Text 2 Since the dawn of human ingenuity, people have devised ever more cunning tools to cope with work that is dangerous, boring, burdensome, or just plain nasty. That compulsion has resulted in robotics--the science of conferring various human capabilit
题目
Text 2 Since the dawn of human ingenuity, people have devised ever more cunning tools to cope with work that is dangerous, boring, burdensome, or just plain nasty. That compulsion has resulted in robotics--the science of conferring various human capabilities on machines. And if scientists have yet to create the mechanical version of science fiction, they have begun to come close.
As a result, the modern world is increasingly populated by intelligent gizmos whose presence we barely notice but whose universal existence has removed much human labor. Our factories hum to the rhythm of robot assembly arms. Our banking is done at automated teller terminals that thank us with mechanical politeness for the transaction. Our subway trains are controlled by tireless robo-drivers. And thanks to the continual miniaturization of electronics and micro-mechanics, there are already robot systems that can perform. some kinds of brain and bone surgery with submillimeter accuracy--far greater precision than highly skilled physicians can achieve with their hands alone.
But if robots are to reach the next stage of laborsaving utility, they will have to operate with less human supervision and be able to make at least a few decisions for themselves--goals that pose a real challenge. "While we know how to tell a robot to handle a specific error," says Dave Lavery, manager of a robotics program at NASA, "we can't yet give a robot enough 'common sense' to reliably interact with a dynamic world. "
Indeed the quest for true artificial intelligence has produced very mixed results. Despite a spell of initial optimism in the 1960s and 1970s when it appeared that transistor circuits and microprocessors might be able to copy the action of the human brain by the year 2010, researchers lately have begun to extend that forecast by decades if not centuries.
What they found, in attempting to model thought, is that the human brain's roughly one hundred billion nerve cells are much more talented-and human perception far more complicated--than previously imagined. They have built robots that can recognize the error of a machine panel by a fraction of a millimeter in a controlled factory environment. But the human mind can glimpse a rapidly changing scene and immediately disregard the 98 percent that is irrelevant, instantaneously focusing on the monkey at the side of a winding forest road or the single suspicious face in a big crowd. The most advanced computer systems on Earth can't approach that kind of ability, and neuroscientists still don't know quite how we do it.
第46题：Human ingenuity was initially demonstrated in
A the use of machines to produce science fiction.
B the wide use of machines in manufacturing industry.
C the invention of tools for difficult and dangerous work.
D the elite's cunning tackling of dangerous and boring work.
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更多“Text 2 Since the dawn of human ingenuity, people have devised ever more cunning tools to ”相关问题
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第1题：
The text intends to tell us that
A．the change of human height follows a cyclic pattern.
B．human height is becoming even more predictable.
C．Americans have reached their genetic growth limit.
D．the genetic pattern of Americans has altered.
正确答案：C从全文中心来看，文章并不是以“predict human height”为中心的，而是在谈美国人身高问题。所以C选项为正确选项。 -
第2题：
According to Jim Binns, young people today are ever more conscious of the “generation gap” than young people of the past.()
参考答案：正确
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第3题：
Have you ever stopped to think why many people are complaining about all the pressure in life? (翻译)
参考答案：你是否认真思考过，为什么那么多人都在抱怨生活中的种种压力?
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第4题：
共用题干
Prolonging Human Life
Prolonging human life has increased the size of the human population.Many people alive to-day would have died of childhood diseases if they had been born 100 years ago.Because more people live longer,there are more people around at any given time.In fact,it is a decrease in death rates,not an increase in birthrates,that has led to the population explosion.
Prolonging human life has also increased the dependency load.In all societies,people who are disabled or too young or too old to work are dependent on the rest of society to provide for them.In hunting and gathering cultures,old people who could not keep up might be left behind to die .In times of famine,infants might be allowed to die because they could not survive if their parents starved,whereas if the parents survived they could have another child.In most contempo- rary societies,people feel a moral obligation to keep people alive whether they can work or not. We have a great many people today who live past the age at which they want to work or are able to work;we also have rules which require people to retire at a certain age.Unless these people were able to save money for their retirement,somebody else must support them .In the United States many retired people live on social security checks which are so little that they must live in near
poverty .Older people have more illness than young or middle-aged people;unless they have wealth or private or government insurance,they must often"go on welfare"if they have a serious illness.
When older people become senile or too weak and ill to care for themselves,they create grave problems for their families.In the past and in some traditional cultures,they would be cared for at home until they died.Today,with most members of a household working or in school,there is often no one at home who can care for a sick or weak person.To meet this need, a great many nursing homes and convalescent hospitals have been built.These are often profit-making organizations,although some are sponsored by religious and other nonprofit groups.While a few of these institutions are good,most of them are simply"dumping grounds"for the dying in which"care"is given by poorly paid,overworked,and under-skilled personnel.The writer believes that the population explosion results from______.
