英语专升本阅读资料

Passage OneThey text their friends all day long . They do research for their term papers on laptops . But as they walk the paths of Hamilton College , students are still hauling(拖，拉) around bulky ,old-fashioned textbooks—and loving it .“The screen won;t go blank,”said Faton Begolli , a sophomore , “There can‟t be a virus . It wouldn‟t be the same without books .They‟ve defined …academia‟ for a thousand years .”Though the world of print is receding before a tide of digital books , and other Web sites , a generation of college students appears to be holding fast to traditional textbooks. That loyalty comes at of new technology , have produced a confusing array(大量) of options for obtaining them .Internet retailers , like Amazon , are selling new and used books .They have been joined by several Web services that rent textbooks to students . Some 1500 college bookstores are offering rentals this fall .Here at Hamilton , students this year have a new way to avoid the middleman : a nonprofit Web site , which lets them sell used books directly to one another .The explosion of stores and forms—including digital books , which are rapidly becoming more sophisticated—has left some students confused . After completing the heavy lifting of course selection , they are forced to weigh cost versus convenience , analyze their own study habits and guess which texts they will want for years to come .“It depends on the course ,” said Victoria Adesoba , “Last semester , I rented for psychology , and it was cheaper .But for something like organic chemistry , I need to keep the book .E-textbooks are good , but it‟s tempting to go on Facebook , and it can strain your eyes .”According to the National Association of College Stores , digital books make up just under 3 percent of textbook sales , although the association expects that share to grow to 10 to 15 percent by 2012 as more titles are made available as e-books .In two recent studies , three-quarters of the students surveyed said they still preferred a bound book to a digital version . Many students are reluctant to give up the ability to flip quickly between chapters , write in the margins and highlight(强调) passages , although new software applications are beginning to allow students to use e-textbooks that way .1Why do many college students hold to traditional books rather than digital books ?A)Because traditional books are expensive .B)Because traditional books are convenient to carry .C)Because the function of traditional books is steady .D)Because the digital books are old-fashioned now .2What can we learn about Amazon ?A)It only sells new and used books .B)It also rents textbooks to students .C)It is a non-profit website .D)It offers textbooks that are available in digital form .3According to the passage , why are some students confused ?A)|They know nothing about their own study habits .B)It‟s hard job for them to select the courses they‟ll learn .C)There are so many kinds of books and it‟s hard to make a choice .D)They don‟t know how to weigh cost and convenience .4What can we learn about Victoria Adesoba?A)She always rents textbooks since it is much cheaper .B)She prefers to buy books rather than rent them .C)She has to take into consideration the need of different courses .D)The e-textbook can be seen as her first choice .5As far as the National Association of College Stores is concerned ,A)digital books take up a large percent of textbook salesB)sales of digital books are now soaringC)the share of digital books will surely grow to 15 percent by 2012D)the share of e-books is small partly because of the limited titles of themPassage TwoDoctors are to begin a trial of a drug treatment that could double the time transplanted organs survive in the body . The 20-minute procedure effectively coats donor organs in a protective shield that stops them being rejected by the patient‟s immune system .The treatment is expected to prolong the time that organs remain healthy in patients‟bodies and also increase their shelf-life(保存期限), so they can be stored for longer or transported further before being used . If the treatment works, it could ease the burden on organ transplant services , which face an increasing gap between the supply and demand for donor organs .People who receive transplants must take drugs to suppress their immune systems , but the body still reacts enough to cause transplants to fail sooner than they should . A healthy transplanted kidney lasts on average only 10 years , around one third of the time it should last . Organs such as hearts and livers fail even sooner . The consequence is that patients who have had one donor organ often need another ,The new treatment , developed by researchers at King‟s College London , is based on the defense mechanism healthy organs use to shield themselves from the immune system . Studies suggest the procedure could extend the life of an implanted kidney by around seven years . The scientists believe the treatment will also extend the shelf-life of donor organs , increasing the time they survive outside the body from no more than 24 hours to several days . This could reduce wastage and double the number of organs that work properly once they are transplanted , doctors said . In early tests , only a fifth of organs worked properly after being stored on ice for 16 hours , compared with 50% of those treated with mirococept(药物：米罗西普) .A recent pilot study of the treatment on 16 patients found it was safe to use . Patients who receive donated organs treated with mirococept will still need to take drugs to suppress their immune systems , but doctors said an aim of their research was to see if the use of current drugs , which can