1 . When you ask people to judge others by their speech, a trend emerges: Listeners dislike disfluency. Slow talkers producing loads of ums and pauses(停顿)are generally perceived as less charming. But science tells us there may be even more to disfluency.
Disfluencies do not occur in arbitrary positions in sentences. Ums typically occur right before more difficult or low-frequency words. Imagine you’re having dinner with a friend at a restaurant,and there’re three items on the table: a knife, a glass, and a wine decanter(醒酒器). Your friend turns to you and says, “Could you hand me the...um...” What would you assume they want? Since it’s unlikely that they will hesitate before such common words as knife, and glass, chances are you’ll pick up the decanter and ask, “You mean this?”
This is exactly what we demonstrated through controlled eye-tracking studies in our lab. Apparently, listeners hear the um and predict that an uncommon word is most likely to follow.Such predictions, though, reflect more than just simple association between disfluencies and difficult words; listeners are actively considering from the speaker’s point of view. For example, when hearing a non-native speaker say the same sentence but with a thick foreign accent, listeners don’t show a preference for looking at low-frequency objects. This is probably because listeners assume non-native speakers may have as much trouble coming up with the English word for a common object, like a knife, as for unusual ones and can’t guess their intention.
In another experiment, listeners were presented with an atypical speaker who produced disfluencies before simple words and never before difficult words. Initially, participants displayed the natural predictive strategy: looking at uncommon objects. However, as more time went by, and they gained experience with this atypical distribution of disfluencies, listeners started to demonstrate the contrary predictive behavior: They tended to look at simple objects when hearing the speaker say um.
These findings represent further evidence that the human brain is a prediction machine: We continuously try to predict what will happen next, even though not all disfluencies are created equal.
1. What does the underlined word “arbitrary”mean in paragraph 2?| A．Random. | B．Strategic. | C．Obvious. | D．Consistent |
| A．They can be understood easily. | B．They actively put themselves in others’ shoes |
| C．Their vocabularies are limited. | D．Their disfluencies are a little less predictive. |
| A．Simple things are difficult in some cases. | B．Listeners can adjust predictions accordingly. |
| C．Distribution of disfluencies is changeable. | D．Disfluencies in communication can be avoided. |
| A．Pauses Coexist with Prediction. | B．Brains Are Powerful Prediction Machines. |
| C．Active Listeners Simplify Talks. | D．Disfluency Says More Than You Think. |
I’d been waitressing for months, earning extra money for college. “Since it’s not too busy, go and see if Ray wants any more coffee,” my boss said to me as he pointed to an older man sitting in the corner.
Ray was holding the cup in his hand as he stared out of the window. He was a re gular lunch customer on Mondays and Fridays.
“Can I refill the cup for you, Ray?” I asked. He looked up with a peaceful smile and held his cup out toward me. “You know, I’ve been coming here for several years, and I have to say you have the nicest smile,” he whispered. “Can you sit for minutes... please?”
I sat down and he smiled, “Your smile reminds me of my granddaughter, Sharon.” He took out a picture of her from his wall et and handed it to me. “She graduated from college last year.”
“What a nice-looking girl!” I said. “Does she live near you?”
Ray shook his head as he put the picture back in his wallet. “She moved to California last year. I miss her a lot. She and I used to have lunch together on Monday s and Fridays,” he said. “She now wants me to move out there to be closer to her.”
“So, why don’t you?”
“I don’t know if I really want to move. I’ve been here all my life,” he answered.
I heard my boss calling me. “I guess that’s meant for me,” I said as I stood up.
We smiled at each other. “Ray……if my grandfather had been like you, I’d have asked him day and night to move closer to me, too.” I patted his shoulder. “Don’t wait too long. Nice talking with you...”
For the next couple of weeks, Ray continued to come on Mondays and Fridays. But on that Monday of Thanksgiving week, he didn’t show up. Then one Wednesday afternoon, walking out to my car after work, I heard a voice call my name from across the parking lot.
注意：1.续写词数应为 150个左右； 2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
It was Ray, hurrying to catch up to me.
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“Have you made up your mind to move?” I asked.
