The art of public speaking began in ancient Greece over 2,000 years ago. Now, twitter, e-mail, blogs and QQ chat offer approaches to communication— but none can replace the role of a great speech.
The spoken word can handle various important functions: persuading or inspiring, informing, paying tribute (致敬), entertaining, or simply introducing someone.
Persuading is used in dealing with or reconciling different points of view. When the leaders met in Copenhagen in December, 2009, persuasive words from activities encouraged them to take former action.
Inspirational speeches deal with emotions. They focus on topics and matters that are close to people’ s hearts. Last year, during the fighting in Iraq, generals used inspiring speeches to prepare the troops for battle.
Some speeches spread knowledge and deepen understanding. When the H1N1 flu was announced, the disease scared many people. Informtive speechs from World Health Organization (WTO) officials helped people to keep their panic under control so they could take necessary preventive measures.
Sad events are never easy to deal with but a speech that pays tribute to the loss of a loved one and gives praise for their contribution can be comforting. Madonna’s speech about Michael Jackson after his death showed the fact that he will continue to live on through his music.
It’s not only in world forums where public speaking plays an important role. It can also be helpful in the course of our own life. You may be asked to do a presentation at college or work to inform others about an area of great importance. On a more personal level, a friend may be upset and need comforting. Or you might be asked to introduce a speaker at a family gathering or to speak at a wedding, where your language will be needed to move people or make them laugh.
Great speaking ability is not something we’re born with. Even Barack Obama works hard to perfect every speech.
小题1:The underlined word “recociling” in paragraph 3 can best be replaced by “________”| A．considering | B．questioning | C．accepting | D．settling |
小题2:The passage mentions the H1N1 flu to show the function of _______| A．persuasive speeches | B．informative speeches | | C．inspirational speeches | D．introductive speech |
小题3:The 7th paragraph mainly tells us that public speaking ______.| A．is important in world forums | | B．can help us make more friends | | C．matters more in one’s life | | D．is helpful in our daily life |
小题4:What would the writer probably talk about following the last paragraph?| A．How the speech came into being | | B．Why the public speaking is imporatant. | | C．How you can perfect your speech | | D．Why Obama often makes speeches |
小题5:What would be the best title for the passage?| A．Tips of great speeches | B．The history of the speech | | C．Functions of the speech | D．The language of the speech |
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小题1:D
小题2:B
小题3:D
小题4:C
小题5:C |
试题分析：
小题1:D 推理题。根据本句Persuading is used in dealing with or reconciling different points of view.说明说服性的演讲被用来处理或者解决不同的观点类。故D正确。
小题2:B 细节题。根据第五段Some speeches spread knowledge and deepen understanding.和Informtive speechs from World Health Organization (WTO) officials helped people to keep their panic under control so they could take necessary preventive measures.用这个例子来说明Informtive speech的作用。故B正确。
小题3:D 段落大意题。根据本段1,2行It’s not only in world forums where public speaking plays an important role. It can also be helpful in the course of our own life.说明本段内容是关于演讲在我们的生活中的作用，故Ｄ正确。
小题4:C 推理题。根据本段最后一句Even Barack Obama works hard to perfect every speech.说明人们需要很努力来提高太慢的演讲技巧，那么接下来应该是讲述如何才能使你的演讲完美。故C正确。
小题5:C 主旨大意题。文章主要讲述了演讲的功能和作用，故C正确。
点评：文章主要讲述了各种不同的演讲的功能和作用。以推理题的考查为主，解推断题最主要的方法是根据词义关系推断具体细节。 |
核心考点
试题【The art of public speaking began in ancient Greece over 2,000 years ago. Now, tw】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
The hole in the earth"s protective ozone layer（臭氧层）won"t repair itself until about two decades later than had been expected, scientists announced.
The ozone layer blocks more than 90 percent of the sun"s ultraviolet radiation（紫外线辐射）, helping to make life on Earth possible. For many dacades, ozone was depleted（削减） by chlorine and bromine gas in the air. A hole in the ozone layer formed over the Southern Hemisphere.
Computer models had forecast that the hole would fill back in by 2050. An improved computer model forecasts the recovery won"t occur until 2068. The model, fed with fresh data from statellites and airplanes, was supported by the fact that it accurately reproduced ozone levels in the Antarctic stratosphere（平流层）over the past 27 years.
The ozone hole is actually more of a broad region with less ozone than ought to occur naturally. It is not limited to Antarctica, as is often believed.
Over areas that are farther from the poles like Africa or the US, the levels of ozone are only three to six percent below natural levels. Over Antarctica, ozone levels are 70 percent lower in the spring. This new method allows us to more accurately estimate（估计）ozone-depleting gases over Antarctica, and how they will decrease over time, reducing the ozone hole area.
Paul Newman, a scientist,said that the ozone hole has not started to become smaller as quickly as expected. They figure it will not become much smaller until 2018, after which time the recovery should proceed more quickly. And the hole will not be filled in again until 2065.