increase a patient‟s risk of cancer , can be reduced .6What is the purpose of the drug treatment mentioned in the passage ?A)To make a big profit from the new drug .B)To reduce the risk of operations .C)To prolong the shelf-life of transplants .D)To help patients save money .7According to the passage , what‟s the problem of people who receive transplants ?A)They don‟t have enough money to undergo the operation .B)They have to take drugs to make the transplants effective .C)They need to be operated every ten years .D)They have to appreciate the donors all their life .8Why patients who are treated with the old treatment often need another donor organ ?A)Because they are painful after transplanting .B)Because taking drugs can ease the burden of organs .C)Because the body still reacts enough to cause transplants to fail .D)Because the donor organs will be rejected by the immune system .9What do we know about the new drug treatment ?A)It is developed by researchers in United States .B)It can extend the life of implanted organs .C)It is independent of defense mechanism .D)It can improve the health of the patients .10What can we learn from the recent pilot study of the treatment ?A)The new drug treatment can be used widely someday .B)The treatment will destroy the immune system .C)The current drug can increase a patient‟s risk of cancer .D)The result of the pilot study doesn‟t satisfy the researchers .Passage ThreeThe human brain is hard-wired to recognize faces . But remembering faces is not the same as being able to describe them . This is particularly apparent when witnesses are asked by the police to create a composite picture of a suspect .Even when the result is thought to be a good likeness by the witness , that does not mean that other people will also be able to recognize the face and thus identify the suspect . The problem is that face recognition is a holistic(整体的) process :people are good at recognizing faces as a whole , but struggle to identify or describe individual facial features , such as a person‟s eyes , nose or mouth .But police forces in Britain and other countries are using a new technology that solves this problem by changing the task from one of recall into one of recognition . Instead of asking witnesses to select facial features , their system , called EvoFIT , initially presents them with a gird(网格) of 18 randomly generated faces that match the race , gender and general shape of the suspect .From these the witness is asked to select the two that most resemble the suspect , however vaguely .The software then takes these two selections and “breeds” them ,treating the facial features of their selections like genes , mixing them together and making random changes , to produce 18 new offspring which are displayed in a new grid. As this process is repeated , with the witness again choosing the closest two matches , the faces generated quickly converge(集合) on one that bears a resemblance to that of the suspect .Dr .Frowd and Hancock , the researchers of EvoFIT realized that if the results were to be improved further their evolutionary approach was not enough on its own .What was needed was a dash of psychology , because there are fundamental differences in the way people perceive familiar and unfamiliar faces , says Dr . Frowd . EvoFIT is now being used in practice . One of the British forces , the Derbyshire Constabulary , has now started using EvoFIT exclusively . “It‟s doubled our workload ,” says Beverly Hunt , the force‟s facial identification officer , because it is now possible to produce a useful image even when a witness has only a vague memory of a suspect‟s face .11What is the problem of a witness when asked to create a composite picture of a suspect ?A)It is easy for the witness to recognize faces as a whole .B)The witness often provides an incorrect picture of the suspect .C)It is difficult for the witness to describe individual facial features in detail .D)The witness always cannot remember the suspect‟s eyes .12How does EvoFIT work according to the passage ?A)It asks the witness to select facial features .B)It asks the witness to recall the suspect‟s face .C)It asks the witness to recognize faces vaguely .D)It asks the witness to assemble the facial features .13According to the researchers , how can police further improve the results of EvoFIT ?A)They should use the system more accurately .B)They should know some psychology knowledge .C)They should ask more witnesses to participate in the approach .D)They should use EvoFIT exclusively .14What did the police say about EvoFIT ?A)It can only produce the vague picture of the suspect .B)It can always produce a useful image of the suspect .C)It is great help and effort to the police .D)It is used exclusively by many police forces .15What does the passage mainly talk about ?A)How to find a suspect . C)They way to capture a suspect .B)A new system to recognize a suspect . D)How to remember a person .Passage FourShoppers on Black Friday , the traditional start of the holiday shopping season in America , are notoriously aggressive . Some even start queuing outside stores before dawn to be the first to lay their hands on heavily discounted merchandise . Despite the frenzy at many stores , however , the recession appears to have accelerated the pace at which shoppers are abandoning bricks and mortar(传统的实体企业) in favor of online retailers—e-tailers . So this year Black Friday also marks the start of many conventional retailers‟ attempts to regain the initiative .E-commerce holds particular appeal in straitened times as it enables people to compare prices across retailers quickly and easily . Buyers can sometimes avoid local sales taxes online , and shipping is often free .No wonder , than , that online shopping continues to grow even as the offline sort shrinks .The shift in spending to the Internet is good news for companies like P & G that lack retail outlets(经销店) of their own . But it is a big concern for brick-and-mortar retailers , whose prices are often higher than those of e-tailers , since they must bear the extra expense of running stores . Happily , however , conventional retailers are in a better position to fight back than last year , when overstocking forced them to resort to ruinous(破坏性的) discounting .The most obvious response to the growth of e-tailing is for conventional retailers to redouble their own efforts online . The online arms of big retailers are performing well , on the whole . Retailers are also trying to make shopping seem fun and exciting to counteract the economic gloom . One common tactic is to set up “pop-up” stores , which appear for a short time before vanishing again , to foster a sense of novelty and urgency . Following the lead of manybricks-and-mortar outfits , eBay recently launched a pop-up in New York where customers could inspect items before ordering them .Stores are also trying to lure customers by offering services that are not available online .Lululemon athletica , which sells sports clothes , offers free yoga classes . Best Buy , a consumer-electronics retailer , has started selling music lessons along with its musical instruments . The idea is to bring people back to its shops regularly , increasing the likelihood that they will develop the habit of shopping there .16Why is the recession of conventional business accelerating ?A)Because conventional retailers don‟t cater for their customers .B)Because more people are waiting for the best bargain .C)Because stores compete by offering discounted merchandise .D)Because many customers begin to favor shopping online .17What is the advantage of online retailers ?A)They don‟t charge their customers for purchase tax .B)They can offer convenient and beneficial services .C)They needn‟t pay any taxes for its sales .D)They can offer the lowest prices for the same goods .18What can we learn form the third paragraph ?A)Conventional retailers hold a better situation than last year .B)E-retailers don‟t have their own offline stores .C)Conventional retailers make more profits from higher prices .D)E-retailers are not faced with the problem of overstock .19What is the main purpose for retailers to set up “pop-up” stores ?A)To let customers inspect the quality of items .B)To cut down the cost of running businesses .C)To arouse customers‟ curiosity to purchase goods .D)To redouble their efforts on online sales .20Why does Best Buy sell music lessons with its instruments ?A)It tries to offer particular services for customers .B)It aims at luring more customers for its lessons .C)It may promote the sales of its musical instruments .D)It may attract more people to buy things there .Passage FiveThe two economists call their paper “Mental Retirement ,”and their argument has aroused the interest of behavioral researchers .Data from the argument has aroused the interest of behavioral researchers .Data from the United States ,England and 11 other European countries suggest that the earlier people retire ,the more quickly their memories decline .The implication , the economists and others say , is that there really seems to be something to the “use it or lose it” notion—if people want ot preserve their memories and reasoning abilities , they may have to keep active.“It‟s incredibly interesting and exciting,” said Laura L. Carstensen , director of the Center on Longevity(长寿) at Stanford University . “It suggests that work actually provides an important component of the environment that keeps people functioning optimally(最佳地).”While not everyone is convinced by the new analysis , published recently in The Journal of Economic Perspectives , a number of leading researchers say the study is , at least , an evidencefor a possibility that is widely believed but surprisingly difficult to demonstrate.Researchers repeatedly find that retired people as a group tend to do less well on cognitive(认知的) tests than people who are still working . But , they note , that could be because people whose memories and thinking shkills are declining may be more likely to retire than people whose cognitive skills remain sharp .And research has failed to support the premise that mastering things like memory exercises , crossword puzzles(纵横字谜) and games like Sudoku carry over into real life , improving overall functioning .“If you do crossword puzzles , you get better at crossword puzzles ,” said Lisa Berkman , director of the Center for Population and Development Studies at Harvard . “If you do Sudoku , you get better at Sudoku . You get better at one narrow task .But you don‟t get better at cognitive behavior in life .”The study ws possible , explains one of its authors , Robert Willis , a professor of economics at the University of Michigan , because the National Institute on Aging began a large study in the United States nearly 20 yars ago . Called the Health and Retirement Study , it surveys more than 22 000 Americans over age 50 every two years , and administers memory tests .21According to the paper of the two economists , retired people .A)has aroused the interest of behavior researchersB)grow more forgetful than working people .C)no longer have a functioning mindD)can have as good cognitive skills as people at work22In Laura L. Carstensen‟s opinion , what is the relationship between work and mental function ?A)Work has nothing to do with people‟s mental function .B)Work can provide an environment to keep