B
Dyslexia is a learning disorder, it interferes with the ability to recognize words, and for some readers to understand what they have read. Experts say dyslexia affects about five to ten percent of the population of the United States. Researchers have long known that people with dyslexia write or read words and lettersbackwards in the wrong order.
But a new study shows that people with dyslexia may have trouble redirecting their attention betweensenses, from seeing something to hearing something. The study suggests something that might help dyslexicpeople learn more quickly - play video games.
Vanessa Harrar of Britain’s University of Oxford led the study. She reported the findings in the journalCurrent Biology. The study suggests that dyslexic people may have trouble moving quickly from what theyread to what they hear.
In the study, Doctor Harrar tested 17 people with dyslexia, and 19 others without reading problems. The volunteers were asked to push a button as quickly as possible when they heard a sound, saw a light orexperienced both together. Doctor Harrar compared the speed of their reactions. She found that people withdyslexia were just as fast as the others when they saw only a picture or heard only a sound. But the Dyslexicshad a slower reaction time when they heard a sound and saw a picture at the same time, this may have an effect on how dyslexic children are taught how to read.
Doctor Harrar feels like playing video games could help dyslexic people shift from seeing to hearing more quickly. She adds that images in video games force the eyes to move and focus quickly. “Video game types of things pop out of here and there, they move your eyes around the screen quite quickly in response to things quite quickly, and the more you play a video game the faster you get that kind of thing. So, the video game is really training the attention system to move quickly,” said Harrar. When children learn the alphabet, they usually see the letter first and then hear the sound, or they see and hear the letter at the same time. The study shows that Dyslexics might learn more quickly if they hear the sound of a letter or word first before seeing it.According to Doctor Harrar’s study, the dyslexic people have difficulty in______.
| A．recognizing words |
| B．reading words backwards |
| C．writing letters in order |
| D．shifting from seeing to hearing |
Which factor affects the way dyslexic children are taught to read?
| A．They react more slowly to a single picture or sound |
| B．They react as fast as others to a single picture or sound |
| C．It takes them longer to react to sounds and pictures together |
| D．It is difficult for them to understand before seeing the word |
How does the author suggest Dyslexics are taught based on the research finding?
| A．by putting hearing previous to seeing |
| B．by training the attention on games |
| C．by seeing first and then hearing later |
| D．by moving the eyes around the screen |
What can be the best title of the passage?
| A．Video Games Might Help Dyslexics |
| B．Dyslexia Affects Attention between Senses |
| C．Video Games Can Train the Attention System |
| D．Dyslexics Might Learn Better through Sound |
In Miami, thousands of students have been out of class for some days because of Hurricane Wilma. Educational officials are worried about the long break will affect students’ school performance.
“We think that the sooner we get back to business, the better,” said Rudy Crew, headmaster of Miami-Dade School. 360, 000 students in this area will return to class on Thursday, 10 days after Wilma hit South Florida.
More than half the district’s 327 school buildings were seriously damaged when Wilma struck on October 24, and 270 buildings lost electrical power. About 30 buildings are still out of power, but lights may be back on Thursday when students return. In Broward County, schools will remain closed through Friday, because more than 100 buildings have been damaged after the storm. With traffic affected by broken stoplights, officials are worried about the safety of children traveling to and from school.
In Miami-Dade County, the nation’s fourth largest school district, officials are considering ways to make up for lost time. They may make the school year longer and reduce days from two-week holiday break in late December, said spokesman John Schuster.
Some parents also worry about the effect of lost school days. “They’re missing important tests and lessons that they are going to need. And how do you catch up with that lost time? It just disappears,” a high school student’s mother said.
“Although things are difficult, students’ performance in hurricane-damaged district may not be seriously affected by the hurricane”, said Florida Education Commissioner John Winn. “It turned out that hurricane-affected districts showed more learning gains than other districts in previous years. They have learned how to fight against disaster in any time. Things will turn better anyway.”
40. When will students return to school in the district?
A. October 24. B. October 31.
C. November 3. D. November 7.
41. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Many school buildings were seriously damaged.
