1、I. Cloze(每小题1分,共30分)Directions: Fill in the blanks with proper words (the first letter is given).Every day we experience one of the wonders of the world around us, without even realizing it. It is not the amazing complexity of television, nor the impressive technology of automated transport. They ar
2、e indeed (1) w_ which we often take for (2) g_. No. The universal wonder we share and experience is our (3) a_ to make noises with our mouths, and so (4) t_ ideas and thoughts to each others minds. In other words, that wonder is our ability to fashion (5) l_. This ability comes so naturally we are a
3、pt to forget what a miracle (6) i_ is. Obviously, the ability to (7) t_ is something that marks humans off from (8) a_. Of course, some animals have powers just as amazing. Bats home in on flying insects that are their food by (9) m_ of a sophisticated sound system. Birds can (10) n_ thousands of mi
4、les by observing positions of the stars in the (11) s_ in relation to the time of day and year. In Natures talent show, humans are a species of animals that have (12) d_ their own special act. If we reduce it to basic terms, it is a knack for communicating (13) i_ to others, by varying (14) s_ we ma
5、ke as we breathe out.Not that we do not have other powers of communication. Out facial (15) e_ convey our emotions, such as anger, or joy, or disappointment. The way we hold our heads can (16) i_ to others (17) w_ we are happy or downcast. This is so-called “(18) b_ language”, and to some (19) e_ we
6、 are no different from other animals in this (20) r_. Bristling fur is an unmistakable warning of aggression among many (21) c_. Similarly, the bowed head or drooping tail shows a readiness to (22) t_ second place in any animal gathering. Such a means of (23) c_ is a basic mechanism that animals, in
7、cluding human beings, (24) i_ acquire and display. Is the ability to speak just another sort of instinct? If so, how did human beings (25) a_ this amazing skill? Biologists can readily indicate that particular area of our (26) b_ where speech mechanisms (27) f_, but this doesnt tell us how that (28)
8、 p_ of our bodies originated in our biological history. It is (29) t_ to think that for our human ancestors acquiring the power of speech was all a (30) m_ of competition. II. Reading Comprehension (每小题2分,共60分) There are 6 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfin
9、ished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C), and D). You should decide on the best choice and write the corresponding letter on the answer sheet.Questions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage:One of the first men to make a commercial success of food conservation
10、was Henry John Heinz. In 1869 he founded a company in Pittsburgh, USA. Like other Americans of his generation, Heinz made his name a household word throughout the western world. At last, man seems to have discovered how to preserve food without considerably altering its taste. The tins of food (Hein
11、z tins!) which Captain Scott abandoned in the Antarctic were opened 47 years after his death, and the contents were not only edible, but pleasant.The main argument against conserved foods is not that the canning of food makes it taste different; rather, people complain that the recipes which the can
12、ning chefs dream up are tedious or tasteless. But any recipe is tedious or tasteless if it is eaten in great quantities. And a company like Heinz can only produce something if it is going to be eaten in great quantities. The tomato is very pleasant to eat when it is freshly picked. A regular diet of
13、 tomatoes alone could well prove tedious. The canning companies try to cook the tomato in as many ways as possible. The Heinz factories in Britain use millions and millions of tomatoes every year.There are many people who do not like to eat food out of season. They like their food to be fresh, and t
14、hey like to cook it themselves in “the old-fashioned way”. It is very difficult for modern man to realize what it is like to live without the advantages of pre-packaged and canned food. European society in its present form could not cope without modern methods of food processing. Imagine your local
15、supermarket without all the cans of pre-packaged foods. The supermarket would turn into a chaos of rotten vegetables, stale bread and unhealthy meat. The health problems would be insurmountable, unless we all went into the country to support ourselves.So next time you reject canned food as being tas
16、teless or unimaginative, remember that you can only afford to eat fresh food because canned food exists.1. In which way was Henry John Heinz successful?A He achieved a commercial success of food preservation.B He sold his home-made food to Captain Scott.C Divisions of his company were extended throu
17、ghout the world.D He sailed around the world and reached the Antarctic.2. The main disadvantage of conserved food is _.A the alteration in taste B the relatively high priceC the mass-production D the tedious or tasteless recipes3. Why do some people especially dislike canned food?A They know how to
18、preserve food in their own way.B They like food freshly picked.C They dislike foods that are made to a traditional recipe.D They do not like canning chefs.4. What would happen if there were no canned food?A The modern society would not function properly.B Health problems would never be solved.C Peop
19、le would have no food supply and starve to death.D Foods in the supermarket would become stale.5. What is the writers attitude toward canned food?A Approving. B Negative. C Indifferent. D Neutral.Questions 6 to 10 are based on the following passage:To understand why the current process for training
20、teachers is so broken, lets use a business example. Imagine two companies. Company A hires the best people it can. Those who are hired are paid and promoted based on performance. This is not easy, as its often hard to determine who is really doing a good job. The compensation and promotion process i
21、s prone to politics and personal preferences.Still, most people at Company A recognize that there is a connection between pay and productivity. The true superstars get recognized eventually. Those who come to work but never contribute are fired eventually. Company B also seeks to hire the best peopl
22、e it can. First, all prospective employees must undertake two years of full-time specialized training, at their own expense, just to be considered for a job. Study after study has shown that this training has zero connection to subsequent performance at the firm, but Company B sticks to this screeni
23、ng mechanism anyway.Second, all employees eventually hired by Company B are paid based on their years of experience at the firm. Finally, Company B promises that no one who has worked at the company for three years or more will ever be fired, even if their performance is mediocre or poor.In Company
24、B, employees who come to work and dont actually work may get fired. The superstars get nothing extra. They arent paid more or promoted faster, since pay is strictly tied to years on the job.As you may have guessed, Company B is public education. Company A is the rest of the economy. Thats not news.
25、Much has been written about the broken incentives within education. But this discussion almost always focuses on how compensation practices affect the incentives of existing teachers.That makes sensebut it also misses a crucial point. The worst aspect of the public education pay structure is that it
26、 discourages motivated, productive, energetic people from entering the profession in the first place. Whats more, despite a steady flow of evidence that our current teacher training requirements have essentially no correlation with performance in the classroom, most states continue to insist that pr
27、ospective teachers undertake expensive and time-consuming courses. That, too, is a huge deterrent for bright young people who might otherwise be attracted to teaching.6. Which of the following is TRUE about Company A?A Those who contribute a lot will hardly be recognized. B Employees get promoted ac
28、cording to their performance.C Politics and preferences play decisive roles in ones promotion.D Those who work poorly will continue to stay in the company.7. Employees of Company B will _.A work at least three years for the companyB take specialized training at their own expensesC try to have the be
29、st performance to be promotedD get paid according to the years they work for the company8. What does the “this screening mechanism” (Para. 3) refer to?A Whether the prospective employees have the best performance.B Whether the prospective employees have the best qualifications.C Whether the prospect
30、ive employees are hard working or not.D Whether the prospective employees have taken a specialized training.9. What does the author think about the current process for training teachers?A It affects the behavior of teachers.B It provides fewer chances for talented people.C It makes bright young peop
31、le unwilling to be a teacher.D It has great influence on the subsequent performance of teachers.10. The word “deterrent” (Para. 8) most probably means _.A threat B decision C condition D discouragementQuestions 11 to 15 are based on the following passage:Since January, Lisa, 45, has been walking on eggshells at work. This would be fine if she were a ch
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