A: an increase in birthrates
B: the industrial development
C: a decrease in death rates
D: cultural advances答案：C解析：第一段最后一句说“In fact , it is a decrease in death rates , not an increase in birthrates , that has led to the population explosion.”事实上，是由于死亡率的下降，而不是出生率的上升，导致了人口爆炸。因此，选项C是正确答案。
第二段第四句说“In times of famine , infants might be allowed to die because they could not survive if their parents starved,whereas if the parents survived they could have an-other child.”在灾年，可能会容忍婴儿死亡，因为，如果他们的父母俄死了，他们也无法生存，而如果父母生存下来可重新生儿育女。因此，选项B是正确的答案。
第二段倒数第二句是这么说的“In the United States many retired people live on social security checks which are so little that they must live in near poverty."（在美国，许多退休人员依靠社会保障金生活，其数额之小差不多使人穷困潦倒。）可以看出，在美国许多退休人员的生活是很艰难的。这正是选项A表达的意思，因而选项A是正确的答案。
第三段第三句“Today , with most members of a household working or in school , there is often no one at home who can care for a sick or weak person."（当今，由于家庭中大多数人都出去工作或上学，家里常常没有人来照顾有病或虚弱的人。) " this need”出现在下面这个短语中："To meet this need "（为了满足这种需要），它指句子前面的“care for a sick or weak person"。这正是选项D表达的意思。
文章的最后一句说“... most of them are simply " dumping grounds" for the dying in which "care" is given by poorly paid overworKea , and under-skilled personnel"（大多数机构只不过是倾倒垂死的人的“垃圾场”，所谓的“照顾”都是由收入低、超量工作、技术水平低下的人员提供的。）作者如此措辞显然是对大多数机构的强烈批评。因此，选项 D是正确答案。 -
第5题：
共用题干
Prolonging Human Life
1.Prolonging human life has increased the size of the human population.Many people alive today would have died of childhood diseases if they had been born 100 years ago.Because more people live longer,there are more people around at any given time.In fact,it is a decrease in death rates,not an increase in birthrates,that has led to the population explosion.
2.Prolonging human life has also increased the dependency load.In all societies,people who are disabled or too young or too old to work are dependent on the rest of society to provide for them. In hunting and gathering cultures,old people who could not keep up might be left behind to die.In times of famine,infants might be allowed to die because they could not survive if their parents starved,whereas if the parents survived they could have another child.
3.In most contemporary societies,people feel a moral obligation to keep people alive whether they can work or not. We have a great many people today who live past the age at which they want to work or are able to work.We also have rules which require people to retire at a certain age.Unless these people were able to save money for their retirement,somebody else must support them.In the United States many retired people live on social security checks which are so little that they must live in near poverty. Older people have more illness than young or middle-aged people.Unless they have wealth or private or government insurance,they must often"go on welfare"if they have a serious illness.
4.When older people become senile or too weak and ill to care for themselves,they create grave problems for their families.In the past and in some traditional cultures,they would be cared for at home until they died.Today,with most members of a household working or in school,there is often no one at home who can care for a sick or weak person.To meet this need,a great many nursing homes and convalescent hospitals have been built. These are often profit-making organizations, although some are sponsored by religious and other nonprofit groups.While a few of these institutions are good,most of them are simply"dumping grounds"for the dying in which"care"is given by poorly paid,overworked,and under-skilled personnel.Paragraph 4________
A:The old people are heavy load for the society.
B:Prolonging human life may lead to population explosion.
C:How to prolong human life.
D:Dependency load caused by prolonging human life.
E:Increased birthrate helps prolong human life.
F: How the old people are cared for when they are getting weak in contemporary society.答案：F解析：文章第一段提出了延长寿命会造成地球人口数量增加的观点，并解释了导致这一现象的原因。因此答案应当选择选项B。
文章第二段主要讲的是延长人寿命的同时也使要照顾的人数增加了。因此选择D项。
文章第三段主要解释为什么说老年人会是社会沉重的负担。因此选择A项。
第四段主要讲的是当今社会老年人生活的状况，及他们生病或身体变弱后会受到的照顾。因此选择F项。
文章第一段提到如果出生在100年前，很多人会早早死于儿童疾病。因此选项C是正确的。
文章第二段讲到在过去的狩猎和采集文化时代，部落里跟不上队伍的老年人会被撤下任其死去。因此选项B是正确的。
第四段第一句讲到，在如今的社会老人生病或变得虚弱会给家庭带来很大的负担。因此选项A是正确的。
文章最后一段描述现代社会的人们工作和生活的压力很大，大部分情况下没有人能留在家里照顾老人，因此选项D是正确的。 -
第6题：
共用题干
Prolonging Human Life
1.Prolonging human life has increased the size of the human population.Many people alive today would have died of childhood diseases if they had been born 100 years ago.Because more people live longer,there are more people around at any given time.In fact,it is a decrease in death rates,not an increase in birthrates,that has led to the population explosion.
