Passage One There is plenty we don't know about criminal behavior. Most crime goes unreported so it is hard to pick out trends from the data, and even reliable sets of statistics can be difficult to compare. But here is one thing we do know: those with a biological predisposition to violent behavior who are brought up in abusive homes are very likely to become lifelong criminals. Antisocial and criminal behavior tends to run in families, but no one was sure whether this was due mostly to social-environmental factors or biological ones. It turns out both are important, but the effect is most dramatic when they act together. This has been illustrated in several studies over the past six years which found that male victims of child abuse are several times as likely to become criminals and abusers themselves if they were born with a less-active version of a gene for the enzyme monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A), which breaks down neurotransmitters crucial to the regulation of aggression. Researchers recently made another key observation: kids with this "double whammy" of predisposition and an unfortunate upbringing are likely to show signs of what's to come at a very early age. The risk factors for long-term criminality—attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, low IQ, language difficulties—can be spotted in kindergarten. So given what we now know, shouldn't we be doing everything to protect the children most at risk? No one is suggesting testing all boys to see which variant of the MAO-A gene they have, but what the science is telling us is that we should redouble efforts to tackle abusive upbringings, and even simple neglect. This will help any child, but especially those whose biology makes them vulnerable. Thankfully there is already considerable enthusiasm in both the US and the UK for converting the latest in behavioral science into parenting and social skills: both governments have schemes in place to improve parenting in families where children are at risk of receiving poor care. Some people are uncomfortable with the idea of early intervention because it implies our behavior becomes "set" as we grow up, compromising the idea of free will. That view is understandable, but it would be negligent to ignore what the studies are telling us. Indeed, the cost to society of failing to intervene—in terms of criminal damage, dealing with offenders and helping victims of crime—is bound to be greater than the cost of improving parenting. The value to the children is immeasurable.
1. Researchers have come to a consensus: to explain violent behavior ______.
Passage Two Some problems can be readily identified simply by looking around. These problems concern the pollution of our environment by technology as a result of sudden upsets in the physical, economic and social balance. The most obvious of these are the general pollution of our physical environment and the destruction of irreplaceable natural resources. Not so obvious as these, but just as painfully significant to some, are the disappearing and changing of jobs which overnight often create large groups of jobless citizens. Can technology be used to undo what it has done, replace what it has destroyed or substitute for what it has caused to disappear? No one knows. Many wonder whether or not all of the sources of pollution have yet been identified, whether or not they are being arrested and whether or not they will be prevented from recurring. Another set of problems relates to what technological advancement has done to the quality of life. An improved social life has not been unfortunately, either the goal or the chief beneficiary of technological change. Rather, any improvements that have occurred have been more accidental than intended. Too much has happened too fast. The changes demanded of marriage and family relationships remain largely unexamined. It is often a matter of "put up or shut up", and a person has to adapt his lifestyle to ever-changing conditions with little time for choice. The "no-move-no-advancement" type is an example of one such problem. Many people are coming to think that the reward is simply not worthy of the struggle, and they are taking jobs with less responsibility and lower pay.
1. In the first paragraph the author is mainly talking about ______.
A.environmental protection
B.environment and technology
C.technology producing obvious and insidious problems
3. The author would say that technological advancement ______.
A.has done nothing to the quality of life
B.has improved the quality of life
C.has harmed the quality of life
D.has redefined the quality of life
A B C D
C
[解析] 细节题。题目问的是作者认为科技发展与生活质量的关系是怎样的。定位到最后一段开头指出关于“what technological advancement has done to the quality of life”产生了一系列的问题。通过后文的叙述可知这句话暗示科技发展有损人们的生活质量。故选C。
4. What do you learn from the phrase "put up or shut up" in the third paragraph? ______
A.Technology has put a great deal of stress on people's lives.
B.People can't live with the stresses caused by technology.
C.People are quite active in dealing with the stresses caused by technology.
D.People are quite passive in dealing with the stresses caused by technology.
