Statuses are wonderful human inventions that enable us to get along with one another and to determine where we "fit" in society. In our everyday lives whenever we meet people, we always try to judge them in terms of their statuses. For example, we must judge whether the person in the library is a reader or a librarian, whether the telephone caller is a friend or a salesman and so on.
Our statuses often vary with the people we meet, and change through life. Most of us can, at very high speed, assume(表现出) the different statuses that various situations require. Much of social communication consists of recognizing and selecting among proper statuses and allowing other people to assume their statuses in relation to us. This means that we fit our actions to those of other people, based on a constant mental process of assessment and understanding. Although some of us find the task more difficult than others, most of us perform it rather easily.
A status has been compared to ready-made clothes. Within certain limits the buyer can choose style and material. But an American is not free to choose the clothes of a Chinese peasant or that of a Hindu prince. We must choose from among the clothing presented by our society.
Furthermore, our choice is limited to a size that will fit, as well as by our wallet. Having made a choice within these limits, we can have certain changes made. But apart from small adjustments, we tend to be limited to what the stores have on their shelves. Statuses too come ready-made, and the range of choice among them is limited.
小题1:According to the writer, people often assume different statuses______.| A．in order to distinguish themselves from others | | B．in order to better recognize other people | | C．as their mental processes change | | D．as the situation changes |
小题2:In the last sentence of the second paragraph, “it” refers to “___”| A．constant mental process | | B．selecting one’s own statuses | | C．recognition of other people’s statuses | | D．fitting our actions to those of other properly |
小题3:What can be the best title for this text?| A．Proper Relations. | | B．Limited Choices. | | C．Judgment of Statuses. | | D．Comparison of Clothes. |
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小题1:D
小题2:D
小题3:C |
试题分析：本文围绕着status 展开对于身份判断的叙述，人们在不同场合表现出不同的身份，而且很形象地把身份的判定比作对成衣的选择，同时身份的判定也受一定情况的局限。
小题1:D推理判断题。从第二段“Most of us can, at very high speed, assume the different statuses that various situations require.”中的定语从句可知人们在不同情况下表现出不同的身份，所以D选项正确。
小题2:D词意猜测题。从文章第二段可知it 指代前面句中的the task，而the task又是指前面“这意味着我们得根据大脑持续的判定和理解过程来使我们自己的行为做事方式适合别人的行为做事方式”。所以正确选项为D。
小题3:C 主旨大意题。文章开头提出在日常生活中，我们都用“status”来判断一个人，然后一步步深入论述，所以文章是围绕身份这一话题来写的，故正确选项应是C。 |
核心考点
试题【Statuses are wonderful human inventions that enable us to get along with one ano】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
Taste is such a subjective matter that we don’t usually conduct preference tests for food. The most you can say about anyone’s preference is that it’s one person’s opinion. But because the two big cola companies—Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola are marketed so aggressively, we’ve wondered how big a role taste preference actually plays in brand loyalty. We set up a taste test that challenged people who identified themselves as either Coca-Cola or Pepsi fans: Find your brand in a blind tasting.
We invited staff volunteers who had a strong liking for either Coca-Cola Classic (传统型) or Pepsi, Diet (低糖的) Coke, or Diet Pepsi. These were people who thought they’d have no trouble telling their brand from the other brand.
We eventually located 19 regular cola drinkers and 27 diet cola drinkers. Then we fed them four unidentified samples of cola one at a time, regular colas for the one group, diet versions for the other. We asked them to tell us whether each sample was Coke or Pepsi; then we analyzed the records statistically to compare the participants’ choices with what mere guess-work could have accomplished.
Getting all four samples right was a tough test, but not too tough, we thought, for people who believed they could recognize their brand. In the end, only 7 out of 19 regular cola drinkers correctly identified their brand of choice in all four trials. The diet-cola drinkers did a little worse----only 7 of 27 identified all four samples correctly.
While both groups did better than chance would predict, nearly half the participants in each group made the wrong choice two or more times. Two people got all four samples wrong. Overall, half the participants did about as well on the last round of tasting as on the first, so tiredness, or taste burnout, was not a factor. Our preference test results suggest that only a few Pepsi participants and Coke fans may really be able to tell their favorite brand by taste and price.
小题1:According to the passage the preference test was conducted in order to ________.| A．show that a person’s opinion about taste is mere guess-work | | B．compare the ability of the participants in choosing their drinks | | C．find out the role taste preference plays in a person’s drinking | | D．reveal which cola is more to the liking of the drinkers |
小题2: It is implied but not stated in the first paragraph that ________.| A．the competition between the two colas is very strong | | B．blind tasting is necessary for identifying fans | | C．the purpose of taste tests is to promote the sale of colas | | D．the improvement of quality is the chief concern of the two cola companies |
小题3:The word “burnout” (Line3, Para. 5) refers to the state of _________.| A．being seriously burnt in the skin | | B．being badly damaged by fire | | C．being unable to function because of excessive use | | D．being unable to burn for lack of fuel |
小题4:The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to ________.| A．emphasize that taste and price are closely related to each other | | B．recommend that blind tasting be introduced in the quality control of colas | | C．show that taste preference is highly subjective | | D．argue that taste testing is an important marketing strategy |
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Strange Baby-Naming Laws
Germany Parents are banned by law from using last names and the names of objects and products as first names. A child’s first name must clearly indicate his or her sex, and all names must be approved by the office of vital statistics in the area in which the child was born.
