World Expo 2010 Shanghai China is to be staged in Shanghai from May1 to October 31, 2010. If you plan to visit the Shanghai Expo this summer, China Pavilion is a must-see area for you.
China Pavilion, which is called Oriental Crown（东方之冠）, is located at the center of the Expo site. Standing 63 meters tall, the China Pavilion takes the shape of an emperor’s crown, with the upper layers larger than the lower ones. Covering 160,000 square meters in floor space, the pavilion consists of a national hall and a regional hall. Construction on the China Pavilion began on December 18, 2007. The design of the China Pavilion was picked from a total of 344 designs put forward by Chinese from around the world. The pavilion possesses both traditional and modern features, which helps develop the theme of the 2010 Expo: “ Better City, Better Life”. For example, it is red in appearance, which contains the elements of traditional Chinese culture, and it is green indoors, with the use of energy-saving techniques. The Shanghai World Expo is expected to attract 70 million visitors from across the globe. It is estimated that 400,000 people will visit the Expo and its 140 pavilions every day during the period, but the China Pavilion is only able to receive about one tenth of the total. How to accommodate so many people in the pavilion remains a tough task. Luckily, the China Pavilion is built as a permanent landmark.
During the Expo, the main structure will be used for an exhibition based on the theme of “ Chinese wisdom in urban development” by explaining the values of harmony, nature and spirit. The three-story pavilion has three sections. The top floor’s “Footprint of the East” will show some of the changes in Chinese cities. There, you can see a film which shows how Chinese cities have changed, especially in the past 30 years. According to Lu Chuan, director of the film, the scenery is like something from Lord of the Rings. On the second floor, “Journey of Wisdom” will explain China’s four great inventions. And the ground’s “Blossoming City” will display scenes from cities of the future.Which of the following words can be used to describe the China Pavilion?
| A．Tiny | B．Round |
| C．Exotic（异国情调的） | D．Environmentally-friendly |
From the passage, we can infer that _____.
| A．China Pavilion will be pulled down after the World Expo 2010 is over |
| B．China Pavilion will probably continue to be open to visitors after the Expo is over |
| C．you can continue to visit the other pavilions after the Expo is over |
| D．some foreign friends took part in the designs of the China Pavilion |
On the second floor, you can _________.
| A．enjoy a film about the changes of cities in China |
| B．learn what Shanghai looked like in the 1920s |
| C．find out how paper was invented |
| D．see how Chinese cities will look like in the future |
【2015·安徽】E
Food serves as a form of communication in two fundamental ways. Sharing bread or other foods is a common human tradition that can promote unity and trust. Food can also have a specific meaning, and play a significant role in a family or culture's celebrations or traditions. The foods we eat—and when and how we eat them—are often unique to a particular culture or may even differ between rural (农村的) and urban areas within one country.
Sharing bread, whether during a special occasion (时刻) or at the family dinner table, is a common symbol of togetherness. Many cultures also celebrate birthdays and marriages with cakes that are cut and shared among the guests. Early forms of cake were simply a kind of bread, so this tradition hits its roots in the custom of sharing bread.
Food also plays an important role in many New Year celebrations. In the southern United States, pieces of corn bread represent blocks of gold for prosperity (兴旺) in the New Year. In Greece, people share a special cake called vasilopita. A coin is put into the cake, which signifies (预示) success in the New Year for the person who receives it.
Many cultures have ceremonies to celebrate the birth of a child, and food can play a significant role. In China, when a baby is one month old, families name and welcome their child in a celebration that includes giving red-colored eggs to guests. In many cultures, round foods such as grapes, bread, and moon cakes are eaten at welcome celebrations to represent family unity.
