题目内容

Science has a lot of uses. It can reveal (揭示) 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 subjects. Because of this, you might expect the book to cover a variety of facts. But Brooks has structured his book in an unusual, 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 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. show the value of Brooks’s new book

B. show where science can be applied

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 clear writing.

B. Its convincing points.

C. Its strong characters.

D. Its strong basis.

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

A. Cautious.

B. Critical.

C. Contradictory(矛盾的).

D. Supportive.

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阅读下面材料,在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

When someone has 1.(deep)hurt you,it can be very difficult to let go of your anger.But forgiveness is possible and it can be surprisingly 2.(benefit) to your physical,and mental health.So far,research 3.(show) that people who forgive can have more energy,better appetite and better sleep.“People who forgive show 4.(1ittle) anger and more hopefulness.”says Dr.Frederic Luskin,who wrote the book Forgive for Good.“So it can help reduce the tiredness out of the immune system and allow people 5.(feel) more energetic.”

So when someone has hurt you,cool down first.Take a couple of breaths and think of something, 6. gives you pleasure: a beautiful scene in nature,or someone you 1ove.Don’t wait for an 7.(apologize).“Many times the person who hurt you may never think of apologizing.” says Dr. Luskin. “They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don’t see things in 8. same way.So if you wait for people to say sorry,you could be waiting a very long time.”

Next keep in mind that forgiveness does not necessarily mean 9.(accept) the action of the person who upsets you.Instead,learn to look for the love, beauty and kindness around you. Finally, try to see things from the other person’s perspective.You may realize that he or she was acting out of ignorance. To gain perspective, you may want to write, a letter to 10.(you) from that person's point of view.

I walked to Mrs. Windsor’s house and waited outside. She was working with another student, and I was not supposed to bother them by ringing the bell. I stood against the wall and daydreamed what I’d rather be doing. I had been tutored enough to read, understand, and even write some musical compositions, but I just didn’t have a gift for it. Mrs. Windsor had offered to give me the lessons for free, so I felt my duty to try.

The door opened and Wendy Barton came out. I walked in, sat down on the piano bench and began to sort through my sheet music. Today Mrs. Windsor introduced her niece Pasha to teach me. With a smile, Pasha sat beside me on the piano bench, opened my sheet music to the beginning page and asked me to play. I arranged my fingers on the keys. Then I frowned(皱眉) and concentrated to make the notes on the page match the finger movements. I had to admit I was a rather mechanical (呆板的) pianist.

After about a page or two, Pasha gently put her hand on top of mine as if to calm my fingers. There was a long pause. “What are you hearing in the music?” I looked at her rather strangely and admitted I didn’t know what she meant. “Like a story. Here, let me try and you listen,” Pasha advised.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting her fingers dance lightly over the keys. Then, she began to play. “See, it begins here beside some kind of river. Hear the water flowing beside you?”

Her fingers rose and fell gently on the keys. “Now the princess appears and she’s picking flowers from the water’s edge.” A happy piece of music filled the air in time to Pasha’s dancing fingers. “Oh, but she slips!” The music changed. “And our princess is being carried off by the fast-flowing stream. Quickly, the princess’ horse sees her plight (困境) and races to the river’s edge where he swims out to let her catch hold of him. Luckily, they make it to the bank.” Pasha said.

I played many pieces of music that afternoon, finding the stories in the music and learning that sometimes it takes a friend to pull you out of the river onto dry land again.

1.By describing herself as a mechanical pianist, the author meant ________.

A. she could remember the notes in a short time

B. she was playing the piano without emotion

C. her fingers couldn’t move freely

D. it had been a long time since she played last time

2.Which of the following can best describe Pasha?

A. Creative.B. Honest.C. Humorous.D. Brave.

3.Pasha’s magic of playing the piano lies in that she ________.

A. imagined herself as a princess

B. knew its original background story

C. had a strong desire to make a friend

D. combined the music with a story

4.Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A. A Friend Forever

B. Never Give up

C. A Piano Lesson

D. My Favorite Piece of Music

For the Travel section, writers and editors selected special items to profile from a dozen cities.

Brussels:Chocolate

Nearly half the chocolate consumed in the world is eaten in Europe, and Belgium—with average consumption of 14.99 pounds per person a year—certainly covers its fair share. While Brussels, the country’s capital, is home to hundreds of chocolate makers, what makes a visit necessary is the rich heritage of traditional chocolate makers.

