A recent study of ancient and modern elephants has come up with the unexpected conclusion that the African elephant is divided into two distinct (不同的) species. The discovery was made by researchers at York and Harvard universities when they were examining the genetic (基因的) relationship between the ancient woolly mammoth and mastodon to modem elephants—the Asian elephant, African forest elephant and African savanna (热带草原)elephant. Once they obtained DNA sequences from two fossils (化石), mammoths and mastodons. The team compared them with DNA from modern elephants. They found to their amazement that modern forest and savanna elephants are as distinct from each other as Asian elephants and mammoths. The scientists used detailed genetic analysis to prove that the African savanna elephants and the African forest elephants have been distinct species for several million years. The divergence (分离) of the two species took place around the time of the divergence of Asian elephants and woolly mammoths. This result amazed all the scientists. There has long been debate in the scientific community that the two might be separate species but this is the most convincing scientific evidence so far that they are indeed different species. Previously, many naturalists believed that African savanna elephants and African forest elephants were two populations of the same species despite the elephants' significant size differences. The savanna elephant has an average shoulder height of 3.5metres while the forest elephant has an average shoulder height of 2.5metres. The savanna elephant weighs between six and seven tons, roughly double the weight of the forest elephant. But the fact that they look so different does not necessarily mean they are different species. However, the proof lay in the analysis of the DNA. Alfred Roca, assistant professor in the department of Animal Sciences at the University of Minois, said," We now have to treat the forest and savanna elephants as two different units for conservation purpose. Since 1950 all African elephants have been conserved as one species. Now that we know the forest and savanna elephants are two very distinct animals, the forest elephant should become a bigger priority (优先) for conservation purpose."
1. A recent study shows that the African elephants have two different and distinct species.
A.True
B.False
C.Not Given
A B C
A
[解析] 题干要求判断最近的研究是否表明非洲大象有两个不同的种群。第一段话就提到了这项研究,而且最近的研究表明“the African elephant is divided into two distinct species”,所以题干表述是正确的。
2. Researchers at York and Harvard universities examined only the genes of the ancient woolly mammoth and mastodon.
A.True
B.False
C.Not Given
A B C
B
[解析] 题干要求判断约克大学和哈佛大学的研究人员是否仅仅检测了古代长毛猛犸象和乳齿象的基因。第二段提到“they were examining the genetic relationship between the ancient woolly mammoth and mastodon to modern elephants”,意思是“他们检测了古代长毛猛犸象和乳齿象与现代大象之间的基因关系”,并非只检测了古代长毛猛犸象和乳齿象的基因,所以题干表述是错误的。
3. The modern elephants have three species,the Asian elephant,African forest elephant and African savanna elephant.
A.True
B.False
C.Not Given
A B C
A
[解析] 题干要求判断现代大象是否有三个分支,即亚洲大象、非洲森林大象和非洲热带草原大象。第二段最后一句话提到“the Asian elephant, African forest elephant and African savanna elephant”,这三类大象是“modern elephants”的三个分支,所以题干表述是正确的。
4. Those scientists are surprised to find that modern forest and savanna elephants don't have the same progenitor(祖先).
A.True
B.False
C.Not Given
A B C
C
[解析] 题干要求判断科学家是否对现代森林大象和热带草原大象没有共同祖先的发现感到惊讶。第三段仅仅提到了科学家吃惊地发现“modern forest and savanna elephants are as distinct from each other”,意思是“现代森林大象和热带草原大象是彼此不同的两个物种”,但是并没有告诉我们它们是否没有共同的祖先,所以无法判断题干是否正确。
5. Asian elephants and mammoths are distinct from each other.
A.True
B.False
C.Not Given
A B C
A
[解析] 题干要求判断亚洲大象和猛犸象是否是彼此不同的种群。第三段讲到“modern forest and savanna elephants are as distinct from each other as Asian elephants and mammoths”,意思是“现代森林大象和热带草原大象是彼此不同的两个物种,就像亚洲象和猛犸象一样”,所以题干表述是正确的。
6. The divergence of the African savanna elephants and the African forest elephants took place long before the time of the divergence of Asian elephants and woolly mammoths.
