Are we getting more stupid? According to Gerald Crabtree, a scientist at Stanford University in the US, we are. You may not want to hear this, but Crabtree believes that human intelligence reached its peak more than 2,000 years ago and ever since then has been going downhill. “If an average Greek from 1,000 BC were transported to modern times, he or she would be one of the brightest among us,” Crabtree told The Guardian.
At the heart of Crabtree’s thinking is a simple idea. In the past, intelligence was critical for survival when our ancestors had to avoid dangerous animals and hunt for food. The difference of being smart or stupid is often life or death. However, after the spread of agriculture, when our ancestors began to live in dense farming communities, the need to keep their intelligence in peak condition gradually reduced.
This is not hard to understand. Most of the time, pressure is what keeps us going – you need the pressure from your teachers to finish your homework; the pressure of looking pretty prompts(促使) you to lose weight when summer comes. And the same is also true of our intelligence – if we think less, we become less smart.
These mutations(变异) are harmful to our intelligence and they were all developed in the past 3,000 years. The other evidence that Crabtree holds is in our genes. He found that among the 2,000 to 5,000 genes that we have that determine human intelligence , there are two or more mutations in each of us.
However, Crabtree’s theory has been criticized by some who say that early humans may have better hunting and surviving abilities, but people today have developed a more diverse intelligence. For example, spearing a tiger doesn’t necessarily require more brainpower than playing chess or writing a poem. Moreover, the power of modern education means a lot more people have the opportunity to learn nowadays.
“You wouldn’t get Stephen Hawking 2,000 years ago. He just wouldn’t exist,” Thomas Hills of the University of Warwick, UK, told Live Science. “But now we have people of his intellectual capacity doing things and making insights(洞察力) that we would never have achieved in our environment of evolutionary adaptation.”What is Crabtree’s recent finding according to the article?
| A．The Greeks from 1,000 BC could have been the smartest in human history. |
| B．Our ancient ancestors had no better surviving abilities than we do nowadays. |
| C．Humans have been getting steadily more intelligent since the invention of farming. |
| D．Mutations in genes that decide human intelligence have affected the development of intelligence. |
According to Crabtree, ancient humans _______.
| A．had much more genes that determine human intelligence |
| B．were forced to be smart due to natural selection pressures |
| C．relied more on group intelligence than individual intelligence |
| D．developed a diverse intelligence to adapt to the hard realities |
Some argue that Crabtree’s theory is false because they think _______.
| A．people today are under much more pressure than early humans |
| B．it’s ridiculous to compare a hunter’s and a poet’s intelligence |
| C．modern education is far more advanced than ancient education |
| D．human intelligence nowadays is different from that of the distant past |
What is Thomas Hills’ attitude toward Crabtree’s theory?
| A．Supportive | B．Unfavorable |
| C．Worried | D．Confused |
CBC is a famous air company which has over twenty planes carrying passengers and goods, flying along 12 fixed lines all over the world. Its service is very good but some passengers are still not satisfied with it and that is why in 2008 and 2009 the company received letters of complaints from consumers or passengers who pointed out over a dozen kinds of problems which are divided in groups in the following table. Those about passengers’ things carried by the plane are Baggage problems. Consumer service refers to service work which passengers are not satisfied with. Over sales of seats are about the fact that more seats are sold and as a result the plane is too crowded to be safe. Refund（退票）problems appear when passengers fail to receive the money paid back to them because of what they have lost. Fares are problems about the price of tickets.
Consumer Complaints Received by the CBC
| Category |
2008 |
2009 |
| Flight problems |
20.2% |
22.1% |
| Baggage |
18.3% |
21.8% |
| Customer service |
3.1% |
11.3% |
| Over sales of seats |
10.5% |
11.8% |
| Refund problems |
10.1% |
8.1% |
| Fares |
6.4% |
6.0% |
| Reservation & Ticketing |
5.8% |
5.6% |
| Tours |
3.3% |
2.3% |
| Smoking |
3.2% |
2.9% |
| Advertising |
1.2% |
1.01% |
| Credit |
1.0% |
0.8% |
| Special passengers |
0.9% |
0.9% |
| Others |
6.0% |
5.3% |
| Total Number of Complaints |
2,998 |
1,792 |
By about what percent did the total number of complaints decrease from 2008 to 2009?
| A．40% | B．60% | C．75% | D．100% |
If the circle graphs below show total consumer complaints for 2008, which graph shows a dark part that is about Flight problems and Refund problems together?
| A． | B． | C． | D．    |
From the passage we can know that _____.
| A．customers are not satisfied with CBC |
| B．sometimes CBC sells more tickets than its plane’s most desirable seats |
| C．CBC has more than twenty planes which fly to all the capital cities of the world |
| D．customers can only buy tickets with ready money |
Last summer I went through a training program and became a literacy volunteer (扫盲志愿者). The training I received, though excellent, didn't tell me how it was to work with a real student, however. When I began to discover what other people’s lives were like because they could not read, I realized the true importance of reading.