2.Prolonging human life has also increased the dependency load.In all societies,people who are disabled or too young or too old to work are dependent on the rest of society to provide for them. In hunting and gathering cultures,old people who could not keep up might be left behind to die.In times of famine,infants might be allowed to die because they could not survive if their parents starved,whereas if the parents survived they could have another child.
3.In most contemporary societies,people feel a moral obligation to keep people alive whether they can work or not. We have a great many people today who live past the age at which they want to work or are able to work.We also have rules which require people to retire at a certain age.Unless these people were able to save money for their retirement,somebody else must support them.In the United States many retired people live on social security checks which are so little that they must live in near poverty. Older people have more illness than young or middle-aged people.Unless they have wealth or private or government insurance,they must often"go on welfare"if they have a serious illness.
4.When older people become senile or too weak and ill to care for themselves,they create grave problems for their families.In the past and in some traditional cultures,they would be cared for at home until they died.Today,with most members of a household working or in school,there is often no one at home who can care for a sick or weak person.To meet this need,a great many nursing homes and convalescent hospitals have been built. These are often profit-making organizations, although some are sponsored by religious and other nonprofit groups.While a few of these institutions are good,most of them are simply"dumping grounds"for the dying in which"care"is given by poorly paid,overworked,and under-skilled personnel.In________,old people who could not keep up might be abandoned to die.
A:too weak and ill
B:hunting and gathering cultures
C:childhood diseases
D:no one at home
E:epidemic diseases
F: traditional cultures答案：B解析：文章第一段提出了延长寿命会造成地球人口数量增加的观点，并解释了导致这一现象的原因。因此答案应当选择选项B。
文章第二段主要讲的是延长人寿命的同时也使要照顾的人数增加了。因此选择D项。
文章第三段主要解释为什么说老年人会是社会沉重的负担。因此选择A项。
第四段主要讲的是当今社会老年人生活的状况，及他们生病或身体变弱后会受到的照顾。因此选择F项。
文章第一段提到如果出生在100年前，很多人会早早死于儿童疾病。因此选项C是正确的。
文章第二段讲到在过去的狩猎和采集文化时代，部落里跟不上队伍的老年人会被撤下任其死去。因此选项B是正确的。
第四段第一句讲到，在如今的社会老人生病或变得虚弱会给家庭带来很大的负担。因此选项A是正确的。
文章最后一段描述现代社会的人们工作和生活的压力很大，大部分情况下没有人能留在家里照顾老人，因此选项D是正确的。 -
第7题：
共用题干
Prolonging Human Life
1.Prolonging human life has increased the size of the human population.Many people alive today would have died of childhood diseases if they had been born 100 years ago.Because more people live longer,there are more people around at any given time.In fact,it is a decrease in death rates,not an increase in birthrates,that has led to the population explosion.
2.Prolonging human life has also increased the dependency load.In all societies,people who are disabled or too young or too old to work are dependent on the rest of society to provide for them. In hunting and gathering cultures,old people who could not keep up might be left behind to die.In times of famine,infants might be allowed to die because they could not survive if their parents starved,whereas if the parents survived they could have another child.
3.In most contemporary societies,people feel a moral obligation to keep people alive whether they can work or not. We have a great many people today who live past the age at which they want to work or are able to work.We also have rules which require people to retire at a certain age.Unless these people were able to save money for their retirement,somebody else must support them.In the United States many retired people live on social security checks which are so little that they must live in near poverty. Older people have more illness than young or middle-aged people.Unless they have wealth or private or government insurance,they must often"go on welfare"if they have a serious illness.
4.When older people become senile or too weak and ill to care for themselves,they create grave problems for their families.In the past and in some traditional cultures,they would be cared for at home until they died.Today,with most members of a household working or in school,there is often no one at home who can care for a sick or weak person.To meet this need,a great many nursing homes and convalescent hospitals have been built. These are often profit-making organizations, although some are sponsored by religious and other nonprofit groups.While a few of these institutions are good,most of them are simply"dumping grounds"for the dying in which"care"is given by poorly paid,overworked,and under-skilled personnel.Many people would have died of_______if they had been born 100 years ago.