A.True
B.False
C.Not Given
A B C
B
[解析] 题干要求判断非洲热带草原大象和非洲森林大象的分离是否比亚洲大象和长毛猛犸象分离的时间要早很多。文中第四段涉及了这个细节,“The divergence of the two species took place around the time of the divergence of Asian elephants and woolly mammoths”,分离发生的时间与亚洲大象和长毛猛犸象分离的时间大致一致,所以题干表述是错误的。
7. There are convincing evidences to prove that the African savanna elephants and the African forest elephants are indeed different species.
A.True
B.False
C.Not Given
A B C
A
[解析] 题干要求判断是否有证据证明非洲热带草原大象和非洲森林大象确实是不同的物种。文中第五段明确提到了“this is the most convincing scientific evidence so far that they are indeed different species”,这里的“this”指的就是这次研究以及不同种群大象DNA的对比,所以题干表述是正确的。
8. African savanna elephants and African forest elephants are different in size because their food is different.
A.True
B.False
C.Not Given
A B C
C
[解析] 题干要求判断非洲热带草原大象和非洲森林大象在体型上不同是否是因为他们吃的食物不同。文中第六段提到了非洲热带喜原大象和非洲森林大象在身高和体重上都差别很大,“of the same species despite the elephants' significant size differences”,但是没有告诉我们是不是因为他们吃的食物不同才造成的,所以无法判断题干是否正确。
9. The savanna elephant weighs roughly three times the weight of the forest elephant.
A.True
B.False
C.Not Given
A B C
B
[解析] 题干要求判断热带草原大象的体重是否大约是森林大象体重的三倍。文中第六段提到了具体的信息“The savanna elephant weighs between six and seven tons roughly double the weight of the forest elephant”,热带草原大象的体重是森林大象的两倍,不是三倍,所以题干表述是错误的。
10. We should give the priority to conserve the African savanna elephants.
A.True
B.False
C.Not Given
A B C
B
[解析] 题干要求判断我们是否应该优先保护非洲热带草原大象。最后一段提到了保护大象的情况,“the forest elephant should become a bigger priority (优先) for conservation purpose”,也就是说“森林大象应该优先受到保护”,所以题干是错误的。
People from East Asia tend to have more difficulty than those from Europe in distinguishing facial expressions—and a new report published online in Current Biology explains why. Rachael Jack, University of Glasgow researcher, said that rather than scanning evenly(均匀的) across a face as Westerners do, Easterners fix their attention on the eyes. "We show that Easterners and Westerners look at different face features to read facial expressions," Jack said. "Westerners look at the eyes and the mouth in equal measure, whereas Easterners favor the eyes and neglect (忽略) the mouth." According to Jack and her colleagues, the discovery shows that human communication of emotion is more complex than previously believed. As a result, facial expressions that had been considered universally recognizable cannot be used to reliably convey emotion in cross-cultural situations. The researchers studied cultural differences in the recognition of facial expressions by recording the eye movements of 13 Western Caucasian and 13 East Asian people while they observed pictures of expressive faces and put them into categories: happy, sad, surprised, fearful, disgusted, angry, or neutral. They compared how accurately participants read those facial expressions using their particular eye movement strategies. It turned out that Easterners focused much greater attention on the eyes and made significantly more errors than Westerners did. "The cultural difference in eye movements that they show is probably a reflection of cultural difference in facial expressions," Jack said. "Our data suggest that whereas Westerners use the whole face to convey emotion, Easterners use the eyes more and mouth less." In short, the data show that facial expressions are not universal signals of human emotions. From here on, examining how cultural factors have diversified these basic social skills will help our understanding of human emotion. Otherwise, when it comes to communicating emotions across cultures, Easterners and Westerners will find themselves lost in translation.
C.observe the eyes and the mouth in different ways
D.have more difficulty in recognizing facial expressions
A B C D
A
[考点] 事实细节题。
[解析] 本题目考查研究发现的结果。文章首先指出科学研究的最新发现:东方人比西方人更难于读懂人的面部表情。之后更具体地介绍研究的结果及其研究过程,最后得出结论:文化差异丰富了理解情感的基本社会技巧。根据第三段第二句“Westerners look at the eyes and the mouth in equal measure whereas Easterners favor the eyes and neglect(忽略)the mouth.”可以得出。
4. In comparison with Westerners, Easterners are likely to ______.
A.do translation more successfully
B.study the mouth more frequently
C.examine the eyes more attentively
D.read facial expressions more correctly
A B C D
C
[考点] 事实细节题。
[解析] 本题目考查中西方人之间的对比。根据第六段第一句“It turned out that Easterners focused much greater attention on the eyes and made significantly more errors than Westerners did.”可得知,该题正确答案为C。
5. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A.There is no difference between Easterners and Westerners in reading facial expressions.
