When Albert Einstein was young, he was a quiet child who spent much of his time alone. He was slow to talk and had difficulty in learning to read.
When Albert was five years old, his father gave him a compass (指南针). Albert was filled with wonder when he discovered that the compass needle (针) always pointed in the same direction —the north. He asked his father and uncle what caused the needle to move.
Their answers were difficult for Albert to understand. Yet he spent a lot of time thinking about them. He said later that he felt something must be behind things.
Albert did not like school. The German schools of that time were not pleasant. Students couldn’t ask questions. Albert said he felt as if he were in prison.
One day Albert told his uncle Jacob how much he hated school, especially mathematics. His uncle told him to solve mathematical problems by pretending to be a policeman. "You are looking for someone," he said, "but you do not know who he is. Call him X. Find him by using your mathematical tools."
Albert learned to love mathematics. He was studying the complex math of calculus (微积分学) while all his friends were still studying simple math. Instead of playing with friends he thought about things such as "What would happen if people could travel at the speed of light?".
Albert wanted to teach math and physics. He graduated with honors, but it was a pity that he could not get a teaching job.
According to Paragraph 2, we can learn that Albert Einstein ________.
| A．was interested in the compass | B．wanted to be a great scientist |
C．was not clever enough | D．didn’t like thinking by himself |
Why did Albert Einstein hate school?
| A．He couldn’t play with his friends there. |
B．Students were not allowed to ask questions. |
C．The schools were small at that time. |
D．He had to learn mathematics that he didn’t like. |
What does the underlined word "complex" probably mean?
| A．useless. | B．Difficult. | C．Boring. | D．Interesting. |
We can learn from the passage that ________.
| A．Einstein became a mathematics teacher after graduation |
B．Einstein gradually loved mathematics with his uncle’s help |
C．learning mathematics is like working as a policeman |
D．Einstein liked playing with other children |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．How Albert Einstein studied in school. |
B．Something about Albert Einstein’s early interests. |
C．Something about the young Albert Einstein. |
D．Why Albert Einstein learned more than his classmates. |
Knots are the kind of stuff that even myths are made of.In the Greek legend of the Gordian knot, for example, Alexander the Great used his sword to slice through a knot that had failed all previous attempts to unite it. Knots, enjoy a long history of tales and fanciful names such as “Englishman’s tie, ” “and “cat’s paw. ” Knots became the subject of serious scientific investigation when in the 1860s the English physicist William Thomson (known today as Lord Kelvin) proposed that atoms were in fact knotted tubes of ether（醚）. In order to be able to develop the equivalent of a periodic table of the elements, Thomson had to be able to classify knots — find out which different knots were possible. This sparked a great interest in the mathematical theory of knots.
A mathematical knot looks very much like a familiar knot in a string, only with the string’s ends joined. In Thomson’s theory, knots could, in principle at least, model atoms of increasing complexity, such as the hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen atoms, respectively. For knots to be truly useful in a mathematical theory, however, mathematicians searched for some precise way of proving that what appeared to be different knots were really different — the couldn’t be transformed one into the other by some simple manipulation（操作）. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, the Scottish mathematician Peter Guthrie Tait and the University of Nebraska professor Charles Newton Little published complete tables of knots with up to ten crossings. Unfortunately, by the time that this heroic effort was completed, Kelvin’s theory had already been totally discarded as a model for atomic structure. Nevertheless, even without any other application in sight, the mathematical interest in knot theory continued at that point for its own sake. In fact, mathematical became even more fascinated by knots. The only difference was that, as the British mathematician Sir Michael Atiyah has put it, “the study of knots became a special branch of pure mathematics. ”
Two major breakthroughs in knot theory occurred in 1928 and in 1984. In 1928, the American mathematician James Waddell Alexander discovered an algebraic expression that uses the arrangement of crossings to label the knot. For example, t2-t+1 or t2-3t+1, or else. Decades of work in the theory of knots finally produced the second breakthrough in 1984. The New Zealander-American mathematician Vaughan Jones noticed an unexpected relation between knots and another abstract branch of mathematics, which led to the discovery of a more sensitive invariant known as the Jones polynomial.What is surprising about knots?
