大学生英语竞赛D类阅读理解专项强化真题试卷23

The Psychology and Physiology of Taking Risks Why do only some of us become risk-seekers? There must be factors at work, which is experienced by risk-seekers and by risk-avoiders alike. [*] On a very simple level, social rewards are high for risk-takers who triumph over adversity. The scientist who does cutting-edge research despite the possibility of ruining his or her career may discover the next great energy source or the long-sought cure for a disease. The civil rights leader who perseveres in the face of threats to life or family may open new doors for millions of downtrodden citizens. Charles Lindbergh, the postal-service pilot who focused the attention of many nations on the possibilities of long-distance flight, attained immense wealth and fame. The risk-seeker, in other words, may simply be a very goal-directed person willing to take great chances to win big rewards. Psychologists often mention the sense of control that surviving a dangerous situation can impart. There is a great payoff for some people in facing adversity and overcoming it through superior strength and preparation. By this schema(模式), a risk-taker is not someone who recklessly seeks trouble but someone who carefully matches himself or herself against a worthy challenge. This image fits such extreme athletes as mountain-climbers or skydivers, who spend a great deal of time preparing for a dangerous ascent or a challenging jump. It does not, however, fit the teenager who recklessly speeds down a highway or the inexperienced skier who decides to take on a black-diamond slope. What explains risk-taking of this sort, which is probably best characterised as impulsive behaviour? [*] Psychologists in the Freudian mold would bring up the concept of a “ death wish,“ a deep-seated impulse to flirt with personal annihilation(灭绝). Physiologists pose several more-convincing possibilities. The tendency to be a risk-seeker depends, in this view, on factors such as one’s brain development or one’s receptivity to common brain chemicals. For example, studies of electrical patterns in the brain have shown that teenagers, as opposed to preteens and adults, exhibit more activities in the reward centres of their brains than in the planning centres. Furthermore, these reward centres are most active when the rewards appear unpredictably. This focus on instant rewards and on novelty offers a recipe for impulsive risk-taking in hopes of a chance pay-out. Another possible factor is an enzyme called monoamine oxidase(MAO). It helps control the levels of dopamine and other chemicals in the brain so that someone whose body produces abnormally little MAO is likely to have imbalances of such chemicals in the brain. By testing individuals with a tendency toward risky behaviour, researchers have established a strong correlation between low levels of MAO and living dangerously. Why do only some of us become risk-seekers? Firstly, social rewards are high for risk-takers who【R1】______. The risk-seekers may simply be a very【R2】______person willing to take great chances to gain big rewards. Secondly, there is a great payoff for some people in facing adversity and overcoming it through great【R3】______. The third factor is a death wish. The tendency to be a risk-seeker depends, in the Freudian mold, on factors such as one’s brain development or one’s receptivity to common brain chemicals. Teenagers have been shown to exhibit more activities in the【R4】______of one’s brains than in the planning centres. The last possible factor is MAO, which helps control the levels of dopamine and other chemicals in the brain so that someone whose body produces low levels of MAO is likely to have imbalances of such chemicals in the brain.【R5】______between low levels of MAO and living dangerously has been established.

Animal Intelligence [*] Pet owners know their pets are able to do all sorts of incredible things. Dogs seem to pick up their ears when their owners mention the word walk. Cats have many creative ways of reminding their owners to feed them. So exactly how intelligent are animals? Scientists as well as pet owners are interested in the question of animal intelligence. One of the most exciting investigations on the mental abilities of animals looks at their ability to use tools. Through observation of animals in the wild and in zoos, animal researchers know that several animal species apparently use tools. Perhaps the most notable in this kind is the work of Jane Godall in Africa. She observed chimpanzees in their native environment using small sticks to catch termites. Great apes in zoos have been seen to use tools. Scientists have trained crows to use small sticks to spear insects in the bark of trees. Another aspect of animal cognition is solving problems. Some species of birds, such as ravens, are particularly clever. Ravens are able to solve many different problems, such as untying a knot to get at food. Even pigeons and parrots have shown an extraordinary capacity to recognize, count, or name different objects. In addition, the ability to learn what they are taught by humans is another marker of animal cognition. For example, dogs are able to learn a wide variety of commands, and then follow them. Orangutans can learn complex tasks, such as washing clothes by hand, after just a few tries. Elephants also remember various behaviors that they are taught—even playing music and painting. Perhaps one of the most important aspects of animal cognition is self-awareness. An animal that is aware of itself has a high level of cognition ability. For a long time, humans were thought to be the only living beings aware of themselves and their actions. For example, you are aware that you are reading this article or you can recognize yourself in a mirror. Animal researchers have discovered that dolphins and chimpanzees are able to recognize themselves in a mirror. Self-awareness may help highly social animals like these to get along in their social groups. When they look at the mental abilities of animals as introduced above, animal researchers draw a conclusion that some animals do have high levels of cognition. Summary: Scientists and pet owners are quite interested in the question of animal intelligence, the mental abilities of animals, which is also called【R1】______. First of all, the author talks about animals’ ability to use tools . Chimpanzees and great apes are mentioned as examples. Then, the ability to【R2】______, another mental ability of animals, follows. Ravens are cited with their particular cleverness. In addition, animals are able to learn what they are taught. Perhaps, one of the most significant presentations of the mental abilities of animals is that they have their own【R3】______ which might help some animals to get along in their groups. Animals demonstrate this by【R4】______in a mirror. By integrating all the aspects, animal researchers conclude that some species of animals do have【R5】______intelligence.

