People have wondered for a long time how their personalities and behaviors are formed．It is not easy to explain why one person is intelligent and another is not, or why one is cooperative and another is competitive．
Social scientists are, of course, extremely interested in these types of questions．They want to explain why we possess certain characteristics and exhibit certain behaviors．There are no clear answers yet, but two distinct schools of thought on the matter have developed．As one might expect, the two approaches are very different from one another, and there is a great deal of debate between proponents of each theory．The controversy is often referred to as “nature and nurture”．
Those who support the “nature” side of the conflict believe that our personalities and behavior patterns are largely determined by biological and genetic factors．That our environment has little, if anything, to do with our abilities, characteristics, and behavior is central to this theory．Taken to an extreme, this theory maintains that our behavior is predetermined to such a degree that we are almost completely governed by our instincts（本能）．
Proponents of the “nurture” theory, or, as they are often called, behaviorists, claimed that our environment is more important than our biologically based instincts in determining how we will act．A behaviorist, B．F．Skinner, sees humans as beings whose behavior is almost completely shaped by their surroundings．The behaviorists’ view of the human being is quite mechanistic; they maintain that, like machines, humans’ respond to environmental stimuli（刺激） as the basis of their behavior．
Socially and politically, the consequences of these two theories are far-reaching．In the US, for example, blacks often score below whites on standardized intelligence tests．This leads some “anature” proponents to conclude that blacks are genetically lower in status than whites．Behaviorists, on the contrary, say that the differences in scores are due to the fact that blacks are often robbed of many of the educational and other environmental advantages that whites enjoy, and that, as a result, they do not develop the same responses that whites do．
Either of these theories cannot yet fully explain human behavior．In fact, it is quite likely that the key to our behavior lies somewhere between these two extremes．That the controversy will continue for a long time is certain．This passage is mainly concerned with ．
| A．relation between personality and behavior |
| B．relation between behavior and environment |
| C．different accounts of patterns of human behavior |
| D．different theories of the formation of human behavior |
The underlined word " proponents'' in paragraph 2 means ．
| A．creators | B．advisors | C．advocates | D．judges |
In paragraph 5 , the author mainly writes about ．
| A．the considerable influence of the two theories |
| B．differences between the blacks and whites |
| C．racial discrimination in the United States |
| D．different responds to intelligence tests |
What's the author's purpose in writing the passage?
| A．To call our attention to the changes of human behavior． |
| B．To urge scientists to do more research in social science． |
| C．To give us a detailed explanation of human behavior． |
| D．To present an argument in the field of social science． |
Americans won’t live without cars! Each year there is an increasing number of cars on roads and streets, as millions of new cars are produced. One out of every six Americans work at putting together the parts of cars, driving trucks, building roads or filling cars with gas.
Most Americans find it hard to think what life would be without a car. However, some have realized the serious problem of air pollution by cars. The polluted air is poisonous and dangerous to health.
One way to get rid of the polluted air is to design a new car that does not pollute. That’s what several large car factories are trying to do. But to build the new car is easier said than done. Progress in this field has been slow.
Another way is to take place of the car engine by something else. Engineers are now working on some new cars. Many makers believe that it will take years to develop a practical model that pleases man.
To prevent the world from being polluted by cars, we’ll have to make some changes in the way many of us live. Americans, for example, have to cut down the number of their cars they are encouraged to travel and go to work by bike. Riding a bike is thought to help keep the air clean.
But this change does not come easily, a large number of workers may find themselves with no jobs if a car factory closes down. And the problem of air pollution would become less important than that of unemployment.If the number of cars is cut down, the most serious problem in American workers is_______.
| A．to keep the air clean | B．to have no work to do |
| C．to get a better life | D．to go to work by bike |
Large car factories are trying to build a clean car, .
| A．which is clean itself |
| B．which does not pollute the air |
| C．which is used to clean streets |
| D．which is easier to make |
What is the conclusion of the writer?
| A．Bicycling is the only way out. |
| B．The number of cars must be cut down. |
| C．Cars bring us nothing but serious problems. |
| D．Cars bring us not only a better life but serious problems. |
How to Make a Budget(预算)
Most likely, you aren’t the family breadwinner. But doing a small job or getting a weekly allowance would put some money in your pocket. For kids and grown-ups alike money is easy to spend. If you aren’t careful, it can be gone in no time.
