Passage One When I decided to quit my full time employment it never occurred to me that I might become a part of a new international trend. A lateral move that hurt my pride and blocked my professional progress prompted me to abandon my relatively high profile career although, in the manner of a disgraced government minister, I covered my exit by claiming "I wanted to spend more time with my family". Curiously, some two-and-a-half years and two novels later, my experiment in what the Americans term "downshifting" has turned my tired excuse into an absolute reality. I have been transformed from a passionate advocate of the philosophy of "having it all", preached by Linda Kelsey for the past seven years in the page of She magazine, into a woman who is happy to settle for a bit of everything. I have discovered, as perhaps Kelsey will after her much-publicized resignation from the editorship of She after a build up of stress, that abandoning the doctrine of "juggling your life", and making the alternative move into "downshifting" brings with it far greater rewards than financial success and social status. Nothing could persuade me to return to the kind of life Kelsey used to advocate and I once enjoyed: 12 hour working days, pressured deadlines, the fearful strain of office politics and the limitations of being a parent on "quality time". In America, the move away from juggling to a simpler, less materialistic lifestyle is a well-established trend. Downshifting—also known in America as "voluntary simplicity"—has, ironically, even bred a new area of what might be termed anticonsumerism. There are a number of best-selling downshifting self-help books for people who want to simplify their lives; there are newsletters, such as The Tightwad Gazette, that give hundreds of thousands of Americans useful tips on anything from recycling their cling-film to making their own soap; there are even support groups for those who want to achieve the mid-'90s equivalent of dropping out. While in America the trend started as a reaction to the economic decline—after the mass redundancies caused by downsizing in the late '80s—and is still linked to the politics of thrift, in Britain, at least among the middle-class down-shifters of my acquaintance, we have different reasons for seeking to simplify our lives. For the women of my generation who were urged to keep juggling through the'80s, downshifting in the mid-'90s is not so much a search for the mythical good life—growing your own organic vegetables, and risking turning into one—as a personal recognition of your limitations.
1. Which of the following is true according to Paragraph 1?
A.Full-time employment is a new international trend.
B.The writer was compelled by circumstances to leave her job.
C."A lateral move" means stepping out of full-time employment.
D.The writer was only too eager to spend more time with her family.
Passage Two All animals must rest, but do they really sleep as we know it? The answer to this question seems obvious. If an animal regularly stops its activities and stays quiet and unmoving-if it looks as though it is sleeping—then why not simply assume that it is in fact sleeping? But how can observers be sure that an animal is sleeping? They can watch the animal and notice whether its eyes are open or closed, whether it is active or lying quietly, and whether it responds to light or sound. These factors are important clues, but they often are not enough. Horses and cows, for example, rarely close their eyes, and fish and snakes cannot close them. Yet this does not necessarily mean that they do not sleep. Have you ever seen a cat dozing with an eye partly open? Even humans have occasionally been observed to sleep with one or both eyes partially open. Animals do not necessarily lie down to sleep either. Elephants, for example, often sleep standing up, with their tusks resting in the fork of a tree. Finally, while "sleeping" animals often seem unaware of changes in the sounds and light and other stimuli around them, that does not really prove they are sleeping either. Observations of animal behavior alone cannot fully answer the question of whether or not animals sleep. The answers come from doing experiments in sleep laboratories, using a .machine called the electroencephalograph (EEC). The machine is connected to animals and measures their brain signals, breathing, heartbeat, and muscle activity. The measurements are different when the animals appear to be sleeping than when they appear to be awake. Using the EEC, scientists have confirmed that all birds and mammals studied in laboratories do sleep. There is some evidence that reptiles, such as snakes and turtles, do not truly sleep, although they do have periods of rest each day, in which they are quiet and unmoving. They also have discovered that some animals, like chimpanzees, cats, and moles (who live underground), are good sleepers while others, like sheep, goats, and donkeys, are poor sleepers. Interestingly, the good sleepers are nearly all hunters with resting places that are safe from their enemies. Nearly all the poor sleepers are animals hunted by other animals: they must always be watching for enemies, even when they are resting.
