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Babies have an astonishing talent that adults entirely lose. By the age of one, they can recognise the significant noises around them and group them into a language. When we have lost this capacity as adults, it becomes enormously difficult to distinguish between sounds that are glaringly different to a native speaker. It all sounds Greek to us. This is because the range of possible sounds that humans use to convey meaning may be as high as 2,000, but few languages use more than 100 and even then the significant noises－the phonemes (音素) of a language－each cover a range of sounds and so vague distinctions which would change the meaning of a word in other languages.
But where do these phonemes come from and why do they shift over time? New research suggests that the apparently arbitrary distribution of some sounds around the world may be partially explained by diet. This is unexpected. We’d rather think of language as product of our thought, rather than of the arrangement of our teeth. In reality, though, any given language must be both.
Hunter gatherer languages very seldom use the sounds known as labiodentals (唇齿音)－those such as f and v－that are made by touching the lower lip with the upper teeth. Only two of the hundreds of Australian aboriginal languages use them, for example. But in cultures that have discovered farming, these consonants (辅音) are much more common. The argument goes that farmers eat more cooked food and more dairy than hunter gatherers. Either way, they need to chew mush less, and to bite less with their front teeth. So farmers grew up with smaller lower jaws and more of an overbite than their ancestors who had to bite through harder foods. It became easier for them to make the labiodental consonants instead of purely labial (唇音) ones: one example is that f come to take the place of p. Romans said “pater” but English speakers (unless they’re Rees－Moggs) say “father”.
Beyond these particular changes, the story highlights the way in which everything distinctively human is both material and spiritual: speech must combine sound and meaning, and the meaning can ’t exist or be transmitted without a real object. But neither can it be reduced to the purely physical, as our inability to understand or even to recognise foreign languages makes clear. The food we eat shapes our jaws, and our jaws in turn shape the sounds of our language. The ease with which we eat probably shapes our thought too, as anyone who has suffered toothache could testify. What we eat may have shaped the sounds of our language, but how we eat changes how we feel and what we use language to express. A family meal is very different from a sandwich at the office desk, even if the calorie is the same. Food has purposes and meanings far beyond keeping us alive and pleasing the Palate (味觉).
1.Compared with adults, babies could more easily .
A. create significant noises B. classify the forms of noises
C. understand the Greek language D. distinguish meaningful sounds
2.According to the passage, which of the following factors help shape language?
A. Lips and teeth. B. Jobs and habits.
C. Age and regions. D. Food and thinking.
3.The reason for farmers' making sounds of “f” and “v” is .
A. enjoying more cooked foods B. biting more with front teeth
C. constantly chewing harder foods D. growing up with lager lower jaws
4.By writing this passage, the author intends to reveal .
A. jaws help shape our thought
B. food determines our thought
C. diet has some influence on language
D. language consists of sound and meaning
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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It's not just adults who have a thing or two to discuss with other people, babies too have their own social lives and enjoy group interaction, according to a world-first study.
The breakthrough study conducted by psychologist Professor Ben Bradley, at Charles Sturt University, could completely transform the way child-care centers are set up. In their study, the researchers examined groups of nine-month-old babies in new South Wales and Britain.
And they came across astonishing results—it was found that infants had “social brains” and focused not just on their mothers but on social 1ife in groups as well,
“They communicate with more than one baby at once，and show jealousy and generousness，”said Professor Bradley．
He added，“They develop their own meanings through group interaction，they notice if a group member is behaving differently and they take on roles，such as leaders and followers．”
“A baby who has a depressed mother tends to be withdrawn(内向的)，but put that same baby in a group of its peers(同龄人)and they behave and interact like any other baby．”
It was the first all-baby group study ever to be conducted．“Most studies of babies concentrate on the infant-mother relationship，assuming that is the single foundation for mental health．but babies are constantly involved with groups of people other than their mothers：fathers，siblings，grandparents and those taking care．Therefore。the ‘mother-baby approach’ needs to be combined with a‘ group approach’．”said Bradley．
Phoebe Christison ，a child-care worker at Camperdown Sunshine Bubs in Sydney’s inner west．said she often noticed what appeared．to be emotional attachments developed between toddlers．
She said，“Joel(10 months)and Isabella (11months)always like to hold hands when they sit in their high chairs and eat．And babies definitely show jealousy．They push and touch each other，and copy what the other is doing．”
1.A baby who has a depressed mother ____ ．
A．tends to be a follower
B．also enjoys group interaction
C．has poor social ability
D．pays more attention to its mother
2.What can be inferred from the result of this study?
