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.
My parents are from South Africa, and I’m a vegetarian, which no one in my small hometown in Washington understood. I always felt ______ from everybody else at school. As hard as I tried to keep myself ______, I started getting bullied(霸凌). I ______ who I was, wore really plain clothes, and tied up my bright red hair and ______ I wouldn’t attract as much attention. Eventually, I ______ to an arts high school, which was much more ______. There, I felt brave enough to show off the unique sides of my ______ and made friends who loved me for who I was.
More recently, I’ve ______ with confidence in my skin. When I moved to L. A. , I started getting bad cystic acne(痤疮). I didn’t want to go outside, and if I had to, I would ______ makeup. I’ve learned that you can’t ______ control your skin, but you can control how you treat yourself. When I tell myself I’m beautiful, or take a(n) ______ few minutes for skin care, I wake up the next morning feeling ______.
A lot of Riverdale fans made the ______ that I was as mean as Cheryl when the show was first ______, so I started a YouTube channel for them to get to know my true ______. And so many of them ask for advice about how to ______ bullying. Playing a ______ girl has helped me see the reasons I was bullied. I tell them, whoever is treating you that way is ______ something, and it has nothing to do with you. Like for Cheryl, every time her ______ erupts, it has to do with how she’s feeling about herself rather than the other characters. Cheryl behaves in a way that ______ her wealth and upbringing, a privileged daughter of a businessman.
My motto: If you take care of yourself, you’ll always feel confident and happy.
1.A.absent B.free C.distinct D.immune
2.A.active B.unique C.unnoticed D.ambitious
3.A.hid B.displayed C.remembered D.forgot
4.A.yet B.thus C.moreover D.meanwhile
5.A.submitted B.transported C.slipped D.transferred
6.A.persuasive B.inclusive C.expensive D.negative
7.A.hair B.origin C.personality D.identity
8.A.gone B.met C.started D.struggled
9.A.abuse B.absorb C.attach D.apply
10.A.constantly B.strictly C.hardly D.loosely
11.A.spare B.extra C.precious D.unhappy
12.A.nervous B.depressed C.content D.ridiculous
13.A.presentation B.explanation C.definition D.assumption
14.A.aired B.scheduled C.designed D.adapted
15.A.strengths B.charms C.values D.characters
16.A.handle B.relieve C.clarify D.monitor
17.A.popular B.mean C.foreign D.sensitive
18.A.seeing through B.falling through C.putting through D.going through
19.A.violence B.excitement C.curiosity D.anxiety
20.A.multiplies B.shares C.reflects D.decreases
Don’t use your mobile phone while charging, ______ you may be shocked by electricity.
A.or B.and C.but D.yet
— Why is the chemical plant closed?
— Because large quantities of waste water ______ into the Yangtze River.
A.has been released B.is being released
C.was released D.have been released
—Lydia, what did our head-teacher say just now?
—Every boy and every girl as well as the teachers who _____ to lead the group _____ asked to be at the
school gate before 6:30 in the morning.
A.is; is B.are; are C.are; is D.is; are
You will never gain success________ you are fully devoted to your work.
A.when B.because C.after D.unless
