题目内容

20.One evening in February 2007,a student named Paula Ceely brought her car to a stop on a remote road in Wales.She got out to open a metal gate that blocked her path.That's when she heard the whistle sounded by the driver of a train.Her Renault Clio was parked across a railway line.Seconds later,she watched the train drag her car almost a kilometre down the railway tracks.
Ceely's near miss  made the news because she blamed it on the GPS (导航仪).She had never driven the route before.It was dark and raining heavily.Ceely was relying on her GPS,but it made no mention of the crossing."I put my complete trust in the device and it led me right into the path of a speeding train,"she told the BBC.
Who is to blame here?Rick Stevenson,who tells Ceely's story in his book When Machines Fail Us,points the finger at the limitations of technology.We put our faith in digital devices,he says,but our digital helpers are too often not up to the job.They are filled with small problems.And it's not just GPS devices:Stevenson takes us on a tour of digital disasters involving everything from mobile phones to wireless keyboards.
The problem with his argument in the book is that it's not clear why he only focuses on digital technology,while there may be a number of other possible causes.A map-maker might have left the crossing off a paper map.Maybe we should blame Ceely for not paying attention.Perhaps the railway authorities are at fault for poor singalling system.Or maybe someone has studied the relative dangers and worked out that there really is something specific wrong with the GPS equipment.But Stevenson doesn't say.
It's a problem that runs through the book.In a section on cars,Stevenson gives an account of the advanced techniques that criminals use to defeat computer-based locking systems for cars.He offers two independent sets of figures on car theft; both show a small rise in some parts of the country.He says that once again not all new locks have proved reliable.Perhaps,but maybe it's also due to the shortage of policemen on the streets.Or changing social circumstances.Or some combination of these factors.
The game between humans and their smart devices is amusing and complex.It is shaped by economics and psychology and the cultures we live in.Somewhere in the mix of those forces there may be a way for a wiser use of technology.
If there is such a way,it should involve more than just an awareness of the shortcomings of our machines.After all,we have lived with them for thousands of years.They have probably been fooling us for just as long.

60.What did Paula Ceely think was the cause of her accident?D
A.She was not familiar with the road.
B.It was dark and raining heavily then.
C.The railway workers failed to give the signal.
D.Her GPS device didn't tell her about the crossing.
61.The phrase"near miss"(Paragraph 2)can best be replaced byC.
A.close hit            B.heavy loss                
C.narrow escape        D.big mistake
62.Which of the following would Rick Stevenson most probably agree with?B
A.Modern technology is what we can't live without.
B.Digital technology often falls short of our expectation.
C.Digital devices are more reliable than they used to be.
D.GPS error is not the only cause for Ceely's accident.

分析 本文是一篇科教类阅读,作者主要以自己的亲身经历讲了自己对数码科技的一些看法.

解答 60-62 DCB
60.答案D.根据文章第二段的Ceely was relying on her GPS,but it made no mention of the crossing.Ceely相信她的GPS,但是GPS没有标注十字路口(才导致她开到了飞速运行的火车道上).可知本题答案为D选项.
61.答案C.GPS把她带到了飞速运行的火车线路上,这是一次非常危险的经历,但是她并没有发生意外,算是死里逃生,near miss,narrow escape表达的就是这层含义.故本题答案为C选项.
62.答案B.根据文章中的"We put our faith in digital device,he says,but our digital helpers are too often not up to the job."我们把信仰关注在数码设备上,但是往往,他们却不合我们的心意.所以数码技术常常没有达到我们的期望,因此本题答案为B选项.

点评 本文是一篇科教类阅读,题目涉及多道细节理解题,做题时结合原文和题目有针对 性找出相关语句进行仔细分析,结合选项选出正确答案.推理判断也是要在抓住关键句子的基础上合理的分析才能得出正确的答案.