Iceland The country’s naming committee consults the National Register of Persons to determine if a name is acceptable. If parents want to go off-list, they must apply for approval and pay a fee, and the name must contain only letters in the Icelandic alphabet.
New Zealand The country’s Births, Deaths, and Marriages Registration Act of 1995 prohibits parents from choosing a name that “ might cause offense to a reasonable person; is unreasonably long; or is, includes, or resembles an official title or rank,” including, apparently, Adolf Hitler and Yeah Detroit—both names recently rejected.
Denmark If Danish parents prefer a moniker not on the list of 7,000 preapproved baby names, they must get permission from local church and government officials. Fifteen to 20 percent of the 1,100 reviewed names—including creative spellings of common names, last names as first names, and unusual names—are rejected each year.
小题1:You can tell whether a baby is a girl or a boy according to the first name in _____.| A．Denmark | B．New Zealand | C．Iceland | D．Germany |
小题2:In Iceland, the names should _____.| A．be approved by the office of vital statistics. | | B．be accepted by the National Register of Persons. | | C．contain only letters in the Roman alphabet. | | D．be paid for some money. |
小题3:Which name is accepted in New Zealand?| A．Bin Laden | B．Talula Does The Hula | | C．Keenan Got Lucky | D．John Smith |
小题4:According to the passage, which of the following is true?| A．Danish babies’ names should be on the list if parents can’t get the permission. | | B．Each year about 150-200 reviewed names are rejected in Denmark. | | C．Adolf Hitler is banned in Iceland. | | D．Parents should pay a fee for babies’ names if the names are rejected. |
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I used to be ashamed of my grandma. I know that"s a ____16____ thing to say, but it was true until today, so I have to____17___ it.
The____18____ started when my friend Katy found Grandma"s false teeth floating in a glass on the bathroom sink. I was so used to seeing them that I____19____ took notice of them. But Katy shouted, laughing and____20____ to talk to them. I had to get down on my knees and____21____ her to shut up so my grandma wouldn"t____22____ and get hurt.
After that happened, I____23____ there were a million things about Grandma that were embarrassing（令人窘迫）.
Once she took Jill and me out to Burger King. ____24____ ordering our hamburgers well-done, she told the person behind the counter, "They"ll have two Whoppers (巨无霸) well-to-do. " Jill burst out laughing, but I almost____25____.
After a while, I started wishing I could____26____ Grandma in a closet. I even complained to my parents. Both my parents said I had to be careful not to make Grandma feel____27____ in our home.
Then last Wednesday, something happened that____28____ everything completely. My teacher told us to help find interesting old people and____29____ them about their____30____ for a big Oral History project. I was trying to think of someone when Angie pushed me gently.
"Volunteer your grandmother," she whispered. "She"s____31____ and rich in experience."
That was the last thing I ever thought Angie would say about my grandma.
This is how I ended up on____32____ today interviewing my own grandmother before the whole school assembly (集合). All my friends and teachers were listening to her____33____ she was a great heroine. I was____34____ of my grandma and hoped she would____35____ know that I had been ashamed of her.
| 小题1: | | A．funny | B．common | C．terrible | D．clear |
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| 小题2: | | A．admit | B．receive | C．refuse | D．show |
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| 小题3: | | A．quarrel | B．accident | C．trouble | D．adventure |
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| 小题4: | | A．already | B．always | C．simply | D．hardly |
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| 小题5: | | A．enjoying | B．pretending | C．imagining | D．continuing |
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| 小题6: | | A．warn | B．demand | C．advise | D．beg |
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| 小题8: | | A．expected | B．declared | C．realized | D．doubted |
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| 小题9: | | A．Because of | B．Except for | C．Such as | D．Instead of |
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| 小题10: | | A．died | B．cheered | C．disappeared | D．suffered |
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| 小题11: | | A．meet | B．avoid | C．arrange | D．hide |
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| 小题12: | | A．independent | B．inconvenient | C．unwelcome | D．unfamiliar |
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| 小题13: | | A．changed | B．finished | C．stopped | D．Prepared |
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| 小题14: | | A．interview | B．report | C．tell | D．write |
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| 小题15: | | A．news | B．lives | C．advantages | D．achievements |
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| 小题16: | | A．free | B．popular | C．interesting | D．embarrassing |
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| 小题17: | | A．show | B．stage | C．duty | D．time |
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| 小题18: | | A．and then | B．even if | C．so that | D．as if |
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| 小题19: | | A．sure | B．proud | C．ashamed | D．afraid |
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| 小题20: | | A．never | B．even | C．still | D．once |
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January l: It has happened. I got a call today saying a little girl in Russia is now my little girl. There are a lot of papers to prepare, and we have to travel to Russia to bring her home,
but now it is certain. I think I"ll tell some close friends. Jason is so excited. I haven"t told Steven yet. How can I tell a seven-year-old that he has a sister who is already five years old?
