1 . On March 7, 1907, the English statistician Francis Galton published a paper which illustrated what has come to be known as the “wisdom of crowds” effect. The experiment of estimation he conducted showed that in some cases, the average of a large number of independent estimates could be quite accurate.
This effect capitalizes on the fact that when people make errors, those errors aren’t always the same. Some people will tend to overestimate, and some to underestimate. When enough of these errors are averaged together, they cancel each other out, resulting in a more accurate estimate. If people are similar and tend to make the same errors, then their errors won’t cancel each other out. In more technical terms, the wisdom of crowds requires that people’s estimates be independent. If for whatever reasons, people’s errors become correlated or dependent, the accuracy of the estimate will go down.
What is paragraph 2 of the text mainly about?
A.The methods of estimation. | B.The underlying logic of the effect. |
C.The causes of people’s errors. | D.The design of Galton’s experiment. |
In early summer, the mountains and fields of Guizhou provinces Miao villages are dressed in fresh robes of green. Everywhere, vigour and vitality shine.
Red roofs, gray walls, green trees and grass, along with placid water in the fields, paint a bright and colorful picture of Bayi village in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture.
The layers of terraced fields are a masterpiece of farming culture handed down by the ancestors of local Miao residents. Villagers plow fields and transplant rice seedlings.
What is the best title for the passage?
A.Miao villages clothed in vibrant green |
B.Miao villages engaged in plowing fields |
C.Miao villages filled with vigour |
D.Miao villages bathed in vitality |
A.My cat watched over me in the same way that I took care of her. |
B.A feline (猫科动物) is a marvel of grace and ferocity (残忍) in the same lovely package. |
4 . Two four-kilometer road tunnels are being built below the central area of the city, one for traffic to the north and the other for the traffic to the south. The two tunnels are about 20 meters below the surface and are 12 meters wide, providing for two lanes of traffic in each direction.
In the upper part of the tunnel, two air conditioning pipes remove the waste gas of trucks and cars and keep the quality of air inside the tunnel. The lighting is at the top of the tunnel, practically at its highest point. There will also be electric signs at frequent intervals. They show traffic conditions ahead and can be seen clearly by drivers. The wall is made up of four main elements, which include a waterproof covering and, on the inside of the tunnel, a concrete lining. Other systems in the tunnel will include emergency phones.
What is the main idea of the passage?
A.The construction of two lanes. | B.The function of a road. |
C.The solution to cars’ pollution. | D.The design of two tunnels. |
What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
A.The world may be more clearly explained through children’s play. |
B.Studying babies’ play may lead to a better understanding of science. |
C.Children may have greater ability to figure out things than scientists. |
D.One’s drive for scientific research may become stronger as he grows. |
6 . But Disney’s story actually started two decades earlier with what Walt Disney called "Daddy’s Day". On Saturdays in the 1930s and 1940s, Disney would take his two daughters to ride the Griffith Park merry-go-round, which they’d enjoy while he sat on a bench dreaming of ways for families to have fun together. Disney disliked the amusement parks they often visited, seeing them as dirty, unimaginative places run by rude employees.
Disneyland opened then. The 5,000 expected guests increased to 28,154, thanks to fake tickets. After the madness of opening day, Disney and his new park were criticized in the press. The media predicted a quick and early end. But the public didn’t listen. Visitors arrived in large groups, and within weeks Disneyland was a success.
Over sixty years later, Disneyland’s popularity continues to grow, with total overall attendance topping 700 million and showing no signs of slowing down.
Which is the best title for the passage?
A.Disneyland: How It All Began | B.Disneyland: An Overnight Success |
C.Disneyland: How It Developed | D.Disneyland: A Park with a Long History |
Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A.Greenhouse Gas Emission Largely Reduced |
B.Roles of Carbon Sinks Proved by New Study |
C.China’s Forest Carbon Absorption Underestimated |
D.Climate Impacts Balanced Due to China’s Afforestation |
The first paragraph is mainly about ___________.
A.the way to improve one’s face-recognition skills |
B.the fact that some people have face-recognition problems |
C.the simple process of the brain to recognize others’ faces |
D.the importance of face recognition in human communication |
What is the second paragraph mainly about?
A.The effects of story-telling on children. |
B.The limitations of the earlier research. |
C.The methods used in earlier studies. |
D.The major breakthroughs achieved so far. |
What does the passage mainly concerned with?
A.The measurement of wealth in the current society. |
B.The evolution of people’s attitude towards busyness. |
C.The hidden reasons and effects of people’s busyness. |
D.The solution to prioritizing the crucial tasks in busyness. |