Women are friendly. But men are more competitive. Why? Researchers have found it’s all down to the hormone oxytocin(荷尔蒙催生素). Although known as the love hormone, it affects the sexes differently.
“Women tend to be social in their behavior. They often share with others. But men tend to be competitive. They are trying to improve their social status,” said Professor Ryan.
Generally, people believe that the hormone exytocin is let out in our body in various social situations and our body creates a large amount of it during positive social interaction（互动）such as falling in love or giving birth.
But in a previous experiment Professor Ryan found that the hormone is also let out in our body during negative social interactions such as envy.
Further researches showed that in men the hormone oxytocin improves the ability to recognize competitive relationships, but in women it raises the ability to recognize friendship.
Professor Ryan’s recent experiment used 62 men and women aged 20 to 37.
Half of the participants（参与者）received oxytocin. The other half received placebo（安慰剂）.
After a week, the two groups switched with participants. They went through the same procedure with the other material.
Following each treatment, they were shown some video pictures with different social interactions. Then they were asked to analyze the relationships by answering some questions. The questions were about telling friendship from competition. And their answers should be based on gestures, body language and facial expressions.
The results indicated that, after treatment with oxytocin, men’s ability to correctly recognize competitive relationships improved, but in women it was the ability to correctly recognize friendship that got better.
Professor Ryan thus concluded: “Our experiment proves that the hormone oxytocin can raise people’s abilities to better distinguish different social interactions. And the behavior differences between men and women are caused by biological factor（因素）that are mainly hormonal.” What causes men and women to behave differently according to the text?
| A．Placebo. |
| B．Oxytocin. |
| C．The gesture. |
| D．The social status. |
What can we learn from Professor Ryan’s previous experiment?
| A．Oxytocin affects our behavior in a different way. |
| B．Our body lets out oxytocin when we are deep in love. |
| C．Our body produces oxytocin when we feel unhappy about others’ success. |
| D．Oxytocin improves our abilities to understand people’s behavior differences. |
Why did Professor Ryan conduct the recent experiment?
| A．To test the effect of oxytocin on the ability to recognize social interactions. |
| B．To know the differences between friendship and competition. |
| C．To know people’s different abilities to answer questions. |
| D．To test people’s understanding of body language. |
The author develops the text by _______.
| A．explaining people’s behavior |
| B．describing his own experiences |
| C．distinguishing sexual differences |
| D．discussing research experiments |
D
Anyone for rocket salad? The Chinese are now growing huge vegetables from seeds they sent into space.
If you are the type who worries about the air miles travelled by fruits and vegetables, these beauties aren’t for you. It's because they have travelled a little further than most.
The seeds from which they grew were fired into space, where they orbited the earth for two weeks. Once they returned they were grown in hothouses, producing the monster kinds seen here.
China, which is behind these space fruits and vegetables, says they could be the answer to the world's food crisis.
The 21-pound tomatoes, nine-inch
chillies, 15-stone pumpkins and large watermelons growing at the Gu
angdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences’ hothouses can feed many more than their smaller cousins, and may have more nutrients, the scientists say.
Researcher Lo Zhigang said, "Traditional agricultural development has taken us as far as we can go and demand for food from a growing population is endless. Space seeds offer the opportunity to grow fruits and vegetables bigger and faster. "
He admitted he and his colleagues could not explain why time in orbit caused the seeds to change genetic structure. But they guessed exposure to the cosmic（宇宙的）radiation that attacked the spacecraft in orbit, as well as the near zero gravity conditions, microgravity, could play a part.
"We don't think there's any threat to human health because the genes themselves do not change; just their order changes," he said. "With genetically-modified（GM）crops you have seen environmental problems because they have added genes that can damage other organisms. But with space seeds they don't gain genes; they can only lose them. "
He also claimed the Vitamin C content in some space vegetables was nearly three times higher than in common vegetables, while levels of zinc are also increased.
Western scientists are doubtful. NASA researchers who have experimented with seeds in space say there is not enough benefit to show the cost is reasonable.
63. What do the underlined words "these beauties" in Paragraph 2 probably refer to ______?
A. Beautiful views along the air routes. B. Travelling experiences in space.
C. Seeds fired into space. D. Giant vegetables.
64. We can infer from Lo’s words in Paragraph 6 that _______.
A. our conventional agriculture has developed too slowly.
B. we are asking too much from nature
C. space seeds may help meet our demand for food
D. we'll grow crops in space in the future
65. Why the seeds changed their genetic structure _______.
A. remains to be proved
B. is discovered by Lo Zhigang
C. has something to do with the conditions in hothouses
D. is due to the radiation that attacked them directly
66. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A. Western scientists’ doubt is unreasonable.
