阅读理解之社会生活类特约专题.doc

Passage 1
　　The latest research suggests that the key factor separating geniuses from the merely accomplished is not I.Q., a generally bad predictor of success. Instead, it’s purposeful practice. Top performers spend more hours practising their craft. It you wanted to picture how a typical genius might develop, you’d take a girl who possessed a slightly above average language ability. It wouldn’t have to be a big talent, just enough so that she might gain some sense of distinction. Then you would want her to meet, say, a novelist, who coincidentally shared some similar qualities. Maybe the writer was from the same town, had the same family background, or shared the same birthday.
　　This contact would give the girl a vision of her future self. It would hive her some idea of a fascinating circle who might someday join. It would also help if one of her parents died when she was 12, giving her a strong sense of insecurity and fuelling a desperate need for success. Armed with this ambition, she would read novels and life stories of writers without end. This would give her a primary knowledge of her field. She’s be able to see new writing in deeper ways and quickly understand its inner workings.
　　Then she would practise writing. Her practice would be slow, painstaking and error-focused. By practising in this way, he delays the automatizing process. Her mind wants to turn conscious, newly learned skills into unconscious. Automatically performed skills. By practising slowly, by breaking skills down into tiny parts and repeating, she forces the brain to internalize a better pattern of performance. Then she would find an adviser who would provide a constant stream of feedback, viewing her performance form the outside, correcting the smallest errors, pushing her to take on tougher challenges. By now she is redoing problems-how do I get characters into a room-dozens and dozens of times. She is establishing habits of thought she can call upon in order to understand or solve future problems.
　　The primary quality our young writer possesses is not some mysterious genius. It’s the ability to develop a purposeful, laborious and boring practice routine; the latest research takes some of the magic out of great achievement. But it underlines a fact that is often neglected. Public discussion is affected by genetics and what we’re “hard-wired” to do. And it’s true that genes play a role in our capabilities. But the brain is also very plastic. We construct ourselves through behaviour.
　　76. The passage mainly deals with_____.
　　A. the function of I.Q. in cultivating a writer
　　B. the relationship between genius and success
　　C. the decisive factor in making a genius
　　D. the way of gaining some sense of distinction
　　77. By reading novels and writers’ stories, the girl could  _____.
　　A. come to understand the inner structure of writing
　　B. join a fascinating circle of writers someday
　　C. share with a novelist her likes and dislikes
　　D. learn from the living examples to establish a sense of security
　　78.  In the girl’s long painstaking training process, ________.
　　A. her adviser forms a primary challenging force to her success.
　　B. her writing turns into an automatic pattern of performance
　　C. she acquires the magic of some great achievement
　　D. she comes to realize she is “hard-wired” to write
　　79. What can be concluded from the passage?
　　A. A fuelling ambition plays a leading role in one’s success
　　B. A responsible adviser is more important than the knowledge of writing.
　　C. As to the growth of a genius, I.Q. Doesn’t matter, but just his|her effort.
　　D. What really matters is what you do rather than who you are.
　　答案  76.C  77.A  78.B  79.D
　Passage 2
　　Remembering names is an important social skill. Here are some ways to master it.
　　Recite and repeat in conversation.
　　When you hear a person’s name，repeat it. Immediately say it to yourself several times without moving your lips. You could also repeat the name in a way that does not sound forced or artificial.
　　Ask the other person to recite and repeat.
　　You can let other people help you remember their names. After you’ve been introduced to someone，ask that person to spell the name mad pronounce it correctly for you. Most people will be pleased by the effort you’re making to learn their names.
　　Admit you don’t know.
　　Admitting that you can’t remember someone’s name can actually make people relaxed. Most of them will feel sympathy if you say. “I’m working to remember names better. Yours is right on the tip of my tongue. What is it again?”
　　Use associations.
　　Link each person yon meet with one thing you find interesting or unusual. For example，you could make a mental note: "Vicki Cheng -- tall, black hair. " To reinforce you’re your associations, write them on a small card as soon as possible.
　　Limit the number of new names you learn at one time.
　　When meeting a group of people, concentrate on remembering just two or three names. Free yourself from remembering every one. Few of the people in mass introductions expect you to remember their names. Another way is to limit yourself to learning just first names. Last names can come later.