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Researchers from the University of Stirling's Behavioural Science Centre set out to explore claims that warm indoor temperatures have contributed to rising obesity levels in winter.Instead,the team found that people who live in well-heated homes are more likely to have low body mass index (体重指数) levels while those who keep their heating turned down or off tend to be heavier.
Dr Michael Daly,behavioral scientist and senior lecturer,said:"We set out to investigate the scientific claims that cooler indoor temperatures help us maintain a healthy weight by pushing our bodies to use up more energy.In fact,the research suggests people may eat less and burn more energy when in a warmer indoor environment.
The 13-year study,published in the journal Obesity,involved more than 100,000adults across England.
Researchers found reduced weight levels among people living in homes heated to above 23°C(73F),which involved about 15,000of the households studied.
Dr Daly said:"As national gas bills continue to rise faster than the rate of inflation,this research suggests the obesity could worsen where heating is turned down below comfortable levels or off for long periods to cut costs."
This is not just about people who live in well-heated homes being in the financial position to afford more expensive low-calorie foods,exercise classes and sporting activities,and therefore finding it easier to maintain a low BMI level.The study took age,sex,social class and other factors into account.
"The comfortable temperature of 20°C-23°C is where we feel comfortable in our clothes and are neither hot nor cold.At temperatures above this,we use more energy and we eat less because our appetite is affected."

29.The findings of the research can be described asB.
A.horrible  B.surprising  C.funny  D.encouraging
30.According to the passage,with rising gas bills,people may turn down or off their heating toC.
A.stay in shape    B.maintain a low BMI level
C.save money       D.avoid eating more
31.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?A
A.Obesity links to poorly-heated homes
B.Well-heated home's contribute to obesity
C.Obesity---A weighty problem in England
D.Rising energy bills help maintain a healthy weight.
15.The mystery of why humans are the only animals to have chins may have been solved by scientists who suggest that it is connected to the invention of cooking.
A paper from the University of Florida tries to explain exactly why humans-unlike all other primates-have chins.
A team led by Dr.James Pampush collected information from more than 100kinds of primate and compared it with historical information.Computer modelling found how the chin developed.
Random genetic change was ruled out because the chin developed 77times faster than the average genetic change.And the study finds no evidence that it served a useful purpose.The research,published in the Journal of Human Evolution,suggests the chin is a by-product of another event.In this case,the event could well be the invention of cooking.
"The chin began to appear as a result of major changes six million years earlier.The arrival of cooking and softer food meant humans no longer needed big teeth and powerful jaws,and over the next two million years to 200,000years both got smaller and the chin was born,"said Dr.Pampush."My guess is that it most likely happened around two million years ago when there was a jump in brain size.The changes which finally lead to the chin are directly related to cooking,and indirectly related to larger brains and bodies."
Dr.Pampush's new theory goes against previous suggestions that the chin was an example of sexual selection,with attractive chins marking out men who are likely to make good mates.The fact that both men and women have chins means the theory is unlikely.
Another theory put forward in the past said that the chin was a way to balance out the stress of chewing,but Dr.Pampush also threw doubt on that idea.
32.The reason why we have chinsB.
A.is connected to humans'action of chewing
B.has something to do with cooking
C.is random genetic change
D.is related to eating time.
