DAY48
Reading comprehension
Direction： In this part， there are four passages followed by questions or unfinished statements， each with four suggested answers marked A， B， C and D. Choose the one that you think is the correct answer.
Passage 1 Well over half a century ago， neurologists found that by placing elements on the scalp they could record the electrical signature of the brain at work. Most of them saw a random hotchpotch of signalsthe combined activity of hundred of thousands of brain cells. But they were astonished to find long stretches when this mess of activity became ordered into a pattern of elegant rhythmical waves. Ever since， scientists have wondered whether the secrets of our thoughts， perceptions and even consciousness itself might be hidden in the patterns of our brain waves.
The question of why we have brain waves — and what they tell us about how we think — is as hotly debated today as it was when the patterns were discovered. Researchers can see slow “alpha” waves in scalp recordings when the brain is relaxed， and “theta” and “delta” rhythms while we sleep. But the meaning， and even the existence， of faster “gamma” rhythms in the alert brain is highly controversial.
The problem is that you cant see these faster rhythms directly. They are so well hidden in the noise of other brain activity that researchers have to uncover them by mathematically breaking up the scalp electrode tracethe electroencephalogram or EEG — into its component frequencies. And once youve uncovered a rhythm， how do you know it is anything more than an artifact of the technique， or a meaningless by — product of neurons that are wired together into networks？
But many researchers are now coming round to the idea that these brain waves are for real， and far from meaningless. The latest suggestion is that the rhythms could be the key to detecting， kinking and organizing processes going on in different regions of the brain. Some believe that two of the rhythms — the theta rhythm， with between 4 and 8 waves a second， and the gamma rhythm， which oscillates up to ten times faster — might even interact， and in so doing help the brain to package information into coherent images， thoughts and memories. Some of the first clues that brain waves might help to organize neural activities came from experiments with rats. By recording from large electrodes placed in the hippocampusa brain area that is important for navigation， learning and memory — neurophysiologists detected a very prominent theta rhythm. “Early on， there was a strong concern that this was an artifact of sniffing，” says Howard Eichenbaum， a neuroscientist at Boston University. People thought that the rhythmic muscle activity was modulating the electrical signal. But theta waves are now known to be the result of genuine neuronal activity associated with the animals movement through the environment， he says. And they turn out to provide an elegant framework for organizing the activity of hippocampus neurons.
1. Whats scientists assumption on electrode experiment？
A. Its recording of brains electrical signature at work.
B. There is complex activity of brain cells when human being is at work.
C. There is pattern of elegant rhythmical waves at times.
D. There is some linkup between peoples brain work and the patterns of their brain waves.
2. According to the passage， which of the following is NOT true？
A. Researchers can see faster “gamma” rhythms in people when they are in alert situation.
B. The function of brain waves causes the controversy as the discovery of that used to do.
C. Slow “alpha” can be researched when human brain is relaxed.
D. Scalp recordings show “theta” and “delta” rhythms while people are asleep.
3. Researchers have to uncover faster rhythms by
A. placing electrodes on the scalp.B. recording random hotchpotch of signals.
C. breaking up the scalp electrode trace.D. discovering byproducts of neurons.
4. What does “Hippocampus” mean？
A. It means a kind of badlooking animal that mostly lives in water.
B. It means a brain area essential to navigation， learning and memory.
C. It means a brain area where neurophysiologists detected a very prominent theta rhythm.
D. It means a range where brain waves organize neural activities.
5. The passage mainly discusses
A. the existing reason of humans brain waves.
B. deeper probing for human beings brain waves.
C. scientific breakthrough on human brains experiments.
D. human movement and their brain waves.
Passage 2 Manners nowadays in metropolitan cities like London are practically nonexistent. It is nothing for a big， strong schoolboy to elbow an elderly woman aside in the dash for the last remaining seat on the tube or bus， much less stand up and offer his seat to her， as he ought to. In fact， it is saddening to note that if a man does offer his seat to an older woman， it is nearly always a continental man or the older generation.
This question of giving up seats in public transport is much argued about by young men， who say that， since women have claimed equality， they no longer deserve to be treated with courtesy and that those who go out to work should take their turn in the rat race like anyone else. Women have never claimed to be physically as strong as men. Even if it is not agreed， however， that young men should stand up for young women， the fact remains that courtesy should be shown to the old， the sick and the burdened. Are we really lost to all ideals of unselfishness that we can sit there indifferent reading the paper or a book， saying to ourselves “First come， First served”， while a greyhaired woman， a mother with a young child or a cripple stands？ Yet this is all too often seen.
Conditions in travel are really very hard on everyone， we know， but hardship is surely no excuse. Sometimes one wonders what has been the behavior of these stout young men in a packed refugee train on its way to prison camp during the War. Would they have considered it only right and their proper due to keep the best place for themselves then？
Older people， tired and irritable from a days work， arent angels， either — far from it. Many a brisk argument or an insulting quarrel breaks out as the weary queues push and shove each other to get on buses or tubes. One cant command this， of course， but one does feel there is just a little more excuse.
