搜题
The directors have decided to merge the two small firms together.
A:split
B:combine
C:break
D:divide
A:split
B:combine
C:break
D:divide
共用题干
第二篇
Few Facts about Lies
What exactly is a lie?Is it anything we say which we know is untrue?Or is it something more than that?For example,suppose a friend wants to borrow some money from you.You say"I wish I could help you but I'm short of money myself."In fact,you are not short of money but your friend is in the habit of not paying his debts and you don't want to hurt his feelings by reminding him of this. Is this really a lie?
Professor Jereald Jellison of the University of Southern California has made a scientific study of lying. According to him,women are better liars than men,particularly when telling a"white lie," such as when a woman at a party tells another woman that she likes her dress when she really thinks it looks awful.However,this is only one side of the story. Other researchers say that men are more likely tell more serious lies,such as making a promise which they have no intention of fulfilling. This is the kind of lie politicians and businessmen are supposed to be particularly skilled at:the lie from which the liar hopes to profit or gain in some way.
Research has also been done into the way people's behavior changes in a number of small,apparently unimportant ways when they lie.It has been found that if they are sitting down at the time, they tend to move about in their chairs more than usual.To the trained observer they are saying"I wish I were somewhere else now."They also tend to touch certain parts of the face more often,in particular the nose.One explanation of this may be that lying causes a slight increase in blood pressure.The tip of the nose is very sensitive to such changes and the increased pressure makes it itch （痒）.
Another gesture which gives liars away is what the writer Demond Morris in his book Manwatching calls"the mouth cover".He says there are several typical forms of this,such as covering part of the mouth with the fingers,touching the upper-lip or putting a finger of the hand at one side of the mouth.Such a gesture can be interpreted as an unconscious attempt on the part of the liar to stop himself or herself from lying.
Of course,such gestures as rubbing the nose or covering the mouth,or moving about in a chair cannot be taken as proof that the speaker is lying. They simply tend to occur more frequently in this situation. It is not one gesture alone that gives the liar away but a whole number of things,and,in particularly,the context in which the lie is told.
People may rub their noses when they lie because________.
A:they suffer from high blood pressure at the time
B:the nose is the most sensitive part of the human body
C:the nose reveals the liar more easily than the other parts of the face
D:they do so in order to stop themselves from telling more lies
第二篇
Few Facts about Lies
What exactly is a lie?Is it anything we say which we know is untrue?Or is it something more than that?For example,suppose a friend wants to borrow some money from you.You say"I wish I could help you but I'm short of money myself."In fact,you are not short of money but your friend is in the habit of not paying his debts and you don't want to hurt his feelings by reminding him of this. Is this really a lie?
Professor Jereald Jellison of the University of Southern California has made a scientific study of lying. According to him,women are better liars than men,particularly when telling a"white lie," such as when a woman at a party tells another woman that she likes her dress when she really thinks it looks awful.However,this is only one side of the story. Other researchers say that men are more likely tell more serious lies,such as making a promise which they have no intention of fulfilling. This is the kind of lie politicians and businessmen are supposed to be particularly skilled at:the lie from which the liar hopes to profit or gain in some way.
Research has also been done into the way people's behavior changes in a number of small,apparently unimportant ways when they lie.It has been found that if they are sitting down at the time, they tend to move about in their chairs more than usual.To the trained observer they are saying"I wish I were somewhere else now."They also tend to touch certain parts of the face more often,in particular the nose.One explanation of this may be that lying causes a slight increase in blood pressure.The tip of the nose is very sensitive to such changes and the increased pressure makes it itch （痒）.
Another gesture which gives liars away is what the writer Demond Morris in his book Manwatching calls"the mouth cover".He says there are several typical forms of this,such as covering part of the mouth with the fingers,touching the upper-lip or putting a finger of the hand at one side of the mouth.Such a gesture can be interpreted as an unconscious attempt on the part of the liar to stop himself or herself from lying.
Of course,such gestures as rubbing the nose or covering the mouth,or moving about in a chair cannot be taken as proof that the speaker is lying. They simply tend to occur more frequently in this situation. It is not one gesture alone that gives the liar away but a whole number of things,and,in particularly,the context in which the lie is told.
People may rub their noses when they lie because________.
A:they suffer from high blood pressure at the time
B:the nose is the most sensitive part of the human body
C:the nose reveals the liar more easily than the other parts of the face
D:they do so in order to stop themselves from telling more lies
共用题干
A Powerful Influence
There can be no doubt at all that the Internet has made a huge difference to our lives.Parents are worried that children spend too much time playing on the Internet,hardly______(1) doing anything else in their spare time.Naturally,parents are______(2)to find out why the Internet is so attractive,and they want to know if it can be______(3) to their children.Should parents worry if their children are spending that much time______(4) their computers?
Obviously,if children are bent over their computers for hours,______(5) in some game,in-stead of doing their homework,then something is wrong.Parents and children could decide how much use the child should______(6) of the Internet,and the child should give his or her______(7) that it won't interfere with homework.If the child is not______(8) to this arrangement,the parent can take more drastic______(9)dealing with a child's use of the Internet is not much dif-ferent from______(10) any other soft of bargain about behaviour.
Any parent who is______(11) alarmed about a child's behaviour should make an appointment to______(12)the matter with a teacher.Spending time in front of the screen does not ______(13)affect a child's performance at school.Even if a child is______(14)crazy about using the Internet, he or she is probably just______(15) through a phase,and in a few months there will be some-thing else to worry about!
4._________
A:staring at
B:glancing at
C:looking
D:watching
A Powerful Influence
There can be no doubt at all that the Internet has made a huge difference to our lives.Parents are worried that children spend too much time playing on the Internet,hardly______(1) doing anything else in their spare time.Naturally,parents are______(2)to find out why the Internet is so attractive,and they want to know if it can be______(3) to their children.Should parents worry if their children are spending that much time______(4) their computers?
