全国英语阅读大赛题

2023全国中小学生英语读写能力竞赛题库在2023年全国中小学生英语读写能力竞赛中，考生将面对以下题目。

这些题目旨在考察学生在英语阅读和写作方面的能力，涵盖多个话题和文体。

请结合所给题目和个人的英语知识和技能，准备并完成对应的题目。

题目一：阅读理解Read the following passage and answer the questions below.Title: Nature ConservationIn recent years, the issue of nature conservation has received increasing attention worldwide. Many scientists and environmentalists argue that the protection of natural resources is crucial for the survival and well-being of future generations. They emphasize the need for sustainable development and the responsible use of natural resources. However, despite the growing awareness, there are still challenges to overcome.Question 1: According to the passage, why do scientists and environmentalists believe nature conservation is important?Question 2: What is the main idea of the passage?题目二：写作Write an article about the benefits of reading for children. In your article, you should include the following points:1. Introduction: Explain the importance of reading in children's development.2. Vocabulary and Language Skills: Discuss how reading helps children expand their vocabulary and improve their language skills.3. Imagination and Creativity: Explain how reading stimulates children's imagination and enhances their creativity.4. Knowledge and Understanding: Describe how reading broadens children's knowledge and deepens their understanding of the world.5. Conclusion: Summarize the benefits of reading for children.注意：字数不少于800字。

全国中学生英语能力竞赛试题一、阅读理解阅读理解一据报道，最近几年中国学生对英语学习的兴趣出现下降，很多人认为这与现代科技的发展有关。

然而，对于中学生英语能力的竞赛而言，仍然有很多人积极参与。

题目：阅读下面短文，然后根据短文内容，从A、B、C、D四个选项中选择最佳答案。

Recently, there has been a decrease in the number of Chinese students interested in learning English. Some people believe this is due to the development of modern technology. However, there are still many students who actively participate in English proficiency competitions.1.What is the main idea of the article?– A. Chinese students are losing interest in learning English.– B. Modern technology has impacted students’ interest in learning English.– C. English proficiency competitions are popular among Chinese students.– D. Chinese students’ English ability hasdeclined.答案： A. Chinese students are losing interest in learning English.阅读理解二根据最新的统计数据，中国中学生英语学习能力仍然需要进一步提高。

针对此现象，全国中学生英语能力竞赛一直努力促进英语教育的发展，提高学生的英语水平。

2016“外研社杯”全国英语阅读大赛样题Part I Read and KnowIn Part I, you will read short texts of various kinds. Read the instructions carefully and answer the questions. (Time allowed: 22 minutes)Questions 1-3 (Suggested completion time: 5 minutes)Directions: Read the following quotes. Match the quotes on the left with the people on the right. Please note there are two extra options you do not need to use.Questions 4 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.To ensure the high standards of facilities we need to build new wards, laboratories and consulting rooms. In short, we need your help now. Complete the coupon today and rest assured that your donation is going to the best possible cause.4. Where is the piece of text taken from?A. an advertisementB. an instruction bookletC. a storyD. a newspaperQuestions 5 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.Few corners of the world remain untainted by intrepid tourists, and their impact is often devastating. Too frequently they trample heedlessly on fragile environments, displacing wildlife and local populations in their insatiable quest for unexplored locations.5. What is the best title for this text?A. The future of tourismB. The role of tourismC. The price of tourismD. The benefits of tourismQuestions 6 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.Buying and selling anything is your forte now. If you visit a jumble or car-boot sale or the like, a romantic encounter is more than probable! News linked to the family is brilliant!6. What type of text is this?A. A personal advertisement.B. A personal horoscope.C. A friend’s letter of advice.D. A written warning.Questions 7 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.With our travel agency, the holiday you book is the holiday you get. If you arrive and find we’ve failed to live up to our promises, let us know what the problem is within one day of your arrival. We’ll spend 24 hours doing everything possible to sort the problem out. In the unlikely event that we can’t resolve your problem and make you happy within 24 hours, we’ll fly you home and give your money back.7. The text could best be described as __________.A. a commitmentB. an appealC. a warningD. a vowQuestions 8 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.The new digital cameras are great fun and very easy to use. They let you review your pictures the moment you take them, so you can re-shoot right away if you’re not satisfied. But remember, a digital camera is just a computer XXXX. It’s not a replacement for your ordinary camera.8. What is the meaning of the missing word (XXXX) in the text?A. “something that is poor quality”B. “an item that is not essential, something extra”C. “something expensive but good value for money”D. “a fashion which always remains popular”Questions 9 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.She had gone alone, but the children were to go to the station to meet her. And loving the station as they did, it was only natural that they should be there a good hour before there was any chance of Mother’s train arriving, even if the train were punctual, which was most unlikely.9. What can you say about their mother’s train?A. It would probably be early.B. It would probably be on time.C. It would probably be late.D. It had been cancelled.Question 10 (Suggested completion time: 5 minutes)Directions: The bar chart shows the number and proportion of undernourished people in the developing regions, from 1990¬1992 to 2014¬2016. Answer the question according to the information in the chart.Source: The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Report201510. Choose the INCORRECT description about the chart.A.Current estimates suggest that nearly one in nine individuals do not haveenough to eat between 2014 and 2016.B.Projections indicate that the 2015 MDG target is nearly reached, with 12.9per cent of undernourished population.C.The situation noticeably improved during the years 1995-1999, but wentdown in the first five years of the new millennium.D.The proportion of undernourished people in the developing regions hasfallen by almost half since 1990.Part II Read and ReasonIn Part II, you will read short texts on different subjects. Read the instructions carefully and answer the questions based on logical inference and reasoning. (Time allowed: 38 minutes)Question 11-12 (Suggested completion time: 10 minutes)Directions: Read the definitions of two types of logical fallacy. Answer the11. Which of the following provides a typical example of poisoning the well?A. That’s my stance on funding the education system, and anyone whodisagrees with me hates children.B. You are so weird. That means—we are pretty much sure—that your wholefamily is weird, too.C. God exists because the Bible says so. The Bible is inspired. Therefore, weknow that God exists.D. I don’t care what you say. We don’t need any more bookshelves. As long asthe carpet is clean, we are fine.12. Which of the following provides a typical example of a false dilemma?A. Smoking is harmful to health, so you are supposed to quit smoking.B. If the government doesn’t reduce public spending, our economy will collapse.C. You may as well avoid overeating, or else you might be obese in no time.D. You are the worst of the classmates; therefore, what you say is incredible. Questions 13 (Suggested completion time: 4 minutes)Directions: Read the passage about syllogism. Decide whether the reasonings are Valid or Invalid based on the principles of syllogism.Syllogism is a kind of logical argument that applies deductive reasoning to arrive at a conclusion based on two or more propositions that are asserted or assumed to be true. It is perha ps today’s most commonly accepted form of logical reasoning in aptitude tests. The most commonly used type of syllogisms is elucidated in a frequently used example:Premise 1: All men are mortal.Premise 2: Socrates is a man.Conclusion: Socrates is mortal.Now practice syllogisms for IQ tests. Please note that the conclusion is based on logical reasoning and doesn’t necessarily represent the “truth” always.13. Valid ( ); Invalid ( )Premise 1: All human action is conditioned by circumstances.Premise 2: All human action involves morality.Conclusion: All that involves morality is conditioned by circumstances. Questions 14 (Suggested completion time: 4 minutes)Directions: Read the passage about contraposition. Decide whether the reasonings are Valid or Invalid based on the principles of contraposition.In logic, contraposition is a law that says that a conditional statement is logically equivalent to its contrapositive. The contrapositive of the statement has its antecedent and consequent inverted and flipped. The most commonly used type of contraposition is elucidated in the following example:Premise 1: If it is raining, then there are clouds in the sky.Premise 2: There are no clouds in the sky.Conclusion: It is not raining.Now practice contraposition for IQ tests. Please note that the conclusion is based on logical reasoning and doesn’t necessarily represent the “truth” always.14. Valid ( ); Invalid ( )Premise 1: If he is not an American, he is not from Texas.Premise 2: He is from Texas.Conclusion: He is an American.Questions 15-17 (Suggested completion time: 6 minutes)Directions: Read the text about a science discovery. Answer the questions according to the text.Manipulating MemoryMemory is notoriously malleable. Our recollections fadeand take on new meanings; sometimes we rememberthings that never even happened. But 15 .Recently, however, scientists have started to grasp andtinker with memory’s physical basis. Last year, i n workevocative of films such as Eternal Sunshine of the SpotlessMind and Inception, researchers discovered ways to manipulate specific memories in mice using optogenetics, a powerful technique that can trigger nerve cells in animals’ brains by zapping t hem with beams of laser light. In a series of experiments, they showed that they could delete existing memories and “incept” false ones.This year, researchers went even further: switching the emotional content of a memory in mice from bad to good and vice versa. Under the laser, for example, male mice that had once associated a certain room with being shocked were tricked into acting as though they had once met friendly female mice there instead.Whether the mice in these experiments actually experienced vivid false memories or just a fuzzy sense of pleasure or fear is unclear. Nor is it clear whether the findings apply to the tricks of memory so familiar to people. Long-sought therapeutic advances, such as treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder, could remain far off. One thing is certain, however: Once considered beyond scientific dissection, memory is finally starting to yield its secrets.15. Which of the following best fits the numbered space in the passage?A.what is really happening in our brain as memories are remodeled remainsmysteriousB.scientists are curious about why people are oblivious to what havehappened to themC.advanced technology has helped scientists discover the workings of ourbrainD.some scientists argue that what we observe about human memory is notwhat it really is16. The word “incept” is closest in meaning to ________.A. operateB. startC. detectD. occupy17. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?A.People’s false memories result from the impact of different emotionprovoked by later experience on the same spot.B.The success in research indicates that it won’t be long that a therapy isworked out for people disturbed by painful memory.C.By zapping the brain cells of mice with light, researchers are able to create,erase, or alter their memories, good or bad.D.Many fancy ideas in science fictions or movies that are based on themactually draw greatly upon scientific achievement.Questions 18-19 (Suggested completion time: 4 minutes)Directions: Read the following passage about cholera. Decide whether the statements are True or False according to the passage.A child receives the oral cholera vaccine ShancholCholera is caused by a bacterial infection of the intestine. Approximately one in 20 people infected with cholera has a serious case, with symptoms including severe diarrhea, vomiting, and leg cramps. These symptoms quickly cause dehydration and shock, and can result in death within hours if the infected person doesn’t receive treatment. Cholera is typically transmitted by contaminated food or water. In areas with poor treatment of sewage and drinking water, the feces of people with cholera can enter the water supply and spread quickly, resulting in an epidemic. The cholera bacterium may also live in the environment in some coastal waters, so shellfish eaten raw can be a source of cholera in affected areas.18. Cholera is known to be a life-threatening disease which easily causes death of most of the patients.True ( ) False ( )19. Cholera typically occurs in areas near the sea or the river where contaminated food is a major source of the disease.True ( ) False ( )Questions 20-21 (Suggested completion time: 5 minutes)Directions: Read the abstract of a research paper from the DeepMind website. Decide whether the statements are True or False according to the abstract.Teaching Machines to Read and ComprehendAuthors: K. M. Hermann, T. Kočiský, E. Grefenstette, L. Espeholt, W. Kay, M. Suleyman, P. BlunsomPublished: NIPS 2015Abstract: Teaching machines to read natural language documents remains an elusive challenge. Machine reading systems can be tested on their ability to answer questions posed on the contents of documents that they have seen, but until now large scale training and test datasets have been missing for this type of evaluation. In this work we define a new methodology that resolves this bottleneck and provides large scale supervised reading comprehension data. This allows us to develop a class of attention based deep neural networks that learn to read real documents and answer complex questions with minimal prior knowledge of language structure.20. Previous studies didn’t take constant effort to evaluate the reading ability of artificial intelligence machines, which was why the present research was conducted.True ( ) False ( )21. One implication of the research is that a methodology that helps gather and handle big data is indispensible to artificial intelligence related studies.True ( ) False ( )Questions 22-23 (Suggested completion time: 5 minutes)Directions: Read the passage about the “Think small” advertising campaign. Answer the questions according to the passage.Think SmallI f you’re interested in marketing and advertising, Volkswagen’s “Think small” campaign for the Beetle when it was first introduced to North America in 1959 looms large as one of the greatest advertising campaigns of all time. It wasn’t just a revolution in automotive advertising; it changed the entire industry.Until the Beetle hit the market, automotive marketing copy was full of bluster, and the images were flights of fancy, emphasizing low, long lines and a fantasy lifestyle.The clean, simple photography on a white background that emphasized the Beetle’s compact, practical form may seem commonplace these days, but it was a revolution in a world where Americans grew up obsessed with muscle cars,horsepower, and tire smoke. Making the car small,when the convention was to make it fill the page, wasalso novel. The simplistic approach to design andlayout was totally contrary to the advertisingconventions of the time.__ 22__ The text was minimalist in both look andcontent, presenting the facts simply instead of tryingto weave tall tales and fantasies; and instead ofbluster, it ushered in an intelligent sense of humorthat made readers feel like they were in on the joke.The message was one of smart anti-luxury, and took gentle aim at an industry obsessed with superficiality and styling, rather than the substance underneath the car bodies.Not only does “Think small” continue to inspire Volkswagen advertising to this day, it ushered in a creative revolution in the advertising business and changed the world of marketing forever. “Think small” showed the power of humo r and honesty, and its photographic and design principles brought about a major shift in the look and feel of marketing around the world.22. Which of the sentences below best fits the numbered space in the passage?A.What defined the ad even more than its visual style was the tone of itscopy.B.This ad starts off doing the exact opposite of what you would expect in acar ad.C.This was an exercise in minimalism and a very accurate reflection on theproduct itself.D.The car wasn’t depicted as an integral piece of the daily lives of a middleclass family.23. It can be inferred that the advertising conventions of the 1950s were reflected in the following except that ___________.A.the ads in the 1950s typically showed proud owners and passengersevoking great joy about new shiny big acquisitions.B.the marketing concept then focused on providing as much information aspossible to the reader such as the way it’s created.C.the marketing schemes associated the advertised product with an idea ora way of living from average consumers’ perspective.D.the marketing practice may attach importance to a sense of humorbrought by the use of exaggerated language.Part III Read and QuestionIn Part III, you will read passages on the same subject. You will be required to identify the writer’s position and evaluate the effectiveness of the writer’s arguments. (Time allowed: 30 minutes)Questions 24-35 (Suggested completion time: 30 minutes)Directions: Read three passages about fashion. Answer the questions according to the passages.Passage AIt’s not that easy to answer the question, “what is fashion?” because it means different things to different people. Fashion is an art. It’s a religion. It’s a job. It’s a peek into a personality. It’s playfulness. It’s an escape or a disguise. It is a feast for the eyes. But ultimately, 25 . French fashion designer Coco Chanel once said, “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”It’s true. Fashion isn’t defined solely by our clothing choices, but is also conveyed through the way we carry ourselves, our personalities and our views of the world. At its most fundamental, fashion is simply the prevailing style or custom, as in dress or behavior.So, who exactly answers the question “what is fashion”? Who decides what’s fashionable and what isn’t? What’s in or what’s out?Fashion Designers. The iconic fashion houses—Prada, Gucci, Chanel—are referred to as haute couture, French for “high sewing.” These designers lead the way in creating trend-setting fashion. While some of their designs are outrageous andcompletely unrealistic when it comes to everyday wear, generally the theme is adapted into versions suitable for wearing.Media. Fashion trends are often sparked by characters on popular television shows and movies as well as adopted from magazine pages. “Sex and the City,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” these shows introduced us to new, cutting-edge designs. While you might not be caught dead wearing a Carrie Bradshaw original, you might take ideas inspired from her look and piece together your own creation. Celebrities. A prime example of a celebrity-driven fashion trend? UGGs. Until Kate Hudson and Jessica Simpson were spotted wearing them around L.A. several years ago, no one had given any thought to UGG boots. Now they are everywhere.Musicians. Musicians have always been very influential when it comes to dictating fashion. Rock ‘n’ roll is fashion. Elvis is an iconic example. In the 1950s, everyone wanted to dress like Elvis. What about the heavy metal hair bands so popular in the 1980s? Axl Rose reinvented the head bandana while Poison, Motley Crue and Bon Jovi set the pace for big, rocker hair.Just because you don’t know if a Prada bag is fall 2007 or spring 2008 doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you like it and it’s an expression of you. That is fashion.Passage BFashion is more prevalent in modern society than in primitive tribes or peasant communities. The modern society is an open society where class distinctions are not so rigid as in primitive society. Its urban and mobile class structure enables people to cultivate individual taste and adopt new course. The modern society is more tolerant of differences and therefore places few shackles on the cycle of fashion. Our standards of judgment have also changed. Today the individual is rated more by observable externalities than by his ancestry, his character or his genuine accomplishments. The clothes a man wears, the language he speaks, the manners he shows have more weight in ascribing a status than his simplicity, patriotism and integrity.If he can keep himself up to date in the matters of his dress, speech and manners, he will assure himself a high social esteem. Not only the mobile and urban character of modern society but its affluence also speaks for greater prevalence of fashion in it. Men today are richer than their ancestors and have more leisure. They have the necessary means and time to play with luxuries and to think of fashion. Maclver writes: We do not think of fashion in overalls; there is more of fashion in the body of an automobile than in its chassis. There is no fashion in steam shovels. Consequently the higher the standard of living the more material there is for fashion to operate upon.Passage CAs summer has officially faded into the colder weather of autumn, I assumed the days of Nike shorts, comically large T-shirts and polos would be only a memory of yesterday. This has not been the case.Fashion, in and of itself, is already a type of conformism. In order to be considered fashion, a look, a garment or a stylistic choice must be deemed fashionable.Who gets to decide this—what is fashionable? While certain fashion heavyweights play a role in this decision, the ultimate decision is left to the public.As I was surfing the Web recently for inspiration for this column, I came across the Prada website. What I discovered literally caused me to gasp. Of course, everyone knows Prada is an expensive brand—a luxury—but what I discovered shocked me: a keychain priced at $180. No, this keychain was not solid gold or encased in diamonds. It was simply a keychain: a skull with the word “Prada” on a small charm.How can a company charge $180 for a keychain? The answer: people are willing to pay for it. People know the brand and conform to the idea of owning a piece of such an Italian “luxury.”This is nonsensical. Why do we choose to wear miniscule shorts in frigid weather or spend nearly $200 on a charm? Such decisions are influenced by peers, the media and the personal resolution to not make rational, individualistic choices. We cling to the idea of acceptance.In short, we often choose to abide by the pressures of social conventionality, and this leads us to make ridiculous selections—pairing Ugg boots with shorts or wearing neon with camouflage—which we would otherwise not make.I am certainly shamefaced in my occasional conformity to these ludicrous fashion folkways. I am guilty of donning Crocs in public. Yikes!Transient, often preposterous trends referred to as fads inspire some rather strange ideas. Who can recall the pet rocks of the ‘70s or Popples of the ‘80s? Such pop trends are not confined to behavior; they bleed into the fashion world, evidenced in overly distressed jeans, the most painful of neon shades, shoes that resemble Swiss cheese and a host of other fads I do not have the space to mention.I refuse to give up hope for societal common sense.One day we will comprehend that shorts are for the summer and ridiculously expensive keychains are for “never.” Do not allow others to dictate for you. Be bold. Be an individual. Do not buy the keychain.24. The phrase “might not be caught dead” in Passage A most probably means ______.A.would rather not die anywayB.might not be caught red handedC.would refuse completely to do somethingD.might be uneasy though doing something25. Which of the following best fits the numbered space in Passage A?A.fashion is an individual statement of expression for each of usB.fashion facilitates social change by providing a transitional stageC.fashion is not an individual choice but a group choiceD.fashion determines our speech, opinion, dress, music, art, etc.26. It can be inferred from Passage A that fashion designers, media, celebrities and musicians share the following views except ______.A.that fashion is anything but separated from the daily life of ordinarypeople.B.that nothing completely absurd and unrealistic can finally becomefashion.C.that fashion is what society accepts and has an element of social sanctionbehind it.D.tha t if a particular choice remains confined to an individual it can’t becalled fashion.27. The word “affluence” in Passage B is closest in meaning to ______.A. versatilityB. wealthinessC. peculiarityD. charisma28. According to Passage B, which of the following attributes may probably be more important than others for an individual to be favorably received now?A. A wide range of erudition.B. Loyalty to his or her friends.C. A passion for popular novels.D. Good virtues such as honesty.29. Which of the following is NOT true about the author’s attitude towards fashion according to Passage C?A.The author thinks it a waste of time mentioning a list of examples ofirrational fads.B.People are mad about fashion and therefore lose their own goodjudgment.C.The author never allows himself to be carried away by the fashion trends.D.Behind the behavior of keeping up with fashion is a need to stay in thecrowd.E.30-31. Decide whether the statements are True or False according to the three passages.30. All the three passages agree that fashion plays a role in the interplay of class relations that it satisfies the contrary desires for novelty and for conformity.True ( ) False ( )31. None of the three passages are denying conventional social values in people’s judgment, for example, what’s considered good about things or people.True ( ) False ( )Part IV Read and CreateIn Part IV, you will read a passage and then write a short essay according to it. You should write with clarity and logic. (Time allowed: 40 minutes)Question 32 (Suggested completion time: 40 minutes)Directions: Read a passage from Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting the Reason and Seeking the Truth in the Sciences. Write a short essay according to the passage.… And as a multitude of laws often only hampers justice, so that a state is best governed when, with few laws, these are rigidly administered; in like manner, instead of the great number of precepts of which logic is composed, I believed that the four following would prove perfectly sufficient for me, provided I took the firm and unwavering resolution never in a single instance to fail in observing them.The first was never to accept anything for true which I did not clearly know to be such; that is to say, carefully to avoid precipitancy and prejudice, and to comprise nothing more in my judgment than what was presented to my mind so clearly and distinctly as to exclude all ground of doubt.The second, to divide each of the difficulties under examination into as many parts as possible, and as might be necessary for its adequate solution.The third, to conduct my thoughts in such order that, by commencing with objects the simplest and easiest to know, I might ascend by little and little, and, as it were, step by step, to the knowledge of the more complex; assigning in thought a certain order even to those objects which in their own nature do not stand in a relation of antecedence and sequence.And the last, in every case to make enumerations so complete, and reviews so general, that I might be assured that nothing was omitted.The long chains of simple and easy reasonings by means of which geometers are accustomed to reach the conclusions of their most difficult demonstrations, had led me to imagine that all things, to the knowledge of which man is competent, are mutually connected in the same way, and that there is nothing so far removed from us as to be beyond our reach, or so hidden that we cannot discover it, provided only we abstain from accepting the false for the true, and always preserve in our thoughts the order necessary for the deduction of one truth from another. And I had little difficulty in determining the objects with which it was necessary to commence, for I was already persuaded that it must be with the simplest and easiest to know, and, considering that of all those who have hitherto sought truth in the sciences, the mathematicians alone have been able to find any demonstrations, that is, any certain and evident reasons, I did not doubt but that such must have been the rule of their investigations.32. Answer the topic questions with no less than 300 words. You should write in YOUR OWN words:What is the main issue that Descartes explores in this part of the text, and w hat’s his method? What’s your OWN understanding of the methods proposed by Descartes?。

