三年真题研读04任务型阅读原卷版文档格式.docx

三年真题研读04任务型阅读原卷版文档格式.docx

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Thefirstuniquehumancharacteristicisthathumanshaveextraordinarilylargebrainscomparedwithotheranimals.Itseemsobviousthatevolutionshouldselectforlargerbrains.Mammals（哺乳动物）weighingsixtykilogramshaveanaveragebrainsizeof200cm2.Modernmanhasabrainaveraging1200-1400cm2.Wearesofondofourhighintelligencethatweassumethatwhenitcomestobrainpower,moremustbebetter.Unfortunately,thatisnotthecase.

Thefactisthatahugebrainisahugedrain—consumptionofenergy—onthebody.I’snoteasytocarryaround,especiallywhenboxedinsideamassiveskull（倾骨）.It’sevenhardertoprovidesenergy.Inmodernman,thebrainaccountsforabout2-3%oftotalbodyweightbutitconsumes25%ofthebody’senergywhenthebodyisatrest.Bycomparison,thebrainsofapes（类人猿）requireonly8%ofrest-timeenergy.Earlyhumanspadfortheirlargebrainsintwoways.Firstly,theyspentmoretimeinsearchfood.Secondly,theirmusclesgrewsmallerandweaker.It’shardlyanobviousconclusionthatthisisagoodwaytosurvive.Achimpanzee（黑猩猩）can’twinanargumentwithamodernman,butitcantearthemanapartlikearagdoll.

Anotheruniquehumancharacteristicisthatwewalkupright.Standingup,it’seasiertofindfoodorenemies.Inaddition,theirarmsthatareunnecessaryformovingaroundarefreedforotherpurposes,likethrowingstonesorsignaling.Asaresult,humanscanperformverycomplextaskswiththeirhands.

Yetwalkinguprighthasitsdisadvantage.Thebonestructureofourancestorsdevelopedformillionsofyearstosupportacreaturethatwalkedonallfoursandhasarelativelysmallhead.Adjustingtoanuprightpositionwasquiteachallenge,especiallywhentheboneshadtosupportanextra-largeskull.Humankindpaidforitsbroadvisionandskillfulhandsbackachesandpainfulnecks.

Weassumethatalargebrainmakeshugeadvantages.Itseemsobviousthatthesehavemadehumankindthemostpowerfulanimalonearth.Buthumansenjoyedalloftheseadvantagesforafull2millionyearsduringwhichtheyremainedweakandmarginalcreature.Thushumanswholivedamillionyearsago,despitetheirbigbrainsandsharpstonetools,livedinconstantfearofmeat-eatinganimals.

Introduction

●Largebrainsfortheirbodiesandtheabilitytowalkuprightaretwo

（71）▲ofhumanbeings.

The（72）▲oflargehumanbrains

●Thelargerbrainsmaynotbebetterbecauseofthecost.

●Thebigbrainsmakeitharderforthebodytomovearoundandconsumemoreenergy.

●Theanimalbrainrequiresless（73）▲whenthebodyisatrest.

●Largehumanbrainsconsumemorefood,andweakenmuscles.

The（74）▲ofwalkingupright

●Walkinguprightmakesiteasytofindfoodor（75）▲againstenemies.

●Freedhandscanservesome（76）▲purposeandperformcomplextasks.

●Walkinguprightchallengesthehumanbonestructure,and（77）▲thesizeofbrains.

●Walkinguprightresultsin（78）▲sufferings.

Conclusion

●Withalargebrain,humanbeings（79）▲otherbeingsintermsof

intelligence.

●Weakandmarginal,humanbeingsremained（80）▲ofmeat-eatinganimals.

2018

HowArtsPromoteOurEconomy

Whenmostpeoplethinkofthearts,theyimaginetheendproduct,thebeautifulpainting,awonderfulpieceofmusic,oranaward-winningperformanceinthetheater.Butartsgroupsbringbroadervaluetoourcommunities.Theeconomicimpactoftheartsisoftenoverlookedandbadlyjudged.

Theartscreatejobsthathelpdeveloptheeconomy.Anygivenperformancetakesatourbusfullofartists,technicalexperts,managers,musicians,orwriterstocreateanappealingpieceofart.Thesepeopleearnalivingwagefortheirprofessionalknowledgeandskills.

Anothergroupoffolksisneededtohelpmarkettheevent.“Ifyoubuildittheywillcome”isamisleadingbelief.Painters,digitalmediaexperts,photographers,bookingagentsandpromotersarehiredtosellticketsandpromotetheevent.AccordingtotheDallasAreaCulturalAdvocacyCoalition,artsagenciesemploymorethan10,000peopleasfull-orpart-timeemployeesorindependentcontractors.

Asuccessfulartsneighborhoodcreatesarippleeffect（连锁反应）throughoutacommunity.In2005,whentheBishopArtsTheatrewasdonatedtoourtown,thelocationwasconsideredapoorareaoftown.Afterinvestingmorethan$1millioninreconstructingthebuilding,webeganproducingafullseasonoftheaterperformances,jazzconcerts,andyear-roundartseducationprogramsin2008.Nearly40percentofjazzloversliveoutsideoftheDallascitylimitsanddriveorflyintoenjoyaneveningintheBishopArtsDistrict.