Obviously,if children are bent over their computers for hours,______(5) in some game,in-stead of doing their homework,then something is wrong.Parents and children could decide how much use the child should______(6) of the Internet,and the child should give his or her______(7) that it won't interfere with homework.If the child is not______(8) to this arrangement,the parent can take more drastic______(9)dealing with a child's use of the Internet is not much dif-ferent from______(10) any other soft of bargain about behaviour.
Any parent who is______(11) alarmed about a child's behaviour should make an appointment to______(12)the matter with a teacher.Spending time in front of the screen does not ______(13)affect a child's performance at school.Even if a child is______(14)crazy about using the Internet, he or she is probably just______(15) through a phase,and in a few months there will be some-thing else to worry about!
4._________
A:staring at
B:glancing at
C:looking
D:watching
The environmentalists advocated better protection of the earth.
A:appeal
B:pledge
C:proclaim
D:urge
A:appeal
B:pledge
C:proclaim
D:urge
共用题干
“Salty” Rice Plant Boosts Harvests
British scientists are breeding a new generation of rice plants that will be able to grow in soil containing salt water. Their work may enable abandoned farms to become productive once more.
Tim Flowers and Tony Yeo,from Sussex University's School of Biological Sciences,have spent several years researching how crops,such as rice,could be made to grow in water that has become salty.
The pair have recently begun a three-year programme,funded by the Biotechnology and Bio-logical Sciences Research Council,to establish which genes enable some plants to survive salty conditions.The aim is to breed this capability into crops,starting with rice.
It is estimated that each year more than 10m hectares（公顷）of agricultural land are lost because salt gets into the soil and stunts（妨碍生长）plants. The problem is caused by several fac- tors. In the tropics, mangroves（红树林）that create swamps（沼泽）and traditionally formed barriers to sea water have been cut down.In the Mediterranean,a series of droughts have caused the water table to drop,allowing sea water to seep（渗透）in. In Latin America , irrigation often causes problems when water is evaporated（蒸发）by the heat,leaving salt deposits behind.
Excess salt then enters the plants and prevents them functioning normally.Heavy concentra-tions of minerals in the plants stop them drawing up the water they need to survive.
To overcome these problems,Flowers and Yeo decided to breed rice plants that take in very little salt and store what they do absorb in cells that do not affect the plants' growth.They have started to breed these characteristics into a new rice crop,but it will take about eight harvests before the resulting seeds are ready to be considered for commercial use.
Once the characteristics for surviving salty soil are known,Flowers and Yeo will try to breed the appropriate genes into all manners of crops and plants.Land that has been abandoned to na-ture will then be able to bloom again,providing much needed food in the poorer countries of the world.
Which of the following statements about Flowers and Yeo is true?
A: They are students at Sussex University.
B: They are rice breeders.
C: They are husband and wife.
D: They are colleagues at an institution of higher learning.
“Salty” Rice Plant Boosts Harvests
British scientists are breeding a new generation of rice plants that will be able to grow in soil containing salt water. Their work may enable abandoned farms to become productive once more.
Tim Flowers and Tony Yeo,from Sussex University's School of Biological Sciences,have spent several years researching how crops,such as rice,could be made to grow in water that has become salty.
The pair have recently begun a three-year programme,funded by the Biotechnology and Bio-logical Sciences Research Council,to establish which genes enable some plants to survive salty conditions.The aim is to breed this capability into crops,starting with rice.
It is estimated that each year more than 10m hectares（公顷）of agricultural land are lost because salt gets into the soil and stunts（妨碍生长）plants. The problem is caused by several fac- tors. In the tropics, mangroves（红树林）that create swamps（沼泽）and traditionally formed barriers to sea water have been cut down.In the Mediterranean,a series of droughts have caused the water table to drop,allowing sea water to seep（渗透）in. In Latin America , irrigation often causes problems when water is evaporated（蒸发）by the heat,leaving salt deposits behind.
Excess salt then enters the plants and prevents them functioning normally.Heavy concentra-tions of minerals in the plants stop them drawing up the water they need to survive.
To overcome these problems,Flowers and Yeo decided to breed rice plants that take in very little salt and store what they do absorb in cells that do not affect the plants' growth.They have started to breed these characteristics into a new rice crop,but it will take about eight harvests before the resulting seeds are ready to be considered for commercial use.
Once the characteristics for surviving salty soil are known,Flowers and Yeo will try to breed the appropriate genes into all manners of crops and plants.Land that has been abandoned to na-ture will then be able to bloom again,providing much needed food in the poorer countries of the world.
Which of the following statements about Flowers and Yeo is true?
A: They are students at Sussex University.
B: They are rice breeders.
C: They are husband and wife.
D: They are colleagues at an institution of higher learning.
共用题干
Have You Filled up the Form?
Of all things in the world,I most dislike filling up forms;in fact,I have a________(51)horror of it. Applying for a driving license,________(52)for an evening course,booking a holiday abroad一everything nowadays seem to involve________(53)information about one's personal life and habits that has little or nothing to do with the matter________(54)hand.When applying for a job,it may be________(55)some obscure interest to a________(56)employer to learn that I collect stamp or had measles as a child,but why should he conceivably want to know that my father was a tobacconist who died in 1988?
The authorities who________(57)one to fill up forms,frequently demand answers to questions that one would hesitate to put________(58)one's intimate friends.The worst of it is that, when________(59)with such questions,my mind goes blank.Have I ever suffered from a serious illness?My mother always assured me I was"delicate".Do I suffer from any personal defects? Well,I wear contact lenses and my upper teeth are not my own,but perhaps the word"defects"________(60)to my character. Am I supposed to________(61)that I like gambling,and find it difficult to get up in the morning?Both of them are true.