B. Western scientists don’t believe that Chinese scientists have succeeded in the experiment.
C. Western scientists have proved space seeds to be of no benefit.
D. Western scientists think the cost of space seeds outweighs the benefits
C
Doomed beauties such as Cleopata and Manilyn Monore were far from alone in their misery. Very attractive people tend to form partnerships that are less stable and satisfying than those enjoyed by plain Janes.
According to the research by Dr John Blain of the University of Southern California, relationships between people whose professions largely depend on their appearance, such as models or actors, tend to end much faster than those between lawyers, doctors and students.
Blaine said the beautiful felt different from children. They are treated as special, which may create both arrogance(傲慢) and insecurity. All too often, beauty can be used as an alternative to education. Often they are pushed out of their class or town, told to go off and make their fortune in Hollywood or London and, when the majority fails, they have few talents to make a living.
Blaine added that beautiful people score poorly on the “big five”--- the key factors American experts consider when helping distressed couples. These are neuroticism(神经过敏)，including anger and anxiety; extroversion(性格外向) ；openness to new experiences; agreeableness; and conscientiousness, or sticking by agreements they have made. Attractive people often see no reason to try to change until their looks start to fade.
Krista Sutherlanf ,of the University of California Los Angeles, said partnerships that appeared to be perfect from the outside, such as the former “dram teams” of Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise or Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Hurley, where backgrounds and aspirations(抱负) are often shared, did not necessarily lead to happiness.
59. What does the underline sentence “Doomed beauties such as Cleopata and Manilyn Monore were far from alone in their misery.” mean?
A. Beautiful women always felt lonely.
B. Beautiful women were always alone.
C. Many beautiful women didn’t end up with a happy life.
D. Beautiful women always lived a happy life.
60. The underlined phrase “plain Janes” in the passage refers to “________”.
A. ordinary-looking women B. women called Jane
C. common people D. attractive women
61. We can infer in the passage that_____________.
A. Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Hurley were a couple.
B. Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise were very satisfied with their life.
C. when they fail in Hollywood, the beautiful have little trouble in making a living.
D. the marriage of the beautiful often lasts long.
62. Which of the following is the best title?
A. Five Key Factors Affecting the Partnership. B. Beauties Are Doomed to Fail in Love.
C. Beautiful Or Common? D. The Beauties Are Different.
B
When it comes to romance（浪漫）, women prefer someone who is humorous while men choose those who catch their eye, according to an international survey.
The survey, done in 16 countries by Canadian romance publisher Harlequin Enterprises, asked men and women on six continents about personality they liked or disliked and how they went about trying to meet Mr. or Ms Right.
The survey showed differences between countries in the way people tried to impress the opposite sex.
Australians and British men frequently admitted drinking too much, while about half of German and Italian men said they had lied about their finances. Spaniards(people in Spain) were the most likely to use sex to catch someone’s attention.
Eighty percent of Brazilian and Mexican men said they had lied about their marriage or romance as did 70 percent of German women, the survey said.
When it came to meeting that special someone, a majority of respondents(被告) preferred to rely on friends for introductions. The Internet was not a popular hunting ground except in Portugal, where about half the surveyed men and women would like to find people online.
There was a gap between the two sexes in Spain and France. Thirty percent of Spanish men, but no Spanish women, looked for love online. In France, 40 percent of men but only 10 percent of women attended parties, bars and clubs to meet someone, but they did have one thing in common: both sexes regarded looks as more important than their counterparts（相对应的人） in other countries.
When it came to that first meeting, a majority of men surveyed said beauty was more important than brains, while women put a sense of humor at the top of their list.
Physical attraction was the most important for men in France, Brazil, Greece, Japan and Britain. And while 40 percent of Portuguese men regarded intelligence over looks in a first meeting, no Australian men did so.
In the United States and Canada, humor was considered the most important personality by men and women, getting 63 and 73 percent of the vote respectively.
55. Appearance is the most important for men in the following countries except in ___________.
A. Britain B. Japan C. France D. Spain
56. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A. Portuguese enjoy looking for love online best.
B. Humor is considered the most important personality by both Americans and Australians.
C. Brazilian and Mexican men like to lie about their finances.
D. Few people preferred to rely on friends for introductions.
57. Which is NOT mentioned as the standard of looking for love in the passage?
A. Humor. B. Generosity. C. Beauty. D. Intelligence.
58. The purpose of the writer is to tell us _________________ when choosing the opposite sex.
A. the differences between men and women in different counties
B. women prefers humor while men prefers beauty
C. not all men prefer beauty to brains
D. love is more important than anything else
第三部分 阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分, 满分40分）
阅读下列短文, 从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中, 选出最佳选项。
A
While researchers have long shown that tall people earn more than their shorter counterparts, it's not only social discrimination that accounts for this inequality -- tall people are just smarter than their height-challenged peers, a new study finds.
