They just can’t help it! My theory is that the female brain is mainly built for empathy— the ability to understand other people — and that the male brain is mainly built for building systems. 1. For example, women are more likely to read magazines on fashion and parenting, while men will choose magazines that are mainly about computers and sports.
You may think that these preferences are influenced by the way people are taught to behave when they are growing up. However, this is not the case. A new study carried out at the University of Cambridge shows that newborn girls look longer at a face, and newborn boys look longer at a mobile. 2. It has also been observed that girls are better at noticing signs of changes in other people’s feelings. Boys, however, seem to enjoy building toy towers and playing with toys which have clear functions. 3. People whose jobs are in the construction (建设) industries are almost males. Maths and engineering, which require high levels of systems thinking, are also male-chosen disciplines (准则). Why do men and women have differences? Actually women have four times as many brain neurons (神经元) that connect the right and left part of their brains. Because of it, women have the better ability to multitask than men. 4. Men tend to focus on a limited number of problems at a time. They will separate themselves from problems and view tasks as independent from one another.
Some people may worry that I am suggesting one gender (性别) is better than the other, but this is not the case. My theory says that males and females differ in the kinds of things that they find easy, but that both genders have their strengths and weaknesses. 5. It is not true. The study simply looks at males and females as two groups, and asks what differences exist, and why they are there.
A.Generally speaking, there are clear differences.
B.You can see the same kind of pattern in the adult workplace.
C.Their preferences for building systems may change over time.
D.They will consider many sources of information at the same time.
E.That suggests certain differences between male and female brains are biological.
F.It is important to stress that the female brain may be built more for empathy.
G.Others may think the theory creates a belief of what a particular type of person is like.
I study English literature at university and have always been proud of Britain’s literary heritage. Some British authors that you may have heard of are Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. These writers are famous all over the world because their books have been translated into many different languages. In the UK, their novels are celebrated as some of the best that have ever been written. We say that these novels are “classic” because they are still read and enjoyed years after their publication.
I read classic novels not only because they are part of my university lessons but also because I enjoy them. They can teach you a lot about how people used to live and what society was like in the past. Novels like Hard Times by Charles Dickens remind us of the poverty in London during the Industrial Revolution while Jane Austen’s fiction (小说) shows us what family life was like in the 18th century.
Classic novels usually have memorable stories and interesting characters. One of my favourite books is Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. It is about a boy called Pip who suddenly receives a lot of money from a mysterious supporter. As he grows up, his character changes: he becomes quite selfish and mean. Another important character is Miss Havisham. When she was young, her fiancé ran away on their wedding day. She lives in a dark house and still wears her wedding dress. She is a fascinating (迷人的) character, both sad and easy to be frightened.
Reading classic novels enriches my knowledge and life experience. And it has become part of my life.
1.Classic novels are the ones __________.
A.that are taught at universities. B.that have stood the test of time.
C.that are written by famous authors. D.That are translated into many languages.
2.In Paragraph 2, the author mentions Hard Times _____?
A.to introduce the university lessons.
B.to remind people of the poverty in London.
C.to let people know about what family life was like.
D.to prove classic novels help people know the past.
3.What can we know about the character Miss Havisham?
A.She is selfish and mean. B.She lives an unhappy life.
C.She loves wedding dresses most. D.She becomes rich with others’ support.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.Why I like classic novels B.Why some novels are classic
C.How to read classic novels D.What are classic novels
Clowns (丑角) have been around for a long time. They not only make us laugh at the circus (马戏团) but they used to make the king and his followers laugh in court. The earliest of these fun-makers are called “fools”. In Greek and Roman times these fools dressed up like clowns do today with painted faces and funny costumes (戏服). They danced around the stage and did things to make people laugh as clowns do in circuses today. By medieval times (中世纪) every court had its fools. Fools wore bright colours and had bells (大肚子) on their shoes and their hats.
They were not really meant to be foolish and often they would say wise and sensible things to the king which nobody else was brave enough to say. The king never got cross with the fool as this was his job. He was meant to be both wise and foolish and try to make the situation in court less serious.
Of course people wanted to have their own kind of fool and shows developed in the 1500s in which fools (or Zanies) performed to make the crowd laugh. This kind of entertainment became so popular that it started a special kind of drama in Italy called Commedia dell´arte, which gradually turned into our comedy programmes today. When you watch the antics (滑稽剧) of Charlie Chaplin or Rowan Atkinson, you are watching a kind of comedy that is directly originated from the fools of ancient Rome and Greece.
1.How do clowns entertain people?
A.By their amusing talk and body language.
B.By their amusing voices and body langauge.
C.By their clothes, songs and the way they talk.
D.By their clothes, make-up and the way they act.
2.Where did fools first give performances?