小题1:According to the passage, the ozone layer _______| A．absorbs as much as sunlight as possible | | B．protects man against ultraviolet radiation | | C．controls the changes in temperature | | D．prevents the production of carbon dioxide |
小题2:The improved computer model is believable because _________| A．it was once proved by facts | | B．it has been studied for 27 years | | C．it was created by many scientists | | D．it is related to satellites and airplanes |
小题3:The underlined word “they” in the fifth paragraph refers to ________| A．the levels of ozone | | B．ozone-depleting gases | | C．the ozone holes | | D．the areas far from the poles |
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We often talk about ourselves as if we have permanent genetic defects （缺陷） that can never be changed．“I’m impatient．” “I’m always behind．” “I always put things 21 !” You’ve surely heard them．Maybe you’ve used them to describe 22 ．
These comments may come from stories about us that have been 23 for years—often from 24 childhood．These stories may have no 25 in fact．But they can set low expectations for us．As a child, my mother said to me, “Marshall, you have no mechanical （操作机械的） skills, and you will never have any mechanical skills for the rest of your life．” How did these expectations 26 my development? I was never 27 to work on cars or be around 28 ．When I was 18, I took the US Army’s Mechanical Aptitude Test．My scores were in the bottom for the entire nation!
Six years later, 29 , I was at California University, working on my doctor’s degree．One of my professors, Dr．Bob Tannbaum, asked me to write down things I did well and things I couldn’t do．On the positive side, I 30 down, “research, writing, analysis, and speaking．” On the 31 side, I wrote, “I have no mechanical skills．”
Bob asked me how I knew I had no mechanical skills．I explained my life 32 and told him about my 33 performance on the Army test．Bob then asked, “ 34 is it that you can solve 35 mathematical problems, but you can’t solve simple mechanical problems?”
Suddenly I realized that I didn’t 36 from some sort of genetic defect．I was just living out expectations that I had chosen to 37 ．At that point, it wasn’t just my family and friends who had been 38 my belief that I was mechanically hopeless．And it wasn’t just the Army test, either．I was the one who kept telling myself, “You can’t do this!” I realized that as long as I kept saying that, it was going to remain true． 39 , if we don’t treat ourselves as if we have incurable genetic defects, we can do well in almost 40 we choose．
| 小题2: | | A．them | B．myself | C．yourself | D．others |
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| 小题3: | | A．said | B．spoken | C．spread | D．repeated |
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| 小题4: | | A．as long as | B．as far back as | C．as well as | D．as much as |
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| 小题5: | | A．basis | B．plot | C．cause | D．meaning |
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| 小题6: | | A．lead | B．improve | C．affect | D．change |
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| 小题7: | | A．encouraged | B．demanded | C．hoped | D．agreed |
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| 小题8: | | A．means | B．tools | C．facilities | D．hammers |
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| 小题9: | | A．therefore | B．somehow | C．instead | D．however |
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| 小题10: | | A．settled | B．turned | C．took | D．got |
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| 小题11: | | A．passive | B．active | C．negative | D．subjective |
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| 小题12: | | A．experiences | B．trips | C．roads | D．paths |
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| 小题13: | | A．unexpected | B．poor | C．excellent | D．average |
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| 小题15: | | A．complex | B．advanced | C．common | D．primary |
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| 小题16: | | A．arise | B．separate | C．suffer | D．come |
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| 小题17: | | A．believe | B．suspect | C．adopt | D．receive |
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| 小题18: | | A．weakening | B．strengthening | C．abandoning | D．accepting |
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| 小题19: | | A．As a result | B．At the same time | C．In addition | D．On the contrary |
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| 小题20: | | A．anything | B．something | C．nothing | D．all |
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Motherhood may make women smarter and may help prevent dementia（痴呆） in old age by bathing the brain in protective hormones（荷尔蒙） , U．S．researchers reported on Thursday．
Tests on rats show that those who raise two or more litters of pups do considerably better in tests of memory and skills than rats who have no babies, and their brains show changes that suggest they may be protected against diseases such as Alzheimer’s（早老痴呆症）．University of Richmond psychology professor Craig Kinsley believes his findings will translate into humans．“Our research shows that the hormones of pregnancy（***） are protecting the brain, including estrogen（雌激素）, which we know has many neuroprotective （保护神经的） effects,” Kinsley said．
“It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals,” he added in a telephone interview．“They go through pregnancy and hormonal changes．” Kinsley said he hoped public health officials and researchers will look to see if having had children protects a woman from Alzheimer’s and other forms of age-related brain decline．
“When people think about pregnancy, they think about what happens to babies and the mother from the neck down,” said Kinsley, who presented his findings to the annual meeting of the Society of Neuroscience in Orlando, Florida．
“They do not realize that hormones are washing on the brain．If you look at female animals that have never gone through pregnancy, they act differently toward young．But if she goes through pregnancy, she will sacrifice her life for her infant—that is a great change in her behavior that showed in genetic alterations（改变） to the brain．”
小题1:How do scientists know “Motherhood may make women smarter”?| A．Some researchers have told them． | | B．Many women say so． | | C．They know it by experimenting on rats． | | D．They know it through their own experience． |
小题2:What does the phrase “litters of pups” mean in the second paragraph?| A．Baby rats． | B．Animals． | C．Old rats． | D．Grown-up rats． |
小题3:What can protect the brain of a woman according to the passage?| A．Estrogen． | | B．The hormones of pregnancy． | | C．More exercise． | | D．Taking care of children． |
小题4:“It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals．” What does the sentence suggest?| A．The experiments on the rats have nothing to do with humans． | | B．The experiments on the rats are very important for animals． | | C．The experiments on the rats are much the same on humans． | | D．The experiments on the rats are much the same on other animals． |
小题5:Which title is the best for this passage?| A．Do You Want to Be Smarter? | | B．Motherhood Makes Women Smarter | | C．Mysterious Hormones | | D．An Important Study |
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Human wants seem endless, When a starving man gets a meal, he begins to think about an overcoat; when a manager gets a new sports car, he dreams of country clubs and pleasure boats dance into view.