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3 . Every decision we make is arrived at through hugely complex neurological processing. Although it feels as though you have a choice, the action that you ‘decide’ to take is entirely directed by automatic neural activity. Brain imaging studies show that a person’s action can be predicted by their brain activity up to 10 seconds before they themselves become aware they are going to act. Multiple neuroscientific studies show that even those important decisions that feel worked out are just as automatic as knee-jerk reactions (膝跳反应) (although more complex).
Decision-making starts with the amygdala: a set of two almond-shaped nuclei (杏仁状核) buried deep within the brain, which generate emotion. The amygdala registers the information streaming in through our senses and responds to it in less than a second, sending signals throughout the brain. These produce an urge to run, fight, freeze or grab, according to how the amygdala values various stimuli.
Before we act on the amygdala’s signals, however, the information is usually processed by other brain areas, including some that produce conscious thoughts and emotions. Areas concerned with recognition work out what’s going on, those concerned with memory compare it with previous experiences, and those concerned with reasoning, judging and planning get to work on constructing various action plans. The best plan—if we are lucky—is then selected and carried out. If any of this process goes wrong, we are likely to hesitate, or do something silly.
The various stages of decision-making are marked by different types of brain activity. Fast (gamma)waves, with frequencies of 25 to 100 Hz, produce a keen awareness of the multiple factors that need to be taken into account to arrive at a decision. If you are trying to choose a sandwich, for instance, gamma waves generated in various cells within the ‘taste’ area of the brain bring to mind and compare the taste of ham, hummus, wholemeal, sourdough, and so on. Although it may seem useful to be aware of the full range of choice, too much information makes decision-making more difficult, so irrelevant factors get dismissed quickly and unconsciously.
After this comparison stage, the brain switches to slow-wave activity (12 to 30 Hz). This extinguishes most of the gamma activity, leaving just a single ‘hotspot’ of gamma waves which marks the chosen option.
Although there is no ‘you’ outside your brain to direct what it’s doing, you can help it to make good decisions by placing yourself in a situation which is likely to make the process run more smoothly. Doing something that is physically or mentally stimulating before making a decision will help your brain produce the initial gamma waves that generate awareness of the competing options. Getting over-excited, on the other hand, will prevent the switch to the slow brainwaves, making it much harder to single out a choice.
1. Why does the writer mention “knee-jerk reactions” in the first paragraph?| A．To introduce the finding of the latest brain imaging studies. |
| B．To illustrate that decisions are not consciously thought out. |
| C．To call attention to a kind of neural reaction that is not very complex. |
| D．To show the difference between decision-making and other brain activity. |
| A．It works out conscious thoughts and emotions. |
| B．It selects the best action plan for a given situation. |
| C．It dismisses factors that are irrelevant to the decision to be made. |
| D．It processes sensory information and generates emotional responses. |
| A．Slow-wave activity usually lasts longer than fast-wave activity. |
| B．The brain prioritizes information before settling on a final choice. |
| C．Decision-making is difficult when slow-wave activity occurs first. |
| D．The brain needs as much information as possible to make a decision. |
| A．By preparing the brain to single out the most reasonable choice. |
| B．By helping the brain switch to slow-wave activity more quickly. |
| C．By getting the brain to focus on those most relevant alternatives. |
| D．By making the brain more aware of the factors and choices involved. |
4 . At first, the grains of rice that Ingo Potrykus held in his fingers did not seem at all
For more than a decade Potrykus had
At that point, he tackled an even greater challenge. The golden grains
The debate began the moment genetically engineered crops (GM crops) were first sold in the 1990s, and it has
The hostility is
The benefits did seem small
Many people
| A．typical | B．special | C．local | D．white |
| A．dreamed of | B．come in handy | C．been reminded of | D．broken up |
| A．attempt at | B．effort to | C．resistance to | D．majority of |
| A．But | B．And | C．While | D．Since |
| A．surprise | B．obstacle | C．norm | D．opposition |
| A．achieved | B．stressed | C．overlooked | D．contained |
| A．was caught in | B．was alive with | C．be conscious of | D．was honored by |
| A．announced | B．maintained | C．escalated | D．applied |
| A．brilliant | B．understandable | C．discharged | D．rewarding |
| A．introduced | B．reminded | C．respected | D．overlooked |
| A．toss and turn | B．give and take | C．produce and sell | D．demand and supply |
| A．until | B．after | C．although | D．when |
| A．feature | B．mark | C．build | D．benefit |
| A．worried about | B．ashamed of | C．filled with | D．admired for |
| A．terror | B．misery | C．starvation | D．crisis |
(1)简要介绍“口袋公园”；
(2)阐述“口袋公园”的好处；
(3)号召绿色生活方式。
注意：(1)写作词数应为80左右；
(2)可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Pocket Parks in My Eyes
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The excited sound of seventh-grade laughter and voices spilled down the hallway as the students filed into the gym. I weaved my way through the mass of people and sat down next to my best friend, Lauren.
