Do you forget to turn off the lights and heaters when you go out of a room? In 2040 it will not matter. They will turn themselves off—and on again when you return. You will choose the temperature for each room, the lighting and the humidity. A sensor will find the presence of a human (and, with luck, ignore the dog!) and turn the systems on, and when the humans leave it will turn them off again.
The sensors will work through the central home computer, and they will do much more than just turn the fires and lights on and off for you. They will find faulty electrical appliances, plugs or switches, separate them so that they cannot harm anyone, and then warn you that they need repair. They will detect(发现) fire and if you are out of the house, the computer will call the fire brigade. It will not be too difficult because the locks on the outside doors will be electronic. You will open them using your personal card—the one you use for shopping—maybe using a number known only to you.
It will be impossible to lose the key, and a housebreaker will have to tamper(拨弄) with the lock or with a window. It is not very difficult to make such tampering send a signal to the computer.
The computer will be more than a fireman-policeman-servant. It will be an entertainer, and most of your entertainment will come right into your home. It does now, of course, but by 2040 “entertainment” will mean much more. For one thing, you will be able to take part actively, rather than just watching.
46. The author intends to tell us that _____.
A. in 2040 we will live without lights and heaters
B. in 2040 we will use much more lights and heaters
C. in 2040 there will be no switches of lights and heaters
D. in 2040 lights and heaters will be on and off automatically
47. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
The sensor is multi-functional.
Without a computer, the sensor cannot do much.
The sensor will detect fire and make an emergency call.
You can be taken for a housebreaker if you tamper with the lock or with a window.
48. According to the author, in 2040, new technology _____.
A. will free us from the keys we use today
B. will turn everything into sensors
C. will make the locks out of date
D. will get rid of all crimes
49. Thanks to computers, in 2040 people _____.
A. will have no entertainment outside
B. will replace TV with computers
C. will be controlled by computers
D. will have more fun at home
50. The best title for the passage might be _____.
A. Sensors and Computers
B. Life at Home in the Year 2040
C. The Development of Science and Technology
D. Lights and Heaters in the Year 2040
Critics of cloning often repeat the question related to the controversial(有争议的) science “Just because we can, does it mean we should?” The closer we come to being able to clone a human, the hotter the debate over it grows. For all the good things cloning may achieve, opponents say that it will do just as much harm. Another question is how to governing cloning process.
There is federal official law banning cloning in the United States, but several states have passed their own laws to ban the practice. The US Food and Drugs Administration(FDA), has also said that anyone in the United States attempting human cloning must first get its permission. In Japan, human cloning is a crime that is punished by up to 10 years in prison.
While laws are to ban cloning at this time, some scientists believe that the technology is not ready to be tested on humans. Ian Wilmut, one of the co-creators of Dolly, has even said that human cloning projects would be an irresponsible crime. Cloning technology is still in its early stages, and nearly 98% percent of cloning efforts end in failure. The embryos are either not suitable for implanting into the uterus(子宫) or they die shortly after birth.
The clones that do survive end up suffering from deadly or problematic genetic abnormalities(畸形). Some clones have been born with faulty heart, lung problems and blood vessel problems. One of the most famous cases was a cloned sheep that was born with but malformed arteries(畸形动脉) leading to the lungs.
Opponents of cloning will point out that we can enthanize(安乐死) these faulty clones of other animals, but they ask what if a human clone is born with these same problems. Advocates of cloning respond that it is now easier to pick out faulty embryos even before they are implanted into the mother. The debate over human cloning is just beginning, but as science advances, it could be the biggest moral dilemma of the 21st century.
68. Which word in the text is the opposite of the underlined word “opponents”?
A. critics B. advocates C. scientists D. co-creators
69. The writer writes this passage mainly to ________________.
A. support passing laws to ban human cloning
B. list problems with human cloning
C. introduce critics’ ideas about human cloning
D. state the debate over human cloning
70. Which of the following will Ian Wilmut probably NOT agree with?
A. Cloning technology is in its early stages.
B. Human cloning should be made illegal.
C. Very few cloning efforts are successful.
D. Cloning technology is ready to be tested on humans
Along the river banks of the Amazon and the Orinoco there lives a bird that swims before it can fly, flies like a fat chicken, eats green leaves, has the stomach of a cow and has claws(爪)on its wings when young .They build their homes about 4.6m above the river ,an important feature(特征)for the safety of the young. It is called the hoatzin.
