(江西省抚州一中2009届高三第四次模拟考试E篇)

Every day from the time we wake up until the time we go to bed, we are bombarded with information from all sides, from TV, radio, newspapers and books; from family, friends, and colleagues. As a new cable television subscriber, I am absolutely amazed at the quantity and varying levels of information quality on cable television. Including the networks, there are eight TV "news" organizations vying to provide us with all the information we can possibly absorb. Newspaper, magazines, books, radio, the Internet, email, snail mail, and the telephone all compete for our attention and our minds. At the office conversations around the water cooler and coffee maker serve to spread even more items of information.
　　There is valuable information out there about the world we live in, on topics as varied as health, safety, traffic, nutrition, business, finance, philosophy, nature, science, weather, history and the human condition. There is also a large amount of misleading and outright false information, not just on controversial subjects such as politics and religion but on any topic one can think of, including all of the topics mentioned above.
　　With all this information coming at us from all directions, how does one sift through it all to sort out the facts from the fiction, the truth from the lies, the more important from the less important? Should we turn off the TV, cancel our newspaper subscriptions, disconnect our phones and modems to become information "hermits"? Probably not.
　　A better method of sifting through the information wave without being overwhelmed and confused is to become a skeptical inquirer-or skeptic-with regard to the surrounding world. By "skeptic"-I do not mean a cynic-a person who rejects new ideas simply because they are new. A skeptic is one who questions the validity of a particular claim by calling for evidence to prove or disprove it. Skepticism is a method, not a position. It is a provisional approach to all factual claims. In terms of processing information, a skeptic needs to be able to grasp reality and acquire knowledge about the environment that agrees with reason, logic, and evidence. In other words, as skeptics, when we hear a claim that may or may not be fantastic, we should say, "That's nice, prove it."

72．The writer implies that if we want to make some judgments about some information, the first thing that we should do is to .
A. ask for the information                  B. cut off all channels of information
C. receive and go through the information   D. become information "hermits"

73. What does the author say is the more reasonable approach to processing the information wave?
A. A skeptical approach.       B. A subjective approach.  

C. A cynical approach.         D. A philosophical approach.

74. What can we conclude from the difference between a skeptic and a cynic?
　　  A. Skeptics are reasonable but cynics are too optimistic.
　　  B. Skeptics are reasonable but cynics are too pessimistic(opposite of optimistic).
　　  C. Skeptics take a position but cynics are extreme in their attitude.
　　  D. Skeptics reject all new ideas but cynics only reject some of them.
　 75. When faced with an incredible or fantastic claim, what shall we do according to the author?
　　  A. Ask questions and look for proof.   B. Ignore the information and its source.
　　  C. Change the subject immediately.

D. Try to consult an expert who knows the truth.

C
　　The curtain on the 2008 US presidential election finally rose last month as Requblican Senator(参议员) John McCain and Democratic Senator Barack Obama were formally selected as candidates of the two major parties.This may be one of the hardest decisions voters have to make between two appealing candidates.The big question for voters,as they face both an economic downturn and international threats,is :who will they elect? A young first - term senator promising change and new ideas,or a longtime senator with strong military experience and a reputation as a maverick(特立独行的人)？
　　American voters have never seen a candidate quite like Obama.He has a white mother from the US and a black fater from Kenya who left the family when Obama was very young.He spent part of his youth in Indonesia.
　　However,McCain has a very different life story.
　　He grew up in a Navy family and was a daring pilot during the Vietnam War in the 1960s. When Obama was in kindergarten in Indonesia,McCain's plane was shot down over Ietenam and he became a prisoner of war.McCain could have been set free if he disowned America but he refused and so was held for five years.
　　"We need a president who is very,very old,"McCain joked at his age as many others do.If elected,he would be 72 when he takes office and the oldest man to step in.
　　So in the end,the election may depend on several factors that are hard to judge:Will Obama's race matter to a significant number of voters ? Will workingclass whites who tended to support his primary (党内初选) oponent,Hillary Clinton,vote for Obama? And perhaps most important of all,will uncertain voters be more attracted to Obama's vision or to McCain's experience?
　　Whatever happens,one thing is clear,however:Whoever walks into the White House on January 20,2009,will find huge challenges waiting for him in the Oval Office,both at home and abroad.
　　64.______makes the result of the election hard to predict.
　　　A.Whether working class whites care about Obama's inexperience
　　　B.The economic trouble the country now faces
　　　C.Who uncertain voters will finally decide to vote for
　　　D.McCain being too old to govern the country
　　65.The appeal in Obama as a presidential candidate lies in _________
　　　A.his multi - cultural background
　　　B.his belife in tradition
　　　C.his inexperience in politics
　　　D.his fantastic promises
　　66.The word "disown" in Paragraph 6 means closest to ______.
　　　A.flee from
　　　B.turn his back on
　　　C.not keep it private
　　　D.expose secrets about
　　67.The challenges that will face the new preident______.
　　　A.are not mentioned in the text
　　　B.include buklding a strong party and a friendly image
　　　C.refer to the problems of immigrants and economy
　　　D.refer to the problems of economy amd international relations

A recent study, while showing a generally positive attitude toward science, also suggests a widespread worry that it may be “running out of control”. This idea is dangerous.  