Being responsible with your money is an important skill to learn and the sooner you start the better. Whether you are tracking your spending or saving for something special, creating a budget can help you deal with expenses and plan for the future. All you need are paper and a pencil and some self-control.
First, take a look at our sample monthly budget. Then, use a separate sheet of paper to plan your own. In the first two columns, list your sources of income and how much you expect to earn from them. In the third and fourth columns, list what you expect to spend your money on and the amount.
Sample Monthly Budget
| Monthly income |
Amount |
Monthly Expenses |
Amount |
| Allowance |
$ 20.00 |
Snacks |
$ 26.00 |
| Money earned selling drinks |
$ 25.00 |
Music downloads |
$ 12.00 |
| Money earned babysitting |
$ 12.50 |
Movies |
$ 18.00 |
| Money earned delivering newspapers |
$ 30.00 |
Video Rentals |
$ 10.00 |
| Total: |
$ 87.50 |
Total： |
$ 66.00 |
The left-hand total should be more than or equal to the right-hand total. If it is, you have an effective budget.
Budgets are not complex, but sticking to them can be tough. When planning your budget, be realistic about your expenses. If you know that you drop $18 at a movie, don’t write $12 in that space simply because you wish you were spending less.
If you are eyeing a big purchase, such as a $150 skateboard, spend less and save more until you have the total amount. No matter how attractive it may be, avoid spending your savings. One day, you will thank yourself!The purpose of making a budget is to help people ___.
| A．learn to be realistic |
| B．manage their money well |
| C．increase their savings |
| D．test their power of self-control |
What should people do when planning a budget?
| A．Fill in the expenses as they really are. |
| B．Avoid spending money on expensive things. |
| C．Set aside a fixed amount of money as savings. |
| D．List income and expenses on two pieces of paper. |
Who is the passage written for?
| A．Bank manager | B．Parents |
| C．Breadwinners | D．Children |
Nicholas Winton，a British saved 669 children from the Nazis，was awarded the highest civilian honour in the Czech Republic on Tuesday．
Winton，now 105，was presented with the Order of the White Lion by the Czech president in a special ceremony at Prague Castle．
Winton，who has often been nicknamed “the British Schindler”，organised the transportation and settlement of 669 children over nine months before the Second World War broke out in September 1939．Most of those he saved were Jewish children living in then-German occupied Czechoslovakia whose families were later imprisoned or murdered in concentration camps．
Winton gave a speech during the ceremony．He said，“I want to thank you all for this enormous expression of thanks for something which happened to me a long time ago．I am delighted that so many of the children are still about and are here to thank me．England was the only country at that time willing to accept unaccompanied minors．I thank the British people for making room to accept them，and of course the enormous help given by so many of the Czechs who were at that time doing what they could to fight the Germans and to try to get the children out．’’
In the same ceremony，the Order of the White Lion was also presented to his grandson Nicholas Soames in honor of Sir Winston Churchill．They are the only British citizens to receive the award，after Margaret Thatcher and the Queen．Presenting the award，the Czech President，Milos Zeman said．“It is a great pleasure to present this award to two great personalities of the UK．I am only ashamed it has been awarded so late—but better late than never．”Why has Winton been called“ the British Schindler”?
| A．Because he rescued 669 children before the Second World War． |
| B．Because he joined the army in the Second World War． |
| C．Because he made great contributions after the Second World War． |
| D．Because he saved 669 Jewish children before the Second World War． |
According to Winton，we can infer_______．
| A．all the children once he saved attended the ceremony |
| B．the Czechs also played an important role in helping the children |
| C．England was the only country to fight the Germans at that time |
| D．England was the only country to help the Czechs |
The underlined word“minors”in Paragraph 4 refers to ________.
