Whyaresomanypeopleafraidtofail-优题课

I believe that animals possess greater intelligence than most people think. But plants? I've never considered the possibility of plant intelligence. The idea seems absurd.
Yet I've had friends argue that plant intelligence might exist. "What are the differences between plants and animals?" they ask, and then they argue about certain species that seem to share the intelligence of both plants and animals.
New research suggests that plants communicate via "networks". Plant communication is not a new idea, and cannot indicate that its is a kind of intelligence, but it is still interesting.
Recent research from Vidi researcher Josef Stuefer at the Radboud University Nijmegen shows that plants have their own chat systems that they can use to warn each other. Therefore plants are not boring and passive organisms that just stand there waiting to be cut down or eaten up. Many plants form internal communication networks and are able to exchange information networks and are able to exchange information efficiently.
Many herbal plants such as strawberries and clovers (三叶草)naturally form networks.
Individual plants remain connected with each other for a certain period of time by means of runners (plant stems that grow along the ground and put down roots to form new plants). These connections enable the plants to share information with each other via internal channels. They are therefore very similar to computer networks. But what do plants chat to each other about?
Recently Stuefer and his colleagues were the first to prove that clover plants warn each other via the network links if danger is nearby . If one of the plants is attacked by caterpillars (毛虫)，the other members of the network are warned via an internal signal. Once warned, the intact (完好无损的)plants strengthen their chemical and mechanical (机体的)resistance so that they are less attractive to advancing caterpillars. Thanks to this early warning system, the plants can stay one step ahead of their attackers. The research has shown that this significantly limits the damage to the plants.
Again, I don't believe this reflects intelligence, but it's is certainly fascinating.
1.The author thinks that the plant communication___________. .
A. is absolutely a new idea B. is a sign of plant intelligence
C. is related to animal communication D. is interesting and fascinating
2.Which of the following statements about the research is NOT true?
A. Most plants have no chat system and are passive organisms.
B. Individual plants can also remain connected with each other.
C. The communication between clover plants can protect them from damage.
D. The research is the first to show how clover plants warn each other.
3.The author's attitude towards plant intelligence is _______________.
A. unconcerned B. doubtful C. positive D. hopeful
4.What's the best title for the passage?
A. Does Plant Communication Really Exist?
B. Some Discoveries About Clover Plant
C. Does Plant Communication Imply Intelligence?
D. A New Study on Plant Communication

Canadian scientists have found that the more emotional or mental challenges a person faces in a day, the less determined they become to work out physically.
However, the findings should not stop us from keeping fit. Experts believe that willpower (意志力)is like a muscle, and needs to be exercised to help one avoid the temptation (诱惑)spending a night on the couch instead.
Kathleen Martin --Ginis, a professor of kinesiology---the science of movement 一 who led the study, says everyone has a limited amount of willpower, and that it will be reduced by stress. Miss Martin --Ginis, of Canada' s McMaster University, explains, "Cognitive (认知的)tasks, as well as tasks such as regulating (调整)one' s emotions, can reduce one' s capacity to force oneself to exercise."
Her team of scientists performed a so-- called " Stroop" test on volunteers to reach their conclusions. The experiment involved showing participants words associated with colors but printed in different colors, for example, the word " blue " written in red ink . Participants were divided into two groups. One group was asked to name the color of the ink, instead to say the printed word, while the other wasn't Martin ― Ginis says," After we used this cognitive task to use up their self--regulatory capacity, the participants didn't exercise as hard as those who had not performed the task.The more people concentrated on the cognitive task, the more likely they were to skip exercise sessions (活动时间)over the next eight weeks. You only have so much willpower .
However, there are ways to strengthen willpower. The study found the listening to music before going to the gym can help, as well as making a commitment to work out with friends. It also concluded that willpower can be stretched by constantly taking, or forcing oneself to study an extra hour each night.
Martin - Ginis adds, "There are strategies people can use to help revitalize (使恢复活动) themselves after they’ve used up their self-regulation. Willpower is like a muscle: it needs to be used to stay strong.
1.According to the experts, human willpower ____________. .
A. can be exercised through muscle movement
B. can regulate itself to resist temptations
C. is weakened by stressful cognitive or emotional tasks
D. is reduced by lack of physical exercise.
2.We learn from Paragraph 4 that the experiment__________..
A. made use of the Stroop test
B. asked one group of participants to name the words
C. required researchers to write the word "blue" in red ink to make it easily recognizable.
D. showed that those who hadn't performed the task were smarter than those who had
3.Which of the following is in agreement with Miss Martin ― Ginis' idea?
A. Human's willpower is limited to a certain level
B. The cognitive tasks could make people ignore exercise
C. Challenging tasks could make people ignore exercise
D. Exercise is an important way to strengthen one's willpower.
4.What can we infer from the passage?
A. Willpower can be challenged to become powerful.
B. McMaster University is famous for its kinesiology.
C. Effective ways to resist temptations have been found.
D. the study has an impact on the science of movement.

