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题型:阅读理解 题类:常考题 难易度:普通

上海市杨浦区2021届高三上学期英语期中试卷

Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.

The term "bird brain" is frequently used to describe a person's lack of intelligence and good decision-making ability. However, some scientists believe it should be considered a compliment, given that many birds can perform tasks that were once considered solely by humans. These include manufacturing and using tools, solving problems, and planning for future needs. Now, Griffin, an African Grey parrot, has proved that birds may even possess better visual memories than human adults and children.

The study, led by Harvard Professor Hrag Pailian, had the parrot compete in the shell game against twenty-one undergraduate students and twenty-one 6-to 8-year-old children. The popular challenge involves hiding a small object under one of three, or more, inverted cups or nutshells, which are moved around. Participants are required to accurately identify the cup under which the object lies.

The Harvard team began by placing different-colored balls under four cups and moving them around. To make the task more challenging, the researchers required participants to track two, three, and four balls at the same time. The cup positions were moved between zero to four times for each of the combinations. An analysis of the results showed that Griffin outperformed the 6-to 8-year-olds across all levels on average. Even more impressive, the "bird brain" performed as well as, or slightly better than, the 21 Harvard students on 12 of the 14 trials! It was only in the final two tests, which had the most balls and most movement, that the parrot fell behind the adults. However, Griffin's performance never fell below that of the children.

The fun experiment was conducted to test the brain's ability to recall memories of things that are no longer in view and then update them when faced with new information, like a change in location. The visual working memory, is one of the foundations for intelligent behavior.

Griffin was the candidate of choice because the scientists needed an animal that was evolutionarily different for comparison but had a brain functionality similar to that of humans. The fact that the smart parrot loves to show off his brain power, in exchange for a few nuts, did not hurt either.

(1)、Birds can do the following tasks EXCEPT           .
A、using tools B、solving problems C、identifying objects D、counting numbers
(2)、In the experiment, the participants were supposed to           .
A、distinguish the balls and the cups based on the color B、tell how many times the colored balls were moved around C、indicate the locations of the balls by tracking their movement D、count the number of ball combinations and identify their positions
(3)、What is the finding of the study led by Harvard professor Hrag Pailian?
A、Birds' brain is capable of updating information constantly. B、Birds are good at dealing with game-like challenges. C、Birds have higher level of intelligence than children. D、Birds have better visual memories than previously thought.
(4)、What can be inferred from the passage?
A、Birds generally love to compete and show off. B、Birds' brain power used to be underestimated. C、Birds' brain evolved the way humans did. D、"Bird brain" is used as a compliment nowadays.
举一反三

阅读理解

    When someone reads the right book at the right time in his life, it can have a profound effect. Such is the case for the people on this list, who come from all walks of life. These people have singled out a book that they read which had a life-changing effect on them. They, in turn, affected the worlds of science, technology and politics.

1). That Printer Of Udell's—Ronald Reagan

    One book that had a big effect on former President Ronald Reagan as a child was the Christian-book That Printer of Udell's, by Harold Bell Wright. The main character of the book, Dick Falkner, was born into a broken home with an alcoholic father. After losing both of his parents, Falkner moves to a bigger city, called Boyd City to make a living. However, everyone turns Dick down for a job, except for a printer. At the end of the book, Dick heads to Washington, D. C, to become a politician. It's said that the book showed him that good could defeat evil and that the good guys followed a code of morality, which can be seen as a driving factor in his presidency.

2). A Treatise Of Human Nature—Albert Einstein

    Albert Einstein was one of the greatest minds of all time. His name is synonymous with brilliance. So, what book had the biggest effect on such an important mind? It was A Treatise of Human Nature, by David Hume, which was published in 1738. Hume was a Scottish philosopher known for his contributions to philosophical skepticism(怀疑论). Einstein mentioned a few times that A Treatise of Human Nature had a large influence on him. He read the book just before coming up with his famous special relativity theory. In a letter, Einstein said that Treatise helped him formulate the ideas. It was like he already had the ideas in his brain, and Hume helped him to express them clearly.