If cities are to remain pleasant places to live in at all， however， it seems urgent not only that communications in transport should be improved， but also that communication between human beings should be kept smooth and polite. All over cities， it seems that people are too tired and too rushed to be polite. Shop assistant wont bother to assist， taxidrivers growl at each other as they dash dangerously round the corner， bus conductors pull the bell before their desperate passengers have had time to get on or off the bus， and so on and so on. It seems to us that it is up to the young and strong to do their small part to stop such “deterioration”。
1. Whats the authors opinion concerning courteous manners toward women？
A. Now that they have claimed equality， they no longer need to be treated differently from men.
B. It is generally oldfashioned for young men to give their seats to young women.
C. “Lady First” should be universally practiced.
D. Special consideration ought to be shown to them.
2. Whats the purpose of giving instance of stout young men during the War in paragraph 3？
A. to arouse readers indignation toward War
B. to make people realize the crowd of city transport
C. to illustrate that hardship is no excuse
D. to warm people to avoid traffic prime
3. According to the author， communication between human beings would be smoother if
A. People were more considerate towards each other.
B. People were not so tired and irritable.
C. Women were treated with more courtesy.
D. Public transport could be improved.
4. Whats the possible meaning of the word “deterioration” in the last paragraph？
A. worsening of the general situation.B. lowering of the moral standards.
C. declining of physical constitution. D. spreading of evil conduct.
5. How could you describe the tone of this passage？
A. neutral.B. indignant.
C. optimistic.D. impellent.
Passage 3 Cryptic coloring is by far the commonest use of color in the struggle for existence. It is employed for the purpose of attack （aggressive resemblance or anticryptic coloring） as well as defense （protective resemblance of procryptic coloring）。 The fact that the same method， concealment， may be used both for attack and defense has been well explained by T. Belt who suggests as an illustration the rapidity of movement which is also made use of by both pursuer and pursued， which is similarly raised to a maximum in both by the gradual dying out of the slowest through a series of generations. Cryptic coloring is commonly associated with other aids in the struggle for life. Thus wellconcealed mammals and birds， discovered， will generally endeavor to escape by speed and will often attempt to defend themselves actively. On the other hand， small animals that have no means of active defense， such as large numbers of insects， frequently depend upon concealment alone. Protective resemblance is far commoner among animals than aggressive resemblance， in correspondence with the fact that predaceous forms are as a rule much larger and much less numerous than their prey. In the case of insectivorous Vertebrata and their prey such differences exist in an exaggerated form. Cryptic coloring， whether used for defense or attack， may be either general of special. In general resemblance the animal， in consequence of its coloring， produces the same effect as its environment， but the conditions do not require any special adaptation of shape and outline. General resemblance is especially common among the animals inhabiting some uniformly colored expanse of the earths surface， such as an ocean or a desert. In the former， animals of all shapes are frequently protected by their transparent blue color； on the latter， equally diverse forms are defended by their sandy appearance. The effect of a uniform appearance may be produced by a combination of tints in starting contrast. Thus the white and black stripes of the zebra blend together at a little distance， and “their proportion is such as exactly to match the pale tint which arid ground possesses when seen by moonlight”。 Special resemblance is far commoner than general and is the form which is usually met with on the diversified surface of the earth， on the shore， and in shallow water， as well as on the floating masses of algae on the surface of the ocean， such as the Sargasso Sea. In these environments the cryptic coloring of animals is usually aided by special modifications of shape， and by the instinct which leads them to assume particular attitudes. Complete stillness and the assumption of a certain attitude play an essential part in general resemblance on land； but in special resemblance the attitude is often highly specialized， and perhaps more important than any other element in the complex method by which concealment is effected. In special resemblance the combination of coloring， shape， and attitude is such as to produce a more or less exact resemblance to some one of the objects in the environment， such as a leaf or twig， a patch of lichen， of flake of bark. In all cases the resemblance is to some object which is of no interest to the enemy or prey prospectively. The animal is not hidden from view by becoming indistinguishable from its background as in the case of general resemblance， but it is mistaken for some wellknown object.
1. When does aggressive resemblance occur？
A. An animal blends with its background.B. Shadows are balanced by tinting.
C. An animal relies on its speed.D. A predaceous attitude is assumed.
2. Of the flowing， which is the least common？
A. protective resemblance.B. general resemblance.
C. aggressive resemblance.D. special resemblance.
3. Which of the following is true according to the context？
A. Predator runs faster than its prey.
B. The speed is gradually raised by dying out for existence.
C. Animals need all adaptation of shape and outline to protect themselves.
D. General resemblance is as common as special resemblance.
4. Special resemblance differs from general resemblance in that the animal relies on
A. its ability to frighten its adversaryB. coloring
C. speedD. mistaken identity
5. Which of the titles can best express the ideas of the whole passage？
A. cryptic Coloration for ProtectionB. how Animals Survive
C. the Uses of Mimicry in NatureD. preserving the Species
Passage 4 Every Dec.26， millions of folks in Britain， Canada and Australia take an extra 24 hours off after Christmas to celebrate what to most Americans sounds like a madeup holiday.
A few years ago， one of my friends moved to London and I visited her for New Years Eve. I flew to Heathrow Airport a few days after Christmas， unable to travel before that as I had to be at work on the 26th.
“But thats Boxing Day，” she said.
“Whos in the match？” I wondered， picturing a pugilists ring decked with faux evergreen and a card girl wearing a risque Santa outfit.
“No. Its British. Its the holiday the day after Christmas，” she said， with more than a hint of an evolving English accent.