高中英语竞赛阅读练习题以下是一些适合高中英语竞赛阅读练的题目，供同学们参考和练。

这些题目涵盖了不同难度级别和题型，希望能够帮助大家提高阅读理解和语言运用能力。

题目一阅读下面的短文，然后根据短文内容回答问题。

Tom is a talented musician who plays multiple instruments. He started playing piano when he was only five years old and quickly became proficient. In middle school, he joined the school band and learned to play the trumpet. He also taught himself to play the guitar in his free time. Now in high school, Tom is a member of both the school orchestra and the jazz band. He enjoys the challenge of playing different types of music and the opportunities to perform in front of an audience.Questions:1. When did Tom start playing piano?2. What instrument did Tom learn to play in middle school?3. What musical groups is Tom a member of in high school? 题目二阅读下面的对话，然后根据对话内容判断正误。

(1) Tom: Did you see the movie last night?Sue: Yes, I did. It was really funny.(2) Tom: What time does the movie start?Sue: The movie starts at 7:30 p.m.(3) Tom: Is the movie based on a true story?Sue: No, it's a work of fiction.Questions:1. The movie was not funny. (True/False)2. The movie starts at 8:30 p.m. (True/False)3. The movie is based on a true story. (True/False)题目三阅读下面的短文，然后根据短文内容选择正确答案。

2021“外研社·国才杯”全国英语阅读大赛样题赛题分值说明：1. 线上初赛：题型仅为客观题，即Read and Know，Read and Reason，Read and Question三个模块，共40题，答题时间为110分钟，满分100分。

第1-3题每题1分，第4-9题每题2分，第10题5分，第11-30题每题3分，第31-40题每题2分。

2. 复赛和决赛：题型包含客观题和主观题，即Read and Know，Read and Reason，Read and Question，Read and Create四个模块，共41题，答题时间为150分钟，满分100分。

第1-3题每题1分，第4-9题每题2分，第10题5分，第11-30题每题1.5分，第31-40题每题2分，第41题30分。

Read and Know模块考查选手的阅读广度和基础阅读技能，Read and Reason模块考查选手对不同体裁和题材短篇文本的阅读能力以及阅读逻辑，Read and Question模块考查选手对跨语篇较长文本的综合信息处理和判断能力，Read and Create模块考查选手基于阅读理解的写作输出能力。

注：本样题仅供了解大赛题型，不提供参考答案。

Part I Read and KnowIn Part I, you will read short texts of various kinds. Read the instructions carefully and answer the questions. (Time allowed: 20 minutes)Questions 1-3 (Suggested completion time: 3 minutes)Directions: Read the following quotes. Match the quotes with the people. Please note there are two extra options you do not need.Question 4 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)With E-book sales increasing by more than 300% for the second year, publishers delivering new revenue streams through E-book Apps, and academic publishers long having derived some 90% of their revenue online, it is a travesty to describe all this as the publishing world being "in denial" about digital.6. What is the main idea of this text?A. Publishers are making profits from E-book sales.B. Not all publishers are threatened by digital storms.C. E-books become a main source of revenue for publishers.D. Traditional publishing industry is dying out.Question 7 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text and answer the question according to the text.With our travel agency, the holiday you book is the holiday you get. If you arrive and find we've failed to live up to our promises, let us know what the problem is within one day of your arrival. We'll spend 24 hours doing everything possible to sort the problem out. In the unlikely event that we can't resolve your problem and make you happy within 24 hours, we'll fly you home and give your money back.7. The text could best be described as__________.A. a commitmentB. an appealC. a warningD. a vowQuestion 8 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text and answer the question according to the text.The new digital cameras are great fun and very easy to use. They let you review your pictures the moment you take them, so you can re-shoot right away if you're not satisfied. But remember, a digital camera is just a computer XXXX. It's not a replacement for your ordinary camera.8. What is the meaning of the missing word XXXX in the text?A. "something that is poor quality"B. "an item that is not essential, something extra"C. "something expensive but good value for money"D. "a fashion which always remains popular"Question 9 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text and answer the question according to the text.She had gone alone, but the children were to go to the station to meet her. And loving the station as they did, it was only natural that they should be there a good hour before there was any chance of Mother's train arriving, even if the train were punctual, which was most unlikely.Source: The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Report 201511. Which of the following provides a typical example of poisoning the well?12. Which of the following logical fallacies does the picture illustrate?14. Richard: The national budget should provide significant increases in all levelsof education in the upcoming year.Natalie: That's not fair. A reduction in defense spending in peacetime maybring us excessive risks. We can't afford it.Memory is notoriously malleable. Our recollections fade and take on new meanings;A child receives the oral cholera vaccine ShancholTeaching Machines to Read and ComprehendI f you're interested in marketing and advertising, Volkswagen's "Think small" campaign forA. In crowds it is stupidity and not mother wit that is accumulated.The "Chaco Culture", as modern-day archaeologists call it, flourished between roughlyPassage AIt's not that easy to answer the question, "what is fashion?" because it means different things to different people. Fashion is an art. It's a religion. It's a job. It's a peek into a personality. It's playfulness. It's an escape or a disguise. It is a feast for the eyes. But ultimately, 32 . French fashion designer Coco Chanel once said, "Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening."It's true. Fashion isn't defined solely by our clothing choices, but is also conveyed through the way we carry ourselves, our personalities and our views of the world. At its most fundamental, fashion is simply the prevailing style or custom, as in dress or behavior.So, who exactly answers the question "what is fashion"? Who decides what's fashionable and what isn't? What's in or what's out?Fashion Designers. The iconic fashion houses—Prada, Gucci, Chanel—are referred to as haute couture, French for "high sewing". These designers lead the way in creating trend-setting fashion. While some of their designs are outrageous and completely unrealistic when it comes to everyday wear, generally the theme is adapted into versions suitable for wearing.Media. Fashion trends are often sparked by characters on popular television shows and movies as well as adopted from magazine pages. "Sex and the City", "The Devil Wears Prada", these shows introduced us to new, cutting-edge designs. While you might not be caught dead wearing a Carrie Bradshaw original, you might take ideas inspired from her look and piece together your own creation.Celebrities. A prime example of a celebrity-driven fashion trend? UGGs. Until Kate Hudson and Jessica Simpson were spotted wearing them around L.A. several years ago, no one had given any thought to UGG boots. Now they are everywhere.Musicians. Musicians have always been very influential when it comes to dictating fashion. Rock 'n' roll is fashion. Elvis is an iconic example. In the 1950s, everyone wanted to dress like Elvis. What about the heavy metal hair bands so popular in the 1980s? Axl Rose reinvented the head bandana while Poison, Motley Crue and Bon Jovi set the pace for big, rocker hair.Just because you don't know if a Prada bag is fall 2007 or spring 2008 doesn't matter. All that matters is that you like it and it's an expression of you. That is fashion.Passage B[A]Fashion is more prevalent in modern society than in primitive tribes or peasant communities. The modern society is an open society where class distinctions are not so rigid as in primitive society. Its urban and mobile class structure enables people to cultivate individual taste and adopt new course. [B]Our standards of judgment have also changed. Today the individual is rated more by observable externalities than by his ancestry, his character or his genuine accomplishments. The clothes a man wears, the language he speaks, the manners he shows have more weight in ascribing a status than his simplicity, patriotism and integrity.If he can keep himself up to date in the matters of his dress, speech and manners, he will assure himself a high social esteem. [C]Not only the mobile and urban character of modern society but its affluence also speaks for greater prevalence of fashion in it. Men today are richer than their ancestors and have more leisure. They have the necessary means and time to play with luxuries and to think of fashion. Maclver writes: We do not think of fashion in overalls; there is more of fashion in the body of an automobile than in its chassis. There is no fashion in steam shovels. [D]Consequently the higher the standard of living the more material there is for fashion to operate upon.Passage CAs summer has officially faded into the colder weather of autumn, I assumed the days of Nike shorts, comically large T-shirts and polos would be only a memory of yesterday. This has not been the case.Fashion, in and of itself, is already a type of conformism. In order to be considered fashion, a look, a garment or a stylistic choice must be deemed fashionable.Who gets to decide this—what is fashionable? While certain fashion heavyweights play a role in this decision, the ultimate decision is left to the public.As I was surfing the Web recently for inspiration for this column, I came across the Prada website. What I discovered literally caused me to gasp. Of course, everyone knows Prada is an expensive brand—a luxury—but what I discovered shocked me: a keychain priced at $180. No, this keychain was not solid gold or encased in diamonds. It was simply a keychain: a skull with the word "Prada" on a small charm.How can a company charge $180 for a keychain? The answer: people are willing to pay for it. People know the brand and conform to the idea of owning a piece of such an Italian "luxury".This is nonsensical. Why do we choose to wear miniscule shorts in frigid weather or spend nearly $200 on a charm? Such decisions are influenced by peers, the media and the personal resolution to not make rational, individualistic choices. We cling to the idea of acceptance.In short, we often choose to abide by the pressures of social conventionality, and this leads us to make ridiculous selections—pairing Ugg boots with shorts or wearing neon with camouflage—which we would otherwise not make.I am certainly shamefaced in my occasional conformity to these ludicrous fashion folkways.I am guilty of donning Crocs in public. Yikes!Transient, often preposterous trends referred to as fads inspire some rather strange ideas. Who can recall the pet rocks of the '70s or Popples of the '80s? Such pop trends are not confined to behavior; they bleed into the fashion world, evidenced in overly distressed jeans, the most painful of neon shades, shoes that resemble Swiss cheese and a host of other fads I do not have the space to mention.I refuse to give up hope for societal common sense.One day we will comprehend that shorts are for the summer and ridiculously expensive keychains are for “never.” Do not allow others to dictate for you. Be bold. Be an individual. Do not buy the keychain.31. The phrase "might not be caught dead" in Passage A most probably means ______.A. would rather not die anywayB. might not be caught red handedC. would refuse completely to do somethingD. might be uneasy though doing something32. Which of the following best fits the numbered space in Passage A?A. fashion is an individual statement of expression for each of usB. fashion facilitates social change by providing a transitional stageC. fashion is not an individual choice but a group choiceD. fashion determines our speech, opinion, dress, music, art, etc.33. It can be inferred from Passage A that fashion designers, media, celebrities and musicians share the following views except ______.A. that fashion is anything but separated from the daily life of ordinary peopleB. that nothing completely absurd and unrealistic can finally become fashionC. that fashion is what society accepts and has an element of social sanction behind itD. that if a particular choice remains confined to an individual it can't be called fashion34. The word "affluence" in Passage B is closest in meaning to ______.A. versatilityB. wealthinessC. peculiarityD. charisma35. According to Passage B, which of the following attributes may probably be more important than others for an individual to be favorably received now?A. A wide range of erudition.B. Loyalty to his or her friends.C. A passion for popular novels.D. Good virtues such as honesty.36. Look at the four blanks with letters (A, B, C, and D) in Passage B and decide where the following sentence could be added.The modern society is more tolerant of differences and therefore places few shackles on the cycle of fashion.Where would the sentence best fit?A. Option AB. Option BC. Option CD. Option D37. Which of the following is NOT true about the author's attitude towards fashion according to Passage C?A. The author thinks it a waste of time mentioning a list of examples of irrational fads.B. People are mad about fashion and therefore lose their own good judgment.C. The author never allows himself to be carried away by the fashion trends.D. Behind the behavior of keeping up with fashion is a need to stay in the crowd.38. What does the author mean by "I refuse to give up hope for societal common sense" in Passage C?A. To criticize the social obsession with appearance.B. To provide an example of how ridiculous some fashion trends are.C. To prove that the pursuit of fashion is beyond people's common sense.D. To predict a possible impact of today's fashion on people's social behaviors.39-40. Decide whether the statements are True or False according to the three passages.39. All the three passages agree that fashion plays a role in the interplay of class relations that it satisfies the contrary desires for novelty and for conformity.True ( ) False ( )40. None of the three passages are denying conventional social values in people's judgment, for example, what's considered good about things or people.True ( ) False ( )Part IV Read and CreateIn Part IV, you will read a passage and then write a short essay according to it. You should write with clarity and logic. (Time allowed: 40 minutes)Question 41 (Suggested completion time: 40 minutes)Directions: Read an excerpt from Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting the Reason and Seeking the Truth in the Sciences. Write a short essay according to the excerpt.…And as a multitude of laws often only hampers justice, so that a state is best governed when, with few laws, these are rigidly administered; in like manner, instead of the great number of precepts of which logic is composed, I believed that the four following would prove perfectly sufficient for me, provided I took the firm and unwavering resolution never in a single instance to fail in observing them.The first was never to accept anything for true which I did not clearly know to be such; that is to say, carefully to avoid precipitancy and prejudice, and to comprise nothing more in my judgment than what was presented to my mind so clearly and distinctly as to exclude all ground of doubt.The second, to divide each of the difficulties under examination into as many parts as possible, and as might be necessary for its adequate solution.The third, to conduct my thoughts in such order that, by commencing with objects the simplest and easiest to know, I might ascend by little and little, and, as it were, step by step, to the knowledge of the more complex; assigning in thought a certain order even to those objects which in their own nature do not stand in a relation of antecedence and sequence.And the last, in every case to make enumerations so complete, and reviews so general, that I might be assured that nothing was omitted.The long chains of simple and easy reasonings by means of which geometers are accustomed to reach the conclusions of their most difficult demonstrations, had led me to imagine that all things, to the knowledge of which man is competent, are mutually connected in the same way, and that there is nothing so far removed fr om us as to be beyond our reach, or so hidden that we cannot discover it, provided only we abstain from accepting the false for the true, and always preserve in our thoughts the order necessary for the deduction of one truth from another. And I had little difficulty in determining the objects with which it was necessary to commence, for I was already persuaded that it must be with the simplest and easiest to know, and, considering that of all those who have hitherto sought truth in the sciences, the mathematicians alone have been able to find any demonstrations, that is, any certain and evident reasons, I did not doubt but that such must have been the rule of their investigations.41. Write a short essay of about 300 words based on your understanding of the excerpt. Remember to write in your OWN words. Your essay should respond to the following questions:1) What is the main issue that Descartes explores in this excerpt, and what is his method?2) What is your OWN understanding of the methods proposed by Descartes?。