Of all,I think job applications are the worst,education,previous experience,post held,give
________(62)…Terrified by the awful warning about giving false________(63)which appear at
the bottom of the form,I struggle to remember what exams I passed and how long I worked for what firms.________(64)hard I try,there always seems to be a year or two for which I cannot satisfactorily account and which I am certain,if left________(65),will give the impression that I was in prison or engaged in some occupation too dubious to mention.
_________(55)
A:by
B:with
C:about
D:of
Have You Filled up the Form?
Of all things in the world,I most dislike filling up forms;in fact,I have a________(51)horror of it. Applying for a driving license,________(52)for an evening course,booking a holiday abroad一everything nowadays seem to involve________(53)information about one's personal life and habits that has little or nothing to do with the matter________(54)hand.When applying for a job,it may be________(55)some obscure interest to a________(56)employer to learn that I collect stamp or had measles as a child,but why should he conceivably want to know that my father was a tobacconist who died in 1988?
The authorities who________(57)one to fill up forms,frequently demand answers to questions that one would hesitate to put________(58)one's intimate friends.The worst of it is that, when________(59)with such questions,my mind goes blank.Have I ever suffered from a serious illness?My mother always assured me I was"delicate".Do I suffer from any personal defects? Well,I wear contact lenses and my upper teeth are not my own,but perhaps the word"defects"________(60)to my character. Am I supposed to________(61)that I like gambling,and find it difficult to get up in the morning?Both of them are true.
Of all,I think job applications are the worst,education,previous experience,post held,give
________(62)…Terrified by the awful warning about giving false________(63)which appear at
the bottom of the form,I struggle to remember what exams I passed and how long I worked for what firms.________(64)hard I try,there always seems to be a year or two for which I cannot satisfactorily account and which I am certain,if left________(65),will give the impression that I was in prison or engaged in some occupation too dubious to mention.
_________(55)
A:by
B:with
C:about
D:of
共用题干
Man of Few Words
Everyone chases success,but not all of us want to be famous.
South African writer John Maxwell Coetzee is _______(51)for keeping to himself. When the 63-
year-old man was named the 2003 Nobel Prize winner for literature,reporters were warned that they would
find him"particularly difficult to_________(52)".
Coetzee lives in Australia but spends part of the year teaching at the, University of Chicago.He seemed
_________(53)by the news that he won the US $1.3 million prize.
"It came as a complete surprise.I wasn't even aware they were due to make the announcement,"he
said. His_________(54)of privacy led to doubts as to whether Coetzee will attend prize-giving in Stockholm,
Sweden,on December 10.But despite being described as_______(55)to track down,the critics agree that
his writing is easy to get to know.
Born in Cape Town,South Africa,to an English-speakingfamily,Coetzee_______(56)his break-
through in 1980 with the novel"Waiting for the Barbarians".He__________(57)hisplace among the
world's leading writers with two Booker prize victories,Britain's highest honour for novels.He first
_______(58)in 1983 for the Life and Times of Michael K and his second title came in 1999 for Disgrace.
A major theme in his work is South Africa's former apartheid system,which divided whites from blacks.
_______(59)with the problems of violence,crime and racial division that still exist in the country,his
books have enabled ordinary people to understand apartheid_________(60)within.
"I have always been more interested in the past than the future,"he said in a rare interview.
"The past________(61)its shadow over the present.I hope I have made one or two people think
_______(62)about whether they want to forget the past completely."In fact this purity in his writing
seems to be_________(63)in his personal life.Coetzee is a vegetarian,a cyclist rather than a motorist and
he doesn't drink alcohol.But what he has________(64)to literature,culture and the people of South Africa is far greater than the things he has given up."In looking at weakness and failure in life,"the Nobel
prize judging panel said,"Coetzee's work_________(65)the divine spark in man."
_________(64)
A:contributed
B:added
C:attributed
D:created
Man of Few Words
Everyone chases success,but not all of us want to be famous.
South African writer John Maxwell Coetzee is _______(51)for keeping to himself. When the 63-
year-old man was named the 2003 Nobel Prize winner for literature,reporters were warned that they would
find him"particularly difficult to_________(52)".
Coetzee lives in Australia but spends part of the year teaching at the, University of Chicago.He seemed
_________(53)by the news that he won the US $1.3 million prize.
"It came as a complete surprise.I wasn't even aware they were due to make the announcement,"he
said. His_________(54)of privacy led to doubts as to whether Coetzee will attend prize-giving in Stockholm,
Sweden,on December 10.But despite being described as_______(55)to track down,the critics agree that
his writing is easy to get to know.
Born in Cape Town,South Africa,to an English-speakingfamily,Coetzee_______(56)his break-
through in 1980 with the novel"Waiting for the Barbarians".He__________(57)hisplace among the
world's leading writers with two Booker prize victories,Britain's highest honour for novels.He first
_______(58)in 1983 for the Life and Times of Michael K and his second title came in 1999 for Disgrace.
A major theme in his work is South Africa's former apartheid system,which divided whites from blacks.
_______(59)with the problems of violence,crime and racial division that still exist in the country,his
books have enabled ordinary people to understand apartheid_________(60)within.
"I have always been more interested in the past than the future,"he said in a rare interview.
"The past________(61)its shadow over the present.I hope I have made one or two people think
_______(62)about whether they want to forget the past completely."In fact this purity in his writing
seems to be_________(63)in his personal life.Coetzee is a vegetarian,a cyclist rather than a motorist and
he doesn't drink alcohol.But what he has________(64)to literature,culture and the people of South Africa is far greater than the things he has given up."In looking at weakness and failure in life,"the Nobel
prize judging panel said,"Coetzee's work_________(65)the divine spark in man."