"As early as age three -- before schooling has had a chance to play a role -- and throughout childhood, taller children perform significantly better on cognitive tests," wrote Anne Case and Christina Paxson of Princeton University in a paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
The findings were based primarily on two British studies that followed children born in 1958 and 1970, respectively, through adulthood and a U.S. study on height and occupational choice.
Other studies have pointed to low self-esteem, better health that accompanies greater height, and social discrimination as culprits(罪犯) for lower pay for shorter people.
But researchers Case and Paxson believe the height advantage in the job world is more than just a question of image.
"As adults, taller individuals are more likely to select into higher paying occupations that require more advanced verbal and numerical skills and greater intelligence, for which they earn handsome returns," they wrote.
For both men and women in the United States and the United Kingdom, a height advantage of four inches equated with a 10 percent increase in wages on average.
But the researchers said the differences in performance crop up long before the tall people enter the job force. Prenatal care(产前护理) and the time between birth and the age of 3 are critical periods for determining future cognitive ability and height.
"Prenatal care and prenatal nutrition are just incredibly important, even more so than we already knew," Case said in an interview.
Since the study's data only included populations in the United Kingdom and the United States, the findings could not be applied to other regions, Case said.
And how tall are the researchers?
They are both about 5 feet 8 inches tall, well above the average height of 5 feet 4 inches for American women.
51. What can be learnt from the study of Anne Case and Christina Paxson is that ______.
A. the reason for lower pay for shorter people is social discrimination
B. taller children perform significantly better on cognitive test
C. tall people earn more than shorter counterparts
D. prenatal care and prenatal nutrition are less important than we already knew
52. Which period is the most important for determining future cognitive ability and height?
A. between age 3 and schooling B. between birth and the age of 3
C. the whole childhood D. between 1958 and 1970
53. The underlined phrase “crop up” in the Eighth Paragraph is closest in meaning to ______.
A. get in B. rise up C. come up D. stand up
54. The best title for this passage would be _______.
A. Tall people earn more than shorter counterparts
B. A study on height and occupational choice
C. The difference between tall people and short people
D. Taller people are smarter
D
Yesterday was our three-year anniversary. We didn’t do anything romantic: we just walked hand in hand and talked about our past and future. This was pretty much what I had expected.
Andy is unromantic guy: no sweet words or roses. Smart as he is, he is a little bit shy expressing his love. However, I am an outspoken girl who likes to show her feelings directly. So needless to say, I often feel that is insensitive. I envy other girls who are surrounded by sweet words from their boyfriends.
I was in this sullen mood until I heard a beautiful sentence one day: “If someone does not love you in the way you like, it does not mean that he does not love you.” This simple but sensible sentence made me think about our happy days and recall his deep concern for me.
One cold winter night, I got a high fever. He hurried to my dorm and took me to the hospital. He was in such a hurry that he even forgot to wear socks. Upon arrival, he ran through the hospital handling all the formalities(手续). When I was put on a drip（输液）, he told me interesting stories to make me happy. Being held in his warm arms and listening to his tender voice, I had never felt so safe and comfortable. Gradually, I felt asleep. When I woke up 15 minutes later, he was still whispering to me. He explained that if he had stopped talking I would have waken up. At that moment, I found love in his sparkling eyes.
Another time, I had a bad quarrel with my best friend. Although I knew it was my fault, I refused to admit it. I was angry when he insisted I apologize to her. He said that it was difficult to admit a mistake, but this was what everyone should do. The next morning, I apologized to my friend and asked for her forgiveness.
My unromantic boyfriend cares about my health like my father, understand me like my mother and helps me like my elder brother.
67. Why does the author envy other girls of her age?
A. Their boyfriends look more handsome. B. Their boyfriends express love directly.
C. They win a lot of praise from colleagues. D. They often receive roses.
68. The word “sullen” in Paragraph 3 can be best replaced by “ ”.
A. cheerful B. calm C. happy D. bad
69. The author mentioned her experience in hospital to show Andy .
A. loves her greatly B. is always careless C. is sometimes shy D. is good at telling stories
70. The writer writes the passage to tell us that .
A. Andy is very outspoken B. Andy is a perfect husband
C. Andy has his own way to express love D. Andy cares more about others
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