Do women’s minds work the same as men’s? Absolutely not.At least, that is what most men are convinced of.Psychologists view the subject either as a matter or frustration or a joke.Now the biologists have moved into this minefield, and some of them have found that there are real differences between the brains of men and women.But being different, they point out hurriedly, is not the same as being better or worse.
There is, however, a definite structural variation between the male and female brain.The difference is in a part of the brain that is used in the most complex intellectual processes-the link between the two halves of the brain.
The two halves are linked by a trunkline of between 200 and 300 million nerves, the corpus callosum.Scientists have found quite recently that the corpus callosum in women is always larger and probably richer in nerve fibres than it is in men.This is the first time that a structural difference has been found between the brains of women and men and it must have some significance.The question is "What?", and, if this difference exists, are there others? Research shows that present-day women think differently and behave differently from men.Are some of these differences biological and inborn, a result of evolution? We tend to think that is the influence of society that produces these differences.But could we be wrong?
Research showed that these two halves of the brain had different functions, and that the corpus callosum enabled them to work together.For most people, the left half is used for word handing, analytical and logical activities; the right half works on pictures, patterns and forms.We need both halves working together.And the better the connections, the more harmoniously the two halves work.And, according to research findings, women have the better connections.
But it isn't all that easy to explain the actual differences between skills of men and women on this basis.In schools throughout the world girls tend to be better than boys at "language subjects" and boys better at maths and physics.If these differences correspond with the differences in the hemispheric trunkline, here is an unalterable distinction between the sexes.
We shan't know for a while, partly because we don't know of any precise relationship between abilities in school subject and the functioning of the two halves of the brain, and we cannot understand how the two halves interact via the corpus callosum.But this striking difference must have some effect and, because the difference is in the parts of the brain involved in intellect, we should be looking for differences in intellectual processing.Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
| A．Results of scientific research fail to support popular belief. |
| B．Brain differences point to superiority of one sex over the other. |
| C．Biologists are conducting research where psychologists have given up |
| D．The structural difference in the brain between the sexes has long been known. |
The corpus callosum functions in __________.
| A．forming the nerve fibers. |
| B．differing man from woman. |
| C．enabling the brain to work. |
| D．processing the most complex intellectuality. |
According to the passage it is commonly believed that brain differences are caused by ______
| A．social | B．psycological | C．physical | D．biological |
"these differences" in paragraph 5 refer to those in ________.
| A．school subjects |
| B．skills of men and women |
| C．the brain structure of men and women |
| D．activities carried out by the brain |
At the end of the passage the author proposes more work on ________.
| A．the brain structure as a whole |
| B．the functioning of part of the brain |
| C．the distinction between the sexes |
| D．the effects of the corpus callosum |
Brian arrived at the San Francisco airport two hours before the flight to Paris. He was wearing three shirts, a jacket, two pairs of socks, a pair of shorts, and two pairs of jeans. He was carrying one small backpack, which was very full, but he didn't have any other luggage. Brian needed to meet a man named Tony before he checked in for his flight. He found Tony near the Air France counter. Tony gave him a round-trip ticket and a small package.
"Give this package to Jean-Paul at the airport in Paris. He will have a sign with your name on it. I think you can find him easily, "Tony said." You don't have any luggage, right?"
"Only this backpack," Brian answered. "You said I could bring one carry-on bag."
"That's right, one carry-on bag is fine. Have a good trip."
"Thanks."
Is Brian a criminal（犯罪）? Not at all. He is an air courier. And he paid only $110 for the round-trip ticket to Paris. Air couriers get cheap airline tickets because they take important packages and papers to foreign countries. Businesses sometimes need to get packages and papers to people in foreign countries by the next day. Often, the only way they can do this is to use an air-courier company. It is not cheap for a business to send a package with an air courier, but it is quick.
Every year about 80, 000 people worldwide travel as air couriers. The number of tickets for courier travel is growing by about 10 percent a year. However, air-courier travel isn't for everyone, But if you have very little money, can be flexible（灵活的）about your travel plans, and don't mind wearing the same clothes for a week, it can be a great way to take a vacation!
| 1． |
Why was Brian wearing so many clothes for his travel?