A.In different towns in Europe.
B.In shows in ancient Greece and Rome.
C.At fairs or market where there were a lot of people.
D.in the building where law cases could be heard and judged.
3.When did the Commedia dell´arte begin to develop?
A.Before the fifth century.
B.Around the tenth century.
C.During the Middle Ages.
D.In the sixteenth century.
4.What does the underlined “got cross” in the second paragraph mean?
A.got satisfied B.got through
C.got angry D.got delighted
Sometimes two very different individuals become the best friends. For example, who could have thought that a spider (蜘蛛) would become friends with a pig? But in American writer E. B. White’s novel Charlotte’s Web, this is exactly what happens.
Wilbur the pig grows up in a barn (牲口棚) and makes many friends, including a spider called Charlotte. One day a sheep tells Wilbur that he will finally be served up as dinner. But Charlotte decides to save her friend. To help Wilbur, Charlotte writes words like “terrific” “radiant (喜悦的)” and “humble (谦逊的)” on her web to praise Wilbur. This makes the farmer believe that he is too important to kill. Wilbur is saved, but Charlotte is so tired that she dies.
The book was first published in 1952. In over 60 years Charlotte has become one of the most famous spiders of all time. She teaches us about love and promise. “She is very, very loving under that ugly look,” said Peter F. Neumeyer, writer of The Annotated Charlotte’s Web.
The book’s success drew the attention of Hollywood film-makers. However, they wanted a happy ending. White was strongly against this idea and as a result the film, like the book, ends with Charlotte’s death.
Jen Doll, a reporter of The Atlantic, believes that “death is part of life”. She says this is one of the main messages of the book.
As Charlotte tells Wilbur, “You have been my friend. That in itself is a wonderful thing. I wove (织) my webs for you because I like you. After all, what’s a life, anyway? We’re born, we live a little while and then we die. A spider’s life can’t help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a little. God knows anyone’s life can stand a little of that.”
1.Which of the following about the story is TRUE?
A.It’s a good example of how different creatures live in peace.
B.Though ugly, Charlotte is loving and helpful.
C.It encourages children to love their family and friends.
D.The farmer kills Wilbur as dinner.
2.Hollywood film-makers and White didn’t agree on _______.
A.the fate of Wilbur.
B.how to close story.
C.who was to play Charlotte.
D.the way Charlotte makes friends with Wilbur.
3.In the last paragraph, Charlotte’s main message is that _______.
A.life is like a web
B.friendship is more important than life
C.life could be boring and troublesome
D.dying for a good cause is worthwhile
No poem should ever be discussed or “analyzed”, until it has been read aloud by someone, teacher or student. Better still, perhaps, is the practice of reading it twice, once at the beginning of the discussion and once at the end, so the sound of the poem is the last thing one hears of it.
All discussions of poetry are, in fact, preparations for reading it aloud, and the reading of the poem is, finally, the most telling “interpretation” of it, suggesting tone, rhythm, and meaning all at once. Hearing a poet read the work in his or her own voice, on records or on film, is obviously a special reward. But even those aids to teaching cannot replace the student and teacher reading it or, best of all, reciting it.
I have come to think, in fact, that time spent reading a poem aloud is much more important than “analyzing” it, if there isn’t time for both. I think one of our goals as teachers of English is to have students love poetry. Poetry is “a criticism (批评) of life”, and “a heightening of life”. It is “an approach to the truth of feeling”, and it “can save your life”. It also deserves a place in the teaching of language and literature more central than it presently occupies.
I am not saying that every English teacher must teach poetry. Those who don’t like it should not be forced to put that dislike on anyone else. But those who do teach poetry must keep in mind a few things about its basic nature, about its sound as well as its sense, and they must make room in the classroom for hearing poetry as well as thinking about it.
1.It is suggested that a poem should ______ to get it better understood.
A.be discussed it with others B.be analyzed by oneself
C.be copied down in a notebook D.be read aloud a few times
2.Poetry doesn’t have the function of ______.
A.exploring your true feeling.
B.rethinking about your life.
C.saving some time for your life.
D.lifting up your life.
3.According to the writer, one of the purposes of teaching English Poetry is _______.
A.to get students to understand life
B.to get students to enjoy poetry
C.to have students who love poetry.
D.to keep poetry occupying its present place.
4.The underlined phrase “make room” in the last paragraph could be best replaced by “ ______”.
A.arrange a room B.provide a place
C.spare enough space D.set aside enough time
假定你是李华，得知你班英国交换生Jenny最近因学习压力大而情绪低落。请给她写一封电子邮件，内容包括：1.表示关心；2.提出缓解、释放压力的建议。
参考词汇：压力pressure；缓解、释放relieve
注意：1.词数100左右；2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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