| A．Englishmen | B．Germans |
| C．children | D．Winton’s family members |
The passage mainly wants to tell us_________．
| A．Winton was awarded |
| B．Winton saved 669 children |
| C．what the Order of the White Lion is |
| D．Winton felt thankful at the ceremony |
Handball(手球)is a hugely popular sport in Europe and Asia, and it is one of the fastest and most exciting sports in the world．It combines basketball and soccer with the attracting saves of water polo．
Handball is played on an indoor court(the size of two basketball courts)and there are goals at each end．There are twelve players on each team，two goal keepers and ten field players，but there is a maximum of one goalkeeper and six field players from each team allowed on the court at any one time．The idea is simple：score more goals than the other team．
The ball is made of leather or synthetic material and it must be round．The surface must not be shiny or slippery．The size and weight of the ball varies for male and female teams，and adult and junior teams．
Handball has the same free-ranging play as basketball，with all players except the goalkeeper constantly moving from attack to defence．The goalkeeper uses hands, feet，head and body to keep out the other team’s shots．The origins of handball are unclear．Many people believe that it developed as a training game for soccer，to be played in the off season，or when it snowing．Now，in countries where handball is popular，players can earn large sums of money，and indoor stadiums seating over ten thousand people sell out regularly．Handball has been played at the Olympics since 1972．The passage states that handball was most probably developed__________．
| A．as a replacement for basketball |
| B．by supporters of water polo |
| C．as a training game |
| D．for the 1972 Olympics |
The statement，“The idea is simple”，emphasizes that in handball the _____ ．
| A．game has only one purpose |
| B．court is clearly marked |
| C．players can change positions |
| D．goalkeeper is the last defense |
It is clear that the writer believes the sport of handball __________.
| A．is more popular for men than for women |
| B．is great fun for the audience |
| C．requires an unusually shaped ball |
| D．should only be played in winter |
In which order does the information appear in the passage?
a．type of ball b．court size
c．beginning of the sport d．team members
| A． c—a—b—d | B．b—a—d—c |
| C．c—d—a—b | D．b—d—a—c |
Helen Thayer，one of the greatest explorers of the 20th century，loves challenges. She says，"I like to see what's on the other side of the hill." She has gone almost everywhere to do that.
In 1988，at the age of 50，she became the first woman to travel alone to the North Pole. She pulled her own sled (雪橇) piled with 160 pounds of supplies，and during her trip no one brought her fresh supplies. Accompanied (陪伴) only by her dog Charlie，she survived cold weather and meetings with polar bears. In fact，Charlie saved her life when one of them attacked her. Near the end of her trip，a forceful wind blew away the majority of her supplies. The last week of the trip，she survived on a handful of nuts and a little water each day.
Helen goes to challenging places not only for adventure，but also for education. Before her Arctic journey，she started a website called Adventure Classroom. On the site，she shares her adventures in order to motivate (激发) students. She explains，"Although kids often see the world in a negative way，without hope for their future，we work to inspire them to set goals，plan for success and never give up..."
Helen grew up in New Zealand. Her parents were athletes and mountain climbers. Following her parents' example，she climbed her first mountain at 9. Later，she climbed the highest mountains in North and South America，the former USSR and New Zealand.
In 1996，she took on another challenge--the Sahara Desert. She and her husband，Bill，walked 2,400 miles across it！In 2001，she and Bill traveled on foot from west to east through the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. They hope to travel in mainland China into Sichuan and Tibet to study pandas this year.
Helen plans to continue taking trips. She'll use her explorations，writing，photography and environmental work to create programs for her Adventure Classroom website. She wants to inspire her students never to stop facing challenges!We learn from Paragraph 2 that ________.
| A．Helen Thayer is the first person to reach the North Pole |
| B．Helen Thayer ate nothing during the last week of her trip |
| C．Charlie prevented Helen being attacked by polar bears |
| D．Helen Thayer traveled to the North Pole together with her husband |
Why does Helen travel to different places worldwide?
| A．For education. | B．For fun. |
| C．For money. | D．For fame. |
Which is the best title for the text?
| A．The Woman Who Loves Adventure | B．A Famous Woman |
| C．A Woman Mountain Climber | D．The Owner of Adventure Classroom |
Which of the following places has Helen not visited yet?
| A．The North Pole | B．The Sahara Desert |
| C．The Gobi Desert | D．Sichuan and Tibet |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号