In appearance，the birds of both sexes look very much alike with brown on the back and cream and red on the underside .The head is small, with a large set of feathers on the top, bright red eyes, and blue skin. Its nearest relatives are the common birds, cuckoos. Its most striking feature, though, is only found in the young.
Baby hoatzins have a claw on the leading edge of each wing and another at the end of each wing tip .Using these four claws ,together with the beak(喙),they can climb about in the bushes, looking very much like primitive birds must have done. When the young hoatzins have learned to fly, they lose their claws.
During the drier months between December and March hoatzins fly about the forest in groups of 20 to 30 birds, but in April, when the rainy season begins, they collect together in smaller living units of two to seven birds for producing purposes.What is the text mainly about?
| A．Hoatzins in dry and rainy seasons. |
| B．The relatives and enemies of hoatzins. |
| C．Primitive birds and hoatzins of the Amazon. |
| D．The appearance and living habits of hoatzins. |
Young hoatzins are different from their parents in that ．
| A．they look like young cuckoos |
| B．they have claws on the wings |
| C．they eat a lot like a cow |
| D．they live on river banks |
What can we infer about primitive birds from the text?
| A．They had claws to help them climb. |
| B．They could fly long distances. |
| C．They had four wings like hoatzins. |
| D．They had a head with long feathers on the top. |
Why do hoatzins collect together in smaller groups when the rainy season comes?
| A．To find more food. |
| B．To protect themselves better. |
| C．To keep themselves warm. |
| D．To produce their young. |
Professional adventurer Mike Horn never met a challenge he didn’t welcome. In fact according to Horn, “The impossible exists only until we find a way to make it possible.”
As a child in Johannesburg, South Africa, Horn excelled at sports and loved adventure. But it wasn’t until he moved to Switzerland in 1990 that his life of adventure really began.
Horn had always loved sports and taking risks, and he was known for his crazy feats. He traveled in the South American Andes Mountains in the early 90s and then in 1997 crossed the entire continent on foot. He finished by floating 7,000 km down the Amazon River!
In 1999, H orn began a solo trip around the world following the equator,without the use of any motor-powered transportation. When he finished successfully 17 months later, he became the first person to accomplish the feat.
Horn’biggest challenge to date came in 2006. He and a fellow adventurer walked from Russia to the North Pole in the sunless winter. Traveling through the winter darkness, he encountered polar bears and many other dangers.
In 2008, Horn began another unique adventure –one that will take four years to complete. Instead of trying to achieve more personal goals, Horn is now dedicated to sharing his knowledge and experience with others.
He calls his latest expedition the “Pangaea Expedition.”with “Pangaea” standing for “a Pan Global Adventure for Environmental Action.”By the end of this expedition, Horn will have traveled 100,000 km and crossed all of the continents and oceans. But this time he won’t be going alone: He’s choosing young people from around the world, aged 13 to 20, to accompany him. Twelve young men at a time will participate in one of 12 different projects, ranging from studying glaciers to treating water sources.
The journey will take place onboard Horn’s 35-meter saiboat , the Pangaea which will become a floating science class . Along with a team of scientists, Horn plans to teach the young explorers about protecting and preserving the earth.
In perhaps his most important expedition, Horn will pass down his passion for Earth’s wonders to the next generation.
64.Which of the following is NOT ture?