_________(64)
A:contributed
B:added
C:attributed
D:created
共用题干
Coming Soon to a Theater Near You!
What are special effects?Do you enjoy movies that use a lot of special effects Dinosaurs（恐 龙）from the distant past!Space battles from the distant future!There has been a revolution in special effects,and it has transformed the movies we see.
The revolution began in the mid 1970s with George Lucas's Star Wars,a film that stunned （使震惊）audiences. That revolution continues to the present,with dramatic changes in special-effects technology.The company behind these changes is Lucas's Industrial Light&Magic (ILM).And the man behind the company is Dennis Muren,who has worked with Lucas since Star Wars.
Muren's interest in special effects began very early.At the age of 6,he was photographing toy dinosaurs and spaceships.At10,he had an 8 millimeter movie camera and was making these things move through stop-motion.(Stop-motion is a process in which objects are shot with a camera,moved slightly,shot again,and so on .When the shots are put together,the objects appear to move.)
Talk to Muren and you'll understand what ILM is all about:taking on new challenges.By 1989,Muren decided he had pushed the old technology as far as it would go.
He saw computer graphics（图像）( CG ) technology as the wave of the future and took a year off to master it.
With CG technology,images can be scanned into a computer for processing,for example, and many separate shots can be combined into a single image.CG technology has now reached the point,Muren says,where special effects can be used to do just about anything so that movies can tell stories better than ever before. The huge success of Jurassic Park and its sequel（续集）,The Lost World,the stars of which were computer-generated dinosaurs,suggests that this may very well be true.
Muren feels that with CG technology,special effects can be used to make movies more expensive.
A: Right
B: Wrong
C: Not mentioned
Coming Soon to a Theater Near You!
What are special effects?Do you enjoy movies that use a lot of special effects Dinosaurs（恐 龙）from the distant past!Space battles from the distant future!There has been a revolution in special effects,and it has transformed the movies we see.
The revolution began in the mid 1970s with George Lucas's Star Wars,a film that stunned （使震惊）audiences. That revolution continues to the present,with dramatic changes in special-effects technology.The company behind these changes is Lucas's Industrial Light&Magic (ILM).And the man behind the company is Dennis Muren,who has worked with Lucas since Star Wars.
Muren's interest in special effects began very early.At the age of 6,he was photographing toy dinosaurs and spaceships.At10,he had an 8 millimeter movie camera and was making these things move through stop-motion.(Stop-motion is a process in which objects are shot with a camera,moved slightly,shot again,and so on .When the shots are put together,the objects appear to move.)
Talk to Muren and you'll understand what ILM is all about:taking on new challenges.By 1989,Muren decided he had pushed the old technology as far as it would go.
He saw computer graphics（图像）( CG ) technology as the wave of the future and took a year off to master it.
With CG technology,images can be scanned into a computer for processing,for example, and many separate shots can be combined into a single image.CG technology has now reached the point,Muren says,where special effects can be used to do just about anything so that movies can tell stories better than ever before. The huge success of Jurassic Park and its sequel（续集）,The Lost World,the stars of which were computer-generated dinosaurs,suggests that this may very well be true.
Muren feels that with CG technology,special effects can be used to make movies more expensive.
A: Right
B: Wrong
C: Not mentioned
共用题干
Travel Across Africa
For six hours we shot through the barren（荒芜的）landscape of the Karoo desert in South Africa.Just rocks and sand and baking sun.Knowing our journey was ending,Daniel and I just wanted to remember all we had seen and done.He used a camera.I used words.I had already finished three notebooks and was into the fourth,a beautiful leather notebook I'd bought in a market in Mozambique.
Southern Africa was full of stories and visions.We were almost drunk on sensations,the roaring（咆哮）of the water at Victoria Falls,the impossible silence of the Okavango Delta in Botswana.
And then the other things:dogs in the streets,whole families in Soweto living in one room,a kilometre from clean water.
As we drove towards the setting sun,a quietness fell over us.The road was empty一we hadn't seen another car for hours.And as I drove,something caught my eye,something moving close enough to touch them,to smell their hot breath.I didn't know how long they had been there next to us.
I shouted to Dan:“Look!”But he was in a deep sleep,his camera lying useless by his feet.They raced the car for a few seconds,then disappeared far behind us,a memory of hero-ic forms in the red landscape.
When Daniel woke up an hour later I told him what had happened.
“Wild horses?”he said.“Why didn't you wake me up,Sophia?”
“I tried.But they were gone after a few seconds.”
“Are you sure you didn't dream it?”
“You were the one who was sleeping!”
“Typical”,he said.“The best photos are the ones we never take.”
We checked into a dusty hotel and slept the sleep of the dead.
Daniel and Sophia saw a lot of wonderful things.
A:Right
B:Wrong
C:Not mentioned
Travel Across Africa
For six hours we shot through the barren（荒芜的）landscape of the Karoo desert in South Africa.Just rocks and sand and baking sun.Knowing our journey was ending,Daniel and I just wanted to remember all we had seen and done.He used a camera.I used words.I had already finished three notebooks and was into the fourth,a beautiful leather notebook I'd bought in a market in Mozambique.
Southern Africa was full of stories and visions.We were almost drunk on sensations,the roaring（咆哮）of the water at Victoria Falls,the impossible silence of the Okavango Delta in Botswana.
And then the other things:dogs in the streets,whole families in Soweto living in one room,a kilometre from clean water.
As we drove towards the setting sun,a quietness fell over us.The road was empty一we hadn't seen another car for hours.And as I drove,something caught my eye,something moving close enough to touch them,to smell their hot breath.I didn't know how long they had been there next to us.
I shouted to Dan:“Look!”But he was in a deep sleep,his camera lying useless by his feet.They raced the car for a few seconds,then disappeared far behind us,a memory of hero-ic forms in the red landscape.