Hmmm. Why not call it Hangover Day Or Food Coma Fest？ Gift Return Day？ The SecondBiggestShoppingDayoftheYearDay？
My newly converted Anglophile pal explained the genesis， as she understood it， of Boxing Day. It had something to do with the day the servants in English society got their gifts and the day off after serving the gentry during the Christmas festivities.
Nice idea. Why didnt it translate to the colonies across the Atlantic？
A little research gave a few hints.
Some historians swear that Boxing Day was invented to reinforce the English class system， when the middleand upper — classes would give money or goods to the servants class or generic poor the day after Christmas， expecting nothing in return. The upper classes exchanged gifts with each other， as equals， on Christmas proper.
It would have been improper for a lower class person to give a gift to a person of higher station because it would have implied that they were equals， some historians say. Hence， Boxing Day.
Other historians have a more sympathetic outlook on the motives behind the Boxing Day giftgiving， saying the boxes of food and other goods given by the merchant class to servants and tradesmen were a kind of Christmas tip. The “tips” were packaged in boxes， like Christmas presents.
Another theory says Boxing Day is so named because thats the day when the priests busted open the “poor box” in the church sanctuary and distributed the donations left inside throughout the year.
Or perhaps Boxing Day derives its meaning， if not its name， from a 10th — century Bohemian saint， King Wenceslas， Who， according to lore and a 19th century Christmas carol， gave a gift to a poor man on the Feast of St.Stephen — Dec.26.
In Ireland， where they have a way of taking holidays and making them a bit more festive， Dec.26 is celebrated as St. Stephens Day.
This national holiday in Ireland features a dead saint and a dead bird.
St……Stephen the Protomartyr， as he is officially known， was the first Christmas martyr. He was stoned to death shortly after Jesus was killed on Calvary， according to New Testament accounts.
Some lores claim a screeching wren betrayed St. Stephens hiding place in a bush before he was stoned.
Therefore wrens should be hunted down and stoned like St. Stephen. Although now mostly Irish boys tie a holly branch to the top of a stick as they go door to celebrate St. Stephens Day， the original custom was to hunt down a wren and tie the carcass to the stick.
How festive！
Another Celtic myth says that the robin （representing the new year） kills off the wren （representing the old year） the day after Christmas.
What Stephen， the patron saint of stonemasons and horses， may have to do with Boxing Day， Im still not sure.
Whatever its true origins， historians agree， Boxing Day has nothing to do with our unofficial American Boxing Day rituals of tossing empty gift boxes and wrapping paper out of the house， or returning unwanted gifts to the department store.
If it were ever to catch on in the States， maybe we could call Boxing Day， Sharing Day？ Dont Be Selfish Day？ Pay It Forward Day？ Be Nice To Wrens Day？
Or maybe just Good Day.
1. Which day is Boxing Day？
A. Dec.26B. Dec.25
C. Dec.24D. Dec.27
2. Why didnt the author fly to London to spend Christmas there？
A. He wanted to spend Christmas with his family.
B. He had to visit other friends on Christmas.
C. He had to work on the 26th.
D. He had planned to get there for New Yorks Eve.
3. What did the author think of Boxing Day when he first heard of the name？
A. He thought of festive occasion.
B. He hit on the decorated ring and propaganda girl.
C. He thought of the scene of boxing.
D. He hit on the origin of the festival.
4. Whats NOT the possible origin of Boxing Day given by historian in the passage？
A. The Boxing Day was invented to reinforce the English class system.
B. On Boxing Day merchant class used to give servants their Christmas tip.
C. Priests opened “poor box” and distributed the donations thought the year on that day.
D. Irish hunted birds on Boxing Day.
5. Whats the best title for this passage？
A. Todays Boxing Day.
B. The origin of Boxing Day.
C. The celebration activity in Boxing Day.
D. Boxing Day： What a Curiously British Tradition.
Keys and notes for the passage reading：Passage 1
在神經(jīng)學家們發(fā)現(xiàn)人類腦電波圖形后，本文就如何通過各類實驗進一步探究腦波圖形與人類思維、意識的關(guān)系展開。