A. He met with polar bears and many dangers in 2006 when Horn walked to the North Pole with another adventurer.
B. He loved sports, Earth’s wonders and taking risks.
C. It took Horn 17 months to complete his solo trip around the world without any Motor-powered transportation.
D. He really began his life of adventure in te 1990s.
65. The underlined sentence probably means____________.
A. He was afraid of challengers B. He never met challengers
C.He didn’t welcome challengers D. He was willing to meet challengers
66. In his latest “Pangaea Expedition”, Horn__________.
A. will have covered 100,000km and crossed only all the continents
B. will choose young men to take part in the 12 different projects
C. will be going around the world by himself
D. intends to teach the young men how to make expeditions
67. What is the best title for the passage?
A. Mike Horn-an adventurer with a cause B. The Pangaea Expedition
C. How Mike Horn makes expeditions. D. How to make expeditions.
四、阅读理解
Learning online should make use of a number of Internet tools: e-mail lets you exchange letters between continents very cheaply and almost immediately. Large groups of people can share their discussions by using electronic lists to send every letter to everyone on the list. Electronic magazines bring you up-to-date topics, such as news, arts, and sports. Search engines allow you to look for anything you want on the Internet, including the holdings of major libraries. In a chat room you can have a real-time written talk. Audio and video bring the world to your computer -— you can listen to the world's radio stations, watch the evening news from another continent. And in an online conference you can even talk to your teacher and fellow students abroad.
Do you have e-mail? How much do you communicate with your friends over the Internet? Internet, the newest child in technology, is like a modern communication highway. It's also a kind of super-shop, almost anything you can buy in a store -— you can get it through Internet, without leaving home at all.
56. What is the passage mainly about?
A. Internet B. Radio stations C. Magazines D. Libraries
57. What is the quickest and cheapest way of getting in touch with your friend abroad?
A. By telegraph B. By air-mail
C. By e-mail D. By telephone
58. Which of the following will you choose if you want to hold a meeting over the Internet?
A. Chat room B. Search engines
C. Online conference D. Electronic lists
59. In the writer’s opinion, it can be inferred that we might work _____ in the future.
A. in the office B. at home
C. at the library D. in the store
In most of the time, I am devoted to my research in the lab with my friend Dave, who loves traveling very much. To make our life colorful and relax ourselves, in July, my friend and I are taking a camping trip. We will travel for four weeks and will tour the United States and part of Canada. We have decided to camp because it does not cost as much as vacationing (度假) in hotels.
We have to plan very carefully in advance. First, the car we are going to drive is very small, so we have decided to take only one small suitcase each and as few camping things as possible. We will take some medicine with us to prevent insects (昆虫) from hurting us, and also food for picnics. Second, there is a lot to see in the United States and Canada, so we have to decide on the direction (方向) we want to drive.
The date we are leaving is July 2, from which day we will have two months off. We want to see and do many things on our camping tour. We want to climb in the mountains, visit famous caves, and swim in cool mountain rivers. We want to visit many cities and talk to many people, which I am sure can enrich our experience greatly. We also want to find a hotel room if it rains at night. We expect to have an exciting trip. The two friends are going to take a camping trip ________.
| A．if they have four weeks’ time off | B．though it will be a long trip |
| C．so that they can save money | D．because it will be warm enough in July |
Which of the following statements is possibly true?
| A．They are now on the trip | B．They are going to make a tour all over the U.S and Canada. |
| C．They are quite rich. | D．July is drawing near. |
We learn from the second paragraph that ________.
| A．they must be ill. | B．they will bring a lot in the car. |
| C．they must have studied the map carefully. | D．they must have been hurt by insects. |
It is quite clear that ________.
| A．there will be no insects at all. | B．they are sure to take some medicine on the trip. |
| C．the two friends will take turns to drive. | D．the two friends will share a suitcase. |
If they are caught in the rain , they will ________.
| A．talk to their families while it rains. | B．ask others for help. |
| C．have to stop climbing. | D．have to stay in a hotel for the night. |
The film stars out as a normal day at a typical American high school. Friends chat in the dining room and boys play football. But there's big surprise when the movie ends with two students going crazy in the school-shooting and killing people.
This is Elephant. It stars real school kids. American director Gus Van Sant had no ready-made lines. The student actors made up their own dialogue, with Van Sant asking them to base their characters on their own lives.
Although it may not sound very high quality, the film won the Palme d'Or (金棕奖) for Best Film and the award for Best Director at the Cannes film festival.
The film is based on the shootings at a high school in the US, where two boys killed 13 people and then themselves in 1999.
