My father is a smart man. He spent many years of his life listening to people’s arguments, first as assistant district lawyer and then as a judge. My dad knows rubbish rhetoric when he hears it.
One of his favorite phrases is: “If you don’t have anything smart to say, then don’t say it at all.” Yet, for all of his legal training and life experience, he can’t help but keep talking about the Mega Millions jackpot.
We all know the odds(几率)of winning the jackpot this evening with one ticket are extraordinarily low ... 1 in 175, 711, 536, to be exact. Still, people go out and buy hundreds of tickets with the hopes of becoming wealthier beyond their dreams. Why? There are two possible explanations for this “irrationality”(不理智).
One idea is that the way we calculate odds in our heads has nothing to do with mathematical odds in the traditional sense. We don’t go to the mathematical odds table and say, “Well, this would be a terrible investment. I think I’m better off putting my money in the bank!” Rather, it has everything with the ability to picture an event happening.
My father, for instance, watches the news every night and sees people winning the lottery(彩票). Therefore, he thinks the chance of him winning the lottery is much higher than they actually are.
The second thought is that the expected effect of playing cannot be represented merely by the odds. My father and, I’m sure, others get a thrill from the mere idea of winning. He loves imagining what it would be like to actually win and losing doesn’t really affect him. Sure, he’s disappointed, but it’s “better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” When you combine the utility of thinking you can win with the utility of actually winning (no matter how small the chance of that occurring), it’s worth it for many people to spend the one dollar on a ticket.
My analysis is that both factors are at play in taking a chance on the lottery. My father and others really do underestimate the odds of winning, but the thrill of participation is not denied by a realistic assessment of the odds. Still, I would probably put my finger on the scale for the first explanation.
All told, a review of the odds of other events happening confirms that there just aren’t many events that occur with less frequency than your winning the Mega Millions jackpot. Look at the graph below, you may understand some:
In many ways, it’s like the lottery, something that features often on television and about which people fantasize, but that rarely happens.
So, when you watch, along with my Pa, to see if your lucky number is drawn this evening, keep in mind three things: that your number almost certainly won’t come up; that you are still going to have fun; and that, finally, a lot of other things are more likely to happen—but getting eaten by a shark isn’t one of them. It can be learned from the article that ________.
| A．the Mega Millions jackpot is the last lottery to win in the world |
| B．a judge in that country can’t talk about lottery because it is illegal |
| C．the writer doesn’t buy lottery, for he never hopes to become rich |
| D．In spite of little possibility, a lot of people spend money on lottery |
The function of the graph is to ________.
| A．show chances that those things take place are fewer |
| B．support the writer’s arguments on the lottery tickets |
| C．indicate no one can win the Mega Millions jackpot |
| D．say shark attack death will seldom happen this year |
Which of the following do you think the writer would probably agree with?
| A．If one has mathematical odds, he can win the prize more easily. |
| B．Only those who have irrationality buy hundreds of lottery tickets. |
| C．The Mega Millions jackpot is very popular in the writer’s country. |
| D．Winning lottery is a shortcut to achieve the dream of being rich. |
The underlined phrase “at play” in the 7th paragraph most probably means ________.
| A．effective | B．ridiculous | C．contradictory | D．astonishing |
What do you think is the best title?
| A．The Popular Mega Millions Jackpot | B．Lottery is Merely a Trick |
| C．Mega Million is Like a Shark Attack | D．Be rich, Buy Lottery Soon |
三
、阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）请阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选题，并在答题卡上将该选项的标号涂黑。
A
In America, when people say “man’s best friend”, they don’t mean another person. Instead, they are talking about a lovely animal：A dog! These words show the friendship between people and animals. Dogs and other pets can give happiness to people’s lives. Some people think of their pets as their children. A few even leave all their money to their pets when they die!
Animals can help people, too. Dogs can be taught to become the“eyes”for a blind person or “ears”for a deaf person. Scientists have found that pets help people live longer! They make people happier, too. Because of that, animals are brought into hospitals for “visit”.
Americans hold “Be-Kind-to-Animals Week”in the first week of May.
Pet shows are held during the week. Even if you don’t live in America, you, too, can do this. How? First, think about how animals make your life richer. If you have a pet, take more time this week to play with it. Remember to give it delicious food. Also, be sure to keep your pet from those unwanted babies.
If you don’t have a pet, be kind to animals around you. For example, if you see a street dog, don’t kick (踢) it or throw things at it. Instead, just leave it alone, or better it yet, make friends with it. If others around you do bad things to an animal, try to stop them. As people, we must protect animals who can’t speak for themselves.
56. “A few even leave all their money to their pets when they die!” means that ________.
