第二部分 阅读理解(共两节，满分40分)
第一节(共15小题：每小题2分，满分30分)
阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。
A
Monthly Talks at London Canal Museum
Our monthly talks start at 19:30 on the first Thursday of each month except August. Admission is at normal charges and you don’t need to book. They end around 21:00.
November 7th
The Canal Pioneers, by Chris Lewis. James Brindley is recognized as one of the leading early canal engineers. He was also a major player in training others in the art of canal planning and building. Chris Lewis will explain how Brindley made such a positive contribution to the education of that group of early“civil engineers”.
December 5th
Ice for the Metropolis, by Malcolm Tucker. Well before the arrival of freezers, there was a demand for ice for food preservation and catering. Malcolm will explain the history of importing natural ice and the technology of building ice wells, and how London’s ice trade grew.
February 6th
An Update on the Cotswold Canals, by Liz Payne. The Stroudwater Canal is moving towards reopening. The Thames and Severn Canal will take a little longer. We will have a report on the present state of play.
March 6th
Eyots and Aits—Thames Islands, by Miranda Vickers. The Thames has many islands. Miranda has undertaken a review of all of them. She will tell us about those of greatest interest.
Online bookings:www.canalmuseum.org.uk/book
More info:www.canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson
London Canal Museum
12-13 New Wharf Road, London NI 9RT
www.canalmuseum.org.uk www.canalmuseum.mobi
Tel:020 7713 0836
21.When is the talk on James Brindley?
A. November 7th. B. March 6th.
C. February 6th. D. December 5th.
22.What is the topic of the talk in February?
A. The Canal Pioneers.
B. Ice for the Metropolis.
C. Eyots and Aits—Thames Islands.
D. An Update on the Cotswold Canals.
23.Who will give the talk on the islands in the Thames?
A. Chris Lewis. B. Malcolm Tucker.
C. Miranda Vickers. D. Liz Payne.
B
In Asia, there are special competitions where kites have complex designs and are fitted with instruments that make musical sounds as the wind blows through them. Although all kites have a similar structure , they are widely different in size and shape. Kite-fighting competitions are also held, in which competitors use their kites to attack and bring down their opponents’(对手) kites or cut their strings.
For more than 15 years, the Big Wind Kite Factory has been giving kite-making and kite-flying classes for the children on an island in Hawaii.. In its kite-making lessons, students can make kites in as little as 20 minutes! Children as young as four years old can learn how to fly a kite. Jonathan Socher and his wife Daphne started the kite factory in 1980. Their kites are made of nylon.Their designs are Hawaiian themes created by Daphne. The designs are cut out of the nylon with a hot knife that seals the edges and then fastened directly onto the kite.
The kite that is used to give lessons is a regular diamond kite with a rainbow pattern. The difference between this kite and the ones they make during the lessons is that it is a two-string controllable kite. Big Wind employees fly the kite and for a few minutes show students how pulling on one line and then on the other controls the direction the kite goes in. Then the controls are given to the students.
Jonathan insists that it is not necessary to make a huge impressive kite to have fun making and flying kites. Even the simplest structure can work, and can give hours of fun. Go on, give it a try!
24. Which of the following is true according to the text?
A.A hot knife is used to iron the nylon.
B.Children never fly kites on their own in flying lessons.
C.Kite strings must not be cut in kite-fighting competitions.
D.Daphne designs kites for the Big Wind Kite Factory.
25. What is different about the kite used for flying lessons?
A. It has two strings.
B.It is simple in design.
C.It has a rainbow pattern.
D.It is shaped like a diamond.
26. According to Jonathan, what do you need to have fun with kites?
A. A large kite.
B. Any type of kite.
C. A complex structure.
D. A kite that impresses others.
27. What is mainly described in the text?
A. A kite factory.
B. Kite-flying lessons.
C. Special competitions.
D. The kite-making process.
C
Do you know how it is when you see someone yawn and you start yawning too? Or how hard it is to be among people laughing and not laugh yourself? Well, apparently it’s because we have mirror neurons(神经元)in our brains.
