A
Babies have an astonishing talent that adults entirely lose. By the age of one, they can
recognize the significant noises around them and group them into a language. When we
have lost this capacity as adults, it becomes enormously difficult to distinguish between
sounds that are glaringly different to a native speaker. It all sounds Greek to us. This is
because the range of possible sounds that humans use to convey meaning may be as high as
2,000, but few languages use more than 100 and even then the significant noises — the
phonemes (音素) of a language — each cover a range of sounds and so vague distinctions
which would change the meaning of a word in other languages.
But where do these phonemes come from and why do they shift over time? New
research suggests that the apparently arbitrary distribution of some sounds around the
world may be partially explained by diet. This is unexpected. We'd rather think of language
as the product of our thought, rather than of the arrangement of our teeth. In reality,
though, any given language must be both.
Hunter gatherer languages very seldom use the sounds known as labiodentals (唇齿音) —
those such as f and v — that are made by touching the lower lip with the upper teeth. Only two
of the hundreds of Australian aboriginal languages use them, for example. But in cultures that
have discovered farming, these consonants (辅音) are much more common. The argument goes
that farmers eat more cooked food and more dairy than hunter gatherers. Either way, they need
to chew mush less, and to bite less with their front teeth. So farmers grew up with smaller lower
jaws and more of an overbite than their ancestors who had to bite through harder foods. It
became easier for them to make the labiodental consonants instead of purely labial (唇音) ones:
one example is that f came to take the place of p. Romans said "pater" but English speakers
(unless they're Rees-Moggs) say "father".
Beyond these particular changes, the story highlights the way in which everything
distinctively human is both material and spiritual: speech must combine sound and meaning, and
the meaning can't exist or be transmitted without a real object. But neither can it be reduced to
the purely physical, as our inability to understand or even to recognize foreign languages makes
clear. The food we eat shapes our jaws, and our jaws in turn shape the sounds of our language.
The ease with which we eat probably shapes our thought too, as anyone who has suffered
toothache could testify. What we eat may have shaped the sounds of our language, but how we
eat changes how we feel and what we use language to express. A family meal is very different
from a sandwich at the office desk, even if the calorie is the same. Food has purposes and
meanings far beyond keeping us alive and pleasing the palate (味觉).
1. Compared with adults, babies could more easily ____.
A. create significant noises
B. classify the forms of noises
C. understand the Greek language
D. distinguish meaningful sounds
2. According to the passage, which of the following factors help shape language?
A. Lips and teeth.
B. Jobs and habits.
C. Age and regions.
D. Food and thinking.
3. The reason for farmers' making sounds of "f" and "v" is ____.
A. enjoying more cooked foods
B. biting more with front teeth
C. constantly chewing harder foods
D. growing up with larger lower jaws
4. By writing this passage, the author intends to reveal ____.
A. jaws help shape our thought
B. food determines our thought
C. diet has some influence on language
D. language consists of sound and meaning
B
A Russian spacecraft traveling to the International Space Station Thursday had to make an
emergency landing when a rocket engine failed to fire. It was the latest in a recent series of
failures for the Russian space program, which is also used by the U.S. to carry its astronauts to
the station.
United States astronaut Nick Hague and Russian astronaut Alexei Ovchinin landed safely
about 20 kilometers from Dzhezkazgan in Kazakhstan. The city is about 450 kilometers from the
Russia's Baikonur space center, which Russia operates through an agreement with the Republic of
Kazakhstan.
Both the U.S. space agency NASA and Russia's Roscosmos reported that the two were
quickly recovered from the landing area by rescue crews. A spokesman for Russian President
Vladimir Putin said, "Thank God the crew is alive" after they had landed safely.
About two minutes after launching, the three-stage Soyuz booster rocket suffered an
unspecified failure of its second stage. Russia's TASS news agency said the capsule carrying the
two men separated from the troubled rocket safely. This caused the capsule to drop very sharply
into the Earth's atmosphere. Parachutes (降落伞) helped slow the returning capsule. Search and
rescue teams were sent to recover the crew.
Russia's RIA news agency reported that Russia has immediately put off all manned space
launches after the failure. Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin said he had ordered a state
commission to carry out an investigation into what went wrong. He said Russia will share all
relevant information with the U.S.