1. They are so well hidden in the noise of other brain activity that researchers have to uncover them by mathematically breaking up the scalp electrode tracethe electroencephalogram or EEGinto its component frequencies. 那些高速射線隱蔽在人腦發(fā)出的聲音內(nèi)部，很難尋覓，研究者們只有將腦皮層電極軌跡精確地分解為組成軌跡才能有所發(fā)現(xiàn)。
2. Some believe that two of the rhythmsthe theta rhythm， with between 4 and 8 waves a second， and the gamma rhythm， which oscillates up to ten times fastermight even interact， and in so doing help the brain to package information into coherent images， thoughts and memories. 一些研究者認為有兩種射線（一秒4—8個波長的思爾撻射線和振動高達十倍的噶麻射線）可能產(chǎn)生相互反應，并通過反應將腦中信息轉(zhuǎn)化為連續(xù)的形象、思維及記憶。
1. 「D」從第一段最后一句可以看出。
2. 「A」第二段最后一句指出它們之間并沒有必然聯(lián)系， 關(guān)系也是有爭議的。
3. 「C」第三段第二句給出答案。
4. 「B」第四段中間有解釋。
5. 「B」整篇文章都是圍繞人類腦電波圖進行的，其余的選項都片面不全。
Passage 2
本文從占座位的日常小事入手，對時下年輕人社會道德意識日趨淡薄這一社會風尚進行了批判，但在文章末尾處仍給予了正面呼吁。
1. It is nothing for a big， strong schoolboy to elbow an elderly woman aside in the dash for the last remaining seat on the tube or bus， much less stand up and offer his seat to her， as he ought to. 一個高大、壯實的男孩用肘子將一位老人撞到一邊去搶位子已經(jīng)是不足為奇了，更別提讓他把位子讓給老人家，其實這也是他該做的。
Are we really lost to all ideals of unselfishness that we can sit there indifferent reading the paper or a book， saying to ourselves “First come， First served”， while a greyhaired woman， a mother with a young child or a cripple stands？ 我們真的完全喪失了無私的品德嗎？即使一位白發(fā)蒼蒼的老人，一位抱者孩子的母親或是一位殘疾人站在我們身旁，我們?nèi)阅苁煲暉o睹地看我們的書和報而對自己說本來就應該先來先坐嗎？
2. Sometimes one wonders what has been the behavior of these stout young men in a packed refugee train on its way to prison camp during the War. Would they have considered it only right and their proper due to keep the best place for themselves then？ 有時有人會想那些在戰(zhàn)爭中被送往集中營的火車上的身強力壯的人會怎么做。他們會想到應該為自己搶占的位置嗎？
1. 「D」由文中第二段2、3句可知“女人從未聲言與男人一般強壯，即使年輕女性得不到……”可判斷作者的觀點為：女性應當受到禮遇。
2. 「C」第三段第1句為該段主旨，緊跟其后的例子也是為了說明該主旨即“交通狀況很糟糕，但困難不應成其借口”。
3. 「A」由文中第五段舉出的造成社會不和諧的各種極端例子可知人們應當更多的考慮他人。
4. 「B」由第一段的詳細舉例及全文的敘述可知社會道德意識正在惡化，所以急需提高。
5. 「D」由文末的點睛之筆可知作者的最終態(tài)度仍是從正面激勵人們?nèi)ヌ岣呱鐣赖乱庾R。Passage 3
本文以動物保護色為主題。就保護色的功能分為捕食進攻型和自我保護型，就其保護方法分為普通保護及特殊性保護，圍繞這些方面對主題進行說明。
1. The fact that the same method， concealment， may be used both for attack and defense has been well explained by T. Belt who suggests as an illustration the rapidity of movement which is also made use of by both pursuer and pursued， which is similarly raised to a maximum in both by the gradual dying out of the slowest through a series of generations. 悌被特很充分的說明了進攻者和防守者都需要躲避這一事實并給出了例證：進攻者和防守者都會在生存競爭中保留下跑得快的物種而將動作慢的淘汰掉。
2. Protective resemblance is far commoner among animals than aggressive resemblance， in correspondence with the fact that predaceous forms are as a rule much larger and much less numerous than their prey. 自我保護比進攻性保護更常見，這是因為掠食性動物比獵物個頭大但數(shù)量少。
3. The animal is not hidden from view by becoming indistinguishable from its background as in the case of general resemblance， but it is mistaken for some wellknown object. 采用特殊保護色進行自我保護的動物與普通保護動物不同，它們是依靠掠食者將其誤認作其不感興趣的東西的錯覺來進行自我保護的。
1. 「D」根據(jù)文中第2句話可知aggressive resemblance 是用于進攻的，所以只有食肉動物在掠食即目標鎖定后，才會采取行動。故應選擇D.
2. 「C」由第7句可知由于掠食者體積更大而數(shù)量更少，所以掠食者的進攻也是相對較少的。故應選擇C.
3. 「B」第3句中捕食者和掠食者為生存都在優(yōu)勝劣汰的進化過程中提高移動的速度：第十句中 general resemblance無需形狀，輪廓的一致；十五句中較之更為普遍。故應選擇B.
4. 「D」由文章最后一句話可知，依靠普遍性相似進行偽裝的動物是靠其與背景的難以區(qū)分進行自我保護的，而特殊性相似動物是依靠掠食者將其視為不感興趣的物品的錯覺來進行自我保護的。故應選擇D.
5. 「A」縱觀全文都在談論動物、昆蟲的保護色問題，故應選擇A.
Passage 4
本文描述了12月26日，英國，加拿大，澳大利亞的拳擊節(jié)，尤其側(cè)重介紹了關(guān)于拳擊節(jié)的各種來歷的傳說。
1. I flew to Heathrow Airport a few days after Christmas， unable to travel before that as I had to be at work on the 26th. 圣誕節(jié)過后好幾天我才到。我沒能早點到是因為在26號我得上班。
2. I wondered， picturing a pugilists ring decked with faux evergreen and a card girl wearing a risque Santa outfit. 我琢磨著，想到了裝飾著長青植物的拳擊場和穿得奇奇怪怪的女孩。
3. Another theory says Boxing Day is so named because thats the day when the priests busted open the “poor box” in the church sanctuary and distributed the donations left inside throughout the year. 關(guān)于拳擊節(jié)得名的另一說法是在那一天牧師會將一整年募捐來的公德箱打開分發(fā)捐贈物。
1. 「A」文章第一句已指出。
2. 「C」第二段最后一句給出原因。
3. 「B」第三段直接告訴了答案。
4. 「D」前三個選項都可以在文中找到原文，只有最后一個文章沒有提及。
5. 「D」綜觀全文可以很容易得出答案D， 其余的都片面不準確。
Reading comprehension
Direction： In this part， there are four passages followed by questions or unfinished statements， each with four suggested answers marked A， B， C and D. Choose the one that you think is the correct answer.
