大学英语精读第二册test_yourself2

Test Yourself2Passage One

In 1665, an apple fell from a tree and landed near young Isaac Newton. Untold numbers of people had seen apples fall and hadn’t given the matter a second thought. But Newton thought about it carefully and developed a cornerstone of modern science—the theory of gravity.

The ability to ask deep questions and look for answers lies at the heart of science. So it stands to reason that educators would want to bottle Newton’s brand of thinking and serve it to their students.

Common sense might argue that the best means to that end is to cram future scientists with chemistry, physics, biology, and mathematics. After all, Newton had an enormous appetite(胃口；兴趣) for science.

But Newton owned more books in the humanities(文科) than he did in the sciences,

and his interest included subjects such an history, philosophy, and Greek mythology.

Could it be that thinking deeply about subjects such as history, philosophy, and religion makes one a better scientist? Many top American schools think so.

The liberal arts education is a diversified(多样化的) toolbox. If you have only one way of looking at things, you will get stuck in the same place everybody else got stuck. If you’ve got different experiences, you may find other ways of solving the problem.”

It’s well known that the more we think, the better our neural(神经的) connections. But liberal arts colleges go one step further. They argue that learning to think in one field may sharpen the ability to solve complex problems in a seemingly unrelated area. It may be a while before scientists establish the truth or falsity of this idea. In the meantime, some of the best minds in science are betting that it’s true.

“Learning about the gre at books and the humanities can stimulate the sort of brain waves that serve a scientist pretty well,” says Nobel Prize winner Tom Cech “The more types of thinking you have to do, the more skills you can bring to a scientific problem."

26. We learn from the first paragraph that ________.

A. the ability to think is of first importance to scientific discovery

B. nobody noticed apples falling from trees to the ground before Newton

C. Newton developed the theory of gravity by watching a falling apple

D. modern science is related to the falling of an apple to the ground

27. According to the passage, to help students become scientists, educators________.

A. should cram them with lots of science courses

B. should make them think in the way Newton did

C. should ask them deep questions and look for answers

D. should give them an enormous appetite for science

28. We learn from the passage that students who study science in a liberal arts college ________.

A. are required to take a number of courses in the humanities

B. are free to take whatever courses they like best

C. have a wide range of interests in history, philosophy and religion

D. spend more time studying arts and the humanities than the sciences

29. The idea that learning to think in one field may sharpen the ability to solve complex problems in a seemingly unrelated area is ________.

A. already proved to be true by scientists

B. accepted by the best people in science

C. a common belief among liberal arts colleges

D. gaining worldwide acceptance

30. In liberal arts colleges students are _______.

A. asked to bring a diversified toolbox to school

B. trained to think differently from everybody else

C. required to learn different kinds of skills

D. taught to look at things in different ways

Test Yourself2Passage Two

Fresh out of residency, I took a job in a small community hospital’s emergency department. As the newest member of the group, I got last dibs on shifts. No one wanted to work on Christmas Eve, so the shift went to me. I kiss my family goodbye and went off to spend the night in the hospital.

At 9 pm, the ambulance brought in a man in his 60s who was having a heart attack. His face was pale, and he was frightened. I did my best and he hung in there. Eventually we were able to move him out of the emergency room and into the intensive care unit.

Before I left in the morning to spend Christmas with my family, I stopped by to see how he was doing. It was still touch-and-go, but he had survived the night and was sleeping.

Emergency physicians don’t have continuing relationships with patients like other doctors. We get the suddenly sick. Often they are frightened. Sometimes they are angry at us just because we were there. They pass through our hands and out the door. We rarely see them again. I thought no more about my heart patient.

The following year, still the newest member of the group, I got Christmas Eve duty again and dragged myself off to work. At 9 pm sharp, the hospital clerk told me there was a couple in the hall who wanted to speak to me.