A．Babies are affected by groups more than by their mothers．
B．There’s no need of child-care centers at a11．
C． Adults should include babies when having social activities．
D．The normal infant-mother bond alone isn’t enough for the good mental health for babies．
3.The underlined word “toddlers” in Para．8 can be replaced by_________
A．adults B．infants C．peers D．groups
4.The example given in the last paragraph proves that a baby________ .
A．is born to be friendly to other babies
B．has interest in peers as well as in its mother
C．may have emotional attachments to another baby
D．shows jealousy and generousness as an adult
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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______ well in an interview made him lose the position in that company.
A．Not doing B．Not to have done
C．Having not done D．Doing not
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
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“It takes an entire village to raise a child.” That’s an old proverb(谚语) that is being quoted more and more often these days. And I’m pleased about that.
Today, more and more schools are reaching out to involve parents, community members and businesses to help shape a child’s future.
Parents need to be involved in their children’s education in many ways. Helping children with homework and studying, going on a field trip, teaching a craft or coaching a child’s sports team are all great ways to be involved with your child’s education. And don’t forget to communicate with teachers---they need and respect your input. Studies show that children learn more and schools function better when parents and schools work together. It’s important to stay in touch with your child’s education all through his or her school career.
Communities can help children create and achieve new goals. Help with homework, read to a child, coach a children’s team, or provide emotional support. Help solve problems and build self-esteem. Kids need role models and advisers can be role models by sharing their experiences and wisdom.
Businesses can also help shape our children’s future. Invite a class from your local school to visit your workplace. You may be providing a glimpse that opens a new world of possibilities. Show students what goes on during a typical day. Give a mini course for students: how to use a computer; how products are made; how machinery works. You may have a developing electrician, teacher, nurse, or even a newspaper reporter on your hands.
It really does take an entire village to raise a child. So share the responsibility---and the joy---of bringing a child to his or her full potential.
1.The implied advice in the proverb “It takes an entire village to raise a child.” is that ______.
A. All the people in a village should give food to a child.
B.Schools, parents, and other organizations should share the responsibility
of shaping a child’s future.
C. Children’s should be brought up in the village where they were born.
D. Schools should be set up in the village where a child was raised.
2. The text was written mainly for _______________.
A. parents and members in organizations
B. teachers and students
C. newspaper reporters and developing electricians
D. education experts and government officials
3. Students can get developed in practical working skill through ______.
A. parental involvement B. community activities
C. business training D. school teaching
4.Which is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Parents play an important part in children’s education.
B. Communities have not a bit effect on the way to new and high ideal.
C. Educating a child well demands of the work not only from school but from other organizations.
D. Businesses may arrange some training courses for students.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
-
“It takes an entire village to raise a child.” That’s an old proverb(谚语) that is being quoted more and more often these days. And I’m pleased about that.
Today, more and more schools are reaching out to involve parents, community members and businesses to help shape a child’s future.
Parents need to be involved in their children’s education in many ways. Helping children with homework and studying, going on a field trip, teaching a craft or coaching a child’s sports team are all great ways to be involved with your child’s education. And don’t forget to communicate with teachers---they need and respect your input. Studies show that children learn more and schools function better when parents and schools work together. It’s important to stay in touch with your child’s education all through his or her school career.
