Question

Are you shy? If you are, you are not alone. In fact, close to 50 percent of people are shy. Almost 80 percent of people feel shy at some point in their lives. These days, shyness is becoming more and more common. Now, scientists are trying to understand shyness. They have some interesting ideas about why people are shy.

Is it possible to be born shy? Many scientists say yes. They say 15 to 20 percent of babies behave shyly. These babies are a little quieter and more watchful than other babies. Interestingly, these shy babies usually have shy parents. As a result, scientists think that some shyness is genetic.

Family size might cause people to be shy as well. Scientists at Harvard University studied shy children. They found that 66 percent of them had older brothers and sisters. As a result, they became shy. At the same time, children with no brothers and sisters may be shy as well. Growing up alone, they often play by themselves. They are not able to learn the same social skills as children from big families.

You may also be shy because of where you were born. When scientists studied shyness in different countries, they found surprising differences. In Japan, most people said they were shy. But in Israel, only one of three people said so. What explains the difference? One scientist says the Japanese and Israelis have different opinions（看法） of failure（失败）. In Japan, when people do not succeed, they feel bad about themselves. They blame（责备）themselves for their failure. In Israel, the opposite is true. Israelis often blame failure on outside reasons, such as family, teachers, friends, or bad luck. In Israel, freedom of opinion and risk taking are strongly supported. This may be why Israelis worry less about failure and are less shy.

For shy people, it can be difficult to make friends, speak in class, and even get a good job. But scientists say you can get over your shyness. They suggest trying new things and practicing conversation. And don’t forget---if you are shy, you are not the only one.

1.What does the underlined word “genetic” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A. Passed down from parents.

B. Learned from friends.

C. Taught by teachers.

D. Made up by brothers.

2.We can learn from the passage that _______ may cause shyness.

A. genetics, grown--ups and birthplace

B. genetics, family size and birthplace

C. family size, grown--ups and failure

D. genetics, family size and freedom

3.Which of the following shows the structure（结构）of the passage? (P=Paragraph)

Answer

1.A

2.B

3.A

【解析】

试题分析：本文介绍了科学家对害羞这一性格的研究成果。你害羞吗？如果是，那么你不是一个人，研究表明很多人有这种性格。那么这种性格是怎么形成的呢？科学家在对此研究的时候发现，可能导致害羞的原因有基因、家庭成员的数量和出生地。害羞这种性格有很多缺点，不过它是可以改变的。可以通过接触新事物练习交谈等方法改进。

1.A细节理解题。前文说到Interestingly, these shy babies usually have shy parents. As a result 有趣的是，这些害羞的婴儿通常有害羞的父母，由此判断“genetic”意为从父母传下来的基因。故选A。

2.B大意概括题。文章的二三四段，分别介绍了可能导致害羞的三个原因。分别是：基因、家庭人数和出生地，故选B。

3.

考点：科普类短文阅读