2016“外研社杯”全国英语阅读大赛样题Part I Read and KnowIn Part I, you will read short texts of various kinds. Read the instructions carefully and answer the questions. (Time allowed: 22 minutes)Questions 1-3 (Suggested completion time: 5 minutes)Directions: Read the following quotes. Match the quotes on the left with the people on the right. Please note there are two extra options you do not need to use.Questions 4 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.To ensure the high standards of facilities we need to build new wards, laboratories and consulting rooms. In short, we need your help now. Complete the coupon today and rest assured that your donation is going to the best possible cause.4. Where is the piece of text taken from?A. an advertisementB. an instruction bookletC. a storyD. a newspaperQuestions 5 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.Few corners of the world remain untainted by intrepid tourists, and their impact is often devastating. Too frequently they trample heedlessly on fragile environments, displacing wildlife and local populations in their insatiable quest for unexplored locations.5. What is the best title for this text?A. The future of tourismB. The role of tourismC. The price of tourismD. The benefits of tourismQuestions 6 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.Buying and selling anything is your forte now. If you visit a jumble or car-boot sale or the like, a romantic encounter is more than probable! News linked to the family is brilliant!6. What type of text is this?A. A personal advertisement.B. A personal horoscope.C. A friend’s letter of advice.D. A written warning.Questions 7 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.With our travel agency, the holiday you book is the holiday you get. If you arrive and find we’ve failed to live up to our promises, let us know what the problem is within one day of your arrival. We’ll spend 24 hours doing everything possible to sort the problem out. In the unlikely event that we can’t resolve your problem and make you happy within 24 hours, we’ll fly you home and give your money back.7. The text could best be described as __________.A. a commitmentB. an appealC. a warningD. a vowQuestions 8 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.The new digital cameras are great fun and very easy to use. They let you review your pictures the moment you take them, so you can re-shoot right away if you’re not satisfied. But remember, a digital camera is just a computer XXXX. It’s not a replacement for your ordinary camera.8. What is the meaning of the missing word (XXXX) in the text?A. “something that is poor quality”B. “an item that is not essential, something extra”C. “something expensive but good value for money”D. “a fashion which always remains popular”Questions 9 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.She had gone alone, but the children were to go to the station to meet her. And loving the station as they did, it was only natural that they should be there a good hour before there was any chance of Mother’s train arriving, even if the train were punctual, which was most unlikely.9. What can you say about their mother’s train?A. It would probably be early.B. It would probably be on time.C. It would probably be late.D. It had been cancelled.Question 10 (Suggested completion time: 5 minutes)Directions: The bar chart shows the number and proportion of undernourished people in the developing regions, from 1990¬1992 to 2014¬2016. Answer the question according to the information in the chart.Source: The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Report201510. Choose the INCORRECT description about the chart.A.Current estimates suggest that nearly one in nine individuals do not haveenough to eat between 2014 and 2016.B.Projections indicate that the 2015 MDG target is nearly reached, with 12.9per cent of undernourished population.C.The situation noticeably improved during the years 1995-1999, but went downin the first five years of the new millennium.D.The proportion of undernourished people in the developing regions has fallenby almost half since 1990.Part II Read and ReasonIn Part II, you will read short texts on different subjects. Read the instructions carefully and answer the questions based on logical inference and reasoning. (Time allowed: 38 minutes)Question 11-12 (Suggested completion time: 10 minutes)Directions: Read the definitions of two types of logical fallacy. Answer the questions according to the definitions.11. Which of the following provides a typical example of poisoning the well?A. That’s my stance on funding the education system, and anyone who disagreeswith me hates children.B. You are so weird. That means—we are pretty much sure—that your whole familyis weird, too.C. God exists because the Bible says so. The Bible is inspired. Therefore, weknow that God exists.D. I don’t care what you say. We don’t need any more bookshelves. As long asthe carpet is clean, we are fine.12. Which of the following provides a typical example of a false dilemma?A. Smoking is harmful to health, so you are supposed to quit smoking.B. If the government doesn’t reduce public spending, our economy will collapse.C. You may as well avoid overeating, or else you might be obese in no time.D. You are the worst of the classmates; therefore, what you say is incredible.Questions 13 (Suggested completion time: 4 minutes)Directions: Read the passage about syllogism. Decide whether the reasonings are Valid or Invalid based on the principles of syllogism.Syllogism is a kind of logical argument that applies deductive reasoning to arrive at a conclusion based on two or more propositions that are asserted or assumed to be true. It is perhaps today’s most commonly accepted form of logical reasoning in aptitude tests. The most commonly used type of syllogisms is elucidated in a frequently used example:Premise 1: All men are mortal.Premise 2: Socrates is a man.Conclusion: Socrates is mortal.Now practice syllogisms for IQ tests. Please note that the conclusion is based on logical reasoning and doesn’t necessarily represent the “truth” always.13. Valid ( ); Invalid ( )Premise 1: All human action is conditioned by circumstances.Premise 2: All human action involves morality.Conclusion: All that involves morality is conditioned by circumstances.Questions 14 (Suggested completion time: 4 minutes)Directions: Read the passage about contraposition. Decide whether the reasonings are Valid or Invalid based on the principles of contraposition.In logic, contraposition is a law that says that a conditional statement is logically equivalent to its contrapositive. The contrapositive of the statement has its antecedent and consequent inverted and flipped. The most commonly used type of contraposition is elucidated in the following example: Premise 1: If it is raining, then there are clouds in the sky.Premise 2: There are no clouds in the sky.Conclusion: It is not raining.Now practice contraposition for IQ tests. Please note that the conclusion is based on logical reasoning and doesn’t necessarily represent the “truth” always.14. Valid ( ); Invalid ( )Premise 1: If he is not an American, he is not from Texas.Premise 2: He is from Texas.Conclusion: He is an American.Questions 15-17 (Suggested completion time: 6 minutes)Directions: Read the text about a science discovery. Answer the questions according to the text.Manipulating MemoryMemory is notoriously malleable. Our recollections fade andtake on new meanings; sometimes we remember things that nevereven happened. But 15 .Recently, however, scientists have started to grasp and tinker with memory’s physical basis. Last year, in work evocative of films such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Inception, researchers discovered ways to manipulate specific memories in mice using optogenetics, a powerful technique that can trigger nerve cells in animals’ brains by zapping them with beams of laser light. In a series of experiments, they showed that they could delete existing memories and “incept”false ones.This year, researchers went even further: switching the emotional content of a memory in mice from bad to good and vice versa. Under the laser, for example, male mice that had once associated a certain room with being shocked were tricked into acting as though they had once met friendly female mice there instead.Whether the mice in these experiments actually experienced vivid false memories or just a fuzzy sense of pleasure or fear is unclear. Nor is it clear whether the findings apply to the tricks of memory so familiar to people. Long-sought therapeutic advances, such as treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder, could remain far off. One thing is certain, however: Once considered beyond scientific dissection, memory is finally starting to yield its secrets.15. Which of the following best fits the numbered space in the passage?A.what is really happening in our brain as memories are remodeled remainsmysteriousB.scientists are curious about why people are oblivious to what have happenedto themC.advanced technology has helped scientists discover the workings of our brainD.some scientists argue that what we observe about human memory is not whatit really is16. The word “incept” is closest in meaning to ________.A. operateB. startC. detectD. occupy17. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?A.People’s false memories result from the impact of different emotion provokedby later experience on the same spot.B.The success in research indicates that it won’t be long that a therapy isworked out for people disturbed by painful memory.C.By zapping the brain cells of mice with light, researchers are able to create,erase, or alter their memories, good or bad.D.Many fancy ideas in science fictions or movies that are based on them actuallydraw greatly upon scientific achievement.Questions 18-19 (Suggested completion time: 4 minutes)Directions: Read the following passage about cholera. Decide whether the statements are True or False according to the passage.A child receives the oral cholera vaccine ShancholCholera is caused by a bacterial infection of the intestine. Approximately one in 20 people infected with cholera has a serious case, with symptoms including severe diarrhea, vomiting, and leg cramps. These symptoms quickly cause dehydration and shock, and can result in death within hours if the infected person doesn’t receive treatment. Cholera is typically transmitted by contaminated food or water. In areas with poor treatment of sewage and drinking water, the feces of people with cholera can enter the water supply and spread quickly, resulting in an epidemic. The cholera bacterium may also live in the environment in some coastal waters, so shellfish eaten raw can be a source of cholera in affected areas.18. Cholera is known to be a life-threatening disease which easily causes death of most of the patients.True ( ) False ( )19. Cholera typically occurs in areas near the sea or the river where contaminated food is a major source of the disease.True ( ) False ( )Questions 20-21 (Suggested completion time: 5 minutes)Directions: Read the abstract of a research paper from the DeepMind website. Decide whether the statements are True or False according to the abstract.Teaching Machines to Read and ComprehendAuthors: K. M. Hermann, T. Kočiský, E. Grefenstette, L. Espeholt, W. Kay, M. Suleyman, P. BlunsomPublished: NIPS 2015Abstract: Teaching machines to read natural language documents remains an elusive challenge. Machine reading systems can be tested on their ability to answer questions posed on the contents of documents that they have seen, but until now large scale training and test datasets have been missing for this type of evaluation. In this work we define a new methodology that resolves this bottleneck and provides large scale supervised reading comprehension data. This allows us to develop a class of attention based deep neural networks that learn to read real documents and answer complex questions with minimal prior knowledge of language structure.20. Previous studies didn’t take constant effort to evaluate the reading ability of artificial intelligence machines, which was why the present research was conducted.True ( ) False ( )21. One implication of the research is that a methodology that helps gather and handle big data is indispensible to artificial intelligence related studies.True ( ) False ( )Questions 22-23 (Suggested completion time: 5 minutes)Directions: Read the passage about the “Think small” advertising campaign. Answer the questions according to the passage.Think SmallI f you’re interested in marketing and advertising,Volkswagen’s “Think small” campaign for the Beetlewhen it was first introduced to North America in 1959looms large as one of the greatest advertising campaignsof all time. It wasn’t just a revolution in automotiveadvertising; it changed the entire industry.Until the Beetle hit the market, automotive marketingcopy was full of bluster, and the images were flightsof fancy, emphasizing low, long lines and a fantasylifestyle.The clean, simple photography on a white background that emphasized the Beetle’s compact, practical form may seem commonplace these days, but it was a revolution in a world where Americans grew up obsessed with muscle cars, horsepower, and tire smoke. Making the car small, when the convention was to make it fill the page, was also novel. The simplistic approach to design and layout was totally contrary to the advertising conventions of the time.__ 22__ The text was minimalist in both look and content, presenting the facts simply instead of trying to weave tall tales and fantasies; and instead of bluster, it ushered in an intelligent sense of humor that made readers feel like they were in on the joke. The message was one of smart anti-luxury, and took gentle aim at an industry obsessed with superficiality and styling, rather than the substance underneath the car bodies.Not only does “Think small” continue to inspire Volkswagen advertising to this day, it ushered in a creative revolution in the advertising business and changed the world of marketing forever. “Think small” showed the power of humor and honesty, and its photographic and design principles brought about a major shift in the look and feel of marketing around the world.22. Which of the sentences below best fits the numbered space in the passage?A.What defined the ad even more than its visual style was the tone of its copy.B.This ad starts off doing the exact opposite of what you would expect in acar ad.C.This was an exercise in minimalism and a very accurate reflection on theproduct itself.D.The car wasn’t depicted as an integral piece of the daily lives of a middleclass family.23. It can be inferred that the advertising conventions of the 1950s were reflected in the following except that ___________.A.the ads in the 1950s typically showed proud owners and passengers evokinggreat joy about new shiny big acquisitions.B.the marketing concept then focused on providing as much information aspossible to the reader such as the way it’s created.C.the marketing schemes associated the advertised product with an idea or away of living from average consumers’ perspective.D.the marketing practice may attach importance to a sense of humor brought bythe use of exaggerated language.Part III Read and QuestionIn Part III, you will read passages on the same subject. You will be required to identify the writer’s position and evaluate the effectiveness of the writer’s arguments. (Time allowed: 30 minutes)Questions 24-35 (Suggested completion time: 30 minutes)Directions: Read three passages about fashion. Answer the questions according to the passages.Passage AIt’s not that easy to answer the question, “what is fashion?” because it means different things to different people. Fashion is an art. It’s a religion. It’s a job. It’s a peek into a personality. It’s playfulness. It’s an escape or a disguise. It is a feast for the eyes. But ultimately, 25 . French fashion designer Coco Chanel once said, “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”It’s true. Fashion isn’t defined solely by our clothing choices, but is also conveyed through the way we carry ourselves, our personalities and our views of the world. At its most fundamental, fashion is simply the prevailing style or custom, as in dress or behavior.So, who exactly answers the question “what is fashion”? Who decides what’s fashionable and what isn’t? What’s in or what’s out?Fashion Designers. The iconic fashion houses—Prada, Gucci, Chanel—are referred to as haute couture, French for “high sewing.” These designers lead the way in creating trend-setting fashion. While some of their designs are outrageous and completely unrealistic when it comes to everyday wear, generally the theme is adapted into versions suitable for wearing.Media. Fashion trends are often sparked by characters on popular television shows and movies as well as adopted from magazine pages. “Sex and the City,”“The Devil Wears Prada,” these shows introduced us to new, cutting-edge designs. While you might not be caught dead wearing a Carrie Bradshaw original, you might take ideas inspired from her look and piece together your own creation.Celebrities. A prime example of a celebrity-driven fashion trend? UGGs. Until Kate Hudson and Jessica Simpson were spotted wearing them around L.A. several years ago, no one had given any thought to UGG boots. Now they are everywhere.Musicians. Musicians have always been very influential when it comes to dictating fashion. Rock ‘n’ roll is fashion. Elvis is an iconic example. In the 1950s, everyone wanted to dress like Elvis. What about the heavy metal hair bands so popular in the 1980s? Axl Rose reinvented the head bandana while Poison, Motley Crue and Bon Jovi set the pace for big, rocker hair.Just because you don’t know if a Prada bag is fall 2007 or spring 2008 doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you like it and it’s an expression of you. That is fashion.Passage BFashion is more prevalent in modern society than in primitive tribes or peasant communities. The modern society is an open society where class distinctions are not so rigid as in primitive society. Its urban and mobile class structure enables people to cultivate individual taste and adopt new course. The modern society is more tolerant of differences and therefore places few shackles on the cycle of fashion. Our standards of judgment have also changed. Today the individual is rated more by observable externalities than by his ancestry, his character or his genuine accomplishments. The clothes a man wears, the language he speaks, the manners he shows have more weight in ascribing a status than his simplicity, patriotism and integrity.If he can keep himself up to date in the matters of his dress, speech and manners, he will assure himself a high social esteem. Not only the mobile and urban character of modern society but its affluence also speaks for greater prevalence of fashion in it. Men today are richer than their ancestors and have more leisure. They have the necessary means and time to play with luxuries and to think of fashion. Maclver writes: We do not think of fashion in overalls; there is more of fashion in the body of an automobile than in its chassis. There is no fashion in steam shovels. Consequently the higher the standard of living the more material there is for fashion to operate upon.Passage CAs summer has officially faded into the colder weather of autumn, I assumed the days of Nike shorts, comically large T-shirts and polos would be only a memory of yesterday. This has not been the case.Fashion, in and of itself, is already a type of conformism. In order to be considered fashion, a look, a garment or a stylistic choice must be deemed fashionable.Who gets to decide this—what is fashionable? While certain fashion heavyweights play a role in this decision, the ultimate decision is left to the public.As I was surfing the Web recently for inspiration for this column, I came across the Prada website. What I discovered literally caused me to gasp. Of course, everyone knows Prada is an expensive brand—a luxury—but what I discovered shocked me: a keychain priced at $180. No, this keychain was not solid gold or encased in diamonds. It was simply a keychain: a skull with the word “Prada” on a small charm.How can a company charge $180 for a keychain? The answer: people are willing to pay for it. People know the brand and conform to the idea of owning a piece of such an Italian “luxury.”This is nonsensical. Why do we choose to wear miniscule shorts in frigid weather or spend nearly $200 on a charm? Such decisions are influenced by peers, the media and the personal resolution to not make rational, individualistic choices. We cling to the idea of acceptance.In short, we often choose to abide by the pressures of social conventionality, and this leads us to make ridiculous selections—pairing Ugg boots with shorts or wearing neon with camouflage—which we would otherwise not make.I am certainly shamefaced in my occasional conformity to these ludicrous fashion folkways. I am guilty of donning Crocs in public. Yikes!Transient, often preposterous trends referred to as fads inspire some rather strange ideas. Who can recall the pet rocks of the ‘70s or Popples of the ‘80s? Such pop trends are not confined to behavior; they bleed into the fashion world, evidenced in overly distressed jeans, the most painful of neon shades, shoes that resemble Swiss cheese and a host of other fads I do not have the space to mention.I refuse to give up hope for societal common sense.One day we will comprehend that shorts are for the summer and ridiculously expensive keychains are for “never.”Do not allow others to dictate for you. Be bold. Be an individual. Do not buy the keychain.24. The phrase “might not be caught dead” in Passage A most probably means ______.A.would rather not die anywayB.might not be caught red handedC.would refuse completely to do somethingD.might be uneasy though doing something25. Which of the following best fits the numbered space in Passage A?A.fashion is an individual statement of expression for each of usB.fashion facilitates social change by providing a transitional stageC.fashion is not an individual choice but a group choiceD.fashion determines our speech, opinion, dress, music, art, etc.26. It can be inferred from Passage A that fashion designers, media, celebrities and musicians share the following views except ______.A.that fashion is anything but separated from the daily life of ordinarypeople.B.that nothing completely absurd and unrealistic can finally become fashion.C.that fashion is what society accepts and has an element of social sanctionbehind it.D.that if a particular choice remains confined to an individual it can’t becalled fashion.27. The word “affluence” in Passage B is closest in meaning to ______.A. versatilityB. wealthinessC. peculiarityD. charisma28. According to Passage B, which of the following attributes may probably be more important than others for an individual to be favorably received now?A. A wide range of erudition.B. Loyalty to his or her friends.C. A passion for popular novels.D. Good virtues such as honesty.29. Which of the following is NOT true about the author’s attitude towards fashion according to Passage C?A.The author thinks it a waste of time mentioning a list of examples ofirrational fads.B.People are mad about fashion and therefore lose their own good judgment.C.The author never allows himself to be carried away by the fashion trends.D.Behind the behavior of keeping up with fashion is a need to stay in the crowd.30-31. Decide whether the statements are True or False according to the three passages.30. All the three passages agree that fashion plays a role in the interplay of class relations that it satisfies the contrary desires for novelty and for conformity.True ( ) False ( )31. None of the three passages are denying conventional social values in people’s judgment, for example, what’s considered good about things or people.True ( ) False ( )Part IV Read and CreateIn Part IV, you will read a passage and then write a short essay according to it. You should write with clarity and logic. (Time allowed: 40 minutes)Question 32 (Suggested completion time: 40 minutes)Directions: Read a passage from Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting the Reason and Seeking the Truth in the Sciences. Write a short essay according to the passage.… And as a multitude of laws often only hampers justice, so that a state is best governed when, with few laws, these are rigidly administered; in like manner, instead of the great number of precepts of which logic is composed, I believed that the four following would prove perfectly sufficient for me, provided I took the firm and unwavering resolution never in a single instance to fail in observing them.The first was never to accept anything for true which I did not clearly know to be such; that is to say, carefully to avoid precipitancy and prejudice, and to comprise nothing more in my judgment than what was presented to my mind so clearly and distinctly as to exclude all ground of doubt.The second, to divide each of the difficulties under examination into as many parts as possible, and as might be necessary for its adequate solution.The third, to conduct my thoughts in such order that, by commencing with objects the simplest and easiest to know, I might ascend by little and little, and, as it were, step by step, to the knowledge of the more complex; assigning in thought a certain order even to those objects which in their own nature do not stand in a relation of antecedence and sequence.And the last, in every case to make enumerations so complete, and reviews so general, that I might be assured that nothing was omitted.The long chains of simple and easy reasonings by means of which geometers are accustomed to reach the conclusions of their most difficult demonstrations, had led me to imagine that all things, to the knowledge of which man is competent, are mutually connected in the same way, and that there is nothing so far removed from us as to be beyond our reach, or so hidden that we cannot discover it, provided only we abstain from accepting the false for the true, and always preserve in our thoughts the order necessary for the deduction of one truth from another. And I had little difficulty in determining the objects with which it was necessary to commence, for I was already persuaded that it must be with the simplest and easiest to know, and, considering that of all those who have hitherto sought truth in the sciences, the mathematicians alone have been able to find any demonstrations, that is, any certain and evident reasons, I did not doubt but that such must have been the rule of their investigations.。