3). The Aeneid—Mark Zuckerberg

    When Mark Zuckerberg first added his likes to his Facebook profile, he put the book Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card, as a favorite book. Later, in an interview with The New Yorker, Zuckerberg clarified that the sci-fi classic was one he enjoyed, but it wasn't his favorite. He said that his favorite book is The Aeneid, by Virgil, a Latin epic poem that was written somewhere between 29 - 19 BC about a group of Trojan survivors. Zuckerberg said he first read the book when he was in high school while he was studying Latin and that one thing that stuck with him was Aeneas's drive to follow his fate to build a city that “knows no boundaries in time and greatness".

根据短文内容,选择最佳答案,并将选定答案的字母标号填在题前括号内。

阅读理解

With fuel costs rising and airlines finding more fees to impose (强加,征税)on travelers every day, airfare isn't getting any cheaper. Since you can't drive to all your dream destinations, flying is the only way to go sometimes and, undeniably, the fastest. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to find the most affordable fares and also avoid paying as many extra charges as possible when you plan ahead.

    Get the best fare. Airlines put out their fare sales on Tuesday morning, making this day the best day to book a flight for less.

Fly during the least popular times. Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday are the slowest days to fly, which means cheaper deals than the rest of the week. You can also find reduced rates on early morning flights, since many people don't like to get up before the sun to get to the airport. Earlier boarding times can also considerably cut down your chances of getting bumped on an overbooked flight or delayed because of other delayed flights or mechanical issues.

    Choose your seat later. Some airlines charge you to pick your seat when you book online, adding even more to the bottom line of your ticket cost. If you show up early on your travel day, you can still get suitable seats. Some of the best seats get held back until flight day, unless others are willing to pay extra for them ahead of time, so you still have the chance at one of those.

Fly on holidays. You already know that summer is the most expensive time to fly, and even though most other times are more affordable, the days surrounding holidays can be crazy. Save big if you're willing to travel on major holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Don't wait until the last-minute to book. Many travelers don't know that there's a sweet spot for booking and getting the best price on your tickets. Book too early or too late and you could end up paying more than you need to. The best time to book is between three months and six weeks from when you want to travel.

任务型阅读

    Information Overload

    In modern society,if we're trying to make a decision,we often have so much information that we get confused,and we don't know what to do.This state is known as information overload.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} It can cause stress,frustration and reduced productivity.But what can we do in the face of information overload?

•Plan for only one time each day to check e-mail,social messaging sites,Wechat,etc.Don't allow yourself to check multiple times,unless you truly are waiting for an important e-mail.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}And that eats up your valuable time before getting away.

    If you are suffering from too many electronic interruptions during the weekday,ask people to call or text you during work hours only if it's really an emergency.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Remind yourself that it's okay to not know everything.In fact,it's impossible to keep up with the pace of the information superhighway.The sooner you accept that,the happier you'll be.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} It is good to fall behind on the information that really isn't worth your attention.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Set aside a regular time each week where you and other family members do not use any kind of electronic media technologies,including television.It could be something you do every weekend,or perhaps an hour or two every evening.

A.Just catch up with the happiest moment.

B.Know what's worth knowing and what isn't.

C.Each time you go online,you run the risk of being addicted to it.

D.Spend time with your family free from electronic products.

E.We need to find some effective ways to process the information.

F. Almost everyone suffers from it to some degree.

G.Otherwise they and you end up stealing time from your employer.

阅读理解

    Winter is for working hard, summer is for playing hard. From the Bahamas to Amsterdam, we have several most appealing summer vacation spots for you to choose from.

    The Bahamas

    While there is a risk of getting rained on during hurricane season, June generally sees mild weather, fewer crowds and significantly lower prices. While some resorts (度假胜地) in the Out Islands may close, New Providence and Paradise Island remain open year-round. It's a good choice for families looking for a taste of relaxing island living.

    Mackinac Island, MI

    Mackinac Island, 20 minutes by boat from either the Upper or Lower Peninsula of Michigan, comes alive on summer weekends. Most of its roughly 4 square miles is parkland, suitable for hiking and cycling. Be sure to take in the beautiful architecture―Victorian cottages that date back to just after the Civil War. You can have a taste of times gone by; cars were banned more than a hundred years ago, and horse-drawn carriages are still used to get around today.