The title of the movie refers to the old expression about a problem that's as hard to ignore as an elephant in the house.
The film takes a close look at a few hours in the lives of the victims and the killers. It shows how high school is a different experience for everyone---fun and friendly, or hard and lonely.
In many ways, the two boys, who carry out the shooting, act like ordinary kids. They joke around with one boy's mother as she serves them cakes and play the piano.
But there're hints of the anger they feel inside. One of the boys is bullied (欺负) at school. The other plays violent video games. But Van Sant isn't blaming their killings on either bullying or violent games. In fact, the film doesn't offer any reason for why school violence happens.
"I didn't want to explain anything. It's up to the audience to draw its own conclusions," said the 51-year-old director.The lines of the film were ________.
| A．given by the director |
| B．created by student actors |
| C．thought out by the director during the acting |
| D．carefully designed by professional people |
The film doesn't tell why school shootings happen________.
| A．so as to leave room for the audience to think and judge |
| B．because life itself is the problem maker |
| C．because the mental problems of students are hard to explain |
| D．but there are some hints of the reasons |
The film is named Elephant because ________.
| A．an elephant is always gentle and never causes trouble |
| B．an elephant is a symbol of big problems in American schools |
| C．elephant is used to suggest that the school crime is a big problem |
| D．the two boys liked elephants when alive |
What’s the passage mainly about？
| A．It shows American school life. |
| B．It introduces the film Elephant. |
| C．It tells people to be careful while in peace. |
| D．It reports a school killing in a US school. |
As you grow older，you’ll be faced with some challenging decisions--like whether to cut class or try cigarettes．Making decisions on your own is hard enough，but when other people get involved and try to pressure you one way or another it can be even harder．People who are your age，like your classmates，are called peers．When they try to influence how you act，to get you to do something，it’s called peer pressure．
Peers can have a positive influence on each other．Maybe another student in your science class taught you an easy way to remember the planets in the solar system．Maybe you got others excited about your new favorite book，and now everyone’s reading it．These are examples of how peers positively influence each other．
Sometimes peers influence each other in negative ways．For example，a few kids in school might try to get you to cut class with them; your soccer friend might try to convince you to be mean to another player and never pass him the ball．
It is tough to be the only one who says “no” to peer pressure，but you can do it．Paying attention to your own feelings and beliefs about what is right and wrong can help you know the right thing to do．
You’ve probably had a parent or teacher advising you to “choose your friends wisely．” Peer pressure is a big reason why they say this．If you choose friends who don’t cut class，smoke cigarettes，or lie to their parents，then you probably won’t do these things either，even if other kids do．
If you continue to face peer pressure and you’re finding it difficult to handle，talk to someone you trust．Don’t feel guilty if you’ve made a mistake or two．For whom is the passage most probably written?
| A．Students |
| B．Parents |
| C．Teachers |
| D．Doctors |
In the last three paragraphs，the author mainly_____．
| A．explains why friendship is so important |
| B．gives advice on how to deal with peer pressure |
| C．discusses how peers influence us |
| D．shows how to make more good friends |
Which of following may help handle peer pressure?
| A．Spending more time with classmates． |
| B．Taking up more relaxing hobbies． |
| C．Choosing friends with no bad habits． |
| D．Helping others who are in trouble． |
What is the topic of the passage?
| A．Friendship |
| B．Making decisions |
| C．Self-confidence |
| D．Peer pressure |
阅读下列短文,选出最佳选项。 Three-year-old Teddy Lasry was sleeping in his cowboy outfit (套装) yesterday at his family’s Fifth Ave．apartment when he shot up in bed screaming．A 3-foot-long black-and-white snake twisted around his left arm and had just bitten his little finger．
“The babysitter (a person taking care of children while their parents are away for a short time) was frightened to death,” said Teddy’s father, David Lasry, who, along with his wife, Evelyn, was at work when the snake appeared about 4:00 pm．
The horrified babysitter called 911 and the building’s doorman．The doorman and two cable TV workers helped take the snake off the boy’s arm and put it in a garbage bag．Police rushed Teddy to Mount Sinai Medical Center, where he spent two hours attached to a heart monitor as a precaution in case the snake was poisonous．It wasn’t．Experts at the snakebite treatment center at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, where policemen took the snake, found out it was a non-poisonous California king snake．
But how did it end up in Teddy’s bed?