　　There is a boy in my gym class (I’ll call him Bill) who has unbearably yellow teeth that almost make everyone feel unpleasant. Recently another boy told Bill that he should “go Ajax” his teeth. Bill was crushed. Had the other boy been thinking, he would have realized that there is a better way to handle such a situation. He could have dealt with it with tact. He could have showed this hurtful truth in a more careful, sensitive way—that’s “tact”.
　　If a person isn’t sensitive to another’s feelings, there is no way he or she can be tactful. Yesterday, my 5-year-old brother proudly announced that he had cleaned the screen on our television set. Unfortunately, he used furniture polish(亮光油), which produced an oily film on the television screen. My mother smiled and thanked him for his efforts—and then showed how to clean the screen properly. Her sensitivity enables my brother to keep his self-respect. Yet, sensitivity alone does not make tact.
　　“Tactfulness” also requires “truthfulness”. Doctors, for example, must be truthful. If a patient has just been disabled in an accident, a tactful doctor will tell the truth—but express it with sensitivity. The doctor may try to give the patient hope by telling them curing techniques under study or about advanced equipment now available. Doctors must use tact with patients relatives as well. Instead of bluntly saying, “Your husband is disabled,” a doctor might say, “I’m sorry, but your husband has lost feeling in his legs and…”
　　Tact should not be confused with trickery. Trickery occurs when a nurse is about to give a patient an injection and says, “This won’t hurt a bit.” Instead of trickery, the nurse might guarantee the patient that the discomfort of the injection is a small thing compared to the benefits of it. It would also be thoughtful for the nurse to tell the patients about some of these benefits.
　　Tact is a wonderful skill to have, and tactful people are usually admired and respected. Without tact our society would become an intolerable place to live in.
1.When told he should “go Ajax” his teeth, Bill probably felt ________________.
　　A．surprised B．cheated　　 C．regretful D．painful
2.According to the author, his mother’s praise for the brother is _______________.
　　A．both sensitive and tactful B．sensitive but not tactful enough
　　C．truthful but not tactfulD．sensitive but trickish
3.The fourth paragraph mainly talks about __________________.
　　A．how to comfort the patients
　　B．how to use trickery carefully
　　C．differences between trickery and promises
　　D．another feature of tact
4.Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
(The numbers stand for the paragraphs)

