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Most young people enjoy some form of physical activity. It may be walking, cycling or swimming, or in winter, skating or skiing. It may be a game of some kind, football, hockey, golf or tennis. It may be mountaineering.
Those who have a passion for climbing high and difficult mountains are often looked upon with astonishment. Why are men and women willing to suffer cold and hardship, and to take risks on high mountains? This astonishment is caused probably by the difference between mountaineering and other forms of activity to which men give their leisure.
Mountaineering is a sport and not a game. There are no man-made rules, as there are for such games as golf and football. There are, of course, rules of a different kind which it would be dangerous to ignore, but it is this freedom from man-made rules that makes mountaineering attractive to many people. Those who climb mountains are free to use their own methods.
If we compare mountaineering and other more familiar sports, we might think that one big difference is that mountaineering is not a "team game". We should be mistaken in this. There are, it is true, no "matches" between teams of climbers, but when climbers are on a rockface linked by a rope on which their lives may depend, there is obviously team work. The mountain climber knows that he may have to fight forces that are stronger and more powerful than man. He has to fight the forces of nature, his sport requires high mental and physical qualities.
A mountain climber continues to improve in skill year after year. A skier is probably past his best by the age of thirty, and most international tennis champions are in their early twenties. But it is not unusual for a man of fifty or sixty to climb the highest mountains in the Alps. They may take more time than younger men, but they probably climb with more skill and less waste of effort, and they certainly experience equal enjoyment.
1.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A.Differences between Golf and Mountaineering. B.Sports and Games.
C.Mountaineering. D.Why are so many people crazy about mountaineering?
2.The mountaineering can also be called a team sport because_______.
A.mountain climbers usually compete in groups
B.mountaineers depend on each other while climbing
C.mountaineering climbers are free to use their own rules to climb
D.mountaineering is a sport not a game
3.The biggest difference between golf and mountaineering lies in_______.
A.team game B.enjoyment
C.age D.rules
4.In the author's opinion, one of the most important reason why so many people enjoy mountaineering is that_______.
A.there are no man-made rules for mountaineers
B.mountaineering is a sport and not a game
C.it is one of the most dangerous sports
D.mountaineering bring us more enjoyment than other sports
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Thinking is something you choose to do as a fish chooses to live in water. To be human is to think. But thinking may come naturally without your knowing how you do it. Thinking about thinking is the key to critical（批判性的）thinking. When you think critically, you take control of your thinking processes（过程）. Otherwise, you might be controlled by the ideas of others. Indeed, critical thinking is at the heart of education.
The word "critical" here has a special meaning. It does not mean taking one view against another view, as when someone criticizes another person for doing something wrong. The nature of critical thinking is thinking beyond the easily seen—beyond the pictures on TV, the untrue reports in the newspapers, and the faulty reasoning (错误的推理).
Critical thinking is an attitude as much as an activity. If you are curious about life and desire to dig deeper into it, you are a critical thinker; if you find pleasure in deep thinking about different ideas, characters, and facts, you are a critical thinker.
Activities of the mind and higher-order reasoning are processes of deep and careful consideration. They take time, and do not go hand in hand with the fast speed in today's world, fast foods, instant coffee, and self-developing film. If you are among the people who believe that speed is a measure of intelligence, you may learn something new from a story about Albert Einstein. The first time Banish Hoffman, a scientist, was to discuss his work with Albert Einstein, Hoffman was too nervous to speak. But Einstein immediately put Hoffman at ease by saying, "Please go slowly, I don't understand things quickly."
1.Critical thinking is important to us because if we do not think critically,__________.
A.it will be hard for us to think naturally and fast
B.we will follow the ideas of others naturally
C.we might be controlled by other people's ideas
D.we might be fooled by other people's ideas
2.If you are a critical thinker, you will________.
A.criticize other people for their mistakes B.trust the reports in the newspapers
C.take one view against another view D.think deeply about different ideas
3.In the last paragraph, "something new" suggests that________.
