People who have lost the ability to understand or use words due to brain damage are called aphasics(失语症患者).Such patients can be extremely good at something else.From the changing expressions on speakers’ faces and the tones of their voices,they can tell lies from truths.
Doctors studying the human brain have given a number of examples of this amazing power of aphasics.Some have even compared this power to that of a dog with an ability to find out the drugs hidden in the baggage.
Recently,scientists carried out tests to see if all that was said about aphasics was true.THEY STUDIED A MIXED GROUP OF PEOPLE.Some were normal;others were aphasics.It was proved that the aphasics were far ahead of the normal people in recognizing false speeches—in most cases,the normal people were fooled by words,but the aphasics were not.
Some years ago,Dr.Oliver Sacks wrote in his book about his experiences with aphasics.He mentioned a particular case in a hospital.Some aphasics were watching the president giving a speech on TV.Since the president had been an actor earlier,making a good speech was no problem for him.He was trying to put his feelings into every word of his speech.
But his way of speaking had the opposite effect on the patients.They didn’t seem to believe him.Instead,they burst into laughter.The aphasics knew that the president did not mean a word of what he was saying.He was lying!
Many doctors see aphasics as people who are not completely normal because they lack the ability to understand words.However,according to Dr.Sacks,they are more gifted than normal people.Normal people may get carried away by words.Aphasics seem to understand human expressions better,though they cannot understand words.What is so surprising about aphasics?
| A．They can fool other people. | B．They can find out the hidden drugs. |
| C．They can understand language better. | D．They can tell whether people are lying. |
How did the scientists study aphasics?
| A．By asking them to watch TV together. |
| B．By organizing them into acting groups. |
| C．By comparing them with normal people. |
| D．By giving them chances to speak on TV. |
What do we learn from this text?
| A．What one says reflects how one feels. |
| B．Aphasics have richer feelings than others. |
| C．Normal people often tell lies in their speeches. |
| D．People poor at one thing can be good at another. |
Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona. He moved there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his new place and meet his friends.
My earliest memories of my father are a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and his family, but uncomfortable with his children. He seemed to expect too much of me. He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A’s and unhappy with my boyfriends if their fathers were not as “successful” as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to feel very nervous.
On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father’s friends for lunch at an outdoor café. We talked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son’s funny facial expressions. Gone was my father’s critical (挑剔的) air and strict rules. After my visit to Tucson , My father seemed to be so friendly and gentle. What had held him back before?
The next day dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I’m at last seeing another side of my father. And in doing so, I’m delighted with my new friend. My dad, in his new home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was. Why did the writer feel uncomfortable about her father as a young adult?
| A．He was silent most of the time. | B．He was too proud of himself. |
| C．He did not love his children. | D．He expected too much of her. |
When the writer went out with her father on weekends, she would feel very_______.
| A．nervous | B．sorry | C．tired | D．safe |
What does the writer think of her father after her visit to Tucson?
| A．More critical. | B．More talkative |
| C．friendly and gentle | D．Strict and hard-working. |
The underlined words “my new friend” in the last paragraph refer to_____ .
| A．the writer’s son | B．the writer’s father |
| C．the friend of the writer’s father | D．the café owner |
Charlie was spending his summer holidays by the sea. One day he climbed over some rocks. He was looking for some crabs (螃蟹) for supper. He took off his shorts and put them on a rock.
The afternoon went quickly. Time was flying by. Look! The sea was coming in fast. It was over some of the rocks now.
Charlie looked up. "It's getting late. Oh dear! Look at the sea. Where are my shorts now?" he thought. He saw them on a rock.
Oh dear! The rock was an island! Now he must swim and got them.
Charlie jumped into the sea and started swimming. He reached the rock and put his shorts on his head. Then he started swimming back. Oh no! The sea was too strong for Charlie. It was pulling him away from the beach.
"Help!" he called. "I can't get back. "
Luckily, a boat was coming by. The people in the boat saw Charlie and heard his call for help.
"Are you all right?" asked the woman in the boat.
"No! I can't swim back. The sea is too strong. "
The woman stopped the boat and she and a girl pulled Charlie into the boat. He threw his shorts into the boat too. Then they turned the boat Bound and took Charlie back to the beach.
"That was lucky," said the woman.
"Thank you very much," said Charlie.
"Be careful next time," said the woman. "The sea is usually very strong near these rocks. "
"Next time, I'm going to keep my shorts in my bag," said Charlie. "Better safe than sorry!" Where did the story take place?
| A．In the hills | B．By the sea | C．On the river | D．In the town |
Before looking for crabs, Charlie put _______________.
| A．his shirts in a bag | B．his shoes on a rock |
| C．his shorts in a bag | D．his shorts on a rock |
Charlie cried for help because______________.
| A．the sea was carrying him away from the beach |
| B．the sea was pulling Charlie onto the rocks |
| C．the sea was getting lower |
| D．the sea was going out |
Who saved Charlie? _____.
