At thirteen, I was diagnosed（诊所） with kind of attention disorder. It made school difficult for me. When everyone else in the class was focusing on tasks, I could not.
In my first literature class, Mrs.Smith asked us to read a story and then write on it, all within 45 minutes. I raised my hand right away and said,”Mrs.Smith, you see, the doctor said I have attention problems. I might not be able to do it.”
She glanced down at me through her glasses, “you are no different from your classmates, young man.”
I tried, but I didn’t finish the reading when the bell rang. I had to take it home.
In the quietness of my bedroom, the story suddenly all became clear to me. It was about a blind person, Louis Braille. He lived in a time when the blind couldn’t get much education. But Louis didn’t give up. Instead, he invented a reading system of raised dots（点）, which opened up a whole new world of knowledge to the blind.
Wasn’t I the “blind” in my class, being made to learn like the “sighted” students? My thoughts spilled out and my pen started to dance. I completed the task within 40 minutes. Indeed, I was no different from others; I just needed a quieter place. If Louis could find his way out of his problems, why should I ever give up?
I didn’t expect anything when I handled in my paper to Mrs.Smith, so it was quite a surprise when it came back to me the next day- with an ”A” on it. At the bottom of the paper were these words:”See what you can do when you keep trying?”
The author didn’t finish the reading in class because.
| A．He was new to the class |
| B．He was tried of literature |
| C．He had an attention disorder |
| D．He wanted to take the task home |
What do we know about Louis Braille from the passage?
| A．He had good sight |
| B．He made a great invention. |
| C．He gave up reading |
| D．He learned a lot from school |
What was Mrs.Smith’s attitude to the author at the end of the story?
| A．Angry | B．Impatient |
| C．Sympathetic | D．Encouraging |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．The disabled should be treated with respect. |
| B．A teacher can open up a new world to students. |
| C．One can find his way out of difficulties with efforts. |
| D．Everyone needs a hand when faced with challenges. |
At the beginning of the World Series of 1947, I experienced a completely new emotion, when the National Anthem was played. This time, I thought, it is being played for me, as much as for anyone else. This is organized major league baseball, and I am standing here with all the others; and everything that takes place includes me.
About a year later, I went to Atlanta, Georgia, to play in an exhibition game. On the field, for the first time in Atlanta, there were Negroes and whites. Other Negroes besides me. And I thought: What I have always believed has come to be.
And what is it that I have always believed? First, that imperfections are human. But that wherever human beings were given room to breathe and time to think, those imperfections would disappear, no matter how slowly. I do not believe that we have found or even approached perfection. That is not necessarily in the scheme of human events. Handicaps, stumbling blocks, prejudices--all of these are imperfect. Yet, they have to be dealt with because they are in the scheme of human events.
Whatever obstacles I found made me fight all the harder. But it would have been impossible for me to fight at all, except that I was sustained by the personal and deep-rooted belief that my fight had a chance. It had a chance because it took place in a free society. Not once was I forced to face and fight an immovable object. Not once was the situation so cast-iron rigid that I had no chance at all. Free minds and human hearts were at work all around me; and so there was the probability of improvement. I look at my children now, and know that I must still prepare them to meet obstacles and prejudices.
But I can tell them, too, that they will never face some of these prejudices because other people have gone before them. And to myself I can say that, because progress is unalterable, many of today's dogmas (教条) will have vanished by the time they grow into adults. I can say to my children: There is a chance for you. No guarantee, but a chance. And this chance has come to be, because there is nothing static with free people. There is no Middle Ages logic so strong that it can stop the human tide from flowing forward. I do not believe that every person, in every walk of life, can succeed in spite of any handicap. That would be perfection. But I do believe--and with every fiber in me--that what I was able to attain came to be because we put behind us (no matter how slowly) the dogmas of the past: to discover the truth of today; and perhaps find the greatness of tomorrow.