A:too weak and ill
B:hunting and gathering cultures
C:childhood diseases
D:no one at home
E:epidemic diseases
F: traditional cultures答案：C解析：文章第一段提出了延长寿命会造成地球人口数量增加的观点，并解释了导致这一现象的原因。因此答案应当选择选项B。
文章第二段主要讲的是延长人寿命的同时也使要照顾的人数增加了。因此选择D项。
文章第三段主要解释为什么说老年人会是社会沉重的负担。因此选择A项。
第四段主要讲的是当今社会老年人生活的状况，及他们生病或身体变弱后会受到的照顾。因此选择F项。
文章第一段提到如果出生在100年前，很多人会早早死于儿童疾病。因此选项C是正确的。
文章第二段讲到在过去的狩猎和采集文化时代，部落里跟不上队伍的老年人会被撤下任其死去。因此选项B是正确的。
第四段第一句讲到，在如今的社会老人生病或变得虚弱会给家庭带来很大的负担。因此选项A是正确的。
文章最后一段描述现代社会的人们工作和生活的压力很大，大部分情况下没有人能留在家里照顾老人，因此选项D是正确的。 -
第8题：
共用题干
第二篇
Human and the Earth
In terms of the evolution of life on Earth,human beings have just arrived.Despite their shori time on Earth,however,people have brought about enormous changes to the surface of the planet一changes far out of proportion to the interval of time they have occupied it.
People have more control over their surroundings than any other species on Earth.With the combination of intelligence and manual skill(allowing us to make and use tools),people have found ways to use plant and animal resources,mineral ores,fuels,and many other materials and resources from the Earth.
As the number of people on Earth increases,it becomes increasingly difficult for the population to survive on the resources of the land.The amount of land is limited.Although agricultural production can be increased by use of machinery such as tractors and the addition of fertilizer,the land ultimately can produce only so much food and no more.
As the human population grows,people consume more.Clearly,some locations on Earth already have too many people;in many of these areas,future increases will surely bring about more poverty and suffering. Yet people in rich nations use proportionally far more of the available resources than people in poorer nations.As they consume these resources without restraint,they also waste large amounts of them.
People are only a very small fraction of all the living things on the planet.Yet their numbers create a drain on resources that can't be renewed.For example,the amount of water on Earth is limited,this water is cleaned through natural processes.However,the natural processes for filtering water can clean only a certain amount of water by removing the pollution.Likewise,a limited amount of petroleum can be found under the Earth's surface.Petroleum is a valuable resource.Should people use it up to manufacture petrol for automobiles?As people work to control the planet and make life comfortable,are they using up resources that are needed for their survival?Which of the following statements about resources on Earth is not correct?
A:They can not be renewed.
B:Water is a kind of resource which can not be renewed.
C:Some of the resources are valuable.
D:Many resources can be recycled so we don't need to worry about them.答案：D解析：文章第一段第一句话提到“就地球上生命的进化而言，人类是姗姗来迟者”，因此比较而言，人类的历史并不长。选项A是正确的。
从文章第二段第二句话“With the combination of intelligence and manual skill...”我们知道选项A和B都是正确的，因此选择D项。
文章第三段提到，土地的总量是有限的。虽然使用拖拉机等机械和施用化肥可以提高农业产量，但是土地最终所能产出的粮食只有那么多，不会再增加。因此只有选项C是正确的。
文章第四段第三句说富裕国家的人们所使用的能源在比例上远远大于贫穷国家的人们。选项C中提到的“发达国家的人们”最符合题意。
根据文章最后一段关于资源的描述我们可以发现选项A、B、C都是正确的，只有选项D的表述错误，因此选择D项。 -
第9题：
共用题干
Prolonging Human Life
1.Prolonging human life has increased the size of the human population.Many people alive today would have died of childhood diseases if they had been born 100 years ago.Because more people live longer,there are more people around at any given time.In fact,it is a decrease in death rates,not an increase in birthrates,that has led to the population explosion.
2.Prolonging human life has also increased the dependency load.In all societies,people who are disabled or too young or too old to work are dependent on the rest of society to provide for them. In hunting and gathering cultures,old people who could not keep up might be left behind to die.In times of famine,infants might be allowed to die because they could not survive if their parents starved,whereas if the parents survived they could have another child.
3.In most contemporary societies,people feel a moral obligation to keep people alive whether they can work or not. We have a great many people today who live past the age at which they want to work or are able to work.We also have rules which require people to retire at a certain age.Unless these people were able to save money for their retirement,somebody else must support them.In the United States many retired people live on social security checks which are so little that they must live in near poverty. Older people have more illness than young or middle-aged people.Unless they have wealth or private or government insurance,they must often"go on welfare"if they have a serious illness.
4.When older people become senile or too weak and ill to care for themselves,they create grave problems for their families.In the past and in some traditional cultures,they would be cared for at home until they died.Today,with most members of a household working or in school,there is often no one at home who can care for a sick or weak person.To meet this need,a great many nursing homes and convalescent hospitals have been built. These are often profit-making organizations, although some are sponsored by religious and other nonprofit groups.While a few of these institutions are good,most of them are simply"dumping grounds"for the dying in which"care"is given by poorly paid,overworked,and under-skilled personnel.Today,with most members of a household working or in school,there is________who can care for a sick or weak person.