A. pets have the right to inherit (继承) money B. money can give pets happiness
C. it’s the best way to spend money D. some pets are taken as children
57. Dogs are brought to hospitals
A. because they are ill and need to see doctors
B. because they can make the patients happier
C. because they can find out the problems of the patients
D. because doctors can do experiments on them.
58.The most popular activity in the “Be-Kind-to-Animals Week”is .
A. holding a pet show in the week B. playing with pets the whole week
C. cooking delicious food for pets D. making friends with other people’s pets
59. The passage is mainly about .
A. a lot of people are interested in dogs B. dogs can help people do many things
C. pets are lovely and need care and protection D. we have done a lot of things for pets
E
About ten years ago, a young and very successful businessman named Josh was traveling down a Chicago neighborhood street. He was going a bit too fast in his shiny, black, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old.
He was watching for kids rushing out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child came out, but a brick sailed out and-WHUMP!-it hit the Jag’s shiny black side door! SCREECH…!!!! Immediately Josh stopped the car, jumped out, seized the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted at the kid, “What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing?!” Building up a head of steam, he went on. “That’s my new Jag, that brick you threw is going to cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it?”
“Please, mister, please… I’m sorry! I didn’t know what else to do!” begged the youngster. “I threw the brick because no one else would stop!” tears were streaming down the boy’s face as he pointed around the parked car. “It’s my brother, mister,” he said. “He rolled of the curb(路沿) and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up.” Sobbing, the boy asked the businessman, “Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.”
Moved beyond words, the young businessman tried hard to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. Straining, he lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapers and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be OK. He then watched the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their home.
It was a long walk back to the black, shining 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE-a long and slow walk. Josh never did fix the side door of his Jaguar. He kept the dent(凹痕) to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention. Feel for the bricks of life coming at you.
67．The boy threw a brick at the businessman’s car because ________.
A．he wanted to ask for some money
B．he envied the brand-new car very much
C．the businessman drove at a high speed
D．he wanted to get help from the driver
68．Which of the following is the right order of the story?
a．The younger brother threw a brick at Josh’s car.
b．The elder brother fell out of his wheelchair.
c．The younger brother begged Josh for help.
d．Josh lifted the elder brother back into his wheelchair.
e．Josh shouted at the younger brother.
A．b，a，c，e，d B．a，c，d，b，e
C．b，a，e，c，d D．a，c，b，e，d
69．What can we learn from the passage?
A．Josh was a kind-hearted man.
B．The two kids were Josh’s neighbors.
C．Josh would accept the money from the kids.
D．Josh’s new car broke down easily.
70．According to the passage, we must ________.
A．try to be more understanding seeing others in trouble
B．drive fast in a neighborhood street that is dangerous
C．try to get ready for the trouble in your future life
D．protect oneself from being hurt
D
Stonehenge（巨石阵）may have been a prehistoric health center rather than a site for observing stars or a temple in honor of the dead, scientists said yesterday. New evidence unearthed at the World Heritage Site in more than 40 years suggests that the monument was a place where the diseased and injured went in groups, seeking cures.
After a two-week dig, scientists have concluded that Stonehenge was “the ancient healthcare centre of southern England” because of the existence of “bluestones”---the smaller columns of dolerite（辉绿岩）that formed an earlier stone structure.
By dating pieces of remains to around 7330BC, Tim Darvill, of Bournemouth University, and Goff Wainwright, of the Society of Amtiquaries have found that hunter-gatherers were at the site on Salisbury Plain 4,000 years earlier than thought. The first stage of Stonehenge, a round earthwork structure, was built around 3000BC. Professor Wainwright added: “I did not expect the degree of complexity we discovered. We’re able to say so much more about when Stonehenge was built and why---all of which changes our previous understanding of the monument.”
The research reveals the importance of the henge’s famous bluestones. Hundreds of bluestone chips gathered at the site have led the team to conclude that the bluestones were valued for their curing effects---the key reason that about 80 of them, each weighing up to 4 tons and a half, were dragged more than 150 miles from the Preseli Hills to Wiltshire. After years of research, Professors Darvill and Wainwright have concluded that, for thousands of years, the Preseli mountain range was home to magical health centers and holy wells.
Even today there are those who believe in the curing powers of the springs for coughs and heart disease, and people who use crystals and bluestones for self-curing. Radiocarbon tests have also revealed that the construction of the original bluestone circle took place around 2300BC, three centuries later than originally thought. Interestingly, on the same day died the “Amesbury Archer”---a sick traveler from the Swiss or German Alps who had an infected knee---whose remains were discovered about five miles from Stonehenge. The professors believe that he was a devoted religious person who was hoping to benefit from the curing powers of the monument.
63．Stonehenge is recently believed to be a place for people .
A．to recover from poor health B．to observe star movements
C．to hold religious ceremonies D．to gather huge bluestones
64．What can be inferred about Stonehenge from the passage?