　　Go early.
　　Consider going early to conferences, parties and classes. Sometimes just a few people show up on time. That's fewer names for you to remember. And as more people arrive, you can hear them being introduced to others-an automatic review for you.
　　56. How will most people feel when you try hard to remember their names?
　　A. They will be moved.             B. They will be annoyed.
　　C. They will be delighted.         D. They will be discouraged.
　　57. If you can't remember someone's name, you may __
　　A. tell him the truth               B. tell him a white lie
　　C. ask him for pity                 D. ask others to help you
　　58. When you meet a group of people, it is better to remember __
　　A. all their names                   B. a couple of names first
　　C. just their last names             D. as many names as possible
　　59. What does the text mainly tell us?
　　A. Tips on an important social skill.     B. Importance of attending parties.
　　C. How to make use of associations.       D. How to recite and repeat names.
　　答案  56.C  57.A  58.B  59.A
　Passage 3
　　When students and parents are asked to rate subjects according to their importance ,the arts are unavoidably at the bottom of the list . Music is nice, people seem to say, but not important. Too often it  is viewed as mere entertainment, but certainly not an education priority （优先）。 This view is shortsighted. In fact, music education is beneficial and important for all students.
　　Music tells us who we are. Because music is an expression of the beings who create it, it reflects their thinking and values, as well as the social environment it came from. Rock music represents a lifestyle just as surely as does a Schubert song. The jazz influence that George Gershwin and other musicians introduced into their music is obviously American because it came from American musical traditions. Music expresses our character and values. It gives us identity as a society.
　　Music provides a kind of  perception（感知）that cannot be acquired any other way . Science can explain how the sun rises and sets. The arts explore emotive（情感的） meaning of  the same phenomenon . We need every possible way to discover and respond to our world for one simple but powerful reason:  No one way can get it all.
　　The arts are forms of thought as powerful in what they communicate as mathematical and scientific symbols. They are ways we human beings “talk” to each other. They are the language of civilization through which we express our fears, our curiosities, our hungers, our discoveries, our hopes. The arts are ways we give form to our ideas and imagination so that they can be shared with others. When we do not give children access to an important way of expressing themselves such as music, we take away from them the meanings that music expresses.
　　Science and technology do not tell us what it means to be human. The arts do. Music is an important way we express human suffering, celebration, the meaning and value of peace and love.
　　So music education is far more necessary than people to realize.
　　68. According to Paragraph 1, students______.
　　A. regard music as a way of entertainment
　　B. disagree with their parents on education
　　C. view music as an overlooked subject
　　D. prefer the arts to science
　　69. In Paragraph 2, the author uses jazz as an example to _____.
　　A. compare it with rock music
　　B. show music identifies a society
　　C. introduce American musical traditions
　　D. prove music influences people’s lifestyles
　　70. According to the passage. the arts and science_____.
　　A. approach the world from different angles
　　B. explore different phenomena of the world
　　C. express people’s feelings in different ways
　　D. explain what it means to be human differently
　　71. What is the main idea of the passage?
　　A. Music education deserves more attention.
　　B. Music should be of top education priority.
　　C. Music is an effective communication tool.
　　D. Music education makes students more imaginative.
　　答案  68.A  69.B  70.A  71.A
　　Passage 4
　　Camping wild is a wonderful way to experience the natural world and, at it best, it makes little environmental influence. But with increasing numbers of people wanting to escape into the wilderness. It is becoming more and more important to camp unobtrusively（不引人注目的）and leave no mark.
　　Wild camping is not permitted in many places, particularly in crowded lowland Britain, Wherever you are, find out about organizations responsible for managing wild spaces, and contact them to find out their policy on camping and shelter building. For example, it is fine to camp wild in remote parts of Scotland, but in England you must ask the landowner’s permission, except in national parks.
　　Camping is about having relaxation, sleeping outdoors, experiencing bad weather, and making do without modern conveniences. A busy, fully-equipped campsite（野营地）seems to go against this, so seek out smaller, more remote places with easy access to open spaces and perhaps beaches. Better still, find a campsite with no road access: Walking in makes a real adventure.