A:too weak and ill
B:hunting and gathering cultures
C:childhood diseases
D:no one at home
E:epidemic diseases
F: traditional cultures答案：D解析：文章第一段提出了延长寿命会造成地球人口数量增加的观点，并解释了导致这一现象的原因。因此答案应当选择选项B。
文章第二段主要讲的是延长人寿命的同时也使要照顾的人数增加了。因此选择D项。
文章第三段主要解释为什么说老年人会是社会沉重的负担。因此选择A项。
第四段主要讲的是当今社会老年人生活的状况，及他们生病或身体变弱后会受到的照顾。因此选择F项。
文章第一段提到如果出生在100年前，很多人会早早死于儿童疾病。因此选项C是正确的。
文章第二段讲到在过去的狩猎和采集文化时代，部落里跟不上队伍的老年人会被撤下任其死去。因此选项B是正确的。
第四段第一句讲到，在如今的社会老人生病或变得虚弱会给家庭带来很大的负担。因此选项A是正确的。
文章最后一段描述现代社会的人们工作和生活的压力很大，大部分情况下没有人能留在家里照顾老人，因此选项D是正确的。 -
第10题：
__we have finished the text,we shall start doing more revision exercises．A.For now
B.Since that
C.Now that
D.By now答案：C解析：now that为连接词，意为“既然”。 -
第11题：
单选题Even most imaginative people have to admit that _____.Ahuman societies are as advanced as those on some other planets
Bplanets other than Earth are not suitable for life like ours to stay
Cit is difficult to distinguish between organic parts and inorganic parts of the human body
Dorganisms are more creative than machines
正确答案： D解析：
文章首段“Mars looks like the only planet where life like ours could exist, and even this is doubtful.”表达了对外星球上是否有地球人的置疑，第五段“If this is the case, they may be much more tolerant of their environment, multiplying under conditions that would destroy immediately any organism made of carbon compounds and dependent on the familiar carbon cycle.”说明外星球不适合现在的人类居住，故B项正确。 -
第12题：
单选题Since the beginning of this century, more and more scientists have become interested in the way how the human brain works.ASince the beginning
Bhave become
Cin
Dthe way how
正确答案： D解析： -
第13题：
I started my teaching career at the school. That was more than twenty years ago, and I _____ there ever since.
A. was
B. had been
C. will be
D. have been
参考答案： D
-
第14题：
It s been a(n) ___________ tradition ever since. People celebrate it every year.A、annual
B、delicious
C、crowded
参考答案：A
-
第15题：
共用题干
Prolonging Human Life
Prolonging human life has increased the size of the human population.Many people alive to-day would have died of childhood diseases if they had been born 100 years ago.Because more people live longer,there are more people around at any given time.In fact,it is a decrease in death rates,not an increase in birthrates,that has led to the population explosion.
Prolonging human life has also increased the dependency load.In all societies,people who are disabled or too young or too old to work are dependent on the rest of society to provide for them.In hunting and gathering cultures,old people who could not keep up might be left behind to die .In times of famine,infants might be allowed to die because they could not survive if their parents starved,whereas if the parents survived they could have another child.In most contempo- rary societies,people feel a moral obligation to keep people alive whether they can work or not. We have a great many people today who live past the age at which they want to work or are able to work;we also have rules which require people to retire at a certain age.Unless these people were able to save money for their retirement,somebody else must support them .In the United States many retired people live on social security checks which are so little that they must live in near
poverty .Older people have more illness than young or middle-aged people;unless they have wealth or private or government insurance,they must often"go on welfare"if they have a serious illness.
When older people become senile or too weak and ill to care for themselves,they create grave problems for their families.In the past and in some traditional cultures,they would be cared for at home until they died.Today,with most members of a household working or in school,there is often no one at home who can care for a sick or weak person.To meet this need, a great many nursing homes and convalescent hospitals have been built.These are often profit-making organizations,although some are sponsored by religious and other nonprofit groups.While a few of these institutions are good,most of them are simply"dumping grounds"for the dying in which"care"is given by poorly paid,overworked,and under-skilled personnel.According to the passage,which of the following statements about retired people in the Unit-ed States is true?
A: Many of them have a very hard life.
B: They cannot live a decent life without enough bank savings.
C: They rely mainly on their children for financial support.