Communities can help children create and achieve new goals. Help with homework, read to a child, coach a children’s team, or provide emotional support. Help solve problems and build self-esteem. Kids need role models and advisers can be role models by sharing their experiences and wisdom.
Businesses can also help shape our children’s future. Invite a class from your local school to visit your workplace. You may be providing a glimpse that opens a new world of possibilities. Show students what goes on during a typical day. Give a mini course for students: how to use a computer; how products are made; how machinery works. You may have a developing electrician, teacher, nurse, or even a newspaper reporter on your hands.
It really does take an entire village to raise a child. So share the responsibility---and the joy---of bringing a child to his or her full potential.
1.The implied advice in the proverb “It takes an entire village to raise a child.” is that ______.
A. All the people in a village should give food to a child.
B.Schools, parents, and other organizations should share the responsibility of shaping a child’s future.
C. Children’s should be brought up in the village where they were born.
D. Schools should be set up in the village where a child was raised.
2.The text was written mainly for _______________.
A. parents and members in organizations
B. teachers and students
C. newspaper reporters and developing electricians
D. education experts and government officials
3.Students can get developed in practical working skill through ______.
A. parental involvement B. community activities
C. business training D. school teaching
4.Which is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Parents play an important part in children’s education.
B. Communities have not a bit effect on the way to new and high ideal.
C. Educating a child well demands of the work not only from school but from other organizations.
D. Businesses may arrange some training courses for students.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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“Image is everything．” An entire industry has been built upon the assumption that image is everything, but when it comes down to it, an appealing image is not enough．If there is no substance（事实） behind the image, the product, service or person will fail eventually．
First of all, one should consider how important image is in the selling of products and services．Advertising agencies have raised the art of creating an image to a state of near perfection．Public concept of that product or service is certainly managed by the images created by the advertising agencies．But if the product or service does not live up to the image that was created, the customer will be very dissatisfied and possibly ask for their money back．For example, the Arthur Andersen accounting firm had spent decades building up an image of trustworthiness．But the recent scandal （丑闻） showed that behind that image, it cheated in business practices．Despite the previous positive image, the firm is being accused of criminal actions and it will probably not survive as a business unit．Although the image had been nearly perfect, the reality behind the image has led to the downfall of the world famous accounting firm．
Similarly, personal advisers can build up a public image for politicians and movie stars．Putting out positive news releases, making sure that only the best photographs are published, and ensuring that the person is seen in all the right places can build up a very positive image in the view of the general commons．But once again, history is filled with examples of both politicians and movie stars that fell from grace like the story of the Hollywood actor giving in to the pressures of fame and fortune．With people, just as with products and services, image is certainly important, but without positive substance behind the image, failure is close．
To summarize, it is clear that an appealing image is extremely important to success, whether that image is related to selling a product or service or to the “selling” of a person．But image is only half of the equation．What lies behind that image is every bit as important as the image itself —— the person or product must deliver on that image or there is little chance for long-term success．
1.The downfall of the Arthur Andersen accounting firm is due to ________．
A. its dishonesty in business B. its previous images
C. its bad management D. its poor service
2.Why did some famous people fall from grace?
A. Their images were not well built up
B. They failed to live up to their images．
C. They felt much pressure from the public
D. They paid little attention to fame and fortune．
3.The structure of the passage is ________．
A: Argument P: Point C: Conclusion
4.The author tries to argue that _________．
A. image creates everything B. image is the key to success
C. truth is unlikely ever to be equaled D. truth and image are equally important
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
-
“Image is everything.” An entire industry has been built upon the assumption that image is everything, but when it comes down to it, an appealing image is not enough. If there is no substance(事实) behind the image, the product, service or person will fail eventually.
