Now let"s look ourselves as a species in relation to ecosystem balance.Modern scientists believe that humankind, like other animals, evolved(进化) through millions of years of changes and adaptations to the environment and that our most direct evolutionary ancestor was probably an earlier species of the primate(monkey, ape) group. Despite this similarity with other creatures, however, the evolution of humankind differs from that of other species in one important and unique way.
In other species, evolution has led to specialization, both in the species abilities and in its place within the environmental structure. For example, the giraffe is much adapted to feeding on treetops, but it is also specialized and thus limited to feeding on trees and shrubs. Only with great difficulty can it bend down to graze on the ground. Similarly, the anteater is extremely well adapted to eating ants but is unable to catch or eat other animals. The same is true for countless other species.
For humankind it is opposite. Our evolution had led to a very generalized ability. Our highly developed intelligence and ability to make and handle tools mean that we can do almost anything. Humans evolved in such a way that we are able to move into every environment on Earth and even into space. No natural competitor offers great resistance, and other natural enemies such as disease have been controlled.
Said another way, we see in humankind a great imbalance between biological potential and environmental resistance. The result is the rapidly increasing world population, frequently referred to as the population explosion. Further, to support our growing population, natural ecosystems are being increasingly displaced by human habitations, agriculture, and other human supporting activities.
小题1:From the passage we can infer that in the course of evolution _______.| A．humankind is very important to earlier species, such as the primate group | | B．human beings are limited by the environment while animals are not | | C．human beings become more and more different from each other | | D．humankind has experienced a generalization rather than specialization in ability |
小题2:According to the passage, primate includes such animals as _______.| A．monkeys and anteaters | B．tigers and apes | | C．apes and monkeys | D．monkeys and giraffes |
小题3:According to the passage, evolution has made it possible for humans to _______.| A．increase the population | | B．resist natural offers | | C．go to the moon | | D．cure all diseases |
小题4:According to the author, imbalance between biological potential and environ mental resistance has resulted in _______.| A．the population explosion | | B．the destruction of human habitations | | C．the growth of natural ecosystem | | D．the specialization of humans |
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小题1:D
小题2:C
小题3:C
小题4:A |
文章介绍了人类的进化过程与动物的进化过程不一样，及其对这个世界的影响。
小题1:D 推理题。根据文章第三段尤其是第一行For humankind it is opposite. Our evolution had led to a very generalized ability.可知D正确。
小题2:C 细节题。根据文章第一段第四行ancestor was probably an earlier species of the primate(monkey, ape) group.可知C正确。
小题3:C 推理题。根据第三段3,4行Humans evolved in such a way that we are able to move into every environment on Earth and even into space中的even into space可知C正确。
小题4:A 推理题。根据最后一段第2行The result is the rapidly increasing world population可知A正确。 |
核心考点
试题【Now let"s look ourselves as a species in relation to ecosystem balance.Modern sc】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
You and I have principles. And we also have opinions. I have opinions about what I think is 36 or wrong, good or bad. But they’re only 37 ---I could be wrong! I won’t try to 38 my life around my opinions, but I will try to 39 my principles.
A 15-year-old boy learned a(n) 40 lesson about principles. On his way home he found a 41 that contained $127 and the owner’s identification. 42 hesitation, he hopped(快速跳) onto his bicycle and went over to the owner’s 43 ---about a mile away. He told her that he had 44 her wallet and she gave him a big hug and twenty dollars.
That evening the boy told his parents about what had happened. However, his father said, “I don’t think you should have 45 $20 for doing what you should do. A person shouldn’t be 46 for being honest.”.
He thought about his father’s 47 and decided he would return the money. He returned to the lady’s home and 48 her back the twenty dollars. She didn’t want to take it, but he told her she 49 to , for his father pointed out 50 to him that he had never 51 before.