When I approached them, the man introduced himself as Mr. Lee and said, “You probably don’t remember me but last Christmas you saved my life. Thank you for the year you gave me.” He and his wife hugged me, ha nded me a small gift, and left. I was more than a surprised — and touched.

The following year a new doctor had joined the group, and my family was delighted that I could stay home Christmas Eve. But I wanted to see if Mr. and Mrs. Lee would return. This time I volunteered for the shift.

I kept an eye on the door. Once again, at exactly 9 pm, the Lees appeared, carry their new grandchild. We all embraced, and Mr. Lee said he’d come see me every Christmas Eve.

I worked the emergency department for the next ten Christmas Eves. Each year at exactly 9 pm, he’d appear, twice with new grandchildren. One year he came with a great-grandchild.

The last year I saw him, he brought me a gift. It was a golden bell engraved with a single word : Friendship.

Mr. Lee died the next year. Now my family, friends and I ring that bell every Christmas Eve at exactly 9 pm and offer a toast to the man who didn’t forget.

31. Why did the author work on Christmas Eve when he first took a job in a small community hospital?

A. He was used to spending the night in hospital.

B. He had no choice on matters of shifts.

C. He wanted to accumulate experience.

D. He had just completed his residency.

32. What did the doctor do during his shift in the emergency department?

A. He set up an intensive care unit.

B. He built up a lasting relationship with his patient.

C. He moved his patient out of the emergency room.

D. He pulled a patient through a heart attack.

33. On the following Christmas Eve the doctor________.

A. knew his patient would come to see him

B. was rather reluctant to take the shift

C. saved the life of a patient

D. was delighted to be able to stay at home

34. What did Mr. Lee do the last year the doctor saw him?

A. He brought his great grandchild to see the doctor.

B. He gave a golden bell to the doctor as a gift.

C. He promised to see the doctor every Christmas.

D. He said he'd never forget the doctor's friendship.

35. What's the author's purpose in writing this passage?

A. To tell the world how hard an emergency physician's life can be.

B. To express a doctor's wish to build up personal friendships with his patients.

C. To show the satisfaction he draws from working in an emergency department.

D. To prove that lasting relationships are possible between physicians and patients.

Test Yourself2Passage Three

How do young children learn to have good values How can parents teach their children about the importance of kindness, patience, and self-discipline At a time when more and more parents worry about the negative and violent images (暴力形象) their children see on TV, in the movies and, on the Internet, some are turning to fairy tales (童话) as a way to teach their young ones how to behave in society.

Fairy tales were not always intended for children. We know this because some of these stories have existed for hundreds of years and were passed down from generation to generation through songs and drama. They were considered entertainment for everyone, not only for young people. In these ancient stories, the heroes were extremely clever, fiercely independent, and never gave up. Over the years, some of the heroes' qualities and story lines have been changed to fit the times.

Psychologists think that fairy tales have a positive influence on children because they present the two sides of good and evil very clearly. When children hear the stories, they develop sympathetic feelings for the heroic characters. In each tale, they can see that there are many different kinds of people in the world and that we all have a choice about what kind of person we want to be. We can choose to do good actions, rather than bad ones, in our lives.

What kind of values can children learn from fairy tales In "The Princess and the Pea," a poorly dressed girl who insists she is a princess is given a difficult test by the Queen. When she passes the test, we learn that she is rewarded because she stayed true to herself. In "The Little Mermaid," the mermaid (美人鱼) who lives under the sea longs to be with the humans on land. Through her experiences, we learn about the importance of living with and accepting other cultures. In "Pinocchio," a wooden puppet (木偶) turns into a boy when he finally learns how to tell the truth.

Teaching values is the reason most often given for teaching literature and encouraging reading. These old stories can indeed teach us lessons about human relationships that are universal (普遍的) enough to survive throughout the centuries. This might be the reason why they have been around for so long and are unlikely to disappear any time soon.