When Daniel woke up an hour later I told him what had happened.
“Wild horses?”he said.“Why didn't you wake me up,Sophia?”
“I tried.But they were gone after a few seconds.”
“Are you sure you didn't dream it?”
“You were the one who was sleeping!”
“Typical”,he said.“The best photos are the ones we never take.”
We checked into a dusty hotel and slept the sleep of the dead.
Daniel and Sophia saw a lot of wonderful things.
A:Right
B:Wrong
C:Not mentioned
共用题干
第三篇
Who Came First, the Chicken or the Egg?
I just mailed the chicken and the egg,each in its own separate packaging,and kept
careful track of when each shipment was sent from a post office in Cambridge,
Massachusetts,and when it later arrived at its intended destination in New York City.
In mailing the chicken,I was careful to adhere to the restrictions described in the
American Postal Service's Domestic Mail Manual 57,as updated on April 3,2003.This,
the most recent,version of the Manual states that:"Adult chickens must be sent by
Express Mail.The containers used must pass the standards in International Safe Transit
Association Test Procedure IA;be strong enough to endure normal handling;and ensure
enough air for the chickens in transit...The number of birds must not be more than the
container's limit."
I mailed the chicken in a wooden box got from a colleague who does research with
birds.
Then,I mailed the egg in standard packaging obtained through an industrial supplier.
It's quite simple.
I posted both the chicken and the egg at 9:40 am,on a Monday morning,from the
Harvard Square post office,in Cambridge,Massachusetts.The staff there told me that
this was the first chicken anyone had mailed from there in recent memory,and perhaps
ever.They handled both the chicken and the egg skillfully and politely.
The intended destination for both packages was the James A.Farley General Post
Office,which is located in Manhattan right next to the Penn Station train terminal.
I took the subway from the Harvard Square to the Boston train station,and from there
boarded a train to New York City,a distance of about 320 kilometers,arriving that
afternoon at Penn Station.I immediately went to the post office,to await the arrivals of the
chicken and the egg.
The James A.Farley General Post Office is open 24 hours a day,so I was able to
wait there until both items arrived.I inquired once per hour for both the chicken and the
egg.
That day,Monday,neither the chicken nor the egg arrived.The next day,Tuesday,
neither the chicken nor the egg arrived.
The chicken arrived at 10:31 am,Wednesday.The staff at the post office told
me that this was the first chicken anyone had mailed to the post office in recent memory,
and perhaps ever.The egg arrived that same day,at 9:37pm,11 hours after the
chicken.
Based on experiment data,it's now quite clear that the chicken came first,the egg
second.
Why did the author go to New York City?
A:Because he had never been there before.
B:Because he wanted to show that he could arrive before both the chicken and the egg.
C:Because he wanted to check which of the two items would arrive first.
D:Because he had sent the chicken and the egg to himself.
第三篇
Who Came First, the Chicken or the Egg?
I just mailed the chicken and the egg,each in its own separate packaging,and kept
careful track of when each shipment was sent from a post office in Cambridge,
Massachusetts,and when it later arrived at its intended destination in New York City.
In mailing the chicken,I was careful to adhere to the restrictions described in the
American Postal Service's Domestic Mail Manual 57,as updated on April 3,2003.This,
the most recent,version of the Manual states that:"Adult chickens must be sent by
Express Mail.The containers used must pass the standards in International Safe Transit
Association Test Procedure IA;be strong enough to endure normal handling;and ensure
enough air for the chickens in transit...The number of birds must not be more than the
container's limit."
I mailed the chicken in a wooden box got from a colleague who does research with
birds.
Then,I mailed the egg in standard packaging obtained through an industrial supplier.
It's quite simple.
I posted both the chicken and the egg at 9:40 am,on a Monday morning,from the
Harvard Square post office,in Cambridge,Massachusetts.The staff there told me that
this was the first chicken anyone had mailed from there in recent memory,and perhaps
ever.They handled both the chicken and the egg skillfully and politely.
The intended destination for both packages was the James A.Farley General Post
Office,which is located in Manhattan right next to the Penn Station train terminal.
I took the subway from the Harvard Square to the Boston train station,and from there
boarded a train to New York City,a distance of about 320 kilometers,arriving that
afternoon at Penn Station.I immediately went to the post office,to await the arrivals of the
chicken and the egg.
The James A.Farley General Post Office is open 24 hours a day,so I was able to
wait there until both items arrived.I inquired once per hour for both the chicken and the
egg.
That day,Monday,neither the chicken nor the egg arrived.The next day,Tuesday,
neither the chicken nor the egg arrived.
The chicken arrived at 10:31 am,Wednesday.The staff at the post office told
me that this was the first chicken anyone had mailed to the post office in recent memory,
and perhaps ever.The egg arrived that same day,at 9:37pm,11 hours after the
chicken.
Based on experiment data,it's now quite clear that the chicken came first,the egg
second.
Why did the author go to New York City?
A:Because he had never been there before.
B:Because he wanted to show that he could arrive before both the chicken and the egg.
C:Because he wanted to check which of the two items would arrive first.
D:Because he had sent the chicken and the egg to himself.
共用题干
Pedestrians Only
1 .The concept of traffic-free shopping areas goes back a long time.During the Middle Ages,traffic-free shopping areas were built in Middle Eastern countries to allow people to shop in comfort and,more importantly,safety.As far back as 2,000 years ago,road traffic was banned from central Rome during the day to allow for the free movement of pedestrians （行人）,and was only allowed in at night when shops and markets had closed for the day.In most other cities,however,pedestrians were forced to share the streets with horses,coaches and,later,with cars and other motorized vehicles.
