题目内容
() 3. Old Tom gave the signal that a whale hunt would start.
3.T
B
For more than a century it was thought that a beautifol face was appealing because it was a co ection of average features. Using his computer system,Dr David Perrett of the University of St Andrews has challenged the theory. In a key experiment,photographs of women were ranked tor their attractiveness by a number of volunteers Two composite pictures were then created;
one,tile average of all the pictures,the other made lrom those rated most attractive. Although the faces looked very similar at first sight,most people said they preferred the composite of most attractive faces.
“The conclusion I reached," said Dr Perrett was that the most attractive face was not average. If you look at famous film stars and supermodels,most of them have Wefl/ (理想的) features 一 larger than normal eyes,higher arched eyebrows,slightly smaller noses,and higher cheekbones Even popular cartoon characters such as Betty Boop,Yasmin from Aladdin and Bambi have big eyes,small tumed-up noses,big mouths and small chins. And if these features are exaggerated,the attractiveness rating goes up even more. Julia Roberts is a good example of this."
But what do scientists make of men，s faces? Do men with large eyes,high cheekbones and a small chin have the same appeal? Researchers were a bit shocked at the top-ranking male face. They expected it to have the classic square jaw and strong cheekbones,but instead,women seem to prefer men with gentle faces.
Dr Perrett puts forward a reason to explain why so many women now go for baby-faced stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Jude Law. Women like a man with (女性化的) face because he is more likely to make a kinder and more trustworthy husband and father.
But do these ideals of beauty manage to cross cultural boundaries? Are the same features considered to be attractive all over the world? A worldwide study carried out by Professor Cunningham of the University of Louisville,Kentucky concluded that there were only very subtle differences between different cultures. In other words,although there might be a little truth in the old saying that beauty is in the eye of the beholder,by and large,we all seem to be attracted to the same things.
6. Dr Perrett reached his conclusion mainly by.
A. telling true stories
A. making comparisons
B. setting down general rules
C. following the order of importance
7. According to Dr Perrett's theoiy,Julia Roberts is considered very.
A. appealing B.intelligent C. successful D. trustworthy
8.Which of the following features of men is most attractive to women?
A. Large eyes. B. Baby faces
C. Big mouths. D. High cheekbones.
9. According to the author,people from different cultures.
A. seem little attention to their differences
B. have completely different views about beauty
C. have managed to cross cultural boundaries
D. seem to have the similar standard of beauty
10. What does the text mainly discuss?
A. Is beauty everywhere?
B. Is beauty only skin-deep?
C. Is beauty in the eye of the beholder?
D. Does beauty only belong to great women?
C
There are around 6,000 living languages in the world — and at least half of these are in danger. In every part of the world,languages are disappearing. In fact,one scientist has said that languages are in more danger of extinction than birds or mammals. Professor Steve Sutherland of the University of East Anglia says that in the past 500 years 4. 5 percent of languages have died out — compared with 1. 3 percent of birds,and 1. 9 percent of mammals.
Languages come and go,and thousands have done exactly that without leaving any trace Only a very few —iasque,Greek and Latin among them — have lasted more than 2,000 years. But it seems that the pace of their disappearance is becoming quicker.
The Ethnologue,a database of all the languages spoken in the world,states that 417 languages are spoken by so few people that they are in the final stages of becoming extinct. If very few people speak a language,it will probably die out.
Languages may be iost through migration(迁移) , as people move from small towns to city centers,or when environments are destroyed by the search for oil or wood. Natural disasters can also devastate populations,and along with them,their language.Governments also play a role in the extinction of languages. The need to establish “official languages”，for a country to educate its children and carry out its business,had a disastrous effect on many small languages.
What is lost if a language is lost? Some people argue that languages die as the human race develops. Obviously there could be great benefits if everyone in the world spoke the same language — some industries already reflect this,with English essential for pilots and air traffic controllers. But there are more important things than convenience. As languages are lost,whole ways of life and knowledge may be lost along with them.
To put it simply,language expresses something about identity,about our place in the world. Ani Rauhihi,a Maori teacher in New Zealand's North Island,sums it up: “If you grow up speaking our language,you won’t know who you are."
28. The figures mentioned in the first paragraph suggest that .
A. most languages have died out completely
B. languages are in great danger of extinction
C. animals are disappearing faster than languages
D. languages are disappearing slower than before
29. The underlined word “devastate” can best,be replaced by “”
A. increase B. control C. destroy D. improve
30. If a language is lost,.
A. there will be great trouble
B. there is no need to worry about it
C. its culture and knowledge will also be lost
D. people will be able to communicate with others conveniently
31. What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A. Languages reflect our identity.
B. People will speak the same language one day.
C. Fewer people will remember their own languages.
D. Ani Rauhihi cares less about languages dying out.
An 18-year-old who just finished high school has developed a revolutionary device(装置) which allows visually impaired or blind people to be more mobile — after coming up with the idea when he was 12.
“To be considered is a real honor. It means the work we’re doing is really valuable,”Alex Deans said.
The teen,from Ontario in Canada,began creating the tool after becoming curious while helping a visually impaired lady cross the street one day.
“She told me that all existing devices only let users see in one direction so they can't know what’s going on around them,w he toki GOOD magazine,after seeing she only had a stick and guide dog — two things that are hard to come by.
The device,known as iAid,uses GPS (Global Positioning System) and ultrasonic(超声波的) technology to help visually impaired people get around safely.
The belt-like tool comes with a control handle and works by using sound waves to discover objects in the users’ path and show how close things are to them. The iAid works much like a bat uses sonar(声呐) .
The teen's invention has been attracting attention and it won the 2015 Weston Youth Innovation Award in May for which Alex was awarded $2,000 at a ceremony at the Ontario Science Centre last month.
“The entire group of judges was impressed by Alex，s creativity,motivation and dedication (奉献) to building his design over a four-year period. We look forward to seeing future inventions from this outstanding young inventor,said Hooley McLaughlin,chief science officer at the Ontario Science Centre.
Alex is now working closely with the team at the science centre to hold an exhibition for his invention. He was also given the opportunity to give a presentation at We Day 一 stadium-sized events where speakers lecture about global issues across the US,Canada,and the UK.
Alex will be starting at Montreal's McGill University in the autumn,but hopes the iAid will be approved for US and Canadian rights so that,one day,the device will be available for those who really need it across the world.
6. What purpose does Alex’s invention serve?
A. To encourage the blind to live independently.
B. To provide blind people with mobile phones.
C. To make blind people's life more colorful.
D. To help the blind move around easily.
7.How did Alex come up with his idea?
A. He got the idea from a magazine.
B. He was inspired by a blind woman.
C. He found it hard to use a guide dog.
D. He noticed existing tools weaknesses.
8.The bat probably uses sonar to .
A. keep its balance in flight
B. block harmful sound waves
C. communicate with other bats
D. find out the position of objects
9.Which of the following is expressed in McLaughlin's words?
A. Doubt. B. Surprise. C. Praise. D. Puzzle.
10.What is Alex preparing for at oresent?
A. A show of his iAid.
B. His college studies.
C. An awards ceremony.
D. The speech at We Day.
4. Our newspaper aims to (表达当地人民的心声) .
5. When his mother came in,little Tom pretended to (read) in his study.
() 8. The killers would have a good meal before the whale，s body floated up to the surface.
3. Because of the fog they a their idea of driving.
6. To get the plant out of the pot,turn it and give it a gentle knock.
