题目内容
life-threatening assignment is just a business trip.
B. on time
C. at ease
D. with ease
People who have lost the ability to understand or use words due to brain damage are called aphasics(失语症患者). Such patients can be extremely good at something else. From the changing expressions on speakers' faces and the tones of their voices, they can tell lies from truths.
Doctors studying the human brain have given a number of examples of this amazing power of aphasics. Some have even compared this power to that of a dog with an ability to find out the drugs hidden in the baggage.
Recently, scientists carried out tests to see if all that was said about aphasics was true. They studied a mixed group of people. Some were normal; others were aphasics. It was proved that the aphasics were far ahead of the normal people in recognizing false speeches -- in most cases, the normal people were fooled by words, but the aphasics were not.
Some years ago, Dr. Oliver Sacks wrote in his book about his experiences with aphasics. He mentioned a particular case in a hospital. Some aphasics were watching the president giving a speech on TV. Since the president had been an actor earlier, making a good speech was no problem for him. He was trying to put his feelings into every word of his speech.
But his way of speaking had the opposite effect on the patients. They didn't seem to believe him. Instead, they burst into laughter. The aphasics knew that the president did not mean a word of what he was saying. He was lying!
Many doctors see aphasics as people who are not completely normal because they lack the ability to understand words. However, according to Dr. Sacks, they are more gifted than normal people. Normal people may get carried away by words. Aphasics seem to understand human expressions better, though they cannot understand words.
【小题1】What is so surprising about aphasics?
| A.They can fool other people. | B.They can find out the hidden drags. |
| C.They can tell whether people are lying. | D.They can understand language better. |
| A.By asking them to watch TV together. |
| B.By comparing them with normal people. |
| C.By giving them chances to speak on TV. |
| D.By organizing them into acting groups. |
| A.What one says reflects how one feels. |
| B.Aphasics have richer feelings than others. |
| C.Normal people often tell lies in their speeches. |
| D.People poor at one thing can be good at another. |
Winston Churchill once described Russia as “a riddle wrapped in a mystery(谜) inside a puzzle”. Observers of Russia in the 21st century could surely say the same of the country’s president, Vladimir Putin.
Born in Leningrad, six months before the death of Stalin, the young Putin experienced a poverty-stricken childhood but received a good education. He developed lifelong interests in judo and spy novels, and first applied to the KGB(苏联国家安全委员会) at the age of 17. When they told him to go away and come back with a degree, he completed with an efficiency(效率) that would later serve him well.
Putin used his KGB training, plus his own discipline and common sense, in a series of jobs. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when president Boris Yeltsin resigned in a surprising move. Putin won the 2000 presidential election and in 2004 he was re-elected for a second term lasting until 7 May 2008.
Due to term limits, Putin was unable to run for a third presidential term. After the victory of Dmitry Medvedev, in the 2008 presidential elections, he was appointed to be Russia’s Prime Minister.
Putin is regarded as one bringing political stability and re-establishing the rule of law. During his presidency, Russia’s economy(经济) bounced back, seeing GDP increase by 72%, poverty cut more than half, and average monthly salaries increase from $80 to $640. Analysts have described Putin's economic reforms as impressive. At the same time, his conduct in office has been questioned by political opposition at home, foreign governments, and human rights organizations for leading the Second Chechen War, and for his record on human rights and freedoms.
Whether he wants to drive
Russia into a new stage, or believes in the values of its Soviet past, he is determined to put his nation back on its feet. To do this, Vladimir Putin may have to show his true colors sooner rather than later.
【小题1】 What would be the best title for the text?
| A.The Mysterious President of Russia |
| B.Russia’s High-growth Economy |
| C.Russia’s Far Past and Near Future |
| D.The Political Situation in Russia |
| A.His family background. | B.His belief in Soviet. |
| C.His efficiency in jobs. | D.His love for freedom. |
| A.The number of the poor reduced to 50%. |
| B.Every Russian enjoyed equal rights. |
| C.Russia’s economy picked up rapidly. |
| D.Russian people lived a peaceful life. |
| A.He gains respect of foreign governments. |
| B.He always fought for human rights. |
| C.He ran for president a third time. |
| D.He is a politician of great achievements. |