Everyone gathered around and Paddy read out loud, slowly, his tone growing sadder and sadder. The little headline said: BOXER RECEIVES LIFE SENTENCE.
Frank Cleary,aged 26,professional boxer. was today found guilty of the murder of Albert Cumming , aged 32, laborer ,last July. The jury (陪审团)reached its decision after only ten minutes, recommending the most severe punishment the court could give out.It was, said the judge,a simple case. Cumming and Cleary had quarreled violently atthe Harbour Hotel on July 23rd and police saw Cleary kicking at the head of the unconscious Cumming.When arrested,Cleary was drunk but clear-thinking…
Cleary was sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour .Asked if he had anything to say , Cleary answered，“Just don't tell my mother.”
"It happened over three years ago, " Paddy said helplessly. No one answered him or moved, for no one knewwhat to do. "Justdon't tell my mother, "saidFee numbly. "And no one did!Oh. God! My poor, poor Frank!"
Paddy wiped the tears from his face and said. 'Fee, dear, pack your things. We'll go to see him.
She half-rose before sinking back. Her eyes in her small white face stared as if dead. "I can'tgo ." she said without a hint of pain, yet making everyone feel that the pain was there. "It would kill him to see me. I know him so well -- his pride, his ambition. Let him bear the shame alone，it's what he wants.We've got to help him keep his secret.What good will it do him to see us? "
Paddy was still weeping, but not for Frank; for the life which had gone from Fee's face, for the dying in her eyes. Frank had always brought bitterness and misfortune ,always stood between Fee and himself. He was the cause of her withdrawal from his heart and the hearts of his children.Every time it looked as if there might be happenings for Fee . Frank took it away. But Paddy's love for her was as deep and impossibile to wipe out as hers was for Frank.
So he said, " Well, Fee, we won'tgo. But we must make sure he is taken care of. How about if I write to Father Jones and ask him to look out for Frank?
The eyes didn't liven ,but a faint pink stole into her cheeks " Yes. Paddy,do that .Only make sure he knows not to tell Frank we found out .Perhaps it would ease Frank to think for certain that we don't know"
1.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. Frank was found guilty of murder because he was a professional boxer.
B. The family didn't find out what happened to Frank until three years later
C. The jury and the judge disagreed on whether Frank had committed murder.
D. Frank didn't want his family to find out what happened because Paddy disliked him.
2. Paddy didn't cry for Frank because he thought_______.
A. Frank did kill someone and deserved the punihment
B .Frank should have told Fee what had happened
C. what had happened to Frank was killing Fee
D. Frank had always been a man of bad moral character
3."She half-rose before sinking back…" (in Paragraph 6) shows that _____________.
A. Fee was so heart-broken that she could hardly stand up
B .Fee didn't want to upset Paddy by visiting Frank
C .Fee couldn't leave her family to go to see Frank
D .Fee struggled betwccn wanting to See Frank and respecting his wish
4.What is Fee's probable relationship with Frank and Paddy?
A Son and brother B Son and husband
C Brothcr and lover D Lover and husband

第二部分阅读理解（共两节，满分45分）
第一节（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40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。
Matt Scott, who was born with spina bifida (脊柱裂)，grew up in Detroit, Michigan, where he participated in a variety of sports alongside his healthy friends. Now as a member of University of Wisconsin -Whitewater wheelchair basketball team, Scott has won four national championships, and has recently been selected to the Paralympic team for the second time. The 23-year--old college senior owes his achievements to his hard work and the support of his friends and family, who never allowed him to use his disability as an excuse. "My mother was always great. Whenever I felt giving up, she had no sympathy. She really helped me build my independence by not babying me the way other mothers would have." Scott says.
It was Scott' s independent nature and strong will, along with his on - the - court skills, that attracted the attention of America's most influential sports apparel (衣服)company, Nike. Nike was searching for an athlete with a disability to represent its "Just Do It " trademark. A handful of superstar athletes with disabilities came to audition for the role, but the company picked Scott to star in the 30--second commercial.
"I think that they were looking for the prettiest face in America, and found me," Scott jokes about the selection process.
After being picked, Scott flew to California to film the commercial with Oscar - winning documentary director Errol Morris. The ad gave Scott celebrity (名人)status in the community of disabled athletes. He's been asked to speak at a number of disability - related events, and feels it's his duty to use the media to draw attention to those with disabilities. "I've been given a voice, and I want to do whatever I can to break down the social barriers that are still faced by disabled athletes, and make people realize that they have a very high athletic level," Scott says.
1.When Scott was young, _________________
he only played basketball with other disabled children
he became disabled during a basketball match
his friends looked down upon him during basketball matches
his mother didn't give him special treatment
2.Nike chose Scott to star in its commercial for his_____________ .
a. pretty appearance b. independent nature
c. strong will d. excellent basketball skills
e. status in the community of disabled athletes
A. b c e B. a d e C. a b d D. b c d
3.The underlined phrase "audition for " in the second paragraph means "___________".
A. try out for B. look out for C. take on D. pick out
4.Which of the following about Scott is TRUE?
He has graduated from the University of Wisconsin ― Whitewater.
He thinks it's unwise for the disabled to use disability as an excuse.
He starred in a commercial together with Errol Morris.
He thinks it's important to have many goals.