The gift of being able to describe a face accurately is a rare one, as every experienced police
officer knows to his cost. As the Lancet put it recently, "When we try to describe faces precisely,
words fail us, and we resort to identikit (拼脸型图) procedures."
Yet, according to one authority on the subject, we can each probably recognize more than
1,000 faces, the majority of which differ in fine details. This, when one comes to think of it, is a
tremendous feat, though, curiously enough, relatively little attention has been devoted to the
fundamental problems of how and why we acquire this gift for recognizing and remembering faces.
Is it an inborn property of our brains, or an acquired one? As so often happens, the experts tend
to differ.
Thus, some argue that it is inborn, and that there are "special characteristics about the brain"s
ability to distinguish faces". In support of this, they note how much better we are at recognizing a
face after a single encounter than we are, for example, in recognizing an individual horse. On the
other hand, there are those, and they are probably in the majority, who claim that the gift is an
acquired one.
The arguments in favor of this latter view, it must be confessed, are impressive. It is a habit that
is acquired soon after birth. Watch, for instance, how a quite young baby recognizes his mother by
sight. Granted that his other senses help - the sound, his sense of smell, the distinctive way she
handles him. But of all these, sight is predominant. Formed at the very beginning of life, the ability
to recognize faces quickly becomes an established habit, and one that is, essential for daily living,
if not necessarily for survival. How essential and valuable it is we probably do not appreciate until
we encounter people who have been deprived of the faculty.
This unfortunate inability to recognize familiar faces is known to all, but such people can often
recognize individuals by their voices, their walking manners or their spectacles. With typical human
ingenuity, many of these unfortunate people overcome their handicap by recognizing other
characteristic features.
B. the ability to recognize faces unhesitatingly is an unusual gift
C. quite a few people can visualize faces they have seen
D. few people can give exact details of the appearance of a face
B. people don"t think much of the problem of how and why we acquire the ability to recognize and
remember faces
C. people don"t realize how essential and valuable it is for them to have the ability to recognize faces
D. people have been arguing much over the way people recognize and remember faces
B. It is acquired soon after birth.
C. It is something we can do from the very moment we are born.
D. It is learned from our environment and experiences.
B. sight is indispensable (必需的) to recognizing individuals
C. the ability to recognize faces is a special inborn ability of the brain
D. the importance of the ability of recognizing faces is fully appreciated by people.
disorder(C.C.D.). Almost half of their worker bees have disappeared during the past season.
C.C.D. has also been reported in Israel, Europe and South America. Bees fly away from the hive
and never return. Sometimes they are found dead; other times they are never found. Many crops
and trees depend on pollination (授粉) by bees to help them grow.
A new report says virus may be at least partly responsible for the disorder in honey bee colonies
in the United States. This virus is called Israeli acute paralysis virus. It was first identified in Israel
in 2004. Ian Lipkin at Columbia University in New York and a team reported the new findings in
Science magazine. Doctor Lipkin says the virus may not be the only cause. He says it may work
with other causes to produce the collapse disorder.
The team found the virus in colonies with the help of a map of honey bee genes that was published
last year. They examined thirty colonies affected by the disorder. They found evidence of the virus
in twenty-five of them, and in one healthy colony. The next step is further testing of healthy hives.
The researchers suggested that the United States may have imported the disorder in bees from
Australia. They say the bees may carry the virus but not be affected.
The idea is that unlike many American bees, the ability of Australian bees to fight disease has no
t been hurt by the varroa mite(全球性的蜂虱). This insect attacks honey bees, which could make
the disorder more likely to affect a hive. Australian bee producers reject these suspicions.
And some researchers suspect that bee production in the United States is down mainly because
of the weather. Honey bees gather nectar(花蜜) from flowers and trees. The sweet liquid gives them
food and material to make honey. But cold weather this spring in the Midwest reduced the flow of
nectar in many flowers. Many bees may have starved. Dry weather in areas of the country could
also be playing a part.
Wayne Esaias is a NASA space agency scientist who keeps bees in his free time. He lives in
central Maryland, where he has found that flowers are blooming a month earlier than they did in
1970, which may be partly responsible for the disorder. Wayne Esaias is organizing a group of
beekeepers to document nectar flow around the country.
B. by researching the causes of bee death
C. with the help of a map of honey bee genes
D. with the help of a scientist of NASA
B. Studies are being carried out on the causes of the bee disorder, but questions remain.
C. How the causes of the bee disorder in U.S have been found.
D. The bee production in U.S is down because of Israeli acute paralysis virus.
B. Four.
C. Five.
D. Six.
B. the solution to the bee disorder will be found eventually
C. American bees are more likely to defend themselves than Australian bees
D. the crop and plant production in U.S may be influenced by the bee disorder
smart phone, according to Apple"s chief executive, Steven P. Jobs, and does certain things better
than both of them, like surfing the Web, reading e-books and playing videos. The iPad went on
sale on April 3, 2010, and Apple said it had shipped 500,000 units in the first week. The handheld
device puts Apple on a direct collision course with the Kindle from Amazon, which Mr. Jobs ever
considered as pioneering the category.