2 .The modem,traffic-free shopping street was born in Europe in the 1960s when both city populations and car ownership increased rapidly.Dirty gases from cars and the risks involved in crossing the road were beginning to make shopping an unpleasant and dangerous experience.Many believed the time was right for experimenting with car-free streets and shopping areas seemed the best place to start.
3 .At first,there was resistance from shopkeepers.They believed that such a move would be bad for business.They argued that people would avoid streets if they were unable to get to them in their cars.When the first streets in Europe were closed to traffic,there were even noisy demonstrations,as may shopkeepers predicted they would lose customers.
4 .However,research carried out afterwards in several European cities revealed some unexpected statistics.In Munich,Cologne and Hamburg,visitors to shopping areas increased by 5Opercent.On Copenhagen's main shopping street,shopkeepers reported sales increases of 25-40 percent.Shopkeepers in Minneapolis,the USA,were so impressed when they learnt this that they even offered to pay for the construction and maintenance costs of their own traffic-free streets.
5 .With the arrival of the traffic-free shopping street,many shops,especially those selling things like clothes,food and smaller luxury items,prospered.Unfortunately,it wasn't good news for everyone, as shops selling furniture and larger electrical appliances（电器）actually saw their sales drop.Many of these were forced to move elsewhere,away from the city centre.
Paragraph 4______
A:A Need For Change
B:An Idea from Ancient History
C:Popularity of Online Shopping
D:Facing Protest from Shop Owners
E:Increase in Sales and Customers
F:An Experiment that Went Wrong
Pedestrians Only
1 .The concept of traffic-free shopping areas goes back a long time.During the Middle Ages,traffic-free shopping areas were built in Middle Eastern countries to allow people to shop in comfort and,more importantly,safety.As far back as 2,000 years ago,road traffic was banned from central Rome during the day to allow for the free movement of pedestrians （行人）,and was only allowed in at night when shops and markets had closed for the day.In most other cities,however,pedestrians were forced to share the streets with horses,coaches and,later,with cars and other motorized vehicles.
2 .The modem,traffic-free shopping street was born in Europe in the 1960s when both city populations and car ownership increased rapidly.Dirty gases from cars and the risks involved in crossing the road were beginning to make shopping an unpleasant and dangerous experience.Many believed the time was right for experimenting with car-free streets and shopping areas seemed the best place to start.
3 .At first,there was resistance from shopkeepers.They believed that such a move would be bad for business.They argued that people would avoid streets if they were unable to get to them in their cars.When the first streets in Europe were closed to traffic,there were even noisy demonstrations,as may shopkeepers predicted they would lose customers.
4 .However,research carried out afterwards in several European cities revealed some unexpected statistics.In Munich,Cologne and Hamburg,visitors to shopping areas increased by 5Opercent.On Copenhagen's main shopping street,shopkeepers reported sales increases of 25-40 percent.Shopkeepers in Minneapolis,the USA,were so impressed when they learnt this that they even offered to pay for the construction and maintenance costs of their own traffic-free streets.
5 .With the arrival of the traffic-free shopping street,many shops,especially those selling things like clothes,food and smaller luxury items,prospered.Unfortunately,it wasn't good news for everyone, as shops selling furniture and larger electrical appliances（电器）actually saw their sales drop.Many of these were forced to move elsewhere,away from the city centre.
Paragraph 4______
A:A Need For Change
B:An Idea from Ancient History
C:Popularity of Online Shopping
D:Facing Protest from Shop Owners
E:Increase in Sales and Customers
F:An Experiment that Went Wrong
共用题干
Global Warming
Few people now question the reality of global warming and its effects on the world's climate.Many scientists______(1)the blame for recent natural disasters on the increase______(2) the world's temperatures and are convinced that,more than______(3)before,the Earth is at______(4)from the forces of the wind,rain and sun.______(5)to them,global warming is making extreme weather events,______(6)as hurricanes and droughts,even more______(7)and causing sea levels all around the world to______(8).
Environmental groups are putting______(9) on governments to take action to reduce the ______(10) of carbon dioxide which is given______(11) by factories and power plants,thus attacking the problem at its source.They are in______(12) of more money being spent on research into so-lar,wind and wave energy devices,which could then replace existing power______(13).
Some scientists,______(14) believe that even if we stopped releasing carbon dioxide and other gases into the atmosphere tomorrow,we would have to wait______(15) hundred years to notice the results.Global warming,it seems,is here to stay.
12._________
A:belief
B:request
C:favour
D:suggestion
Global Warming
Few people now question the reality of global warming and its effects on the world's climate.Many scientists______(1)the blame for recent natural disasters on the increase______(2) the world's temperatures and are convinced that,more than______(3)before,the Earth is at______(4)from the forces of the wind,rain and sun.______(5)to them,global warming is making extreme weather events,______(6)as hurricanes and droughts,even more______(7)and causing sea levels all around the world to______(8).
Environmental groups are putting______(9) on governments to take action to reduce the ______(10) of carbon dioxide which is given______(11) by factories and power plants,thus attacking the problem at its source.They are in______(12) of more money being spent on research into so-lar,wind and wave energy devices,which could then replace existing power______(13).
Some scientists,______(14) believe that even if we stopped releasing carbon dioxide and other gases into the atmosphere tomorrow,we would have to wait______(15) hundred years to notice the results.Global warming,it seems,is here to stay.
12._________
A:belief
B:request
C:favour
D:suggestion
共用题干
School Lunch
Research has shown that over half the children in Britain who take their own lunches to school do not eat______(51)in the middle of the day. In Britain schools have to
______(52)meals at lunchtime.Children ca_______.(53)to bring their own food or have lunch at the school canteen.
One shocking finding of this research is that school meals are much______(54)than lun-ches prepared by parents.There are strict______(55)for the preparation of school meals, which have to include one______(56)of fruit and one of vegetables,as well as meat,a dairy item and starchy food like bread or pasta.Lunchboxes______(57)by researchers contained sweet drinks,crisps and chocolate bars.Children______(58)twice as much sugar as they should at lunchtime.