D: Most of them live with their children and therefore are well looked after.答案：A解析：第一段最后一句说“In fact , it is a decrease in death rates , not an increase in birthrates , that has led to the population explosion.”事实上，是由于死亡率的下降，而不是出生率的上升，导致了人口爆炸。因此，选项C是正确答案。
第二段第四句说“In times of famine , infants might be allowed to die because they could not survive if their parents starved,whereas if the parents survived they could have an-other child.”在灾年，可能会容忍婴儿死亡，因为，如果他们的父母俄死了，他们也无法生存，而如果父母生存下来可重新生儿育女。因此，选项B是正确的答案。
第二段倒数第二句是这么说的“In the United States many retired people live on social security checks which are so little that they must live in near poverty."（在美国，许多退休人员依靠社会保障金生活，其数额之小差不多使人穷困潦倒。）可以看出，在美国许多退休人员的生活是很艰难的。这正是选项A表达的意思，因而选项A是正确的答案。
第三段第三句“Today , with most members of a household working or in school , there is often no one at home who can care for a sick or weak person."（当今，由于家庭中大多数人都出去工作或上学，家里常常没有人来照顾有病或虚弱的人。) " this need”出现在下面这个短语中："To meet this need "（为了满足这种需要），它指句子前面的“care for a sick or weak person"。这正是选项D表达的意思。
文章的最后一句说“... most of them are simply " dumping grounds" for the dying in which "care" is given by poorly paid overworKea , and under-skilled personnel"（大多数机构只不过是倾倒垂死的人的“垃圾场”，所谓的“照顾”都是由收入低、超量工作、技术水平低下的人员提供的。）作者如此措辞显然是对大多数机构的强烈批评。因此，选项 D是正确答案。 -
第16题：
Americans today have different eating habits than in the past.They have a broader knowledge of（ ）,so they buy more fresh fruit and vegetables than ever before.Statistics show the way people live determines the way they eat.A.food
B.diet
C.nutrition
D.hygiene答案：C解析：nutrition“营养”。其他词与句意不符。D.hygiene卫生（学）。 -
第17题：
共用题干
Prolonging Human Life
1.Prolonging human life has increased the size of the human population.Many people alive today would have died of childhood diseases if they had been born 100 years ago.Because more people live longer,there are more people around at any given time.In fact,it is a decrease in death rates,not an increase in birthrates,that has led to the population explosion.
2.Prolonging human life has also increased the dependency load.In all societies,people who are disabled or too young or too old to work are dependent on the rest of society to provide for them. In hunting and gathering cultures,old people who could not keep up might be left behind to die.In times of famine,infants might be allowed to die because they could not survive if their parents starved,whereas if the parents survived they could have another child.
3.In most contemporary societies,people feel a moral obligation to keep people alive whether they can work or not. We have a great many people today who live past the age at which they want to work or are able to work.We also have rules which require people to retire at a certain age.Unless these people were able to save money for their retirement,somebody else must support them.In the United States many retired people live on social security checks which are so little that they must live in near poverty. Older people have more illness than young or middle-aged people.Unless they have wealth or private or government insurance,they must often"go on welfare"if they have a serious illness.
4.When older people become senile or too weak and ill to care for themselves,they create grave problems for their families.In the past and in some traditional cultures,they would be cared for at home until they died.Today,with most members of a household working or in school,there is often no one at home who can care for a sick or weak person.To meet this need,a great many nursing homes and convalescent hospitals have been built. These are often profit-making organizations, although some are sponsored by religious and other nonprofit groups.While a few of these institutions are good,most of them are simply"dumping grounds"for the dying in which"care"is given by poorly paid,overworked,and under-skilled personnel.Paragraph 2_______
A:The old people are heavy load for the society.
B:Prolonging human life may lead to population explosion.
C:How to prolong human life.
D:Dependency load caused by prolonging human life.
E:Increased birthrate helps prolong human life.
F: How the old people are cared for when they are getting weak in contemporary society.答案：D解析：文章第一段提出了延长寿命会造成地球人口数量增加的观点，并解释了导致这一现象的原因。因此答案应当选择选项B。
文章第二段主要讲的是延长人寿命的同时也使要照顾的人数增加了。因此选择D项。
文章第三段主要解释为什么说老年人会是社会沉重的负担。因此选择A项。
第四段主要讲的是当今社会老年人生活的状况，及他们生病或身体变弱后会受到的照顾。因此选择F项。
文章第一段提到如果出生在100年前，很多人会早早死于儿童疾病。因此选项C是正确的。
文章第二段讲到在过去的狩猎和采集文化时代，部落里跟不上队伍的老年人会被撤下任其死去。因此选项B是正确的。
第四段第一句讲到，在如今的社会老人生病或变得虚弱会给家庭带来很大的负担。因此选项A是正确的。
文章最后一段描述现代社会的人们工作和生活的压力很大，大部分情况下没有人能留在家里照顾老人，因此选项D是正确的。 -
第18题：
共用题干
第二篇
Human and the Earth
In terms of the evolution of life on Earth,human beings have just arrived.Despite their shori time on Earth,however,people have brought about enormous changes to the surface of the planet一changes far out of proportion to the interval of time they have occupied it.
People have more control over their surroundings than any other species on Earth.With the combination of intelligence and manual skill(allowing us to make and use tools),people have found ways to use plant and animal resources,mineral ores,fuels,and many other materials and resources from the Earth.
As the number of people on Earth increases,it becomes increasingly difficult for the population to survive on the resources of the land.The amount of land is limited.Although agricultural production can be increased by use of machinery such as tractors and the addition of fertilizer,the land ultimately can produce only so much food and no more.