The many wants of mankind might be regarded as making up several levels. When there is money enough to satisfy one level of wants, another level appears.
The first and most basic level of wants is food. Once this want is satisfied, a second level of wants appears: clothing and some sort of shelter. By the end of World War II these wants were satisfied for a great majority of Americans. Then a third level appeared. It included such items as cars and new houses.
By 1957 or 1958 this third level of wants was fairly well satisfied. Then in the late 1950s a fourth level of wants appeared: the “life-enriching” level. While the other levels mean physical satisfaction—the feeding, comfort, safety and transportation of the human body—this level means mental needs for recognition, achievement and happiness, It includes a variety of goods and services many of which could be called “luxury” items. Among them are vacation trips, the best medical care and entertainment. Also included here are fancy foods and the latest styles in clothing.
On the fourth level, a greater percentage of consumers spending goes to services, while on the first three levels more is spent on goods. Will consumers raise their sights to a fifth level of wants as their income increases, or will they continue to demand luxuries and personal services on the fourth level?
A fifth level probably would be wants that can be achieved by community action. Consumers may be spending more on taxes and crime. After filling our stomachs, our garages, and our minds, we now may seek to ensure the health and safety to enjoy more fully the good things on the first three levels.
小题1:According to the passage, man will begin to think about such needs as housing and clothing only when _______| A．he has saved up enough money | | B．he has grown dissatisfied with his simple shelter | | C．he has satisfied his hunger | | D．he has learned to build houses |
小题2:It can be inferred from the passage that by the end of World War II most Americans ______| A．were very rich | | B．were very poor | | C．Had the good things on the first three levels | | D．didn’t own cars |
小题3:Which of the following is NOT related to “physical satisfaction”?| A．A successful career | B．A comfortable house | | C．A good service | D．A family car |
小题4:Which is the main want of man on the fourth level?| A．The more goods, the better | | B．The more mental satisfaction, the better | | C．The more “luxury” items, the better | | D．The more earning, the better |
小题5:The author thinks that a fifth level______| A．would be a little better than the fourth level | | B．may be a lot more desirable than the first four | | C．can be the last and most satisfying level | | D．will come true if the government takes actions |
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Sitting on a chair all day in school can make anyone want to move around. So, more and more teachers are letting students have a ball. By sitting on exercise balls instead of chairs , teachers find students’ posture(姿势) and attention improve.
Dottie Pownall, a fifth-grade teacher in West Virginia, USA, has been using balls as chairs since December 2008. “The students love them”, she says. Pownall took a survey(调查) of her students. She found that 80% of the students thought sitting on the balls helped them pay more attention to what they were learning.
The teacher, Pisa Witt, felt so strongly about the use of balls as chairs, she started Witt Fitt. This company encourages the use of the balls. And the company educates not only teachers but also students on how to use them. “Our products are used in 24 states, three provinces in Canada, Puerto Rico (波多黎各) and Japan,” says Witt, “ Research shows that sitting on the balls makes them sit up straighter（直的）. You can slouch(低头垂肩地坐)on a ball,” says Witt, “but it feels bad.” Because the students are moving, their blood (血液) increases. That carries more oxygen( 氧气) to the brain , so the kids have more energy and can pay attention longer.
“Besides, they’re fun.” says Pownall.
小题1:What will happen if a student sits on a chair all day in school? The student will_________.| A．pay more attention to his lessons | B．be fun | | C．like to move around | D．sit up straighter |
小题2:How long has Dottie Pownall used the balls?| A．About four years. | B．Only one year. | | C．In 2008. | D．Since he was a fifth-grade teacher. |
小题3:In how many countries are the balls used as the students’ chairs?| A．Four. | B．Three. | C．Two. | D．One. |
小题4:Teachers choose balls instead of chairs because sitting on balls helps the kids _________.| A．improve the students’ posture and attention | | B．slouch on the chairs | | C．have fun | | D．Both A and C are correct answers |
小题5:Which is better for kids to study in class, sitting on a chair or sitting on a ball?| A．Sitting on a chair. | B．Sitting on a ball. | | C．They are the same. | D．We don’t know. |
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