Shark on the bait (诱饵) !" shouted Andre Harman, pointing to a spot a few yards behind the outboard motors. His voice gave no indication of panic, but the crew suddenly became tense and fixed their eyes on the water. Slowly, smoothly, Andre drew in the bait.The shark followed. No one asked what kind of shark it was. Everything about it, from its color to its shape, tells that it was a great white shark.

Andre lifted the bait aboard. Placing himself between the two motors, he dropped his right hand into the water just as the great head reached the first motor. “My goodness Andre!” I said. His hand seized the big nose, moving it away from the tube of the motor, guiding the shark's head up as it rose out of the water. Andre's hand held the nose, touching it gently. No one spoke. No one breathed. The moment seemed endless. In fact, it lasted less than five seconds before Andre pulled his hand back.

Still nobody spoke. Then Andre smiled and said: "The first time was an accident. I was just trying to move the shark away from the motor. Sharks are attracted to motors by their electrical signals and have a habit of biting them to see if they are eatable. " Andre has worked with great white sharks for years. "My hand landed on its nose, and it sort of paused, so I kept it there, and when I did let go, the shark bit and bit as if it was searching for whatever it was that had attracted it."

Nearly every encounter (遭遇) we had had with the great whites had been totally illogical. The more we learned, the more we realized how little was really known about them in the past years. Back then, it was generally accepted that great whites ate people by choice. Now we know that almost every attack on a human is an accident in which the shark mistakes a human for its normal food. Back then, we thought that once a great white smelt blood, it would lead to death. Now we know that nearly three-quarters of bite victims survive, perhaps because the shark recognizes that is has made a mistake and doesn't return for a second bite.

1.The author said, "My goodness! Andre ! " when

A.Andre was about to fall into the water

B.Andre was about to touch the shark

C.Andre was followed by the shark

D.Andre was bitten by the shark

2.What does the author think of the encounters with great whites?

A. Exciting. B. Educational.

C. Frightening D. Reasonable

3.Most bite victims survive in shark attacks because .

A. they are taught how to fight off sharks

B. sharks discover they are no threats

C. they manage to swim to safety

D. sharks stop attacking them

The Enigma(谜)of Beauty

The search for beauty spans centuries and continents.Paintings of Egyptians dating back over 4,000 years show both men and women painting their nails and wearing makeup.In 18th-century France,wealthy noblemen wore large wigs (假发) of long,white hair to make themselves attractive.Today,people continue to devote a lot of time and money to their appearance.

There is at least one good reason for the desire to be attractive: beauty is power.Studies suggest that good-looking people make more money,get called on more often in class,and are regarded as friendlier.

But what exactly is beauty? It’s difficult to describe it clearly,and yet we know it when we see it.And our awareness of it may start at a very early age.In one set of studies,six-month-old babies were shown a series of photographs.The faces on the pictures had been rated for attractiveness by a group of college students.In the studies,the babies spent more time looking at the attractive faces than the unattractive ones.

The idea that even babies can judge appearance makes perfect sense to many researchers.In studies by psychologists,men consistently showed a preference for women with larger eyes,fuller lips,and a smaller nose and chin while women prefer men with large shoulders and a narrow waist.According to scientists,the mind unconsciously tells men and women that these traits―the full lips,clear skin,strong shoulders―equal health and genetic well-being.

Not everyone thinks the same way,however.“Our hardwiredness can be changed by all sorts of expectations—mostly cultural,” says C.Loring Brace,an anthropologist at the University of Michigan.What is considered attractive in one culture might not be in another.Look at most Western fashion magazines: the women on the pages are thin.But is this “perfect” body type for women worldwide? Scientists’ answer is no; what is considered beautiful is subjective and varies around the world.They found native peoples in southeast Peru preferred shapes regarded overweight in Western cultures.

For better or worse,beauty plays a role in our lives.But it is extremely difficult to describe exactly what makes one person attractive to another.Although there do seem to be certain physical traits considered universally appealing,it is also true that beauty does not always keep to a single,uniform standard.Beauty really is,as the saying goes,in the eye of the beholder.

1.People’s ideas about beauty _______.

A.have existed since ancient times

B.can be easily described

C.have little influence on a person’s success

D.are based upon strict criteria

2.In Paragraph 3,the babies in the study _______.

A.were rated for their appearance

B.were entered in a beauty contest

C.were shown photos of a group of college students

D.were able to tell attractive faces from unattractive ones

3.The underlined word “traits” in Paragraph 4 probably means _______.

A.qualities B.measurements C.judgments D.standards

4.We can learn from the passage that _______.

A.the ideas of beauty vary as people grow up

B.the search for beauty is rooted in lack of confidence

C.the standards for beauty are based on scientific researches

D.the understanding of beauty depends on cultural backgrounds

阅读下面短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

My kids and I were heading into the supermarket over the weekend. On the way, we spotted a man holding a piece of paper that said, “______ my job. Family to Feed.”

At this store, a _____ like this is not normal. My 10-year-old noticed him and make a ______ on how bad it must be to have to stand ______ in the cold wind.

In the store, I asked each of my kids to ______ something they thought our “friend” there would ______. They got apples, a sandwich and a bottle of juice. Then my 17-year-old suggested giving him a _____. I thought about it. We were ______ on cash ourselves, but…well, sometimes _____ from our need instead of our abundance(充裕) is ______ what we need to do! All the kids ______ something they could do away with for the week.

When we handed him the bag of ______, he lit up and thanked us with ______ eyes. When I handed him the gift card, saying he could use it for ______his family might need, he burst into tears.

This has been a wonderful ______ for our family. For days the kids have been looking for others we can ______! Things would have played out so ______ if I had simply said, “No, we really don’t have ______ to give more.” Stepping out not only helped a brother in ______, it also gave my kids the ______ taste of helping others. It’ll go a long way with them.

1.A. Lost B. Changed C. Quit D. Finished

2.A. condition B. place C. sight D. show

3.A. suggestion B. comment C. decision D. call

4.A. outside B. proudly C. by D. angrily

5.A. draw B. say C. arrange D. pick

6.A. order B. supply C. appreciate D. discover

7.A. dollar B. job C. hot meal D. gift card

8.A. easy B. low C. soft D. loose

9.A. giving B. saving C. spending D. begging

10.A. yet B. even C. still D. just

11.A. declared B. shared C. ignored D. expected

12.A . toys B. medicine C. food D. clothes

13.A. sleepy B. watery C. curious D. sharp

14.A. whoever B. whatever C. whichever D. whenever

15.A. experience B. example C. message D. adventure

16.A. rely on B. respect C. learn from D. help

17.A. suddenly B. vividly C. differently D. perfectly

18.A. time B. power C. patience D. money

19.A. fear B. love C. need D. memory

20.A. strong B. sweet C. strange D. simple

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网