As the human population grows,people consume more.Clearly,some locations on Earth already have too many people;in many of these areas,future increases will surely bring about more poverty and suffering. Yet people in rich nations use proportionally far more of the available resources than people in poorer nations.As they consume these resources without restraint,they also waste large amounts of them.
People are only a very small fraction of all the living things on the planet.Yet their numbers create a drain on resources that can't be renewed.For example,the amount of water on Earth is limited,this water is cleaned through natural processes.However,the natural processes for filtering water can clean only a certain amount of water by removing the pollution.Likewise,a limited amount of petroleum can be found under the Earth's surface.Petroleum is a valuable resource.Should people use it up to manufacture petrol for automobiles?As people work to control the planet and make life comfortable,are they using up resources that are needed for their survival?Why have people more control over their surroundings than any other species on Earth?
A:Because of their intelligence and manual skill.
B:Because they can use plant and animal resources,mineral ores and fuels.
C:Because they are cleverer than any other animals on Earth.
D:Both A and B.答案：D解析：文章第一段第一句话提到“就地球上生命的进化而言，人类是姗姗来迟者”，因此比较而言，人类的历史并不长。选项A是正确的。
从文章第二段第二句话“With the combination of intelligence and manual skill...”我们知道选项A和B都是正确的，因此选择D项。
文章第三段提到，土地的总量是有限的。虽然使用拖拉机等机械和施用化肥可以提高农业产量，但是土地最终所能产出的粮食只有那么多，不会再增加。因此只有选项C是正确的。
文章第四段第三句说富裕国家的人们所使用的能源在比例上远远大于贫穷国家的人们。选项C中提到的“发达国家的人们”最符合题意。
根据文章最后一段关于资源的描述我们可以发现选项A、B、C都是正确的，只有选项D的表述错误，因此选择D项。 -
第19题：
共用题干
第二篇
Human and the Earth
In terms of the evolution of life on Earth,human beings have just arrived.Despite their shori time on Earth,however,people have brought about enormous changes to the surface of the planet一changes far out of proportion to the interval of time they have occupied it.
People have more control over their surroundings than any other species on Earth.With the combination of intelligence and manual skill(allowing us to make and use tools),people have found ways to use plant and animal resources,mineral ores,fuels,and many other materials and resources from the Earth.
As the number of people on Earth increases,it becomes increasingly difficult for the population to survive on the resources of the land.The amount of land is limited.Although agricultural production can be increased by use of machinery such as tractors and the addition of fertilizer,the land ultimately can produce only so much food and no more.
As the human population grows,people consume more.Clearly,some locations on Earth already have too many people;in many of these areas,future increases will surely bring about more poverty and suffering. Yet people in rich nations use proportionally far more of the available resources than people in poorer nations.As they consume these resources without restraint,they also waste large amounts of them.
People are only a very small fraction of all the living things on the planet.Yet their numbers create a drain on resources that can't be renewed.For example,the amount of water on Earth is limited,this water is cleaned through natural processes.However,the natural processes for filtering water can clean only a certain amount of water by removing the pollution.Likewise,a limited amount of petroleum can be found under the Earth's surface.Petroleum is a valuable resource.Should people use it up to manufacture petrol for automobiles?As people work to control the planet and make life comfortable,are they using up resources that are needed for their survival?in terms of the evolution of life on Earth,the history of human beings is_______.
A:very short
B:very long
C:as long as that of other animals
D:as long as that of the Earth答案：A解析：文章第一段第一句话提到“就地球上生命的进化而言，人类是姗姗来迟者”，因此比较而言，人类的历史并不长。选项A是正确的。
从文章第二段第二句话“With the combination of intelligence and manual skill...”我们知道选项A和B都是正确的，因此选择D项。
文章第三段提到，土地的总量是有限的。虽然使用拖拉机等机械和施用化肥可以提高农业产量，但是土地最终所能产出的粮食只有那么多，不会再增加。因此只有选项C是正确的。
文章第四段第三句说富裕国家的人们所使用的能源在比例上远远大于贫穷国家的人们。选项C中提到的“发达国家的人们”最符合题意。
根据文章最后一段关于资源的描述我们可以发现选项A、B、C都是正确的，只有选项D的表述错误，因此选择D项。 -
第20题：
共用题干
第二篇
Human and the Earth
In terms of the evolution of life on Earth,human beings have just arrived.Despite their shori time on Earth,however,people have brought about enormous changes to the surface of the planet一changes far out of proportion to the interval of time they have occupied it.
People have more control over their surroundings than any other species on Earth.With the combination of intelligence and manual skill(allowing us to make and use tools),people have found ways to use plant and animal resources,mineral ores,fuels,and many other materials and resources from the Earth.
As the number of people on Earth increases,it becomes increasingly difficult for the population to survive on the resources of the land.The amount of land is limited.Although agricultural production can be increased by use of machinery such as tractors and the addition of fertilizer,the land ultimately can produce only so much food and no more.