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A.By carrying out experiments.
B.By studying scientific theories.
C.By examining the human brain.
D.By comparing recorded information.
34.Before developing chins,humansA.
A.had bigger teeth
B.cooked softer food
C.had smaller jaws
D.had larger bodies
35.According to Dr.Pampush,the chin most probably appeared aroundC.
A.6million years ago.
B.4million years ago
C.2million years ago
D.0.2million years ago.
5.A man was selling medicine at a fair(集市).At first he sold bottles of a cure(药剂)for colds for just a dollar a bottle.
Many people wanted to buy it and the man's young assistant moved quickly through the crowd collecting money and handing out bottles of the cure.
Then,when he had a big crowd,the man held up a very small bottle.
"And now,ladies and gentlemen,he shouted,"Here is the medicine you have been waiting for.The cure for old age.Drink just one bottle of this and you will live forever.
"And,ladies and gentlemen,the man continued,"I'm not going to charge you a hundred dollars a bottle for this wonderful medicine.I'm not going to charge you fifty dollars a bottle.I'm not going to charge you twenty-five dollars a bottle.Now,ladies and gentlemen,I'm going to charge you just ten dollars a bottle. Think,my friends,for ten dollars you can live forever.
    Most of the people in the crowd did not believe this.
One person shouted,"If it can make you live forever,why don't you drink it?
Then another person cried,"Yes,you look as if you're at least sixty years old.
"Thank you,sir,thank you."the man answered,"I'm so glad you said that. My real age is three hundred and twenty-nine.
The crowd laughed at this but there were still some people who wanted to believe the man.One of them spoke to the man's assistant as she passed by,"Is that true?he asked."Is he three hundred and twenty-nine?
"Don't ask me,the assistant said,"I've only worked for him for a hundred and fifty years.
25.What did the man sell at first at the fair?B
A.bottles   
B.a cure for colds  
C.a medicine that made people live forever 
D.a cure for old age
26.How much did the man charge for the cure for old age?D
A.twenty-five dollars a bottle      
B.one dollar a bottle
C.fifty dollars a bottle             
D.ten dollars a bottle
27.What does the word"assistant"mean in this passage?C
A.朋友  B.仆人  C.助手  D. 同伴
28.What does this passage really mean?A
A.The man is not honest,and nor is his assistant.
B.The cure for old age is very useful and not so expensive.  
C.The two men are very honest,and they would like to help people live forever.
D.The cheaper the medicine is,the more people will buy.
12.HAVE you ever gotten a song kept in your head?You sing it all the time-on your way to school,before sleep,even when you're sitting on the toilet.You want to forget it,but the music just keeps sounding in your head.
Some people call these annoying songs"earworms"because they are just like parasites(寄生虫)-they"live"in your ears and refuse to leave even when you tell them to.
But why do some songs become earworms and not others?According to Ira Hyman,a music psychologist at Western Washington University,people are more likely to remember songs that are simple and repetitive,especially ones with that type of music."Choruses tend to get stuck in your head because they are the bit we know best,"Hyman told The Tele-graph.
If you've got an earworm,you can suffer an attack without even hearing it.Seeing words from the song or hearing someone mention it could both cause the domino effect that starts the song running.
Scientists have been trying to find a solution to deal with earworms.They say the best way is to fill your mind with something else.But here is the tricky part:the task you do should be neither too hard nor too easy.The harder you try not to think about the music,the more you won't be able to help it.On the contrary,a task like jogging which is too easy won't keep your brain busy enough,and that could allow the song to come back.
"The key is to find something that will give the right level of challenge."said Hymen.Reading a difficult book or a good novel could count.