2017“外研社杯”全国英语阅读大赛初赛（90min）Part I Read and KnowIn Part I, you will read short texts of various kinds. Read the instructions carefully and answer the questions. (Time suggested: 20 minutes)Questions 1-3 (Suggested completion time: 3 minutes)Directions: Read the following quotes. Match the quotes with the people. Please note there are three extra options you do not need.Questions 4 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.A few intuitive, sensitive visionaries may understand and comprehend XXXX (the book title), XXXX (the author)’s new and mammoth volume, without going through a course of training or instruction, but the average intelligent reader will glean little or nothing from it—even from careful perusal, one might properly say study, of it—save bewilderment and a sense of disgust. It should be companioned with a key and a glossary like the Berlitz books...4. Which of the following works does the book review address?A.UlyssesB.The OdysseyC.In Search of Lost TimeD.One Hundred Years of SolitudeQuestion 5 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text and answer the question according to the text.I like the fact that the study focuses on a French classroom, which receives less attention in Second Language Acquisition research than other foreign language classrooms.However, for reasons that I elaborate on below, I do not recommend this manuscript for publication. I recommend that the author consults the Journal of Language, Identity, and Education. That journal might be a better fit for this paper.5. The text could best be described as __________.A. a conclusionB. a summaryC. a reviewD. a pledgeQuestion 6 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.My Lord,I have been lately informed, by the proprietor of The World, that two papers, in which my Dictionary is recommended to the public, were written by your lordship. To be so distinguished is an honor which, being very little accustomed to favors from the great, I know not well how to receive, or in what terms to acknowledge.Seven years, my lord, have now passed, since I waited in your outward rooms, or was repulsed from your door; during which time I have been pushing on my work through difficulties, of which it is useless to complain, and have brought it, at last, to the verge of publication, without one act of assistance, one word of encouragement, or one smile of favor. Such treatment I did not expect, for I never had a patron before.6. This text is taken from a letter which showed the writer’s __________ the Lord.A.gratitude towardsB.indifference toC.contempt forD.respect forQuestion 7 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text and answer the question according to the text.Because of social media, words are moving around theworld within weeks and months, whereas in the past, itcould take a few years, says Julie Coleman, author of TheLife of Slang. “It’s not necessarily that language is changingmore quickly, but technologies have developed and theyallow the transmission of slang terms to pass from onegroup to another much more quickly.”7. The main purpose of the text is to ________.A.explain the quick migration of slangB.imply the unnecessary change of languageC.exemplify the advancement of technologyD.introduce the book The Life of SlangQuestions 8 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.When hunting raccoons for fur was a popular sport, huntingdogs were used to sniff them out of trees. As they are XXXXanimals, the hunting party had to work at night, and the dogswould sometimes end up choosing the wrong tree, or as the idiomgoes, “bark up the wrong tree.” The term was first printed in abook by Davy Crockett in 1833.8. Which word is the best substitution for the missing word XXXX?A.solitaryB.aggressiveC.nocturnalD.herbivorousQuestion 9 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the details about a euphemism, and answer the question according to the details.9. The euphemism described above most probably refers to __________.A.people with special needsB.downright overwroughtC.tired and emotionalD.mentally challengedQuestion 10 (Suggested completion time: 5 minutes)Directions: The bar chart shows the share of UN procurement from Global Compact members from 2010 to 2014. Answer the question according to the information in the chart.Source: 2014 Annual Statistical Report on United Nations Procurement, the United Nations Office for Project Services, 201510. Choose the INCORRECT description of the chart.A.The share of UN procurement volume from Global Compact members grew steadily over thefive years in terms of absolute volume.B.In 2013, the total procurement volume dropped noticeably, and so did the procurement fromGlobal Compact members.C.In 2014, the total procurement volume increased greatly, causing a drop in the share ofprocurement from Global Compact members.D.The proportion of procurement from Global Compact members was not in line with thegeneral trend of procurement from Global Compact members.Part II Read and ReasonIn Part II, you will read short texts on different subjects. Read the instructions carefully and answer the questions based on logical inference and reasoning. (Time suggested: 40 minutes)Question 11 (Suggested completion time: 3 minutes)Directions: Read the following definition of a logical fallacy. Answer the question according to the definition.11. Which of the following provides a typical example of Confusion of “Necessary” with “Sufficient” Condition?A.You said that I would have to run the mile in less than six minutes to be on the track team,and I did. So why did I get cut from the team?B.Dina has to be rich or at least to be an heiress. She after all belongs to the Alpha Phi Lambdasorority which is the richest sorority on campus.C.It’s supposed to be in the low twenties tonight, so surely we’re not going to the footballgame, are we?D.To see viruses, one must have a microscope. This follows if William Carroll said he sawviruses, he must have used a microscope.Question 12 (Suggested completion time: 3 minutes)Directions: Read the definition of one type of logical fallacy. Answer the question according to the definition.12. Which of the following provides a typical example of Texas Sharpshooter fallacy ?A. I won ’t pay the parking ticket because the traffic sign here says “Fine for Parking”!B. Cola is healthy because it sells best among the top five healthiest countries in the world.C. We can ’t exploit the outer space because many people on Earth hardly make ends meet.D. Nobody at school can speak French because neither teachers nor the principal can speak it. Questions 13-14 Reasoning. (Suggested completion time: 8 minutes)In a swimming competition, Matt, Alen and Johnson won a medal respectively: the gold medal, the silver medal and the bronze medal. The coach made a guess : “Matt won the gold medal, Alen didn ’t win the gold medal and Johnson didn ’t win the bronze medal .” Unfortunately, only one of them is right.13. Who won the gold medal, who won the silver, and who won the bronze medal?A. Matt: gold medal; Johnson: silver medal; Alen: bronze medal.B. Alen: gold medal; Johnson: silver medal; Matt: bronze medal.C. Johnson: gold medal; Alen: silver medal; Matt: bronze medal.D. Matt: gold medal; Alen: silver medal; Johnson: bronze medal.14. Richard: The national budget should provide significant increases in all levels of education inthe upcoming year.Natalie: That’s not fair. A reduction in defense spending in peacetime may bring us excessiverisks. We can’t afford it.Which of the following is the best interpretation of Natalie’s argument?A. Funds saved from defense have been diverted to all levels of education.B. Highlighting spending on education dangerously impacts on spending on the military.C. The size of the military budget reflects a state’s ability to fund educational activities.D. Compared with military spending, investing in education will create a financial crisis. Questions 15-16 (Suggested completion time: 5 minutes)Directions: Read the text and decide whether the statements are True or False according to the text.QuestionsQuestions define tasks, express problems, and delineateissues. They drive thinking forward. Answers, on the otherhand, often signal a full stop in thought. Only whenananswer generates further questions does thought continue as inquiry. A mind with no questions is a mind that is not intellectually alive. No questions (asked) equals no understanding (achieved). Superficial questions equal superficial understanding, unclear questions equal unclear understanding. If your mind is not actively generating questions, you are not engaged in substantial learning.15. The main purpose of the text is to define “questions”.True ( ) False ( )16. It can be inferred that a mind filled with questions will surely be engaged in substantial learning.True ( ) False ( )Questions 17-18 (Suggested completion time: 7 minutes)Directions: Read the text about the sugar industry, and answer the questions according to the information in the text.How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to FatThe internal sugar industry documents, recently discovered by a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, and published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine, suggest that the sugar industry may have manipulated the research into the role of sugar in heart disease.The documents show that a trade group called the Sugar Research Foundation, known today as the Sugar Association, paid three Harvard scientists the equivalent of about $50,000 in today’s terms to publish a 1967 review of research into sugar, fat and heart disease. The studies used in the review were handpicked by the sugar group, and the article, which was published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, minimized the link between sugar and heart health and cast aspersions on the role of saturated fat.Even though the influence-meddling revealed in the documents dates back nearly 50 years, more recent reports show that the food industry has continued to influence nutrition science.Last year, an article in The New York Times revealed that Coca-Cola, the world’s largest producer of sugary beverages, had provided millions of dollars in funding to researchers who sought to play down the link between sugary drinks and obesity. In June, The Associated Press reported that candy makers were funding studies that claimed that children who eat candy tend to weigh less than those who do not.The revelations are important because the debate about the relative harms of sugar and saturated fat continues today, Dr. Glantz said. For many decades, health officials encouraged Americans to reduce their fat intake, which led many people to consume low-fat, high-sugarfoods that some experts now blame for fueling the obesity crisis.Today, the saturated fat warnings still remain a cornerstone of t he government’s dietary guidelines, though in recent years the American Heart Association, the World Health Organization and other health authorities have also begun to warn that too much added sugar may increase risks of cardiovascular disease.17. The word handpicked in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to __________.A.carefully chosen in a highly scientific wayB.carried out with the best research findingsC.tailored to the needs of the sugar industryD.done by scientists from Harvard University18. Which of the following can be inferred from the text?A.Manufacturers of sugar related food are funding studies aimed at finding the relationshipbetween sugar and health.B.Scientific research may not produce accurate results when funding for the research isprovided by agents who are not impartial.C.It is now accepted in the US that sugar and saturated fat are both responsible for anincreasing risk of heart disease.D.The industry-funded research plays an important and informative role in that it shapes theoverall scientific debate.Questions 19-20 (Suggested completion time: 7 minutes)Directions: Read the passage about MasterCard. Answer the questions according to the passage.MasterCardMasterCard is making it easier for charities to get help quickly to the people who really need it, and ensure that donations are actually being used for good. The MasterCard Aid Network, launched last September, distributes a version of the company’s plastic cards that come loaded with points that can be redeemed at certain merchants for groceries, medicine, shelter and even building materials or business supplies. The chip-enabled system can be deployed in a day or two compared to the weeks required to create and import paper vouchers.The system doesn’t require an Internet connection—a boon in off-the-grid areas where many refugees and disaster victims are concentrated. Still, the transactions enable organizations to collect data on what card recipients redeem, allowing charities to protect against fraudulent use and gather insight into beneficiaries’ needs.So far, organizations including Save the Children, World Vision and Mercy Corps have distributed cards to more than 75,000 people, from earthquake victims in Nepal to those in war-torn Yemen. MasterCard, which charges the charities fees for the service, says the program is profitable. The United Nations also recently named MasterCard the leader of an initiative to improve the distribution of humanitarian aid in emergencies, with a focus on the data management and privacy aspect.19. What is the passage mainly about?A.How MasterCard as for-profit company joins hands with world charity organizations.B.How MasterCard can keep an edge by its technological innovation in the world market.C.How MasterCard made its transformation from a for-profit company to a non-profit one.D.How MasterCard shortened the path between troubled populations and the aid they need.20. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?A.Without the efforts of the MasterCard Company, charities could not have protected againstfraudulent use of donations.B.MasterCard will perform a more important role in the international rescue and aid programswith technology developments.C.The plastic cards the MasterCard Aid Network distributes to needed people are similar tocredit cards but paid by donators.D.MasterCard earns money from charging fees for service and then gives the money torefugees and natural disaster victims.Questions 21-23 (Suggested completion time: 7 minutes)Directions: Read the text about virtual reality and augmented reality, and answer the questions according to the information in the text.Virtual Reality vs. Augmented RealityOne of the biggest confusions in the world of augmented reality is the difference between augmented reality and virtual reality. Both are earning a lot of media attention and are promising tremendous growth.Virtual reality (VR) is an artificial, computer-generated simulation or recreation of a real-life environment or situation. It immerses the user by making them feel they are experiencing the simulated reality firsthand, primarily by stimulating their vision and hearing.Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that layers computer-generated enhancements atop an existing reality in order to make it more meaningful through the ability to interact with it. AR isdeveloped into apps and used on mobile devices to blend digital components into the real world in such a way that they enhance one another, but can also be told apart easily.Augmented reality and virtual reality are similar in that both are inverse reflections of one in another with what each technology seeks to accomplish and deliver for the user. Virtual reality offers a digital recreation of a real-life setting, while augmented reality delivers virtual elements as an overlay to the real world. Both leverage some of the same types of technology, and they each exist to serve the user with an enhanced or enriched experience.However, the two also differ from each other in various ways. Augmented reality enhances experiences by adding virtual components such as digital images, graphics, or sensations as a new layer of interaction with the real world. It is being used more and more in mobile devices such as laptops, smart phones, and tablets to change how the real world and digital images, graphics intersect and interact. Contrastingly, virtual reality creates its own reality that is completely computer generated and driven. It is usually delivered to the user through a head-mounted or hand-held controller. This equipment connects people to the virtual reality, and allows them to control and navigate their actions in an environment meant to simulate the real world.21-23. Which THREE of the following statements can be inferred from the text?A.Augmented reality shows virtual elements on top of the real world, while virtual realityrecreates real-life situations in a digital way.B. A virtual reality dressing room may allow shoppers to virtually try on their purchases quicklyand easily without really having to put them on.C.Virtual reality is able to transpose us by taking us to some other place, while augmentedreality, in contrast, never moves us elsewhere.D.With augmented reality, you can swim with sharks, and with virtual reality, you can watch ashark pop out of your business card.E.Both augmented and virtual realities utilize some of the same types of technology and offerpeople enriched experiences.F.Augmented reality will enable an immobile patient to go out of the room and enjoy his/herfavorite sights, sounds and smells in the country.Part III Read and QuestionIn Part III, you will read passages on the same subject. You will be required to identify the writer’s position and evaluate the effectiveness of the writer’s arguments. (Time allowed: 30 minutes)Questions 24-31 (Suggested completion time: 30 minutes)Passage ANonverbal communication is often spontaneous and unintentional, and its meaning may be ambiguous. For one thing, different nonverbal codes can indicate the same meaning while one nonverbal code can have different meanings in diverse contexts. Think about your expression of love toward your parents. Have your affective words or behavior remained the same over the past 18 years? Do you feel the same when a friend gives you a hug at the news that you have failed an exam and at the time when you have won an award? In addition, people may use masking, a facial management technique, to replace an expression of true feeling with one appropriate for a given interaction. For instance, your friend Mary is suffering from a fever but still smiles at you to confirm that she’s OK.Culture, technology, and situation all serve as powerful influences on our nonverbal behavior. What may be an innocent gesture in one group, context, region, or country can convey a different and possibly offensive message elsewhere. For example, American people are accustomed to making direct eye contact when speaking to someone, whether a friend or a professor. However, in some East Asian cultures, such as China, Japan, and South Korea, direct eye contact in interactive communication is not required. In fact, such long-time direct eye contact, when facing superiors or elders, might be considered a sign of disrespect and challenge. Similarly, some cultures are contact cultures so that touch is an important form of communication, whereas other cultures are non-contact cultures so touching is generally avoided. For example, a socially polite touch involves a handshake between American men but may include a kiss between Arab or European men. Some religions prohibit opposite-sex touching between unmarried or unrelated individuals.Nonverbal communication can be found in our electronic written communication such as email, text messaging, and Internet chat rooms. 25 We use all capital letters to indicate shouting, random punctuation (#@*&!) to substitute for obscenities, and type treatments such as boldfacing and italicizing for emphasis. We use color, font styles and sizes, animations, figures, diagrams, and pictures in attempts to express emotion or help users visualize the sender or the message in context. We expect others to use emoticons to express emotion in mediated texts (). Since we can’t hear voice inflection or see facial expressions in many mediated situations, your preferences for screen text size, whether you leave a few explanatory lines, and whether you attach or compress files all say something about you to others. As the Internet allows users to have visual, audio, and text contact, with refinements, speakers have the potential to be even more persuasive than in face-to-face conversations across distances.No one likes taking out the garbage. But in Japan the chore is compounded by an added element: The neighbors are watching. No, I’m not being paranoid. They’re watching.Every time I take my trash down to the curb, in its regulation translucent white bag, I can feel their eyes peering through the plastic at my milk cartons, my egg containers, and my disposable chopsticks. They can see everything.I first realized my garbage and I were not alone on a Monday a few months ago, when I was bringing down a bag of old cereal boxes, soggy refrigerator leftovers, and coffee grounds. My landlady, who lives on the first floor, was outside watering her garden. Her eyes took in the contents of my trash.“No, today is Monday. It’s plastics day,” she said.“Oh,” I replied, “I guess they changed the pick-up schedule.” Her eyes fluttered to the ground, studiously avoiding mine. “No, Monday has always been plastics day,” she said.Over the next few minutes, in the muddled mix of Japanese and English we use to communicate, my landlady explained that she often would take my garbage away if I had put it out on the wrong day, store it in her house, and then bring it out again on the proper day.As I wa lked back upstairs, lugging my unwanted trash, it hit me: For the year and a half since I’d been living in the apartment, she’d been watching me, peeping from behind her rose bushes: scurrying to the curb after I’d been there, checking to see whether I’d f ollowed the correct garbage protocol. That’s when I learned the hard truth: When it comes to garbage in Japan, there’s no such thing as privacy. Garbage is public property, something to which your neighbors can claim snooping privileges. As a foreigner in this homogenous land, my activities garner more attention, and more criticism, than most. I’ve started wondering what else my neighbors notice. What else am I doing wrong?What I found most disturbing about the exchange was that my landlady had been reluctant for so long to confront me directly. We see each other constantly, sometimes we have pleasant little chats, or she comes upstairs when something is broken. Yet she could never bear to tell me that I had mixed up the trash schedule. Pointing out one’s m istakes is considered rude in Japan.As a foreigner with rudimentary Japanese, I expected the language barrier to be the biggest obstacle to living here. I was wrong. Learning to navigate Japan, perhaps any foreign country, is all about reading the subtle cultural cues, not the alphabet. Most things in Japan remain unspoken, especially the improper and the unpleasant.The most powerful voice you have, no one else can hear. It is a voice shaping your destiny, ability to cope with triumph or disaster, and how you engage with and inspire others in any quest you face. This voice ultimately determines your success as a communicator and the success of your communications. It is the voice within your head.The starting point for being an outstanding public relations communicator is recognizing that you deliver communications not just through your words, signs or gestures. Nor do you deliver just through your body language. You communicate through the way you think.You probably know of people who ca n easily comment on other people’s problems but are blind to their own shortcomings. The ability to understand yourself, your own emotions, and know how your mind works is known as your intrapersonal skill. Having self-awareness and understanding of yourself makes it possible subsequently to develop fully your interpersonal skills. Your intrapersonal skill is essentially how you can manage your own thinking—the ability to understand how your thinking works and ultimately master the voice in your head.Everyone has an inner voice that creates an internal dialogue, a self-talk, which shapes and progresses their thinking and communication. (Your self-talk is not a sign of delusional behavior!) This self-talk lies at the heart of your subsequent communications. If you are unclear in your mind about how you feel and understand about an issue, the probability is that your subsequent communications will reflect this uncertainty, or fail to convince.The image of Sir Bob Geldof when he launched Band Aid in 1984 is a good example of someone with a clear sense of passion and belief, who initially had limited resources—at the outset his campaign was just him and his intense reaction to watching BBC news coverage of famine scenes in Ethiopia. Yet he succeeded in creating a major brand and raising valuable funds for famine relief. His clear sense of purpose fueled his passion to overcome the odds. A committed community activist can likewise often outwit and outperform a well-oiled and well-funded formal public relations programme; witness the success of groups like Greenpeace against major oil companies.The potential of the focused few was recognized by sociologist Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” The starting point for your journey in understanding and becoming an outstanding public relations communicator is to examine what shapes your thinking and how it is manifested in your communications.24. Which statement is true about the ambiguity of nonverbal communication?A.It leads to vagueness in nonverbal codes in a given context.B.Intended meanings of nonverbal codes cannot be conveyed fully.C.It stems from the spontaneity and randomness of nonverbal codes.D.True feelings can be hidden by the ambiguity of nonverbal codes.25. Which of the following best fits the numbered space in Passage A?A.It supersedes all other forms because of its effectiveness.B.There is a whole series of substitutions for nonverbal codes.C.People are born with a natural ability to communicate nonverbally.D.Interpretation of nonverbal codes relies on sensation and experiences.26. The word navigate in the last paragraph of Passage B means__________.A.roaming about freelyB.keep close contact withC.familiarize oneself withD.sail smoothly along27. What can be deciphered from Japan’s trash codes?A.Japanese tend to present their remarks in an explicit way.B.Trash is public property from which neighbors may intrude upon one’s privacy.C.The language barrier is an obstacle to dealing with the trash business.D.People not following the correct trash protocol will be considered rude.28. According to P assage C, the voice in one’s head__________.A.matters more than any vocal messagesB.should precede one’s subsequent communicationsC.can help avoid potential misunderstanding in some wayD.determines the development of one’s interpersonal skills29. How do people’s personal communication skills affect their public relations?A.Self awareness of how you think will affect your ability to communicate effectively.B.Effective public relation communications are delivered through nonverbal codes.C.Successful public relations are determined by the voice qualities of communicators.municators with passion and beliefs have stronger chances of outwitting their rivals.30-31. Decide whether the statements are True or False according to the three passages.30. Nonverbal codes in electronic written communications may well be more effective than face-to-face conversations.True ( ) False ( )31. It’s vital to take age, culture, region, gender, and emotional state into account when comprehending body language gestures.True ( ) False ( )。

