A Bright and Splendid Slow in Thinking and Understanding
阅读理解A
1、What makes one person more intelligent than another? What makes one person a genius, like the brilliant Albert Einstein, and another person a fool? Are people born intelligent or stupid, or is intelligence the result of where and how you live? These are very old questions and the answers to them are still not clear.
We know, however, that just being born with a good mind is not enough. In some ways, the mind is like a leg or an arm muscle. It needs exercise. Mental (done with the mind) exercise is particularly important for young children. Many child psychologists think that parents should play with their children more often, and give them problems to think about. The children are then more likely to grow up bright and intelligent. If, on the other hand, children are left alone a great deal with nothing to do, they are more likely to become dull and unintelligent.
Parents should also be careful what they say to young children. According to some psychologists, if parents are always telling a child that he or she is a fool or an idiot, then the child is more likely to keep doing silly and foolish things. So it is probably better for parents to say very positive things to their children, such as "That was a very clever thing you did" or "You are such a smart child".
(1)、The words "intelligent" and "brilliant" in the first paragraph mean ______while "dull" in the second paragraph means ______.
A：bright and splendid...slow in thinking and understanding
B：pretty and handsome...ordinary-looking
C：great and important...common
D：hopeful and helpful...careless
答案：A
(2)、According to the context we can guess that a genius is ______while an idiot is ______.
A：a normal person...a funny person
B：a strong person...a weak person
C：a highly intelligent person...a foolish or weak-minded person
D：a famous person...an ordinary person
答案：C
(3)、A person ______is more likely to become a genius.
A：whose parents are clever
B：who often thinks about difficult problems
C：who are often helped by his parents and teachers
D：who are born with a good brain and putting it to active use
答案：D
(4)、It is better for parents ______.
A：to praise and encourage their children more often
B：to be hard on their children
C：to leave their children along with nothing to do
D：to give their children as much help as possible
答案：A
(5)、Which of the following is NOT true according to the article?
A：Parents play an important part in their children's growth.
B：The less you use your mind the duller you may become.
C：Intelligence is obviously the result of where and how you live.
D：Parents should always encourage their children.
答案：C
2、Throughout the colonial period there was a remarkable shortage of women, which varied with the regions and was always greatest in the frontier areas. This shortage enhanced women's status and position and allowed them to pursue different careers. The puritans regarded idleness as a sin, and believed that life in an underdevelopment country made it necessary that each member of the community performed an economic function. Thus work for women was not only approved but also was regarded as a civic duty. Puritan town councils expected widows and independent women to be self-supporting. There was no social prohibition against married women working; on the contrary, wives were expected to help their husbands in their trade and won social approval for doing extra work in or out of the home.
The vast majority of women worked within their homes, where their labor produced most articles needed for the family. The entire colonial production of cloth and clothing and partly that of shoes was in the hands of women. In addition to these occupations, women were found in many different kinds of employment. They were butchers, silversmiths and gunsmiths. They ran mills, plantations, shipyards, and every kind of shop. They were gatekeepers, jail keepers, journalists, printers, nurses, and teachers.
(1)、What does the passage mainly discuss?
A：Colonial marriages.
B：The puritan religion.
C：Colonial women's employment.
D：Education in the colonies.
答案：C
(2)、According to the passage, where in colonial North America were there the fewest women?
A：Puritan communities.
B：Seaports.
C：Frontier settlements.
D：Capital cities.
答案：C
(3)、It can be inferred from the passage that the Puritans were ______.
A：uneducated
B：hardworking
C：generous
D：wealthy
答案：B
(4)、According to the passage, Puritans believed that an unmarried adult woman should be ______.
A：financially responsible for herself
B：returned to England
C：supported by her family
D：trained to be a nurse
答案：A
(5)、According to the passage, what did the Puritans expect from married women?
A：They should adopt needy children.
B：They should assist in their husbands' trade or business.
C：They should work only within their own homes.
D：They should be apprenticed.
答案：B
3、Halloween (October 31) is a holiday widely celebrated with different names in many countries. Although it originated as a religious holiday, it has lost its religious connections in the United States. It is now celebrated largely as a children's day, and many American children look forward to it for days and weeks beforehand.
The orange pumpkin is harvested at this time of year and is hollowed out, a funny face cut into it, and a candle placed inside as decorations in the window. City folks, nowadays, sometimes use paper pumpkins for decorations. Some years ago, the holiday was celebrated by dressing up in strange and frightening costumes and playing tricks on one's neighbors and friends, such as ringing door bells, throwing bits of corn on the window panes, and in other ways making minor disturbances. More recently, children come to the door to have friends and neighbors admire their costumes and guess who they are behind the false faces and receive treats of candy, fruit or cookies. They say, "Trick or Treat", meaning "I will play a trick on you if you do not give me a treat."
This practice has even more recently developed into a significant international activity. Instead of or along with candy, the children collect money for UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund). This special collection of money by children for needy children throughout the world is known as "UNICEF Trick or Treat". Begun only recently, it results in several million dollars each year contributed to UNICEF. The collection box is orange, reminiscent of the pumpkin.
(1)、What does Halloween originate from?
A：A children's day.
B：A children's trick.
C：A religious day.
D：A UNICEF day.
答案：C
(2)、What is the symbol of Halloween?
A：Pumpkin
B：Candle
C：Costumes
D：Money
答案：A
(3)、The holiday was celebrated in the following ways some years ago EXCEPT ______.
A：putting on strange and frightening costumes
B：receiving treats of candy, fruit or cookies
C：playing tricks on one's neighbors and friends
D：ringing door bells
答案：B
(4)、Why do children collect money in the Halloween?
