Directions: After reading the following passage, you will find 5 questions or unfinished statements, numbered 1 to 5. For each question or statement there are 4 choices marked A, B, C and D. You should make the correct choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center. In giving a business presentation, many speakers think that if their idea is strong, their audience will get it readily. They feel discouraged when the audience is unable to understand their presentations. That happens a lot especially when technical experts are invited to make a product presentation to a group of users. What can we do to make a business presentation easier to understand? In my view, good presentations have always been simple and visual. In an effective business presentation, the fewer the points are, the better the message gets passed on. You focus on the depth of coverage instead of the width (广度) of coverage. Additionally, you make your ideas visual and relevant, so the message is understood better and remembered longer. Great business presenters relate their ideas and concepts to their audience by using simple, powerful diagrams instead of relying on text-based slides. In fact, drawing diagrams forces a presenter to make the idea clear even at the preparation stage. It is impossible to draw a diagram when you are not clear about an idea. When your idea is clear, it is easier to transfer it. Most audiences understand a diagram faster and remember it longer. This possibly explains why most of the memorable presentations have been visual in nature.
1. Many speakers believe that the stronger their idea is, ______.
A.the more powerful their speech will be
B.the more meaningful their speech will be
C.the more easily the audience will understand it
D.the harder the audience will find it to follow
A B C D
C
[解析] 细节题。该题问的是“许多演讲者认为演讲观点越鲜明,就会怎么样?”。答案在文章的第一句“...many speakers think that if their idea is strong, their audience will get it readily”,演讲者认为,只要主题鲜明,观众就会容易接受。所以选C。
2. Why are you advised to give fewer points in your presentation?
A.To pass on the message better.
B.To avoid wasting too much time.
C.To allow audience to take notes.
D.To leave more time for questions.
A B C D
A
[解析] 细节题。该题问的是“作者为什么建议在做演讲时,尽量少表达一些观点?”答案在文章的第二段第三句话“In an effective business presentation, the fewer the points are, the better the message gets passed on.”即一个有效的商务演讲,观点越少,信息就越容易被传达。可以知道,正确答案是A。
3. The speaker can help the audience remember the message longer by ______.
A.displaying text-based slides
B.avoiding long technical terms
C.focusing on the width of coverage
D.using simple and powerful diagrams
A B C D
D
[解析] 细节题。该题问的是“演讲者通过什么方法才能帮助听众延长信息记忆时间?”。答案在文章第二段后半部分“Great business presenters relate their ideas and concepts to their audience by using simple, ...Most audiences understand a diagram faster and remember it longer.”文章这一部分都是围绕这个问题而展开的。即一个优秀的演讲者会用简单而具说服力的图表而不是文本来说明问题……听众也更容易接受图表,并能延长记忆时间。甘j此可以推断出来,D为正确答案。
4. The underlined word "transfer" in this passage most probably means "______".
A.create
B.pass on
C.take off
D.describe
A B C D
B
[解析] 词汇题。该题问的是“transfer的意思是什么?”根据出现该词的这一句话“When your idea is clear, it is easier to transfer.”可推断出该词是“传递信息”的意思,即pass on。
How men first learned to invent words is unknown; in other words, the origin of language is a mystery. All we really know is that men, unlike animals, somehow invented certain sounds to express thoughts and feelings, actions, and things, so that they could communicate with each other; and that later they agreed upon certain signs, called letters, which could be combined to represent those sounds, and which could be written down, these sounds, whether spoken, or written in letters we call words. The power of words, then lies in their association—the things they bring up before our minds. Words become filled with meaning for us by experience; and the longer we live, the more certain words recall to us the glad and sad events of our past; and the more we read and learn, the more the number of words that mean something to us increase. Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express these thoughts in words which appeal powerfully to our minds and emotions. This charming and telling us of words is what we call literary style. Above all, the real poet is a master of words. He can convey his meaning in words which sing like music and which by their position and association can move men to tears, we should therefore learn to choose our words carefully and use them accurately, or they will make your speech silly and vulgar.
6. Which is true about the origin of language? ______
A.Men, as well as animals, invented certain sounds to express thoughts.
B.The origin of language is a complicated question.
C.Words did not have written form, at first.
D.Words were invented to represent meanings.
A B C D
B
[解析] 推断题。本题询问的是“关于语言的起源下列选项中正确的是……”。根据文章的第一句“How men first learned to invent words is unknown; in other words, the origin of language is a mystery.”可以推测出正确答案为B。
7. The power of words lies in ______.
A.the fact that it can associate the things in the world with the ideas in our mind
B.the fact that one word is connected with another
C.the fact that it can associate one person with another
D.the fact that it can recall to us the events of our past
A B C D
A
[解析] 细节题。本题询问的是“文字的力量在于……”根据文章第三句“The power of words, then lies in their association—the things they bring up before our minds.”我们可以知道正确答案为A。
8. In order not to make our speech silly and vulgar, we should ______.
A.use words that can move men to tears
B.choose words with care and accuracy
C.become a master of words
D.use words which sing like music
A B C D
B
[解析] 细节题。本题询问的是“为了让我们说话时不愚蠢和粗俗,我们必须……”根据文章最后一句的后半部分“We should therefore learn to choose our words carefully and use them accurately, or they will make your speech silly and vulgar.”我们可以知道正确答案为B。
9. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE? ______
A.The more we read and learn, the larger our vocabulary will be.
