Throughout the world, boys and girls prefer to play with different types of toys. Boys typically like to play with cars and trucks, while girls typically choose to play with dolls. Why is this? A traditional sociological explanation is that boys and girls are socialized and encouraged to play with different types of toys by their parents, peers, and the “society”. Growing scientific evidence suggests, however, that boys’ and girls’ toy preferences may have a biological origin.
In 2002, Gerianne M. Alexander of Texas A&M University and Melissa Hines of City University in London surprised the scientific world by showing that monkeys showed the same sex typical toy preferences as humans. In the study, Alexander and Hines gave two masculine toys (a ball and a police car), two feminine toys (a soft doll and a cooking pot), and two neutral(中性的) toys (a picture book and a stuffed dog) to 44 male and 44 female monkeys. They then assessed the monkeys’ preference for each toy by measuring how much time they spent with each. Their data showed that male monkeys showed significantly（显著地） greater interest in the masculine toys, and the female monkeys showed significantly greater interest in the feminine toys. The two sexes did not differ in their preference for the neutral toys.
If children’s toy preferences were largely formed by gender socialization, as traditional sociologists’ claim, in which their parents give “gender appropriate” toys to boys and girls, how can these male and female monkeys have the same preferences as boys and girls？They were never socialized by humans, and they had never seen these toys before in their lives.
1.Traditional sociologists believe boys’ and girls’ toy preferences ________.
A. are passed down from their parents
B. have a biological origin
C. have nothing to do with gender socialization
D. are largely formed in later life
2.The study by Alexander and Hines shows that monkeys________.
A. also play toys as humans do
B. also have a sex typical toy preference
C. have no toy preferences
D. like to play different toys at different time
3.Alexander and Hines carried out the study to ________.
A. find out why boys and girls prefer different toys
B. test the intelligence of monkeys
C. test whether monkeys like to play toys
D. find more evidence for traditional sociology
4.Masculine toys are mainly intended for________.
A. monkeys B. adult C. boys D. girls
When times get tough, we all look for ways to cut back. When we’re hungry, we eat at home instead of going out. We take buses instead of taxis. And we wear our old designer jeans just a few months longer. With college expenses at all-time highs, high school students are eager to do anything to cut the cost of a university education.
One cost-cutting proposal（advice） is to allow college students to get a bachelor’ s degree in three years instead of four. Educational institutions have been actively exploring ways to make the learning process more efficient. But there’s a question: Would the quality of undergraduate(本科生)education suffer? Few US universities have formally approved a “three-year degree” model.
I doubt that mainstream North American colleges will carry out a three-year curriculum(课程) any time soon. For one thing, most universities already allow highly qualified students to graduate early by testing out of certain classes and obtaining a number of college credits(学分). In addition, at famous universities, the committee who determine which courses are required and which courses are electives are unlikely to suddenly “throw out” one quarter of the required credits. Professors will resist(oppose) “diluting(稀释)” the quality of the education they offer.
In my opinion, a quality four-year education is always superior(更胜一筹) to a quality three-year education. A college education requires enough time for a student to become skilled in their major and do coursework in fields outside their major. It is not a good idea to water down education, any more than it’ s not a good idea to water down medicine. If we want to help students find their way through university, we should help them understand early on what knowledge and skills they need to have upon graduation. We should allow students to test out of as many courses as possible. We should give them a chance to earn money as interns(实习生)in meaningful part-time jobs that relate to their university studies, such as the five-year co-op program at Northeastern University.
1.We can learn from the passage that ________.
A. most American universities are against the “three-year degree” model
B. many famous US universities are considering adopting the “three-year degree” model
C. professors are willing to accept the “three-year degree” model
D. the “three-year degree” model can make college learning more efficient
2.In most US universities，________.
A. college students are offered the co-op program
B. electives’ credits make up one quarter of the required credits
C. all students are required to finish four-year education before graduation
D. some excellent students can graduate ahead of time
3.We can infer that________.
A. the author is a college professor
B. the author thinks the cost of a university education is too high for people to afford
C. the author considers the university education quality very important
D. the author pays special attention to the all-round development of college students
4.The first paragraph serves as a(n)________．
A. explanation B. definition
C. introduction D. comment
“Can I see my baby？” the happy new mother asked. When the bundle was in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped. The doctor turned quickly and looked out of the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.
Time proved that the baby’ s hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was imperfect. When he rushed home from school one day and threw himself into his mother’s arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be misfortunate. He cried out the tragedy, “A boy, a big boy... called me a freak (怪人)．”
He grew up, handsome. A favourite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. “But you might communicate with other young people，” his mother blamed him, but felt a kindness in her heart.
Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, “You’ re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’ s a secret.” The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person appeared.
Later he married and entered the diplomatic service. One day, he asked his father, “Who gave me the ears? Who gave me so much? I could never do enough for him or her.” “I do not believe you could，” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know... not yet.”
The years kept their secret, but the day did come. He stood with his father over his mother’ s casket（棺材）. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish brown hair to reveal the mother had no outer ears.
“Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut，” his father whispered gently, “and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful, did they？”
1.Why did Mother gasp when she saw her newborn baby?
A. Because her son had a tiny face.
B. Because she saw her son crying.
C. Because her son was born imperfect.
D. Because her son was in her arms.
2.Which word can describe Mother’ s feeling when the son threw himself into her arms?
A. Nervous. B. Sympathetic.
C. Proud. D. Angry.
3.Who gave the son the ears?
A. A doctor B. His father.
C. His mother. D. A stranger.
4.The underlined word “reveal” in the last but one paragraph means “________”．
A. see B. show C. find D. search
5.The best title for the passage would be ________.
A. Mother’s hair
B. An unforgettable memory
C. Who gave me the ears?
D. Who is my best respectable person?
单句改错
每句中只有一处错误，每处错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（﹨）划掉。
修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在改词下面写出修改后的词。
注意： 1. 每处错误及其修改仅限一词； 2. 每句只允许修改1处，多者不计分。
1.
Following the road and you will find the store.
2.He told me that how important it was to learn English.
3.Now people get a lot of informations from TV.
4.The truck was moving so fast that the driver couldn’t control.
5.We decided not to climb the mountain because it was raining hardly.
6.If it won’t rain, we will go to visit the zoo.
7.Tom, together with Mary and Alice, are going to swim this afternoon.
8.This question is much easy than that one.
9.The computer is an useful machine.
10.They only have a little room to live.
句子翻译
1.我迫不及待地要把这个好消息告诉她。(wait)
2.我觉得等待考试结果是很紧张的。(find)
3.你总有一天会逐渐意识到节省的重要性。(come to)
4.他的父母期望他成为一名会计师。(expect)
根据所给汉语提示完成下列句子，每空一词(请把答案填入答卷标号为76-81的空格中)。
1.She is eager to ______ _______ (取得进步) in her work.
2.The child was ________ _______ (分离) his mother.
3.We wonder how he ________ _______ (对……做出反应) the news at that time.
4.According to a recent survey, only 30% of the students _______ ________ _______ _______ (参 与) the volunteer activities since they were advised to by the school.
5.The advertisements succeed in _______ _______ _______ _______ (吸引公众注意力) the products.
6.After his speech, the meeting finally _______ _______ _______ _______ (结束).