Passage 1 Well over half a century ago， neurologists found that by placing elements on the scalp they could record the electrical signature of the brain at work. Most of them saw a random hotchpotch of signalsthe combined activity of hundred of thousands of brain cells. But they were astonished to find long stretches when this mess of activity became ordered into a pattern of elegant rhythmical waves. Ever since， scientists have wondered whether the secrets of our thoughts， perceptions and even consciousness itself might be hidden in the patterns of our brain waves.
The question of why we have brain waves — and what they tell us about how we think — is as hotly debated today as it was when the patterns were discovered. Researchers can see slow “alpha” waves in scalp recordings when the brain is relaxed， and “theta” and “delta” rhythms while we sleep. But the meaning， and even the existence， of faster “gamma” rhythms in the alert brain is highly controversial.
The problem is that you cant see these faster rhythms directly. They are so well hidden in the noise of other brain activity that researchers have to uncover them by mathematically breaking up the scalp electrode tracethe electroencephalogram or EEG — into its component frequencies. And once youve uncovered a rhythm， how do you know it is anything more than an artifact of the technique， or a meaningless by — product of neurons that are wired together into networks？
But many researchers are now coming round to the idea that these brain waves are for real， and far from meaningless. The latest suggestion is that the rhythms could be the key to detecting， kinking and organizing processes going on in different regions of the brain. Some believe that two of the rhythms — the theta rhythm， with between 4 and 8 waves a second， and the gamma rhythm， which oscillates up to ten times faster — might even interact， and in so doing help the brain to package information into coherent images， thoughts and memories. Some of the first clues that brain waves might help to organize neural activities came from experiments with rats. By recording from large electrodes placed in the hippocampusa brain area that is important for navigation， learning and memory — neurophysiologists detected a very prominent theta rhythm. “Early on， there was a strong concern that this was an artifact of sniffing，” says Howard Eichenbaum， a neuroscientist at Boston University. People thought that the rhythmic muscle activity was modulating the electrical signal. But theta waves are now known to be the result of genuine neuronal activity associated with the animals movement through the environment， he says. And they turn out to provide an elegant framework for organizing the activity of hippocampus neurons.
1. Whats scientists assumption on electrode experiment？
A. Its recording of brains electrical signature at work.
B. There is complex activity of brain cells when human being is at work.
C. There is pattern of elegant rhythmical waves at times.
D. There is some linkup between peoples brain work and the patterns of their brain waves.
2. According to the passage， which of the following is NOT true？
A. Researchers can see faster “gamma” rhythms in people when they are in alert situation.
B. The function of brain waves causes the controversy as the discovery of that used to do.
C. Slow “alpha” can be researched when human brain is relaxed.
D. Scalp recordings show “theta” and “delta” rhythms while people are asleep.
3. Researchers have to uncover faster rhythms by
A. placing electrodes on the scalp.B. recording random hotchpotch of signals.
C. breaking up the scalp electrode trace.D. discovering byproducts of neurons.
4. What does “Hippocampus” mean？
A. It means a kind of badlooking animal that mostly lives in water.
B. It means a brain area essential to navigation， learning and memory.
C. It means a brain area where neurophysiologists detected a very prominent theta rhythm.
D. It means a range where brain waves organize neural activities.
5. The passage mainly discusses
A. the existing reason of humans brain waves.
B. deeper probing for human beings brain waves.
C. scientific breakthrough on human brains experiments.
D. human movement and their brain waves.
Passage 2 Manners nowadays in metropolitan cities like London are practically nonexistent. It is nothing for a big， strong schoolboy to elbow an elderly woman aside in the dash for the last remaining seat on the tube or bus， much less stand up and offer his seat to her， as he ought to. In fact， it is saddening to note that if a man does offer his seat to an older woman， it is nearly always a continental man or the older generation.
This question of giving up seats in public transport is much argued about by young men， who say that， since women have claimed equality， they no longer deserve to be treated with courtesy and that those who go out to work should take their turn in the rat race like anyone else. Women have never claimed to be physically as strong as men. Even if it is not agreed， however， that young men should stand up for young women， the fact remains that courtesy should be shown to the old， the sick and the burdened. Are we really lost to all ideals of unselfishness that we can sit there indifferent reading the paper or a book， saying to ourselves “First come， First served”， while a greyhaired woman， a mother with a young child or a cripple stands？ Yet this is all too often seen.
Conditions in travel are really very hard on everyone， we know， but hardship is surely no excuse. Sometimes one wonders what has been the behavior of these stout young men in a packed refugee train on its way to prison camp during the War. Would they have considered it only right and their proper due to keep the best place for themselves then？
Older people， tired and irritable from a days work， arent angels， either — far from it. Many a brisk argument or an insulting quarrel breaks out as the weary queues push and shove each other to get on buses or tubes. One cant command this， of course， but one does feel there is just a little more excuse.