A．The springs could cure coughs and heart disease best.
B．The new discovery was the same as what had been expected.
C．Some huge bluestones were not produced at Stonehenge.
D．The original bluestone circle was thought to be constructed around 2000BC.
65．The sick traveler in the passage is supposed to be .
A．a devoted religious person from Stonehenge
B．one of the earliest discoverers of Stonehenge
C．the first explorer to test the magical power of bluestones
D．a patient trying to cure his infection at Stonehenge
66．Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
A．Stonehenge: A New Place of Interest B．Stonehenge: Still Making News
C．Stonehenge: Heaven for Adventurers D．Stonehenge: Still Curing Patients
C
Several years ago I worked in an office, which I had a locust tree growing outside the window. It had grown into a tall tree and must have been there for a long time. The tree blocked the view and made the office seem dull, unfortunately this happened to be the room assigned to me and I was depressed by it for quite some time.
When the first spring came, everything was green except the locust tree. Secretly, I was very happy because I had thought it had died.
One morning when I opened the window for fresh air, I unexpectedly smelt a familiar sweet scent floating into my office but I couldn’t name it. Suddenly, I realized it was the locust tree! The tree that I thought dead was blossoming in full glory.
From then on, I usually came to the office very early to see dew forming on the locust tree blossoms and every year was eager to see spring again.
During summer, the green leaves provided shade protecting me from the harsh sunlight, but allowing enough light in to make it pleasant. In autumn, the leaves turned into many different colors. Its beauty touched my soul. Many times I thought to take photos but never did. Then I had to leave in a hurry. Later in life it became a great regret that I had not done so.
Actually, many times in our lives, we think we own something, therefore we don’t cherish it. We don’t feel regretful until we lose it one day! Moreover, sometimes, we have to accept the things we don’t want and need to discover the hidden beauty to find unexpected joy!
59．The author of the passage employed a writing way ________.
A．of holding and releasing B．that released first, then held
C．that held first, then released D．that was not holding or releasing
60．What the author wanted to tell us is that ________.
A．not being delighted for what you have got and not feeling pity on the lost
B．think twice before you leap
C．treat everything calmly
D．cherish what you’ve owned
61．The reason the author came to the office early is ________.
A．to enjoy the dew B．to finish her work early
C．to do some cleaning D．to avoid the burning sun
62．The underlined word “so” in the fifth paragraph perhaps refers to ________.
A．that I couldn’t see the tree any longer B．that I should have taken some photos
C．that I had to leave D．that the tree died
B
China is likely to surpass the U.S. to become world’s largest online game market this year, according to a recent report by market research firm iResearch. China’s online game market generated revenue(总收入) of 20.8 billion yuan($3.04 billion) in 2008, up 52.2% over the previous year. Over 80% of the revenue came from big, multiplayer online games, with the rest generated from Web games and mobile games.
The overall market is expected to keep growing at an average annual rate of 20% in the coming five years. And iResearch forecasts that the Chinese online market will be worth more than 68 billion yuan by 2012, which will account for almost half of the global market by then. At present, U.S., China and Korea are the world’s top three largest online game markets, making up about 29%, 27% and 21% respectively of the global online game market, according to the report.
U.S. game companies derive a major part of their revenue from sales of games overseas. South Korea’s online game industry generates half of its revenue from games in its home market. In China, however, most of the money comes directly from its own game players. Negatively influenced by the global economic downturn, both the U.S. and Korea markets will see a drop in game exporting, iResearch estimates.
In China, the enormous base and fast growing of online gamers will further boost China’s online game industry, said the report. China is currently home to 55.5 million online game players, according to the latest stats by the China Internet Network Information Center(CNNIC). In its report, iResearch found that figures for gamers under 18 and above 40 grew at their fastest rate yet last year, though it didn’t disclose specifics.
55．The second and third paragraphs show that ________.
A．The global online game market will be worth more than 136 billion yuan in 2012.
B．China’s online game market increased by 20% in 2008.
C．China’s online game market will become 60% less in 2009.
D．US, China and Korea together account for 90% of the global online game market.
56．China’s online game industry is different from that of the US and Korea because it’s ________.
A．made up of online, Web and mobile games
B．easily affected by the global economy
C．mainly based upon its home market
D．among the three largest online game markets
57．Which of the following things is mentioned as a factor in the rapid development of China’s online game industry?
A．The rapid growth of online gamers in China.
B．A drop in game imports to China.
C．The global economic downturn.
D．The development of technology in China.
58．According to the last paragraph, which of the following is TRUE?
A．CNNC and iResearch worked together on the report.
B．Gamers under 18 were one of the age groups which grew the fastest last year.
C．At present there are 55.5 million online game providers in China.
D．The statements of CNNC and iResearch are contradictory.
粤公网安备 44130202000953号