A.the smarter you are, the faster you do things
B.intelligence is not decided by speed
C.speed can improve intelligence
D.the faster you do things, the smarter you become
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A.Understanding Critical Thinking B.Thinking and Critical Thinking
C.Thinking Natural and Human D.Thinking Fast Means Intelligence
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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If there is no difference in general intelligence between boys and girls, what can explain girls’ poor performance in science and mathematics?
It seems to be that their treatment at school is a direct cause. Mathematics and science are seen as subjects mainly for boys, and therefore, as girls become teenagers, they are less likely to take them. Interestingly, both boys and girls often regard the subjects for boys as more difficult. Yet it has been suggested that girls do not take mathematics courses, not because they are difficult, but for social reasons. Girls do not want to be in open competition with boys because they are afraid to appear less feminine and attractive.
However, if we examine the performance of boys and girls who have taken mathematics courses, there are still more high-achieving boys than there are girls. This difference appears to be world-wide. Biological explanations have been offered for this, but there are other explanations, too.
Perhaps the difference which comes out during the teenage years has its roots in much earlier experiences. From their first days in kindergarten, boys are encouraged to work on their own and to complete tasks. Facts show that outstanding mathematicians and scientists have not had teachers who supply answers.
Besides, there can be little doubt that teachers of mathematics and science expect their boy students to do better at these subjects than their girl students. They even appear to encourage the difference between boys and girls. They spend more time with the boy students, giving them more time to answer questions and working harder to get correct answers from them. They are more likely to call in boys for answers and to allow them to take the lead in classroom discussion. They also praise boys more frequently. All of this seems to encourage boys to work harder in science and mathematics and to give them confidence that they are able to succeed.
Such a way of teaching is not likely to encourage girls to take many mathematics and science courses, nor is it likely to support girls who do. When it comes to these subjects it seems certain that school widens the difference between boys and girls.
1.Girls are likely to think that _____.
A.science courses are for both boys and girls
B.science courses make them more popular
C.science courses make them successful
D.science courses are difficult for them
2.The text mainly discuss_____ reasons for the difference between boys and girls in scientific achievements.
A.biological B.historical
C.social D.personal
3.What are boys usually encouraged to do at school? _____
A.To get help with their homework. B.To play the leading role in class.
C.To work with girl students in class. D.To learn to take care of others.
4.The author would probably agree that ______.
A.boys and girls learn in the same way
B.boys and girls are equal in general intelligence
C.girls are more confident in themselves than before
D.girls should take fewer science courses than boys
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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According to sociologists(社会学家), every modern industrial society has some form of social stratification(阶层). Class, power and status are important in deciding people's rank in society.
Class means a person's economic position in society. A commonly used classification is lower class, middle class and upper class. While sociologists disagree on how these terms should be exactly defined, they do describe societies like the United States quite well. One study shows that 53% of Americans belong to the lower class, 46% the middle class, and 1% the upper class. Interestingly, a surgeon earning $500,000 a year and a bus driver earning $50,000 a year both regard themselves as the middle class!
Power refers to the amount of control a person has over other people. Obviously, people in positions of great power (such as governors) exercise(行使)big power, but people who take orders from others have less power. Power and class do not always go hand in hand, however. For example, the governor of a state has great power, but he or she may not belong to a corresponding (相应的)economic class. Generally, however, there is a relationship between power and class. To our knowledge, there aren't too many people who aren't millionaires in the U．S. Senate!
Status is the honor or respect attached to a person's position in society. It can also be affected by power and class, but not necessarily so. For example, a university professor may have a high status but not belong to a high social class or have a lot of power over others.
1.What can we learn about “the middle class” from Paragraph 2?
A.People earning $50,000 a year belong to the middle class.
B.Nearly half Americans belong to the middle class.
C.People generally consider bus drivers as the middle class.
D.Sociologists have a clear definition of the middle class.
2.According to the text, we know that ________.
A.Power and class do not always correspond with each other
B.Status refers to a person's economic position in society
C.People with high status have a lot of control over others
D.Class is less important in deciding a person's social rank
3.Which of the following shows the structure of the whole text?
A.
B.
C.
D.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析