B.It's very easy for Easterners to distinguish facial expressions.
C.Westerners pay more attention to mouth to read emotions.
D.When we read human emotions, we cannot use facial expressions as universal signals.
① February 14, St. Valentine's Day, is a special day for lovers. Valentines are cards—usually red and shaped like hearts—with messages of love written on them. ② The origins of this holiday are uncertain, but according to one legend, it gets its name from a Christian priest named Valentine who lived in Rome during the third century after Christ. His job was to perform marriages for Christian couples. Unfortunately, the Emperor of Rome, Claudius Ⅱ, did not allow Christian marriages, so they had to be performed in secret. Eventually Valentine was arrested and put into prison. While in prison he fell in love with the daughter of the prison guard. ③ After one year, the Emperor offered to release Valentine if he would agree to stop performing these secret marriages. Valentine refused, so the Emperor sentenced him to death. Valentine was killed in 270 AD on February 14, the same day the Romans worshipped their goddess of marriage, Juno. Before he was killed, Valentine sent a love letter to the daughter of the prison guard. He signed the letter "from your Valentine". That was the first valentine. ④ The next valentine was sent in 1415 AD. Charles, Duke of Orleans, sent the valentine to his wife while he was a prisoner in the Tower of London. His valentine is now on exhibit in the British Museum. The first commercially printed valentines did not appear until 1809. The "Golden Age" of valentines began in the 1840s when valentine makers started making elaborate and expensive valentines. ⑤ Today, millions of Americans send and receive valentines on St. Valentine's Day. Whether it is an expensive heart-shaped box of chocolates from a secret admirer or a simple handmade card from a child, a valentine is a very special message of love.
1. Paragraph ①______ A. What Is St. Valentine's Day B. What People Do Today on St. Valentine's Day C. Christian Marriages D. Beginning of the First Valentine Story E. Development and End of the First Valentine Story F. Story of the Second Valentine
6. Valentines are cards with ______ written on them. A. a Christian priest B. a secret admirer or a simple handmade card C. the Tower of London D. messages of love E. stop performing these secret marriages F. send and receive valentines
D
[解析] 根据文中第一段第二句话可知,情人节的卡片上都写着充满爱意的话语。故可以推断出答案为D。
7. St. Valentine's Day gets its name from ______ named Valentine who lived in Rome.
A
[解析] 第二段第一句话讲述了情人节名字的来历。故可以推断出答案为A。
8. The Roman Emperor sentenced Valentine to death because he refused to ______.
People with disabilities make up a large part of the whole population. 1 About half of these disabilities are "developmental", that is they occur before the individual's twenty-second birthday. Their disabilities often start from genetic conditions, and are bad enough to affect three or more areas of development, such as mobility, communication, employment, etc. 2 Before the 20th century, only a small percentage of people with disabilities survived for long. Medical treatment for these disabilities was unavailable(难以获得的). Advancements in medicine and social services have created a climate in which people with disabilities can expect to have such basic needs as food, shelter, and medical treatment. 3 Civil liberties such as the right to marry, get an education, and gain employment have historically been refused on the basis of disability. In recent years, the disability rights movement has been organized. Some laws have been passed for protecting the disabled. 4 It is estimated that more than half of qualified Americans with disabilities are unemployed,and a majority of those who do work are underemployed. 5 For example, while no longer stopped by law from marrying, a person with no access to transportation is effectively excluded from community and social activities which might lead to the development of long-term relationships. It will only be when public attitudes advance as far as laws have that disabled people will be fully able to take their rightful place in society. A. Unfortunately, these basics are often not available. B. Big difficulties, especially in transportation and public indifference, prevent disabled people from taking part in society. C. Most other disabilities are considered "adventitious"(偶发的), i. e. accidental or caused by outside forces. D. These are practical problems encountered by disabled people in the workplace. E. It is estimated that over 35 million Americans have physical, mental, or other disabilities. F. Still today, people with disabilities must fight to live their lives independently.