I believe in the human race. I believe in the warm heart. I believe in man's honesty. I believe in the goodness of a free society. And I believe that the society can remain good only as long as we are willing to fight for it--and to fight against whatever imperfections may exist. My fight was against the barriers that kept Negroes out of baseball. This was the area where I found imperfection, and where I was best able to fight. And I fought because I knew it was not doomed to be a losing fight. It couldn't be a losing fight-not when it took place in a free society. And in the largest sense, I believe that what I did was done for me--that it was my faith in God that sustained me in my fight. And that what was done for me must and will be done for others.Why did the author say he had experienced a completely new emotion________?
| A．Because he won game. |
| B．Because he was an American. |
| C．Because he could compete in the game and won the game. |
| D．Because the National Game was played for him. |
From the passage, we know that the author is ___________.
| A．an African. | B．a Chinese |
| C．a white man | D．a black man |
The author firmly believed that____________.
| A．humans are imperfect if they all unite together to overcome the difficulties. |
| B．humans needn’t approach perfect even if they can. |
| C．humans should face the obstacles and fight for it bravely. |
| D．humans are becoming kind and honest if they have freedom. |
We can infer from the passage that_________.
| A．the fight between Negroes and Whites never ends |
| B．the civil war broke out because the Negroes fought for their freedom |
| C．In the past Negroes were kept out of baseball. |
| D．the fight ended up with a game. |
The underlined word ‘vanished’ most probably means __________
| A．disappear | B．increase | C．appear | D．happen |
The best title of this passage may be_________.
| A．Nothing matters except fighting |
| B．Success lies in hard work |
| C．freedom is everything |
| D．Free Minds and Hearts makes a difference |
The question of whether our government should promote science and technology or the liberal arts(文科) in higher education isn’t an either/or proposition(命题), although the current emphasis on preparing young Americans for STEM（science, technology, engineering, maths）-related fields can make it seem that way.
The latest congressional report acknowledges the critical importance of technical training, but also states firmly that the study of the humanities and social sciences must remain central components of America’s educational system at all levels. Both are critical to producing citizens who can participate effectively in our democratic society, become creative leaders, and benefit from the spiritual enrichment that the reflection on the great ideas of mankind over time provides.
Parents and students who have invested heavily in higher education worry about graduates’ job prospects as technological advances and changes in domestic and global markets transform professions in ways that reduce wages and cut jobs. Under these circumstances, it’s natural to look for what may appear to be the most “practical” way out of the problem “Major in a subject designed to get you a job” seems the obvious answer to some, though this ignores the fact that many disciplines in the humanities characterized as “soft” often, in fact, lead to employment and success in the long run. Indeed, according to surveys, employers have expressed a preference for students who have received a broadly-based education that has taught them to write well, think critically, research creatively, and communicate easily.
Moreover, students should be prepared not just for their first job, but for their 4th and 5th jobs, as there’s little reason to doubt that people entering the workforce today will be called upon to play many different roles over the course of their careers. The ones who will do the best in this new environment will be those whose educations have prepared them to be flexible. The ability to draw upon every available tool and insight--picked up from science, arts, and technology--to solve the problems of the future, and take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves, will be helpful to them and the United States.What does the latest congressional report suggest________?
| A．STEM-related subjects help students find jobs in the information society. |
| B．Higher education should be adjusted to the practical needs of society. |
| C．The liberal arts in higher education help enrich students’ spiritual life. |
| D．The humanities and STEM subjects should be given equal importance. |
What kind of job applicants do employers look for_______?
| A．Those who have a strong sense of responsibility. |
| B．Those who are good at solving practical problems. |
| C．Those who are likely to become innovative leaders. |
| D．Those who have received an all-round education. |
What advice does the author give to college students________?
| A．Seize opportunities to explore their potential. |
| B．Try to take a variety of practical courses. |
| C．Adopt a flexible approach to solving problems. |
| D．catch as many chances as possible to change their jobs. |
Energy independence has a nice ring to it. Doesn’t it? If you think so, you’re not alone, because energy independence has been the dream of American president for decades, and never more so than in the past few years, when the most recent oil price shock has been partly responsible for kicking off the great recession.
“Energy independence” and its rhetorical (修辞的) companion “energy security” are, however, slippery concepts that are rarely though through. What is it we want independence from, exactly?
Most people would probably say that they want to be independent from imported oil. But there are reasons that we buy all that old from elsewhere.
The first reason is that we need it to keep our economy running. Yes, there is a trickle（涓涓细流）of biofuel（生物燃料）available, and more may become available, but most biofuels cause economic waste and environmental destruction.
Second, Americans have basically decided that they don’t really want to produce all their own oil. They value the environmental quality they preserve over their oil imports from abroad. Vast areas of the United States are off-limits to oil exploration and production in the name of environmental protection. To what extent are Americans really willing to endure the environmental impacts of domestic energy production in order to cut back imports?
Third, there are benefits to trade. It allows for economic efficiency, and when we buy things from places that have lower production costs than we do, we benefit. And although you don’t read about this much, the United States is also a large exporter of oil products, selling about 2 million barrels of petroleum products per day to about 90 countries.
