2014年10月全国自主考试英语阅读(一)真题及答案

(66)

(67)

(65)

To avoid the various foolish opinions to which mankind is prone, no superhuman genus is requireD.A few simple rules will keep you, not from all error, but from silly error.

[(63)If the matter is one that can be settled by observation，make the observation yourself．] Aristotle could have avoided the mistake of thinking that women have fewer teeth than men， by the simple device of asking Mrs. Aristotle to keep her mouth open while he counted.He did not do so because he thought he knew.[(64)Thinking that you know when in fact you don;t is a fatal mistake, to which we are all prone.] I believe myself that hedgehogs eat black beetles，because I have been told that they do； but if I were writing a book on the habits of hedgehogs，I should not commit myself untilI had seen one enjoying this unappetizing diet． Aristotle，however, was less cautious．Ancient and medieval authors knew all about unicorns and salamanders；not one of them thought it necessary to avoid dogmatic statements about them becausehe had never seen one of them.

Many matters，however, are less easily brought to the test of experience．[(65)If, like most of mankind，you have passionate convictions on many such matters there are ways in which you can make yourself aware of your own bias．][(66)If an opinion contrary to your own makes you angry, that is a sign that you are subconsciously aware of having no good reason for thinking as you do．]If some one maintains that two and two are five，or that Iceland is on the equator, you feel pity rather than anger, unless you know so little of arithmetic or geography that his opinion shakes your own contrary conviction．The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there is no good evidence either way．Persecution is used in theology, not in arithmetic，because in arithmetic there is knowledge, but in theology there is only opinion．[(67)So whenever you find yourself getting angry about a difference of opinion，be on your guard； you will probably find，on examination，that your belief is going beyond what the evidence warrants．]

(From How to Avoid the Foolish Opinions)

(63)

(64)

in what ways is money income related to spouses' good health?

(60)

What are the two major parts in a stress-reducing mechanism? What are the stress-reducing behaviors which. may help spouses promote each other’s health?

(58)

(59)

(57)

(56)

(54)

(55)

(52)

(53)

It is one of the paradoxes of civilization that the more opportunities are utilized, the more new ones are thereby created.New openings are as easy to find as ever to those (51)     do their best, although it is not (52)    easy as formerly to obtain great distinction in the old lines, because the standard has advanced so much, and competition has so greatly increased.The world is no longer clay," said Emerson, "but rather iron in the hands of its workers, and men have got to hammer out a place for themselves by steady and rugged blows."

Thousands of men have (53)__ fortunes out of trifles which others pass by. As the bee gets (54)__ from the same flower from which the spider gets poison, so some men will get a fortune out of the (55)__ and meanest things, as scraps of leather.cotton waste, slag, iron flings, from which others get only poverty and failure, There is scarcely a thing which (56)___ the welfare and comfort of humanity, scarcely an (57)__ of household furniture, a kitchen utensil, an article of clothing or of food, that is not capable of an important in which there may be a fortune.

Opportunities? They are all around us. Forces of nature (58) __ to be used in the service of man, as lightning for ages tried to attract his attention to the great force of (59) __ ,which would do his drudgery and leave him to develop the God-given powers (60) __ him. There is power lying latent everywhere waiting for the observant eye to discover it.

(from Opportunities Where You Are)

（51）

We will be able to help our children____better than our parents, (finance)

To reduce death,___ and property damage, it is important to design and construct buildings that are earthquake resistant. (injure)

intellectual disability refers to a general__to lean and function within society. (slow)

Income is one way to keep track of how well Americans are doing, but so is__,that is, how much is spent. (consume)

Employers are always able to find some reason for turning down an without appearing to break the law. apply)

Private cars are assumed to have our horizons and increased our mobility, (wide)

Digital technology is capable of restoring the signal. (origin)

Asian food production has doubled through a of high-yielding crops, expanded farming area and greater intensification. (combine)

Today, we expect the public telecommunication network to provide a reliable and___ accessible service (high)

(40)

Teachers and other specialists in early education recognize that children develop at different rates. (child)

(39)

(38)

(37)

(34)

(35)

(36)

(32)

I think they broke the mold when they made Ronnie. He was a man of strong principles and integrity. He had absolutely no ego, and he was very comfortable in his own skin; therefore, he didn't feel he ever had to prove anything to anyone. He said (31)___ .He could move from being a sportscaster to moving pictures and TV, to being Governor of the largest state in the country for eight years (32___ .), and somehow remain the same wonderful man. Perhaps this was helped by his strong, unshakable religious beliefs. Ronnie always believed that God has a plan for each of us and that we might not know what it is now, but eventually we will.