If cities are to remain pleasant places to live in at all， however， it seems urgent not only that communications in transport should be improved， but also that communication between human beings should be kept smooth and polite. All over cities， it seems that people are too tired and too rushed to be polite. Shop assistant wont bother to assist， taxidrivers growl at each other as they dash dangerously round the corner， bus conductors pull the bell before their desperate passengers have had time to get on or off the bus， and so on and so on. It seems to us that it is up to the young and strong to do their small part to stop such “deterioration”。
1. Whats the authors opinion concerning courteous manners toward women？
A. Now that they have claimed equality， they no longer need to be treated differently from men.
B. It is generally oldfashioned for young men to give their seats to young women.
C. “Lady First” should be universally practiced.
D. Special consideration ought to be shown to them.
2. Whats the purpose of giving instance of stout young men during the War in paragraph 3？
A. to arouse readers indignation toward War
B. to make people realize the crowd of city transport
C. to illustrate that hardship is no excuse
D. to warm people to avoid traffic prime
3. According to the author， communication between human beings would be smoother if
A. People were more considerate towards each other.
B. People were not so tired and irritable.
C. Women were treated with more courtesy.
D. Public transport could be improved.
4. Whats the possible meaning of the word “deterioration” in the last paragraph？
A. worsening of the general situation.B. lowering of the moral standards.
C. declining of physical constitution. D. spreading of evil conduct.
5. How could you describe the tone of this passage？
A. neutral.B. indignant.
C. optimistic.D. impellent.
Passage 3 Cryptic coloring is by far the commonest use of color in the struggle for existence. It is employed for the purpose of attack （aggressive resemblance or anticryptic coloring） as well as defense （protective resemblance of procryptic coloring）。 The fact that the same method， concealment， may be used both for attack and defense has been well explained by T. Belt who suggests as an illustration the rapidity of movement which is also made use of by both pursuer and pursued， which is similarly raised to a maximum in both by the gradual dying out of the slowest through a series of generations. Cryptic coloring is commonly associated with other aids in the struggle for life. Thus wellconcealed mammals and birds， discovered， will generally endeavor to escape by speed and will often attempt to defend themselves actively. On the other hand， small animals that have no means of active defense， such as large numbers of insects， frequently depend upon concealment alone. Protective resemblance is far commoner among animals than aggressive resemblance， in correspondence with the fact that predaceous forms are as a rule much larger and much less numerous than their prey. In the case of insectivorous Vertebrata and their prey such differences exist in an exaggerated form. Cryptic coloring， whether used for defense or attack， may be either general of special. In general resemblance the animal， in consequence of its coloring， produces the same effect as its environment， but the conditions do not require any special adaptation of shape and outline. General resemblance is especially common among the animals inhabiting some uniformly colored expanse of the earths surface， such as an ocean or a desert. In the former， animals of all shapes are frequently protected by their transparent blue color； on the latter， equally diverse forms are defended by their sandy appearance. The effect of a uniform appearance may be produced by a combination of tints in starting contrast. Thus the white and black stripes of the zebra blend together at a little distance， and “their proportion is such as exactly to match the pale tint which arid ground possesses when seen by moonlight”。 Special resemblance is far commoner than general and is the form which is usually met with on the diversified surface of the earth， on the shore， and in shallow water， as well as on the floating masses of algae on the surface of the ocean， such as the Sargasso Sea. In these environments the cryptic coloring of animals is usually aided by special modifications of shape， and by the instinct which leads them to assume particular attitudes. Complete stillness and the assumption of a certain attitude play an essential part in general resemblance on land； but in special resemblance the attitude is often highly specialized， and perhaps more important than any other element in the complex method by which concealment is effected. In special resemblance the combination of coloring， shape， and attitude is such as to produce a more or less exact resemblance to some one of the objects in the environment， such as a leaf or twig， a patch of lichen， of flake of bark. In all cases the resemblance is to some object which is of no interest to the enemy or prey prospectively. The animal is not hidden from view by becoming indistinguishable from its background as in the case of general resemblance， but it is mistaken for some wellknown object.
1. When does aggressive resemblance occur？
A. An animal blends with its background.B. Shadows are balanced by tinting.
C. An animal relies on its speed.D. A predaceous attitude is assumed.
2. Of the flowing， which is the least common？
A. protective resemblance.B. general resemblance.
C. aggressive resemblance.D. special resemblance.
3. Which of the following is true according to the context？
A. Predator runs faster than its prey.
B. The speed is gradually raised by dying out for existence.
C. Animals need all adaptation of shape and outline to protect themselves.
D. General resemblance is as common as special resemblance.
4. Special resemblance differs from general resemblance in that the animal relies on
A. its ability to frighten its adversaryB. coloring
C. speedD. mistaken identity
5. Which of the titles can best express the ideas of the whole passage？
A. cryptic Coloration for ProtectionB. how Animals Survive
C. the Uses of Mimicry in NatureD. preserving the Species
Passage 4 Every Dec.26， millions of folks in Britain， Canada and Australia take an extra 24 hours off after Christmas to celebrate what to most Americans sounds like a madeup holiday.
A few years ago， one of my friends moved to London and I visited her for New Years Eve. I flew to Heathrow Airport a few days after Christmas， unable to travel before that as I had to be at work on the 26th.
“But thats Boxing Day，” she said.
“Whos in the match？” I wondered， picturing a pugilists ring decked with faux evergreen and a card girl wearing a risque Santa outfit.
“No. Its British. Its the holiday the day after Christmas，” she said， with more than a hint of an evolving English accent.