    Ocean City, MD

    This East Coast beach town is best known for its boardwalk, which is known for old-school amusement rides. Cycling in the town is also a great pleasure. Grab your wallets and feast on hard-shelled crabs at Hooper's crab house or drink in the sunset with a local beer in hand from Fager's Island Restaurant & Bar's large bayfront decks. Parking is free with your consuming receipt. You can't miss a classic walk along the boardwalk and the taste of Thrasher's vinegar and Old Bay French fries.

    Amsterdam

    Summer is the ideal time to visit this city. The gray skies have lifted, festivals abound and events to enjoy include the Open Garden Days, when visitors can peek (窥视) into the private gardens behind the beautiful Houses that line the famous canals. You can experience urban adventure, crossing Amsterdam's thousands of bridges and waterways by bike and by boat in search of the perfect brown cafe.

阅读理解

    One morning, more than a hundred years ago, an American inventor called Elias Howe finally fell asleep. He had been working all night on the design of a sewing machine but he had run into a very difficult problem: It seemed impossible to get the thread to run smoothly around the needle.

    Though he was tired, Howe slept badly. He turned and turned. Then he had a dream. He dreamt that he had been caught by terrible savages whose king wanted to kill him and eat him unless he could build a perfect sewing machine. When he tried to do so, Howe ran into the same problem as before. The thread kept getting caught around the needle. The king flew into the cage and ordered his soldiers to kill Howe. They came up towards him with their spears raised. But suddenly the inventor noticed something. There was a hole in the tip of each spear. The inventor awoke from the dream, realizing that he had just found the answer to the problem. Instead of trying to get the thread to run around the needle, he should make it run through a small hole in the center of the needle. This was the simple idea that finally made Howe design and build the first really practised sewing machine.

    Elias Howes was not the only one in finding the answer to his problem in this way.

    Thomas Edison, the inventor of the electric light, said his best ideas came into him in dreams. So did the great physicist Albert Einstein. Charlotte Bronte also drew in her dreams in writing Jane Eyre.

    To know the value of dreams, you have to understand what happens when you are asleep. Even then, a part of your mind is still working. This unconscious(无意识的), but still active part understands your experiences and goes to work on the problems you have had during the day. It stores all sorts of information that you may have forgotten or never have really noticed. It is only when you fall asleep that this part of the brain can send messages to the part you use when you are awake. However, the unconscious part acts in a special way. It uses strange images which the conscious part may not understand at first. This is why dreams are sometimes called “secret messages to ourselves”.

阅读理解

    It has taken an extremely long time-161 years-but the National Portrait Gallery finally has the Duke(公爵)of Wellington in its collection after a fundraising campaign reached its £1. 3m target.

    The gallery announced on Thursday that it had acquired Sir Thomas Lawrence's unfinished final painting of a man regarded as Britain's greatest soldier after a successful appeal.

    Nicholas Cullinan, the gallery's director, said the NPG had been looking for a suitable painting of the Duke of Wellington since the gallery was founded in 1856.

    He called it "a remarkable painting", while Lucy Peltz, the gallery's senior manager of 18th­century paintings, said the work was "an inspiring and powerful image of one of the most influential men of the 18th and 19th centuries".

    The NPG announced last November that it needed to raise £300,000, the final piece of a funding jigsaw(拼图). The Art Fund had already contributed £350,000 and the appeal reached its target thanks to £200,000 from the G&K Boyes charitable trust and £180,000 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund. A further £570,000 came from a public appeal and the gallery's own funds.

    It was painted in 1829 when Wellington was prime minister, however, Lawrence died in 1830 leaving the portrait unfinished. The gallery believes it is a more attractive work because of that, with the viewer focusing more on the man himself rather than any clothes of power.

    Dan Snow, the historian and broadcaster, said Wellington was a "Titanic figure" in British history, the only field greatest prime minister, a man of genius on and off the battlefield. He added:" This arresting portrait must sit in the national collection and now, following an outpouring of donation, it will do. The artist has caught the Duke's legendary features. Among his many contributions to British life he formed the culture of unbending spirit in the face of difficulty."

    The painting was lent to the NPG in 2015 for an exhibition marking the Battle of Waterloo.

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