He never took off or landed in a plane without looking out the window and saying a silent prayer. I don't think many people knew this. He was the eternal optimist the glass was always half full, not half empty.

 I think his faith and his comfort with himself accounts for that optimism. Since he felt that everything happens for a reason, he never saw things darkly. After he was shot and we almost lost him, (33)___. He told me that he realized he couldn't pray just for himself, that it wouldn't be right, and that he also had to pray for John Hinckley. Hinckley's parents sent him a note and he wrote a nice one back to them.

Later, Cardinal Cooke visited Ronnie in the White House and said, God was certainly siting on your shoulder that day." Ronnie replied, Yes, I know, and I made up my mind that all the days I have left belong to Him.

Ronnie was a very private man but also gregarious, and he loved seeing and meeting people. (34)___. I have so many memories. He was very sentimental and romantic and tender. On my birthday, he always sent my mother flowers to thank her for having me, and he wrote me beautiful, touching let when we had to be apart.

Some time ago, he went for a walk and passed a house with roses in front. (35)___ . and the Secret Service agent reminded him it wasn't his house. He looked stricken and said, But I want to give it to my lady." He picked it and brought it home to me.

You cannot talk about Ronnie (36)___ . I think be could tell stories all day without repeating himself-a joy for people with him, but he also made use of it politically. If things got a little heated and tense, (37)__. By the time he ended the mood would have changed, and they got on with the business with no rancor.

Ronnie always told his children, "If you go into a store and feel that the clerk is being rude, stop and think that she may have had a tough day(38)__ ." I remember that he told his son, "A gentleman always does the kind thing" Yes, Ronnie could be stubborn -but always with a smile.

At our last Kennedy Center Honors show, Walter Cronkite went back onstage at the end (39)_. By this time, the aisles were filled with ushers, and he gave a very touching tribute. The audience then turned, faced us and sang Auld Lang Syne. I had dissolved into tears by that time. But Ronnie called down, "Beats getting an Oscar." Only Ronnie could do that.

(40)___ and walking toward the helicopter, he turned to me with his heartwarming grin "Well, it's bee a wonderful eight years," he said"All in all, not bad, Not bad at all".

(from Nancy Reagan He was the Eternal Optimist)

A.he lay on his hospital bed string at the ceiling and praying

B.without mentioning his wonderful sense of humor

C.he assumed fie with complacency

D. and put yourself in her shoes

E. what he thought and believed

F. He bent over to pick one

G. When we were leaving the White House for the last time

H. was never pretentious and very comfortable with himself

I. and then to being President for eight years

J.After being married to him for 52 years

K.he would break the tension with a story

L.and brought out all the cast, performers and crew to salute us

（31）

(33)

The author plans to use the definition of culture as defined by .

The passage is mainly about .

According to the passage, most scholars today .

English is widely used in countries .

The use of "man" is now avoided by most scholars because the usage .

Passage 6

Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage

In the 1950s, a collection of definitions of culture by A L. Kroeber produced 164 different ones that had appeared in wrings since 1700 The fest definition was proposed by Edward Taylor He said that "culture, or civilization is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society" The phrase "that complex whole" is the most longstanding feature of this proposition. Note tat two other features of Taylor's definition have not stood the test of time. First, most scholars now avoid the use of"man" to refer to all humans and instead use words such as humans" and "people." While you may argue that the word "man can be used to refer to all human beings, many studies indicate that this usage can be confusing. Second, most scholars no longer equate culture with civilization. The term civilization implies sense of "Highness versus no-civilized "lowness" and sets up a distinction placing "us" (civilized nations of Europe and North America) in a superior position to "Them" he other societies.

In contemporary theories of culture, there are two important definitions Clifford Geertz believes that culture consists of symbols, motivations, moods, and thoughts This definition focuses on people's perceptions, thoughts, and ideas, and does mot include behavior as a part of culture, Cultural materialist Marvin Harris states that a culture is the total socially acquired life-way or life-style of a group of people. It consist of the pattered repetitive ways of thinking, feeling, and acting that are characteristic of the members of a particular society or segment of society. The definition of culture used in this book follows Harris's more comprehensive approach.

The scholar who defined culture as a "complex whole" was__.

English speaking countries are listed in .

Paragraph 3 is about .

