当前位置:高中试题 > 英语试题 > 题材分类 > Is there a magic cutoff period when offspring become accountable for their own a...
题目
题型:不详难度:来源:

Is there a magic cutoff period when offspring become accountable for their own actions? Is there a wonderful moment when parents can become spectators (旁观者) in the lives of their children and shrug, "It" s their life," and feel nothing?
When I was in my twenties, I stood in a hospital corridor waiting for doctors to put a few stitches in my son" s head. I was asked, "When do you stop worrying?" A nurse said, "When they get out of the accident stage." My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing.
When I was in my thirties, I sat on a little chair in a classroom and heard how one of my children talked incessantly, disrupted (打断) the class, and was headed for a career making license plates. As if to read my mind, a teacher said, "Don"t worry. They all go through this stage, and then you can sit back, relax, and enjoy them." My mother listened and said nothing.
When I was in my forties, I spent a lifetime waiting for the phone to ring and the cars to come home, the front door to open.
My friends said that when my kids got married I could stop worrying and lead my own life. I wanted to believe that, but I was haunted by my mother" s wan ( 淡淡的 ) smile and her occasional words, "You look pale. Are you all right? Call me the minute you get home."
Can it be that parents are sentenced to a lifetime of worry? Is concern for one another handed down like a torch to blaze the trail of human frailties and the fears of the unknown? Is concern a curse? Or is it a virtue that elevates us to the highest form of life?
One of my children became quite irritable recently, saying to me, "Where were you? I" ve been calling for three days, and no one answered. I was worried! ! !"
I smiled a wan smile.
1.What can we know about the author’s mother from the passage?
A. She seems to laugh at the author.        
B. She is not concerned about the author.
C. She has a thorough understanding of the author.     
D. She tries to give the author some encouragement.
2.What did the author do in her forties?
A. She was less concerned about her children.          
B. She couldn"t stop worrying about her children.
C. She would like her children to see her often.        
D. She became more patient with her children.
3.Why did the author smile a wan smile at the end of the passage?
A. She wanted to learn from her mother.                
B. She stopped worrying about her children at last.
C. She succeeded in tricking her children.              
D. She got a kind of satisfaction from her child"s concern.
4.The main purpose of the passage is to tell us that ______.
A. the concern between parents and children is natural
B. parents’ love for their children is selfless
C. parents show more concern for their children        
D. parents will worry about their children all their lives
答案

小题1:C
小题2:D
小题3:A
小题4:C
解析

核心考点
试题【Is there a magic cutoff period when offspring become accountable for their own a】;主要考察你对题材分类等知识点的理解。[详细]
举一反三