Budapest: Paprika (红辣椒)

The job of preparing Hungarian paprika was once considered too dangerous for mothers to do. A woman who touched her children upon returning from work risked burning them, so only the elderly and unmarried were allowed the delicate task of separating the skin from the flesh. But by the early 20th century, sweeter varieties and a machine turned paprika into a common feature of all Hungarian cuisine.

Lisbon: Tiles (瓷砖)

Is there a bluer Country than Portugal? The blue sky and Atlantic Ocean embrace the land. The blue moods of Fado, the dark folk music, form the national soundtrack. And all across Portugal, the typically blue designs of azulejos—ceramic tiles—are spread across churches, castles, palaces, university halls, parks... The result is a beautiful land of Christian saints, Portuguese kings, historical glories, aristocrats at leisure, seascapes and so on.

Madrid: Guitars

Walking into one of Madrid’s storied guitar makers’ workshops can feel like stepping into the past. Curly wood shavings, from the palest pine to ebony, fall onto the floor as artisans turn some humble wood into works of art. It’s painstaking work—all done by hand—with classical guitar models and the methods of making them changing little over the last century.

1.What does the job of preparing Hungarian paprika suggest?

A. The popularity of Hungarian peppers.

B. The difficulty of processing peppers.

C. The unique tradition in Budapest.

D. The hot level of Hungarian peppers.

2.Which city can be a splendid setting for a film?

A. Brussels.B. BudapestC. LisbonD. Madrid.

3.What’s the similarity of the four items?

A. They’re all treasures of a city.

B. They all date back to several centuries.

C. Their production processes are all painstaking.

D. They all win popularity in most European countries.

The Parthenon(帕特农神庙) in Athens is a building with a long and complex(复杂的) history. Built nearly 2,500 years ago as a temple celebrating the Greek goddess Athena, it was for thousands of years the church of the Virgin Mary of the Athenians, then a mosque (清真寺), and finally a ruin. The building was changed and the sculptures(塑像) much damaged over the centuries. By 1800 only about half of the original sculptural decoration remained.

Between 1801 and 1805, Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire(奥斯曼帝国), which controlled Athens, acting with the full knowledge and permission of the Ottoman authorities,removed about half of the remaining sculptures from the fallen ruins and from the building itself. Lord Elgin loved Greek history and transported the sculptures back to Britain. The arrival of the sculptures in London had a huge effect on the European public, greatly increasing interest in ancient Greek culture and influencing contemporary artistic trends. These sculptures were gained from Lord Elgin by the British Museum in 1816 and since then they have all been on show to the public, free of charge.

Since the early 1980s, however, the Greek government has argued for the return of all the Parthenon sculptures in the British Museum. They have also challenged the British Museum Board of Trustees’ legal title to the sculptures.

The British Museum, however, insists that it exists to tell the story of cultural achievement throughout the world, from the dawn of human history over two million years ago until the present day. The museum considers itself an important resource for the world: the breadth and depth of its collection allows the world public to re-examine cultural identities and explore the complex network of interconnected world cultures.

It also says that, within the context of this unparalleled collection, the Parthenon sculptures are an important representation of ancient Athenian civilization. Each year millions of visitors admire the artistry of the sculptures and gain insights on how ancient Greece influenced — and was influenced by — the other civilizations that it came across.

1.For most of its history people went to the Parthenon to ________.

A. admire the goddess Athena

B. pray to their god

C. search for sculptures

D. learn about its complex history

2.What can we infer from the passage?

A. The sculptures introduced ancient Greek culture to the west.

B. Ancient Greek culture has greatly influenced world culture.

C. The British Museum has made much money from the Parthenon sculptures.

D. The British Museum is the most suitable place for protecting these sculptures.

3.What can we learn about Lord Elgin from the passage?

A. He is greatly admired in Greece.

B. He worked for the Ottoman Empire.

C. He saved the Parthenon sculptures from being destroyed.

D. He had a deep interest in Greek culture.

4.The author’s main purpose in writing this passage is to tell________.

A. the history of the Parthenon and its sculptures

B. what people can see in the British Museum

C. why the British Museum refuses to return the sculptures

D. the influence of Greece on British culture

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