A B C D
D
[解析] 细节题。题目问的是第三段的“put up or shut up”的意思是______。定位到文章第三段,put up or shut up本来的意思是“要么就拿出行动或证据来,要么就住口”,在这里暗示人们面对科技带来的压力态度很消极。故选D。
5. It can be concluded from the third paragraph that technological advancement has resulted in quick living pace which ______.
A.is harmful to society
B.is socially rewarding
C.leads to further improvements
D.characterizes modern society
A B C D
A
[解析] 推断题。题目问的是通过技术的提高导致快节奏的生活我们可知______。定位到第三段讲到科技进步使得“Too much has happened too fast”。通过后文的叙述可知这种快节奏使得人们没有时间选择,变得消极被动,这不利于社会的发展。故选A。
Passage Three Personalized genetic diagnosis and therapy say you're young and healthy, and you go in for a routine physical. Your doctor takes a blood sample and has it shipped to a lab. There, a medical technologist places your serum sample on a glass chip the size of a postage stamp. That gene chip might contain up to 50,000 microscopic spots—each with one of the genes in the human genome. When the doctor calls you with the results, he'll tell you which of thousands of human diseases you're at risk for. If you have a defective gene that's placing you at risk for disease, he might treat you with a healthy version of the gene to make up for it, keeping you out of harm's way. Soon, such diagnoses and treatments could be routine, says Mark Kay, MD, a professor of genetics at Stanford University School of Medicine and president of the American Society of Gene Therapy. "In five years, you may be able to go to referral centers and get gene therapy," he says. Although gene therapists have talked like that for a while, and the field has tremendous promise, so far they have demonstrably cured humans of just one disease: severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). Known as the bubble-boy disease, it decimates the immune system and causes children to die young from infections. While the treatment looks promising, the virus used to deliver the gene in one trial may have activated a gene that causes cancer. Such safety issues have dogged gene therapy. But gene therapists are pressing on. More than a dozen advanced clinical trials are underway that use genes to treat a variety of cancers, and other trials are ongoing for multiple sclerosis, AIDS and cystic fibrosis. Dr. Losordo has also begun a large trial of a gene therapy that seems to help patients regrow blood vessels that supply the heart—"grow your own bypass, if you will," he says. "It's a very exciting time." The best gene therapies just treat symptoms. The cells and tissues that make up our body still age, decay and die. "We know of no intervention that will slow, stop or reverse the aging process in humans," says Leonard Hayflick, PhD, professor of anatomy at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine. Also, lifesaving technologies and treatments don't come cheap, and sometimes terrible side effects emerge. "We will face some very difficult choices," says Thomas Murray, PhD, president of the Hastings Center in Garrison, New York, a think tank that explores ethical issues in biotechnology and health care. Fair enough. But perhaps it's OK, for now, to step back and marvel at just how far we've come.
3. According to the second paragraph, the experts suggest that ______.
A.gene therapy could be routine in five years
B.gene therapy field has great promise
C.gene therapy has cured severe diseases
D.gene therapy hasn't developed as good as what the gene therapists say
A B C D
D
[解析] 文章第二段中虽然指出了一系列基因治疗的前景,但是Although gene therapists have talked...cured humans of just one disease。从这句话可以看出,其发展并不像所说的那么好。
4. The gene therapies may ______.
A.reverse or stop the aging process
B.bring unwanted effects along with treatment and cure
C.solve every health problems concerned with human body
D.be given to human at a high price
A B C D
B
[解析] 文中第二段最后一句话:While the treatment looks promising, the virus used to deliver the gene in one trial may have activated a gene that causes cancer. 可见,基因治疗也会造成副作用。