| A．They originated from ancient Greek legend. |
| B．The study of knots is a branch of mathematics. |
| C．Knots led to the discovery of atom structure. |
| D．Alexander the Great made knots well known. |
What does the underlined word “that” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
| A．No other application found except tables of knots. |
| B．The study of knots meeting a seemingly dead end. |
| C．Few scientist showing interest in knots. |
| D．The publication of complete tables of knots. |
According to the passage, ______ shows the most updated study about knots.
| A．t2-t+1 | B．t2-3t+1 |
| C．Alexander polynomial | D．Jones polynomial |
Which one would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Mathematicians VS Physicians |
| B．To be or Knot to be |
| C．Knot or Atom |
| D．Knot VS Mathematics |
Obviously!
Until Descartes came along in the seventeenth century, everyone assumed that we exited. Obviously. The fact seemed so mind-blowing obvious that it wasn’t really discussed. We could see ourselves in the mirror, we could feel pain and pleasure, we could think thoughts for ourselves and, more importantly, perhaps, all the world’s main religions assumed that we do exist. So we exist.
No you don’t it!
You don’t exist. That’s because it’s impossible to show once and for all that you do. There’s no proof. You might think you exist-that you are sitting at a table reading this book, for instance-but how could you show with 100 percent certainty that this is true? There’s no experiment that could prove it. Although Descartes said just you could prove your own existence by the fact that you are able to think, this isn’t actually, according to the British philosopher A. J. Ayer. Just because we know that we are thinking, this doesn’t mean that there is a “you” doing the thinking. It just shows that the thoughts are happening, not that anyone is having them. Thoughts exists, “You” don’t.
_____________!
What a waste of time this question is. Although you can argue until the end of time whether you exist or not, it doesn’t get you anywhere. Unless you forget about this unanswerable question, you’ll be stuck thinking about it forever, and that isn’t of any use to anyone. Move on. Think about something more important! This very roughly, is the view of almost all philosophers, who prefer to answer other, apparently more useful, questions.
Yes, but…
You exist, but not in the way you might think. According to the great French philosopher Ren Descartes, you can’t show that anything exists—apart from your own self. The existence of the entire world can be doubted in one way or another, but the facts you’re having thoughts shows that there might be something (that’s you) having them. This let Descartes to write the famous philosophical phrase, “ I think before I am”.Which of the following can be the missing heading?
| A．Forget about it | B．What a ridiculous point |
| C．Think about it | D．What a pointless question |
This passage is anything but a(n)___________.
| A．comment | B．discussion |
| C．argument | D．debate |
The famous answer to the question “Do I exist?” is ___________.
| A．No, you don’t exist. |
| B．I think, therefore, I am. |
| C．Yes, you do exist. |
| D．It won’t get you anywhere |
| Dear Applicant, A We regret to inform you that your application to the stated establishment cannot be processed at this time due to the fact that it does not exist. After consultation with out mythical advisors we have also determined that even if it didn’t exist, the course “wandology” would be highly in demand and hence require at least two As and a B in any of the following subjects: Advanced Spellcrafting Mystimatics Defence Against The Dark Arts History of the Occult Shaft Design Your hand written grade sheet claiming top marks in “waving a stick about”, “ waving a pointy hat” and “watching Paul Daniels TV specials” sadly is not suitable for submission, however by applying through clearing you may be suitable of Liberal Arts courses. Alternatively you may wish to resubmit next year by tying your letter to an owl and hoping for the best. On behalf of UCAS I wish you every success. Yours sincerely, XXX |
| Dear Duke University Admissions, B Thank you for your rejection letter of March 26, 2015. After careful consideration, I regret to inform you that I am unable to accept your refusal to offer me admission into the Fall 2015 freshman class at Duke. This year I have been fortunate enough to receive rejection letters from the best and the brightest universities in the country. With a pool of letters so diverse and accomplished I was unable to accept the rejection letters I would have been able to only several years ago. Therefore, I will be attending Duke University's 2015 Class. I look forward to seeing you then. Best, Siobhan O'Dell |
| Dear Siobhan, C I understand how disappointed you are that we were unable to offer you a space in our incoming class, I want to be honest with you and let you know that it’s very rare that we learn something that leads us to change our decision, in the last ten years we’ve about 500 requests for a review… and changed the decision four times Wish you all the best~ XXX |
Of the three letters, which is in response to which?