The research will______(59)a better understanding of why the percentage of overweight students in Britain has______(60)in the last decade.Unfortunately,the government cannot
______(61)parents,but it can remind them of the______(62)value of milk,fruit and vegetables.Small changes in their children's diet can______(63)their future health.Children can easily develop bad eating______(64)at this age,and parents are the only ones who can ______(65)it.
61._________
A: criticise
B: instruct
C: order
D: tell
School Lunch
Research has shown that over half the children in Britain who take their own lunches to school do not eat______(51)in the middle of the day. In Britain schools have to
______(52)meals at lunchtime.Children ca_______.(53)to bring their own food or have lunch at the school canteen.
One shocking finding of this research is that school meals are much______(54)than lun-ches prepared by parents.There are strict______(55)for the preparation of school meals, which have to include one______(56)of fruit and one of vegetables,as well as meat,a dairy item and starchy food like bread or pasta.Lunchboxes______(57)by researchers contained sweet drinks,crisps and chocolate bars.Children______(58)twice as much sugar as they should at lunchtime.
The research will______(59)a better understanding of why the percentage of overweight students in Britain has______(60)in the last decade.Unfortunately,the government cannot
______(61)parents,but it can remind them of the______(62)value of milk,fruit and vegetables.Small changes in their children's diet can______(63)their future health.Children can easily develop bad eating______(64)at this age,and parents are the only ones who can ______(65)it.
61._________
A: criticise
B: instruct
C: order
D: tell
共用题干
The Beg i n n i ng of America n Literature
American has always been a land of beginnings._____(51)Europeans“discovered”
America in the fifteenth century,the mysterious New World became for many people a genuine hope of a new life,an escape from_____(52)and persecution,a chance to start again.We can say that,as nation,America begins with that hope.When,______(53),does American literature begin?
American literature begins with American experiences.Long before the first colonists ar-rived,before Christopher Columbus,before the Northmen who“found”America about the year 1,000,_____(54)Americans lived here.Each tribe's literature was______(55)woven into the fabric of daily life and reflected the unmistakably American experience of lining with the land._______(56)kind of experience,one filled with fear and excitement,found its expression in the reports that Columbus and other explorers________(57)home in Spain,French and Eng-lish.In addition,the journals of the people who lived and died in the New England wilderness tell unforgettable tales of hard and sometimes______(58)experiences of those______(59) years.
Experience,then,is the key to early American literature .The New World______(60)a great variety of experiences,and these experiences______(61)a wide variety of expressions by an even wider variety of early American writers.These writers,included John Smith,______ (62)spent only two-and-a-half years on the American continent. They included Jonathan Ed-wards and William Byrd,who______(63)of themselves as British subjects,never______(64)a revolution that would create a United States of America with a literature of its own.Ameni-can Indians,explorers,Puritan ministers,frontier wives,plantation owner-they are all the______(65)of the first American literature.
58._________
A:.favourable
B: unforgettable
C: heartbreaking
D: significant
The Beg i n n i ng of America n Literature
American has always been a land of beginnings._____(51)Europeans“discovered”
America in the fifteenth century,the mysterious New World became for many people a genuine hope of a new life,an escape from_____(52)and persecution,a chance to start again.We can say that,as nation,America begins with that hope.When,______(53),does American literature begin?
American literature begins with American experiences.Long before the first colonists ar-rived,before Christopher Columbus,before the Northmen who“found”America about the year 1,000,_____(54)Americans lived here.Each tribe's literature was______(55)woven into the fabric of daily life and reflected the unmistakably American experience of lining with the land._______(56)kind of experience,one filled with fear and excitement,found its expression in the reports that Columbus and other explorers________(57)home in Spain,French and Eng-lish.In addition,the journals of the people who lived and died in the New England wilderness tell unforgettable tales of hard and sometimes______(58)experiences of those______(59) years.
Experience,then,is the key to early American literature .The New World______(60)a great variety of experiences,and these experiences______(61)a wide variety of expressions by an even wider variety of early American writers.These writers,included John Smith,______ (62)spent only two-and-a-half years on the American continent. They included Jonathan Ed-wards and William Byrd,who______(63)of themselves as British subjects,never______(64)a revolution that would create a United States of America with a literature of its own.Ameni-can Indians,explorers,Puritan ministers,frontier wives,plantation owner-they are all the______(65)of the first American literature.
58._________
A:.favourable
B: unforgettable
C: heartbreaking
D: significant
共用题干
American Roads
The United States is well-known for its network of major highways designed to help a driver get from one place to another in the shortest possible time.________(51)these wide modern roads are
generally________(52)and well maintained,with________(53)sharp curves and many straight
sections,a direct route is not always the most________(54)one.Large highways often pass ________(55)scenic areas and interesting small towns.Furthermore,these highways generally ________(56)large urban centers,which means that they become crowded with________(57) traffic during rush hours,________(58)the"fast,direct"route becomes a very slow route.However,there is almost always another route to take________(59)you are not in a hurry.Not far from the________(60)new"superhighways",there are often older,________(61)heavily traveled roads which go through the countryside.________(62)of these are good two-lane roads;
others are uneven roads curving through the country.These secondary routes may go up steep slopes,along high________(63),or down frightening hillside to towns________(64)in deep valleys.Through these less direct routes,longer and slower,they generally go to places________ (65)the air is clean and scenery is beautiful,and the driver may have a chance to get a fresh,clean view of the world.