5. The underlined "decimates" in Para. 2 means ______.
Passage Four Infertility is normally seen as a private matter. If a couple are infertile and wish they are not, that is sad. But there is understandable resistance in many countries to the idea that treatments intended to deal with this sadness—known collectively as assisted reproductive technologies, or ARTs—should be paid for out of public funds. Such funds are scarce, and infertility is not a life-threatening condition. However, two papers presented to the "State of the ART" conference held earlier this month in Lyon argue that in Europe, at least, there may be a public interest in promoting ARTs after all. The low fertility rate in many of that continent's more developed countries means their populations are ageing and shrinking. If governments want to change this, ARTs—most significantly in-vitro fertilization (IVF)—could offer at least part of a way to do so. As the conference heard, IVF does seem to be keeping up the numbers in at least one country. Tina Jensen of the University of Southern Denmark has just finished a study of more than 700000 Danish women. She found that young women in Denmark have a significantly lower natural conception rate than in past decades. That is partly, but not entirely, because they are having their children later in life. The rest of the cause is unknown, though reduced sperm quality in men may be a factor. Whatever the cause, she also found that the effect has been almost completely compensated for by an increasing use of ARTs. Denmark's native population is more or less stable but some 3.9% of babies born there in 2003 were the result of IVF The comparable figure for another northern European country, Britain, was 1.5%. Without IVF, then, the number of Danes would be shrinking fast. That it is not may have something to do with the fact that in Denmark the taxpayer will cover up to six cycles of IVF treatment. In Britain, by contrast, couples are supposed to be entitled to three cycles. In practice, many of the local trusts that dish the money out do not pay for any cycles at all. Jonathan Grant, the head of the Cambridge branch of the Rand Corporation (an American think-tank), believes this is shortsighted. His paper showed that if Britain supported IVF at the Danish level then its birth rate would probably increase by about 10000 a year. The cost of offering six cycles to couples (and doing so in practice, rather than just in theory) would be an extra £250 m-430 m a year. That is not trivial, but Dr. Grant reckons it is cheaper than other ways of boosting the birth rate. Some countries, for example, have tried to bribe women into having more children by increasing child benefits. According to this calculations, raising such benefits costs between £50000 and £100000 a year for each additional birth procured. Ten thousand extra births each year would thus cost between £500 m and £1 billion. There are, of course, some disadvantages to promoting IVF In particular, women who use it tend to be older than those who conceive naturally, and that can lead to congenital problems in their children. But if the countries of Europe do wish to keep their populations up, making IVF more widely available might be a good way of doing so.
1. According to the text, the public's opinion on the infertility treatments is that ______.
A.the treatments should be paid for out of public funds
B.the treatments are not so compulsory as they consume the limited public funds
C.the treatments are not necessarily only paid for out of public funds
D.the public is not obliged to pay for such treatments of no urgent nature
Passage Five Children are spending an increasing amount of time using computers. Computers are now found in most classrooms, and in the majority of homes, almost always with internet access. However, many studies of children's use of computers show that there are possible negative effects. This essay will explain the possible negative effects of computer use on children, focusing on the effects on family and peer relationships and the increased tendency towards violent behavior. Computer use may negatively affect social relationship between children and their parents. Because children spend so much time on computers, they often know more about advanced computer use than their parents. According to Subrahmanvam and his colleagues (2001) this often leads to a role reversal, where the child becomes a teacher to the parent. In other words, it is often the case a highly computer technology. This can lead to a reduction in parental authority. Moreover, with the anonymity of online communication, computer users do not know if they are talking to a child or an adult, so all users are treated equally (Subrahmanyam et al, 2001). Children may then expect the same equality in real life, further contributing to a breakdown in the parent-children relationship (Subrahmanyam et al, 2001). Children's peer relationships can also be negatively affected by extensive computer use. Since computers are more likely to be used in isolation by children, they spend little time integrating with their peers (Shields & Behrman, 2001). As a result, children may not develop the social skills they need, or be able to maintain friendships in the real world (Subrahmanyam et al, 2001). With the very extended computer use, this isolation from the real world can lead to loneliness and even depression (Shields & Behrman, 2001). A disturbing possible effect of computer use on children is the link between computer games and violence. Current research has already documented a strong link between violent films and television and aggressive behavior in children, so it is reasonable to believe that a similar link will be found between violent behavior in children and violence in computer games (Subrahmanyam et al, 2001). However, as Shields Behrman (2001) points out, it is important to note that although the games may affect all children, children who prefer violent games could be most affected. In conclusion, using a computer, particularly for extended periods, may affect the parent-children relationship in families. It could also result in children not learning the social skills they need to interact with peers and maintain friendships. Moreover, it seems likely that playing violent computer games is linked to violence in children. Although the research is not conclusive, it appears that extended use of computers could have a negative effect on children's social development.