21.What can we 1earn from the passage?A
A.People may sing earworms everywhere.
B.You can suffer an attack of an earworm on hearing it.
C.You can forget the melody by trying hard not to think about it.
D.Hearing someone sing the song can't start the song running in your head.
22.What kinds of songs will probably become earworms?C
A.Classical songs.
B.Songs we 1ike best.
C.Simple and repetitive songs.
D.Songs that are unfinished.
23.According to the article,if you want to get rid of earworms,you shouldC.
A.Listen to a new song
B.Try not to think of the song
C.Read an interesting novel
D.Do some exercise like jogging.
9.High school in the United States starts too early.Given teenagers'sleep patterns,the ideal school start time could be as late as 11:30 a.m.-when many high school students have already finished half a school day and are eating lunch.
Researchers from Harvard and Oxford wrote about this new finding in a recent article in the journal Learning,Media,and Technology.In the article,Paul Kelley argued that,given when kids and teenagers are biologically conditioned to wake up,10-year-olds should start school at 8 a.m.,16-year-olds should start between 10 a.m.and 10:30 a.m.,and 18-year-olds should start between 11 a.m.and 11:30 a.m.
There's been lots of research done on sleep and performance in school-but this article argues that school should start even later than most proposals for a later start time call for.Teens aren't lazy-adults need to adjust.This isn't laziness-sleep patterns are a biological necessity.Reviewi ng evidence from studies around the world,the researchers argue that starting school later would help students learn more,perform better on tests,and even make teenagers less annoyed.When the Minneapolis Public Schools moved their start time from 7:15 a.m.to 8:40 a.m.,students liked the change and reported that"attendance,achievement,behavior,and mood improved."
Parents were positive,too.92 percent said they liked the change,and parents reported that their kids were easier to live with when they weren't getting up so early.At the US Air Force Academy,where students were randomly assigned(分配;指派)to classes with earlier and later start times,students who started earlier performed worse all day long on those days.
The researchers argue that this is partly cultural,and that getting up early is still seen as a virtue.That's wrong,They write:"A common belief is that adolescents are tired because they choose to stay up too late,or are difficult to wake in the morning because they are lazy.Educators tend to think that adolescents learn best in the morning and if they simply went to sleep earlier,it would improve their concentration.The truth is that adults need to be educated."
61.What does the passage mainly argue about?A
A.The time to start high school.
B.The performance of teenagers.
C.The sleep patterns of the teenagers.
D.The common belief of adolescents.
62.From Paul Kelley's research,pe ople can concludeB.
A.the earlier the children get up,the cleverer they will become
B.the elder the children are,the later they should start learning
C.the more time children spend learning,the better they will be
D.the later children wake up,the more knowledge they can get
63.Which is NOT the benefit of starting school later in Paragraph3?D
A.Gaining more knowledge.
B.Getting higher marks.
C.Making mood better.
D.Attending school later.
64.How did the parents think of starting late?C
A.The students are losing a virtue.
B.The adults need to be taught.
C.The students benefit from that.
D.The adults become lazier.
65.What should the students do to perform well in school,according to the educators?D
A.They should have the wonderful virtue.
B.They could develop the common belief.
C.They need to become lazier and lazier.
D.They must get habits of sleeping early.
10.Are you at least 17years old?Do you weigh more than 110ponds?Do you consider yourself fairly healthy?
If you answered yes to all of these questions,you should be donating (捐赠) blood every two months.In my survey of my schoolmates,I found that only 50percent of them have ever donated blood and that only 1out of 13of them donate regularly.The lack (缺少) of blood donors is a serious problem that requires immediate action.
According to the American Red Cross Web pages,in the United States alone someone receives a blood transfusion (输血) once every three seconds.People who benefit frm donations include cancer patients as well as babies.The need for blood never takes a vacation and neither should donors.
Let me tell you about Brooke,a three-year-old girl with cancer.Brooke has spent about half of her life in the hospital receiving treatments.Her treatment will require about 500units of blood in total,of which only 250units have been replaced.She still needs the other half of the total amount to continue her treatment.If she does't receive this blood,she will not live to start kindergarten.
Examples like Brooke's ae becoming all too common these days,with only 1in 20Americans donating blood and this number keeps dropping each year.These facts are extremely worrying considering that nearly half of us here will need blood sometime in our lives.
You can now see the seriousness of the problem with the lack of blood donations.Fortunately,it isa problem that can be easily solved.Each and every one of you can be part of the solution.All you have to do is go to the nearest Red Cross and donate your blood.
1.How does the author explain the problem mentioned in Paragraph 2?C
A.By answering questions.
B.By making comparisons.
C.By presenting research findings.
D.By describing his own experiences.
2.What can we learn from the American Red Cross Web pages?B
A.The suffering of patients.
BThe strong need for blood.
C.The efforts of the Red Cross.
D.The benefits of taking vacations.
3.The three-year-old girl BrookeB.
A.doesn't get fair treatment in the hospital   
B.will need another 250units of blood
C.stays alive by receiving blood daily        
D.can't wait to start kindergarten
4.What is the purpose of the text?A
A.To persuade people to donate blood.
B.To present some new medical results.
C.To call on people to save a little girl.
D.To explain the risks of blood donation.

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