First of all, one should consider how important image is in the selling of products and services. Advertising agencies have raised the art of creating an image to a state of near perfection. Public concept of that product or service is certainly managed by the images created by the advertising agencies. But if the product or service does not live up to the image that was created, the customer will be very dissatisfied and possibly ask for their money back. For example, the Arthur Andersen accounting firm had spent decades building up an image of trustworthiness. But the recent scandal (丑闻) showed that behind that image, it cheated in business practices. Despite the previous positive image, the firm is being accused of criminal actions and it will probably not survive as a business unit. Although the image had been nearly perfect, the reality behind the image has led to the downfall of the world famous accounting firm.
Similarly, personal advisers can build up a public image for politicians and movie stars. Putting out positive news releases, making sure that only the best photographs are published, and ensuring that the person is seen in all the right places can build up a very positive image in the view of the general commons. But once again, history is filled with examples of both politicians and movie stars that fell from grace like the story of the Hollywood actor giving in to the pressures of fame and fortune. With people, just as with products and services, image is certainly important, but without positive substance behind the image, failure is close.
To summarize, it is clear that an appealing image is extremely important to success, whether that image is related to selling a product or service or to the “selling” of a person. But image is only half of the equation. What lies behind that image is every bit as important as the image itself —— the person or product must deliver on that image or there is little chance for long-term success.
1.The downfall of the Arthur Andersen accounting firm is due to ________.
A. its previous images
B. its dishonesty in business
C. its bad management
D. its poor service
2.Why did some famous people fall from grace?___________
A. Their images were not well built up
B. They felt much pressure from the public.
C. They failed to live up to their images
D. They paid little attention to fame and fortune.
3.The structure of the passage is ________.
A: Argument P: Point C: Conclusion
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
-
“Image is everything.” An entire industry has been built upon the assumption that image is everything, but when it comes down to it, an appealing image is not enough. If there is no substance(事实) behind the image, the product, service or person will fail eventually.
First of all, one should consider how important image is in the selling of products and services. Advertising agencies have raised the art of creating an image to a state of near perfection. Public concept of that product or service is certainly managed by the images created by the advertising agencies. But if the product or service does not live up to the image that was created, the customer will be very dissatisfied and possibly ask for their money back. For example, the Arthur Andersen accounting firm had spent decades building up an image of trustworthiness. But the recent scandal (丑闻) showed that behind that image, it cheated in business practices. Despite the previous positive image, the firm is being accused of criminal actions and it will probably not survive as a business unit. Although the image had been nearly perfect, the reality behind the image has led to the downfall of the world famous accounting firm.
Similarly, personal advisers can build up a public image for politicians and movie stars. Putting out positive news releases, making sure that only the best photographs are published, and ensuring that the person is seen in all the right places can build up a very positive image in the view of the general commons. But once again, history is filled with examples of both politicians and movie stars that fell from grace like the story of the Hollywood actor giving in to the pressures of fame and fortune. With people, just as with products and services, image is certainly important, but without positive substance behind the image, failure is close.
To summarize, it is clear that an appealing image is extremely important to success, whether that image is related to selling a product or service or to the “selling” of a person. But image is only half of the equation. What lies behind that image is every bit as important as the image itself —— the person or product must deliver on that image or there is little chance for long-term success.
1.The downfall of the Arthour Andersen accounting firm is due to ________.
A. its dishonesty in business B. its previous images
C. its bad management D. its poor service
2.Why did some famous people fall from grace?
A. Their images were not well built up B. They failed to live up to their images.
C.They felt much pressure from the public D. They paid little attention to fame and fortune.
3.The structure of the passage is ________.
A: Argument P: Point C: Conclusion
4.The author tries to argue that _________.
A. image creates everything B. image is the key to success
C. truth is unlikely ever to be equalled D. truth and image are equally important
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
-
“Image is everything.” An entire industry has been built upon the assumption that image is everything, but when it comes down to it, an appealing image is not enough. If there is no substance（事实）behind the image, the product, service or person will fail eventually.