Chances are you’ve enjoyed a cup of coffee from Starbucks. Since the opening of the first Starbucks in 1971 as a vendor of high-quality coffee beans and brewing equipment, the company has expanded to become the most popular coffeehouse chain in the world. Its 14,000 stores in 43 countries sell coffee beverages, beans, teas, brewing equipment, pastries, and more. How did this happen?
Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz took over the company in 1987. He recognized an untapped market in busy individuals in urban areas who could afford fine coffees. In 1995, Schultz hired Anna Niess and Will Chassaing to redesign his booming chain. In addition to laying the groundwork for Starbucks’ well-known symbols and distinctive style, they created a program that led to opening one store per day throughout the 1990s.
One thing that makes Starbucks so popular is the company’s vision of their stores as a “third place” to spend time in addition to work and home. It’s a cozy environment that serves as a meeting place. This attracts a loyal following of customers that come not only to drink coffee, but to relax, work, socialize, and attend cultural events.
Schultz still sees a great deal of potential for his company. Starbucks plans to have 40,000 stores worldwide with 20,000 in the US and Canada. The company is now a household name around the world.
Howard Schultz is the perfect example of a person living the American dream. After growing up in public housing, he received a football scholarship to Northern Michigan University. This allowed him to become the first in his family to graduate from college in 1975.
Schultz first experienced Starbucks as a salesman for Swedish drip coffeemakers on a trip to visit the Seattle company that had been buying his products. A year later, he joined the company. Conflict arose when Schultz recommended Starbucks sell brewed coffee in addition to beans and equipment. The owners disagreed, and in 1985, Schultz went on to start his own coffee shop, II Giornale. In 1987, the original Starbucks owners sold their company to Schultz, and refocused their attention on selling coffee beans and teas.
Schultz promoted an aggressive expansion of Starbucks throughout the US and Canada. When Starbucks began selling stock shares in 1992, he had already grown the chain to 165 stores. Throughout the expansion of Starbucks, Schultz has held strong principles of social responsibility. Starbucks takes good care of its employees with health insurance, stock options (认股权), and stable hours. In fact, under Schultz, Starbucks has been consistently ranked one of the best places to work in the US and UK.
Commitments to environmentalism, fair pay for coffee bean growers, and a positive contribution to society contribute to Schultz’s reputation as a truly ethical (道德的) businessman. That means with Schultz in charge of Starbucks, you can enjoy your coffee with a clear conscience.
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
Starbucks sells coffee beverages, beans, teas, brewing equipment, pastries and more.
The original Starbucks owners focused their attention on selling coffee beans and brewing equipment until 1987.
Starbucks has been the best place to work in the US and UK.
It was Anna Niess and Will Chassaing who redesigned Starbucks’s well- known symbols and style.
1.What makes Starbucks so popular?
A.Starbucks’ care for its employees.
B.Starbucks’ Chairman Howard Schultz.
C.Starbucks’ expansion around the world
D.Starbucks’ cozy environment
2.Which of the following is the correct order of the events?
a.Schultz started his own coffee shop.
b.  Schultz recommended Starbucks sell brewed coffee.
c.  Schultz bought Starbucks.
d.  Schultz grew the chain to 165 stores.
A. b, c, a, d                  B. b, a, c, d                  C. b, c, d, a                  D. b, a, d, c
3.What helps Schultz to earn a reputation as a truly ethical businessman?
A.His being the first to graduate in his family.
B.The fast expansion of Starbucks.
C.His strong principles of social responsibility.
D.His being the perfect example of a person living the American dream.
题型:不详难度:| 查看答案

Computerised trading agents may help humans build better markets
THANKS to declining markets, investment banks are getting rid of many of their highly-paid traders. When markets recover, the banks might be tempted to replace them with rather cheaper talent. One alternative has been around for a while but has yet to catch on: autonomous trading agents-computers programmed to act like the human version without such annoying costs as holidays, lunch breaks or bonuses. Program trading has, of course, been done before; some blamed the 1987 stock market crash on computers instructed with simple decision-making rules. But robots can be smarter than that.
Dave Cliff, a researcher at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories in Bristol, England, has been creating trading robots for seven years. In computer simulations he lets them evolve "genetically", and so allows them to adapt and fit models of real-world financial markets. His experiments have suggested that a redesign of some markets could lead to greater efficiency. Last year, a research group at IBM showed that Mr Cliff"s artificial traders could consistently beat the human variety, in various kinds of market. Nearly all take the shape of an auction(拍卖). One well-known type is the English auction, familiar to customers of the salesrooms(拍卖场)of Christie"s and Sotheby"s, where sellers keep mum on their offer price, and buyers increase their bids by stages until only one remains.
At the other extreme is the Dutch auction, familiar to 17th-century tulip-traders in the Netherlands as well as to bidders for American Treasury bonds. Here, buyers remain silent, and a seller reduces his price until it is accepted. Most markets for shares, commodities, foreign exchange and derivatives are a mixture of these two types: buyers and sellers can announce their bid or offer prices at any time, and deals are constantly being closed, a so-called "continuous double auction".
Mr Cliff"s novel idea was to apply his evolutionary computer programs to marketplaces themselves. Why not, he thought, try and see what types of auction would let traders converge(趋同) most quickly towards a balance price? The results were surprising. In his models, auctions that let buyers and sellers bid at any time like most of today"s financial exchanges were less efficient than ones that required relatively more bids from either buyers or sellers. These "evolved auctions" also withstood big market shocks, such as crashes and panics, better than today"s real-world versions. Mr Cliff"s most recent results, which will be presented in Sydney, Australia, on December 10th, show that the best type of auction for any market depends crucially on even slight differences in the number of buyers and sellers.
Bank of America has been investigating these new auctions, along with robotic traders, for possible use in electronic exchanges. The hope is that today"s financial auctions and online marketplaces might work better by becoming more like their English and Dutch ancestors.
1.What is the passage mainly about?
A. A review of two kinds of auctions.    B. An introduction of trading robots.
C. A survey of the trading market.       D. About trading alternatives.
2.Which of the following is true according to the text?
A. Mr Cliff’s robot traders have now been used in real-world markets.
B. Robot traders can evolve like creatures.
C. There is room for improvement in efficiency in trading markets.
D. The English auction is the most popular trading form.
3.What can we infer from the text?
A. Existing auctions cannot withstand market shocks
B. The Dutch auction is better than the continuous double auction
C. It’s hard for traders to reach a balanced price
D. The best type of auction takes place when the number of the buyers is equal to that of sellers
4.What’s the author’s attitude toward robot traders?
A. Prejudiced         B. Objective            C. Critical                D. Optimistic
题型:不详难度:| 查看答案