Nodoubtthetheaterhascontributedtothearea’sdevelopmentandeconomicgrowth.Today,therearegalleries,studios,restaurantsandnewlybuiltworkspaceswhereneighborsshareexperiences,wherethereisrenewedlifeandenergy.Inthisway,artsandculturealsoserveasapublicgood.

TeCoTheatricalProductionsInc.madeuseofBloomberg’sinvestmentof$35,000togetnearly$400,000inpublicandprivatesectorsupportduringthetwo-yearperiod.Further,Dallasartsandarts-basedbusinessesproduce$298foreverydollarthecityspendsonartsprogrammingandfacilities.InPhiladelphia,ametroareasmallerthanDallas,theartshaveaneconomicimpactofalmost$3millionandsupport44,000jobs,80percentofwhichactuallylieoutsidetheartsindustry,includingaccountants,marketers,constructionworkers,hotelmanagers,printers,andotherkindsofartworkers.

Theartsareefficienteconomicdriversandwhentheyaresupported,theentiresmall-businesscommunitybenefits.

Itiswrongtoassumeartsgroupscannotmakeaprofit.Butinordertostayinbusiness,artsgroupsmustproducereturns.Ifyouareastudentstudyingthearts,chancesareyouhavebeenill-advisedtohaveaplanB.Butthosewhotrulyunderstandtheeconomicimpactandcanworktochangethepatternscancreateawiderangeofcareerpossibilities.

Artsasaneconomicdriver

Ourcommunities（71）▲fromartsintermsofeconomy.

（72）▲ofarts’promotingoureconomy

Artsactivitydemandsa（n）（73）▲effort.Itinvolvescreation,performance,and（74）▲.

◆Artistsmakealivingthroughtheircreativework.

◆Othersgetpaidbymarketingtheevent.

Artshaveagraduallyspreading（75）▲.Theycouldhelppromoteotherindustrieswhethertheylieinsideoroutsidearts.

◆Besidestickets,somejazzloverswillpaytheir（76）▲toandfromtheevents.

◆Artscontributetoculturaldevelopmentwhenpeoplegathertogethertosharetheirexperienceandrenewtheirenergy.

Investmentinartscouldproducepotential（77）▲economicresults.

◆TeCouseda$35,000artinvestmenttoattractanoverallsupportof$400,000.

◆InDallas,onedollarinvestedinartscouldharvestandextraordinaryreturnofnearly$300.

◆InPhiladelphiatheartshavecreatedabout35,000jobopportunitiesforworkers

（78）▲artsindustry.

Artstudentsmakingagoodliving

Withthese（79）▲inmind,artstudentsneednotworryabouttheircareerandhavea（n）（80）▲plan.

2017

PopulationChange

Whyistheworld’spopulationgrowing?

Theanswerisnotwhatyoumightthink.Thereasonfortheexplosionisnotthatpeoplehavebeenreproducinglikerabbits,butthatpeoplehavestoppeddroppingdeadlikeflies.In1900,peoplediedattheaverageageof30.By2000theaverageagewas65.Butwhileincreasinghealthwasatypicalfeatureofthe20thcentury,decliningbirthratecouldbeadefiningoneofthe21st.

Statisticsshowthattheaveragenumberofbirthsperwomanhasfallenfrom4.9intheearly1960sto2.5nowadays.Furthermore,around50%oftheworld’spopulationliveinregionswherethefigureisnowbelowthereplacementlevel（i.e.2.1birthsperwoman）andalmostalldevelopednationsareexperiencingsub-replacementbirthrate.Youmightthinkthatdevelopingnationswouldmakeuptheloss（especiallysince80%oftheworld’speoplenowliveinsuchnations）,butyou’dbewrong.Decliningbirthrateisamajorprobleminmanydevelopingregionstoo,whichmightcausecatastrophicglobalshortagesofworkforcewithinafewdecades.

AgreatdeclineinyoungworkforceislikelytooccurinChina,forinstance.Whatdoesitimply?

First,Chinaneedstoundergorapideconomicdevelopmentbeforeapopulationdeclinehitsthecountry.Second,ifotherfactorssuchastechnologyremainconstant,economicgrowthandmaterialexpectationswillfallwellbelowrecentstandardsandthiscouldinvitetrouble.

Russiaisanothercountrywithpopulationproblemsthatcouldbreakitseconomicpromise.Since1992thenumberofpeopledyinghasbeenbiggerthanthatofthosebeingbornbyamassive50%.Indeedofficialfiguressuggestthecountryhasshrunkby5%since1993andpeopleinRussialiveashorterlifenowthanthosein1961.Whyisthisoccurring?

Nobodyisquitesure,butpoordietanabovealllong-timealcoholismhavemuchtodowithit.Ifcurrenttrendsdon’tbend,Russia’spopulationwillbeaboutthesizeofYemen’sbytheyear2050.

InthenorthofIndia,thepopulationisboomingduetohighbirthrates,butinthesouth,wheremosteconomicdevelopmentistakingplace,birthrateisfallingrapidly.Inafurthertwist,birthrateishighestinpoorlyeducatedruralareasandlowestinhighlyeducatedurbanareas.Intotal,25%ofIndia’sworking-agepopulationhasnoeducation.In2030,asixthofthecountry’spotentialworkforcecouldbetotallyuneducated.

Onesolution