Apology Makes Right Whether used to repair old, strained relationships or to lay the groundwork for new, productive ones, the mighty “sorry“ has proved effective. Apologies are powerful. They resolve conflicts without violence, repair disunity between nations , allow governments to acknowledge the suffering of their citizens, and restore balance to personal relationships. They are an effective way to restore trust and gain respect. They can be a sign of strength: proof that the apologizer has the self-confidence to admit a mistake. Apologies, like so many other communication strategies, begin at home. They are one of what some linguists call speech acts and are used to keep relationships on track. Each cultural group has its own customs with regard to conversational formalities, including conventionalized means of repairing disruptions. In the American context, there is enough evidence that women are more inclined to offer an expression of apology than men. One woman, for example, told me that her husband’s resistance to a-pologizing makes their disputes go on and on. Once, after he forgot to give her a particularly important telephone message, she couldn’t get over her anger, not because he had forgotten(she realized anyone can make a mistake)but because he didn’t apologize. “Had I done something like that,“ she said, “ I would have fallen all over myself saying how sorry I was ... I felt as though he didn’t care. “ When I asked her husband for his side of the story, he said apologizing would not have repaired the damage, “So what good does it do?“ he wondered. The good it does is cementing relationships. By saying he was sorry—and saying it as if he meant it—he would have conveyed that he felt bad about letting her down. Not saying anything sent the opposite message: it implied he didn’t care. Showing that you empathize provides the element of regret that is central to apologies—as does the promise to make amends and not repeat the offense. In the absence of these, why should the wife trust her husband not to do it again? Apologies can be equally powerful in day-to-day situations at home and at work. One company manager told me that they were magic bullets. When he admitted to subordinates that he had made a mistake and then expressed remorse, they not only forgave him, but became even more loyal. Conversely, when I asked people what most frustrated them in their work lives, coworkers refusing to admit fault was a frequent answer. Summary: Apologies are powerful, because they are an effective way to【R1】______and gain respect. Like many other communication strategies, they begin at home. They are one of the【R2】______ and are used to keep relationships on track. The essential advantage of apology is repairing the【R3】______. Showing that you are regretful means to compensate and not【R4】______. Moreover, apologies can be equally powerful in【R5】______both at home and at work.

The recession has brought about an abrupt change of mood on university campuses up and down the country. A five-year boom in the graduate job market has been stopped in its tracks and salary expectations. No wonder only one in five of 16, 000 final year students questioned for a survey by High Flyers Research said that they expected to get a job for which they are qualified by the time they graduate. Despite the gloom, the financial case for going to university remains compelling. International surveys continue to show the salary premium enjoyed by UK graduates over those who choose not to go to university as among the highest in the world. In the post-recession world, a university degree is likely to be even more of an advantage to job-seekers than before. But choosing the right degree course and the right university will also be more important than ever. This does not necessarily mean that students should go only for job-related degrees, but it will put a premium on marketable skills. And it may mean that more universities can be expected to follow the lead of Liverpool John Moores University, which puts all of its undergraduates through a World of Work(WoW)course designed to give them the problem-solving and communication skills they’ll need at work. The Times Good University Guide 2010, published by HarperCollins, offers a wealth of essential information to help candidates to navigate the maze of university choice, as well as advice on students’ life. It is the most authoritative guide to universities in the UK and is an essential and comprehensive tool for students and parents. The online version of the Guide allows students and parents to create their own individual university rankings and to compare the strengths and weaknesses of different institutions by sorting universities according to one of the eight criteria—from student satisfaction to research quality and degree results. The table sees Oxford maintain its leadership, despite coming below Cambridge in most of the subject tables. Cambridge has the better record on student satisfaction, research, entry standards, completion and graduate destinations, but Oxford’s lead in staffing levels, degree classifications and particularly in spending on libraries and other student facilities makes the difference. Summary: Up until recently, students expected to earn good money after graduation. However, there has been a dramatic【R1】______in attitude, and a minority now think that they’ll work in a field that they are【R2】______for. It is still worth doing higher studies in the UK because the gap in earning between university graduates and the people who do not have university degrees is greater than anywhere else in the world. Students don’t have to go only for job-related degrees. However, choosing the right degree course and the right university will【R3】______on marketable skills. The Times Good University Guide 2010 provides students and parents with the【R4】______in choosing the right university and advice on students’ life, and its online version allows students and parents to compare the【R5】______of institutions by sorting universities with one of the eight criteria, such as student satisfaction.