_________(61)
A:and
B:less
C:more
D: or
American Roads
The United States is well-known for its network of major highways designed to help a driver get from one place to another in the shortest possible time.________(51)these wide modern roads are
generally________(52)and well maintained,with________(53)sharp curves and many straight
sections,a direct route is not always the most________(54)one.Large highways often pass ________(55)scenic areas and interesting small towns.Furthermore,these highways generally ________(56)large urban centers,which means that they become crowded with________(57) traffic during rush hours,________(58)the"fast,direct"route becomes a very slow route.However,there is almost always another route to take________(59)you are not in a hurry.Not far from the________(60)new"superhighways",there are often older,________(61)heavily traveled roads which go through the countryside.________(62)of these are good two-lane roads;
others are uneven roads curving through the country.These secondary routes may go up steep slopes,along high________(63),or down frightening hillside to towns________(64)in deep valleys.Through these less direct routes,longer and slower,they generally go to places________ (65)the air is clean and scenery is beautiful,and the driver may have a chance to get a fresh,clean view of the world.
_________(61)
A:and
B:less
C:more
D: or
Her father was a quiet man with graceful manners.
A:polite
B:similar
C:usual
D:bad
A:polite
B:similar
C:usual
D:bad
共用题干
How Human's Personalities and Behaviors are Formed
1 People have wondered for a long time how their personalities and behaviors are formed.It is not easy
to explain why one person is intelligent and another is not,or why one is cooperative and another is competitive.
2 Social scientists are,of course,extremely interested in these types of questions.They want to explain
why we possess certain characteristics and exhibit certain behaviors.There are no clear answers yet,but two
distinct schools of thought on the matter have developed.As one might expect,the two approaches are very
different from each other. The controversy is often conveniently referred to as"nature vs.nurture".
3 Those who support the"nature"side of the conflict believe that our personalities and behavior pat-
terns are largely determined by biological factors.That our environment has little,if anything,to do with our
abilities,characteristics and behavior is central to this theory.Taken to an extreme,this theory maintains tha
our behavior is pre-determined to such a great degree that we are almost completely governed by our instincts.
4 Those who support the"nurture"theory,that is,they advocate education, are often called behaviorists.
They claim that our environment is more important than our biologically based instincts in determining how
we will act.A behaviorist,B.F.Skinner,sees humans as beings whose behavior is almost completely shaped
by their surroundings.The behaviorists maintain that,like machines,humans respond to environmental stimuli
as the basis of their behavior.
5 Let us examine the different explanations about one human characteristic,intelligence,offered by the
two theories.Supporters of the"nature"theory insist that we are born with a certain capacity for learning that
is biologically determined.Needless to say:They don't believe that factors in the environment have much in-
fluence on what is basically a predetermined characteristic.On the other hand,behaviorists argue that our in-
telligence levels are the product of our experiences.Behaviorists suggest that the child who is raised in an
environment where there are many stimuli which develop his or her capacity for appropriate responses will ex-
perience greater intellectual development.
Those who support the"nature"theory don't believe environment_________.
A:human is born with a certain personality
B:how the personality and behavior are formed
C:will experience intellectual development
D:two different schools on the matter have developed
E:will influence on characters
F:human is born with no personality
How Human's Personalities and Behaviors are Formed
1 People have wondered for a long time how their personalities and behaviors are formed.It is not easy
to explain why one person is intelligent and another is not,or why one is cooperative and another is competitive.
2 Social scientists are,of course,extremely interested in these types of questions.They want to explain
why we possess certain characteristics and exhibit certain behaviors.There are no clear answers yet,but two
distinct schools of thought on the matter have developed.As one might expect,the two approaches are very
different from each other. The controversy is often conveniently referred to as"nature vs.nurture".
3 Those who support the"nature"side of the conflict believe that our personalities and behavior pat-
terns are largely determined by biological factors.That our environment has little,if anything,to do with our
abilities,characteristics and behavior is central to this theory.Taken to an extreme,this theory maintains tha
our behavior is pre-determined to such a great degree that we are almost completely governed by our instincts.
4 Those who support the"nurture"theory,that is,they advocate education, are often called behaviorists.
They claim that our environment is more important than our biologically based instincts in determining how
we will act.A behaviorist,B.F.Skinner,sees humans as beings whose behavior is almost completely shaped
by their surroundings.The behaviorists maintain that,like machines,humans respond to environmental stimuli
as the basis of their behavior.
5 Let us examine the different explanations about one human characteristic,intelligence,offered by the
two theories.Supporters of the"nature"theory insist that we are born with a certain capacity for learning that
is biologically determined.Needless to say:They don't believe that factors in the environment have much in-
fluence on what is basically a predetermined characteristic.On the other hand,behaviorists argue that our in-
telligence levels are the product of our experiences.Behaviorists suggest that the child who is raised in an
environment where there are many stimuli which develop his or her capacity for appropriate responses will ex-
perience greater intellectual development.
Those who support the"nature"theory don't believe environment_________.
A:human is born with a certain personality
B:how the personality and behavior are formed
C:will experience intellectual development
D:two different schools on the matter have developed
E:will influence on characters
F:human is born with no personality
They have given up the hope to save their friend from drowning.
A:ended
B:abandoned
C:built
D:strengthen
A:ended
B:abandoned
C:built
D:strengthen
An important part of the national government is the Foreign Service,a branch of the Department of the State.
A:a unity
B:a division
C:an embassy
D:an invitation
A:a unity
B:a division
C:an embassy
D:an invitation
Paragraph 5
A. Competing Explanations
B. Unknown Attacks
C. Mysterious Explosion
D. Star War
E. Importance of Finding Evidence
F. Explanation that Worries Scientists
A. Competing Explanations
B. Unknown Attacks
C. Mysterious Explosion
D. Star War
E. Importance of Finding Evidence
F. Explanation that Worries Scientists