“What’s in a name?”According to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet,there is not too much.“That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”But Shakespeare may have been wrong.In most cultures,names matter a great deal.
Americans choose names for their children with care.Parents usually think about the impression a name gives,not its meaning.Most Americans would consider a“Jennifer”more attractive than a “Bertha”,for example.The last name,or,surname,must also be considered when choosing a first and middle name.A name like Lester Chester Hester would sound poetic,but odd.Parents would avoid names that remind them of people they don’t like.On the other hand,people might name their children after a respected elderly relative or even a famous person.The popularity of certain names can change with each new generation.Names that were once common,like Fanny or Elmer,sound old-fashioned today.But other names—like John and David,Mary and Sarah—have stood the test of time and continue to be favorites.
People in Ameica don’t always call their friends and relatives by their given names.Instead,they often use nicknames.Sometimes nicknames are short forms of a longer name.For instance,a girl named Elizabeth may be called Lisa,Beth or Betsy.As children grow up,they may decide for themselves which nickname they wish to be called.Some people just go by the initials of their first and middle names,like B.J.or R.C.And of course,people may call their children or their sweethearts other special nicknames.Often they have a “sweet” flavor,like Honey or Sugar.What’s in a name? A world of significance.So if you’re choosing an English name for yourself,take care to choose a good one.Amade-up name could sound strange to native English speakers.And a translation of your Chinese name may not make an appropriate name,either.But a good name can leave a positive and lasting impression.As an American politician once said,“In real life,unlike in Shakespeare,the sweetness of the rose depends upon the name it bears.”
1.What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 2 mean?
A.People change names in order to be popular with the new generation.
B.Names will change by themselves in order to be popular.
C.Some names may no longer be popular among the new generation.
D.No names can stand the test of time.
2.When choosing names,you should stick to the following principles except that_________.
A.the impression a name gives is more important than its meaning
B.you can name after a well-known person
C.surname should be paid attention to
D.you can create a name that is special
3.The word “initial” in paragraph 3 probably means_________.
A.nickname            B.the first letter        C.short form        D.title
4.The author will name a newly born baby girl             .
A.Bertha               B.Fanny             C.Yunyun          D.Elizabeth
5.What is the main idea of this passage?
A.Names have great significance to Americans.    
B.Names change when time goes by.
C.Chinese people should be careful when choosing their English names.
D.Roses smell sweet by any other name.
题型:不详难度:| 查看答案