1. From the very beginning, the author is trying to draw our attention to ______.
A.crimes on rise at school
B.a decline in family value
C.the negative effects of children's of computer
D.the increasing number of investigations on education
Passage Six About ten men in every hundred suffer from color blindness in some way; women are luckier only about one in two hundred is affected in this manner. There are different forms of color blindness. A man may not be able to see deep red. He may think that red, orange and yellow are all shades of green. Sometimes a person cannot tell the difference between blue and green. In rare cases an unlucky man may see everything in shades of green—a strange world indeed. In certain occupations color blindness can be dangerous and candidates are tested most carefully. For example, when fighting at night, soldiers use lights of flares to signal to each other. A green light may mean "Advance" and a red light may mean: "Danger! Keep back!" You can see what will happen if somebody thinks that red is green! Color blindness in human beings is a strange thing to explain. In a single eye there are millions of very small things called "cones". These help to see in a bright light and to tell the difference between colors. There are also millions of "rods" but these are used for seeing when it is nearly dark. They show us shape but not color. Wait until it is dark tonight, then go outside. Look round you and try to see what colors you can recognize. Birds and animals which hunt at night have eyes which contain few or no cones at all, so they cannot see colors. As far as we know, bats and adult owls cannot see colors at all only light and dark shapes. Similarly cats and dogs cannot see colours as well as we can. Insects can see ultra violet rays which are invisible to us, and some of them can even see X rays. The wings of a moth may seem grey and dull to us, but to insects they may appear beautiful, showing colors which we cannot see. Scientists know that there are other colors around us which insects can see but which we cannot see. Some insects have favorite colors. Mosquitoes like blue, but do not like yellow. A red light will not attract insects but a blue lamp will.
1. Among people who suffer from color blindness, ______.
A.some may see everything in shades of green
B.few can tell the difference between blue and green
C.few may think that red, orange and yellow are all shades of green
D.very few may think that everything in the world is in green
2. When millions of rods in our eyes are at work in darkness we can see ______.
A.colors only
B.shapes and colors
C.shapes only
D.darkness only
A B C D
C
[解析] 细节题。用“rods”这个专业词汇帮助我们在第三段中间位置迅速定位:There are also millions of "rods" but these are used for seeing when it is nearly dark. They show us shape but not colour. 在这里,作者告诉我们视杆细胞(rod)在天色接近黑暗时发挥作用,他们能使我们看到物体的外形,而不是颜色。故选C。
3. According to the passage, bats and adult owls cannot see colors ______.
4. According to the passage, dogs and cats ______.
A.as well as human beings can not see some colors
B.have fewer cones than human beings
C.have less rods than human beings
D.can see colors as well as human beings
A B C D
B
[解析] 推理题,文章第四段最后一句说,猫和狗识别颜色的能力不如人类,而前文又说了不能识别颜色是因为椎状细胞少。由此,我们可以推出猫和狗的椎状细胞不如人类多。这里易误选的是A答案,注意文中的as well as是“不如……好”的意思,是比较级的as...as形式,不是意为“也”的短语“as well as”。
5. Which of the following is NOT true about insects?
A.Insects can see more colors than human beings.
B.Insects can see ultraviolet rays which are invisible to men.
C.All insects have their favorite colors.
D.The world is more colorful to insects than to human beings.