高一全国中学生英语能力竞赛阅读理解训练阅读理解(Reading comprehension)(共30小题,计30分)A)阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项。

(A)Howard begins to take out some bottles from the cardboard box and put them on the table.“No,not there,somewhere else,”says Barbara,“I'm occupying that space.”She puts some long pieces of French bread on the table,and begins cutting them,putting the cut pieces into a bas-ket.Howard stands by the kitchen,he begins opening bottles,one after another.The Kirks' party begins to make ready.After a while,Howard leaves the kitchen and begins to go around the house.He is a party giver,the maker of a serious social theatre.Now he goes about,putting out ash trays(烟灰缸) and dishes,chairs.He moves furniture(家具),to make good talk areas and open action spaces.The children run around with him.“Who's coming,Howard?”asks Martin.“Many guests,”says Howard.“Who?”asks Martin.“He doesn't know,”says Celia.Now he goes upstairs(上楼) to pull beds against the walls,adjust(调试) lights,pull blinds(窗帘),open doors.It's a good idea to organize family parties from time to time.21.What's the surname(姓) of the family?__________ .A.HowardB.KirkC.BarbaraD.Celia22.The word “occupy” here means “__________ ”.A.to useB.to liveC.to fillD.to work23.What are they preparing for?__________ .A.A mealB.A meetingC.A partyD.A ball24.Put Howard's actions in the right order according to the article __________ .a.He left the kitchen.b.He moved the furniture.c.He opened the bottles.d.He spoke to the children.e.He made the rooms darker.f.He went upstairs.g.He opened doors.A.c,a,f,b,d,e,gB.a,f,b,d,g,e,cC.c,a,b,d,f,e,gD.b,c,a,g,f,e,d25.From the sentence:“Howard pulls beds against the walls,adjust lights,pull blinds,open doors”,what can we know?__________A.Howard takes parties seriously.B.Howard expects that some of his guests will sit and talk.C.Howard expects that some of his guests will dance.D.Howard is less interested in the guests than in what they do.(B)注释: 1.court:球场2.coach:训练3.length:长度4.tuition:讲授5.book:预定6.minimum:最小的7.skiing:滑雪8.slope:坡度9.instructor:指导者10.gymnastics:体操11.maximum:最大的26.This advertisement(广告) is taken from__________ .A.a piece of paper with informationB.a newspaperC.a card in a shop windowD.a poster in a college27.Which sport would be most suitable(适合) for a young married woman with a baby?She doesn't want too great exercises.A.Daytime tennis.B.Tuesday evening swimming.C.An afternoon golf lesson.D.Skiing at the weekend.28.Which day and time would be best for a family with two children aged 6 and 8,who all want tuition?A.Sunday afternoon._______B.Saturday morning.C.Friday evening.D.All day Saturday.29.If you want to practise golf,you must__________ .A.not be over nineB.practise in the daytimeC.make a bookingD.have nine lessons30.Which sport seems to be most suitable for young children under theage of 8?A.Golf.B.Swimming.C.Gymnastics.D.Skiing.B)阅读下列短文,然后回答问题或完成句子。

2016“外研社杯”全国英语阅读大赛样题Part I Read and KnowIn Part I, you will read short texts of various kinds. Read the instructions carefully and answer the questions. (Time allowed: 22 minutes)Questions 1-3 (Suggested completion time: 5 minutes)Directions: Read the following quotes. Match the quotes on the left with the people on the right. Please note there are two extra options you do not need to use.A. an advertisementB. an instruction bookletC. a storyD. a newspaperQuestions 5 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.Few corners of the world remain untainted by intrepid tourists, and their impact is often devastating. Too frequently they trample heedlessly on fragile environments, displacing wildlife and local populations in their insatiable quest for unexplored locations.5. What is the best title for this text?A. The future of tourismB. The role of tourismC. The price of tourismD. The benefits of tourismQuestions 6 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.Buying and selling anything is your forte now. If you visit a jumble or car-boot sale or the like, a romantic encounter is more than probable! News linked to thefamily is brilliant!6. What type of text is this?A. A personal advertisement.B. A personal horoscope.C. A friend’s letter of advice.D. A written warning.Questions 7 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.With our travel agency, the holiday you book is the holiday you get. If you arrive and find we’ve failed to live up to our promises, let us know what the problem is within one day of your arrival. We’ll spend 24 hours doing everything possible to sort the problem out. In the unlikely event that we can’t resolve your problem and make you happy within 24 hours, we’ll fly you home and give your money back.7. The text could best be described as __________.A. a commitmentB. an appealC. a warningD. a vowQuestions 8 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.The new digital cameras are great fun and very easy to use. They let you review your pictures the moment you take them, so you can re-shoot right away if you’re not satisfied. But remember, a digital camera is just a computer XXXX. It’s not a replacement for your ordinary camera.8. What is the meaning of the missing word (XXXX) in the text?A. “something that is poor quality”B. “an item that is not essential, something extra”C. “something expensive but good value for money”D. “a fashion which always remains popular”Questions 9 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.She had gone alone, but the children were to go to the station to meet her. And loving the station as they did, it was only natural that they should be there a good hour before there was any chance of Mother’s train arriving, even if the train were punctual, which was most unlikely.9. What can you say about their mother’s train?A. It would probably be early.B. It would probably be on time.C. It would probably be late.D. It had been cancelled.Question 10 (Suggested completion time: 5 minutes)Directions: The bar chart shows the number and proportion of undernourished people in the developing regions, from 1990?1992 to 2014?2016. Answer the question according to the information in the chart.Source: The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Report201510. Choose the INCORRECT description about the chart.A. Current estimates suggest that nearly one in nine individuals do not have enough to eat between 2014 and 2016.B. Projections indicate that the 2015 MDG target is nearly reached, with 12.9 per cent of undernourished population.C. The situation noticeably improved during the years 1995-1999, but went down in the first five years of the new millennium.D. The proportion of undernourished people in the developing regions has fallen by almost half since 1990.Part II Read and ReasonIn Part II, you will read short texts on different subjects. Read the instructions carefully and answer the questions based on logical inference and reasoning. (Time allowed: 38 minutes)Question 11-12 (Suggested completion time: 10 minutes)Directions: Read the definitions of two types of logical fallacy. Answer thewhoweD. I don’t care what you say. We don’t need any more bookshelves. As long as the carpet is clean, we are fine.willcollapse.C. You may as well avoid overeating, or else you might be obese in no time.D. You are the worst of the classmates; therefore, what you say is incredible. Questions 13 (Suggested completion time: 4 minutes)Directions: Read the passage about syllogism. Decide whether the reasonings are Valid or Invalid based on the principles of syllogism.Syllogism is a kind of logical argument that applies deductive reasoning to arrive at a conclusion based on two or more propositions that are asserted or assumed to be true. It is perhaps today’s most commonly accepted form of logical reasoning in aptitude tests. The most commonly used type of syllogisms is elucidated in a frequently used example:Premise 1: All men are mortal.Premise 2: Socrates is a man.Conclusion: Socrates is mortal.Now practice syllogisms for IQ tests. Please note that the conclusion is based on logical reasoning and doesn’t necessarily represent the “truth” always.13. Valid ( ); Invalid ( )Premise 1: All human action is conditioned by circumstances.Premise 2: All human action involves morality.Conclusion: All that involves morality is conditioned by circumstances. Questions 14 (Suggested completion time: 4 minutes)Directions: Read the passage about contraposition. Decide whether the reasonings are Valid or Invalid based on the principles of contraposition.In?logic,?contraposition?is a law that says that a?conditional statement?is?logically equivalent?to its?contrapositive. The contrapositive of the statement has its antecedent and consequent?inverted?and?flipped. The most commonly used type of contraposition is elucidated in the following example: Premise 1: If it is raining, then there are clouds in the sky.Premise 2: There are no clouds in the sky.Conclusion: It is not raining.Now practice contraposition for IQ tests. Please note that the conclusion is based on logical reasoning and doesn’t necessarily represent the “truth” always.14. Valid ( ); Invalid ( )Premise 1: If he is not an American, he is not from Texas.Premise 2: He is from Texas.Conclusion: He is an American.Questions 15-17 (Suggested completion time: 6 minutes)Directions: Read the text about a science discovery. Answer the questions according to the text.Manipulating MemoryMemory is notoriously malleable. Our recollections fade and take on newmeanings; sometimes we remember things that nevereven happened. But 15 .Recently, however, scientists have started to grasp andtinker with memory’s physical basis. Last year, in workevocative of films such as?Eternal Sunshine of the SpotlessMind?and Inception, researchers discovered ways tomanipulate specific memories in mice using optogenetics, a powerful technique that can trigger nerve cells in animals’ brains by zapping them with beams of laser light. In a series of experiments, they showed that they could delete existing memories and “incept” false ones.This year, researchers went even further: switching the emotional content of a memory in mice from bad to good and vice versa. Under the laser, for example, male mice that had once associated a certain room with being shocked were tricked into acting as though they had once met friendly female mice there instead.Whether the mice in these experiments actually experienced vivid false memories or just a fuzzy sense of pleasure or fear is unclear. Nor is it clear whether the findings apply to the tricks of memory so familiar to people. Long-sought therapeutic advances, such as treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder, could remain far off. One thing is certain, however: Once considered beyond scientific dissection, memory is finally starting to yield its secrets.15. Which of the following best fits the numbered space in the passage?A.what is really happening in our brain as memories are remodeled remainsmysteriousB.scientists are curious about why people are oblivious to what havehappened to themC.advanced technology has helped scientists discover the workings of ourbrainD.some scientists argue that what we observe about human memory is notwhat it really is16. The word “incept” is closest in meaning to ________.A. operateB. startC. detectD. occupy17. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?A.People’s false memories result from the impact of different emotionprovoked by later experience on the same spot.B.The success in research indicates that it won’t be long that a therapy isworked out for people disturbed by painful memory.C.By zapping the brain cells of mice with light, researchers are able to create,erase, or alter their memories, good or bad.D.Many fancy ideas in science fictions or movies that are based on themactually draw greatly upon scientific achievement.Questions 18-19 (Suggested completion time: 4 minutes)Directions: Read the following passage about cholera. Decide whether the statements are True or False according to the passage.A child receives the oral cholera vaccine ShancholCholera is caused by a bacterial infection of the intestine. Approximately one in 20 people infected with cholera has a serious case, with symptoms including severe diarrhea, vomiting, and leg cramps. These symptoms quickly cause dehydration and shock, and can result in death within hours if the infected person doesn’t receive treatment. Cholera is typically transmitted by contaminated food or water. In areas with poor treatment of sewage and drinking water, the feces of people with cholera can enter the water supply and spread quickly, resulting in an epidemic. The cholera bacterium may also live in the environment in some coastal waters, so shellfish eaten raw can be a source of cholera in affected areas.18. Cholera is known to be a life-threatening disease which easily causes death of most of the patients.True ( ) False ( )19. Cholera typically occurs in areas near the sea or the river where contaminated food is a major source of the disease.True ( ) False ( )Questions 20-21 (Suggested completion time: 5 minutes)Directions: Read the abstract of a research paper from the DeepMind website. Decide whether the statements are True or False according to the abstract. Teaching Machines to Read and ComprehendAuthors: K. M. Hermann, T. Ko?isky, E. Grefenstette, L. Espeholt, W. Kay, M. Suleyman, P. BlunsomPublished: NIPS 2015Abstract: Teaching machines to read natural language documents remains an elusive challenge. Machine reading systems can be tested on their ability to answer questions posed on the contents of documents that they have seen, but until now large scale training and test datasets have been missing for this type of evaluation. In this work we define a new methodology that resolves this bottleneck and provides large scale supervised reading comprehension data. This allows us to develop a class of attention based deep neural networks that learn to read real documents and answer complex questions with minimal prior knowledge of language structure.20. Previous studies didn’t take constant effort to evaluate the reading ability of artificial intelligence machines, which was why the present research wasconducted.True ( ) False ( )21. One implication of the research is that a methodology that helps gather and handle big data is indispensible to artificial intelligence related studies.True ( ) False ( )Questions 22-23 (Suggested completion time: 5 minutes)Directions: Read the passage about the “Think small” advertising campaign. Answer the questions according to the passage.Think SmallI f you’re interested in marketing and advertising, Volkswagen’s “Think small” campaign for the Beetle when it was first introduced to North America in 1959 looms large as one of the greatest advertising campaigns of all time. It wasn’t just a revolution in automotive advertising; it changed the entire industry.Until the Beetle hit the market, automotive marketing copy was full of bluster, and the images were flights of fancy, emphasizing low, long lines and a fantasy lifestyle.The clean, simple photography on a white background that emphasized the Beetle’s compact, practical form may seem commonplace these days, but it was a revolution in a world where Americans grew up obsessed with muscle cars,horsepower, and tire smoke. Making the car small,when the convention was to make it fill the page, wasalso novel. The simplistic approach to design andlayout was totally contrary to the advertisingconventions of the time.__ 22__ The text was minimalist in both look andcontent, presenting the facts simply instead of tryingto weave tall tales and fantasies; and instead ofbluster, it ushered in an intelligent sense of humorthat made readers feel like they were in on the joke.The message was one of smart anti-luxury, and took gentle aim at an industry obsessed with superficiality and styling, rather than the substance underneath the car bodies.Not only does “Think small” continue to inspire Volkswagen advertising to this day, it ushered in a creative revolution in the advertising business and changed the world of marketing forever. “Think small” showed the power of humor and honesty, and its photographic and design principles brought about a major shift in the look and feel of marketing around the world.22. Which of the sentences below best fits the numbered space in the passage?A.What defined the ad even more than its visual style was the tone of itscopy.B.This ad starts off doing the exact opposite of what you would expect in acar ad.C.This was an exercise in minimalism and a very accurate reflection on theproduct itself.D.The car wasn’t depicted as an integral piece of the daily lives of a middleclass family.23. It can be inferred that the advertising conventions of the 1950s were reflected in the following except that ___________.A.the ads in the 1950s typically showed proud owners and passengersevoking great joy about new shiny big acquisitions.B.the marketing concept then focused on providing as much information aspossible to the reader such as the way it’s created.C.the marketing schemes associated the advertised product with an idea ora way of living from average consumers’ perspective.D.the marketing practice may attach importance to a sense of humorbrought by the use of exaggerated language.Part III Read and QuestionIn Part III, you will read passages on the same subject. You will be required to identify the writer’s position and evaluate the effectiveness of the writer’s arguments. (Time allowed: 30 minutes)Questions 24-35 (Suggested completion time: 30 minutes)Directions: Read three passages about fashion. Answer the questions according to the passages.Passage AIt’s not that easy to answer the question, “what is fashion?” because it means different things to different people. Fashion is an art. It’s a religion. It’s a job. It’s a peek into a personality. It’s playfulness. It’s an escape or a disguise. It is a feast for the eyes. But ultimately, 25 . French fashion designer Coco Chanel once said, “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”It’s true. Fashion isn’t defined solely by our clothing choices, but is also conveyed through the way we carry ourselves, our personalities and our views of the world. At its most fundamental, fashion is simply the prevailing style or custom, as in dress or behavior.So, who exactly answers the question “what is fashion”? Who decides what’s fashionable and what isn’t? What’s in or what’s out?Fashion Designers. The iconic fashion houses—Prada, Gucci, Chanel—are referred to as haute couture, French for “high sewing.” These designers lead the way in creating trend-setting fashion. While some of their designs are outrageous and completely unrealistic when it comes to everyday wear, generally the theme is adapted into versions suitable for wearing.Media. Fashion trends are often sparked by characters on popular television shows and movies as well as adopted from magazine pages. “Sex and the City,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” these shows introduced us to new, cutting-edge designs. While you might not be caught dead wearing a Carrie Bradshaw original, you might take ideas inspired from her look and piece together your own creation.? Celebrities. A prime example of a celebrity-driven fashion trend? UGGs. Until Kate Hudson and Jessica Simpson were spotted wearing them around L.A. several years ago, no one had given any thought to UGG boots. Now they are everywhere.Musicians. Musicians have always been very influential when it comes to dictating fashion. Rock ‘n’ roll is fashion. Elvis is an iconic example. In the 1950s, everyone wanted to dress like Elvis. What about the heavy metal hair bands so popular in the 1980s? Axl Rose reinvented the head bandana while Poison, Motley Crue and Bon Jovi set the pace for big, rocker hair.Just because you don’t know if a Prada bag is fall 2007 or spring 2008 doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you like it and it’s an expression of you. That is fashion.Passage BFashion is more prevalent in modern society than in primitive tribes or peasant communities. The modern society is an open society where class distinctions are not so rigid as in primitive society. Its urban and mobile class structure enables people to cultivate individual taste and adopt new course. The modern society is more tolerant of differences and therefore places few shackles on the cycle of fashion. Our standards of judgment have also changed. Today the individual is rated more by observable externalities than by his ancestry, his character or his genuine accomplishments. The clothes a man wears, the language he speaks, the manners he shows have more weight in ascribing a status than his simplicity, patriotism and integrity.If he can keep himself up to date in the matters of his dress, speech and manners, he will assure himself a high social esteem. Not only the mobile and urban character of modern society but its affluence also speaks for greater prevalence of fashion in it. Men today are richer than their ancestors and have more leisure. They have the necessary means and time to play with luxuries and to think of fashion. Maclver writes: We do not think of fashion in overalls; there is more of fashion in the body of an automobile than in its chassis. There is no fashion insteam shovels. Consequently the higher the standard of living the more material there is for fashion to operate upon.Passage CAs summer has officially faded into the colder weather of autumn, I assumed the days of Nike shorts, comically large T-shirts and polos would be only a memory of yesterday. This has not been the case. ?Fashion, in and of itself, is already a type of conformism. In order to be considered fashion, a look, a garment or a stylistic choice must be deemed fashionable.Who gets to decide this—what is fashionable??While certain fashion heavyweights play a role in this decision, the ultimate decision is left to the public.As I was surfing the Web recently for inspiration for this column, I came across the Prada website. What I discovered literally caused me to gasp. Of course, everyone knows Prada is an expensive brand—a luxury—but what I discovered shocked me: a keychain priced at $180. No, this keychain was not solid gold or encased in diamonds. It was simply a keychain: a skull with the word “Prada” on a small charm.How can a company charge $180 for a keychain? ?The answer: people are willing to pay for it. People know the brand and conform to the idea of owning a piece of such an Italian “luxury.”This is nonsensical. Why do we choose to wear miniscule shorts in frigid weather or spend nearly $200 on a charm? Such decisions are influenced by peers, the media and the personal resolution to not make rational, individualistic choices.?We cling to the idea of acceptance.In short, we often choose to abide by the pressures of social conventionality, and this leads us to make ridiculous selections—pairing Ugg boots with shorts or wearing neon with camouflage—which we would otherwise not make. ?I am certainly shamefaced in my occasional conformity to these ludicrous fashion folkways. I am guilty of donning Crocs in public. Yikes!Transient, often preposterous trends referred to as fads inspire some rather strange ideas. Who can recall the pet rocks of the ‘70s or Popples of the ‘80s? ?Such pop trends are not confined to behavior; they bleed into the fashion world, evidenced in overly distressed jeans, the most painful of neon shades, shoes that resemble Swiss cheese and a host of other fads I do not have the space to mention. ?I refuse to give up hope for societal common sense. ?One day we will comprehend that shorts are for the summer and ridiculously expensive keychains are for “never.”?Do not allow others to dictate for you. Be bold. Be an individual. Do not buy the keychain.24. The phrase “might not be caught dead” in Passage A most probably means ______.A.would rather not die anywayB.might not be caught red handedC.would refuse completely to do somethingD.might be uneasy though doing something25. Which of the following best fits the numbered space in Passage A?A.fashion is an individual statement of expression for each of usB.fashion facilitates social change by providing a transitional stageC.fashion is not an individual choice but a group choiceD.fashion determines our speech, opinion, dress, music, art, etc.26. It can be inferred from Passage A that fashion designers, media, celebrities and musicians share the following views except ______.A.that fashion is anything but separated from the daily life of ordinarypeople.B.that nothing completely absurd and unrealistic can finally becomefashion.C.that fashion is what society accepts and has an element of social sanctionbehind it.D.that if a particular choice remains confined to an individual it can’t becalled fashion.27. The word “affluence” in Passage B is closest in meaning to ______.A. versatilityB. wealthinessC. peculiarityD. charisma28. According to Passage B, which of the following attributes may probably be more important than others for an individual to be favorably received now?A. A wide range of erudition.B. Loyalty to his or her friends.C. A passion for popular novels.D. Good virtues such as honesty.29. Which of the following is NOT true about the author’s attitude towards fashion according to Passage C?A.The author thinks it a waste of time mentioning a list of examples ofirrational fads.B.People are mad about fashion and therefore lose their own goodjudgment.C.The author never allows himself to be carried away by the fashion trends.D.Behind the behavior of keeping up with fashion is a need to stay in thecrowd.30-31. Decide whether the statements are True or False according to the three passages.30. All the three passages agree that fashion plays a role in the interplay of class relations that it satisfies the contrary desires for novelty and for conformity.True ( ) False ( )31. None of the three passages are denying conventional social values in people’s judgment, for example, what’s considered good about things or people.True ( ) False ( )Part IV Read and CreateIn Part IV, you will read a passage and then write a short essay according to it. You should write with clarity and logic. (Time allowed: 40 minutes)Question 32 (Suggested completion time: 40 minutes)Directions: Read a passage from Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting the Reason and Seeking the Truth in the Sciences. Write a short essay according to the passage.… And as a multitude of laws often only hampers justice, so that a state is best governed when, with few laws, these are rigidly administered; in like manner, instead of the great number of precepts of which logic is composed, I believed that the four following would prove perfectly sufficient for me, provided I took the firm and unwavering resolution never in a single instance to fail in observing them.The first was never to accept anything for true which I did not clearly know to be such; that is to say, carefully to avoid precipitancy and prejudice, and to comprise nothing more in my judgment than what was presented to my mind so clearly and distinctly as to exclude all ground of doubt.The second, to divide each of the difficulties under examination into as many parts as possible, and as might be necessary for its adequate solution.The third, to conduct my thoughts in such order that, by commencing with objects the simplest and easiest to know, I might ascend by little and little, and, as it were, step by step, to the knowledge of the more complex; assigning in thought a certain order even to those objects which in their own nature do not stand in a relation of antecedence and sequence.And the last, in every case to make enumerations so complete, and reviews so general, that I might be assured that nothing was omitted.The long chains of simple and easy reasonings by means of which geometers are accustomed to reach the conclusions of their most difficult demonstrations, had led me to imagine that all things, to the knowledge of which man is competent, are mutually connected in the same way, and that there is nothing so far removed from us as to be beyond our reach, or so hidden that we cannot discover it, provided only we abstain from accepting the false for the true, and always preserve in our thoughts the order necessary for the deduction of one truth from another. And I had little difficulty in determining the objects with which it was necessary to commence, for I was already persuaded that it must be with the simplest and easiest to know, and, considering that of all those who have hitherto sought truth in the sciences, the mathematicians alone have been able to find any demonstrations, that is, any certain and evident reasons, I did not doubt but that such must have been the rule of their investigations.32. Answer the topic questions with no less than 300 words. You should write in YOUR OWN words:What is the main issue that Descartes explores in this part of the text, and w hat’s his method? What’s your OWN understanding of the methods proposed by Descartes?。