As the human population grows,people consume more.Clearly,some locations on Earth already have too many people;in many of these areas,future increases will surely bring about more poverty and suffering. Yet people in rich nations use proportionally far more of the available resources than people in poorer nations.As they consume these resources without restraint,they also waste large amounts of them.
People are only a very small fraction of all the living things on the planet.Yet their numbers create a drain on resources that can't be renewed.For example,the amount of water on Earth is limited,this water is cleaned through natural processes.However,the natural processes for filtering water can clean only a certain amount of water by removing the pollution.Likewise,a limited amount of petroleum can be found under the Earth's surface.Petroleum is a valuable resource.Should people use it up to manufacture petrol for automobiles?As people work to control the planet and make life comfortable,are they using up resources that are needed for their survival?What makes people feel hard to live on Earth?
A:Fertilizer.
B:Lse of machinery.
C:Limited land.
D:Limited mineral resources.答案：C解析：文章第一段第一句话提到“就地球上生命的进化而言，人类是姗姗来迟者”，因此比较而言，人类的历史并不长。选项A是正确的。
从文章第二段第二句话“With the combination of intelligence and manual skill...”我们知道选项A和B都是正确的，因此选择D项。
文章第三段提到，土地的总量是有限的。虽然使用拖拉机等机械和施用化肥可以提高农业产量，但是土地最终所能产出的粮食只有那么多，不会再增加。因此只有选项C是正确的。
文章第四段第三句说富裕国家的人们所使用的能源在比例上远远大于贫穷国家的人们。选项C中提到的“发达国家的人们”最符合题意。
根据文章最后一段关于资源的描述我们可以发现选项A、B、C都是正确的，只有选项D的表述错误，因此选择D项。 -
第21题：
共用题干
第二篇
Human and the Earth
In terms of the evolution of life on Earth,human beings have just arrived.Despite their shori time on Earth,however,people have brought about enormous changes to the surface of the planet一changes far out of proportion to the interval of time they have occupied it.
People have more control over their surroundings than any other species on Earth.With the combination of intelligence and manual skill(allowing us to make and use tools),people have found ways to use plant and animal resources,mineral ores,fuels,and many other materials and resources from the Earth.
As the number of people on Earth increases,it becomes increasingly difficult for the population to survive on the resources of the land.The amount of land is limited.Although agricultural production can be increased by use of machinery such as tractors and the addition of fertilizer,the land ultimately can produce only so much food and no more.
As the human population grows,people consume more.Clearly,some locations on Earth already have too many people;in many of these areas,future increases will surely bring about more poverty and suffering. Yet people in rich nations use proportionally far more of the available resources than people in poorer nations.As they consume these resources without restraint,they also waste large amounts of them.
People are only a very small fraction of all the living things on the planet.Yet their numbers create a drain on resources that can't be renewed.For example,the amount of water on Earth is limited,this water is cleaned through natural processes.However,the natural processes for filtering water can clean only a certain amount of water by removing the pollution.Likewise,a limited amount of petroleum can be found under the Earth's surface.Petroleum is a valuable resource.Should people use it up to manufacture petrol for automobiles?As people work to control the planet and make life comfortable,are they using up resources that are needed for their survival?Who use more available resources according to the passage?
A:Rich people on Earth.
B:Poor people on Earth.
C:People in developed countries.
D:People in developing countries.答案：C解析：文章第一段第一句话提到“就地球上生命的进化而言，人类是姗姗来迟者”，因此比较而言，人类的历史并不长。选项A是正确的。
从文章第二段第二句话“With the combination of intelligence and manual skill...”我们知道选项A和B都是正确的，因此选择D项。
文章第三段提到，土地的总量是有限的。虽然使用拖拉机等机械和施用化肥可以提高农业产量，但是土地最终所能产出的粮食只有那么多，不会再增加。因此只有选项C是正确的。
文章第四段第三句说富裕国家的人们所使用的能源在比例上远远大于贫穷国家的人们。选项C中提到的“发达国家的人们”最符合题意。
根据文章最后一段关于资源的描述我们可以发现选项A、B、C都是正确的，只有选项D的表述错误，因此选择D项。 -
第22题：
More and more people in China now（）to work regularly.
- A、drive
- B、drives
- C、have driven
正确答案:A -
第23题：
单选题Human ingenuity was initially demonstrated in ______.Athe use of machines to produce science fiction
Bthe wide use of machines in manufacturing industry
Cthe invention of tools for difficult and dangerous work
Dthe elite’s cunning tackling of dangerous and boring work
正确答案： B解析：
细节题。首段第一句话提出“Since the dawn of human ingenuity, …cope with work that is dangerous, boring, burdensome, or just plain nasty”，人类的独创性最早体现在发明出很多巧妙的工具，以便应对那些危险的、无聊的、繁重的甚至是肮脏的工作。所以C为正确答案。