36. What do we learn about fairy tales from the passage?

A. They are written solely for children.

B. They teach universal lessons about human relationships.

C. They are all passed down through songs and drama.

D. They are adapted to TV and movies as entertainment.

37. Why do fairy tales have a positive influence on children?

A. Good and evil are presented in a way they can easily understand.

B. The characters are all good examples for them to follow.

C. The heroes go through all kinds of hardships but never give up.

D. There are many different kinds of characters for them to imitate.

38. Some of the heroes' qualities in fairy tales have been changed over the years________.

A. to reflect the change of values

B. to suit the tastes of different people

C. to arouse the interest of little children

D. to adapt to the change of the times

39. Children who have heard about the story of the little mermaid might ________.

A. learn to be better self-disciplined

B. be more likely to tell the truth than to tell lies

C. learn to stay true to themselves all their lives

D. be better able to accept foreign cultures

40. Parents encourage children to read fairy tales so that they ________.

A. can entertain themselves without bothering others

B. can get to know great literature of the world

C. can stay away from violence shown on TV

D. can learn how to behave in society

Test Yourself2Passage Four

We'd gone up to the city, my husband and I, to see a friend of his from college. He was doing well for himself now, a businessman living in a high-class apartment on the Magnificent Mile. It was a treat for us to get away like this, on the rare occasions we could get a baby-sitter.

He met us at the parking garage (停车库) he'd recommended (推荐) and offered to pay for. "City life's great," he'd said, "except for finding a parking space." There was the slap on the back for my husband, and a kiss on the cheek for me. Then he led us out to the street for the two-block walk to his apartment.

The North Side reminded me of a refined street festival that summer night –crowds of people, somehow looking well-dressed even in jeans, strolling up and down the sidewalks, stopping in at the dozens of restaurants.

We were walking three abreast (并肩) down the sidewalk. I was on the inside, closest to the buildings, and I saw him out of the corner of my eye.

He was old, sitting on the doorstep of a store already locked for the night. He was bundled up in a dirty jacket that looked way too heavy for summer. Every few seconds, he called out to the passing people. "Got a quarter?" "Can you spare some change?"

We'd seen people like him before, of course. We'd learned not to look them in the eye, to close our ears, to walk on by. Usually they expected to be ignored. Some of them tried to make you feel guilty (内疚), though, by telling you they needed money to feed their kids.

So I steeled myself as we approached him. "Got any loose change you can spare?" he piped up.

"Get lost!" our friend shouted, looking straight ahead.

As we brushed by, I got a look at him. Gray hair; a creased (有皱痕的), worn face that, inexplicably (无法解释地), had a toothless smile on it.

Then we were past him, not missing a step in our steady stride. "I get so sick of these guys leeching off of you," our friend grumbled under his breath.

I slowed down, my steps faltering (犹豫). I had some change in my pocket. I could get it out, run back, drop it into the old man's hand, and catch up with the guys before they even knew I was gone. Or I could just tell them, "I'll be right back, guys; wait for me a second," and go back at my leisure. But then I'd have to listen to the lecture about being too soft-hearted and handing out money to any guy with a sob story to tell.

41. We learn from the first paragraph that the author and her husband ________.

A. often went up to the city to visit their friends

B. rarely had time to go out

C. lived far away from the city center

D. were doing very well financially

42. A common complaint among people in the city is ________.

A. it's very difficult to find a parking space

B. there are too many beggars in the evening

C. it's too noisy wherever you go

D. there is too much traffic during the day

43. How do most people behave when they meet beggars on the street?

A. They stop to give them a look.

B. They fish out some small change.

C. They pretend not to see them.

D. They hurry past them.

44. What did the author's friend mean when he said "Get lost!" to the beggar?

A. He lost his way.

B. He didn't have money.

C. He was sick.

D. He was annoyed.

45. What can be inferred about the author from the passage?

A. She was often criticized by her husband for being soft-hearted.

B. She'd have given the old man some change if she'd been alone.

C. She used to hand out money to anyone with a sad story to tell.

D. She was jealous of her husband's friend for his high living style.