| A．A---B | B．C---B | C．C---A | D．B----C |
Chances for Duke University to change its admission decision in history were_______.
| A．none | B．big | C．slim | D．hard to tell |
What makes it impossible for the applicant to resubmit an application next year?
| A．Tying the letter to an owl and send it to UCAS |
| B．Printing out grade sheet |
| C．Applying for the Liberal Arts course as an option |
| D．Improving his scores |
What can we infer form the letter about college application?
| A．It is disappointing for sure. |
| B．Rejection letters are better written than offers. |
| C．It is no as fun as on imagines. |
| D．There could be extra work beyond normal procedure. |
The phone ID flashed, “Emergency Vet”. “Oh no” I whispered. I could not lose Merlin now.
Ron and I had tried to have children for a long time with depressing results. I threw myself into my work. Any maternal feelings I had were spent on Merlin.
I couldn’t wait to get home from work each night. I wanted to pick up that warm bundle of loving fur and nestle him. I wanted to sing “Rock-a-bye Merlin”, as I did every night as he would put his paws around my neck.
Merlin was my comfort especially at times when I wondered if God was listening. But last night something had changed. Not only did I sing “Rock-a-Bye Merlin”, but I asked, “What will I do after you’re gone?”
Although Merlin was 19 years old, a senior in the age of a cat, he didn’t look or act that way. I didn’t want to accept the fact that he was nearing the end of his lifetime. My job at the law firm was so demanding and stressful that I couldn’t imagine getting through the day without Merlin waiting to greet me at home.
I dialed the vet’s number. I asked for my husband but he already left. Then I took a breath and asked the question that no one wants to ask, “Is my Merlin still alive?” The nurse said “yes.”
Ron came home and said that Merlin had almost no red blood cells left. White blood cells were replacing them. Merlin would need expensive transfusions most likely on a monthly basis. We both knew Merlin was running out of time. I asked Ron to drive me to the vet so I could say goodbye to my little boy cat but he was beat tired and it was late. Ron said if Merlin was still alive the next morning then he would take me to the vet.
The next morning I called the vet. Merlin had survived the night.
After driving to the vet, I went into the examining room. The nurse brought Merlin and placed him on an examining table on his side. His eyes were tightly shut. I thought he died already. I carefully edged my hand to reach his body. His body felt warm, but when I spoke his name there was no response. No response to his name or that I was there and that I loved him. I was extremely sad.
In that examining room I felt helpless. I wondered how many people in an examining room felt as helpless as I did.
Feeling driven to prayer I yelled, “God this isn’t good enough. I need to see my Merlin the way I remember him, I need a miracle and I need it now!”
At that moment, God granted a miracle. Merlin’s favorite compliment entered my mind. I said, “Merlin, You are Beautiful and You are Gorgeous, do you hear me?”
One eye opened.
I said “Gotcha”. I kept repeating those words.
Merlin opened the other eye and, one limb at a time, got up. He was waiting for that phrase. He wanted to hear that he was beautiful and gorgeous again.
Then I experienced another miracle.
There was no sound in that examining room until Merlin started walking to me. From out of nowhere, or maybe from heaven, I clearly heard a song we sung in church often: “It Is Well With My Soul.” I remembered thinking, “Yes, it is well with my Soul. I got to see my little boy cat one more time.”
Merlin walked to me. He put his face in mine, which he had never done before. He rubbed a circle around my face twice. Merlin said goodbye with his face and marked me for life.
Ron appeared shocked that Merlin was up and had walked to me. I said to Merlin, “Tell God you are a good boy and how much we love you” and then handed him back to the nurse.
Tears of gratitude poured forth in memory of a miracle. You see for nineteen years God spoke to me through a special cat named “Merlin.” On Merlin’s last day, God proved he heard me when he granted a miracle. That miracle gave me time to say goodbye.Ron’s wife couldn’t lose Merlin because ________.
| A．Merlin was her adopted child for nineteen years |
| B．Merlin could supply her with comfort and warmth |
| C．she failed to give birth to her own biological child |
| D．she would sing her usual song to no one later in life |
What did Ron’s wife think of Merlin?