Nutrition is necessary for life, so it is not surprising that food is such an important part of different cultures around the world.According to the passage, sharing bread______.
| A．indicates a lack of food |
| B．can help to develop unity |
| C．is a custom unique to rural areas |
| D．has its roots in birthday celebrations |
What does the coin in vasilopita signify for its receiver in the New Year?
| A．Trust. | B．Success. |
| C．Health. | D．Togetherness. |
The author explains the role of food in celebrations by______.
| A．using examples | B．making comparisons |
| C．analyzing causes | D．describing processes |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The custom of sharing food. |
| B．The specific meaning of food. |
| C．The role of food in ceremonies. |
| D．The importance of food in culture. |
【2015·安徽】C
As Internet users become more dependent on the Internet to store information, are people remember less? If you know your computer will save information, why store it in your own personal memory, your brain? Experts are wondering if the Internet is changing what we remember and how.
In a recent study, Professor Betsy Sparrow conducted some experiments. She and her research team wanted to know the Internet is changing memory. In the first experiment, they gave people 40 unimportant facts to type into a computer. The first group of people understood thatthe computer would save the information. The second group understood that the computer would not save it. Later, the second group remembered the information better. People in the first group knew they could find the information again, so they did not try to remember it.
In another experiment, the researchers gave people facts to remember, and told them where to find the information on the Internet. The information was in a specific computer folder (文件夹). Surprisingly, people later remember the folder location (位置) better than the facts. When people use the Internet, they do not remember the information. Rather, they remember how to find it. This is called "transactive memory (交互记忆)".
According to Sparrow, we are not becoming people with poor memories as a result of the Internet. Instead, computer users are developing stronger transactive memories; that is, people are learning how to organize huge quantities of information so that they are able to access it at a later date. This doesn't mean we are becoming either more or less intelligent, but there is no doubt that the way we use memory is changing.The passage begins with two questions to ______.
| A．introduce the main topic. |
| B．show the author's altitude. |
| C．describe how to use the Interne. |
| D．explain how to store information. |
What can we learn about the first experiment?
| A．Sparrow's team typed the information into a computer. |
| B．The two groups remembered the information equally well. |
| C．The first group did not try to remember the formation. |
| D．The second group did not understand the information. |
In transactive memory, people ______.
| A．keep the information in mind |
| B．change the quantity of information |
| C．organize information like a computer |
| D．remember how to find the information |
What is the effect of the Internet according to Sparrow's research?
| A．Weare using memory differently. |
| B．We arebecoming more intelligent. |
| C．We have poorer memories than before. |
| D．We need a better way to access information. |
【2015·重庆】E
The values of artistic works, according to cultural relativism(相对主义), are simply reflections of local social and economic conditions. Such a view, however, fails to explain the ability of some works of art to excite the human mind across cultures and through centuries.
History has witnessed the endless productions of Shakespearean plays in every major language of the world. It is never rare to find that Mozart packs Japanese concert halls, as Japanese painter Hiroshige does Paris galleries, Unique works of this kind are different from today’s popular art, even if they began as works of popular art. They have set themselves apart in their timeless appeal and will probably be enjoyed for centuries into the future.
In a 1757 essay, the philosopher David Hume argued that because“the general principles of taste are uniform(不变的) in human nature,”the value of some works of art might be essentially permanent. He observed that Homer was still admired after two thousand years. Works of this type, he believed, spoke to deep and unvarying features of human nature and could continue to exist over centuries.
Now researchers are applying scientific methods to the study of the universality of art. For example, evolutionary psychology is being used by literary scholars to explain the long-lasting themes and plot devices in fiction. The structures of musical pieces are now open to experimental analysis as never before. Research findings seem to indicate that the creation by a great artist is as permanent an achievement as the discovery by a great scientist.According to the passage, what do we know about cultural relativism?
| A．It introduces different cultural values. |
| B．It explains the history of artistic works. |
| C．It relates artistic values to local conditions. |
| D．It excites the human mind throughout the world. |
In Paragraph 2, the artists are mentioned in order to show that _____.
| A．great works of art can go beyond national boundaries |
| B．history gives art works special appeal to set them apart |
| C．popular arts are hardly distinguishable from great arts |
| D．great artists are skilled at combining various cultures |
According to Hume, some works of art can exist for centuries because_____.
| A．they are results of scientific study |
| B．they establish some general principles of art |
| C．they are created by the world’s greatest artists |
| D．they appeal to unchanging features of human nature |
Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?
| A．Are Artistic Values Universal? |
| B．Are Popular Arts Permanent? |
| C．Is Human Nature Uniform? |
| D．Is Cultural Relativism Scientific? |
【2015·重庆】C
LakeLander ·2 hours ago
Today, a man talked very loud on his phone on a train between Malvern and Reading, making many passengers upset. I wonder how he would react if I were to read my newspaperoutloudonthetrain, Ihave never had the courage to do it, though.