Hmmm. Why not call it Hangover Day Or Food Coma Fest？ Gift Return Day？ The SecondBiggestShoppingDayoftheYearDay？
My newly converted Anglophile pal explained the genesis， as she understood it， of Boxing Day. It had something to do with the day the servants in English society got their gifts and the day off after serving the gentry during the Christmas festivities.
Nice idea. Why didnt it translate to the colonies across the Atlantic？
A little research gave a few hints.
Some historians swear that Boxing Day was invented to reinforce the English class system， when the middleand upper — classes would give money or goods to the servants class or generic poor the day after Christmas， expecting nothing in return. The upper classes exchanged gifts with each other， as equals， on Christmas proper.
It would have been improper for a lower class person to give a gift to a person of higher station because it would have implied that they were equals， some historians say. Hence， Boxing Day.
Other historians have a more sympathetic outlook on the motives behind the Boxing Day giftgiving， saying the boxes of food and other goods given by the merchant class to servants and tradesmen were a kind of Christmas tip. The “tips” were packaged in boxes， like Christmas presents.
Another theory says Boxing Day is so named because thats the day when the priests busted open the “poor box” in the church sanctuary and distributed the donations left inside throughout the year.
Or perhaps Boxing Day derives its meaning， if not its name， from a 10th — century Bohemian saint， King Wenceslas， Who， according to lore and a 19th century Christmas carol， gave a gift to a poor man on the Feast of St.Stephen — Dec.26.
In Ireland， where they have a way of taking holidays and making them a bit more festive， Dec.26 is celebrated as St. Stephens Day.
This national holiday in Ireland features a dead saint and a dead bird.
St……Stephen the Protomartyr， as he is officially known， was the first Christmas martyr. He was stoned to death shortly after Jesus was killed on Calvary， according to New Testament accounts.
Some lores claim a screeching wren betrayed St. Stephens hiding place in a bush before he was stoned.
Therefore wrens should be hunted down and stoned like St. Stephen. Although now mostly Irish boys tie a holly branch to the top of a stick as they go door to celebrate St. Stephens Day， the original custom was to hunt down a wren and tie the carcass to the stick.
How festive！
Another Celtic myth says that the robin （representing the new year） kills off the wren （representing the old year） the day after Christmas.
What Stephen， the patron saint of stonemasons and horses， may have to do with Boxing Day， Im still not sure.
Whatever its true origins， historians agree， Boxing Day has nothing to do with our unofficial American Boxing Day rituals of tossing empty gift boxes and wrapping paper out of the house， or returning unwanted gifts to the department store.
If it were ever to catch on in the States， maybe we could call Boxing Day， Sharing Day？ Dont Be Selfish Day？ Pay It Forward Day？ Be Nice To Wrens Day？
Or maybe just Good Day.
1. Which day is Boxing Day？
A. Dec.26B. Dec.25
C. Dec.24D. Dec.27
2. Why didnt the author fly to London to spend Christmas there？
A. He wanted to spend Christmas with his family.
B. He had to visit other friends on Christmas.
C. He had to work on the 26th.
D. He had planned to get there for New Yorks Eve.
3. What did the author think of Boxing Day when he first heard of the name？
A. He thought of festive occasion.
B. He hit on the decorated ring and propaganda girl.
C. He thought of the scene of boxing.
D. He hit on the origin of the festival.
4. Whats NOT the possible origin of Boxing Day given by historian in the passage？
A. The Boxing Day was invented to reinforce the English class system.
B. On Boxing Day merchant class used to give servants their Christmas tip.
C. Priests opened “poor box” and distributed the donations thought the year on that day.
D. Irish hunted birds on Boxing Day.
5. Whats the best title for this passage？
A. Todays Boxing Day.
B. The origin of Boxing Day.
C. The celebration activity in Boxing Day.
D. Boxing Day： What a Curiously British Tradition.