A little detective work determined that the snake had escaped two weeks ago from its cage in the apartment of a doctor whose family lives four floors below the Lasrys．The apologetic owner said his son’s pet snake likely traveled up the water pipes and into his neighbor’s apartment．“It’s a very gentle, very harmless snake,” he said．“It’s handled by our family all the time．”
David Lasry believed the pet was simply hungry after two weeks of wandering．Evelyn said her son seems to have overcome his fright by thinking of himself as a hero cowboy as he rode in the back of the police car to the hospital．
“I told Teddy he’s a pretty snake, a nice pet snake who got out of his cage,” Evelyn said．“But he asked, ‘Why did he bite my finger, Mamma?’ And I said, ‘Because he saw that you are a big boy, Teddy, in your cowboy outfit and he got scared．’”
What did the babysitter do after Teddy was bitten by a snake?
| A．She ran out of the apartment． |
| B．She called the TV company． |
| C．She made an emergency call． |
| D．She took the snake off Teddy’s arm． |
We can learn from the passage that the snake _______．
| A．was poisonous |
| B．was kept in a cage by its owner |
| C．was deserted by its owner |
| D．escaped to the apartment |
From the passage, we know _______．
| A．Teddy needed a heart machine to stay alive for two hours |
| B．Teddy was awake when the snake arrived |
| C．Teddy’s mother was at home when the snake turned up |
| D．the snake was used to being touched |
Teddy probably believed he was attacked because _______．
| A．his parents weren’t at home |
| B．he was asleep the snake |
| C．was scared of him |
| D．the snake was hungry |
B
| Populations and Land (1987) |
||||
| |
Area in |
Percent |
Population |
Percent |
| |
Square miles |
Cultivated |
In millions |
forested |
| United States |
3615104 |
20 |
243.8 |
28 |
| Canada |
3851792 |
5 |
25.9 |
33 |
| United Kingdom |
94525 |
29 |
56.8 |
9 |
| Australia |
2967896 |
6 |
16.2 |
14 |
| India |
1269340 |
51 |
800.3 |
21 |
| China |
3705390 |
11 |
1062.0 |
14 |
Which two countries are the closest to each other in area?
| A．The US and Canada | B．The US and China |
| C．China and Canada | D．India and China |
_____ has the highest population density(密度), and _____ has the second highest.
| A．China, India | B．India, China |
| C．India, the US | D．China, the US |
Which two countries have the closest percentage of cultivated land?
| A．The US and the United Kingdom. |
| B．The US and China |
| C．Australia and Canada． |
| D．Australia and China |
There are _____ countries whose cultivated land percentage is larger than the forest percentage.
| A．2 | B．3 | C．4 | D．5 |
For those who make journeys across the world, the speed of travel today has turned the countries into a series of villages. Distances between them appear no greater to a modern traveler than those which once faced men as they walked from village to village. Jet plane fly people from one end of the earth to the other, allowing them a freedom of movement undreamt of a hundred years ago.
Yet some people wonder if the revolution in travel has gone too far. A price has been paid, they say, for the conquest (征服) of time and distance. Travel is something to be enjoyed, not endured . The boat offers leisure and time enough to appreciate the ever-changing sights and sounds of a journey. A journey by train also has a special charm about it. Lakes and forests and wild, open plains sweeping past your carriage window create a grand view in which time and distance mean nothing. On board a plane, however, there is just the blank blue of the sky filling the narrow window of the airplane. The soft lighting, in-flight films and gentle music make up the only world you know, and the hours progress slowly.
Then there is the time spent being “processed” at a modern airport. People are conveyed like robots along walkways; baggage is weighed, tickets produced, examined and produced yet again before the passengers move again to another waiting area. Journeys by rail and sea take longer, yes, but the hours devoted to being “processed” at departure and arrival in airports are luckily absent. No wonder, then, that the modern high-speed trains are winning back passengers from the airlines.