B. Many school buildings lost electrical power.
C. Some parents also worry about their kids’ studies.
D. Some students got killed when they were at school.
42. According to the passage, we know that _____.
A. maybe students will not have the two-week holiday in late December as usual
B. the school buildings which lost electrical power have all returned to normal
C. some parents don’t think the hurricane affect their children’s performance much
D. John Winn thought that students’ performance would get worse due to the hurricane
43. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A. Hurricane Wilma hit South Florida
B. Parents worry about children’ education
C. Hurricane Wilma affected school days
D. Damage by the Hurricane Wilma
第二部分阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）
第一节（共15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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Before he became president, Abraham Lincoln spent twenty years as an unsuccessful Illinois lawyer —at least, in financial fields. Legends (传奇) are often untrue, but Lincoln was the real thing. During his years as a lawyer, there were hundreds of examples of his kindness and honesty.
For example, Lincoln didn’t like to charge the poor who were as poor as he was. Once an old man gave him twenty-five dollars, but Lincoln sent him back ten, saying he was being too generous. He often persuaded the people who came to his office to settle their issues (问题) out of court, thereby saving them a lot of money and earning nothing himself.
He and his partner once prevented a mentally ill girl from being cheated off her land. The case took fifteen minutes, and the girl’s brother was completely satisfied. When his partner came to divide up their fee, Lincoln criticized him and said, "The money comes out of the pocket of a poor, mentally ill girl. I would rather starve than cheat her in this manner. You return half the money at least, or I won’t take a cent of it as my share."
Kindness and honesty make you feel good about yourself and create trust in others. It’s not very fashionable these days to talk about the benefits of kindness and honesty, but the benefits are there and are valuable. He often said, "When I do good, I feel good, and when I do bad, I feel bad. That’s my belief."
36. From the passage, we can know that Lincoln ____.
A. charged poor people nothing
B. was very rich when he was a lawyer
C. did not like money
D. helped the poor as much as possible
37. What do we learn from the third paragraph?
A. The girl’s problem was very difficult to settle.
B. He criticized his partner for accepting too much money.
C. The girl’s brother was very generous.
D. Lincoln’s partner got at least half the money from the girl’s case.
38. What can we infer from the passage?
A. Lincoln got a lot of money from those who came to him.
B. The legends of famous people are always untrue.
C. Lincoln believed that kindness and honesty were valuable.
D. It is popular to talk about the benefits of honesty.
39. Which is the best title for the passage?
A. Don’t Believe Legends
B. Abraham Lincoln’s Belief
C. The Value of Kindness
D. The Legend of Lincoln Is True
The purpose of communication is to get your message across to others. This is a process that involves both the sender of the message and the receiver. This process leaves room for error, with messages often being misunderstood by one or more of the parties involved. This causes unnecessary confusion.
In fact, a message is successful only when both the sender and the receiver perceive (感知) it in the same way. By successfully getting your message across, you convey your thoughts and ideas effectively. When not successful, the thoughts and ideas that you convey do not necessarily reflect your own, causing a communication breakdown and creating roadblocks that stand in the way of your goals — both personally and professionally.
In a recent survey of recruiters (招募者) in companies with more than 50,000 employees, communication skills were cited as the single more important factor in choosing managers. The survey, conducted by the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Business School, points out that communication skills, including written and oral presentations, as well as an ability to work with others, are the main factors leading to job success.
In spite of the increasing importance placed on communication skills, many individuals continue to struggle with this, unable to communicate their thoughts and ideas effectively — whether in oral or written form. This inability（无能） makes it nearly impossible for them to compete effectively in the workplace, and stands in the way of career progression. Getting your message across is essential to progressing. To do this, you must understand what your message is, what audience you are sending it to, and how it will be perceived. You must also weigh-in the circumstances surrounding your communication, such as situational and cultural context.
47. The underlined word “This” in the first paragraph refers to ______.
A. the purpose of communication
B. the process of getting your message across to others
C. the process of letting others know your purpose
D. the cause of unnecessary confusion
48. A communication failure occurs when ______.
A. the sender and the receiver understand the message in the same way
B. the receiver purposely understands the message wrong
C. the way you send the message creates problems with the receiver
D. the sender creates problems in a professional way
49. _______ make for job success.
