题目内容

For some people, music is no fun at all. About four percent of the population is what scientists call “amusic.” People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes (音调). Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. Amusics can only hear the difference between two notes if they are very far apart on the musical scale.

As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. Their inability to enjoy music set them apart from others. It can be difficult for other people to identify with their condition. In fact, most people cannot begin to grasp what it feels like to be amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping mall can be uncomfortable or even painful. That is why many amusics intentionally stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in withdrawal and social isolation. “I used to hate parties,” says Margaret, a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify this unusual condition.

Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from the brains of people who can appreciate music. The difference is complex, and it doesn’t involve defective hearing. Amusics can understand other nonmusical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding ordinary speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can’t see certain colors.

Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally diagnosed (诊断). For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem with music. Now she knows that she is not alone. There is a name for her condition. That makes it easier for her to explain. “When people invite me to a concert, I just say, ‘No thanks, I’m amusic,’” says Margaret. “I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy.”                                                                                                                       (335 words)

1.Which of the following is true of amusics?

A.Listening to music is far from enjoyable for them.

B.They love places where they are likely to hear music.

C.They can easily tell two different songs apart.

D.Their situation is well understood by musicians.

2.According to paragraph 3, a person with “defective hearing” is probably one who __________.

A.dislikes listening to speeches

B.can hear anything nonmusical

C.has a hearing problem

D.lacks a complex hearing system

3.In the last paragraph, Margaret expressed her wish that __________.

A.her problem with music had been diagnosed earlier

B.she were seventeen years old rather than seventy

C.her problem could be easily explained

D.she were able to meet other amusics

4.What is the passage mainly concerned with?

A.Amusics’ strange behaviours.

B.Some people’s inability to enjoy music.

C.Musical talent and brain structure.

D.Identification and treatment of amusics.

 

【答案】

1.A

2.C

3.A

4.B

【解析】

【文章大意】文章讲述的是世界上有一群天生不喜欢听音乐的人,被称之为amusic,这些人听力上没有任何问题,只是不喜欢听音乐,也无法欣赏音乐。很多人在之前都因此而苦恼,现在有了科学的解释,他们可以摆脱那种尴尬、不自在的处境了。

1.根据第一段“For some people, music is no fun at all”可知,A项正确,意为,“对于某些人来说,听音乐并不是开心的事情”和A项的听音乐对他们来说远非是愉快的相同。因此,B项也是错误的。根据第一段的“People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes (音调). Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. ”可知,CD两项错误。

2.该段前两句讲的是不爱听音乐的人和喜欢听音乐的人是不同的,他们之间的区别很复杂,但是那have no problems understanding ordinary speech. ”又讲到了这些不爱听音乐的人在理解其他非音乐的声音或者演讲的时候是没有问题的,目的是为了强调他们是正常的,没有什么缺陷的,因此defective hearing指的是C项的a hearing problem,即听觉有问题。句意为,他们之间的区别是很负责的,但并不包括听觉有问题这种情况。

3.I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy.意为,我希望我在十七岁的时候就学会了这样说(指的是No thanks, I’m amusic这句,意为,谢谢你,我是一个不喜欢听音乐的人),而不是到了七十岁才学会。从最后一段我们知道,their condition is finally diagnosed (诊断)他们的这种状况终于最后确诊了,他们都属于amusic,但是这来的太迟了,对于Margaret来说,因为之前她总是Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem感到很尴尬,因此她希望她年轻的时候,就可以有现在这样的诊断。

4.全文主要讲述的是不喜爱听音乐的一类人,被称之为amusic,他们之前都没有得到统一的诊断或者认识,直到现在。因此选择B项,Some people’s inability to enjoy music意为,一些人无法欣赏音乐。A项,错在strange behaviors,文章只是说他们不喜欢有音乐的地方,并没有讲到他们其他的一些奇怪的举动。C项Musical talent and brain structure音乐天赋和大脑构造,明显与文章大意不符。D项中错在treatment,意为治疗,文章并没有讲到如何帮助这些人治疗他们的问题。因此排除D。

 

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Humor is a most effective, yet frequently neglected, means of handling the difficult situations in our lives. It can be used for patching up differences, apologizing, saying “no,” criticizing, getting the other fellow to do what you want without his losing face. For some jobs, it’s the only tool that can succeed. It is a way to discuss subjects so sensitive that serious dialogue may start a quarrel. For example, many believe that comedians on television are doing more today for racial and religious tolerance than people in any other forum.
Humor is often the best way to keep a small misunderstanding from escalating into a big deal. Recently a neighbor of mine had a squabble with his wife as she drove him to the airport. Airborne, he felt miserable, and he knew she did, too. Two hours after she returned home, she received a long-distance phone call. “Person-to-person for Mrs. I. A. Pologize,” intoned the operator. “That’s spelled ‘P’ as in…” In a twinkling, the whole day changed from grim to lovely at both ends of the wire.
An English hostess with a quick wit was giving a formal dinner for eight distinguished guests whom she hoped to enlist in a major charity drive. Austerity(节俭)was a fashion in England at the time, and she had asked her children to serve the meal. She knew that anything could happen—and it did, just as her son, with the studied concentration of a tightrope walker, brought in a large roast turkey. He successfully elbowed the swinging dining-room door, but the backswing threw the bird onto the dining-room floor.
The boy stood rooted: guests stared at their plates. Moving only her head the hostess smiled at her son,” No harm, Daniel,” she said. “Just pick him up and take him back to the kitchen”… she enunciated clearly so he would think about what she was saying… “and bring in the other one.”
A wink and a one-liner instantly changed the dinner from a red-faced embarrassment to a conspiracy of fun.
【小题1】What is the main idea of the passage?