Science can be a force for evil as well as for good. Its applications can be channeled either way, depending on our decisions. The decisions we make, personally or collectively, will determine the outcomes of science. But here is a real danger. Science is advancing so fast is so strongly influenced by businesses that we are likely to believe whatever decisions we come to will make little difference. And, rather than fighting for the best possible policies, we may step back and do nothing.  

Some people go even further. They say that despite the moral and legal objections （反对）, whatever is scientifically possible will be done ――somewhere, sometime. They believe that science will get out of control in the end. This belief is dangerous too, because it a fuels sense of  hopelessness and discourages them from making efforts to build a safer world.  

In our interconnected world, the lack of agreement in and of the world of science can lead to the failure to control the use of science. Without a common understanding, the challenges of “controlling” science in this century will be really tough. Take human cloning for example. Despite the general agreement among scientists on its possible huge impact （影响） on traditional moral values, some countries still go ahead with the research and development of its related techniques. The outcomes are hard to predict.  

Therefore, discussions on how science is applied should be extended far beyond scientific societies. Only through the united efforts of people with hope, can we be fully safe against the misuse of science and can science best serve mankind in the future.  

　　72. What can we conclude from the recent study?

　　A. People think highly of science.

　　B. People hold mixed opinions about science.

　　C. Science is getting dangerously out of control.

　　D. Science is used for both good and bad purposes.

　　73. According to the passage , what will happen if we hold that science is getting beyond control?

　　A. The development of science will hopelessly slow down.

　　B. Businesses will have even greater influence on science.

　　C. The public will lose faith in bringing about a bright future.

　　D. People will work more actively to put science under control.

　　74. The discussion should reach beyond scientific societies because_______

　　A. scientists have failed to predict the outcomes

　　B. the ties between different areas need strengthening

　　C. united efforts are necessary for the development of science

　　D. people need to work together to prevent the bad use of science

　　75. What is the main idea of the passage?

　　A. Science and its applications bring us many dangers.

　　B. The development of science mostly lies in people's attitudes.

　　C. Mankind can largely take control of science with their efforts.

D. The future of science will be influenced by the dangerous ideas.

　　Fear can be fun. Many young people queue up to ride very fast and scary roller coasters, screaming but enjoying themselves. Other people like to read “goose bumps (鸡皮疙瘩)” books or watch horror movies at night, scared to death but feeling excited. Why do people like being scared?

　　Fear is an ancient way of surviving. Being scared makes animals, including humans escape from danger and save themselves. It is because of fear that we have lived through millions of years of evolution. Those who lacked a strong fear response were more likely to be killed, leaving the more fearful and careful to pass their genes onto the next generation.

　　How do scientists explain why shaking over such scary things is fun? “Some kids will go to a scary movie and love it and laugh over it, others will feel anxious and hide their faces and some won’t even set foot in the cinema,” said Ned Kalin, a US scientist. “Which kind of person you are depends partly on experiences you’ve had and partly on your genes.”

　　What happens in the brain when something frightens you? Nerves that begin at the eyes and ears lead to a part of the brain called the amygdale. When you suddenly see a snake, for example, the amygdale makes you freeze, sweat, have a quickened heartbeat, or run very fast. However, seeing the snake also uses another part of the brain, the cortex. It analyzes the situation, and if it finds that the snake is only made of rubber it tells your heart and the rest of your body to calm down. Think of the amygdale as the engine and the cortex as the brake.

　　Back to the first question: Why do some people like to make themselves scared? “One reason is that we can play games with fear, find ways to reduce the scariness by looking away or thinking of something else,” Kalin said. “To believe we have control over a situation gives us a feeling of power.” “Scary movies or novels are good practice to prepare young people for the real thing. Thrills such as roller coaster rides also go to the brain’s pleasure centre.”

　　And there might be some evolutionary advantage to being able to adjust this system that is there to protect people.

　　72. How many questions are answered in the passage?

　　A. 2. 　　　B. 3. 　　　C. 4.　　　 D. 5.

　　73. Some people like to be scared because______.

　　A. they are afraid that the fear genes will be passed onto their children

　　B. it’s a good practice to get prepared for the real frightening situation

　　C. it can help them show their own personalities

　　D. they will feel powerful after getting rid of fear

　　74. Which of the following is true about the people who are not easily scared?

　　A. Their cortex is better at analyzing the situations.

　　B. They are more likely to suffer from potential danger.

　　C. They are born unaffected by anything horrible.

　　D. They lack a strong response towards threat.

　　75. What is the best title of the passage?

　　A. Ready to scream? 　　　　B. How to be scared?

　　C. Willing to shake?　　　　D. Why to be scared?

V．单词拼写 (共8小题，每题1分，满分8分)

72．When you a________________ to someone, you say that you are sorry that you have hurt or upset them or caused trouble for them.

73．D________________ in her best clothes, the girl tried to make herself noticed at the party.

74．He always means what he says. In other words, he always keeps his w________________.　

75．Many students had their hair cut at the b________________ near the school last weekenD．

76． Compared to other children, this little boy was i________________ very lucky.

77．Albert Einstein is one of the great p________________ in the worlD．

78．G________________ warming has been a serious social problem which attracts much public attention.

79．His l________________ vocabulary leads to his failure of the English test.