A：They love money.
B：They want to get enough money to buy themselves candy.
C：The adults are willing to give them money.
D：They want to help other children.
答案：D
(5)、The collection box is dyed orange because ______.
A：children love orange
B：orange stands for happiness
C：orange is the color of pumpkins
D：orange is loved by adults
答案：C
4、After a long period of studies, scientists are uncovering surprising new findings about dolphins. They believe that dolphins do "talk" to each other, whistling "names" among themselves and others in their group. They help one another when in trouble. Like bats, they use sound waves to "see". Because of these and many other findings, many scientists now place dolphins among the cleverest animals on earth.
Dolphins love to mimic. If we swim on our backs, they do too. If we dive, they follow. Once a trainer blew a puff of cigarette smoke against the window of an observation tank, a young dolphin suddenly swam to its mother, nursed a moment, and spit out a cloud of milk. It is even more surprising that dolphins are able to understand sign language. One of Herman's dolphins has mastered more than 50 sign words. For example, it understands the difference between "bring the surfboard to the person" and "bring the person to the surfboard."
Scientists are learning how dolphins "speak" to each other. "Each dolphin," says Peter Gyack "has its own 'signature' whistle." Dolphin can also mimic the signature of others.
Dolphins help one another. When birth-giving takes place, females gather to keep off sharks. Later, while the mother looks for food, they take care of the young dolphin, swimming in a circle.
Dolphins reach out to us in astonishing ways. What would the world be like without them?
(1)、To the best of our knowledge, dolphins are ______.
A：surprising fish
B：interesting animals
C：intelligent mammals
D：man's friends
答案：C
(2)、In the second paragraph, "nursed" means ______.
A：brought the mother something to eat
B：sucked milk from the mother dolphin
C：asked to be taken care of
D：gave some milk to her
答案：B
(3)、What was the young dolphin doing when it suddenly spit out a cloud of milk? It was ______.
A：having a little fun
B：diving into the deep sea
C：playing "smoking"
D：copying "smoking"
答案：D
(4)、Which of the following do you think is more reasonable?
A：We are still in the early stage of learning about these animals.
B：We have little difficulty in understanding dolphins.
C：Man will be able to talk freely to dolphins in the near future.
D：Sign language is the only way to make dolphins understand us.
答案：A
(5)、What's the purpose of female dolphins' swimming in a circle?
A：The young dolphin needs friends to play with.
B：The young dolphin can play safely inside.
C：The mother will help them to learn swimming in a circle.
D：The mother will be free to meet the father.
答案：B
5、During the meal, you'd better be careful not to leave a spoon in a soup bowl or coffee cup or any other dish. The coffee spoon ought to be on the saucer, the soup spoon ought to be on the plate under the bowl. When you are having soup, make the least noises and use the side of your spoon inside out this way, not the tip. And you mustn't pick up your soup bowls so as to drink away the last drops of your soup from the bottom of the bowl.
Very often there is only one main course and salad, followed by your sweet. If you find the meal not enough, say "Oh, it's delicious!" and ask for some more of the chicken or steak or whatever you have just had. The hostess will be very glad that you appreciate her cooking and will give you an extra portion. But if you observe the Chinese way of being polite and say "No, thank you" when the hostess offers you more, you will most probably starve later, because Americans will never press food on you. Yet it is not polite to keep silent and not to talk with the person next to you. It would be considered good manners if you handle your silverware with care so that they don't make any noise. When coffee comes, drink it from your cup. The coffee spoon should rest on the saucer while you are drinking. And smoking, of course, is rarely seen at a dinner table. Well, when the meal is finished, the guests put their napkins on the table and stand up, the men again helping the ladies with their chairs.
After the dinner, the guests usually stay for an hour or two, then they would say, "Well, I'm afraid I must be going now." The host and hostess would of course urge everyone to stay longer. "What, already? Won't you have another coffee?" The guests, for instance, would say, "I'd love to, but I have to be up early tomorrow morning. Thank you for a most enjoyable evening. Good-night."
And if you stay overnight or over the weekend, it will be courteous to send a thank-you note to the host or hostess the following day, very often with a small gift such as a box of chocolate or some flowers as a token of appreciation of their hospitality.
(1)、Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?
A：How to Prepare for a Meal.
B：Never Press Food on Your Guest.
C：Table Manners in the U.S.A.
D：How to Enjoy a Dinner.
答案：C
(2)、The passage suggests that ______.
A：to make the hostess happy you should ask for more food even if you are full
B：you should keep silent at a dinner table in order to be polite
C：if you want to be friendly with the person next to you, you should press food on him
D：talking is necessary at a dinner table
答案：D
(3)、At a dinner table, you do all of the following except ______.
A：making the least noise possible
B：picking up your soup bowl to drink away the last drop
C：handling your silverware with care
D：drinking the coffee from your cup
答案：B
(4)、What does "courteous" in the last paragraph mean?
A：Friendly.
B：Generous
C：Polite
D：Noble.
答案：C
(5)、The passage implies that ______.
A：different nations have different customs
B：Chinese customs are quite similar to American ones
C：both Chinese and Americans have soup before the main course
D：if you are polite, the hostess will press more food on you
答案：A
6、Robert Spring, a 19th century forger（造假者）, was so good at his profession that he was able to make his living for 15 years by selling false signatures of famous Americans. Spring was born in England in 1813 and arrived in Philadelphia in 1858 to open a bookstore. At fist he prospered by selling his small but genuine collection of early U.S. autographs. Discovering his ability at copying handwriting, he began imitating signatures of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin and writing them on the title pages of old books. To lessen the chance of detection, he sent his forgeries to England and Canada for sale and circulation.