A. Communication skills and ability to cooperate
B. Communication skills along with written presentations
C. Written presentations together with ability to work with others
D. The abilities to cooperate with others
50. What is the attitude of the writer towards the communication skills?
A. Neutral. B. Opponent. C. Supportive. D. Indifferent.
Jazz was originally sung or played by the African slaves in America. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Africans were sold in America as slaves to work in large plantations（种植园）. After a hard day’s work, these people would gather together and sing, both to forget their worries and also to teach their children about the land and culture they came from. Early jazz music was basically the soulful and sad composition performed by black musicians who had little or no training in western music.
Many different kinds of music helped to create jazz. Jazz probably had its roots in the 19th century. African Americans created blues music from church music and sad songs from the times of slavery. In large cities, African Americans mixed these songs with music from other immigrants and then formed jazz. Sounds from West African, Spanish, French and even Arabic cultures can be heard in jazz music. In this way, jazz is like American culture. Jazz brings many ideas together from around the world to make something new.
There are many different ideas about where the word “jazz” came from.Some experts think that the word just borrows ideas from many different languages. They think that people may have made up their own word to describe the excitement of hearing and playing a new kind of music. Others think that the word comes from the Arabic word jazb. Middle Eastern jazb music and jazz have similar sounds. Several musicians from the Middle East have come to America to study jazz. They mix traditional jazz sounds with music from their own countries. This kind of jazz is called “fusion” and it is one of the most popular forms of jazz in America today.
43. African slaves in the plantations played early “jazz” to _____.
A. earn some money
B. entertain their slave owners
C. develop a kind of soulful and sad music
D. forget worries and keep their land in mind
44. Some experts think that the word “jazz” is a word for people to ______.
A. pronounce the Arabic word “jazb”
B. form a new kind of culture
C. express their inner feeling
D. create a way to explain themselves
45.What can we infer from the passage?
A. By comparison, African Americans have the greatest talent in the world.
B. American culture is a mixture of different cultural and social patterns.
C. The native Americans started jazz music in the time of slavery.
D. The music was created by some professional musicians from Africa.
46. The title of the passage could be ____.
A. Basic Information of Jazz
B. The Features of Jazz Music
C. Different Forms of Jazz Music
D. The Prospect of Jazz Music
Show Your Bones is the newest album from a musical group with an unusual name, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The energetic music made by these rock musicians is becoming very popular in America.
A singer, a guitar player and a drummer make up the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Their rock sound is creative, unusual, and full of personality. Their music is considered an example of “indie”(short for independent) rock. Indie musicians like to protect their independence and artistic freedom. One way to do this is to avoid using major record companies. The lead singer Karen O is known for wearing wild clothing and having wild hairstyles while performing. Sometimes she even pours beer over herself and the audience. Imagine Karen O dancing around on stage as you listen to her sing the song, Phenomena.
The words in the songs on Show Your Bones are poetic and also a little strange. It is not always clear what the songs mean. In the song called The Sweets, Karen O describes colors and the motion of water. Also, she wonders about meeting someone again.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs started playing music together in New York City.
Now Karen O has moved to Los Angeles, California. She says that she likes flying between the two cities and the band is now “bi-coastal”. Karen O also said that this album was the most difficult to make. The band was trying to find a different sound from their earlier albums. Their work seems to have been worth the effort. Critics say Show Your Bones might be one of the best albums of the year.
39. How many people are there in the Yeah Yeah Yeahs?
A. Two. B.One. C. Four. D. Three.
40. According to the passage, we know that_______.
A. Karen O usually drinks beer on stage while singing
B. The Sweets is an album made by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
C. Karen O doesn’t sing in New York any longer
D. the group had made more than one album before Show Your Bones
41. What can we infer from the passage?
A. Most major record companies follow certain The words on
B. Show Your Bones are all difficult to understand.traditions.
C. Show Your Bones has got a lot of criticism.
D. Show Your Bones is the best-seller of the year.
42. The writer’s attitude towards the Yeah Yeah Yeahs can be best described as _______.
A. indifferent B. curious C. positive D. negative