The passage focuses on .

Passage5

Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.

The number of speakers of English in Shakespeare's time is estimated to have been about five million. Today it is estimated that some 260 million people speak it as a native language, manly in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.In addition to the standard varieties of English found in these areas, there are a great many regional and social varieties of the language, as well as various levels of usage that are employed both in its spoken and written forms.

It is virtually impossible to estimate the number of people in the world who have acquired an adequate working knowledge of English in addition to their own language. The purposes for which English is learned and the situations in which such learning takes place are so

varied that it is difficult to define and still more diffident to assess what constitutes an adequate working knowledge for each situation.

The main reason for the widespread demand for English is its present-day importance as a world language. Besides serving the infinite needs of its native speakers, English is a language in which some of the most important works in science, technology and other fields are being produced, and not always by native speakers. It is widely used for such purposes as meteorological (气象学的) and airport communication, informational conferences, and the dissemination (传播) of information over the radio and television networks of many nations. It is a language of wider communication for a number of developing countries, especially former British colonies. Many of these countries have mulct-lingual populations and need a language for informational communication in such matters as government, commerce, industry, law and education s well as for international communication and for access to the scientific and technological development in the West.

Which of the following would be the most appropriate title for this passage?

Which of the following statements is NOT true?

Paragraph 3 emphasizes the influence of spouses in terms of .

How many supporting facts does the author provide for his argument?

Spouses can promote each other's good health with money income because .

In Eleanor Leacock's view, Freeman's accusation of Magaret Mead is groundless because he pays no attention to .

Passage4

Questions 16 to 20 are based on the following passage.

Substantial research suggests that, given the existing health tendency and health condition of an individual at a particular time, the probability of better or worse future health of spouses is affected by a variety of social factors that are. subject to influence of his or her spouse.

There are many ways in which spouses can influence each other's probability of good health. Spouses can, promote. each other’s health byalleviatingpsychological stress, A substantial literature provides. strong evidence that psychological stress causes illness, increases mortality risk, and is an important mechanism that links socio-economic characteristics to health and mortality Stress-reducing mechanisms include removal of sources of stress and management of stress through confidential conversation, psychiatric treatment(精神治疗）, physical exercise, recreation and other means A spouse can provide or encourage all of these stress-reducing behaviors.

Spouses can also promote each other's health by

providing supportive social contacts and they can facilitate or inhibit each other"s social contact with supportive others. Evidence suggests that heath is greatly advanced by supportive social contacts, including positive interaction with relatives, friends, coworkers and acquaintances Recent data show that persons with more diverse social networks are more resistant to diseases than those with less diverse social networks.

Spouses can also promote each other's heath by providing each other with money income, and they can help each other manage it effectively Money does not buy health directly, but it can be used to purchase goods and services that make good health possible. These goods and services include nutritious food, a hygienic (卫生的) and safe environment, medical care, and facilities that reduce psychological stress Unless estranged (分居的) or unusually wealthy, spouses share their financial resources and consume these heath promoting goods and services.

The word "alleviating” in Paragraph 2 probably mean      .

Derek Freeman believes that adolescent problems originate from .

Derek Freeman considers Magaret Mead to be wrong in her .

The word “prompted" in the last paragraph probably means .

Sufferings caused by high heels are .

It can be inferred from the last paragraph that .

Passage 3

Questions 11 to 15 are based on the. following passage

Magaret Mead, an American scholar, went to Eastern Sanoa in 1925 to spend nine months studying child rearing patterns and adolescent behavior. She sought to answer these questions: Are the adolescent problems due to the nature of adolescence itself or to the civilization? Does adolescence present a different picture under different conditions?" She observed and interviewed fifty adolescent girls of three different villages." Her conclusion was that, unlike the typical experience in the United States, children in Samoa grew up in a relaxed and happy atmosphere. As young adolescents, they made a sexually free and unrepressed(不受压抑的) transition to adulthooD.These findings had a major impact on thinking about child rearing in North America, prompting attempts at more relaxed forms of child rearing in the hope of raising less stressed adolescents.

