response to its master, and in fact did not recognize him at all.
47. The purpose of the experiment is ________.
A. to combine the computer and the human brain
B. to make bear swim
C. to make some stupid dog turn clever
D. to enlarge the capacity of human brain
48. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. The scientists transferred a button-sized chip with useful information in Tallin’s brain.
B. The first comprehensive memory transplant was performed at the Motor Nerve Research University.
C. The second experiment wasn’t an entire transplant of the memory area.
D. The Idiot was an animal with memory before brain experiment
49. What does the underlined word “success” refer to?
A. The two dogs woke up.
B. They were both good at memorizing.
C. The Idiot grasped all the abilities of Genius.
D. The Genius grasped all the abilities of Idiot.
50. According to the text, we can infer ________.
A. a person can know more after the experiment
B. a bear can swim after being transferred a chip with related useful information
C. a dog can become clever after entire transplant of the memory area
D. it is really good for animals to have been involved in the transplant experiment

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44. Which position is most suitable for a retired person?
A. Part-time Shop Assistant.
B. Teaching Assistant in Hania’s Playschool.
C. Weekend Work in Rubberlast Group Ltd.
D. Teaching Assistant in the University of Bristol.
45. If you have good computer skills and recently graduated from university (English degree), which jobs can you apply for?
A. Job 1, 2 and 7. B. Job 3, 4 and 6. C. Job 4, 6 and 7. D. Job 2, 3 and 5.
46. Which is the only position that has a formal educational requirement?
A. Full Time Secretary at United Business Ltd.
B. Home Delivery Representative for Yorkshire Post.
C. Teaching Assistant at Hania’s Playschool.
D. University Positions at the University of Bristol.

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Beijing plans to build huge free or low-cost parking lots beyond the Fourth and Fifth Ring Roads to encourage more car owners to take buses or subways to the downtown area.
The plan is just one of the many measures the city plans to take to reduce its traffic jams. Low or no parking fees would be used as economic leverage（杠杆作用）to reduce growing parking demands from urban areas.
Car owners living in the suburbs will be encouraged to park their cars beyond the Fourth and Fifth Ring Roads and take buses or subways to the downtown area. Statistics show that nearly one quarter of the city’s traffic flow is concentrated in the 62-square-kilometre downtown area within the Second Ring Road, which makes up only 12 percent of the city’s total area.
The Beijing Traffic Management Bureau receives between 400 and 500 calls reporting traffic jams every day and more than 90 percent of the roads are filled to capacity during rush hour every morning and evening. Part of the problem is the lack of easy links between bus routes, subways and cars.
According to the communication commission, half of the city’s investment in transportation will go towards public transit（公共交通）construction in the next few years, making a jump from the current only 20 percent. Moreover, Beijing plans to change its layout（布局）by building new city centers, such as at Yizhuang, Tongzhou, Shunyi and Changping, in a bid to reduce the traffic flow to the downtown.
The current layout of Beijing-expanded ring roads around the same center of the Forbidden City, is seen as the root cause of the endless traffic jams. The downtown area is crowded with three business centers and one financial centre, as well as nearly 400 government organs and institutions.
Traffic experts say building more urban centers around Beijing may reduce the number of residents living in the suburbs and traveling long distances to work downtown every day, thus reducing traffic flow.
40. In the coming years, if a man beyond the Fourth Ring Road goes to work in the
downtown of Beijing, he is encouraged to _______.
A. take buses or subways
B. take a taxi
C. drive the car quickly
D. park his car in a place which asks for no fees
41. According to this passage, when more and more people drive to work in rush hour in Beijing, it is likely to ________.
A. save time B. cause traffic jams
C. cause traffic accidents D. reduce air pollution
42. The aim in building new city centers is to ________.
A. make it convenient for people to go shopping
B. develop its local resources
C. reduce the traffic flow to the downtown
D. solve the problem of more laid-off workers
43. The passage suggests the author _________.
A. is tired of driving to work
B. finds it costs less to take subways than to drive
C. is for the plan to reduce Beijing’s traffic congestion（拥挤）
D. has benefited a lot by driving to the downtown every day

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第二部分阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）
第一节（共15小题：每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
Heather Mills McCartney lives an admirable life, attending celebrity parties, meeting regularly with the rich and famous and doing meaningful work for charity. All who work with her admire and respect her. But Heather’s life hasn’t always been so easy. When Heather was only 9 years old, her mother abandoned her and her two brothers. At the age of 13, she ran away from home and ended up living on the streets in London. Eventually, however, her exceptional beauty led to a career in modeling. At that time, Heather also began helping with the war relief efforts in former Yugoslavia. Through her modeling and relief work, she soon became famous.
But in August 1993, at age 25 her life changed once again. She was crossing the street in London when a motorcycle crashed into her. She was so badly injured that the doctors had to cut off her left leg. After that, she discovered she frequently needed to change her artificial limbs (假肢). It was expensive and she felt it was a waste to just throw away the old one. It occurred to her to set up an organization that could deliver used artificial limbs to Yugoslavia and other war-torn countries. It was through her charity work that she met her husband Paul McCartney.
Throughout her life, Heather has risen above problems and focused on helping others. Her work with artificial limbs even earned her a nomination (提名) for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996. Heather’s persistence and determination are what impresses anyone who knows her. Heather believes anyone can make a positive difference in the world.
36.This passage is mainly about _________.
A. Heather’s miserable life
B. Heather’s contribution to the world
C. Heather’s success in her work
D. Heather’s belief in life
37. Heather began her modeling career _________.
A. due to her mother’s encouragement
B. after her brothers abandoned her
C. because of her excellent intelligence and performances
D. because she was especially beautiful
38. Which of the following is Not true according to the passage?
A. Heather won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996.
B. Heather began her charity work while working as a model.
C. Her artificial limbs had to be replaced continuously.
D. Heather has never been defeated by her problems.
39. From the passage we can infer that people admire and respect Heather because
_________.
A. she had a lot of misfortunes during her childhood
B. she was a world-famous model
C. she is determined and never gives in
D. she made a great difference in the world

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Without plants, people could not live. We eat plants. We take in oxygen that plants make. And we need plants for another reason: We need them because they are beautiful.
Imagine a world with no plants. Imagine no flowers with their sweet smells, their beautiful colours and their lovely shapes. Imagine, when the wind blows, we are not able to hear the leaves of the trees or watch the branches swing from side to side.
Everywhere people need beautiful plants. That is why we have parks full of trees and flowers. That is why people always like houses with room for some grass and a garden.
Do you talk to your plants? Do you give them love and take good care of them? Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird, writers of a book called The Secret of Plants , tell of an experiment in which two seeds were planted in different places. While the plants were growing, one plant was given love and hopeful ideas. After six months, the beloved plant was bigger. Under the earth it had more and longer roots; above the earth, it had a thicker stem and more leaves.
68.In the experiment, the two plants were _____.
A.treated in two different ways
B. of different kinds
C. both given love and taken good care of
D. grown in the same place
69 At the end of six months________.
A. the plants were of the same size
B. one plant had longer roots than the other
C. one plant had longer roots; the other plant had a thicker stem
D. one plant had a thicker stem; the other plant had more leaves
70.Tompkings and Bird believe that plants________
A. can talk to each other
B. can take care of each other
C. should be grown in different places
D. need love and care