赛题分值说明:1.线上初赛: 题型仅为客观题，即Rea.an.Know，Rea.an.Reason，Rea.an.Question三个模块，共40题，答题时间为110分钟，满分100分。

第1-3题每题1分，第4-9题每题2分，第10题5分，第11-30题每题3分，第31-40题每题2分。

2.复赛和决赛：题型包含客观题和主观题，即Rea.an.Know，Rea.an.Reason，Rea.an.Question，Rea.an.Create四个模块，共41题，答题时间为150分钟，满分100分。

第1-3题每题1分，第4-9题每题2分，第10题5分，第11-30题每题1.5分，第31-40题每题2分，第41题30分。

Read and Know模块考查选手的阅读广度和基础阅读技能, Read and Reason 模块考查选手对不同体裁和题材短篇文本的阅读能力以及阅读逻辑, Read and Question模块考查选手对跨语篇较长文本的综合信息处理和判断能力, Read and Create模块考查选手基于阅读理解的写作输出能力。

大赛样题Part I Read and KnowI.Par.I, yo.wil.rea.shor.text.o.variou.kinds.Rea.th.instruction.carefull.an.answe.t h.questions.(Tim.allowed.2.minutes)Questions 1-3 (Suggested completion time: 3 minutes)Directions.Rea.th.followin.quotes.Matc.th.quote.wit.th.people.Pleas.not.ther.ar.tw.extr.option.yo.d.no.need.Question 4 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text and answer the question according to the text.boratorie.an.consultin.rooms plet.th.coupo.toda.an.res.assure.tha.you.donatio.i.goin .t.th.bes.possibl.cause.4.Wher.i.th.piec.o.tex.take.from?A. an advertisementB. an instruction bookletC. a storyD. a newspaperQuestion 5 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text and answer the question according to the text.Fe.corner.o.th.worl.remai.untainte.b.intrepi.tourists.an.thei.impac.i.ofte.devastating.To .frequentl.the.trampl.heedlessl.o.fragil.environments.displacin.wildlif.an.loca.populati on.i.thei.insatiabl.ques.fo.unexplore.locations.5.Wha.i.th.bes.titl.fo.thi.text?A. The Future of TourismB. The Role of TourismC. The Price of TourismD. The Benefits of TourismQuestion 6 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text and answer the question according to the text.With E-book sales increasing by more than 300% for the second year, publishers delivering new revenue streams through E-book Apps, and academic publishers long having derived some 90% of their revenue online, it is a travesty to describe all this as the publishing world being "in denial" about digital.6.Wha.i.th.mai.ide.o.thi.text?A. Publishers are making profits from E-book sales.B. Not all publishers are threatened by digital storms.C. E-books become a main source of revenue for publishers.D. Traditional publishing industry is dying out.Question 7 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text and answer the question according to the text..Wit.ou.trave.agency.th.holida.yo.boo.i.th.holida.yo.get.I.yo.arriv.an.fin.we'v.faile .t.liv.u.t.ou.promises.le.u.kno.wha.th.proble.i.withi.on.da.o.you.arrival.We'l.spen.2.ho ur.doin.everythin.possibl.t.sor.th.proble.out.I.th.unlikel.even.tha.w.can'.resolv.you.pro ble.an.mak.yo.happ.withi.2.hours.we'l.fl.yo.hom.an.giv.you.mone.back.7.Th.tex.coul.bes.b.describe.as__________.A. a commitmentB. an appealC. a warningD. a vowQuestion 8 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text and answer the question according to the text.e.The.le.yo.revie.you.picture.th.mo men.yo.tak.them.s.yo.ca.re-shoo.righ.awa.i.you'pute.XXXX.It' .no..replacemen.fo.you.ordinar.camera.8.Wha.i.th.meanin.o.th.missin.wor.XXX.i.th.text?A. "something that is poor quality"B. "an item that is not essential, something extra"C. "something expensive but good value for money"D. "a fashion which always remains popular"Question 9 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text and answer the question according to the text.Sh.ha.gon.alone.bu.th.childre.wer.t.g.t.th.statio.t.mee.her.An.lovin.th.statio.a.the.did.i. wa.onl.natura.tha.the.shoul.b.ther..goo.hou.befor.ther.wa.an.chanc.o.Mother'.trai.arrivi ng.eve.i.th.trai.wer.punctual.whic.wa.mos.unlikely.9.Wha.ca.yo.sa.abou.thei.mother'.train?A. It would probably be early.B. It would probably be on time.C. It would probably be late.D. It had been cancelled.Question 10 (Suggested completion time: 5 minutes)Directions.Th.ba.char.show.th.numbe.an.proportio.o.undernourishe.peopl.i.th.developin.regions.fro.1990-199.t.2014-rmatio.i.th.chart.Source: The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Report 201510.Choos.th.INCORREC.descriptio.abou.th.chart.A. The latest estimates suggest that nearly one in nine individuals do not have enough to eat between 2014 and 2016.B. Projections indicate that the 2015 MDG target is nearly reached, with 12.9 per cent of undernourished population.C. The situation noticeably improved during the years 1995-1999, but went down in the first five years of the new millennium.D. The proportion of undernourished people in the developing regions has fallen by almost half since 1990.Part II Read and ReasonI.Par.II.yo.wil.rea.shor.text.o.differen.subjects.Rea.th.instruction.carefull.an.ans we.th.question.base.o.logica.inferenc.an.reasoning.(Tim.allowed.5.minutes) Question 11 (Suggested completion time: 4 minutes)Directions.Rea.th.followin.definitio.o..logica.fallacy.Answe.th.questio.accordin.t.th.definition.11.Whic.o.th.followin.provide..typica.exampl.of poisonin.th.well?A. . That'catio.system.an.anyon.wh.disagree.wit.m.hate.childr en.B. . Yo.ar.s.weird.Tha.means—w.ar.prett.muc.sure—tha.you.whol.famil.i.weird.too.C. . Go.exist.becaus.th.Bibl.say.so.Th.Bibl.i.inspired.Therefore.w.kno.tha.Go.exists.D. . .don'.car.wha.yo.say.W.don'.nee.an.mor.bookshelves.A.lon.a.th.carpe.i.clean.w.ar .fine.Question 12 (Suggested completion time: 4 minutes)Directions: Look at the following picture and then answer the question.12.Whic.o.th.followin.logica.fallacie.doe.th.pictur.illustrate?A. False Dilemma: an argument that presents a limited set of two possible categories and assumes that everything in the scope of the discussion must be an element of that setB. Guilt by Association: a fallacy used to discredit an argument for proposing an idea that is shared by some socially demonized individual or groupC. No True Scotsman: an argument coming up after someone has made a general claim about a group of things and then been presented with evidence challenging that claimD. Hasty Generalization: a fallacy committed when one forms a conclusion from a sample that is either too small or too special to be representativeQuestions 13-14 Reasoning (Suggested completion time: 10 minutes)13.Man.peopl.repor.tha.exposur.t.certai.food.an.drink.suc.a.cheese.chocolate.an.re.wi ne.i.associate.wit.th.onse.o.migrain.headaches.Othe.peopl.repor.tha.exposur.t.certai.s mell.(especiall.stron.perfumes.seem.t.trigge..migrain.headache.an.som.not.tha.exposur .t.brigh.an.flickerin.light.ca.b.followe.b..migraine.I.woul.see.tha..perso.wit..tendenc.t. ge.migraine.shoul.tr.t.fin.ou.whic.o.thes.situation.i.associate.wit.th.onse.o.th.headach. an.the.avoi.thi.stimulus.All of the following, if true, would make the above recommendation impractical except:A. The time delay between the trigger and the onset of the headache can make it exceptionally difficult to identify the trigger.B. The presence of a known trigger doesn't always cause a migraine.C. In a high proportion of cases the patients report multiple triggers for their headaches.D. Most of the known triggers are common and almost unavoidable features of modern life.14. Richard: The national budget should provide significant increases in all levels ofeducation in the upcoming year.Natalie: That'.no.fair..reductio.i.defens.spendin.i.peacetim.ma.brin.u.excessiv.risks.W. can'.affor.it.Which of the following is the best interpretation of Natalie's argument?A. Funds saved from defense have been diverted to all levels of education.B. Highlighting spending on education dangerously impacts on spending on the military.C. The size of the military budget reflects a state's ability to fund educational activities.D. Compared with military spending, investing in education will create a financial crisis.Questions 15-17 (Suggested completion time: 6 minutes)Directions.Rea.th.tex.abou..scienc.discovery.Answe.th.question.accordin.t.th.text.Manipulating MemoryMemor.i.notoriousl.malleable.Ou.recollection.fad.an.tak.o.ne.meanings.sometime.w.r emembe.thing.tha.neve.eve.happened.But 15 .Recently.however.scientist.hav.starte.t.gras.an.tinke.wit.memory's.ye ar.i.wor.evocativ.o.film.suc.as Eterna.Sunshin.o.th.Spotles.Mind an.Inception.research in.optogenetics..powerfu.techni se.light.I..serie.o.e xperiments.the.showe.tha.the.coul.delet.existin.memorie.and "incept" fals.ones. Thi.year.researcher.wen.eve.further.switchin.th.emotiona.conten.o..memor.i.mic.fro.b ser.fo.example.mal.mic.tha.ha.onc.associate..certai.roo. wit.bein.shocke.wer.tricke.int.actin.a.thoug.the.ha.onc.me.friendl.femal.mic.ther.inste ad.Whethe.th.mic.i.thes.experiment.actuall.experience.vivi.fals.memorie.o.jus..fuzz.sens. o.pleasur.o.fea.i.unclear.No.i.i.clea.whethe.th.finding.appl.t.th.trick.o.memor.s.familia .t.people.Long-sough.therapeuti.advances.suc.a.treatment.fo.post-traumati.stres.disorder.coul.remai.fa.off.On.thin.i.certain.however.Onc.considere.beyo n.scientifi.dissection.memor.i.finall.startin.t.yiel.it.secrets.15. Which of the following best fits the numbered space in the text?A. what is really happening in our brain as memories are remodeled remains mysteriousB. scientists are curious about why people are oblivious to what have happened to themC. advanced technology has helped scientists discover the workings of our brainD. some scientists argue that what we observe about human memory is not what it really is16. The word "incept" is closest in meaning to ________.A. operateB. startC. detectD. occupy17. Which of the following can be inferred from the text?A. People's false memories result from the impact of different emotion provoked by later experience on the same spot.B. The success in research indicates that it won't be long that a therapy is worked out for people disturbed by painful memory.C. By zapping the brain cells of mice with light, researchers are able to create, erase, or alter their memories, good or bad.D. Many fancy ideas in science fictions or movies that are based on them actually draw greatly upon scientific achievement.Questions 18-19 (Suggested completion time: 4 minutes)Directions.Rea.th.tex.abou.cholera.Decid.whethe.th.statement.ar.Tru.o.Fals.accordin.t.th.text.A child receives the oral cholera vaccine ShancholCholer.i.cause.b..bacteria.infectio.o.th.intestine.Approximatel.on.i.2.peopl.infecte.wit. choler.ha..seriou.case.wit.symptom.includin.sever.diarrhea.vomiting.an.le.cramps.The s.symptom.quickl.caus.dehydratio.an.shock.an.ca.resul.i.deat.withi.hour.i.th.infecte.pe rso.doesn'.receiv.treatment.Choler.i.typicall.transmitte.b.contaminate.foo.o.water.I.are a.wit.poo.treatmen.o.sewag.an.drinkin.water.th.fece.o.peopl.wit.choler.ca.ente.th.wate .suppl.an.sprea.quickly.resultin.i.a.epidemic.Th.choler.bacteriu.ma.als.liv.i.th.environ men.i.som.coasta.waters.s.shellfis.eate.ra.ca.b..sourc.o.choler.i.affecte.areas.18.Choler.i.know.t.b..life-threatenin.diseas.whic.easil.cause.deat.o.mos.o.th.patients. .Tru.( .).Fals.( .)19.Choler.typicall.occur.i.area.nea.th.se.o.th.rive.wher.contaminate.foo.i..majo.sourc. o.th.disease..Tru.( .).Fals.( .)Questions 20-21 (Suggested completion time: 5 minutes)Directions.Rea.th.abstrac.o..researc.pape.fro.th.DeepMin.website.Decid.whethe.th.statement.ar.Tru.o.Fals.accordin.t.th.abstract.Teaching Machines to Read and ComprehendAuthors.K.M.Hermann.T.Kočiský.E.Grefenstette.L.Espeholt.W.Kay.M.Suleyman.P.BlunsomPublished: NIPS 2015Abstract: nguag.document.remain.a.elusiv.challe nge.Machin.readin.system.ca.b.teste.o.thei.abilit.t.answe.question.pose.o.th.conte rg.scal.trainin.an.tes.dataset.hav.bee .missin.fo.thi.typ.o.evaluation.I.thi.wor.w.defin..ne.methodolog.tha.resolve.thi.bo prehensio.data.Thi.allow.u.t.dev work.tha.lear.t.rea.rea.document.an.answe. nguag.structure.20.Previou.studie.didn'.tak.constan.effor.t.evaluat.th.readin.abilit.o.artificia.intelligenc .machines.whic.wa.wh.th.presen.researc.wa.conducted..Tru.( .).Fals.( .)21.On.implicatio.o.th.researc.i.tha..methodolog.tha.help.gathe.an.handl.bi.dat.i.indispe nsabl.t.artificia.intelligenc.relate.studies..Tru.( .).Fals.( .)Questions 22-23 (Suggested completion time: 6 minutes)Directions.Rea.th.tex.abou.th."Thin.small.advertisin.campaign.Answe.th.question.accordin.t.th.text.Think SmallI.you'r.intereste.i.marketin.an.advertising.Volkswagen'."Thin.small.campaig.fo.th.Bee rg.a.on.o.th.greates.advertisin.ca mpaign.o.al.time.I.wasn'.jus..revolutio.i.automotiv.advertising.i.change.th.entir.indust ry.Until the Beetle hit the market, automotive marketing copy was full of bluster, and the images were flights of fancy, emphasizing low, long lines and a fantasy lifestyle. Th.clean.simpl.photograph.o..whit.backgroun.tha.emphasize.th.Beetle'.compact.practi monplac.thes.days.bu.i.wa..revolutio.i..worl.wher.American.gre.u.o bsesse.wit.muscl.cars.horsepower.an.tir.smoke.Makin.th.ca.small.whe.th.conventio.w you.wa.totall.contra r.t.th.advertisin.convention.o.th.time._.__22_____ Th.tex.wa.minimalis.i.bot.loo.an.content.presentin.th.fact.simpl.instea.o. here.i.a.intelligen.sens.o.humo.t ha.mad.reader.fee.lik.the.wer.i.o.th.joke.Th.messag.wa.on.o.smar.anti-luxury.an.too.gentl.ai.a.a.industr.obsesse.wit.superficialit.an.styling.rathe.tha.th.substa nc.underneat.th.ca.bodies.No.onl.doe."here.i..creat iv.revolutio.i.th.advertisin.busines.an.change.th.worl.o.marketin.forever."Thin.small.showe.th.powe.o.humo.an.honesty.an.it.photographi.an.desig.principle.brough.abou..m ajo.shif.i.th.loo.an.fee.o.marketin.aroun.th.world.22.Whic.o.th.sentence.belo.bes.fit.th.numbere.spac.i.th.text?A. What defined the ad even more than its visual style was the tone of its copy.B. This ad starts off doing the exact opposite of what you would expect in a car ad.C. This was an exercise in minimalism and a very accurate reflection on the product itself.D. The car wasn't depicted as an integral piece of the daily lives of a middle class family.23.I.ca.b.inferre.tha.th.advertisin.convention.o.th.1950.wer.reflecte.i.th.followin.excep .that ___________.A. The ads in the 1950s typically showed proud owners and passengers evoking great joy about new shiny big acquisitions.B. The marketing concept then focused on providing as much information as possible to the reader such as the way it's created.C. The marketing schemes associated the advertised product with an idea or a way of living from average consumers' perspective.D. The marketing practice may attach importance to a sense of humor brought by the use of exaggerated language.Questions 24-25 (Suggested completion time: 4 minutes)Directions.Rea.th.followin.si.remark.concernin.th.crowd.Fou.o.the.ar.take.fro.Gustav. L.Bon'.book, Th.Crowd..Stud.o.th.Popula.Mind.Choos.th.tw.remark.tha.ma.NO.b.take .fro.th.book.24-25._______The CrowdA. . I.crowd.i.i.stupidit.an.no.mothe.wi.tha.i.accumulated.B. . Crowd.mos.env.th.lonel.ma.wh.walk.confidentl.a.i.h.i.walkin.wit.th.grea.crowds!C. . .crow.i.no.merel.impulsiv.an.mobile.Lik..savage.i.i.no.prepare.t.admi.tha.anythin. .betwee.it.desir.an.th.realizatio.o.it.desire.D. . .walke.wit.them.a.crowd.hav.tha.effec.o.me..wan.t.d.wha.the.do.t.journe.toward.s es.E. . Crowds.bein.incapabl.bot.o.reflectio.an.o.reasoning.ar.devoi.o.th.notio.o.improba bility.an.i.i.t.b.note.tha.i..genera.wa.i.i.th.mos.improbabl.thing.tha.ar.th.mos.striking.F. . …th.individua.formin.par.o..crow.acquires.solel.fro.numerica.considerations..sentimen.o .invincibl.powe.whic.allow.hi.t.yiel.t.instinct.which.ha.h.bee.alone.h.woul.perforc.hav .kep.unde.restraint.Questions 26-28 (Suggested completion time: 5 minutes)Directions.Rea.th.tex.abou..fly.Answe.th.question.accordin.t.th.text.The FlyA.tha.momen.th.bos.notice.tha..fl.ha.falle.int.hi.broa.inkpot.an.wa.tryin.feebl.bu.despe ratel.t.clambe.ou.again."Help.Help!.sai.thos.strugglin.legs.Bu.th.side.o.th.inkpo.wer.w e.an.slippery.i.fel.bac.agai.an.bega.t.swim.Th.bos.too.u..pen.picke.th.fl.ou.o.th.ink.an. shoo.i.o.t..piec.o.blotting-.stil.o.th.dar.patc.tha.ooze.roun.it.The.th.fron.leg.waved.too.hold.and.pullin.it.small.sodde.bod.up.i.bega.th.immens.tas.o.cleanin.th.in.fro.it.win gs.Ove.an.under.ove.an.under.wen..le.alon..wing.a.th.ston.goe.ove.an.unde.th.scythe. The.ther.wa..pause.whil.th.fly.seemin.t.stan.o.th.tip.o.it.toes.trie.t.expan.firs.on.win.an st.and.sittin.down.i.began.lik..minut.cat.t.clea.it.face.No.on .coul.imagin.tha.th.littl.fron.leg.rubbe.agains.eac.othe.lightly.joyfully. 27 .26.Whic.o.th.followin.i.NO.tru.accordin.t.th.text?A. The boss saved the fly out of his broad inkpot.B. The fly was trapped by the thick ink on its wings.C. The passage describes how a fly survived an accident.D. The passage shows how a fly conquered a challenge.27.Whic.o.th.followin.statemen.ca.bes.fi.i.th.numbere.space?A. The horrible danger was over; it had escaped; it was ready for life again.B. The boss was relieved now, reassured that the fly had been out of danger.C. But the front legs waved, caught hold, and, more slowly this time, the task restarted.D. But such a grinding feeling of wretchedness seized him that he felt positively frightened.ple.mixtur.o.anythin.bu._______.A. sympatheticB. humorousC. cheerfulD. depressingQuestions 29-30 (Suggested completion time: 7 minutes)Directions.Rea.th.tex.abou.Chac.Culture.Answe.th.question.accordin.t.th.text.Th."Chac.Culture".a.modern-da.archaeologist.cal.it.flourishe.betwee.roughl.th.9t.an.13t.centurie.A.D.an.wa.centere .a.Chac.Canyo.i.wha.i.no.Ne.Mexico.Th.peopl.o.th.Chac.Cultur.buil.immens.structure.tha.a.time.encompasse.mor.tha.5 0.rooms.The.als.participate.i.long-distanc.trad.tha.brough.cacao.macaw.(.typ.o.parrot).turquois.an.coppe.t.Chac.Canyon.29_______, researchers have to rely on the artifacts and structures they left behind, as well as oral accounts that have been passed on through generations, to reconstruct what their lives were like.Archaeologist.generall.agre.tha.Chac.Canyo.wa.th.cente.o.Chac.Culture.Toda.th.c anyo.i..nationa.par.an..UNESC.Worl.Heritag.Site.Th.Nationa.Par.Servic.estimate.tha.t her.ar.abou.4,00.archaeologica.site.i.th.park.includin.mor.tha..doze.immens.structure.t ha.archaeologist.sometime.cal."Grea.Houses".Archaeologica.researc.ha.reveale.man.d iscoveries.includin..syste.o.road.tha.connecte.man.Chac.Cultur.sites.an.evidenc.o.astr onomica.alignment.tha.indicat.tha.som.Chac.Cultur.structure.wer.oriente.towar.th.sols tic.su.an.luna.standstills.“There has been more archaeological research conducted in Chaco and on the subject of Chaco than on any other prehistoric district in North America,” says a National Park Service statement posted on Chaco Culture National Historical Park's website."Today.twent.Puebloa.group.i.Ne.Mexico.a.wel.a.th.Hop.i.Arizona.clai.Chac.a.th ei.ancestra.homelan.an.ar.tie.t.thi.plac.throug.ora.tradition.an.cla.lineages..numbe.o.N avaj.clan.ar.als.affiliate.wit.Chacoa.site.throug.thei.traditiona.stories,.th.Nationa.Par.S ervic.statemen.says.Despite the fact that there has been an immense amount of archaeological research carried out at Chaco Canyon, and at other Chaco Culture sites in the American Southwest, modern-day archaeologists disagree over what the people of the Chaco Culture were like.Som.archaeologist.thin.tha.th.peopl.o.th.Chac.Cultur.wer.no.politicall.united.whil .som.thin.the.controlle.a.empir.centere.o.Chac.Canyon."Wha.wa.Chaco.Opinion.var. widely.perhap.wildly.Interpretation.rang.fro..valle.o.peacefu.farmin.village.t.th.monu menta.capita.o.a.empire,.wrot.Stephe.Lekson..professo.a.th.Universit.o.Colorad.Bould er.i.a.articl.publishe.i.th.book Th.Architectur.o.Chac.Canyon.Ne.Mexico (Universit.o. Uta.Press.2007).Lekso.note.tha.ther.ar.differen.interpretation.amon.archaeologist.a.t.wha.th.Grea.Hous e.were.Som.archaeologist.believ.tha.the.wer.village.inhabite.b.thousand.o.people.whil .other.thin.tha.the.wer.elit.residence.tha.house..smal.numbe.o.residents.29.Whic.o.th.followin.bes.fit.i.th.numbere.spac.i.th.text?A. The people of the Chaco Culture did not use a writing system and as suchB. While archaeologists are not certain what caused this dramatic population bumpC. When thinking about archaeological sites, we tend to think of them as dead silentD. Since Chaco's national monument status may not protect it from development pressures30.Whic.o.th.followin.statement.ca.w.kno.fro.th.text?A. The people of the Chaco culture were good at foreign trade.B. "Great Houses" were built from approximately the 9th to 13thcentury A.D.C. Most descendants of ancient Chaco people live in New Mexico now.D. Archaeologists hold different ideas about how the people of the Chaco Culture lived.Part III Read and QuestionIn Part III, you will read passages on the same subject. You will be required to identify the writer's position and evaluate the effectiveness of the writer's arguments. (Time allowed: 35 minutes)Questions 31-40 (Suggested completion time: 35 minutes)Directions.Rea.thre.passage.abou.fashion.Answe.th.question.accordin.t.th.passages.Passage AIt'.no.tha.eas.t.answe.th.question."wha.i.fashion?.becaus.i.mean.differen.thing.t.differe n.people.Fashio.i.a.art.It'..religion.It'..job.It'..pee.int..personality.It'.playfulness.It'.a.es cap.o..disguise.I.i..feas.fo.th.eyes.Bu.ultimately, 32 .Frenc.fashio.designe.Coc.Cha ne.onc.said."Fashio.i.no.somethin.tha.exist.i.dresse.only.Fashio.i.i.th.sky.i.th.street.fas hio.ha.t.d.wit.ideas.th.wa.w.live.wha.i.happening."It'.true.Fashio.isn'.define.solel.b.ou.clothin.choices.bu.i.als.conveye.throug.th.wa.w.ca rr.ourselves.ou.personalitie.an.ou.view.o.th.world.A.it.mos.fundamental.fashio.i.simpl .th.prevailin.styl.o.custom.a.i.dres.o.behavior.So, who exactly answers the question "what is fashion"? Who decides what's fashionable and what isn't? What's in or what's out?Fashio.Designers.Th.iconi.fashio.houses—Prada.Gucci.Chanel—ar.referre.t.a.haut.couture.Frenc.fo."hig.sewing".Thes.designer.lea.th.wa.i.creatin.tren d-e .t.everyda.wear.generall.th.them.i.adapte.int.version.suitabl.fo.wearing.Media.Fashio.trend.ar.ofte.sparke.b.character.o.popula.televisio.show.an.movie.a.wel.a.adopte.fro.magazin.pages."Se.an.th.City"."Th.Devi.Wear.Prada".thes.show.introduc e.u.t.new.cutting-edg.designs.Whil.you migh.no.b.caugh.dead wearin..Carri.Bradsha.original.yo.migh.t ak.idea.inspire.fro.he.loo.an.piec.togethe.you.ow.creation.Celebrities..prim.exampl.o..celebrity-drive.fashio.trend.UGGs.Unti.Kat.Hudso.an.Jessic.Simpso.wer.spotte.wearin.the.arou n.L.A.severa.year.ago.n.on.ha.give.an.though.t.UG.boots.No.the.ar.everywhere. e.t.dictatin.fashion.Roc.'n. rol.i.fashion.Elvi.i.a.iconi.example.I.th.1950s.everyon.wante.t.dres.lik.Elvis.Wha.abou .th.heav.meta.hai.band.s.popula.i.th.1980s.Ax.Ros.reinvente.th.hea.bandan.whil.Poiso n.Motle.Cru.an.Bo.Jov.se.th.pac.fo.big.rocke.hair.Jus.becaus.yo.don'.kno.i..Prad.ba.i.fal.200.o.sprin.200.doesn'.matter.Al.tha.matter.i.tha.yo.lik.i.an.it'.a.expressio.o.you.Tha.i.fashion.Passage B[A]munities.Th. moder.societ.i.a.ope.societ.wher.clas.distinction.ar.no.s.rigi.a.i.primitiv.society.It.urba .an.mobil.clas.structur.enable.peopl.t.cultivat.individua.tast.an.adop.ne.course. [B]Ou. standard.o.judgmen.hav.als.changed.Toda.th.individua.i.rate.mor.b.observabl.external itie.tha.b.hi.ancestry.hi.characte.o.hi.genuin.accomplishments.Th.clothe..ma.wears.th.l anguag.h.speaks.th.manner.h.show.hav.mor.weigh.i.ascribin..statu.tha.hi.simplicity.pa triotis.an.integrity.I.h.ca.kee.himsel.u.t.dat.i.th.matter.o.hi.dress.speec.an.manners.h.wil.assur.himsel..hig .socia.esteem. [C]No.onl.th.mobil.an.urba.characte.o.moder.societ.bu.its affluence als. speak.fo.greate.prevalenc.o.fashio.i.it.Me.toda.ar.riche.tha.thei.ancestor.an.hav.mor.lei sure.The.hav.th.necessar.mean.an.tim.t.pla.wit.luxurie.an.t.thin.o.fashion.Maclve.writes.W.d.no.thin.o.fashio.i.overalls.ther.i.mor.o.fashio.i.th.bod.o.a.automobil.tha.i.it.cha ssis.Ther.i.n.fashio.i.stea.shovels. [D]Consequentl.th.highe.th.standar.o.livin.th.mor.materia.ther.i.fo.fashio.t.operat.upon.Passage CA.summe.ha.officiall.fade.int.th.colde.weathe.o.autumn..assume.th.day.o.Nik.shorts.c rg.T-shirt.an.polo.woul.b.onl..memor.o.yesterday.Thi.ha.no.bee.th.case. Fashion.i.an.o.itself.i.alread..typ.o.conformism.I.orde.t.b.considere.fashion..look..gar men.o..stylisti.choic.mus.b.deeme.fashionable.Who gets to decide this—what is fashionable? While certain fashion heavyweights play a role in this decision, the ultimate decision is left to the public.A..wa.surfin.th.We.recentl.fo.inspiratio.fo.thi.column..cam.acros.th.Prad.website.Wha ..discovere.literall.cause.m.t.gasp.O.course.everyon.know.Prad.i.a.expensiv.brand—.l uxury—bu.wha..discovere.shocke.me..keychai.price.a.$180.No.thi.keychai.wa.no.soli.gol.o.en case.i.diamonds.I.wa.simpl..keychain..skul.wit.th.wor."Prada.o..smal.charm.pan.charg.$18.fo..keychain? Th.answer.peopl.ar.willin.t.pa.fo.it.Peopl.kno. th.bran.an.confor.t.th.ide.o.ownin..piec.o.suc.a.Italia."luxury".Thi.i.nonsensical.Wh.d.w.choos.t.wea.miniscul.short.i.frigi.weathe.o.spen.nearl.$20.o. .charm.Suc.decision.ar.influence.b.peers.th.medi.an.th.persona.resolutio.t.no.mak.rati onal.individualisti.choices. W.clin.t.th.ide.o.acceptance.I.short.w.ofte.choos.t.abid.b.th.pressure.o.socia.conventionality.an.thi.lead.u.t.mak.rid iculou.selections—pairin.Ug.boot.wit.short.o.wearin.neo.wit.camouflage—whic.w.woul.otherwis.no.make..a.certainl.shameface.i.m.occasiona.conformit.t.thes.ludicrou.fashio.folkways..a.guilt. o.donnin.Croc.i.public.Yikes!Transient.ofte.preposterou.trend.referre.t.a.fad.inspir.som.rathe.strang.ideas.Wh.ca.rec al.th.pe.rock.o.th.'70.o.Popple.o.th.'80s. Suc.po.trend.ar.no.confine.t.behavior.the.blee. int.th.fashio.world.evidence.i.overl.distresse.jeans.th.mos.painfu.o.neo.shades.shoe.th a.resembl.Swis.chees.an..hos.o.othe.fad..d.no.hav.th.spac.t.mention.mo.sense.prehen.tha.short.ar.fo.th.summe.an.ridiculousl.expensiv.keychain.ar.f o.“never.” D.no.allo.other.t.dictat.fo.you.B.bold.B.a.individual.D.no.bu.th.keychain.31.Th.phrase "migh.no.b.caugh.dead" i.Passag..mos.probabl.mean.______.A. would rather not die anywayB. might not be caught red handedC. would refuse completely to do somethingD. might be uneasy though doing something32.Whic.o.th.followin.bes.fit.th.numbere.spac.i.Passag.A?A. fashion is an individual statement of expression for each of usB. fashion facilitates social change by providing a transitional stageC. fashion is not an individual choice but a group choiceD. fashion determines our speech, opinion, dress, music, art, etc.33.I.ca.b.inferre.fro.Passag..tha.fashio.designers.media.celebritie.an.musician.shar.th.f ollowin.view.excep.______.A. that fashion is anything but separated from the daily life of ordinary peopleB. that nothing completely absurd and unrealistic can finally become fashionC. that fashion is what society accepts and has an element of social sanction behind itD. that if a particular choice remains confined to an individual it can't be called fashion34.Th.word "affluence" i.Passag..i.closes.i.meanin.t.______.A. versatilityB. wealthiness。

全国中学生英语作文创新大赛阅读测评答案全文共3篇示例，供读者参考篇1National Middle School English Essay Innovation ContestReading Comprehension Answer KeyPassage 1: The Wonderful World of BeesAccording to the passage, what are three important roles that bees play in the environment?Bees play a vital role in pollinating flowering plants, which allows the plants to reproduce and bear fruits and seeds. They are responsible for pollinating approximately 75% of flowering plants and crops. Bees also produce honey, which humans have harvested as a natural sweetener for thousands of years. Finally, the passage mentions that bees contribute to the biodiversity of ecosystems by sustaining plant life.The author states that "the demise of bees could set off a chain reaction threatening food supplies and ecosystems around the world." Explain in your own words what this quote means.This quote is suggesting that if bee populations were to dramatically decline or become extinct, it would have disastrous ripple effects. Since bees pollinate such a large percentage of crops that humans consume as food, a lack of bees could lead to widespread crop failure and food shortages. Furthermore, the loss of bees could cause the decline or extinction of many plant species, which in turn would damage entire ecosystems that depend on those plants, leading to losses in biodiversity.Describe two potential reasons mentioned in the passage for the recent declines in bee populations.Two potential reasons for declining bee populations are the loss of bee habitats due to urbanization, deforestation, and agricultural development; and the adverse effects of pesticides and other environmental pollutants that bees are exposed to. The passage specifically cites neonicotinoid pesticides as being potentially harmful to bee colonies.What does the term "colony collapse disorder" refer to?Colony collapse disorder is the phenomenon of worker bees abandoning the queen bee and larvae in a colony's hive, leading to the entire collapse of the colony over time. It is a major problem facing bee populations.In your opinion, what is the most important step that should be taken to help protect bees and preserve their populations? Provide a reason for your answer.(Opinion responses will vary, but a strong answer should propose a specific action and supporting logic, such as:In my opinion, the most important step is to ban or heavily restrict the use of pesticides like neonicotinoids that are toxic to bees. While habitat loss is also a major threat, if pesticide exposure is causing bees to abandon their hives en masse due to colony collapse disorder, it could make habitat protections ineffective. By eliminating the most harmful pesticides, it removes a key driver of population declines and gives bees a better chance to recover, even in篇2Reading has always been a passion of mine ever since I was a young child. I can still vividly recall my parents reading bedtime stories to me, captivating my imagination with tales of adventure, magic, and endless possibilities. As I grew older, my love for reading only intensified, and books became my constant companions, offering an escape from reality and a gateway to exploring new worlds and ideas.It is with great excitement that I share my thoughts on the reading comprehension section of the National English Writing Competition for Middle School Students. This challenge not only tests our ability to understand written texts but also our capacity to analyze, interpret, and draw meaningful conclusions from the information presented.The first passage I encountered was a narrative about a young girl's journey of self-discovery through her love for painting. The author's vivid descriptions and skillful use of imagery transported me into the protagonist's world, allowing me to vividly visualize the vibrant colors and emotions she experienced. The comprehension questions delved into the deeper themes of the story, such as the pursuit of passion, overcoming self-doubt, and the transformative power of art. Answering these questions required me to read between the lines and grasp the underlying messages conveyed by the author.Next, I tackled a persuasive essay on the importance of environmental conservation. The author presented a compelling argument, skillfully weaving together facts, statistics, and emotional appeals to convince the reader of the urgency of this global issue. The comprehension questions challenged me toidentify the author's main claims, analyze the rhetorical strategies employed, and evaluate the strength of the evidence presented. It was a thought-provoking exercise that not only tested my reading comprehension skills but also encouraged me to think critically about real-world issues.The third passage was a complex expository text exploring the fascinating world of quantum mechanics. While the subject matter was initially daunting, the author's clear and concise explanations, coupled with illustrative examples, made the concepts more accessible. The comprehension questions required me to synthesize information from various sections of the text, draw inferences, and apply the knowledge gained to hypothetical scenarios. This exercise not only tested my ability to comprehend complex scientific concepts but also challenged me to think analytically and apply my understanding in new contexts.Throughout the competition, I encountered a variety of text types, ranging from literary excerpts to scientific articles, each presenting its own unique challenges. However, what remained consistent was the need to approach each passage with an open mind, a keen eye for detail, and the ability to think critically about the information presented.One of the key lessons I learned from this experience is the importance of active reading. It is not enough to simply skim through the text and catch the gist of the content. Effective reading comprehension requires a deliberate and engaged approach, where one actively questions, analyzes, and makes connections with prior knowledge. By adopting this mindset, I was able to delve deeper into the passages, uncover hidden meanings, and form more nuanced interpretations.Additionally, the competition reinforced the value of vocabulary development. Encountering unfamiliar words can often be a stumbling block in comprehending complex texts. However, by utilizing context clues and employing effective strategies for decoding word meanings, I was able to overcome these obstacles and expand my lexical repertoire in the process.Reflecting on the experience, I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in this esteemed competition. Not only did it challenge my reading comprehension abilities, but it also fostered a deeper appreciation for the written word and its power to educate, inspire, and ignite intellectual curiosity. The skills I have honed through this process will undoubtedly serve me well in my academic journey and beyond.篇3A Critique of the Sample Reading Comprehension Answer KeyThe sample reading comprehension answer key provided for the "National High School English Writing and Innovation Contest" has several strengths, but also areas that could be improved upon. As a student who aspires to perform well on this exam, I will analyze the answer key in-depth and provide my thoughts and feedback.To begin with the positives, the answer key clearly shows a firm grasp of the main ideas and important details presented in the reading passage. The key questions are answered concisely yet with sufficient explanation to justify the chosen answers. The responses demonstrate critical thinking skills like making inferences, analyzing tone and purpose, and recognizing rhetorical devices.One strength is how the answers deftly make connections between different sections of the text, showing how the passage builds a cohesive narrative and argument. For example, the answer about the author's main purpose does an excellent job of tying together evidence from across multiple paragraphs to illustrate the overarching point being made. Making these typesof broader connections is crucial for fully comprehending a complex text.Additionally, I appreciate how the explanations don't just restate what is directly stated in the text, but use that textual evidence as a jumping-off point for deeper analysis. The responses seem to have been composed by someone with strong reading comprehension abilities who doesn't merely regurgitate the passage, but can read between the lines and unpack the implications and nuances of what the author is conveying.That being said, there are a few areas where I believe the answer key could be improved. One aspect that struck me as needing more attention is greater analysis of the specific word choices and turn of phrase the author utilizes. While a few of the answers touch on literary devices and tone, there isn't as much focused discussion of vocabulary and syntax as I would expect from an exemplary response.As the old adage goes, "style is substance." An author's deliberate selection of diction and stylistic elements are crucial components of their message and perspective. By spending more time deconstructing the precise language used and its effects, the answers could more fully dissect the rhetoricalstrategies employed by the writer. Just a few sentences delving deeper into the most significant words and phrases would strengthen the level of analysis.Another area for potential improvement is differing interpretations and alternative perspectives on the text. While the answers all seem reasonable and well-supported by the passage, thoughtful readers may have other equally valid takeaways. The best way to construct an answer key would be to crowdsource diverse interpretations and represent differing viewpoints where applicable.For certain questions, the key could acknowledge that multiple answers are defensible depending on one's subjective lens for analyzing the text. This would demonstrate the complexity of scrutinizing a piece of prose, where there isn't always one definitively "correct" interpretation. Of course, some objectivity is required and completely unfounded responses should be omitted. But for ambiguous or multi-layered aspects of the text, giving a glimpse into "plausible alternative answers" would enrich the answer key.My final suggestion is to provide a little more insight into the thought process behind each answer - almost like a"walk-through" of how an expert reader would tackle thatparticular question. While the key shouldn't give away so much that it becomes a crutch, having some transparency around the step-by-step logic would be instructive. A few sentences here or there shedding light on "as I approached this question, here are the specific details I zeroed in on" could demystify the path to a strong answer.Overall, the sample reading comprehension answer key is a quality example that hits many of the essential points I would expect to see. It demonstrates the skills required to thoroughly analyze a substantive text from multiple angles. By giving targeted feedback, I don't mean to insinuate the key is poor - rather, I aim to propose some ways to strengthen an already solid foundation.Performing well on a high-stakes exam like this requires mastering comprehension at the highest levels. By elevating certain aspects like dissecting language, considering varied perspectives, and walking through the reasoning, this answer key could evolve into an even more elite-level resource. With some slight adjustments, it could set truly rigorous standards for what expert reading analysis should look like.Of course, I acknowledge that my vantage point is inherently limited as a student still honing my skills. But I've attempted toprovide a balanced critique highlighting the key's considerable strengths while also charting a path towards making it a more comprehensive learning tool and exemplar. At the end of the day, resources like this are invaluable for guiding students like myself as we strive to become skilled, nuanced readers and writers.。