In 1983, five years after Mead's death (at which point she had no chance for response), Derek Freeman, an Australian scholar, published a strong criticism of Mead's work on SamoA.Freeman said that Mead's findings on adolescence were wrong. Freeman, a biological determinist, believes that universal adolescents are driven by hormonal (荷尔蒙的) changes that cause social and psychological problems. He claims that Mead's work was flawed in two major ways. First, he says her fieldwork was inadequate because she spent a relatively short time in the field and she had insufficient knowledge of the Samoan language. Second, he says that her theoretical bias against biological determinists led her to overlook evidence that was contrary to her interests. He compares rates of adolescent crimes in Samoa and England and finds that they are similar in both cultures. On the basis of this result, he argues that sexual and social- repression also characterized Samoan adolescence. In other words, Samoa is not so different from the West with its supposedly pervasive adolescent problems.

Because of Mead's reputation, Freeman's criticism prompted a vigorous response from scholars, most in defense of MeaD.One response in defense of Mead came from Eleanor Leacock, an expert on how colonialism affects native cultures. Leacock claimed that Freeman's position failed to take history into account; Mead's findings applied to Samoa of the 1920s while Freeman's analysis was based on data from the 1960s. By the 1960s, Samoan society had gone through radical cultural changes due to the influence of World War I and intensive exposure to Western influences. Freeman's data, in her view, do not contradict Mead's because they are from a different period.

The expression "those babies" in Paragraph 2 refer to .

Passage 2

Questions 6 to 10 are based on the following passage

Fashion myths have led women to believe that they are more beautiful or sophisticated for wearing heels, but in reality, heels pose short as well as long tern hardships. Women should fight the high heel industry by refusing to use or purchase them in order to save the world from necessary physical and psychological suffering.

Fairly speaking, it must be noted that there is a positive side to high heels. First; heels are excellent for aerating(充氧）lawns. A simple tip around the yard in a pair of those babies eliminates all need to call for a lawn care, specialist and provides the perfect sized holes to give lawn oxygen. Second, heels are quite functional for defense against oncoming enemies, who can easily be scared away with these sharp, deadly fashion accessories. Finally anytime a hammer can't be found, a high heel shoe makes the perfect substitute tool for pushing in a nail.

Regardless of such practical uses for heels, the fact remains that wearing high heels is harmful to one's physical health. High heels are known to cause problems such as deformed feet and torn toenails. The risk of severe back problems and twisted or broken ankles is three times higher for a high heel wearer than for a flat shoe wearer. Also of course, after wearing heels for a day, any woman knows she can look forward to a night of pain as she tries to comfort her swollen, throbbing feet.

Besides the obvious physical damage heels can cause, they 'are also responsible for a large amount of psychological damage. A woman with a closet full of heels may endanger her own social well-being as well as that of a man who chooses to date her. A night on the town in a pair of shoes that makes a woman feel as if she is a towering ostrich is not something to look forward to. In addition, an evening with a woman twice his height may make an insecure man slightly less than comfortable. Instead of enjoying the date, he may be feeling uncomfortable about his own height as he attempts to equal her height by stretching his back, holding up his chin, and standing on tiptoe. Ultimately, the man will lose interest in the heel-wearer as he realizes that no woman is worth the price of his diminishing self-esteem. In short, a woman who feels like a walking skyscraper and a man who feels like an ant are not likely to feel high self-esteem.

High heels are viewed by the author as .

The introduction of snowmobiles led to more dependence on.

The author's attude towards the introduction of snowmobiles is .

The Sami had to use cash to buy .

Because of the introduction of snowmobiles, the reindeer.

Passage 1

Questions 1 to 5 are based on the fllowing passage.

In the 1950s, the Sami of Finland had an economy based on fishing and reindeer herding CXHURE), which provided most of the fooD.Reindeer had several other important economic and social functions. They were used as animals to haul wood for fuel. Their hides were made into clothing Reindeer were also key items of exchange, both in external trade and internal gift-giving. A child was given a reindeer to mark the appearance of its first tooth When a couple became engaged, they exchanged a reindeer with each other and when they married, reindeer were the most important wedding gift.

By the 1960s, all this had changed because of the introduction of the snowmobile. After that, the herds were no longer kept closely domesticated (围养) for part of the year, during which they became tame. Instead, they were allowed to roam freely all year and thus became wilder. On snowmobiles, the men covered larger amounts of territory at round-up (把牲畜赶回畜栏）time to bring in the animals,; and sometimes several round-ups occurred instead of one.

Herd size declined dramatically Reasons for the decline included the stress caused to the reindeer by the extra distance traveled during round-ups and the fear aroused by the noisy snowmobiles Round- ups were now held at a time when the females were near the end of their pregnancy, another factor causing reproductive stress. As the number of snowmobiles increased, the number. of reindeer decreased 46% .