Keys and notes for the passage reading：Passage 1
在神經(jīng)學家們發(fā)現(xiàn)人類腦電波圖形后，本文就如何通過各類實驗進一步探究腦波圖形與人類思維、意識的關(guān)系展開。
1. They are so well hidden in the noise of other brain activity that researchers have to uncover them by mathematically breaking up the scalp electrode tracethe electroencephalogram or EEGinto its component frequencies. 那些高速射線隱蔽在人腦發(fā)出的聲音內(nèi)部，很難尋覓，研究者們只有將腦皮層電極軌跡精確地分解為組成軌跡才能有所發(fā)現(xiàn)。
2. Some believe that two of the rhythmsthe theta rhythm， with between 4 and 8 waves a second， and the gamma rhythm， which oscillates up to ten times fastermight even interact， and in so doing help the brain to package information into coherent images， thoughts and memories. 一些研究者認為有兩種射線（一秒4—8個波長的思爾撻射線和振動高達十倍的噶麻射線）可能產(chǎn)生相互反應，并通過反應將腦中信息轉(zhuǎn)化為連續(xù)的形象、思維及記憶。
1. 「D」從第一段最后一句可以看出。
2. 「A」第二段最后一句指出它們之間并沒有必然聯(lián)系， 關(guān)系也是有爭議的。
3. 「C」第三段第二句給出答案。
4. 「B」第四段中間有解釋。
5. 「B」整篇文章都是圍繞人類腦電波圖進行的，其余的選項都片面不全。
Passage 2
本文從占座位的日常小事入手，對時下年輕人社會道德意識日趨淡薄這一社會風尚進行了批判，但在文章末尾處仍給予了正面呼吁。
1. It is nothing for a big， strong schoolboy to elbow an elderly woman aside in the dash for the last remaining seat on the tube or bus， much less stand up and offer his seat to her， as he ought to. 一個高大、壯實的男孩用肘子將一位老人撞到一邊去搶位子已經(jīng)是不足為奇了，更別提讓他把位子讓給老人家，其實這也是他該做的。
Are we really lost to all ideals of unselfishness that we can sit there indifferent reading the paper or a book， saying to ourselves “First come， First served”， while a greyhaired woman， a mother with a young child or a cripple stands？ 我們真的完全喪失了無私的品德嗎？即使一位白發(fā)蒼蒼的老人，一位抱者孩子的母親或是一位殘疾人站在我們身旁，我們?nèi)阅苁煲暉o睹地看我們的書和報而對自己說本來就應該先來先坐嗎？
2. Sometimes one wonders what has been the behavior of these stout young men in a packed refugee train on its way to prison camp during the War. Would they have considered it only right and their proper due to keep the best place for themselves then？ 有時有人會想那些在戰(zhàn)爭中被送往集中營的火車上的身強力壯的人會怎么做。他們會想到應該為自己搶占的位置嗎？
1. 「D」由文中第二段2、3句可知“女人從未聲言與男人一般強壯，即使年輕女性得不到……”可判斷作者的觀點為：女性應當受到禮遇。
2. 「C」第三段第1句為該段主旨，緊跟其后的例子也是為了說明該主旨即“交通狀況很糟糕，但困難不應成其借口”。
3. 「A」由文中第五段舉出的造成社會不和諧的各種極端例子可知人們應當更多的考慮他人。
4. 「B」由第一段的詳細舉例及全文的敘述可知社會道德意識正在惡化，所以急需提高。
5. 「D」由文末的點睛之筆可知作者的最終態(tài)度仍是從正面激勵人們?nèi)ヌ岣呱鐣赖乱庾R。Passage 3
本文以動物保護色為主題。就保護色的功能分為捕食進攻型和自我保護型，就其保護方法分為普通保護及特殊性保護，圍繞這些方面對主題進行說明。
1. The fact that the same method， concealment， may be used both for attack and defense has been well explained by T. Belt who suggests as an illustration the rapidity of movement which is also made use of by both pursuer and pursued， which is similarly raised to a maximum in both by the gradual dying out of the slowest through a series of generations. 悌被特很充分的說明了進攻者和防守者都需要躲避這一事實并給出了例證：進攻者和防守者都會在生存競爭中保留下跑得快的物種而將動作慢的淘汰掉。
2. Protective resemblance is far commoner among animals than aggressive resemblance， in correspondence with the fact that predaceous forms are as a rule much larger and much less numerous than their prey. 自我保護比進攻性保護更常見，這是因為掠食性動物比獵物個頭大但數(shù)量少。
3. The animal is not hidden from view by becoming indistinguishable from its background as in the case of general resemblance， but it is mistaken for some wellknown object. 采用特殊保護色進行自我保護的動物與普通保護動物不同，它們是依靠掠食者將其誤認作其不感興趣的東西的錯覺來進行自我保護的。
1. 「D」根據(jù)文中第2句話可知aggressive resemblance 是用于進攻的，所以只有食肉動物在掠食即目標鎖定后，才會采取行動。故應選擇D.
2. 「C」由第7句可知由于掠食者體積更大而數(shù)量更少，所以掠食者的進攻也是相對較少的。故應選擇C.
3. 「B」第3句中捕食者和掠食者為生存都在優(yōu)勝劣汰的進化過程中提高移動的速度：第十句中 general resemblance無需形狀，輪廓的一致；十五句中較之更為普遍。故應選擇B.
4. 「D」由文章最后一句話可知，依靠普遍性相似進行偽裝的動物是靠其與背景的難以區(qū)分進行自我保護的，而特殊性相似動物是依靠掠食者將其視為不感興趣的物品的錯覺來進行自我保護的。故應選擇D.
5. 「A」縱觀全文都在談論動物、昆蟲的保護色問題，故應選擇A.
Passage 4
本文描述了12月26日，英國，加拿大，澳大利亞的拳擊節(jié)，尤其側(cè)重介紹了關(guān)于拳擊節(jié)的各種來歷的傳說。
1. I flew to Heathrow Airport a few days after Christmas， unable to travel before that as I had to be at work on the 26th. 圣誕節(jié)過后好幾天我才到。我沒能早點到是因為在26號我得上班。
2. I wondered， picturing a pugilists ring decked with faux evergreen and a card girl wearing a risque Santa outfit. 我琢磨著，想到了裝飾著長青植物的拳擊場和穿得奇奇怪怪的女孩。
3. Another theory says Boxing Day is so named because thats the day when the priests busted open the “poor box” in the church sanctuary and distributed the donations left inside throughout the year. 關(guān)于拳擊節(jié)得名的另一說法是在那一天牧師會將一整年募捐來的公德箱打開分發(fā)捐贈物。
1. 「A」文章第一句已指出。
2. 「C」第二段最后一句給出原因。
3. 「B」第三段直接告訴了答案。
4. 「D」前三個選項都可以在文中找到原文，只有最后一個文章沒有提及。
5. 「D」綜觀全文可以很容易得出答案D， 其余的都片面不準確。