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| 2． |
An air courier is a person who
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| 3． |
Businesses choose the air-courier service because
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| 4． |
One of the disadvantages of traveling as an air courier is that he
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| 5． |
The author of the text mainly
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“Old wives tales” are beliefs passed down from one generation to another, For example, most of us remember our patents’ telling us to eat more of certain foods or not to do certain things. Is there any truth in these teachings? Some of them agree with present medical thinking, but others have not passed the test of time
Did your mother ever tell you to eat your carrots because they are good for your eyes? Scientists now report that eating carrots can help prevent a serious eye disease called macular degeneration Eating just one carrot a day can reduce the possibility of getting this disease by 40%. Garlic（蒜）is good for you, too。It can kill the type of virus that causes colds.
Unfortunately, not all of Mom’s advice passed the test of medical studies. For example, generations of children have been told not to go swimming within an hour after eating. But research suggests that there is no danger in doing so. Do sweets cause tooth problems? Well, yes and no. sticky sweets made with grains tend to cause more problems than sweets made with simple sugars.
Even though science can tell us that some of our traditional beliefs don’t hold water, there is still a lot of truth in the old wives’ tales, After all, much of this knowledge has been accumulated （积累） from thousands of our traditional beliefs don’t hold water should respect this body of knowledge even as research for clear scientific support to proven it true or false Which of the following is TRUE according to the text？
| A．Eating garlic is good for our eyes |
| B．Sticky sweets are damaging to our teeth |
| C．Swimming after a meal is dangerous。 |
| D．Carrots prevent people from catching colds |
The author develops the third paragraph mainly____。
| A．by cause and effects | B．by order in space |
| C．by order in time | D．by examples |
The phrase “hold water” in the last paragraph most probably means“____ ”
| A．to be believable | B．to be valuable | C．to be admirable | D．to be smtable |
What is the author’s attitude toward “old wives’ tales” in the text?
| A．So objective | B．Objective | C．Dissatisfied | D．Curious |
When people hear a president speak, they seldom think about others helping to shape the presentation（报告）. Today, however, presidents depend on writers such as J. Terry Edmonds to help them communicate （交流） effectively. Edmonds is the first African American ever to work as a full-time speechwriter for a U. S. president; he is so the first African American to serve as director of speechwriting for White House. His is an all-American story of success.
Edmonds grew up in Baltimore, Maryland; his father drove a truck, and his mother worked as a waitress. A. great reader, Edmonds showed a gift for writing at his high
School, Baltimore City College After graduating in 1967 Edmonds went on to Morgan State University
Edmonds began his career in business, with jobs in public relations and communications. He joined the world of politics as news secretary for his congressman （国会议员） from Baltimore During Bill Clinton’s presidency, he wrote speeches for Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala and worked in a number of job in the White House and in governmental departments President Clinton then appointed （任命）him to the office of directory of speechwriting Following the 2000 elections Edmonds returned to Morgan State University as the school’s special assistant to the president for 2001-2002 Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text?
| A．Edmonds proved himself to be good at writing at high school |
| B．Edmonds graduated from Morgan State University in 1967. |
| C．Edmonds was the first full-time speechwriter. |
| D．Edmonds served the White House after 2000. |
Edmonds entered the world of politics first as____。
| A．news secretary for a Congressman |
| B．a speechwriter for President Clinton |
| C．news secretary in the White House |
| D．a speechwriter for Secretary Donna Shalala |
The text is most likely to be found in a book about____。
| A．popular science | B．historical events |
| C．successful people | D．Political systems |
It was the first snow of winter — an exciting day for every child but not for most teachers. Up until now, I had been old enough to dress myself, but today would need some help. Miss Finlayson, my kindergarten teacher, had been through brst snow days many times, but I think she may still remember this one.