①comfortable ②demanding ③long life
④full of devotion ⑤lovely ⑥religious
| A．①②⑥ | B．①②③ | C．④⑤⑥ | D．③④⑤ |
What does “The next morning I called the vet.” in Paragraph 8 imply?
| A．The writer turned to the vet because Merlin was in desperate condition. |
| B．The writer was so hopeless as to ask a favor of the vet. |
| C．Ron would accompany her wife to the vet to live up to his promise. |
| D．Ron did not care about Merlin so that the writer called the vet. |
When Merlin reached the examining room, ________.
| A．he shut his eyes tightly and was obviously dead |
| B．his body felt warm because the writer rubbed him hard |
| C．the writer chanted prayers to him trying to waking him up |
| D．the writer felt helpless to have no timely surgical operation |
We can infer from the passage that _______.
| A．we have to have faith in the church to get miracles in future life |
| B．God will not disappoint us if we are devoted to our loved ones |
| C．couples should have a child or something to fill in their free time |
| D．doctors may not always be reliable when our loved ones need their help |
Which of the following can be the proper title?
| A．The Miracle Granted | B．A Dying Cat |
| C．God Accompanying Us | D．Gratitude Out Of Miracle |
It’s not just great minds that think alike. Dozens of the genes involved in the vocal learning that underpins human speech are also active in some songbirds(黄莺). And knowing this suggests that birds could become a standard model for investigating the genetics of speech production and speech disorders.
Complex language is a uniquely human trait, but vocal learning — the ability to pick up new sounds by imitating others — is not. Some mammals, including whales, dolphins and elephants, share our ability to learn new vocalizations(发声). So do three groups of birds: the songbirds, parrots and hummingbirds.
The similarities between vocal learning in humans and birds are not just superficial. We know, for instance, that songbirds have specialised vocal learning brain circuits that are similar to those that mediate(传达) human speech.
What’s more, a decade ago we learned that FOXP2, a gene known to be involved in human language, is also active in “area X” of the songbird brain — one of the brain regions involved in those specialised vocal learning circuits.
Andreas Pfenning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his colleagues have now built on these discoveries. They compared maps of genetic activity in brain tissue taken from the zebra finch, budgerigar and Anna’s hummingbird, representing the three groups of vocal-learning birds.
They then compared these genetic maps with others taken from birds and primates that can’t learn new vocalisations, and with maps taken from the brains of six people who donated tissue to the Allen Brain Institute in Seattle.
Their results showed that FOXP2 is just one of 55 genes that show a similar pattern of activity in the brains of humans and the vocal-learning birds. Those same genes show different patterns of activity in the brains of animals incapable of vocal learning.
“The similarities are beyond one or a handful of genes,” says Pfenning. “There are just systematic molecular similarities between song-learning birds and humans.”
“There’s potential for songbirds to be used to study neurodegeneration(神经元退变) — especially conditions like Huntington’s,” says Pfenning. Huntington’s disease affects the ability to produce complex motor behaviour, such as singing and talking, so experiments with birds might implicate particular genes in the disease.
Constance Scharff at the Free University of Berlin in Germany, who helped identify the importance of FOXP2 for vocal learning in birds agrees that songbirds can make great models for human speech and its pathologies(病理学). “My lab’s research during the past 10 years has shown that FOXP2 is as relevant for birds’ song learning as it is for human speech learning,” she says.Which of the following is WRONG according to the passage?
| A．The songbirds, parrots and hummingbirdsimitate humans. |
| B．FOXP2 is active in one of the brain regions of the songbird brain. |
| C．Songbirds have the same vocal learning brain circuits as human. |
| D．FOXP2 is a gene that is known to be involved in human language. |
The underlined word “underpin” in the first paragraph probably means _______.
| A．increase | B．support |
| C．prevent | D．decrease |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．FOXP2 was involved in human language about 12 years ago. |
| B．Six people donated brain tissue to the Allen Brain Institute in Seattle. |
| C．Experiments with songbirds are likely to help cure Huntington’s disease. |
| D．Constance Scharff discovered at the Free University of Berlin. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Birds have different genes from humans. |
| B．Humans and birds share the same singing genes. |
| C．How FOXP2 affects the brains of humans and birds. |
| D．Experiments with birds can cure the disease of humans. |
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