Man, however, is now a world traveler and can not turn his back on the airplane. The working lives of too many people depend upon it; whole new industries have been built around its design and operation. The holiday maker, too, with limited time to spend, patiently endures the busy airports and limited space of the flight to gain those extra hours and even days, relaxing in the sun. Speed controls people’s lives; time saved, in work or play, is the important thing—or so we are told. Perhaps those first horsemen, riding free across the wild, open plains, were enjoying a better world than the one we know today. They could travel at will, and the clock was not their master.What does the writer try to express in Paragraph1?
| A．Travel by plane has speeded up the growth of villages． |
| B．The speed of modern travel has made distances relatively short． |
| C．The freedom of movement has helped people realize their dreams． |
| D．Man has been fond of travelling rather than staying in one place． |
How does the writer support the underlined statement in Paragraph2?
| A．By giving instructions. |
| B．By analyzing cause and effect. |
| C．By following the order of time. |
| D．By giving examples. |
According to Paragraph 3, passengers are turning back to modern high-speed trains because______．
| A．they pay less for the tickets |
| B．they feel safer during the travel |
| C．they can enjoy higher speed of travel |
| D．they don’t have to be “processed” |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Air travel benefits people and industries． |
| B．Train Travel has some advantages over air travel． |
| C．Great changes have taken place in modern travel. |
| D．The high speed of air travel is gained at a cost. |
When I was a child, I often dreamed of the time when I could leave home and escape to the city. We lived on a farm and, in the winter especially, we were quite cut off from the outside world. As soon as I left school, I packed my bags and moved to the capital. However, I soon discovered that city life has its problems too.
One big disadvantage is money---it costs so much to go out, not to mention basics like food and housing. Another disadvantage is pollution. I suffer from asthma(哮喘), and at times the air is so bad that I am afraid to go outside. Then there is the problem of travelling round. Although I have a car, I seldom use it because of the traffic jams. One choice is to go by bicycle, but that can be quite dangerous.
Of course there are advantages. First, there is so much to do in the city, whatever your tastes in culture or entertainment. Besides, there are wonderful jobs and greater chances of moving to a more important job or position. Finally, if you like shopping, the variety of goods is very surprising---and, what is more, shops are often only a short walk away.
Is life better then, in the city? Perhaps it is, when you are in your teens(十几岁) or twenties. However, as you get older, and especially if you have small children, the peace of the countryside may seem preferable. I certainly hope to move back there soon.What was the writer always thinking about when he was a child?
| A．Staying on the farm |
| B．Moving to the countryside |
| C．Leaving home for the city |
| D．Running away from the school |
Which of the following is true about the writer?
| A．He is very old now. |
| B．He is in good health. |
| C．He prefers driving a car. |
| D．He lives in the city now. |
In the passage, the writer tries to _______.
| A．express his opinions about way of life |
| B．describe his life in the countryside |
| C．show an interest in the outside world |
| D．persuade the reader to live in the city |
How is the passage mainly developed?
| A．By inferring | B．By comparing |
| C．By listing examples | D．By giving explanations |
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项. 选项中有两项为多余选项. 请将答案涂在答题卡上.
71 Because, from what I could see, it seemed that grown-ups often forgot. I never wanted to forget --- I wanted to be able to remind other adults and myself when the time came. I began consciously(有意识地) thinking this at quite an early age.
As soon as I was fully aware (意识到) of myself, I regarded me as a little person and liked adults who thought of and treated me the same way. I didn’t have a doll and I didn’t want one. I wanted animal toys, even a single animal. Why wouldn’t my parents give me the one thing I wanted? 72
Instead, my dad somehow managed to buy me a full set of encyclopedia(百科全书) and books with maps and color pictures long before I could read. Well, guess what? I learned to read without realizing it! Later, I found out when I started school and it all came so easy especially geography. 73 Because of all the books my father bought me, I knew a lot of words that other children didn’t know at my age.
I love words. They opened up new worlds for me. 74 Parents, please make sure your kids have a computer. Let them explore — as safely as possible— let them do their own things and discover the world.