I managed to get into my wool snow trousers. But I struggled won my jacket because it didn’t fit well. It was a hand-mc-down from my brother, and if made me wonder why I had to wear his ugly clothes, At least my hat and scarf were mine, and they were quite pretty. Finally it was time to have Miss Finlayson help me with my boots（靴子）.
In her calm, motherly voice she said, “By the end of winter, you will all be able to put on your own boots.” I didn’t realize at the at the time that this was more a statement of hope than of confidence（信心）.
I handed her my boots and stuck out my foot. Like most children, I expected grown-ups to do all the work. After much pushing, she managed to get first one into place and then, with a sigh, worked the second one on too.
I announced, “They’re on the wrong feet.”
She struggled to get the boots off and went through the joyless task of putting them on again.
“They’re my brother’s boots, you know,” I said. “I hate them”.
Somehow, from long years of practice, she managed to act as though I wasn’t an annoying（烦人的） little girl, She struggle with me, she asked, “Now, where are your mittens（连指手套）？”
I looked into her eyes and said, “I didn’t want to lose them, so I hid them in the toes of my boots.The little girl was more satisfied with her_____.
| A．trousers | B．jacket | C．boots | D．hat |
Miss Finlayson had difficulty with the girl’s boots mainly because_____.
| A．the girl got them from her brother | B．the girl put something in them |
| C．they were on the wrong feet | D．they did not fit the girl well |
Why does the author Miss Finlayson would remember that first snow day?
| A．Because the little girl was in her brother’s clothes. |
| B．Because it was the most exciting day of the winter . |
| C．Because the little girl played a trick on her. |
| D．Because the little girl wore a pretty scarf. |
We can learn from the text that Miss Finlayson____.
| A．was losing confidence in the little girl. |
| B．gradually lost patience with the little girl. |
| C．became disappointed with the little girl. |
| D．was getting bored with the little girl. |
Over 70 percent of the "double single-child couples" in China need help from their parents in taking care of their own kids, according to a recent survey.
"Women of China" magazine and a consulting company carried out a survey recently on young couples of the "single-child" generation, the Morning Post reports. The couples surveyed were around 29 and have been married for three years on average, with university education and monthly income of 4.000 yuan ($531). Among them, 43.5 percent have kids.
Results show that 71.9 percent of the young couples have help from their parents in taking care of their kids.
Grown up as the "single-child", the only child in a family since the family planning policy was adopted in 1979, this generation depends much on their parents.
The parents of the "single-child" generation focused more on their children's physical well-being rather than their attitudes and values, according to some psychologists.
The research also found that the "double single-child couples" follow a rather traditional value system.
Survey shows that 27.5 percent of them got married after dating for one to two years, 25.2 percent two to five years, and 20 percent didn't tie the knot until dating for five years. Also, 30 percent of the couples were schoolmates, while 43.8 percent were introduced by someone.
Since their marriage are based on enduring relationships, 65.2 percent of the husbands and 62.9 percent of the wives think that compromise(妥协)and tolerance(宽容)are necessary in their marriage. Meanwhile, 21.7 percent of the husbands and 37.1 percent of the wives support the idea that happiness is the key standard for a marriage.The best title for the passage should be_______.
| A．Mom and Dad, Take Care of My Kid Please | B．Double Single-child Couples |
| C．The Problem of the Single Child | D．A Recent Survey By Woman of China" |
Which of the following is NOT supported by the passage?
| A．The majority of the "double single-child couples" in China depend much on their parents. |
| B．The parents of the “single-child” generation more care about their study and education. |
| C．One-fifth of the couples surveyed didn't get married until dating for five years. |
| D．All the couples surveyed have university education and 30 percent of them were schoolmates |
Which of the following descriptions about “double single-child couples” is True ?
| A．They are single child in either family and independent of their parents |
| B．They are single child in either family and they are dependent on their parents |
| C．They have at least two children and can afford to support themselves |
| D．They, who were introduced by someone, follow a rather traditional value system |
According to the passage, we can learn that ______ is necessary in marriage.
| A．wealth | B．health | C．understanding | D．education |