　　Finding the right spot to camp is the first step to guaranteeing a good night’s sleep. Choose a campsite with privacy and minimum influence on others and the environment. Try to use an area where people have obviously camped before rather than creating a new spot. When camping in woodland, avoid standing dead trees. Which may fall on a windy night. Avoid animal runs and caves, and possible homes of biting insects. Make sure you have most protection on the windward side. If you make a fire, do so downwind of your shelter. Always consider what influence you might have on the nature word. Avoid damaging plants. A good campsite is found, not made-changing it should be unnecessary.
　　72. You needn’t ask for permission when camping in _____.
　　A. national parks in England         B. most parts of Scotland
　　C. crowded lowland Britain           D. most parts of England
　　73. The author thinks that a good campsite is one_____.
　　A. with easy access                   B. used previously
　　C. with modern conveniences           D. far away from beaches
　　74. The last paragraph mainly deals with _____.
　　A. protecting animals
　　B. building a campfire
　　C. camping in woodland
　　D. finding a campsite with privacy
　　75. The passage is mainly about_____.
　　A. the protection of campsites
　　B. the importance of wild camping
　　C. the human influence on campsites
　　D. the dos and don’ts of wild camping
　　答案  72.A  73.B  74.C  75.D
　Passage 5
　　When I was seven my father gave me a Timex, my first watch. I loved it, wore it for years, and haven’t had another one since it stopped ticking a decade ago. Why? Because I don’t need one. I have a mobile phone and I’m always near someone with an iPod or something like that. All these devices（装置）tell the time-which is why, if you look around, you’ll see lots of empty wrists; sales of watches to young adults have been going down since 2007.
　　But while the wise have realized that they don’t need them, others-apparently including some distinguished men of our time-are spending total fortunes on them. Brands such as Rolex, Patek Philippe and Breitling command shocking prices, up to ?250.000 for a piece.
　　This is ridiculous. Expensive cars go faster than cheap cars. Expensive clothes hang better than cheap clothes. But these days all watches tell the time as well as all other watches. Expensive watches come with extra functions-but who needs them? How often do you dive to 300 metres into the sea or need to find your direction in the area around the South Pole? So why pay that much of five years’ school fees for watches that allow you to do these things?
　　If justice were done, the Swiss watch industry should have closed down when the Japanese discovered how to make accurate watches for a five-pound note. Instead the Swiss reinvented the watch, with the aid of millions of pounds’ worth of advertising, as a message about the man wearing it. Rolexes are for those who spend their weekends climbing icy mountains; a Patek Philippe is for one from a rich or noble family; a Breitling suggests you like to pilot planes across the world.
　　Watches are now classified as “investments”（投资）。 A 1994 Philippe recently sold for nearly? ?350, 000, while 1960s Rolexes have gone from? 15, 000 to? 30, 000 plus in a year. But a watch is not an investment. It’s a toy for self-satisfaction, a matter of fashion. Prices may keep going up--they’ve been rising for 15 years. But when of fashion. Prices may keep going up-they’ve been rising for 15 years. But when fashion moves on, the owner of that? ?350, 000 beauty will suddenly find his pride and joy is no more a good investment than my childhood Times.
　　59 The sales of watches to young people have fallen because they__________.
　　A. have other devices to tell the time
　　B. think watches too expensive
　　C. prefer to wear an iPod
　　D. hame no sense of time
　　60. It seems ridiculous to the writer that_______________.
　　A. people dive 300 metres into the sea
　　B. expensive clothes sell better than cheap ones
　　C. cheap cars don’t run as fast as expensive ones
　　D. expensive watches with unnecessary functions still sell
　　61. What can be learnt about Swiss watch industry from the passage?
　　A. It targets rich people as its potential customers.
　　B. It’s hard for the industry to beat its competitors.
　　C. It wastes a huge amount of money in advertising.
　　D. It’s easy for the industry to reinvent cheap watches.
　　62. Which would be the best title for the passage?
　　A. Timex or Rolex?
　　B. My Childhood Timex
　　C. Watches? Mot for Me!
　　D. Watches-a Valuable Collection
　　答