Pak50 ·57 minutes ago
Why not give it a try? Perhaps you should take lessons on a musical instrument. The late musician Dennis Brian is said to have asked a fellow train passenger to turn off his radio. When his request was refused, he took out his French horn(号) and started to practice.
Angie O’Edema ·42 minutes ago
I don’t see how musical instruments can help improve manners in public. Don’t do to others what you wouldn’t like to be done to yourself. Once, a passenger next to me talked out loud on his mobile phone. I left my seat quietly, giving him some privacy to finish his conversation. He realized this and apologised to me. When his phone rang again later, he left his seat to answer it. You see, a bit of respect and cooperation can do the job better.
Taodas ·29 minutes ago
I did read my newspaper out loud on a train, and it turned out well. The guy took it in good part, and we chatted happily all the way to Edinburgh.
Sophie 76 ·13minutes ago
I have not tried reading my newspaper out loud on a train, but ,several years ago, I read some chapters from Harry Porter to my bored and noisy children. Several passengers seemed to appreciate what I did.
The passenger made an apology to Angie O’Edema because____.
| A．he offered his seat to someone else |
| B．he spoke very loudly on his phone |
| C．he refused to talk with Angie |
| D．he ignored Angie’s request |
Who once read a newspaper out loud on a train?
| A．Pak50 | B．Angie O’Edema |
| C．Taodas | D．Sophie76 |
What is the discussion mainly about?
| A．How to react to bad behavior. |
| B．How to kill time on a train. |
| C．How to chat with strangers. |
| D．How to make a phone call. |
Where is the passage most probably taken from?
| A．A webpage. | B．A newspaper. |
| C．A novel. | D．A report. |
【2015·重庆】B
In ancient Egypt, a shopkeeper discovered that he could attract customers to his shop simply by making changes to its environment. Modern businesses have been following his lead,with more tactics（策略）.
One tactic involves where to display the goods. Foe example, stores place fruits and vegetables in the first section. They know that customers who buy the healthy food first will feel happy so that they will buy more junk food（垃圾食品）later in their trip. In department stores, section is generally next to the women’s cosmetics(化妆品) section：while the shop assistant is going back to find the right size shoe, bored customers are likely to wander over cosmetics they might want to try later.
Besides, businesses seek to appeal to customers’ senses. Stores notice that the smell of baked goods encourages shopping, they make their own bread each morning and then fan the bread smell into the store throughout the day. Music sells goods, too. Researchers in Britain found that when French music was played, sales of French wine went up.
When it comes to the selling of houses, businesses also use highly rewarding tactics. They find that customers make decision in the first few second upon walking in the door, and turn it into a business opportunity. A California builder designed the structure of its houses smartly. When entering the house, the customer would see the Pacific Ocean through the windows, and then the poll through an open stairway leading to the lower level. The instant view of water on both levels helped sell these $10 million houses.Why do stores usually display fruits and vegetables in the first section?
| A．To save customers times. |
| B．To show they are high quality foods. |
| C．To help sell junk food. |
| D．To sell them at discount prices. |
According to Paragraph 3, which of the following encourages customers to buy?
| A．Opening the store early in the morning. |
| B．Displaying British wines next to French ones. |
| C．Inviting customers to play music. |
| D．Filling the store with the smell of fresh bread. |
What is the California builder’s story intended to prove?
| A．The house structure is a key factor customers consider. |
| B．The more costly the house is, the better it sells. |
| C．An ocean view is much to the customers’ taste. |
| D．A good first impression increases sales. |
What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To explain how businesses turn people into their customers. |
| B．To introduces how businesses have grown from the past. |
| C．To report researches on customer behavior. |
| D．To show dishonest business practices. |
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