| A．A man and a girl | B．Two men | C．A woman and a girl | D．A man and a boy |
I am an e-mail user．When I first started to use the e-mail system. I used to read all my e-mail．I didn’t have much mail．1 was very excited about receiving any e-mail．I gave my friends my e-mail address．Soon I had more mail than 1 wanted．Some of the mail was junk mail．1 was worried．I didn't want my mail to control me．
I've tried some methods to help me get control of my mail．First，I check my mail at the same time every day．Also I try to allow myself only 15-20 minutes every day to process my e-mail．This doesn't always work，but I try．Sometimes I save the messages．Sometimes I just read them，maybe answer a few，and then delete them．Sometimes I'm not at all interested in a message，so I don't even open it．I delete it right away．This is very much the way I go through the mail that the postal service delivers to my home．
These methods are very simple．I have some friends who are very clever with computers．From time to time，they teach me new tricks for managing my e-mail．I've also learned to transfer(转存)some messages to a disk so they don't fill up my mail files(文件夹)．Then I can read them later and maybe use them in my work．I'm still amazed at what e-mail can do for me! I'm still worried，however，about having too much to read． The writer used to read all his e-mail because __________.
| A．he didn’t have much mail | B．he had nothing else to do |
| C．he didn’t know how to read mail | D．he was forced to do that |
Which of the following does NOT belong to the ways of the writer’s dealing with his mail?
| A．Saving the message | B．Just reading more |
| C．Deleting some | D．Passing some into friends |
What does the underlined word “they” in the last paragraph refer to?
| A．messages | B．friends | C．computers | D．methods |
What’s the purpose of the writer to write this passage?
| A．To share happiness in using mail with us |
| B．To share some worries in using mail with us |
| C．To share some methods of using computer with us |
| D．To persuade us out of using mail |
Air travel is such an everyday experience these days that we are not surprised when we read about a politician having talks with the Japanese Prime Minister one day, attending a meeting in Australia the following morning and having to be off at midday to sign a trade agreement in Hong Kong. But frequent long-distance flying can be so tiring that the traveler begins to feel his brain is in one country, his digestion in another and his powers of concentration nowhere---in short, he hardly knows where he is.
Air travel is so quick nowadays that we can leave London after breakfast and be in New York in eight hours, yet what really disturbs us most is that when we arrive it is lunch time while we have already had lunch on the plane and are expecting dinner.
Doctors say that air travelers are in no condition to work after crossing a number of time zones. Airline pilots, however, often live by their own watches.After a long air travel, a traveler _______.
| A．finds himself in a different world |
| B．finds his brain apart from his body |
| C．finds himself in Hong Kong the following morning |
| D．has little sense about where he is |
After a traveler arrives in New York from London, he______.
| A．feels tired and needs a good rest |
| B．feels hungry and needs another lunch |
| C．doesn’t want to have supper |
| D．has not had lunch yet |
Which statement is right? _______.
| A．A traveler from London to New York needs lunch during his travel |
| B．A traveler from London to New York doesn’t need any lunch on the plane |
| C．The lunch hour in New York is eight hours later than that in London |
| D．In fact, the distance from London to New York is only four hours’ trip by air |
The sentence “Airline pilots often live by their own watches.” means______.
| A．they don’t trust others’ watches |
| B．they don’t change their watches |
| C．they make a living by their own watches |
| D．they do as they used to do |
Doctors suggest the travelers_______?
| A．should rest when they arrive in New York from London. |
| B．should work in good condition since they just finish a long journey. |
| C．rest in a place with good condition. |
| D．give up long journey since it makes them tired. |
Our eating habits are very important for good health and a strong body. There are times when most of us would have sweets and ice-cream rather than eat meat and rice. Sweets and ice-cream are not bad for the stomach if we eat at the end of a meal. If we drink beer at meals, it may take away our appetite. It is important for us to eat our meal at the same time each day. When we feel hungry, it is a sign that our body needs food. When we feel angry or excited, we may not want to eat. A long time ago, in England, some judges used to decide whether a man was telling the truth by giving him some dry bread. If the man could not swallow the bread, it was a sign that he was not telling the truth. Although this seems very strange and rather foolish, it is indeed an excellent way of finding out the truth. A man who is worrying about something has difficulty in swallowing anything dry. Because he is worried, he loses his appetite and does not want to eat. Why do we have to form good eating habits?
| A．Because we want to eat more. |
| B．Because we enjoy our meal. |
| C．Because we want to save time. |
| D．Because we want to keep fit. |
When do you think it is good to eat sweets and ice-cream according to the passage?
| A．When we are happy |
| B．When we have a good appetite. |
| C．After a meal. |
| D．Before a meal |
The word“swallow” means______.
| A．take into the stomach through the throat |
| B．eat with difficulty |
| C．break with the teeth before taking in |
| D．drink like a fish |
When does the writer think it would be better to have our meal?.
| A．When our work is over. |
| B．At the fixed time every day. |
| C．When we feel happy. |
| D．When every family member is home. |
What could a man do if he told a lie according to some judges in old England?.
| A．He could eat a lot of food. |
| B．He could hardly need any food. |
| C．He could swallow some dry bread easily. |
| D．He could not swallow any dry bread. |
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