“So, what exactly are we doing here?” she questioned.
“Well, according to Mrs. Marks, we’re supposed to be listening to a speech about bullying and peer pressure.”
As soon as the speaker started talking, I snapped to attention. She had this way about her, as if she knew how to reach into our minds and souls and make us think. I though about the kids who came to school every day, despite knowing that they would have to face cruel comment all day long.
One boy, in particular, came to mind. Every day, this boy came to school late, and I suspected it was because he needed to get medicine from the nurse. But this didn’t stop kids in the class from making fun of him. The boy would put his head down on his desk in shame. The worst, though, was when he tried to fight back. His attackers only laughed and continued the cruelty until the entire room was laughing at his expense.
As I sat in the auditorium, absorbing everything the speaker had to say, thoughts of this poor boy crept into my head.
“Now, before I leave today, I would like to give everyone here an opportunity to say anything he or she wants to on the subject of bullying or peer pressure. You may apologize to a friend, thank someone for his or her kindness, anything, And this is the one time I can promise that no one, will laugh at you.”
The stillness in the room made me believe her. Slowly, I saw a few hands raise tentatively (犹豫地) in the air behind me, One girl wanted to apologize to a friend she had been ignoring recently. Another thanked a boy for his kindness when she slipped on the steps the other day.
注意:1. 续写词数应为150左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
It was then that my moment of courage arrived, inspiring me to act.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Later that day, the boy I had been talking about came up to me privately.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jean’s dream was to be a great chef, so when she was 20, she travelled to France, which has the most famous cuisine in the world, to learn to cook. After twelve years, she was among the best.
Her father, Bob, was getting old, and she wanted to be near him. Jean accepted an offer from one of Washington’s top restaurants. The manager offered her a handsome salary, and 30% ownership of the restaurant. The next day, Jean went to sign the contract. As she got out of the car, she caught sight of a green sunshade. Instead of going to meet the manager, she crossed the street towards the old restaurant, Fargonetti’s. She pushed open the door and the memories came flooding back.
Jean’s mum died when she was just 11, and her father lost his job and was forced to freelance (从事自由职业). Money was very short. When Jean turned thirteen, Bob had made a reservation at Fargonetti’s, the capital’s best restaurant.
“I’m not hungry, baby girl. I had a huge breakfast,” Bob said. “This is all for you!” “Oh,” Jean cried. “Daddy was so silly! He’s been saving to come here for lunch for MONTHS and now he ruined his appetite with breakfast!” The waiter, Carl Bader, immediately realised what was going on and went to Mr Fargonetti, the restaurant owner, and told him about Jean and Bob.
An hour later, surprisingly, the waiter brought wonderful dishes and set them before the father and daughter. “Lunch is on the house with Mr Fargoneti’s compliments (致意),” Carl said. For Bob and Jean, it was a free but magical meal. They were on cloud nine when they walked out. “Jean,“ said Bob happily. “I feel our luck has changed!” And it did! The next day, one of Bob’s old friends called and offered him a job at a new magazine, and Jean believed Fargonetti’s had made it all happen. That was when she decided to become a chef!