the mental function well .C)Work can make people tired and decrease the mental function .D)People‟s mental function has no influence on people‟s work .23Lisa Berkman claimed that crossword puzzles and some games could .A)improve man‟s overall functioningB)make people good at one narrow taskC)help improve man‟s cognitive skillsD)help people live longer and slow down aging24What can we learn about the Health and Retirement Study ?A)It has been carried out by the National Institute on Aging for about 20 years .B)The study surveys the Americans of all ages .C)The two economists have done enough research in this field .D)The two economists administer memory tests to many old people every two years .25According to the passage , what does “Mental Retirement ” mean ?A)People want to retire at an early age .B)People have to retire early than they‟ve expected .C)People‟s mental functions decline while they are still working .D)People‟s memories and reasoning abilities decline if they are not working .Passage SixOne of the most contentious(有争议的) issues in the vast literatue about alcohol consumption has been the consistent finding that those who don‟t drink tend to die sooner than those who do . The standard Alcoholics Anonymous(匿名戒酒互助会) explanation for this finding is that manyof those who show up as abstainers(戒酒者) in such research are actually former hard-core drunks who had already incurred health problems associated with drinking .But a new paper in the journal Alcoholism : Clinical and Experimental Research suggests that—for reasons that aren‟t entirely clear—abstaining from alcohol does tend to increase one‟s risk of dying , even when you exclude former problem drinkers . The most shocking part : Abstainers‟mortality rates are higher than those of heavy drinkers .Moderate drinking , which is defined as one to three drinks per day , is associated with the lowest mortality rates in alcohol studies .Moderate alcohol use(especially when the beverage of choice is red wine) is thought to improve heart health , circulation and sociability , which can be important because people who are isolated don‟t have as many family members and friends who can notice and help treat health problems .But why would abstaining from alcohol lead to a shorter life ? It‟s true that those who abstain from alcohol tend to be from lower socioeconomic classes , since drinking can be expensive . And people of lower socioeconomic status have more life stressors—job and child-care worries that might not only keep them from the bottle but also cause stress-related illnesses over long periods .(They also don‟t get the stress-reducing benefits of a drink or two after work .)But even after controlling for nearly all imaginable variables—socioeconomic status , level of physical activity , number of close friends ,quality of social support and so on—the researchers (a six-member team led by psychologist Charles Holahan of the University of Texas at Austin) found that over a 20-year period , mortality rates were highest for those who were not current drinkers , regardless of whether they used to be alcoholics , second highest for heavy drinkers and lowest for moderate drinkers .26What‟s the Alcoholics Anonymous‟ attitude towards the finding ?A)Supportive B)Negative C)Positive D)Neutral27What do we know from the new paper in the journal Alcoholism:Clinical and Experimental Research ?A)Abstaining from alcohol can lead to a happier life .B)The mortality rate of former problem drinkers is the highest .C)Researchers have explained the reason why abstainers face high risk of dying .D)Comparing with the abstainers , heavy drinkers are at a lower risk of dying .28What kind of people can be considered as a moderate drinker ?A)People who drink less than three drinks per day .B)People who drink red wine .C)People who only drink with family members .D)Drinkers whose purpose is to improve health .29Why would abstaining from alcohol lead to a shorter life according to the passage ?A)Because people who abstain from alcohol are in lower status .B)Because abstaining from alcohol is a painful experience .C)Because people who have to abstain from alcohol tend to face more stresses .D)Because abstainers have already incurred health problems .30According to the research over a 20-year period , what kind of people have the highest mortality rates ?A)Those who didn‟t drink during that period .B)Those who drunk before that period.C)Those who were heavy drinkers .D)Those who were moderate drinkers .Passage SevenIt is a truth universally acknowledged that a married woman in possession of a large fortune will probably spend most of it on her husband and children . That seems to be the conclusion of a study by the Pew Research Center in Washington D. C. , of the lives of Americans aged 30-44 , those most likely to have young families . Whereas in earlier generations marriage allowed women to achieve economic security , now , it appears , men are more likely to benefit .The root cause is the spread of women‟s higher education . For the first time in American history there are more female than male college graduates among this age group .In contrast , in 1970 , almost twice as many men as women in this group , 30-44 , had college degrees .The result is that in the half of households where one partner has more education , it is now more likely to be the wife who has more .In 1970 , it was usually the husband .Income tends to rise with education , and women‟s eaarnings have resen relative to men‟s at every level of schooling .Men‟s income is still , on average , higher , but women have been narrowing the gap and adding more to household earnings .A few wives contributed more than their