There is no question that the United States imports a great deal of energy and, in fact, relies on that steady flow to maintain its economy. When that flow is interrupted, we feel the pain in short supplies and higher prices. At the same time, we obtain massive economic benefits when we buy the most affordable energy on the world market and when we engage in energy trade around the world.What does the author say about energy independence for America?
| A．It sounds very attractive. |
| B．It ensures national security. |
| C．It will bring oil prices down |
| D．It has long been everyone’s dream. |
Why does America rely heavily on oil imports?
| A．It wants to expand its storage of crude oil(原油). |
| B．Its own oil reserves are quickly running out. |
| C．It wants to keep its own environment undamaged. |
| D．Its own oil production falls short of demand. |
What does the author say about oil trade?
| A．It proves profitable to both sides. |
| B．It improves economic efficiency. |
| C．It makes for economic prosperity. |
| D．It saves the cost of oil exploration. |
Chimpanzees, long considered reluctant to share, apparently can display selfless tendencies, revealing one more key way our closest living relatives are like humans, scientists find. These findings could shed light on the evolution of altruism in humans.
Previously, a belief was widely held that human altruism evolved only after humans split from their ape cousins about 6 million years ago. In recent years, however, research has revealed just how much chimpanzees have in common with us. They can hunt with spears, play with dolls and mourn their partners’ death.
"Most of the earlier studies had presented the apes with a complex implement that helped them deliver food to themselves or others, often so complicated that the experiments tested tool skills rather than social tendencies," De Waal told Live Science. "Ours is the first study that uses no such implement at all."
In addition to using complex food-delivery systems, past experiments often placed the chimpanzees so far apart that they might not have realized how their actions benefited others. In these new, simplified experiments, two apes were housed next to each other with a screen through which they could see each other. Then, one chimpanzee had to choose between two differently colored tokens (币) from a bin, one of which represented a pro-social (亲社会的) option, the other a selfish option. The pro-social option would cause both chimpanzees to receive a piece of banana wrapped in paper. The selfish option only rewarded the ape who made the choice.
In a study with seven adult female chimps placed into various pairs, the scientists found all the apes showed a definite preference for the pro-social option. "For me, the most important finding is that like us, chimpanzees take into account the needs and wishes of others," researcher Victoria Horner, said.
The chimpanzees behaved especially altruistically toward partners who either patiently waited or gently reminded them that they were there by drawing attention to themselves. They were less likely to reward partners who pressured through making a fuss, begging persistently or spitting water at them. This is opposite to a long-standing view that the chimpanzees only share food under pressure.The word "altruism" (paragraph 1) is closest in meaning to ______.
| A．selfishness | B．selflessness |
| C．willingness | D．reluctance |
Recent researches are performed with less complicated implements mainly to ______.
| A．show that chimps are only good at using implements |
| B．see whether chimps are willing to share food with others |
| C．find out if chimps are likely to reward partners |
| D．test chimps’ social tendencies instead of tool skills |
Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?
| A．Evolution History of Altruism in Humans |
| B．Similarities between Chimps and Mankind |
| C．Chimps Do Show Selfless Behavior |
| D．Chimps Only Share Food under Pressure |
Many theories regarding the causes of juvenile delinquency (crimes committed by young people) focus either on the individual or on society as the major contributing influence. Theories on the individual suggest that children criminal behavior before they were not sufficiently for previous misbehaviors or that they have learned criminal behavior through interaction with others. Theories focusing on the role of society suggest that children commit crimes in to their failure to rise above their socioeconomic status or as a rejection of middle-class values.
Most theories of juvenile delinquency have focused on children from families, the fact that children from wealthy homes also commit crimes. The latter may commit crimes for lack of adequate control from parents. All , however, are uncertain or unimproved and are of course challenged with criticism.
Changes in the social structure may indirectly juvenile crime rates. For example, changes in the economy that to fewer job opportunities for youth and rising unemployment make gainful employment increasingly difficult to obtain. This results in among youths and may in lead more youths into criminal behavior.
Families have also experienced these years. More families consist of one parent households or two working parents; , children are likely to have less supervision at home than was common in the traditional family . This lack of parental supervision is thought to be an influence on juvenile crime rates. Other noticeable of offensive acts include experience or failure in school, the availability of drugs and alcohol, and the growing phenomenon of child abuse and child neglect. All these conditions tend to increase the of a child committing a criminal act, a direct cause and effect relationship has not yet been established.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
粤公网安备 44130202000953号