It is common knowledge that media companies hope the iPad will finally lead to available way
for them to charge for news, books and other materials. The half-inch thick, 1.5-pound device
features a 9.7-inch multi-touch screen and is powered by a customized(订制的)Apple microchip,
which is called A4. It has been designed with an exposed screen and without a camera or separate
keyboard. The iPad has the same operating system as the iPhone and also has access to its 140,000
applications.
The price of the device starts at $499 for the most basic model, with a Wi-Fi wireless connection.
More expensive models with more memory and with 3G wireless access will cost $629 to $829,
depending on storage size.
Because Apple is attempting to popularize a new kind of computing device, acceptance among
consumers is expected to be slower than with previous Apple devices. Critics assume that some
buyers are waiting for future versions of the iPad to appear, perhaps with a camera or USB ports
(端口).
On its first day on sale, iPad users downloaded more than one million applications from the
company"s AppStore and more than 250,000 electronic books from its iBookstore. A new wave
of apps is expected in response to the iPad. For an application developer, having an application
accepted for a highly desired Apple product means reaching a passionate group of consumers.
The potential income is huge: the apps market for the iPhone and iPod Touch alone is already
worth a billion dollars a year in sales.
B. is better than a laptop in any function
C. helps Apple to beat Amazon
D. is a "revolutionary" product between a laptop and a smart phone
B. It has a lot of similar features to a laptop.
C. It has a virtual keyboard.
D. It has the fastest Apple microchip.
B. the size of the memory
C. the speed of the microchip
D. the Wi-Fi wireless connection
B. Buyers can improve their iPads with USB devices.
C. The iPad is basically different from conventional computers.
D. The iPad is accepted faster than former Apple products.
B. people would prefer to buy an iPad rather than an iPhone
C. owning an Apple product means that you will be respected
D. the Apple company will make more profit from the iPad
and applies physics, biology, chemistry, geology, engineering, medicine or any other science?
We all know that science plays an important role in our societies. However, many people
believe that our progress depends on two different aspects of science. The first aspect is the
application of the machines, products and systems of knowledge that scientists and technologists
develop. The second is the application of the special methods of thought and action that scientists
use in their work.
What are these special methods of thinking and acting? First of all, it seems that a successful
scientist is curious - he wants to find out how and why the universe works. He usually pays
attention to problems which he notices have no satisfying explanation, and looks for relationships
even if the data available seem to be unconnected．Moreover, he thinks he can improve the existing
conditions and enjoys trying to solve the problems which this involves.
He is a good observer, accurate, patient and objective and uses the facts he observes to the
fullest. For example, trained observers obtain a very large amount of information about a star
mainly from the accurate analysis of the simple lines that appear in a spectrum(光谱).
He does not accept statements which are not based on the most complete evidence available．
He rejects authority as the only basis for truth．Scientists always check statements and make
experiments carefully and objectively.
Furthermore, he does not readily accept his own idea, since he knows that man is the least
reliable of scientific instruments and that a number of factors tend to disturb objective investigation.
Lastly, he is full of imagination since he often has to look for relationships in data which are
not only complex but also frequently incomplete．Furthermore, he needs imagination if he wants
to guess how processes work and how events take place.
These seem to be some of the ways in which a successful scientist or technologist thinks and
acts.
B. more than one aspect
C. technology only
D. the use of machines
B. He is interested in problems that are explained.
C. He makes efforts to investigate potential connections.
D. He looks for new ways of acting.
B. easily criticize others" research work
C. always use his imagination in work
D. always use evidence from observation
B. Objective.
C. Unclear.
D. Prejudiced.
B. Progress in modem society.
C. Scientists" ways of thinking and acting.
D. How to become a successful scientist.
注意:每个空格只填1个单词.
There are many destructive (破坏性的) forces when it comes to nature, which have
destroyed whole cities and killed many people. They"re really terrible, but they occur somewhat
often, and this is why you see so many charities these days which focus their efforts on helping
people who have been affected by natural disasters.
While the world is a very beautiful place to live in, there will always be parts of the world
where natural disasters happen more often than in other places, where properties and lives are
destroyed. Only the people who live in the country where tsunamis and earthquakes as well as
other disasters occur experience these, and we can only imagine the suffering that they go through.
For some people out there, the world is cruel, but they have no choice but to stay where they
are. A lot of the time people simply cannot afford to move away, as they might not be able to get a
job when they leave.
In 2004, there was a tsunami in the Indian Ocean. A tsunami is a large wave that towers hundreds
of feet into the air, and covers whole areas when it comes crashing down on to dry land. This particular
tsunami was caused by an earthquake that happened in the middle of the sea, shooting the water away
from the ground and towards dry land. This tsunami actually reached thirty meters in height, and was one
of the worst tidal waves the world has ever seen. Over 200,000 people were hurt in the disaster.