First of all, one should consider how important image is in the selling of products and services. Advertising agencies have raised the art of creating an image to a state of near perfection. Public concept of that product or service is certainly managed by the images created by the advertising agencies．But if the product or service does not live up to the image that was created, the customer will be very dissatisfied and possibly ask for their money back. For example, the Arthur Andersen accounting firm had spent decades building up an image of trustworthiness. But the recent scandal (丑闻) showed that behind that image, it cheated in business practices. Despite the previous positive image, the firm is being accused of criminal actions and it will probably not survive as a business unit. Although the image had been nearly perfect, the reality behind the image has led to the downfall of the world famous accounting firm.
Similarly, personal advisers can build up a public image for politicians and movie stars. Putting out positive news releases, making sure that only the best photographs are published, and ensuring that the person is seen in all the right places can build up a very positive image in the view of the general commons. But once again, history is filled with examples of both politicians and movie stars that fell from grace like the story of the Hollywood actor giving in to the pressures of fame and fortune. With people, just as with products and services, image is certainly important, but without positive substance behind the image, failure is close.
To summarize, it is clear that an appealing image is extremely important to success, whether that image is related to selling a product or service or to the “selling” of a person. But image is only half of the equation. What lies behind that image is every bit as important as the image itself —— the person or product must deliver on that image or there is little chance for long-term success.
1.The downfall of the Arthour Andersen accounting firm is due to ___________.
A. its dishonesty in business B. its previous images
C. its bad management D. its poor service
2.Why did some famous people fall from grace?
A. Their images were not well built up.
B. They failed to live up to their images.
C. They felt much pressure from the public.
D. They paid little attention to fame and fortune.
3.The structure of the passage is ___________.
A: Argument P: Point C: Conclusion
4.The author tries to argue that ___________.
A. image creates everything
B. image is the key to success.
C. truth is unlikely ever to be equaled
D. truth and image are equally important
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
-
“Image is everything．” An entire industry has been built upon the assumption that image is everything, but when it comes down to it, an appealing image is not enough．If there is no substance（事实） behind the image, the product, service or person will fail eventually．
First of all, one should consider how important image is in the selling of products and services．Advertising agencies have raised the art of creating an image to a state of near perfection．Public concept of that product or service is certainly managed by the images created by the advertising agencies．But if the product or service does not live up to the image that was created, the customer will be very dissatisfied and possibly ask for their money back．For example, the Arthur Andersen accounting firm had spent decades building up an image of trustworthiness．But the recent scandal(丑闻) showed that behind that image, it cheated in business practices．Despite the previous positive image, the firm is being accused of criminal actions and it will probably not survive as a business unit．Although the image had been nearly perfect, the reality behind the image has led to the downfall of the world famous accounting firm．
Similarly, personal advisers can build up a public image for politicians and movie stars．Putting out positive news releases, making sure that only the best photographs are published, and ensuring that the person is seen in all the right places can build up a very positive image in the view of the general commons．But once again, history is filled with examples of both politicians and movie stars that fell from grace like the story of the Hollywood actor giving in to the pressures of fame and fortune．With people, just as with products and services, image is certainly important, but without positive substance behind the image, failure is close．
To summarize, it is clear that an appealing image is extremely important to success, whether that image is related to selling a product or service or to the “selling” of a person．But image is only half of the equation．What lies behind that image is every bit as important as the image itself —— the person or product must deliver on that image or there is little chance for long-term success．
1.The downfall of the Arthour Andersen accounting firm is due to ________．
A. its dishonesty in business B. its previous images
C. its bad management D. its poor service
2.Why did some famous people fall from grace?
A. Their images were not well built up
B. They failed to live up to their images．
C. They felt much pressure from the public
D. They paid little attention to fame and fortune
3.The structure of the passage is ________．
A: Argument P: Point C: Conclusion
4.The author tries to argue that _________．
A. image creates everything
B. image is the key to success
C. truth is unlikely ever to be equaled
D. truth and image are equally important
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析