My first student Marie was a 44-year-old single mother of three children. In the first lesson, I found out she walked two miles to the nearest supermarket twice a week because she didn't know which bus to take. When I told her I would get her a bus schedule, she told me it would not help because she couldn't read it. She said she also had difficulty once she got to the supermarket because she couldn't always remember what she needed. Also, she could only recognize items by sight, so if the product had a different label, she would not recognize it as the product she wanted.
As we worked together, learning how to read built Marie’s self-confidence. She began to make rapid progress and was even able to take the bus to the supermarket. After this successful trip, she reported how self-confident she felt. At the end of the program, she began helping her youngest son, Tony, a shy first grader, with his reading. I found that helping Marie to build her self-confidence was more rewarding than anything I had ever done before.
As a literacy volunteer, I learned a great deal about teaching and helping others. In fact, I may have learned more from the experience than Marie did.What did the writer do last summer?
| A．She worked in the supermarket. |
| B．She helped someone to learn to read. |
| C．She helped some single mothers. |
| D．She was trained by a literacy volunteer. |
Why didn't Marie go to the supermarket by bus at first?
| A．Because she liked to walk to the supermarket. |
| B．Because she didn't have a bus schedule. |
| C．Because she couldn't afford the bus ticket. |
| D．Because she couldn't find the right bus. |
How did Marie use to find the goods she wanted in the supermarket?
| A．She knew where the goods were in the supermarket. |
| B．She asked others to take her to the right place. |
| C．She managed to find the goods by their looks. |
| D．She remembered the names of the goods. |
Which of the statements is TRUE about Marie?
| A．She could do many things she had not been able to before. |
| B．She was able to read stories with the help of her son. |
| C．She decided to continue her studies in school. |
| D．She helped to build up my self-confidence. |
Traditional surgical procedures require surgeons to make large incisions(伤口) in a patient’s body in order to gain access to the internal organs. It was once common for heart surgeons, who perform highly specialized and complex procedures, to make long incisions in a patient’s chest and then split the breastbone to reach the heart. Patients who undergo surgery are often at the risk of infection, as bacteria can infect the cut in the skin. In addition, there is often a lengthy recovery period.
A surgical technique known as “keyhole surgery” has become more common in recent years. In general, the surgeon will make a couple of small incisions around the area where the operation is going to be performed. Tubes are pushed into the holes, and a tiny camera, which is called an endoscope, is put into the body. The camera is attached to a large monitor screen that is positioned so that the doctor can see it while he performs the operation. In addition to the camera, doctors also push their tiny surgical instruments through the tubes. The awkward part of keyhole surgery is that it is counterintuitive; that is to say, if a surgeon wants to move the tool to the left, he or she must push it to the right.
Other advancements in technology are also being used today in the OR (operation room). A new machine called the “da Vinci Surgical System” has been tested in hospitals in the U.S.. Unlike keyhole surgery, the da Vinci’s robot’s moving parts are designed to imitate the natural hand and wrist movement of a surgeon, thus providing better control and sensitivity. The system is controlled by a surgeon from a console(控制台). Sitting at a console a few feet from the patient, the surgeon can perform an operation by holding and moving highly sensitive pads that enable him or her to control the instruments. The area of the body on which the surgeon is working is enlarged on a screen, which is attached to the console. This gives surgeons a realistic three-dimensional view of the area — similar to what they would see during a traditional surgical procedure.
Although the da Vinci Surgical System is undergoing some trials for some procedures, it has been welcomed as revolutionary by many surgeons. Patients with serious illnesses must still undergo major surgery, but the smaller incisions and less invasive procedures typically mean that a shorter recovery time is needed. In some cases, the patient’s stay in the hospital has been cut in half when the da Vinci Surgical System was used. On the downside, some operations have taken up to fifty minutes longer because surgeons are inexperienced at using the new technology. As surgeons become more familiar with the machines, the time needed for surgical procedures is likely to decrease.What can be learned about the traditional surgery according to the passage?
| A．The cost of the traditional surgery is very high. |
| B．It often leaves a large wound in a person’s body. |
| C．Long incisions are made in a patient’s chest. |
| D．The incision is often infected after the operation. |
Which of the following is one DISADVANTAGE of keyhole surgery?
| A．It requires the use of long, thin tools and a tiny camera. |
| B．The doctor can not view the inside of the patient’s body clearly. |
| C．The direction in which a doctor moves the surgical tools is reversed. |
| D．An endoscope has to be inserted into the patient’s body in advance. |
The da Vinci Surgical System differs from keyhole surgery in that _______.
| A．requires that a surgeon make more small incisions on a patient |
| B．reduces the amount of time it takes to perform a surgical procedure |
| C．allows the surgeon to use the surgical instruments more sensitively |
| D．eliminates the need for surgeons to make large incisions on patients |
The passage mainly tells the reader ________.
| A．the challenges brought about by new technology |
| B．the benefits and drawbacks of the da Vinci Surgical System |
| C．the reflections on the development in medical science |
| D．the application of new technologies in modern surgery |
The Campus Bookstore
Bookie’s, the campus bookstore is located at the Campus Activity Centre, main floor.
