Science has a lot of uses. It can uncover laws of nature, cure diseases, make bombs, and help bridges to stand up. Indeed science is so good at what it does that there’s always a temptation(诱惑) to drag it into problems where it may not be helpful. David Brooks, author of The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement, appears to be the latest in a long line of writers who have failed to resist the temptation.

Brooks gained fame for several books. His latest book The Social Animal, however, is more ambitious and serious than his earlier books. It is an attempt to deal with a set of weighty topics. The book focuses on big questions: What has science revealed about human nature? What are the sources of character? And why are some people happy and successful while others aren’t?

To answer these questions, Brooks surveys a wide range of disciplines(学科). Considering this, you might expect the book to be a dry recitation of facts. But Brooks has structured his book in an unorthodox(非常规的), and perhaps unfortunate, way. Instead of introducing scientific theories, he tells a story, within which he tries to make his points, perhaps in order to keep the reader’s attention. So as Harold and Erica, the hero and heroine in his story, live through childhood, we hear about the science of child development, and as they begin to date we hear about the theory of sexual attraction. Brooks carries this through to the death of one of his characters.

On the whole, Brooks’s story is acceptable if uninspired. As one would expect, his writing is mostly clear and, to be fair, some chapters stand out above the rest. I enjoyed, for instance, the chapter in which Harold discovers how to think on his own. While Harold and Erica are certainly not strong or memorable characters, the more serious problems with The Social Animal lie elsewhere. These problems partly involve Brooks’s attempt to translate his tale into science.

1.The author mentions the functions of science at the beginning of the passage to __________.

A. illustrate where science can be applied

B. demonstrate the value of Brooks’s new book

C. remind the reader of the importance of science

D. explain why many writers use science in their works

2.According to the author, which of the following could be a strength of the book?

A. Its strong basis. B. Its convincing points.

C. Its clear writing. D. Its memorable characters.

3.What is the author’s general attitude towards the book?

A. Contradictory. B. Supportive.

C. Cautious. D. Critical.

4.What is the author likely to write about after the last paragraph?

A. Problems with the book. B. Brooks’s life experiences.

C. Death of the characters. D. Brooks’s translation skills.

Today, we know that the role of vitamins and minerals goes way beyond the prevention of deficiency diseases (维生素缺乏症) to actually preventing cancer and heart disease, the most fearsome killers of our time. With this knowledge has come the widespread call for nutritional supplementation (营养补充) — and a confusing group of vitamin, mineral, and supplements lining the supermarket shelves.

Far from contributing to better health, however, nutritional supplements threaten to turn a scientific breakthrough into a nutritional disaster.

Promoters of vitamins and minerals — especially vitamins A, C, and E— would have consumers believe that the little vitamin pill in the bottle is all they need for good health. Take your vitamins in the morning, and you’re covered. It’s okay to eat fast foods for the rest of the day or skip meals to achieve today’s fashionably skinny look. But vitamins and minerals are only one part of the nutritional puzzle. A diet rich in fiber (纤维) and balanced in carbohydrates and protein is essential for good health. You can’t get these things from a nutritional supplement. The focus on vitamin and mineral supplements may actually be robbing us of the full nutrition we seek.

And no supplement can compare to the quality of nutrition found in natural sources. For example, our bodies turn carotenes (胡萝卜素) from plant foods into vitamin A. Many supplements contain a single carotene, but natural sources are rich in many different carotenes. Many supplements contain a form of vitamin E that is made from chemicals, when natural vitamin E is more readily absorbed and used by the body. And science is still discovering the wealth of nutrients in foods.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a supplement as nutritionally comprehensive and powerful as a balanced diet. Even if you could, you’d pay much more than if you got the same nutritional value from natural sources.

But perhaps the greatest danger presented by nutritional supplements comes from the very real risks presented by self-medication. Anyone can walk into the market and buy as many different supplements as desired. The reported benefits of high dosages of certain nutrients have led some people to believe that the more the better. Many take several vitamin and mineral supplements without regard to possible consequences.

Surprising new research suggests that vitamin C pills may speed up hardening of the arteries, the underlying cause of heart attacks. Researchers said their findings support the recommendations of health organizations, which urge people to avoid high doses of supplements and to get their nutrients from food instead.

As appealing as they’re made to sound, nutritional supplements are danger in disguise. If you’re looking for good health, don’t look on the supplement shelves of your supermarket. Look in the produce section instead.

