【题目】阅读理解
We are naturally drawn to friends and colleagues with familiar voices, scientists have found. People prefer those who have a similar accent, intonation and tone of voice to themselves, they discovered.
Previous research has focused on how male or female a voice sounds. Men with deeper voices and women with slightly higher voices were thought to sound more attractive, because they suggest a bigger or a smaller body.
But the new study, published by a linguistics expert in Canada, suggests there is a more complex mechanism (机制) at play. Dr Molly Babel, from the University of British Columbia in Canada, said, “The voice is an amazingly flexible tool that we use to construct our identity. Very few things in our voices are changeless, so we felt that our preferences had to be about more than a person's shape and size.”
She recorded 30 volunteers' voices and asked each to rate the others' attractiveness on a range from one to nine. Each participant was from western America, with similar accents. The people we assessed were all in the same dialect group, but they showed that dialect to different degrees.
“We seem to like people who sound like we sound, and we like people who fit within what we know,” Dr Babel said. She also found that breathy voices in women—typified by the famous American actress Marilyn Monroe-were seen as more attractive.
The breathy tone, caused by younger and thinner vocal cords (声带), implied youthfulness and health. A creaky (咯吱作响的) voice, suggesting a person has a cold, is tired or smokes, was seen as unattractive. The participants preferred men who spoke with a shorter average word length and deeper voices.
(1)The main purpose of the text is to .
A.compare male voices with female voices
B.inform readers of the new findings of voices
C.argue against women's voices of speaking
D.encourage men to use deeper voices to speak
(2)Dr Molly Babel mentions Marilyn Monroe in order to .
A.explain a breathy voice
B.introduce a creaky voice
C.challenge previous research
D.promote her reputation
(3)In terms of voice preferences, the new findings stress .
A.body size and shape
B.shorter word length
C.thicker vocal cords
D.the same social groups
(4)Whose voice may be unattractive according to the text?
A.A young lady with a thin voice.
B.An old lady with a silvery voice.
C.A deep-voiced man with a dry throat.
D.A little man with a quiet and gentle voice.

【题目】阅读理解
A “lost tribe” that reached America from Australia may have been the first Native Americans, according to a new theory.
If proved by DNA evidence, the theory will break long established beliefs about the southerly migration of people who entered America across the Bering Strait, found it empty and occupied it.
On this theory rests the belief of Native Americans to have been the first true Americans. They would be classified to the ranks of escapee, beaten to the New World by Aboriginals (土著人) in boats.
To a European, this may seem like an academic argument, but to Americans it is a philosophical question about identity, Silvia Gonzales, of Liverpool University said.
Her claims are based on skeletons found in the California Peninsula of Mexico that have skulls quite unlike the broad Mongolian features of Native Americans. These narrow-skulled people have more in common with southern Asians, Aboriginal Australians and people of the South Pacific Region.
The bones, stored at the National Museum of Anthropology (人类学) in Mexico City, have been carbon-dated and one is 12,700 years old, which places it several thousand years before the arrival of people from the North. “We think there were several migration waves into the Americas at different times by different human groups,” Dr. Gonzales said. “The timing, route and point of origin of the first colonization of the Americas remains a most contentious topic in human evolution.”
But comparisons based on skull shape are not considered conclusive by anthropologists, so a team of Mexican and British scientists, backed by the Natural Environment Research Council, has also attempted to take out DNA from the bones. Dr. Gonzales declined yesterday to say exactly what the results were, as they need to be checked, but indicated that they were consistent (一致) with an Australian origin.
(1)It is generally considered that the first Native Americans came from ________.
A.North Asia
B.Australia
C.South Pacific
D.South Asia
(2)The skeletons found in the California Peninsula of Mexico have ________.
A.the narrow skull shape
B.different features of Aboriginal Australians
C.the broad skull shape
D.the same features of Native Americans
(3)The underlined word ^contentious81 is similar in meaning to “________”.
A.likely to cause great interest
B.difficult to solve
C.well-known to all
D.likely to cause argument
(4)Which of the following statements is true according to the text?
A.Research on skulls can draw an exact conclusion.
B.DNA tests have proved the fact that the first Native Americans came from Australian.
C.Scientists are still not sure about the origin of the Native Americans.
D.People began to enter America across the Bering Strait about 12,700 years ago.