Now, most kids lead a happy life. They can get what they want from their parents. But children should learn to be independent. 75 Be independent to do your own things.
| A．Because of them, I read and thought, and today, I write. |
| B．When I was a child, I promised myself to try to remember as much as I could. |
| C．I listened and heard everything, even if I didn’t understand everything. |
| D．I nearly knew every place on the map like the teacher. |
E. But more than anything, it made me feel uncomfortable and I knew it wasn’t nice.
F. Later, I knew we didn’t have much money, but how expensive could a toy be?
G. Be independent to learn some useful knowledge.
Why does night fall but never break and day break but never fall?
Why are people who ride motorcycles called bikers and people who ride bikes called cyclists?
In what other language do people drive in a parkway and park in a driveway?
In what other language do they call the third hand on the clock the second hand?
Let’s face it: English is a crazy language. There is no egg in an eggplant, neither pine nor apple in a pineapple and no ham in a hamburger. Sweet-meats are candy, while sweetbreads, which aren’t sweet, are meat.
We take English for granted. But when we explore its paradoxes (探讨它的矛盾), we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, public bathrooms have no baths in them.
And why is it that a writer writes, but fingers don’t fing, grocers don’t groce, and hammers don’t ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, shouldn’t the plural of booth be beeth? One goose, two geese — so one moose, two meese?
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? How can overlook and oversee be opposites, while quite a lot and quite a few are alike? How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell the next?
English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of human beings. That’s why, when stars are out, they are visible; but when the lights are out, they are invisible. And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it; but when I wind up this essay, I end it. According to the passage ______.
| A．sweet-meats and sweetbreads are different things |
| B．there should be egg in an eggplant |
| C．pineapples are the apples on the pine tree |
| D．boxing rings should be round |
Which of the following includes two items which have the similar meaning?
| A．A wise man and a wise guy. |
| B．Overlook and oversee. |
| C．Quite a lot and quite a few. |
| D．Hot as hell and cold as hell. |
The underlined words “wind up” in the last paragraph probably mean “______”.
| A．blow | B．roll up | C．get hurt | D．finish |
Through the many paradoxes in the English language, the writer wants to show that human beings are ______.
| A．clever | B．crazy | C．lazy | D．dull |
第三部分：阅读理解（共10小题；每小题2分，满分20分）
请认真阅读下列短文，从短文后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
In meditation（冥想），people sit quietly and focus their attention on their breath. As they breathe in and out, they attend to their feelings. As thoughts go through their minds, they let them go. Breathe. Let go. Breathe. Let go.
According to a recent study at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, three months of training in this kind of meditation causes a marked change in how the brain allocates attention. It appears that the ability to let go thoughts that come into mind frees the brain to attend to more rapidly changing things and events in the outside world. Expert mediators are better than other people at catching such fast-changing stimuli, like facial expressions.
The study provides evidence for changes in the workings of the brain with mental training. People can learn and improve abilities of all sorts with practice, everything from driving to playing the piano. The study has shown that meditation is good for the brain. It appears to reduce pressure and promote a sense of well-being.
In an experiment, 17 volunteers with no meditation experience in the experimental group spent three months meditating 10 to 12 hours a day. A control group also with no meditation experience meditated for 20 minutes a day over the same period. Both groups were then given the tests with two numbers in a group of letters. As both group looked for the numbers, their brain activity was recorded.
Everyone could catch the first number. But the brain recordings showed that the less experienced mediators tended to grasp the first number and hang onto it, so they missed the second number. Those with more experience gave less attention to the first number as if letting it go, which led to an increased ability to grasp the second number. This shows that attention can change with practice.
Just ask Daniel Levision, who meditated for three months as part of the study.” I am a much better listener,” he said. “I do not get lost in my own personal reaction to what people are saying.”
56. The underlined word “them” in Paragraph 1 refers to ________.
A. feelings B. minds C. people D. thoughts
57. Meditations manage their daily tasks better because they ________.
A. are given less pressure B. allocate their attention better
C. have more stimuli for life D. practice them more frequently
58. The study proves that ________.
A. meditation improves one’s health B. brain activity can be recorded
C. human attention can be trained D. mediators have a good sense of hearing
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