The TASS news agency said that the ISS crew has enough supplies and that the failed launch
will not affect operations.
The U.S. and other nations have depended on Russia to carry astronauts to the ISS since the
retirement of the Space Shuttle program in 2011. In coming years, American aerospace
companies SpaceX, with its Dragon 2, and Boeing, with its Starliner, are expected to return to
space.
1．What can be the best title of the text?
A. The Rescue of Two Astronauts
B. The Launch of Russian Spacecraft
C. Cooperation between Russia and America
D. Emergency Landing in Failed Space Launch
2. What caused the failure of the launch?
A. The problem of the engine.
B. The terrible weather.
C. The drop of the capsule.
D. The wrong operation.
3. What can we infer from the last two paragraphs?
A. SpaceX is sure to go back to space soon.
B. America carried astronauts to the ISS by itself before 2011.
C. Now only Russia can carry astronauts to space.
D. The ISS crew lives a very good life in the space station.
4. What can we learn about the launch?
A. The capsule landed safely in Dzhezkazgan, Russia.
B. Russia had never failed in the space launch before this failure.
C. The failed launch will have a serious effect on the operations.
D. At first the capsule dropped very rapidly into the Earth's atmosphere.
A
Solar energy systems / power plants do not produce air pollution, water pollution, or
greenhouse gases. Using solar energy can have a positive, indirect effect on the environment,
when solar energy replaces or reduces the use of other energy sources that have larger effects on
the environment.
However, some poisonous materials and chemicals are used to make the photovoltaic (光电
池的) cells that convert sunlight into electricity. Some solar thermal ( 保热的) systems use
potentially hazardous liquids to transfer heat. Leaks of these materials could be harmful to the
environment. U.S. environmental laws regulate the use and settlement of these types of
materials.
As with any type of power plant, large solar power plants can affect the environment near
their locations. The placement of the power plant may have long-term effects on the habitats of
native plants and animals. Some solar power plants may require water for cleaning solar
collectors and concentrators or for cooling turbine generators. Using large volumes of ground
water or surface water in some dry locations may affect the ecosystems that depend on these
water resources. In addition, the beam of concentrated sunlight a solar power tower creates can
kill birds and insects that fly into the beam.
The amount of solar energy that the earth receives each day is many times greater than the
total amount of all energy that people consume each day. However, on the surface of the earth,
solar energy is a variable and irregular energy source. The amount of sunlight and the intensity of
sunlight varies by time of day and location. Weather and climate conditions affect the availability
of sunlight daily and on a seasonal basis. The type and size of a solar energy collection and
conversion system determines how much of the available solar energy we can convert into useful
energy.
1. Which of the following best explains "hazardous" underlined in Paragraph 2?
A. Inexpensive.
B. Dangerous.
C. Ineffective.
D. Abnormal.
2. What influence can large solar power plants have on the locations?
A. Polluting the ground water.
B. Protecting the habitats of plants and animals.
C. Damaging the local natural balance.
D. Attracting birds and insects to the area.
3. What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?
A. Different areas receive different amount of solar energy.
B. How to convert solar energy into useful energy.
C. The relationship between solar energy collection and the sunlight.
D. Some factors that influence the amount of solar energy collection.
4. What does the author think of the solar energy systems?
A. They are totally environment-friendly.
B. They have both advantages and disadvantages.
C. They should be forbidden in the future.
D. They should be encouraged in quantities.
B
When I was about 4 years old, I decided to go to Disney World. For most young kids, it's a
normal request, but I had cerebral palsy ( 脑瘫). Walking into anywhere, let alone a crowded
place like Disney World was, to put it lightly, a tall order. Luckily, I had people in my corner to
help me. Over the next three years, I worked with physical doctors, acquired a walker, and
practiced walking, standing, and balance — all skills that I would need to turn my goal into a
reality.
I remember the feeling when my legs would protest doing any more work. Despite this,
everyone else told me I could do it, so I kept it up. It was all because of people like my parents,
brothers, teachers, and doctors that I was able to grow so much, both physically and mentally.
Constantly pushing me to "walk on“ yet encouraging me whenever I needed it.