A.Humor is the key to success in our work and our lives.
B.Humor enables us to cope with difficult situation effectively.
C.Humor is the only best way to criticize someone without losing his face.
D.Humor makes fun of any difficult situations.
【小题2】Which of the following is NOT stated in the passage?
A.Comedians on TV are believed to have done a lot in making people more tolerant of racial and religious differences.
B.To make up differences, humor is a most acceptable as well as a most effective means.
C.People often turn to humorous ways when meeting with difficult situations because of its effectiveness.
D.Only by adopting the means of humor can one succeed in some jobs.
【小题3】By saying “and bring in the other one,” the hostess meant that_________.
A.the son had to cook another turkey for the guests
B.she already had made more than one turkey ready for the dinner
C.some other dish would be served instead of a turkey
D.the son could serve the same turkey after it was cleaned

The following are introductions to some programs that BBC I London will show on TV.

12:25am Tuesday
The Real Swiss Robinson Family
Laura worried that her children have had their life too easy due to her husband’s career in big business, so she decides to take her teenagers to the Cook Islands to experience the simple life. They face storms and a lack of food, but Laura is happy as their local guide shows them the island’s wealth of rare fruits and foods.
11:00a.m Wednesday
A team have come across an armed man who is holding two baby apes who were captures .One of them, David, is sent to a medical emergency in the forest. Later a center director, Nielsen, finds a suitable place to set free more rescued animals.
7:50p.m Thursday
Lost Building of Britain
Simon Thurley visits the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey(修道院), which ,before its destruction by Henry VIII, was famous for some of the most amazing stained glasses of its age. It also had a great deal of financial power, acting as the center of an influential business empire. Eventually, it was the king’s envy of the abbey’s wealth that changed the abbey’s fate.
10:35 p.m. Thursday
Nigella Express
Nigella presents ideas for impromtu(即兴的) cooking, from new recipes and suggestions for taking advantage of the food you have to make quick , simple and impressive meals.
【小题1】Why is Laura worried?_______
A.Life on the Cook Islands is too simple.
B.Her husband faces difficulties in his business
C.Storms are approaching her hometown
D.Her children may not know how to cherish life
【小题2】Jim enjoys TV programmes of people or organizations that take care of animals. He should probably watch TV at_______.
A.10:35 p.m on Thursday.
B.7:50 p.m on Thursday
C.11:00 a.m on Wednesday
D.12:25 a.m on Tuesday
【小题3】We can learn from the text that_____
A.David is a farmer
B.Henry VIII set up a business empire in the Abbey
C.Nielsen is an animal-lover
D.Glastonbury Abbey is famous today for its stained-glass

信息匹配(共5小题,满分10分)

请阅读下列应用文及相关信息,并按照要求匹配信息。请在答题卡上将对应题号的相应选项字母涂黑。

以下是演讲会的资料:

A

Are you interested in “Dream of the Red Mansion” (Hong Lou Meng)? Listen to a lecture on this classical novel.

Venue: National Museum of Chinese Modern Literature (Beijing)

Time: 9:30 a.m.

Price: free

Tel: 010 – 84615522

B

“Jiaguwen” is among the oldest pictographic characters in the world.How much do you know about it? Get all the answers at this free lecture.

Venue: Dongcheng District Library (Beijing)

Time: 9:00 a.m.

Price: free

Tel: 010 – 64013356

C

Former United Nations interpreter Professor Wang Ruojin speaks about her experiences at the UN and shares her understanding of the cultural differences between East and West.

Venue: National Library of China (Beijing)

Time: 1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p. m.

Price: free

Tel: 010 – 68488047

D

Qi Baishi, one of China’s greatest modern painters, was also a poet, calligrapher(书法家) and seal-cutter(刻印者). Can you appreciate his works? Then come to spend the time with us.

Venue: Beijing Art Academy

Time: 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Price: 10 yuan

Tel: 010 - 65023390

E

It is the year of the Dog, and you can see “Fu” everywhere. But how much do you know about dogs – man’s best friend? What is “Fu” and where does it come from? Why do people hang “Fu” character upside down on the door? Get all the answers from this free lecture.

Venue: Capital Library (Beijing)

Time: 2:00 p. m.

Price: free

Tel: 010 - 67358114

F

About 160 cultural relics from Guangdong, Macao and Hong Kong are on display to April 15th. Meanwhile experts will talk about the important roles these three cities have played in the past two thousand years of Sino–Western exchanges.

Venue: Beijing Art Museum

Time: 2:00 p. m. – 5:00 p. m.

Price: 20 yuan, students 10 yuan

Tel: 010 - 83659337

 

以下是想去听演讲的人员的基本信息,请匹配适合他们的演讲内容。

71. Alice is now studying in Beijing University, and she is especially interested in Chinese writing. In her spare time she enjoys drawing, writing poems and is fond of sharing her pieces with her classmates.

72. Simon comes from Egypt. He is now studying in Beijing Art Academy. He shows great interest in Chinese ancient characters. Now he wants to know much about it.

73. Lora and Peter, visiting professors from Australia, are both crazy about Chinese traditional culture. At weekends they like to call on Chinese families to learn about Chinese festivals as well as their history.

74. Edward is a senior student in Beijing Foreign Language University. He likes traveling very much and has made up his mind to work as an interpreter for some joint–venture enterprises (合资企业).

75. Steve and Mark are both studying in the Chinese Department of China’s Renmin University. They want to do some research on Chinese ancient literature.

 

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