In 2005, we also saw a hurricane happened in the United States. This hurricane was known as
hurricane Katrina, and is perhaps the worst in the history of the world. It happened in 2005 and
destroyed millions of properties in the area. It also took the lives of nearly 2,000 American people.
It was known that for ten days, the wind swept through the area, meaning the most powerful country
in the world became helpless in their attempts to save the people who were affected by the hurricane.
Finally, in 2008 we saw yet another natural disaster. This time it was a cyclone (旋风), which is
similar to a hurricane but happens in a circular motion (圆周运动). This cyclone Nargis had been
one of the strongest to have ever occurred, reaching a death toll of nearly 150,000 people.
All of these were terrible disasters that were unavoidable.
Title: Forces of Nature
注意:每个空格只填1个单词。
depends on getting oxygen from water through parts of its body.
However,birds" respiration (呼吸) is different from that of dogs and is much more efficient
than that of other animals.The lungs take up just 2 percent of a bird"s body volume,yet the bird
quickly takesin large amounts of oxygen and quickly removes waste and excess heat.
There are actually two respiration systems,internal and external.
The external respiration system uses the lungs and a series of air sacs (袋囊) distributed
throughout the body so that the oxygen supply is in direct communication with body parts.Oxygen
is taken in and exchanged for carbon dioxide in the blood,then the carbon dioxide is moved out.
So far,much like dogs.
However,in an important difference,the air flow in a bird is one way,through a series of tubes
and cells,rather than two ways,in and out of the lungs,as it is in dogs.A constant stream of air goes
through lungs and then is channeled through the complex system of air sacs,which also help remove
excess heat,as wellas through hollow bones.The gases are then channeled forward through the lungs
again,then through more air sacs,finally ending up in the windpipe,and are expelled from the body.
The air sac system is bigger than the lungs and takes up 15 percent of the chest and belly area.
Meanwhile,the birds" great oxygen needs are also handled by the internal breathing system.
The oxygen,stored primarily in body fat tissue,is burned through the process of cell respiration.
This process produces both muscular energy and heat.
- 1清华大学的校训“自强不息，厚德载物”鲜明地体现了中华民族几千年来熔铸成的[ ]A．勤奋勇敢的民族精神B．团结统一
- 2依次在下列句子横线处填入词语，正确的一组是 [ ]①今年是李白1300周年 ，可人们似乎并没想到要以什么
- 3某兴趣小组设计如下微型实验装置．实验时，先断开K2，闭合K1，两极均有气泡产生；一段时间后，断开K1，闭合K2，发现电流
- 4若（x+2）2+|y-3|=0，则代数式xy的值是（ ）A．-8B．8C．-9D．9
- 5已知函数f(x)＝ln x－. (1)若a>0，试判断f(x)在定义域内的单调性；(2)若f(x)在[1，e]上的
- 6某种水果第一天以2元的价格卖出a斤，第二天以1.5元的价格卖出b斤，第三天以1.2元的价格卖出c斤，求：（1）三天共卖出
- 7下列中的实验一定不会出现沉淀现象的是A．CO2气体通入Na2SiO3溶液中B．SO2气体通入BaCl2溶液中C．CO2气
- 85月12日四川汶川发生8.0级大地震，给当地群众造成生命、财产重大损失，全国人民团结一心，帮助灾区人民渡过难关，中央电视
- 9(1+2x)3的展开式中，x2的系数等于A．80B．40C．20D．10
- 10已知函数f（x）为R上偶函数，且f（x）在[0，+∞）上的单调递增，记m=f（-1），n=f（a2+2a+3），则m与n
- 1常温下若将pH=3的HR溶液与pH=11的NaOH溶液等体积混合，测得混合溶液的pH≠7，则混合溶液的pH______．
- 2改革开放以来，我国沿海某区域的工业化和城市化持续推进。下图为该区域工业发展、环境变化示意图，读图完成1-2题。1．20世
- 3为了检测细菌和真菌的分布情况，小明作如下探究：步骤一：取两套装有同一种培养基的培养皿，密封好，标上1号、2号，并进行高温
- 4已知反比例函数的图像经过点（3，－4），则这个函数的解析式为 ．
- 5当太阳斜照或直照时，一个放在水平地面上的长方形状的箱子在地面上留下的影子是______．
- 6如图，在梯形中，，，点在上，，,.（1）求的长；（2）求的值．
- 7在下列哪种情况下，物体处于超重状态（ ）A．平抛出去的物体在落地之前B．荡秋千的人摆过最低位置时C．汽车在过凸形桥桥顶
- 8两个绝缘固定带等量正电的点电荷，其连线的垂直平分线上有A、B两对称点，如图所示。另一个带正电质量不计的点电荷q从A点以速
- 9相对分子质量为M的某物质在室温下的溶解度为sg/100g，此时测得饱和溶液的密度为ρg/mL，则该饱和的溶液的物质的量浓
- 10能够使|a|=-a成立的条件是[ ]A、a<0B、a>0 C、a≤0 D、a≥0