On June 9, 2008, as I stood in the tunnel leading into Main Street, my dad asked me if I
wanted any help. I instantly replied, "No!" and situated myself facing the end of the tunnel, feet
planted firmly, heart most likely beating out of my chest. Then I went, walking ever so slowly at
first, then gradually speeding up. Step, step, step, step, bump. Holding fast onto the handlebars, I
gathered up all my strength, picked up my walker and straightened out, picking up my pace once
again. It wasn't too long before the cheering increased because I had made it to the end, where
my mom was waiting with tears in her eyes and arms open wide ready to hug her son and tell
him how proud she was.
Looking back on that experience, I realize something pretty thoughtful. Every once in a
while, life will throw a few bumps in the road. Though it may set you back for a bit, don't let it
stop you. Pick yourself back up and finish. It's worth it. Besides, there just might be someone
there cheering you on along the way.
1. Which of the following best explains "a tall order" underlined in Paragraph 1?
A. An easy decision.
B. An available action.
C. A reasonable order.
D. A challenging task.
2. Why does the author say he's lucky?
A. He eventually has his brain disease well cured.
B. He constantly gets courage and support from others.
C. He is likely to do any kind of work in his later life.
D. He is naturally gifted in keeping balance on his own.
3. The author gives a vivid picture of himself in Paragraph 3 to ____.
A. explain he was terrified to take the first step
B. describe he took pride in his mother and friends
C. show how he managed to walk by himself
D. prove how he understood to respect others
4. What can be the best title of the text?
A. Where Dreams Come True
B. When Bad Fortune Falls
C. How I Value Friendship
D. Why I Look Back My Life
I met Mrs． Neidl in the ninth grade on a stage-design team for a play and she was one of
the directors． Almost instantly I loved her． She had an unpleasant voice and a direct way of
speaking，
3 6
she was encouraging and inspiring． For some reason， she was
impressed with my work and me．
Mrs． Neidl would ask me for my
3 7
． She wanted to know how I thought we
should
3 8
things． At first I had no idea how to answer because I knew
3 9
about stage design! But I slowly began to respond to her
40
． It was cause and
effect： She believed I had opinions， so I began to
41
them． She trusted me
to complete things， so I completed them perfectly．She loved how
42
I was，
so I began to show up to paint more and more． She believed in me， so I began to believe in
myself．
Mrs． Neidl's
43
that year was， "Try it．We can always paint over it
4 4
!" I began to take
4 5
．I had been so afraid of failing but suddenly there was no failing
— only things to be
4 6
upon．I learned to dip my brush into the paint and
4 7
create something．
The shy， quiet freshman achieved success that year． I was
4 8
in the program as
"Student Art Assistant" because of the time and effort I'd put in． It was that year that I
4 9
I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing stage design．
Being on that stage-design team
50
Mrs．Neidl changed me completely． Not only
was I stronger and more competent than I had thought， but I also
51
a strong interest
and a world I hadn't known existed． She taught me not to
52
what people think I should
do． She taught me to take chances and not be
53
．Mrs． Neidl was my comforter when
I was upset． Her
5 4
in me has inspired me to do things that I never imagined
5 5
．
36．A．and
B．yet
C．so
D．for
37．A．opinion
B．impression
C．information
D．intention
38．A．make
B．keep
C．handle
D．change
39．A．anything
B．something
C．everything
D．nothing
40．A．questions
B．comments
C．explanations
D．remarks
41．A．hold
B．follow
C．evaluate
D．form
42．A．happy
B．lively
C．reliable
D．punctual
43．A．message
B．motto
C．saying
D．suggestion
44．A．again
B．more
C．instead
D．later
45．A．steps
B．control
C．charge
D．risks
46．A．improved
B．acted
C．looked
D．reflected
47．A．easily
B．carefully
C．confidently
D．proudly
48．A．introduced
B．recognized
C．identified
D．considered
49．A．confirmed
B．decided
C．realized
D．acknowledged
50．A．with
B．below
C．of
D．by
51．A．developed
B．discovered
C．took
D．fostered
52．A．accept
B．care
C．judge
D．wonder
53．A．bored
B．lazy
C．sad
D．afraid
54．A．trust
B．patience
C．curiosity
D．interest
55．A．accessible
B．enjoyable
C．possible
D．favorable