赛题分值说明：1. 线上初赛：题型仅为客观题，即Read and Know，Read and Reason，Read and Question三个模块，共40题，答题时间为110分钟，满分100分。

第1-3题每题1分，第4-9题每题2分，第10题5分，第11-30题每题3分，第31-40题每题2分。

2. 复赛和决赛：题型包含客观题和主观题，即Read and Know，Read and Reason，Read and Question，Read and Create四个模块，共41题，答题时间为150分钟，满分100分。

第1-3题每题1分，第4-9题每题2分，第10题5分，第11-30题每题1.5分，第31-40题每题2分，第41题30分。

注：本样题仅供了解大赛题型，不提供参考答案；Part I Read and KnowIn Part I, you will read short texts of various kinds. Read theinstru ctions carefully and answer the questions. (Time allowed: 20 minutes)Questions 1-3 (Suggested completion time: 3 minutes)Directions: Read the following quotes. Match the quotes with the people. Please note there are two extra options you do not need.Question 4 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text and answer the question according to the text.To ensure the high standards of facilities we need to build new wards,la boratories and consulting rooms. In short, we need your help now. Com pletethe coupon today and rest assured that your donation is going to th e bestpossible cause.4. Where is the piece of text taken from?A. an advertisementB. an instruction bookletC. a storyD. a newspaperQuestion 5 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text and answer the question according to the text.Few corners of the world remain untainted by intrepid tourists, and their impact is often devastating. Too frequently they trample heedlessly on fr agileenvironments, displacing wildlife and local populations in their insati ablequest for unexplored locations.5. What is the best title for this text?A. The Future of TourismB. The Role of TourismC. The Price of TourismD. The Benefits of TourismQuestion 6 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text and answer the question according to the text.With E-book sales increasing by more than 300% for the second year,pu blishers delivering new revenue streams through E-book Apps, and academicpublishers long having derived some 90% of their revenue online, it is atravesty to describe all this as the publishing world being "indenial" about digital.6. What is the main idea of this text?A. Publishers are making profits from E-book sales.B. Not all publishers are threatened by digital storms.C. E-books become a main source of revenue for publishers.D. Traditional publishing industry is dying out.Question 7 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text and answer the question according to the text.With our travel agency,the holiday you book is the holiday you g et. If you arrive and find we'vefailed to live up to our promises, let us know what the problem is within oneday of your arrival. We'll spend 2 4 hours doing everything possible to sort theproblem out. In the unlikely event that we can't resolve your problem and makeyou happy within 24 hours, we'll fly you home and give your money back.7. The text could best be described as__________.A. a commitmentB. an appealC. a warningD. a vowQuestion 8 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text and answer the question according to the text.The new digital camerasare great fun and very easy to use. They let you review your pictures themoment you take them, so you can re-s hoot right away if you're not satisfied.But remember, a digital camera is just a computer XXXX. It's not a replacementfor your ordinary camera.8. What is the meaning of the missing word XXXX in the text?A. "something that is poor quality"B. "an item that is not essential, something extra"C. "something expensive but good value for money"D. "a fashion which always remains popular"Question 9 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text and answer the question according to the text.She had gone alone, but the children were to go to the station to meeth er. And loving the station as they did, it was only natural that they sho uldbe there a good hour before there was any chance of Mother's train arriving,even if the train were punctual, which was most unlikely.9. What can you say about their mother's train?A. It would probably be early.B. It would probably be on time.C. It would probably be late.D. It had been cancelled.Question 10 (Suggested completion time: 5 minutes)Directions: The bar chart shows the number and proportion ofundernouris hed people in the developing regions, from 1990-1992 to 2014-2016.Ans wer the question according to the information in the chart.Source: The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Report 201510. Choose the INCORRECT description about the chart.A. The latest estimates suggest that nearly one in nineindividuals do n ot have enough to eat between 2014 and 2016.B. Projections indicate that the 2015 MDG target is nearlyreached, wit h 12.9 per cent of undernourished population.C. The situation noticeably improved during the years1995-1999, but w ent down in the first five years of the new millennium.D. The proportion of undernourished people in the developingregions h as fallen by almost half since 1990.Part II Read and ReasonIn Part II, you will read short texts on different subjects. Read thei nstructions carefully and answer the questions based on logical infere nce andreasoning. (Time allowed: 55 minutes)Question 11 (Suggested completion time: 4 minutes)Directions: Read the following definition of a logical fallacy. Answer the question according to the definition.11. Which of the following provides a typical example of poisoningthe well?A. That's my stance on funding the education system, andanyone who disagrees with me hates children.B. You are so weird. That means—we are pretty much sure—thatyour whole family is weird, too.C. God exists because the Bible says so. The Bible isinspired. Therefo re, we know that God exists.D. I don't care what you say. We don't need any morebookshelves. As long as the carpet is clean, we are fine.Question 12 (Suggested completion time: 4 minutes)Directions: Look at the following picture and then answer the question.12. Which of the following logical fallacies does the picture illustrate?A. False Dilemma:an argument that presents alimited set of two poss ible categories and assumes that everything in the scopeof the discussion must be an element of that setB. Guilt by Association: a fallacy used to discreditan argument for pr oposing an idea that is shared by some socially demonizedindividual or groupC. No True Scotsman:an argument coming up aftersomeone has mad e a general claim about a group of things and then beenpresented with evidence challenging that claimD. Hasty Generalization: a fallacy committed when oneforms a conclu sion from a sample that is either too small or too special to be represe ntativeQuestions 13-14 Reasoning (Suggested completion time: 10 minutes)13. Many people report that exposure to certain foods and drinks such a scheese, chocolate, and red wine, is associated with the onset of migrain eheadaches. Other people report that exposure to certain smells (especiall ystrong perfumes) seems to trigger a migraine headache, and some note thatexposure to bright and flickering lights can be followed by a migrain e. Itwould seem that a person with a tendency to get migraines should t ry to findout which of these situations is associated with the onset of th e headache andthen avoid this stimulus.All of the following, if true, would make the above recommendationi mpractical except:A. The time delay between the trigger and the onset ofthe headache c an make it exceptionally difficult to identify the trigger.B. The presence of a known trigger doesn't always cause amigraine.C. In a high proportion of cases the patients report multipletriggers for their headaches.D. Most of the known triggers are common and almostunavoidable feat ures of modern life.14. Richard:The national budget should provide significantincreases in all levels of education in the upcoming year.Natalie:That's not fair. A reduction indefense spending in peacetime may bring us excessive risks. We can't afford it.Which of the following is the best interpretation of Natalie's argume nt?A. Funds saved from defense have been diverted to alllevels of educat ion.B. Highlighting spending on education dangerously impacts onspending on the military.C. The size of the military budget reflects a state's abilityto fund educ ational activities.D. Compared with military spending, investing in educationwill create a financial crisis.Questions 15-17 (Suggested completion time: 6 minutes)Directions: Read the text about a science discovery. Answer the question saccording to the text.Manipulating MemoryMemory is notoriously malleable. Our recollections fade and take on ne wmeanings; sometimes we remember things that never even happened. B ut 15 .Recently, however, scientists have started to grasp and tinker withmemor y's physical basis. Last year, in work evocative of films suchas Eternal S unshine of the Spotless Mind and Inception, researchersdiscovered ways t o manipulate specific memories in mice using optogenetics, apowerful tec hnique that can trigger nerve cells in animals' brains by zappingthem wit h beams of laser light. In a series of experiments, they showed thatthey could delete existing memories and "incept"falseones.This year, researchers went even further: switching the emotional content of a memory in mice from bad to good and vice versa. Under the laser, forexample, male mice that had once associated a certain room with be ing shockedwere tricked into acting as though they had once met friendl y female mice thereinstead.Whether the mice in these experiments actually experienced vivid falsem emories or just a fuzzy sense of pleasure or fear is unclear. Nor is it c learwhether the findings apply to the tricks of memory so familiar to pe ople.Long-sought therapeutic advances, such as treatments for post-trauma tic stressdisorder, could remain far off. One thing is certain, however: O nce consideredbeyond scientific dissection, memory is finally starting to yield its secrets.15. Which of the following best fits the numbered space in the text?A. what is really happening in our brain as memories areremodeled re mains mysteriousB. scientists are curious about why people are oblivious towhat have h appened to themC. advanced technology has helped scientists discover theworkings of o ur brainD. some scientists argue that what we observe about humanmemory is not what it really is16. The word "incept"is closest in meaningto ________.A. operateB. startC. detectD. occupy17. Which of the following can be inferred from the text?A. People's false memories result from the impact ofdifferent emotion provoked by later experience on the same spot.B. The success in research indicates that it won't be long thata therap y is worked out for people disturbed by painful memory.C. By zapping the brain cells of mice with light, researchersare able t o create, erase, or alter their memories, good or bad.D. Many fancy ideas in science fictions or movies that arebased on th em actually draw greatly upon scientific achievement.Questions 18-19 (Suggested completion time: 4 minutes)Directions: Read the text about cholera. Decide whether the statements a reTrue or False according to the text.A child receives the oral cholera vaccine ShancholCholera is caused by a bacterial infection of the intestine. Approximately one in 20 people infected with cholera has a serious case, with sympto msincluding severe diarrhea, vomiting, and leg cramps. These symptoms quicklycause dehydration and shock, and can result in death within hours if theinfected person doesn't receive treatment. Cholera is typically trans mitted bycontaminated food or water. In areas with poor treatment of se wage and drinkingwater, the feces of people with cholera can enter the water supply and spreadquickly, resulting in an epidemic. The cholera ba cterium may also live in theenvironment in some coastal waters, so shell fish eaten raw can be a source ofcholera in affected areas.18. Cholera is known to be a life-threatening disease which easily cause sdeath of most of the patients.True ( ) False ( )19. Cholera typically occurs in areas near the sea or the river wherecont aminated food is a major source of the disease.True ( ) False ( )Questions 20-21 (Suggested completion time: 5 minutes)Directions: Read the abstract of a research paper from the DeepMindweb site. Decide whether the statements are True or False according to theab stract.Teaching Machines to Read and ComprehendAuthors: K. M. Hermann, T. Kočiský, E. Grefenstette, L. Espeholt, W. Kay, M. Suleyman,P. BlunsomPublished: NIPS 2015Abstract: Teaching machines to readnatural language documents remains an elusive challenge. Machine readingsystems can be tested on their abili ty to answer questions posed on thecontents of documents that they have seen, but until now large scale trainingand test datasets have been miss ing for this type of evaluation. In this workwe define a new methodolog y that resolves this bottleneck and provides largescale supervised reading comprehension data. This allows us to develop a classof attention based deep neural networks that learn to read real documents andanswer comp lex questions with minimal prior knowledge of language structure.20. Previous studies didn't take constant effort to evaluate the readingabi lity of artificial intelligence machines, which was why the present resear chwas conducted.True ( ) False ( )21. One implication of the research is that a methodology that helps gat her andhandle big data is indispensable to artificial intelligence related st udies.True ( ) False ( )Questions 22-23 (Suggested completion time: 6 minutes)Directions: Read the text about the "Think small" advertisingcampaign. A nswer the questions according to the text.Think SmallIf you're interested in marketing and advertising, Volkswagen's"Think sm all" campaign for the Beetle when it was first introduced toNorth Ameri ca in 1959 looms large as one of the greatest advertising campaignsof a ll time. It wasn't just a revolution in automotive advertising; it changedt he entire industry.Until the Beetle hit the market, automotive marketing copy was full ofbl uster, and the images were flights of fancy, emphasizing low, long lines anda fantasy lifestyle.The clean, simple photography on a white background that emphasized t heBeetle's compact, practical form may seem commonplace these days, b ut it was arevolution in a world where Americans grew up obsessed wit h muscle cars,horsepower, and tire smoke. Making the car small, when t he convention was tomake it fill the page, was also novel. The simplisti c approach to design andlayout was totally contrary to the advertising co nventions of the time.__ __22_____ The text wasminimalist in both look and content, presenti ng the facts simply instead oftrying to weave tall tales and fantasies; and instead of bluster, it ushered inan intelligent sense of humor that made readers feel like they were in on thejoke. The message was one of s mart anti-luxury, and took gentle aim at anindustry obsessed with superfi ciality and styling, rather than the substanceunderneath the car bodies.Not only does "Think small" continue to inspire Volkswagenadvertising t o this day, it ushered in a creative revolution in the advertisingbusiness and changed the world of marketing forever. "Think small"showed the p ower of humor and honesty, and its photographic and designprinciples br ought about a major shift in the look and feel of marketing aroundthe world.22. Which of the sentences below best fits the numbered space in the te xt?A. What defined the ad even more than its visual stylewas the tone of its copy.B. This ad starts off doing the exact opposite of what youwould expect in a car ad.C. This was an exercise in minimalism and a very accuratereflection o n the product itself.D. The car wasn't depicted as an integral piece of the dailylives of a middle class family.23. It can be inferred that the advertising conventions of the 1950s were reflected in the following except that ___________.A. The ads in the 1950s typically showed proud ownersand passengers evoking great joy about new shiny big acquisitions.B. The marketing concept then focused on providing as muchinformatio n as possible to the reader such as the way it's created.C. The marketing schemes associated the advertised productwith an ide a or a way of living from average consumers' perspective.D. The marketing practice may attach importance to a sense ofhumor brought by the use of exaggerated language.Questions 24-25 (Suggested completion time: 4 minutes)Directions: Read the following six remarks concerning the crowd. Four o fthem are taken from Gustave Le Bon's book, The Crowd: A Study of t he PopularMind. Choose the two remarks that may NOT be taken from the book.24-25. _______The CrowdA. In crowds it is stupidity and not mother wit that isaccumulated.B. Crowds most envy the lonely man who walks confidently asif he is walking with the great crowds!C. A crowd is not merely impulsive and mobile. Like a savage,it is n ot prepared to admit that anything can come between its desire and ther ealization of its desire.D. I walked with them, as crowds have that effect on me, Iwant to d o what they do, to journey towards some point of revelation, which ofc ourse never comes.E. Crowds, being incapable both of reflection and ofreasoning, are dev oid of the notion of improbability; and it is to be notedthat in a genera l way it is the most improbable things that are the moststriking.F. …the individual forming part of a crowd acq uires, solelyfrom numer ical considerations, a sentiment of invincible power which allows himto yield to instincts which, had he been alone, he would perforce have kep tunder restraint.Questions 26-28 (Suggested completion time: 5 minutes)Directions: Read the text about a fly. Answer the questions according to the text.The FlyAt that moment the boss noticed that a fly had fallen into his broadinkp ot, and was trying feebly but desperately to clamber out again. "Help!He lp!" said those struggling legs. But the sides of the inkpot were wetand slippery; it fell back again and began to swim. The boss took up a pe n,picked the fly out of the ink, and shook it on to a piece of blotting-p aper.For a fraction of a second it lay still on the dark patch that oozed round it.Then the front legs waved, took hold, and, pulling its small, s odden body up,it began the immense task of cleaning the ink from its wings. Over and under,over and under, went a leg along a wing, as the stone goes over and under thescythe. Then there was a pause, while the fly, seeming to stand on the tips ofits toes, tried to expand first one wing and then the other. It succeeded atlast, and, sitting down, it began, like a minute cat, to clean its face. Nowone could imagine that the litt le front legs rubbed against each other lightly,joyfully. 27 .26. Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?A. The boss saved the fly out of his broad inkpot.B. The fly was trapped by the thick ink on its wings.C. The passage describes how a fly survived an accident.D. The passage shows how a fly conquered a challenge.27. Which of the following statement can best fit in the numbered spac e?A. The horrible danger was over; it had escaped; it wasready for life again.B. The boss was relieved now, reassured that the fly had beenout of danger.C. But the front legs waved, caught hold, and, more slowlythis time, t he task restarted.D. But such a grinding feeling of wretchedness seized himthat he felt positively frightened.28. The tone of the text can be described as a complex mixture of anyt hingbut _______.A. sympatheticB. humorousC. cheerfulD. depressingQuestions 29-30 (Suggested completion time: 7 minutes)Directions: Read the text about Chaco Culture. Answer the questionsacco rding to the text.The "Chaco Culture", as modern-day archaeologists call it,flourished betw een roughly the 9th and 13th centuries A.D. and was centered atChaco Canyon in what is now New Mexico.The people of the Chaco Culture built immense structures that at timese ncompassed more than 500 rooms. They also participated in long-distanc e tradethat brought cacao, macaws (a type of parrot), turquoise and copp er to ChacoCanyon.29_______, researchers have to rely on the artifacts and structures t heyleft behind, as well as oral accounts that have been passed on throug hgenerations, to reconstruct what their lives were like.Archaeologists generally agree that Chaco Canyon was the center of Cha coCulture. Today the canyon is a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.The National Park Service estimates that there are about 4, 000 archaeologicalsites in the park, including more than a dozen immens e structures thatarchaeologists sometimes call "Great Houses". Archaeolog ical researchhas revealed many discoveries, including a system of roads t hat connected manyChaco Culture sites, and evidence of astronomical ali gnments that indicate thatsome Chaco Culture structures were oriented to ward the solstice sun and lunarstandstills.“There has been more archaeological research conducted in Chaco and o n thesubject of Chaco than on any other prehistoric district in North A merica,” saysa National Park Service statement posted on Chaco Culture National HistoricalPark's website."Today, twenty Puebloan groups in New Mexico, as well as the Hopi in Arizona, claim Chaco as their ancestral homeland and are tied to this pl acethrough oral traditions and clan lineages. A number of Navajo clans are alsoaffiliated with Chacoan sites through their traditional stories," the National Park Service statement says.Despite the fact that there has been an immense amount of archaeologic alresearch carried out at Chaco Canyon, and at other Chaco Culture sites in theAmerican Southwest, modern-day archaeologists disagree over what the people ofthe Chaco Culture were like.Some archaeologists think that the people of the Chaco Culture were not politically united, while some think they controlled an empire centered o nChaco Canyon. "What was Chaco? Opinions vary widely, perhaps wildl y.Interpretations range from a valley of peaceful farming villages to the monumental capital of an empire," wrote Stephen Lekson, a professor at theUniversity of Colorado Boulder, in an article published in the book TheArchitecture of Chaco Canyon, New Mexico(University of Utah Press, 2007).Lekson noted that there are different interpretations among archaeologists as to what the Great Houses were. Some archaeologists believe that they werevillages inhabited by thousands of people, while others think that t hey wereelite residences that housed a small number of residents.29. Which of the following best fits in the numbered space in the text?A. The people of the Chaco Culture did not use a writingsystem and as suchB. While archaeologists are not certain what caused thisdramatic popul ation bumpC. When thinking about archaeological sites, we tend to thinkof themas dead silentD. Since Chaco's national monument status may not protect itfrom dev elopment pressures30. Which of the following statements can we know from the text?A. The people of the Chaco culture were good at foreigntrade.B. "Great Houses" were built from approximately the9th to 13thcentury A.D.C. Most descendants of ancient Chaco people live in NewMexico now.D. Archaeologists hold different ideas about how the peopleof the Cha co Culture lived.Part III Read and QuestionIn Part III, you will read passages on the same subject. You will be required to identify the writer's position and evaluate the effectivenes s ofthe writer's arguments. (Time allowed: 35 minutes)Questions 31-40 (Suggested completion time: 35 minutes)Directions: Read three passages about fashion. Answer the questionsaccor ding to the passages.Passage AIt's not that easy to answer the question, "what is fashion?"because it m eans different things to different people. Fashion is an art. It'sa religion. It's a job. It's a peek into a personality. It's playfulness. It'san escape or a disguise. It is a feast for the eyes. But ultimately, 32 . French f ashion designer Coco Chanel once said, "Fashion is notsomething that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street,fashion has to d o with ideas, the way we live, what is happening."It's true. Fashion isn't defined solely by our clothing choices, but isalso conveyed through the way we carry ourselves, our personalities and ourv iews of the world. At its most fundamental, fashion is simply the prevai lingstyle or custom, as in dress or behavior.So, who exactly answers the question "what is fashion"? Whodecides wh at's fashionable and what isn't? What's in or what's out?Fashion Designers. The iconic fashion houses—Prada, Gucci, Chanel—are referred to as haute couture, French for "high sewing". Thesedesigners le ad the way in creating trend-setting fashion. While some of theirdesigns are outrageous and completely unrealistic when it comes to everydaywear, generally the theme is adapted into versions suitable for wearing.Media. Fashion trends are often sparked by characters on populartelevisio n shows and movies as well as adopted from magazine pages. "Sexand t he City", "The Devil Wears Prada", these shows introducedus to new, cu tting-edge designs. While you might not be caught dead wearinga Carrie Bradshaw original, you might take ideas inspired from her look andpiec e together your own creation.Celebrities. A prime example of a celebrity-driven fashion trend? UGGs. Until Kate Hudson and Jessica Simpson were spotted wearing them arou nd L.A.several years ago, no one had given any thought to UGG boots. Now they areeverywhere.Musicians. Musicians have always been very influential when it comes t odictating fashion. Rock 'n' roll is fashion. Elvis is an iconic example. I n the1950s, everyone wanted to dress like Elvis. What about the heavymetal hairbands so popular in the 1980s? Axl Rose reinvented the head bandana whilePoison, Motley Crue and Bon Jovi set the pace for big, ro cker hair.Just because you don't know if a Prada bag is fall 2007 or spring 2008 doesn't matter. All that matters is that you like it and it's an expression ofyou. That is fashion.Passage B[A]Fashion is more prevalent in modern society than in primitive tribes orpeasant communities. The modern society is an open society where cla ssdistinctions are not so rigid as in primitive society. Its urban and mob ileclass structure enables people to cultivate individual taste and adopt n ew course.[B]Our standards of judgment have also changed. Today the in dividual is ratedmore by observable externalities than by his ancestry, hi s character or hisgenuine accomplishments. The clothes a man wears, the language he speaks, themanners he shows have more weight in ascribin g a status than his simplicity,patriotism and integrity.If he can keep himself up to date in the matters of his dress, speech a ndmanners, he will assure himself a high social esteem. [C]Not only the mobileand urban character of modern society but its affluence alsospea ks for greater prevalence of fashion in it. Men today are richer than the irancestors and have more leisure. They have the necessary means and ti me to playwith luxuries and to think of fashion. Maclver writes: We do not think offashion in overalls; there is more of fashion in the body of an automobile thanin its chassis. There is no fashion in steam shovels.[D]Consequently thehigher the standard of living the more material ther e is for fashion to operateupon.。