When principles 52 our decisions and actions, we actually change. These great principles 53 our lives and make us into persons of character. That boy is 54 to be raised by a wise father who had the 55 to say, “Those are my principles.”
| 小题1: | | A．right | B．mistaken | C．good | D．bad |
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| 小题2: | | A．decisions | B．opinions | C．suggestions | D．wishes |
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| 小题3: | | A．waste | B．share | C．build | D．risk |
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| 小题4: | | A．follow | B．make | C．advertise | D．change |
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| 小题5: | | A．difficult | B．easy | C．funny | D．valuable |
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| 小题6: | | A．bag | B．box | C．wallet | D．suitcase |
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| 小题7: | | A．Without | B．In | C．About | D．For |
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| 小题8: | | A．factory | B．school | C．office | D．house |
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| 小题9: | | A．found | B．checked | C．searched | D．threw |
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| 小题10: | | A．received | B．supplied | C．accepted | D．borrowed |
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| 小题11: | | A．blamed | B．rewarded | C．praised | D．forgotten |
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| 小题12: | | A．worries | B．actions | C．excuses | D．words |
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| 小题14: | | A．planned | B．had | C．preferred | D．attempted |
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| 小题15: | | A．anything | B．everything | C．something | D．nothing |
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| 小题16: | | A．realized | B．guessed | C．met | D．taught |
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| 小题17: | | A．interrupt | B．guide | C．confuse | D．allow |
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| 小题18: | | A．limit | B．prevent | C．keep | D．shape |
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| 小题19: | | A．comfortable | B．careful | C．fortunate | D．brave |
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| 小题20: | | A．chance | B．right | C．courage | D．wisdom |
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In some urban centers, workholism is so common that people do not consider it unusual: they accept the lifestyle as normal. Government workers in Washington D. C., for example, frequently work sixty to seventy hours a week. They don’t do this because they have to; they do it because they want to.
Workholism can be a serious problem. Because true workaholics (工作狂) would rather work than do anything else, they probably don’t know how to relax.
Is workholism always dangerous? Perhaps not. There are, certainly, people who work well under stress. Some studies show that many workaholics have great energy and interest in life. Their work is so pleasurable that they are actually very happy. For most workaholics, work and entertainment keep them busy and creative.
Why do workaholics enjoy their jobs so much? There are several advantages to work. Of course, it provides people with paychecks, and this is important. But it offers more than financial security. It provides people with self-confidence; they have a feeling of satisfaction when they’ve produced a challenging piece of work and are able to say, “I made that.” Psychologists claim that work gives people an identity through participation in work, they get a sense of self and individualism. In addition, most jobs provide people with a socially acceptable way to meet others. Perhaps some people are compulsive about their work, but their addiction seems to be a safe-even an advantageous-one.
小题1:The passage indicates that workaholics ______.| A．just know work but nothing else | | B．are willing to work hard for long hours without pay | | C．find their work provide them more satisfaction and self-confidence than how much they are paid | | D．has the work with more responsibility than others |
小题2:One of the reasons that some people are not willing to quit their jobs even in their eighties and nineties is that ______.
A. they are in the need of financial security
B. they would rather work than be disturbed by domestic affairs
C. they long for a sense of identity and being accomplished
C. they may have health problems from sheer boresom
小题3:This passage is mainly about ______.| A．workaholics are usually successful people, but their lives are in a mess | | B．workholism can lead to serious problems but it can also create a joyful life | | C．people who are absorbed in their work may enjoy movies, sports and other kinds of entertainment | | D．those who work even under difficult conditions may be very happy |
小题4:It can be inferred from the passage that ______.| A．in the eyes of all the common people workaholics are peculiar | | B．to workaholics, work is the sole source of happiness | | C．a piece of challenging work may provide the workaholics a sense of satisfaction | | D．workaholics are as addicted to their job as other people are to drugs or alcohol |
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According to US research, it can take up to ten years to become a near-native English speaker. Asian and Spanish students took between five and ten years to reach native speaker performance in English-only schools. Fluency obviously doesn’t happen overnight. But time can definitely make you a better speaker.
After testing his own memory, German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus discovered that humans forget most of what they learn in the first 20 minutes.
So cramming right before a speaking exam is not likely to be as effective as practicing regularly over time. The more you practice, the more familiar new words will become. In the classroom, studies have also shown that repeating oral tasks improves a speaker’s performance.
One of the best repetition exercises is the 4/3/2 technique. Speakers give the same talk to three different listeners with a progressive decrease in delivery time, starting at four minutes, then three, and finally two minutes. This exercise has been proven to help learners speak faster. It can also result in less hesitation and more grammatical accuracy. While time dose make a difference when it comes to speaking perfect English, it would not hurt to brush up on your other language skills.
Studies have also shown that reading can increase your speaking vocabulary. After one month of an extensive reading program, a 27-year-old student of French became more familiar with 65 percent of the new words.
Aside from choosing the right learning methods, having certain personality traits may also help. US linguistics expert Stephen Krashen believes those with high motivation, self-confidence and a low level of anxiety are better equipped for speaking success.