Twenty years later, the old restaurant looked run-down and sad, but Jean recognised the waiter immediately. “Carl?” she asked delightedly.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
The man looked surprised.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jean was staring at Carl and a brilliant idea was taking shape in her mind.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
A couple of days ago, there were many people on the bus. Halfway down the road, the driver suddenly stopped the bus by the side of the road and said, “I’m going to have dinner first. I’m hungry. ” Then he began to eat fried rice noodles while talking on the phone. After a while, many passengers urged (催促) the driver to go ahead, but the driver replied rudely, “Can’t you see I’m enjoying my noodles? I’m so hungry.”
After a few minutes someone wanted to get off the bus, but was refused by the driver. He explained that nobody could get off because it was NOT a bus stop! Standing beside the driver, I watched him have the last of the noodles, thinking that we could finally start now. However, the driver took out another bag of soup!
I began to feel a little angry because I would be late for an important meeting. So I urged the driver to hurry up. However, the driver suggested politely that I should ask for a leave.
When the soup was about to be finished, the driver picked up the phone again, looking in the rear-view mirror (后视镜) from time to time as if he were waiting for someone. At this time all the passengers on the bus began to shout, “We have waited too long. Start right now!” Suddenly, a police car stopped in front of our bus. We all thought that the policemen could help us and we could go at once.
Paragraph 1.
To our surprise, the two policemen got on our bus with handcuffs (手铐).
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Paragraph 2.
Watching the thieves having been caught by the policemen, all the passengers smiled with delight.
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Mary Lee seemed to have everything. She was very beautiful with a wonderful figure and an attractive face. She was very rich. Her clothes were better than anyone else’s and she had more of them. Her books were always new and expensive as were her pens, school bags and bicycle. She was very clever too and without appearing to do very much work. She was always the first in all the examinations and always answered all the questions, while the rest of the class were still thinking.
With all this, or really because of all this, no one liked Mary Lee. She was too good, too clever and she was also very proud. No one was quite good enough to talk to her or to be seen with her or to be her friend. And so, with all her proud ways and riches and brains, she was lonely but she did not care because she was always the best in everything. She was like a princess in the class. She always thought that the other students kept their distance from her because she was too excellent. “Lions and tigers are always lonely, and only the weak get together,” she told herself.
As the end of term drew near, the pupils including Mary Lee began to think about the most important prize of all. This was the prize, offered by the principal, for the best essay to be written on one of two subjects: Happiness and Friendship. All the teachers and pupils paid close attention to the prize, for it was really a great honor. “I needn’t worry about that,” thought Mary Lee, as the others began to read and to think about the essay. “I shall easily win. After all, my compositions are always better than the other students’.”
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
“Pride goes before a fall,” they say and it certainly did in the case of poor Mary Lee.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Mary Lee suddenly realized that how silly she had been.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________10 . On a bright sunny day, I stared my day off by volunteering at the L. A. Food Bank. My reason for volunteering at the food bank was to satisfy my need to help others and leave a
By helping pack food items. I was able to make as significant impact on my community by helping people fight
| A．change | B．message | C．blank | D．chance |
| A．established | B．examined | C．entered | D．equipped |
| A．shabby | B．steady | C．tidy | D．noisy |
| A．check in | B．give up | C．show off | D．move out |
| A．aid | B．duties | C．awards | D．test |
| A．appointed | B．begged | C．forced | D．persuaded |
| A．consumed | B．inspected | C．searched | D．replaced |
| A．abandoned | B．delivered | C．packed | D．explored |
| A．represent | B．shelter | C．deserve | D．contain |
| A．studio | B．factory | C．museum | D．theatre |
| A．bank | B．list | C．step | D．row |
| A．quickly | B．secretly | C．casually | D．anxiously |
| A．burden | B．thought | C．regret | D．interest |
| A．recognize | B．welcome | C．help | D．visit |
| A．focus | B．respect | C．wisdom | D．ambition |
| A．understood | B．counted | C．led | D．heard |
| A．leadership | B．technical | C．social | D．business |
| A．prove | B．discover | C．stress | D．guarantee |
| A．fear | B．loneliness | C．hunger | D．doubt |
| A．direction | B．identity | C．belonging | D．satisfaction |