B.The longer we live, the number of words that mean something to us increases.
C.Words can be used to represent various meanings.
D.Literary style is usually very charming.
A B C D
C
[解析] 推断题。本题是让读者对所给四个选项的内容进行判断,判断哪一个选项不正确。文章第四句中的“and the more we read and learn, the more the number of words that mean something to us increase.”对应选项A;同样第四句中的“and the longer we live, the more certain words recall to us the glad and sad events of our past”对应选项B;文章倒数第三句“This charming and telling us of words is what we call literary style.”对应选项D,只有C项文中没有提及。故正确答案为C。
10. The best title for this passage would be ______.
A.The meaning of words
B.The characteristics of words
C.The origin of words
D.The power of words
A B C D
B
[解析] 主旨题。本题是询问“这篇文章最好的标题是什么”通读全文可知,选项A、C、D都太片面,只有B项the characteristics of words(文字的特征),很好地概括了文章的主题。故正确答案为B。
The first area outside the United States to which settlers moved in substantial numbers was the province now called Texas. By 1830 eastern Texas had been occupied by nearly 20,000 whites and 1,000 black slaves from the United States. Many westerners had been disappointed when the U.S. government, in the Florida-purchase treaty of 1819, accepted the Sabine River as the southwestern boundary of the United States. By doing so, the United States surrendered whatever vague claim it had to Texas as part of the Louisiana Purchase. After winning independence from Spain in 1822, Mexico twice rejected America's offer to buy this sparsely settled province; but during the 1820s she welcomed law-abiding American immigrants. The first and most successful promoter of American settlement in Mexico was Stephen E Austin who obtained a huge land grant from the Mexican government and established a flourishing colony on the banks of the Brazos River. Most of the immigrants were women farmers and small slaveholders from the southern United States who were attracted by the rich land suitable for cotton growing and available for a few cents an acre.
12. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A.Mexico was interested in becoming part of the United State.
B.Texas was not always a part of the United States.
C.Texas was attractive to slaves who sought freedom.
D.Mexico contemplated (考虑) buying the province of Texas.
A B C D
B
[解析] 推断题。本题询问的是“从文中我们可以推断出什么”把四个选项对照课文一一分析,从文章的第一段“The first area outside the United States...was the province now called Texas. By 1830 eastern Texas had been occupied by...whites and...black slaves from the United States”我们可以推断出“得克萨斯以前并非美国的领土”。故B为正确选项。
13. Mexico became independent ______.
A.in the eighteen century
B.in the first quarter of the nineteenth century
C.for more than 170 years
D.in 1819
A B C D
B
[解析] 细节题。本题询问的是“墨西哥独立的时间是……”根据文章第二段的后半部分“After winning independence from Spain in 1822, Mexico rejected...”我们可以找到具体时间是1822年,然而四个选项中唯一符合的是一个大致的时间段及19世纪的前25年内。故正确答案为B。
14. It can be inferred that Texas farmland is suitable for ______.
A.textile production
B.production of raw material for clothing
C.food production
D.fishing
A B C D
B
[解析] 推断题。本题询问的是“从文中我们可以推断出得克萨斯的农场适合……”根据文章第三段的最后一句“Most of the immigrants...who were attracted by the rich land suitable for cotton growing and available for a few cents an acre”,农场适合种植棉花,当然也就是当时制作衣料的主要原材料了。故正确答案为B。
he best example of how associations influence eating is that we often eat not because we're hungry but because it's "lunchtime", because food smell good, or because our friends are eating. More evidence that associations influence eating comes from marketing and advertising pressures to sell foods by offering huge servings. For example, movie theater offers an extra large box of popcorn, which, at almost 900 calories, is equivalent to a major meal. Health professionals warn that as children, adolescents (青少年), and adults learn to prefer large portions and tasty foods high in fat, sugar, and calories, there has been a corresponding increase in rates of being overweight (from 25% in 1988 to 34% in 1998). Researchers are especially concerned about the continued rates of overweight and obesity (肥胖) in children since childhood obesity is very difficult to treat and an obese child has a high probability of becoming an obese adult with the associated health risks we discussed earlier. Health professionals suggest that to avoid future increases in rates of overweight and obesity, we need to try hard to forget many of our food associations, which primarily involve decreasing size of food portions, increasing levels of activity to burn off excess calories.
16. The influence of food association can be seen clearly from the example that we often eat NOT because ______.
18. According to the author, because of an unhealthy food preference, the increase in rates of being overweight was almost ______ during the ten years from 1988 to 1998.