January 10: Today I received a picture of Katerina. The picture is small and not very clear, but I look at it over and over again. I don"t know anything else about her. She has lived in a home for children without parents for most of her life. I wonder how I will talk to her. I don"t speak Russian, and she doesn"t speak English.
February l: Today I showed Katerina’s picture to Steven* He is very happy and wants to tell all his friends about his new sister. I want to buy some new clothes for Katerina, but I don"t know her size. I haven" t received any information from the adoption organization, and I"m feeling a little worried.
February 16: Finally! Today we received good news! All the papers are ready and tomorrow we will go to Russia to bring Katerina home with us．
February 18: Today I met my daughter for the first time．She is very small, very thin, and very shy． On the way home in the airplane, she slept most of the time．When she woke up, she cried． I am very worried and hope that I can be a good mother to Katerina．
February 19: Steven met his sister this morning． Although Katerina was quiet at first, soon she and Steven began to talk in a mix of Russian, English, and hand movements． Steven and his sister get along well together． In fact, he is able to help her talk with Jason and me． I am worried about how Katerina will be in school． Next week she will start school． How will she understand her teacher?
March 21: Katerina looks much better now． She is heavier, her hair looks good, and her skin is clear． She loves to watch television with her brother, and she has learned to roller-skate． She is doing well in school, and her English gets better every day． Although she sometimes looks sad, and sometimes cries, most of the time she is happy． I think she is slowly my life without her．
小题1:Who is Katerina?| A．Steven"s elder sister． | B．An adopted girl． | | C．Jason"s close friend． | D．The writer"s niece． |
小题2:When back at home, what is the writer most worried about?| A．How Steven can get along well with Katerina． | | B．How Katerina can communicate with Jason and her． | | C．Whether Katerina will adapt herself to the school life． | | D．Whether she can be a good mother to Katerina． |
小题3:From the passage we know that in her new family Katerina ______．| A．gets very fat | B．becomes depressed | | C．remains frightened | D．is well treated |
小题4:Where is the passage most probably from?| A．A diary． | B．An advertisement | | C．An essay． | D．A speech |
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Confucius said, “In a group of three people, there is always something I can learn. Choose to follow the strengths of others, and use their shortcomings to reflect upon ourselves.”
As you can see from what Confucius said, everyone that we come across can teach us something useful. As long as we reflect on the lessons learnt from and by other people, we can continuously improve ourselves. But take note that when you reflect on these lessons, you apply some wisdom to each lesson because each situation is unique although they share some common principles.
We can learn a lot from everyone. We always tend to think that we can only learn from those who are higher in status or have more knowledge than us, but that is not really the case. We learn from those who are lower in status than us as well, because the experience and knowledge of each person is very different.
The best thing about this type of learning, reflecting other people’s strengths and shortcomings onto ourselves, is that we do not pay for the mistakes that are made. The only cost to us is the time that is needed to learn about and reflect on these lessons from other people’s lives.
As we all know, some mistakes can be ones which people cannot afford to make, for instance, a broken friendship or a financial loss. Thus constantly using other people’s strengths and shortcomings to reflect upon ourselves makes us realize the costs of these mistakes and reduces the possibility that we will make similar mistakes.
What can we do now to learn from others? By keeping our eyes and ears open. Be observant and able to realize what strengths and shortcomings other people have. A lot of people in this world like to complain about their lives. Listen to them and make you own assessment and from your own assessment, reflect upon your life and make improvements where necessary.
小题1:According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?| A．Confucius thought we should learn from strengths of others. | | B．Only from those who have more knowledge than us can we learn. | | C．It is by reflecting on the lessons learnt by others that we can improve ourselves. | | D．Reflecting upon other people’s strengths and shortcomings can help us make fewer mistakes. |
小题2:The underlined part “this type of learning” in the fourth paragraph probably refers to_______.| A．learning from other people’s mistakes | | B．learning from others’ experiences | | C．finding what strengths and shortcomings other people have | | D．reflecting others’ strengths and shortcomings onto ourselves |
小题3:From the fifth paragraph, we learn that _______.| A．sometimes we can afford the costs of a broken friendship | | B．our reflection will necessarily reduce our mistakes | | C．some reflection will help to improve ourselves | | D．reflection will stop us from making any mistakes in life |
小题4:The passage is probably taken from __________.| A．a magazine about life | B．a book about travel | | C．an advertisement | D．a research report |
小题5:What does this passage mainly talk about?| A．How to improve oneself. | | B．How to use the shortcomings of others to reflect upon ourselves. | | C．How to reduce the mistakes in one’s life. | | D．How to learn from other people’s strengths and shortcomings. |
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