[解析] 空格位于段落的第一句,考生可以根据后面的段落内容来判断应填句子。空格后的For example一词非常关键,表明后面的句子是来论证应填句子的一些例子,那么应填句子就应该是一个主题句,来概括后面的内容。在所剩选项B和D中,选项D的主语These在前面找不到相对应的名词来呼应,不符合逻辑,因此可以排除;选项B符合语境,此外选项B中的transportation, society等词也与后面的transportation, community and social activities相对应,因此符合题意。
Cultural Estrangement (隔阂) between Visitors and Americans
A report consistently brought hack by visitors to the US is how friendly, 1 , and helpful most Americans were to them. To be fair, this observation is also 2 made of Canada and Canadians, and should best he considered North American. There are, of course, exceptions. Small-minded officials, rude waiters, and 3 taxi drivers are hardly unknown in the US. Yet it is an observation made so frequently that it deserves comment. For a long period of time and in many parts of the country, a traveler was a welcome break in an otherwise dull existence. Dullness and 4 were common problems of the families who generally lived distant from one another. Strangers and travelers were welcome sources of diversion, and brought news of the outside world. The harsh realities 5 the frontier also shaped this tradition of hospitality. Some one traveling alone, if hungry, injured, or ill, often had nowhere to turn 6 to the nearest cabin or settlement. It was not a matter of choice for the traveler or merely a charitable impulse on the part of the settlers. It reflected the 7 of daily life: if you didn't take in the stranger and take care of him, there was no one else who would. And someday, remember, you might be in the same situation. Today there are many charitable organizations which specialize in helping the weary travelers. 8 , the old tradition of hospitality to strangers is still very strong in the US, especially in the smaller cities and towns away from the busy tourist trails. "I was just traveling through, got talking with this American, and pretty soon he invited me home for dinner—amazing." Such observations reported by visitors to the US are not uncommon, but are not always understood properly. The 9 friendliness of many Americans should be interpreted neither as superficial nor as artificial, but as the result of a historically developed cultural tradition. As is true of any developed society, in America a complex set of cultural signals, assumptions, and conventions underlies all social interrelationships. And, of course, speaking a language does not necessarily mean that someone understands social and cultural patterns. Visitors who fail to "translate" cultural meanings properly often draw wrong conclusions. For example, when an American uses the word "friend", the cultural 10 of the word may be quite different from those it has in the visitor's language and culture. It takes more than a brief encounter on a bus to distinguish between courteous convention and individual interest. Yet, being friendly is a virtue that many Americans value highly and expect from both neighbors and strangers. A. casual B. except C. harshness D. of E. consequently F. implications G. courteous H. ill-mannered I. loneliness J. Yet K. frequently L. at
Frustration. We've all felt it at one point or another in our lives. However, when this emotion bleeds into other aspects of our life, it can sometimes be inappropriate or even detrimental (有的). Many students have felt the effects of being overlooked (忽视) by an adult. After the experience, students can be left feeling uninspired and 1 (motivated). 2 ( ultimate), adults in school institutions should be mindful of their responses to students both 3 (behavioral) and verbally (口头上的). I was 4 (personal) discouraged by an adult during my high school career. After telling her what university I wanted to attend, she bluntly (直接了当地) told me I would not get in. 5 (subsequent), it caused me to try to avoid any future meetings until absolutely 6 (necessity). Adults who can come off (表现) as brash (傲慢无礼的) through communication, have an effect on a 7 (youth) impressionable (易被影响的) mind. Adults whether in schools, clinics, or any other 8 (establish), should work to tear down walls 9 (gentle) and create a safe space for the person they are serving. These aduhs should also help and contribute to a person's 10 (academy), personal, and professional growth.
[范文] Dear Sir, I should be very grateful if you would let me have information about admission to your university and details of any scholarships that may be offered to students from other countries. I have finished my middle school studies here and hold the Middle School Graduation Certificate. Last year, I was elected to the school's honor society. And I had been the editor of the school newspaper. I would like to go to your university because it is one of the best universities in the world. I believe the study in your university will provide me with great opportunities to learn from the distinguished professors. This will be the precious experience in my life. I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon. Best Wishes!