全国高校创新英语挑战赛阅读赛往年题目一、The Changing Role of Women in Society1. How have the roles of women in society changed over the past century?2. What are some of the factors that have contributed to these changes?3. How do these changes in women's roles impact family, work, and society as a whole?二、The Impact of Technology on Education1. In what ways has technology changed the landscape of education?2. What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of integrating technology into the classroom?3. How can educators leverage technology to improve learning oues for students?三、Globalization and Cultural Identity1. How does globalization impact cultural identity?2. What are some examples of cultural exchange and hybridization in the era of globalization?3. What are the implications of a globalized world on traditionalcultural values and practices?四、The Challenges of Climate Change1. What are the causes and effects of climate change?2. What are some strategies for mitigating the impacts of climate change?3. How can individuals,munities, and governments work together to address the challenges of climate change?五、The Rise of Social Media and Its Impact on Society1. What are the effects of social media on interpersonal relationships andmunication?2. How has social media changed the way we consume and share information?3. What are some of the ethical and privacy considerations associated with the use of social media?六、The Future of Work in the Age of Automation1. What are the potential impacts of automation and artificial intelligence on the future of work?2. How can individuals and organizations prepare for the changes brought about by automation?3. What are the implications of these technologicaladvancements for job security and ie inequality?七、Mental Health in the Digital Age1. How does the digital age impact mental health and well-being?2. What are some of the challenges and opportunities for addressing mental health issues in the digital age?3. What are some strategies for promoting mental well-being in an increasingly connected world?八、The Ethics of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering1. What are the ethical considerations surrounding the use of biotechnology and genetic engineering?2. What are the potential benefits and risks associated with these technologies?3. How can society balance the pursuit of scientific innovation with ethical responsibility?以上是全国高校创新英语挑战赛阅读赛往年题目的内容，这些题目涵盖了当今社会各个方面的热点议题，具有一定的思辨性和启发性。

“外研社杯”全国英语阅读大赛样题Part I Read and KnowIn Part I, you will read short texts of various kinds. Read the instructions carefully and answer the questions. (Time allowed: 22 minutes)Questions 1-3 (Suggested completion time: 5 minutes)Directions: Read the following quotes. Match the quotes on the left with the people on the right. Please note there are two extra options you do not need to use.Questions 4 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.To ensure the high standards of facilities we need to build new wards, laboratories and consulting rooms. In short, we need your help now. Complete the coupon today and rest assured that your donation is going to the best possible cause.4. Where is the piece of text taken from?A. an advertisementB. an instruction bookletC. a storyD. a newspaperQuestions 5 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.Few corners of the world remain untainted by intrepid tourists, and their impact is often devastating. Too frequently they trample heedlessly on fragile environments, displacing wildlife and local populations in their insatiable quest for unexplored locations.5. What is the best title for this text?A.The future of tourismB.The role of tourismC.The price of tourismD.The benefits of tourismQuestions 6 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.Buying and selling anything is your forte now. If you visit a jumble or car-boot sale or the like, a romantic encounter is more than probable! News linked to the family is brilliant!6. What type of text is this?A. A personal advertisement.B. A personal horoscope.C. A friend’s letter of advice.D. A written warning.Questions 7 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.With our travel agency, the holiday you book is the holiday you get. If you arrive and find we’ve failed to live up to our promises, let us know what the problem is within one day of your arrival. We’ll spend 24 hours doing everything possible to sort the problem out. In the unlikely event that we can’t resolve your problem and make you happy within 24 hours, we’ll fly you home and give your money back.7. The text could best be described as __________.A. a commitmentB.an appealC. a warningD. a vowQuestions 8 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.The new digital cameras are great fun and very easy to use. They let you review your pictures the moment you take them, so you can re-shoot right away if you’re not satisfied. But remember, a digital camera is just a computer XXXX. It’s not a replacement for your ordinary camera.8. What is the meaning of the missing word (XXXX) in the text?A.“something that is poor quality”B.“an item that is not essential, something extra”C.“something expensive but good value for money”D.“a fashion which always remains popular”Questions 9 (Suggested completion time: 2 minutes)Directions: Read the text, and answer the question according to the text.She had gone alone, but the children were to go to the station to meet her. And loving the station as they did, it was only natural that they should be there a good hour before there was any chance of Mother’s train arriving, even if the train were punctual, which was most unlikely.9. What can you say about their mother’s train?A.It would probably be early.B.It would probably be on time.C.It would probably be late.D.It had been cancelled.Question 10 (Suggested completion time: 5 minutes)Directions: The bar chart shows the number and proportion of undernourished people in the developing regions, from 1990¬1992 to 2014¬2016. Answer the question according to the information in the chart.Source: The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Report201510. Choose the INCORRECT description about the chart.A.Current estimates suggest that nearly one in nine individuals do not have enough to eatbetween 2014 and 2016.B.Projections indicate that the 2015 MDG target is nearly reached, with 12.9 per cent ofundernourished population.C.The situation noticeably improved during the years 1995-1999, but went down in thefirst five years of the new millennium.D.The proportion of undernourished people in the developing regions has fallen by almosthalf since 1990.Part II Read and ReasonIn Part II, you will read short texts on different subjects. Read the instructions carefully and answer the questions based on logical inference and reasoning. (Time allowed: 38 minutes)Question 11-12 (Suggested completion time: 10 minutes)Directions: Read the definitions of two types of logical fallacy. Answer the questions according to the definitions.11. Which of the following provides a typical example of poisoning the well?A.That’s my stance on funding the education system, and anyone who disagrees with mehates children.B.You are so weird. That means—we are pretty much sure—that your whole family is weird,too.C.God exists because the Bible says so. The Bible is inspired. Therefore, we know that Godexists.D.I don’t care what you say. We don’t need any more bookshelves. As long as the carpet isclean, we are fine.12. Which of the following provides a typical example of a false dilemma?A.Smoking is harmful to health, so you are supposed to quit smoking.B.If the government doesn’t reduce public spending, our economy will collapse.C.You may as well avoid overeating, or else you might be obese in no time.D.You are the worst of the classmates; therefore, what you say is incredible.Questions 13 (Suggested completion time: 4 minutes)Directions: Read the passage about syllogism. Decide whether the reasonings are Valid or Invalid based on the principles of syllogism.Syllogism is a kind of logical argument that applies deductive reasoning to arrive at a conclusion based on two or more propositions that are asserted or assumed to be true. It is perhaps today’s most commonly accepted form of logical reasoning in aptitude tests. The most commonly used type of syllogisms is elucidated in a frequently used example:Premise 1: All men are mortal.Premise 2: Socrates is a man.Conclusion: Socrates is mortal.Now practice syllogisms for IQ tests. Please note that the conclusion is based on logical reasoning and doesn’t necessarily represent the “truth” always.13. Valid ( ); Invalid ( )Premise 1: All human action is conditioned by circumstances.Premise 2: All human action involves morality.Conclusion: All that involves morality is conditioned by circumstances.Questions 14 (Suggested completion time: 4 minutes)Directions: Read the passage about contraposition. Decide whether the reasonings are Valid or Invalid based on the principles of contraposition.In logic, contraposition is a law that says that a conditional statement is logically equivalent to its contrapositive. The contrapositive of the statement has its antecedent and consequent inverted and flipped. The most commonly used type of contraposition is elucidated in the following example:Premise 1: If it is raining, then there are clouds in the sky.Premise 2: There are no clouds in the sky.Conclusion: It is not raining.Now practice contraposition for IQ tests. Please note that the conclusion is based on logical reasoning and doesn’t necessarily represent the “truth” always.14. Valid ( ); Invalid ( )Premise 1: If he is not an American, he is not from Texas.Premise 2: He is from Texas.Conclusion: He is an American.Questions 15-17 (Suggested completion time: 6 minutes)Directions: Read the text about a science discovery. Answer the questions according to the text.Manipulating MemoryMemory is notoriously malleable. Our recollections fade and take onnew meanings; sometimes we remember things that never evenhappened. But 15 .Recently, however, scientists have started to grasp and tinker withmemory’s physical basis. Last year, in work evocative of films suchas Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Inception, researchers discovered ways to manipulate specific memories in mice using optogenetics, a powerful technique that can trigger nerve cells in animals’ brains by zapping them with beams of laser light. In a series of experiments, they showed that they could delete existing memories and “incept” false ones.This year, researchers went even further: switching the emotional content of a memory in mice from bad to good and vice versa. Under the laser, for example, male mice that had once associated a certain room with being shocked were tricked into acting as though they had once met friendly female mice there instead.Whether the mice in these experiments actually experienced vivid false memories or just a fuzzy sense of pleasure or fear is unclear. Nor is it clear whether the findings apply to the tricks of memory so familiar to people. Long-sought therapeutic advances, such as treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder, could remain far off. One thing is certain, however: Once considered beyond scientific dissection, memory is finally starting to yield its secrets.15. Which of the following best fits the numbered space in the passage?A.what is really happening in our brain as memories are remodeled remains mysteriousB.scientists are curious about why people are oblivious to what have happened to themC.advanced technology has helped scientists discover the workings of our brainD.some scientists argue that what we observe about human memory is not what it really is16. The word “incept” is closest in meaning to ________.A.operateB.startC.detectD.occupy17. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?A.People’s false memories result from the impact of different emotion provoked by laterexperience on the same spot.B.The success in research indicates that it won’t be long that a therapy is work ed out forpeople disturbed by painful memory.C.By zapping the brain cells of mice with light, researchers are able to create, erase, oralter their memories, good or bad.D.Many fancy ideas in science fictions or movies that are based on them actually drawgreatly upon scientific achievement.Questions 18-19 (Suggested completion time: 4 minutes)Directions: Read the following passage about cholera. Decide whether the statements are True or False according to the passage.A child receives the oral cholera vaccine ShancholCholera is caused by a bacterial infection of the intestine. Approximately one in 20 people infected with cholera has a serious case, with symptoms including severe diarrhea, vomiting, and leg cramps. These symptoms quickly cause dehydration and shock, and can result in death within hours if the infected person doesn’t receive treatment. Cholera is typically transmitted by contaminated food or water. In areas with poor treatment of sewage and drinking water, the feces of people with cholera can enter the water supply and spread quickly, resulting in an epidemic. The cholera bacterium may also live in the environment in some coastal waters, so shellfish eaten raw can be a source of cholera in affected areas.18. Cholera is known to be a life-threatening disease which easily causes death of most of the patients.True ( ) False ( )19. Cholera typically occurs in areas near the sea or the river where contaminated food is a major source of the disease.True ( ) False ( )Questions 20-21 (Suggested completion time: 5 minutes)Directions: Read the abstract of a research paper from the DeepMind website. Decide whether the statements are True or False according to the abstract.Teaching Machines to Read and ComprehendAuthors: K. M. Hermann, T. Kočiský, E. Grefenstette, L. Espeholt, W. Kay, M. Suleyman, P. Blunsom Published: NIPS 2015Abstract: Teaching machines to read natural language documents remains an elusive challenge. Machine reading systems can be tested on their ability to answer questions posed on the contents of documents that they have seen, but until now large scale training and test datasets have been missing for this type of evaluation. In this work we define a new methodology that resolves this bottleneck and provides large scale supervised reading comprehension data. This allows us to develop a class of attention based deep neural networks that learn to read real documents and answer complex questions with minimal prior knowledge of language structure.20. Previous studies didn’t take constant effort to evaluate the reading ability of artificial intelligence machines, which was why the present research was conducted.True ( ) False ( )21. One implication of the research is that a methodology that helps gather and handle big data is indispensible to artificial intelligence related studies.True ( ) False ( )Questions 22-23 (Suggested completion time: 5 minutes)Directions: R ead the passage about the “Think small” advertising campaign. Answer the questions according to the passage.Think SmallI f you’re interested in marketing and advertising, Volkswagen’s“Think small” campaign for the Beetle when it was firstintroduced to North America in 1959 looms large as one of thegreatest advertising campaigns of all time. It wasn’t just arevolution in automotive advertising; it changed the entireindustry.Until the Beetle hit the market, automotive marketing copy wasfull of bluster, and the images were flights of fancy, emphasizinglow, long lines and a fantasy lifestyle.The clean, simple photography on a white background that emphasized the Beetle’s compact, practical form may seem commonplace these days, but it was a revolution in a world where Americans grew up obsessed with muscle cars, horsepower, and tire smoke. Making the car small, when the convention was to make it fill the page, was also novel. The simplistic approach to design and layout was totally contrary to the advertising conventions of the time.__ 22__ The text was minimalist in both look and content, presenting the facts simply instead of trying to weave tall tales and fantasies; and instead of bluster, it ushered in an intelligent sense of humor that made readers feel like they were in on the joke. The message was one of smart anti-luxury, and took gentle aim at an industry obsessed with superficiality and styling, rather than the substance underneath the car bodies.Not only does “Think small” continue to inspi re Volkswagen advertising to this day, it ushered in a creative revolution in the advertising business and changed the world of marketing forever. “Think small” showed the power of humor and honesty, and its photographic and design principles brought about a major shift in the look and feel of marketing around the world.22. Which of the sentences below best fits the numbered space in the passage?A.What defined the ad even more than its visual style was the tone of its copy.B.This ad starts off doing the exact opposite of what you would expect in a car ad.C.This was an exercise in minimalism and a very accurate reflection on the product itself.D.The car wasn’t depicted as an integral piece of the daily lives of a middle class family.23. It can be inferred that the advertising conventions of the 1950s were reflected in the following except that ___________.A.the ads in the 1950s typically showed proud owners and passengers evoking great joyabout new shiny big acquisitions.B.the marketing concept then focused on providing as much information as possible to thereader such as the way it’s created.C.the marketing schemes associated the advertised product with an idea or a way of livingfrom average consumers’ perspective.D.the marketing practice may attach importance to a sense of humor brought by the use ofexaggerated language.Part III Read and QuestionIn Part III, you will read passages on the same subject. You will be required to identify the writer’s position and evaluate the effectiveness of the writer’s arguments. (Time allowed: 30 minutes)Questions 24-35 (Suggested completion time: 30 minutes)Directions: Read three passages about fashion. Answer the questions according to the passages.Passage AIt’s not that easy to answer the question, “what is fashion?” because it means different things to different people. Fashion is an art. It’s a religion. It’s a job. It’s a peek into a personality. It’s playfulness. It’s an escape or a disguise. It is a fea st for the eyes. But ultimately, 25 . French fashion designer Coco Chanel once said, “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”It’s true. Fashion isn’t defined solely by our clothing choices, but is also conveyed through the way we carry ourselves, our personalities and our views of the world. At its most fundamental, fashion is simply the prevailing style or custom, as in dress or behavior.So, who exactly answers the question “what is fashion”? Who decides what’s fashionable and what isn’t? What’s in or what’s out?Fashion Designers. The iconic fashion houses—Prada, Gucci, Chanel—are referred to as haute couture, French for “high sewing.” These designers lead the way in creating trend-setting fashion. While some of their designs are outrageous and completely unrealistic when it comes to everyday wear, generally the theme is adapted into versions suitable for wearing.Media. Fashion trends are often sparked by characters on popular television shows and movies as well as adopted from magazine pages. “Sex and the City,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” these shows introduced us to new, cutting-edge designs. While you might not be caught dead wearing a Carrie Bradshaw original, you might take ideas inspired from her look and piece together your own creation.Celebrities. A prime example of a celebrity-driven fashion trend? UGGs. Until Kate Hudson and Jessica Simpson were spotted wearing them around L.A. several years ago, no one had given any thought to UGG boots. Now they are everywhere.Musicians. Musicians have always been very influential when it comes to dictating fashion. Rock ‘n’ roll is fashion. Elvis is an iconic example. In the 1950s, everyone wanted to dress like Elvis.What about the heavy metal hair bands so popular in the 1980s? Axl Rose reinvented the head bandana while Poison, Motley Crue and Bon Jovi set the pace for big, rocker hair.Just because you don’t know if a Prada bag is fall 2007 or spring 2008 doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you like it and it’s an expression of you. That is fashion.Passage BFashion is more prevalent in modern society than in primitive tribes or peasant communities. The modern society is an open society where class distinctions are not so rigid as in primitive society. Its urban and mobile class structure enables people to cultivate individual taste and adopt new course. The modern society is more tolerant of differences and therefore places few shackles on the cycle of fashion. Our standards of judgment have also changed. Today the individual is rated more by observable externalities than by his ancestry, his character or his genuine accomplishments. The clothes a man wears, the language he speaks, the manners he shows have more weight in ascribing a status than his simplicity, patriotism and integrity.If he can keep himself up to date in the matters of his dress, speech and manners, he will assure himself a high social esteem. Not only the mobile and urban character of modern society but its affluence also speaks for greater prevalence of fashion in it. Men today are richer than their ancestors and have more leisure. They have the necessary means and time to play with luxuries and to think of fashion. Maclver writes: We do not think of fashion in overalls; there is more of fashion in the body of an automobile than in its chassis. There is no fashion in steam shovels. Consequently the higher the standard of living the more material there is for fashion to operate upon.Passage CAs summer has officially faded into the colder weather of autumn, I assumed the days of Nike shorts, comically large T-shirts and polos would be only a memory of yesterday. This has not been the case.Fashion, in and of itself, is already a type of conformism. In order to be considered fashion, a look, a garment or a stylistic choice must be deemed fashionable.Who gets to decide this—what is fashionable? While certain fashion heavyweights play a role in this decision, the ultimate decision is left to the public.As I was surfing the Web recently for inspiration for this column, I came across the Prada website. What I discovered literally caused me to gasp. Of course, everyone knows Prada is an expensive brand—a luxury—but what I discovered shocked me: a keychain priced at $180. No, this keychain was not solid gold or encased in diamonds. It was simply a keychain: a skull w ith the word “Prada” on a small charm.How can a company charge $180 for a keychain? The answer: people are willing to pay for it. People know the brand and conform to the idea of owning a piece of such an Italian “luxury.”This is nonsensical. Why do we choose to wear miniscule shorts in frigid weather or spend nearly $200 on a charm? Such decisions are influenced by peers, the media and the personal resolution to not make rational, individualistic choices. We cling to the idea of acceptance.In short, we often choose to abide by the pressures of social conventionality, and this leads us to make ridiculous selections—pairing Ugg boots with shorts or wearing neon with camouflage—which we would otherwise not make.I am certainly shamefaced in my occasional conformity to these ludicrous fashion folkways. I am guilty of donning Crocs in public. Yikes!Transient, often preposterous trends referred to as fads inspire some rather strange ideas. Who can recall the pet rocks of the ‘70s or Popples of the ‘80s? Such pop trends are not confined to behavior; they bleed into the fashion world, evidenced in overly distressed jeans, the most painful of neon shades, shoes that resemble Swiss cheese and a host of other fads I do not have the space to mention.I refuse to give up hope for societal common sense.One day we will comprehend that shorts are for the summer and ridiculously expensive keychains are for “never.” Do not allow others to dictate for you. Be bold. Be an individual. Do not buy the keychain.24. The phrase “might not be caught dead” in Passage A most probably means ______.A.would rather not die anywayB.might not be caught red handedC.would refuse completely to do somethingD.might be uneasy though doing something25. Which of the following best fits the numbered space in Passage A?A.fashion is an individual statement of expression for each of usB.fashion facilitates social change by providing a transitional stageC.fashion is not an individual choice but a group choiceD.fashion determines our speech, opinion, dress, music, art, etc.26. It can be inferred from Passage A that fashion designers, media, celebrities and musicians share the following views except ______.A.that fashion is anything but separated from the daily life of ordinary people.B.that nothing completely absurd and unrealistic can finally become fashion.C.that fashion is what society accepts and has an element of social sanction behind it.D.that if a particular choice remains confined to an individual it can’t be called fashion.27. The word “affluence” in Passage B is closest in meaning to ______.A.versatilityB.wealthinessC.peculiarityD.charisma28. According to Passage B, which of the following attributes may probably be more important than others for an individual to be favorably received now?A. A wide range of erudition.B.Loyalty to his or her friends.C. A passion for popular novels.D.Good virtues such as honesty.29. Which of the following is NOT true about the author’s attitude towards fashion according to Passage C?A.The author thinks it a waste of time mentioning a list of examples of irrational fads.B.People are mad about fashion and therefore lose their own good judgment.C.The author never allows himself to be carried away by the fashion trends.D.Behind the behavior of keeping up with fashion is a need to stay in the crowd.30-31. Decide whether the statements are True or False according to the three passages.30. All the three passages agree that fashion plays a role in the interplay of class relations that it satisfies the contrary desires for novelty and for conformity.True ( ) False ( )31. None of the three passages are denying conventional social values in people’s judgment, for example, what’s considered good about things or people.True ( ) False ( )Part IV Read and CreateIn Part IV, you will read a passage and then write a short essay according to it. You should write with clarity and logic. (Time allowed: 40 minutes)Question 32 (Suggested completion time: 40 minutes)Directions: Read a passage from Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting the Reason and Seeking the Truth in the Sciences. Write a short essay according to the passage.… And as a multitude of laws often only hampers justice, so that a state is best governed when, with few laws, these are rigidly administered; in like manner, instead of the great number of precepts of which logic is composed, I believed that the four following would prove perfectly sufficient for me, provided I took the firm and unwavering resolution never in a single instance to fail in observing them.The first was never to accept anything for true which I did not clearly know to be such; that is to say, carefully to avoid precipitancy and prejudice, and to comprise nothing more in my judgment than what was presented to my mind so clearly and distinctly as to exclude all ground of doubt.The second, to divide each of the difficulties under examination into as many parts as possible, and as might be necessary for its adequate solution.The third, to conduct my thoughts in such order that, by commencing with objects the simplest and easiest to know, I might ascend by little and little, and, as it were, step by step, to the knowledge of the more complex; assigning in thought a certain order even to those objects which in their own nature do not stand in a relation of antecedence and sequence.And the last, in every case to make enumerations so complete, and reviews so general, that I might be assured that nothing was omitted.The long chains of simple and easy reasonings by means of which geometers are accustomed to reach the conclusions of their most difficult demonstrations, had led me to imagine that all things, to the knowledge of which man is competent, are mutually connected in the same way, and that there is nothing so far removed from us as to be beyond our reach, or so hidden that we cannot discover it, provided only we abstain from accepting the false for the true, and always preserve in our thoughts the order necessary for the deduction of one truth from another. And I had little difficulty in determining the objects with which it was necessary to commence, for I was already persuaded that it must be with the simplest and easiest to know, and, considering that of all those who have hitherto sought truth in the sciences, the mathematicians alone have been able to find any demonstrations, that is, any certain and evident reasons, I did not doubt but that such must have been the rule of their investigations.32. Answer the topic questions with no less than 300 words. You should write in YOUR OWN words:What is the main issue that Descartes explores in this part of the text, and w hat’s his method? What’s your OWN understanding of the methods proposed by Descartes?。