Bookie’s is the only place in Kamloops to buy your course textbooks. There is a booklist in the bookstore listing the books required for each course. If you need help in finding your course textbooks, ask any of the staff in the bookstore.
There are more than just textbooks at bookie’s. They carry a wide variety of stationary, art supplies and gift items. You can also buy telephone cards, postage stamps and bus passes. You must show your student card to get a discount for the bus passes.
TEXTBOOK RETURNS
1) Do I need my receipt to return books?
Yes.
2) How long do I have to return books?
Books purchased must be returned within ten working days of the date of the purchase.
3) What if I wrote my name in the book?
Unfortunately, we can not give you a full refund for books not in mint condition as publishers will not accept this for credit.
4) What happens if I miss the last day for return?
We may purchase the text book as “used” in accordance with our Buyback program.
5) Ｗhat if I discover that my book has missing pages half way through the semester?
We will replace the defective books, new or used, for a like copy of that title. Cash refunds are not given for defective books returned outside the normal return dates. BUYBACKS
1) What books do you buy back?
We buy back all current edition textbooks. If we do not use them at UCC, we buy them back according to the value established in the North American marketplace.
2) How much do I get for my books?
If bookie’s is buying the book for use at UCC, you will receive 50% of the current new retail price. In order to receive optimum buyback price, discs and supplements must accompany the book.
3) What happens to the books that I sell?
Books for bookie’s are processed by our staff and sold to students at 75% of the new retail price.
4) What condition do my books need to be in?
Books should be in good condition, meaning that the cover is still attached and all pages intact. Highlighting, notes and markings on the pages are perfectly fine. Workbooks and study guides are generally not purchased back unless they are free of all markings. No sales receipt is required for these books.
Bookstore Hours
Monday–Thursday 9:00am–6:00pm
Friday 9:00am–5:00pm
Saturday and Sunday Closed The intended readers of this passage are _______.
| A．Book dealers | B．University students | C．Publishers | D．Campus staff |
The underlined word “defective” can best be replaced by ________.
| A．latest | B．adapted | C．new | D．faulty |
Bookie’s will not buy back your used textbook if _______.
| A．the cover of the book is missing | B．there are markings and notes on the pages |
| C．you have lost the sales receipt | D．you miss the last day for return |
Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Bookie’s is a place for students to buy their course textbooks. |
| B．Student cards are needed to get a discount for the textbooks. |
| C．Books bought in bookie’s can be returned within ten working days. |
| D．Books bought back are processed by the staff and sold to students. |
The two-week vacation at the end of summer school ended yesterday. Kevin had gone nowhere during his vacation. He had the money, but he hated to travel alone. He used to take vacations with Gary, his youngest brother, but they had a big argument at the end of their last vacation. Each of them had spent the last three years waiting for the other to apologize.
Kevin did not feel good about being on non-speaking terms with his favorite brother. But he was not going to ask for forgiveness when, in his mind, this whole misunderstanding was his brother’s fault.
So Kevin’s summer vacation was spent in his own “back yard.” As usual, he had planned to clean up his apartment. As usual, two weeks later his apartment looked just as it had two weeks before.
He did do one thing new and different during his vacation. There was a new coffee shop on Foothill Street. It served 25 varieties of delicious coffee at reasonable prices, and the staff was genuinely friendly. The shop was air-conditioned at a slightly chilly temperature. About eight small round tables were inside. Outside were four bigger tables. Each had four white metal chairs around it, and several big umbrellas provided shade. Even on hot afternoons, there was usually a pleasant breeze.
Kevin visited the coffee shop four times during his vacation. He always sat at a table outside by himself and read the free daily paper. Each day he was there, he read most of the newspaper articles while he enjoyed two cups of coffee.
Between articles, he took breaks by watching the nearby traffic and pedestrians. The coffee shop was next to a huge parking lot. The lot was for customers of a grocery store, movie rental store, pharmacy, bank, and restaurant. Kevin considered his outdoor seat the perfect place for one of his favorite activities—people watching.
The coffee shop, with its excellent location and coffee, had helped make his vacation a pleasant one. But he knew in his heart, had his brother been there to join him just one day, his vacation would have been a perfect one. Why didn’t Kevin go anywhere during his vacation？
| A．Because he was short of money. | B．Because he didn’t like traveling. |
| C．Because he had no company. | D．Because he had to clean up his apartment. |
What did Kevin do in his vacation?
| A．He cleaned up his apartment. | B．He had a big argument with Gary. |
| C．He worked in a parking lot. | D．He stayed at home most of the time. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the coffee house?
| A．It served delicious coffee of different flavors. |
| B．It had an effective air-conditioning system. |
| C．It was often crowded with local customers. |
| D．It provided free newspapers for customers. |
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