Yesterday"s paper had a short article about the Coming-of-Age ceremony in a large city in Japan. According to the article, the mayor of the city formally apologized to an enraged professor who delivered a speech at the ceremony that was all but ignored by 20-year-olds in the city.
The officials prepared 7,000 seats in a gymnasium where the ceremony was held for the 17,000 twenty-year-olds residing in the city. But most of the seats were empty during the speech. And many of the 20-year-olds who did show up ignored the professor and spoke among themselves or talked on their mobile phones. Some even made a ruckus (***动) outside the gymnasium.
One 20-year-old who attended the ceremony said youngsters came to the ceremony not to
listen to speeches but to see their classmates. The mayor criticized the young generation at a news conference on Tuesday, saying such behavior "is symbolic of the postwar era which failed to
nurture healthy character and social intelligece."
Personally I feel people should not generalize the whole generation or the whole era when he criticizes something. But it is also true generation gap is getting bigger and bigger regarding the ceremony of Coming-of-Age Day. So far this ceremony has been held with citizens" tax money. Many older generations understand this festival as an entrance ceremony of adults" world which requires maturity including responsibility, patience, and cooperativeness. Older people tend to be "educational" to younger ones, while younger people tend to feel they finally obtain a right to behave freely because they are now adults. Though, ironically, young people have to ask their parents to buy them new clothes for the ceremony.
It is about time to change the way we celebrate this festival, I think. The idea of blessing new 20-year-olds is not so bad. But there seems to be some other ways to celebrate more properly. The present way seems to me a little superficial and materialistic. It can provide solutionless arguments between different generations, instead of friendships and respects. Instead of eternally complaining about the young"s behaviors at the ceremonies, people should consider how they can make their ceremonies worthier, I feel.
1.We can infer from the passage that 
A.in Japan, girls and boys, when they are 20 years old, come to their adulthood
B.there are 7,000 twenty-year-olds residents in the city
C.the mayor criticized the young generation at a news conference
D.it’s about time to change the way we celebrate the Coming-of-Age
2.When the professor was giving a speech the 20-years-olds are NOT________.
A.talking with each other               B.chatting on their mobile phones
C.talking with the professor             D.making ruckus outside
3.According to the author _________
A.the festival is an entrance ceremony of adults’ world which requires maturity including responsibility, patience, and cooperativeness
B.the young people tend to obtain a right to behave freely because they are now adults
C.young people have to ask their parents to buy them new clothes for the ceremony
D.it’s time to end complaining about the young’s behaviors at the ceremonies, and people should consider how to make their ceremonies worthier
4.What’s the best title for the passage
A.There are solutionless arguments between different generations.
B.Coming-of-Age ceremony should be much worthier.
C.Old people should be educational to young people
D.The younger ones’ behaviors stand for an era which failed to nurture healthy character and social intelligence
题型:不详难度:| 查看答案

The most intensive period of speech and language development for humans is during the first three years of life, a period when the brain is developing and maturing. These skills appear to develop best in a world that is rich with sounds, sights, and consistent(一致的,协调的,相容的)exposure(揭发)to the speech and language of others.
There is increasing evidence suggesting that there are "critical periods" for speech and language development in infants and young children. This means that the developing brain is best able to absorb a language, any language, during this period. The beginning signs of communication occur during the first few days of life when an infant learns that a cry will bring food, comfort, and companionship.  As they grow, infants begin to sort out the speech sounds (phonemes) or building blocks that compose the words of their language. Research has shown that by six months of age, most children recognize the basic sounds of their native language
As the speech mechanism (jaw, lips, and tongue) and voice mature, an infant is able to make controlled sound. By six months of age, an infant usually babbles or produces repetitive syllables such as "ba, ba, ba" or "da, da, da." By the end of their first year, most children have mastered the ability to say a few simple words. Children are most likely unaware of the meaning of their first words, but soon learn the power of those words as others respond to them.
By eighteen months of age, most children can say eight to ten words. By age two, most are putting words together in crude sentences such as "more milk." During this period, children rapidly learn that words symbolize or represent objects, actions, and thoughts. At this age they also engage in representational or pretend play. At ages three, four, and five, a child"s vocabulary rapidly increases, and he or she begins to master the rules of language.
1.According to the passage, which of the statements is NOT true
A.The developing brain is best able to absorb any language.
B.The beginning signs of communication occur during the first few days of life.
C.By six months of age, all children recognize the basic sounds of their native language.
D.By 2, children rapidly learn that words symbolize or represent objects, actions, and thoughts.
2.We can infer from the passage that____
A.by six months of age, an infant must babble or produce repetitive syllables
B.by their first year, most children are most likely aware of the meaning of their first words
C.by 2, children rapidly learn that words symbolize or represent objects, actions, and thoughts
D.the brain development is critical to develop children’s speech and language ability
3.That there are “critical periods” for speech and language development in infants and young children means ______
A.that children are so young that it is easy for them to study
B.that the developing brain is best able to absorb a language, any language
C.that the children are eager to learn the language
D.that we must take care of children
4 In Paragraph 3, the underlined word “mechanism” can be replaced by ______.
A.organs          B.skills            C.abilities          D.habits
题型:不详难度:| 查看答案
版权所有 CopyRight © 2012-2019 超级试练试题库 All Rights Reserved.