1.What has given rise to the great need for nutritional supplements?

A. The knowledge of deficiency diseases.

B. The low prices of nutritional supplements.

C. The frighteningly high death rate from cancer and heart disease.

D. The information about the role of vitamins and minerals in health.

2.The “promoters” (Paragraph 3) most probably refers to ________.

A. businessmenB. doctorsC. scientistsD. fast food lovers

3.According to the passage, nutritional supplements ________.

A. are made from chemicals

B. are ineffective in supplying fiber

C. provide too much vitamin C

D. contain a kind of dangerous carotene

4.By describing nutritional supplements as “danger in disguise” in the last paragraph, the writer means that they are ________.

A. of little help

B. of poor quality

C. potentially harmful

D. extremely poisonous

Ahead of so-called Singles’ Day on the 11th of this month,2013, online sales have already begun peaking.

The leading e-business platform, tmall.com, has promoted(促销) its fifty-percent-off discount to attract consumers. They are also trying to attract buyers through social media. Vice President of tmall.com Wang Yulei says more than 20 thousand online stores have joined the Double 11 Day sales. But this number has doubled. The final number of how many products going to be on sale has not been known yet. But so far, many more products planned to be put on shelves with discounts.

During last year's Singles’ Day, tmall.com, together with taobao.com, reached a record of 19.1 billion yuan in sales, which considered a milestone in the e-business history of China.

Singles’ Day was first started by Chinese college students in the 1990s as the opposite of Valentine’s Day, a celebration for people without romantic partners. The timing was based on the date: Nov. 11—or double 11—for singles. Single young people would treat each other to dinner or give gifts to show love to someone and end their single status.

But now, the Singles’ Day has been promoted as a kind of grand craze just for the shopping season, thanks to thousands of discounted products being promoted online.

Taobao.com was the first big e-retail platform which used the double 11 idea to promote sales. Taobao.com reached one million yuan worth of sales on that day in 2009, when they first promoted the Singles’ Day idea. In 2010, the sales increased to 936 million yuan. The figure climbed up to 5.3 billion yuan in 2011, putting huge demand on shipping services. The figure doubled in 2012.

E-commerce is considered to be replacing the traditional retailing industry, but the reality is both sides are learning from each other.

1.How much is a dress that is usually sold at 250 yuan during Singles’ Day at tmall.com?

A. 500.B. 125.C. 100.D. 200.

2.What can we infer from the passage?

A. Taobao.com reached 2.65 billion yuan in 2012.

B. E-commerce is going to replace traditional business at the end.

C. Double 11 Day was created to get the single status over for young people.

D. More than 20 thousand products will be provided in the Double 11 Day sales.

3.Which of the following is the main idea of the passage?

A. Singles’ Day promotes online sales.

B. Why Singles’ Day is so popular.

C. How people celebrate Singles’ Day.

D. What the definition of Singles’ Day is.

4.Where do you think is the passage taken from?

A. A science textbook.B. A newspaper.

C. A travel journal.D. A health report.

根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项,选项中有两项为多余选项。

How To Become Smarter

There are three things that will get you ahead in life: Good looks, smarts and being considered as being smart. The first is God-given. 1. In this article we explore some different ways to become smarter.

Go to college, and get an education. 2. It means that you will have been exposed to many different ideas and hopefully you will have learned how to think. Being able to think outside the box and for yourself are features smart people possess.

Read books and educational magazine. 3. Educational magazines such as Discovery or National Geographic are a wealth of knowledge that you can share with others, thus making you sound very smart. If you do watch television, try watching something where you can learn such as the History Channel, Discovery etc.

Expand your vocabulary. Try to learn one new word a week. It does not seem like much, but adding 52 new word to your vocabulary will make you appear much smarter. Subscribing to vocabulary. com is a good start. 4. This way you are actually getting 365 words a year, but that is usually more than most people can absorb.

5. Uneducated people and people not considered as being smart tend to do this. They hear an outrageous(骇人的) claim and they repeat it to the nearest ear. You can do much harm to your quest for being smart if you are known for giving bad information.

A. That is my exact point.

B. And unluckily most of us are not good-looking.

C. You will have a new word sent to your e-mail address daily.

D. The programs actually provide you with information you can see.

E. Reading books works the brain out more than viewing television.

F. Do not repeat everything people tell you until you know that it is true.

G. College does not necessarily mean you will be smarter, just educated.

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