Krashen says students who don’t have these qualities are more likely to have a “mental block”. “Even if they understand the message, the input will not reach the part of the brain responsible for language acquisition,” he writes in his book Principles and Practice in second Language Acquisition.
小题1:According to the passage, if you want to be a near-native speaker, you need _____.| A．long-term speaking practice and much reading | | B．speaking practice for ten years only | | C．long-term speaking practice, much reading and certain qualities | | D．cramming new words every day |
小题2:The author put forward the 4/3/2 technique just to show that _____.| A．you should speak to 3 different people | | B．you should speak to 3 different people at 3 different times | | C．it can prevent you from making grammar mistakes | | D．it is really a good way to make you a better speaker |
小题3:The example of a 27-year-old student of French in the passage mainly means that _____.| A．reading can enlarge your vocabulary for your speaking | | B．reading can make you memorize just 65 percent of the new words | | C．the 27-year-old student of French is very clever | | D．in one month, you can improve your speaking ability |
小题4:The underlined phrase “linguistics expert” means a person who is quite expert at _____.| A．languages | B．spoken language | | C．scientific research | D．teaching English |
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Televisions, stereos, telephones, and computers have changed the way we spend our time and what we know about the world. Some of the changes brought about by these material possessions have improved our way of life, but others have made it worse. Our young teenagers turn on the television, play the stereo, play games on the computer, talk on the telephone, and eat all the same time. This drives me right up the wall to instant insanity(精神失常).
However, teens of today place too great an importance on material property. They spend an average of several hours a day watching television, listening to stereos, playing on the computer, playing video games, and talking on the telephone. Families no longer watch television together and there is great lack of communication. Materialism is evident when an otherwise intelligent teenager drives their parents crazy, and into debt, when misusing communication equipment. Teens judge and admire other teens for what they own and have, rather than for what they are or what they can do. They no longer care about values, like honesty, integrity(正直), freedom, talent, quality and other values and morals.
However, good or bad, communication devices are here to stay. It is up to us, as parents, to stop our beloved teenagers from misusing and abusing our communication equipment and devices. We need to avoid the problems they present and to make the most of their opportunities they possess and hold for us all.
小题1:The writer’s attitude toward the modern material possessions is generally _____.| A．positive | B．negative | C．neutral | D．indifferent |
小题2:According to the writer, teens’ overuse of communication equipment can do harm to _____.| A．their own health | B．their own study | | C．their own morality | D．their neighbors’ life |
小题3:The writer attributes (归咎) the unsatisfactory behavior of teens to _____.| A．teens’ too much free time | B．parents’ non-interference | | C．inadequate school education | D．material property |
小题4:It can be inferred from the passage that the writer seems to be most annoyed at ______.| A．all the modern material possession | B．eating while talking on the phone | | C．the decline in teens’ morality | D．all the communication equipment |
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Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experiences? Strangely enough，the answer to both these questions is yes. To some extent（程度）our intelligence is given to us at birth，and special education can never make a genius(天才) out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus the limits of a person’s intelligence are fixed at birth, but whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, now held by most experts can be supported in a number of ways.
It is easy to say that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence. Thus if we take two unrelated people at random from the population, it is likely that their degrees of intelligence will be completely different. If on the other hand we take two identical twins, they will very likely be as intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters，parents and children，usually have similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that intelligence depends on birth.
Imagine that now we take two identical twins and put them in different environments. We might send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory where the work is boring. We would soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates that environment as well as birth plays a part. This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who live in close contact with each other, but who are not related at all, are likely to have similar degrees of intelligence.
小题1:By using the example that two people closer in blood relationship are closer in intelligence that writer wants to prove _ . | A．intelligence can be developed by environment | | B．intelligence is given at birth | | C．intelligence can be developed by experience | | D．education plays an important part in the development of education |
小题2:A child who lives in rich and varied surroundings turns out higher in intelligence because ________.| A．his family is rich and therefore can afford to develop his intelligence | | B．he can break the limits of intelligence fixed at birth | | C．his family is rich and provides him with various healthy food | | D．these surroundings are likely to help him reach the limits of their intelligence |
小题3:In the second paragraph “if we take two unrelated people at random from the population．．．” means “if we ____．”| A．choose two persons who are relative | | B．take out two different persons | | C．choose two persons with different intelligence | | D．pick any two persons |
小题4:The best title for this passage might be __________. | A．Birth and Environment | B．Intelligence | | C．The Answer to a Question | D．Intelligence and Education |
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