men :in 1970 only 4% earned more than their husbands ;in 2007 22% did .That represented a rise in social mobility .But with it went an apparent decline in another aspect of mobility : more people seem to be marrying within their education and income bracket , especially at the top .The best educated and highest-earning husbands in 2007 were more likely to have thehighest-income wives than was the case in 1970 .At the bottom of the education heap , too , men are less likely to have wives who earn a lot . Forty years ago , half of husbands who dropped out of high school had wives who earned more than the average for women ; now just 30% do .That is an exception to the rule that , as the report says , “the economic gains from marriage have accrued(逐渐增加) more to men than to women .” But there is one other way in which the growing economic clout(权势) of women increases their power within marriage .According to Pew , in households where the husband earns more , women are still just as likely to make the final decisions regarding household finances ; where the wife earns more , she is more than twice as likely to do so .31 The research conducted by Pew Research Center in Washington D. C. Shows that .A)Americans aged 30-44 are more likely to have young familiesB)married women spend most of the family income on their husbands and childrenC)women are more likely to get economic security from marriage nowadaysD)men are more likely to get economic security from marriage nowadays32 What were families like in 1970 compared with those nowadays ?A More women went to college then .B More women did housework then .C There were more male college graduates than female ones then .D More people received college education then.33 Despite the fact that men‟s income is still higher than women , .A)women don‟t do any housework any more .B)women received higher education than menC)women‟s incomes are decreasing graduallyD)women‟s income proportion is increasing34 There appears a kind of decline in social mobility in that .A)more people choose a partner with similar education and incomeB)more people choose a partner with higher education and incomeC)people with low-levels of education are not likely to marry a low-earning oneD)men who drop out of high school are more likely to get a hige-earning wife35Women‟s rights will grow in the family on the basis of .A)men‟s benefits from marriage C)the rise in men‟s salaryB)the rise in women‟s salary D)women‟s higher educationPassage EightThe newspaper must provide for the reader the facts , pure , objective facts .But in these days of complex news it must provide more ; it must supply interpretation , the meaning of the facts .This is the most important assignment confronting American journalism—to make clear to the reader the problems of the day , to make international news as understandable as community news , to recognize that there is no longer any such thing as “local” news , because any event in the international area has a local reaction in manpower floating , in economic pressure , in terms , indeed , of our very way of life .There is in journalism a widespread view that when you embark on interpretation , you are entering dangerous waters , the swirling tides of opinion .This is nonsense .The opponents of interpretation insist that the writer and the editor shall confine himself to the “facts ” .This insistence raises two questions :What are the facts? And are the bare facts enough ?As to the first question ,consider how a so-called “factual” story comes about .The reporter collects , say , fifty facts ; out of there fifty , his space being necessarily restricted , he selects the ten which he considers most important .This is Judgment Number One .Then he or his editor decides which of these ten facts shall constitute the lead of the piece .(This is important because many readers do not proceed beyond the first paragraph .)This is Judgment Number Two .Then the editor determines whether the article shall be presented on page one , where it has larger impact , or on page twenty-four , where it has little .Judgment Number Three .Thus , in the presentation of a so-called “factual ” or “objective” story , at least three judgments are involved . And they are judgments not at all unlike those involved interpretation , in which reporters and editors , calling upon their research resources , their general background , and their “news neutralism” ,arrrive at a conclusion as to the significance of the news .The two areas of judgment , presentation of the news and its interpretation , are both objective rather than subjective processes—as objective , that is , as any human being can be .(Even though complete objectivity can never be achieved , nevertheless the ideal must always be ultimate goal .) If an editor is intent on slanting the news , he can do it in other ways and more effectively than by interpretation .He can do it by the selection of those facts that prop up his particular plea . Or he can do it by the paly he gives a story—promoting it to page one or dragging it to page thirty .36Why does the author say the interpretation is the most important assignment confronting American journalism?A)Because the interpretation tells readers that they are reading international news .B)Because with the help of the interpretation readers can have better understanding of the news .C)Because good interpretations can arouse more reaction from readers .D)Because without interpretation , local news won‟t exist any more .37Why do some people oppose the interpretation of news ?A)Because they believe the interpretation will be too subjective .B)Because they are afraid that the interpretation will bring danger .。