Put simply, the existence of mirror neurons suggests that every time we see someone else do something, our brains imitate(模仿)it, whether or not we actually perform the same action. This explains a great deal about how we learn to smile, talk, walk, dance or play sports. But the idea goes further: mirror neurons not only appear to explain physical actions, they also tell us that there is a biological basis for the way we understand other people.
Mirror neurons can undoubtedly be found all over our brains, but especially in the areas which relate to our ability to use languages, and to understand how other people feel. Researchers have found that mirror neurons relate strongly to language. A group of researchers discovered that if they gave people sentences to listen to (for example:” The hand took hold of the ball”), the same mirror neurons were triggered as when the action was actually performed (in this example, actually taking hold of a ball).
Any problems with mirror neurons may well result in problems with behavior. Much research suggests that people with social and behavioral problems have mirror neurons which are not fully functioning. However, it is not yet known exactly how these discoveries might help find treatments for social disorders.
Research into mirror neurons seems to provide us with ever more information concerning how humans behave and interact(互动). Indeed, it may turn out to be the equivalent(相等物)for neuroscience of what Einstein’s theory of relativity was for physics. And the next time you feel the urge to cough in the cinema when someone else does—well, perhaps you’ll understand why.
28.Mirror neurons can explain .
A.why we cry when we are hurt
B.why we cough when we suffer from a cold
C.why we smile when we see someone else smile
D.why we yawn when we see someone else stay up late
29.The underlined word “triggered” in the third paragraph probably means“ ”.
A.set off B.cut off C.built up D.broken up
30.We can learn from the passage that mirror neurons .
A.relate to human behavior and interaction
B.control human physical actions and feelings
C.result in bad behavior and social disorders
D.determine our knowledge and language abilities
31. What is the passage mainly about?
A. Ways to find mirror neurons.
B. Problems of mirror neurons.
C. Existence of mirror neurons.
D. Functions of mirror neurons.
D
I have been consistently opposed to feeding a baby regularly. As a doctor, mother and scientist in child development I believe there is nothing to recommend it, from the baby’s point of view.
Mothers, doctors and nurses alike have no idea of where a baby’s blood sugar level lies. All we know is that a low level is harmful to brain development and makes a baby easily annoyed. In this state, the baby is difficult to calm down and sleep is impossible. The baby asks for attention by crying and searching for food with its mouth.
It is not just unkind but also dangerous to say a four-hourly feeding schedule will make a baby satisfied. The first of the experts to advocate a strict clock-watching schedule was Dr Frederic Truby King who was against feeding in the night. I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous.Baby feeding shouldn’t follow a timetable set by the mum.What is important is feeding a baby in the best way, though it may cause some inconvenience in the first few weeks.
Well,at last we have copper-bottomed research that supports demand feeding and points out the weaknesses of strictly timed feeding.The research finds out that babies who are fed on demand do better at school at age 5,7,11 and 14,than babies fed according to the clock..By the age of 8,their IQ(智商)scores are four to five percent higher than babies fed by a rigid timetable..This research comes from Oxford and Essex University using a sample(样本)of 10,419 children born in the early 1990s,taking account of parental education,family income,a child’s sex and age,the mother’s health and feeding style.These results don’t surprise me.Feeding according to schedule runs the risk of harming the rapidly growing brain by taking no account of sinking blood sugar levels.
I hope this research will put an end to advocating strictly timed baby feeding practices.
32.What does the author think about Dr King?
A.He is strict. B.He is unkind.
C.He has the wrong idea. D.He sets a timetable for mothers.
33.The word copper -bottomed in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to .
A.basic B.reliable
C.surprising D.interesting
34. What does the research tell us about feeding a baby on demand?
A.The baby will sleep well.
B.The baby will have its brain harmed.
C.The baby will have a low blood sugar level.
D.The baby will grow to be wiser by the age of 8.
35.The author supports feeding the baby .
A.in the night B.every four hours
C.whenever it wants food D.according to its blood sugar level
