题目内容
Evelyn Glennie was the first lady of solo percussion in Scotland. In an interview, she recalled how she became a percussion soloist（打击乐器独奏演员）in spite of her disability.
“Early on I decided not to allow the 21 of others to stop me from becoming a musician. I grew up on a farm in northeast Scotland and began 22 piano lessons when I was eight. The older I got, the more my passion（酷爱）for music grew. But I also began to gradually lose my 23 . Doctors concluded that the nerve damage was the 24 and by age twelve, I was completely deaf. But my love for music never 25 me.”
“My 26 was to become a percussion soloist, even though there were none at that time. To perform, I learned to ‘hear’ music differently from others. I play in my stocking feet and can 27 the pitch of a note（音调高低）by the vibrations（振动）I feel through my body and through my 28 . My entire sound world exists by making use of almost every 29 that I have.” “I was 30 to be assessed as a musician, not as a deaf musician, and I applied to the famous Royal Academy of Music in London.
21. A. conditions B. opinions C. actions D. recommendations
22. A. enjoying B. choosing C. taking D. giving
23. A. sight B. hearing C. touch D. taste
24. A. evidence B. result C. excuse D. cause
25. A. left B. excited C. accompanied D. disappointed
26. A. purpose B. decision C. promise D. goal
27. A. tell B. see C. hear D. smell
28. A. carefulness B. movement C. imagination D. experience
29. A. sense B. effort C. feeling D. idea
30. A. dissatisfied B. astonished C. determined D. discouraged
21-25: B C B D A 26-30: D A C A C
I made a pledge (发誓) to myself on the way down to the vacation beach cottage. For two weeks I would try to be a loving husband and father. Totally loving. No ifs, ands or buts.
The idea had come to me as I listened to a talk on my car radio. The speaker was quoting (引用) a Biblical (圣经的) passage about husbands being considerate towards their wives. Then he went on to say, “Love is an act of will. A person can choose to love.” To myself, I had to admit that I had been a selfish husband. Well, for two weeks that would change.
And it did. Right from the moment I kissed Evelyn at the door and said, “That new yellow sweater looks great on you.”
“Oh, Tom, you noticed,” she said, surprised and pleased, maybe a little puzzled.
After the long drive, I wanted to sit and read. Evelyn suggested a walk on the beach. I started to refuse, but then I thought, “Evelyn’s been alone here with the kids all the week and now she wants to stay with me.” We walked on the beach when the children flew their kites.
So it went. Two weeks of not calling the Wall Street firm where I am a director; a visit to the shell museum though I usually hate museums. Relaxed and happy, that’s how the whole vacation passed, I made a new pledge to keep on remembering to choose love. There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment, however. Evelyn and I still laugh about it today. Last night at our cottage, preparing for bed, Evelyn stared at me with the saddest expression.
“What’s the matter?” I asked her.
“Tom,” she said in a voice filled with sorrow, “do you know anything I don’t?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well…that checkup (体检) I had several weeks ago…our doctor…Did he tell you anything about me? Tom, you’ve been so good to me... Am I dying?”
It took a moment for it all to sink in. Then I burst out laughing.
“No, honey,” I said, wrapping her in my arms. “You’re not dying; I’m just starting to live.”
【小题1】
From the story we may infer that Tom went to the beach cottage ________.
| A．with his family | B．with Evelyn | C．alone | D．with his children |
During the two weeks on the beach, Tom showed more love to his wife because ________.
| A．she looked lovely in her new clothes |
| B．he had made a lot of money in Wall Street |
| C．he was determined to be a good husband |
| D．she was seriously ill |
The underlined words “one thing” in the passage refer to the fact that ________.
| A．he praised her sweater, which puzzled her |
| B．she insisted on visiting a museum, which he hated |
| C．he knew something about her illness but didn’t tell her |
| D．he was so good to her that she thought she must be dying |
By saying “I’m just starting to live”, Tom means that ________.
| A．he is just beginning to understand the real meaning of work |
| B．he is just beginning to enjoy his life as a loving husband |
| C．he lived an unhappy life before and is now starting to change |
| D．he is beginning to feel sorry for what he did to his wife |
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Ask Dr ? Jeffers |
This month Dr. Jeffers is answering questions about the human brain and how it works. |
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Dear Dr. Jeffers, One of my colleagues, Felix Moeller, told me that scientists are learning to use computer to ‘read minds’. Is there any truth to this story/ —Jane Leon, New York, USA Dear Ms. Leon, Well, a lot of research is being conducted in this area, but so far, the brain scanning equipment and corresponding computer programs haven’t been able to actually read thoughts. In one experiment, test subjects（受试者）were connected to scanning equipment and shown two numbers on a screen. They were then asked to choose between adding or subtracting（减）the two numbers. Using this method, researchers were able to follow brain processes and make the correct assumptions（假设）70 percent of the time. It’s not quite mind reading, but it’s certainly a first step. —Dr. J. |
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Dear Dr. Jeffers, My three-year-old son loves it when I dig my fingers into his sides and tickle （胳肢）him until he laughs uncontrollably. The other day I noticed him trying to tickle himself but he couldn’t do it. Why not? —Glenn Lewis, Vancouver, Canada Dear Mr. Lewis, It’s because of how the brain works. The brain is trained to know what to pay attention to and what to ignore. It causes us to ignore physical feelings we expect to happen, but it causes a mild panic reaction when there is an unexpected feeling. For example, you don’t notice how your shoulder feels while you’re walking down the street. But if someone comes up behind you and touches you lightly on the shoulder, you may jump in fear. It’s that unexpected part that causes the tickle reaction. —Dr. J. |
1.What can we learn from the answer to the first question?
A. Some equipment is able to read human minds.
B. Some progress has been made in mind reading.
C. Test subjects have been used to make decisions.
D. Computer programs can copy brain processes.
2.People laugh when tickled by others because the feeling is _______.
A. unexpected B. expected C. comfortable D. uncomfortable
3.Who has got a little child according to the text?
A. Ms. Leon B. Mr. Lewis C. Mr. Moeller D. Dr. Jeffers
4.According to the text, Jeffers is probably _______.
A. a computer programmer B. a test subject
C. a human brain expert D. a medical doctor