1. According to the author, all animals ______.
A.spend some time resting
B.close their eyes when sleeping
C.are good sleepers
D.are poor sleepers
A B C D
A
[解析] 本题的依据句是第一段的首句“All animals must rest”。据此可知A项为正确答案。
2. The statement "Horses and cows, for example, rarely close their eyes" aims to show that ______.
A.these animals rarely need any rest
B.they almost always keep alert to danger
C.they often stay awake
D.their eyes are rarely closed even when they are asleep
3. How can researchers in "sleep laboratories" tell that the animals they are observing are asleep or not?
A.They see if the animals respond to light and sound.
B.They do this by observing changes in the animals' brain signals, breathing, heartbeat, and muscle activity.
C.They see if the animals' eyes are closed.
D.They can tell this by seeing if the animals lie down or not.
A B C D
B
[解析] 本题可参照第三段的“The answers come from...than when they appear to be awake.”从中可知,研究人员用一种叫做EEC的机器测量脑信号、呼吸、心跳和肌肉活动,以判断它们是否在睡觉,因为动物睡觉时和醒着时,测量结果是不一样的。因此B项是正确答案。
4. According to the research findings mentioned in the passage, reptiles ______.
A.such as turtles and snakes cannot close their eyes
B.cannot be studied with an EEC
C.do not sleep in the true sense of word
D.do not need to rest
A B C D
C
[解析] 本题的依据句是第三段中的“do not truly sleep”。
5. Animals that are good sleepers ______.
A.need to have a good sleep after they have exhausted themselves by getting rid of hunting animals
B.need to have a good sleep after they get tired from hunting other animals
C.are all mammals
D.almost always have a safe resting place
A B C D
D
[解析] 本题的依据句是第三段中的“Interestingly, the good...from their enemies”,从中可知,能睡觉的动物都是有安全休息地点的捕食者,所以D项正确。
Passage Three Can animals have a sense of humor? Sally Blanchard, publisher of a newsletter called the Pet Bird Report, thinks a pet parrot may have pulled her leg. That's one explanation for the time her African gray parrot, named Bongo Marie, seemed to feign distress at the possible death of an Amazon parrot named Paco. It happened one day when Blanchard was making Cornish game hen for dinner. As Blanchard lifted her knife, the African gray threw back its head and said, "Oh, no! Paco!" Trying not to laugh, Blanchard said, "That's not Paco," and showed Bongo Marie that the Amazon was alive and well. Mimicking a disappointed tone, Bongo Marie said, "Oh, no," and launched into a hoarse laugh. Was the parrot joking when it seemed to believe the other bird was a goner? Did Bongo Marie comprehend Blanchard's response? Studies of African grays have shown that they can understand the meaning of words—for example, that red refers to a color, not just a particular red object. Parrots also enjoy getting a reaction out of humans, and so, whether or not Bongo Marie's crocodile tears were intentional, the episode was thoroughly satisfying from the parrot's point of view.
