E
Science has a lot of uses. It can uncover laws of nature, cure diseases, make bombs, and help bridges to stand up. Indeed science is so good at what it does that there’s always a temptation(诱惑) to drag it into problems where it may not be helpful. David Brooks, author of The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character,and Achievement, appears to be the latest in a long line of writers who have failed to resist the temptation.
Brooks gained fame for several books. His latest book The Social Animal, however, is more ambitious and serious than his earlier books. It is an attempt to deal with a set of weighty topics. The book focuses on big questions: What has science revealed about human nature? What are the sources of character? And why are some people happy and successful while others aren’t?
To answer these questions, Brooks surveys a wide range of disciplines（学科）. Considering this, you might expect the book to be a dry recitation of facts. But Brooks has structured his book in an unorthodox(非常规的), and perhaps unfortunate, way. Instead of introducing scientific theories, he tells a story, within which he tries to make his points, perhaps in order to keep the reader’s attention.So as Harold and Erica, the hero and heroine in his story, live through childhood, we hear about the science of child development and as they begin to date we hear about the theory of sexual attraction. Brooks carries this through to the death of one of his characters.
On the whole,Brooks’ story is acceptable if uninspired. As one would expect, his writing is mostly clear and, to be fair, some chapters stand out above the rest. I enjoyed, for instance, the chapter in which Harold discovers how to think on his own. While Harold and Erica are certainly not strong or memorable characters, the more serious problems with The Social Animal lie elsewhere. These problems partly involve Brooks’ attempt to translate his tale into science.
1.The author mentions the functions of science at the beginning of the passage to__________.
A.illustrate where science can be applied
B.demonstrate the value of Brooks’ new book
C.remind the reader of the importance of science
D.explain why many writers use science in their works
2.According to the author, which of the following could be a strength of the book?
A.Its strong basis.
B.Its convincing points.
C.Its clear writing.
D.Its memorable characters.
3.What is the author’s general attitude towards the book?
A.Contradictory.
B.Supportive.
C.Cautious.
D.Critical.
4.What is the author likely to write about after the last paragraph?
A.Problems with the book.
B.Brooks’s life experience.
C.Death of the characters.
D.Brooks’s translation skills.
The little boy turned to the old woman next to him, ‘‘Granny, are you sure I don’t have enough money?’’ She nodded. The little boy was still _______ the doll (洋娃娃) in his hand.
I walked toward him, _______who he wished to give this doll to. “Sister. She was sure that Santa Claus would bring a doll to her.” I told him that maybe Santa Claus would do so. But he replied to me _______, “No, Santa Claus (圣诞老人) can’t bring it to her _______ she is now. I have to give the doll to my mommy so that she can give it to my sister when she _______ there. My sister has gone to be with God. Daddy says that Mommy is going to see God very soon too, _______ I thought she could take the doll with her to give it to my sister.’’
The little boy looked _______ at me, “I told Daddy to tell Mommy not to go yet. I need her to wait until I come back from the mall. I _______ she didn’t have to leave me, but Daddy says that she has to go to be with my little sister.” Then he looked _______ at the doll with sad eyes.
I quickly __________ for my wallet. “Let’s check again, just in case you do have enough money for the doll!” “OK. I hope I do have enough.” I added some of my money to __________ without him seeing and we started to count it. There was enough for the doll and __________ some spare money. “Thank you God for giving me enough money!” He looked at me and __________, “I wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my Mommy, but I didn’t dare to ask God __________too much. But He gave me enough to buy the doll and a white rose. My mommy loves white roses.”
__________I remembered a local newspaper article two days ago, mentioning a drunk man in a truck hit a car __________by a young woman and a little girl. The little girl __________ right away and the mother was __________in a critical state.
Two days __________this encounter (偶然相遇) with the little boy, I read in the newspaper that the young__________had passed away.
1.A.raising B.holding C.hiding D.tearing
2.A.considering B.understanding C.watching D.asking
3.A.proudly B.hurriedly C.sadly D.angrily
4.A.where B.what C.who D.when
5.A.comes B.finds C.goes D.leaves
6.A.so B.for C.but D.as
7.A.down B.on C.to D.up
8.A.think B.wish C.imagine D.find
9.A.then B.sadly C.again D.now
10.A.reached B.looked C.searched D.charged
11.A.myself B.him C.his D.them
12.A.still B.yet C.also D.even
13.A.nodded B.added C.laughed D.showed
14.A.to B.for C.in D.on
15.A.Now B.Therefore C.However D.Then
16.A.occupied B.controlled C.attacked D.owned
17.A.left B.died C.came D.killed
18.A.knocked B.treated C.left D.kept
19.A.after B.since C.until D.before
20.A.man B.girl C.boy D.woman
With a great weight _______ off her mind, she passed all the tests successfully.
A.taking B.to take C.taken D.being taken
This is a promising company as its employees _______ to think outside the box and develop creative solutions.
A.encourage B.have encouraged C.were encouraged D.are encouraged
— What do you think of modern music?
— It is often considered not as good as _______ of the past.
A.it B.this C.that D.one
—What makes you so unhappy?
— .
A.Because I’ve put on weight
B.Putting on weight
C.For I’ve lost some weight
D.Because of my putting on weight