【题目】阅读理解
Our “Mommy and Me” time began two years ago. My next-door neighbor and fellow mother, Christie, and I were out in our front yards, watching seven children of age 6 and under ride the bikes up and down. “I wish I could take one of my children out alone,” said Christie.
Then we worked out a plan: When Christie takes one of her children out, I'll watch her other three. And when she watches two of mine. I'll take someone out.
The children were extremely quick to accept the idea of “Mommy and Me” time. Christie's daughter, McKenzie, went first. When she returned, the other children showered her with tons of questions. McKenzie was smiling broadly. Christie looked refreshed and happy. “She's like a different child when there's no one else around,” Christie shared with me quickly. With her mother all to herself, McKenzie didn't have to make an effort to gain attention.
Just as Christie had noticed changes in McKenzie, I also discovered something different in each of my children. For example, I am always surprised when my daughter, who is seldom close to me, holds my hand frequently. My stuttering (口吃的) son, Tom, doesn't stutter once during our activities since he doesn't have to struggle for a chance to speak. And another son, Sam, who's always a follower when around other children shines as a leader during our times together.
The “Mommy and Me” time allows us to be simply alone and away with each child-talking, sharing, and laughing, which has been the biggest gain. Every child deserves to be an only child at least once in a while.
(1)What was the author and her neighbor's plan?
A.To teach their children how to stay alone.
B.To change their own children's bad habits.
C.To make a child live in the other home for a long time.
D.To help each other spend some time with one child at a time.
(2)How many children did the author have?
A.Five.
B.Four.
C.Three.
D.Two.
(3)After going through the plant the author's sons became .
A.braver
B.cleverer
C.more active
D.more selfless
(4)What can we learn from the text?
A.Every child needs parents' full attention.
B.Having brothers and sisters is fun.
C.It's tiring to take care of others' children.
D.Parents should look after others' children.

【题目】阅读理解
The O. Henry Museum
The aim of the O. Henry Museum is to collect, preserve, and interpret artifacts,works and archival (档案的) materials relative to the author, for literary educational, and historical purposes that are accessible to the public. The museum was set up in 1934, under the authority of the City of Austin, and is both a National Register Property and a National Literary Landmark.
The O. Henry Museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 5:00 pm. Admission is free. Tours are also available for free. Please contact the museum at least one week in advance to schedule a tour for a group of 10 or more. Metered parking is available on the street in front of the museum. The museum's gift shop has for sale T-shirts, coffee mugs, DVDs, and an array of books by and about O. Henry.
Group tours:
We ask for one-week advance notice of groups more than 10 people, including schools, church groups, and organizations.
Donations:
Donations greatly benefit the museum and its programs. Inquire about contributing.
Volunteer:
Contact us about volunteering at the museum. We are currently in need of a gardener and a volunteer docent (讲解员).
Staff:
Valerie Bennett, Curator valerie. bennett@ci. austin. tx. us
Michael Hoinski, Culture & Arts Education Specialist michael. hoinski@ci. austin. tx. us
Elizabeth Taylor, Docent
Location: 409 East Fifth Street, Austin, Texas 78701
(1)According to the text, we can know the O. Henry Museum .
A.opens to the public for a whole day
B.won its fame when it was set up
C.focuses on collecting works of O. Henry
D.teaches people how to write literary works
(2)When visiting the O. Henry Museum, visitors can .
A.get paid by becoming a docent
B.buy books written by O. Henry
C.get many donations from the museum
D.park cars near the museum in any time
(3)What is a must if school teachers plan to take their students to visit the museum?
A.Going there on a workday.
B.Contacting the museum in advance.
C.Donating some money to the museum.
D.Preparing well to be her students' guide.

 0  146674  146682  146688  146692  146698  146700  146704  146710  146712  146718  146724  146728  146730  146734  146740  146742  146748  146752  146754  146758  146760  146764  146766  146768  146769  146770  146772  146773  146774  146776  146778  146782  146784  146788  146790  146794  146800  146802  146808  146812  146814  146818  146824  146830  146832  146838  146842  146844  146850  146854  146860  146868  151629 

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网