1. When Blanchard was making Cornish game hen for dinner, Bongo Marie acted as if Paco was ______.
3. In the last sentence, the clause "the episode was...point of view" suggests that Bongo Marie was ______.
A.quite content with its own performance
B.believed to have a sense of humor
C.trying to win its host's favor
D.successful in getting a human response
A B C D
D
[解析] 从最后一句“Parrots also enjoy getting a reaction out of humans, and so, whether or not Bongo Marie's crocodile tears were intentional, the episode was thoroughly satisfying from the parrot's point of view.”可知,鹦鹉喜欢从人那里得到反应,因此,不管Bongo的鳄鱼泪是否故意,在这只鹦鹉看来是完全令人满意的。因为它得到了主人的反应。因此D项是正确答案。
Passage Four Computer monitoring is most often intended to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the workplace, but with good intentions comes the opportunity for abuse by employers and employees alike. Computer Monitoring in the 21st Century written by a futurist is an exceptional observation as to what the future may hold for those people choosing to enter the technological field such as industry, commerce, medicine and science. As computer monitoring increases, there comes a concern for the types of effects it may have in the workplace. The article says: "By the end of the decade, as many as 30 million people may constantly be monitored in their jobs." As computer systems become so sophisticated, this number will drastically increase. As we enter this new age of technology, we must remember that with more power comes more responsibility by employers and employees alike. Knowledge can be used as a weapon or as a tool. For instance, monitoring abuse can be found in the situation of airline agents. The agents discovered that by keeping customers on hold while finishing their work they could gain an extra 5-minute break. In the future, employees who are accustomed to evading the monitoring system may no longer be able to tolerate it. These types of employees may find they can no longer survive the added pressure of not being able to evade the system. While monitoring can add pressure to some employees, it can also be a relief to others. It is a relief to the employee, because it provides information readily at hand. With the use of prompts, acting as reminders to workers, the information needed is passed on efficiently allowing employees to do a better job. However, if prompts are used to tell an employee how much time has been wasted or how bad an employee is doing his job, it could cause the opposite effect. Monitoring can have a positive effect on workers by letting the employees access their own information. In a study, early information about job performance given by a computer is accepted better than a performance rating given by a boss. At this time, monitoring is based on the output of an employee's performance. In the future, there will be more freedom for employees to use their own ideas, therefore making monitoring more effective. One example of monitoring as a weapon is seen when a woman who took an extra minute in the bathroom was threatened with loosing her job. With this added stress she suffered a nervous breakdown. The company insisted that they were not "spying" but were only trying to improve their business. If monitoring is not used correctly, businesses will suffer with increases in operating costs because of increased turnover, absenteeism, medical costs and worker's compensation. Employers who use positive reinforcement with monitoring will guarantee better motivation. Legislation has the potential to help employees with issues of better treatment and the fight to privacy. In the new century, companies that succeeded will be the ones who learn from the past and from the "me boss and you employee" mentality. A good blacksmith can take a hammer and forge a weapon into a tool that can benefit the whole village. Employers are the blacksmiths; employees are the hammers. Monitoring is the tool. It takes both to make a tool to benefit the future.
1. From Paragraph 1, we can learn that ______.
A.computer monitoring is basically used by people with bad intentions
B.computer monitoring is basically used by people with good intentions
C.computer monitoring is basically used by people with good and bad intentions
D.good intentions will give rise to abuse
A B C D
B
[解析] 本题的依据句是文章第一句的“Computer monitoring is most often intended to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the workplace, but with good intentions comes the opportunity for abuse by employers and employees alike.”从中可知,计算机监控的初衷是好的,只是伴随着这种好的意图也带来了一些滥用。因此B项为正确答案。
2. From Paragraph 2, we can learn that ______.
A.the airline agents are generally under pressure of work
B.the airline agents are lazy people
C.the airline agents must be forced to work hard
D.all the employees will not find it unbearable to be monitored by the computer
A B C D
A
[解析] 本题可依据第二段的“The agents discovered that... an extra 5-minute break.”可知这些代理可以赢得五分钟的休息时间,可见他们通常处于大的工作压力之下。所以选A。
3. What will NOT happen if the employer puts too much pressure on the employees by using the monitoring system?
A.The employees will have more freedom.
B.The employees will accept the performance rating better than the computer monitoring.
C.Many employees will frequently stay away from their work.
D.More employees will leave the company.
A B C D
A
[解析] 从文中可知,当把监控系统作为武器来对员工进行监测时,发现一个女性在洗澡时超时了,她就受到了失业的威胁。With this added stress she suffered a nervous breakdown... 在这种过度的压力下,员工的自由并不会增加。因此正确答案为A。
4. According to the last paragraph, successful companies in the future will ______.
A.give up the use of computer monitoring
B.introduce new legislation
C.increase operating costs
D.try hard to make employees feel better about themselves and their jobs