Uncertainty spreads through our lives so thoroughly that it dominates our language，Our everyday speech is made up in large part of words like probably, many, soon,great,little.What do these words mean? 
Such verbal imprecision is not necessarily to be criticized. Indeed, it has a value Just because it allows uw to express judgments when a precise quantitative statement is out of the question.
We have been trying to pin down by experiments what people meari by these expressions in specific contexts, and how the meanings change with age. For instance,a subject is told "There are many trees in the park" and is asked to say what number the word may mean to him. Or a child is invited to take "some" sweets from a bowl and we then count how many he has taken. We compare the number he takes when he is alone with the number when one or more other children are present and are to take some sweets after him, or with the number he takes when told to give
“some" sweets to another child.
First, we find that the number depends, of course, on the items involved. To most people some friends means about five, while some trees means about twenty. However, unrelated areas sometimes show parallel values. For instance, the language of probability seems to mean about the same thing in predictions about the weather and about politics: the expression is certain to( rain,or be elected)signifies to the average person about a 70 percent chance; is likely to, about a 60 percent chance; probably will, about 55 percent.
Secondly, the size of the population of items influences the value assigned to an expression.Thus, if we tell a subject to take "a few" or“a lot of" glass balls from a box, he will take me if the box contains a large number of glass balls than if it has a small number, But not proportionately more: if we increase the number of glass balls eight times, the subject takes only half as large a percentage of the total.
Thirdly, there is a marked change with age. Among children between six and fourteen years old, the older the child, the fewer glass balls, he will take. But the difference between a lot and a few widens with age. This age effect is so consistent that it might be used as a test of intelligence.
51. What's the right attitude towards the words like probably, any and soon ?
A. They are inaccurate and we should avoid them.
B. They are necessary since we cannot be always precise.
C. They should be criticized because there are too many of them.
D. Their value is not yet clear since we don't know their meaning.
52. Why do we do experiments with the words many and some?
A. To prove that people are insensitive to these words.
B. To prove that the words dominate our everyday speech.
C. To find out how the meanings vary with age and contexts.
D. To find out whether the words can mean a precise quantity.
53. Which of the following expressions means a larger chance in weather broadcast?
A. Possible.   B. Probable.   C. Be likely to.  D. Be certain to.
54. Which of the following is similar to the underlined word signifies in its meaning?
A. makes    B. means     C. predicts    D. indicates
55. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A. Uncertainty in the Language Use.
B. How to Use Language in an Uncertain Way
C.Uncertain Words and their Use in Specific Contexts
D. Experiments on Relationship between Uncertainty and Language Use

小題1:B
小題2:C
小題3:D
小題4:D
小題5:A
         
練習(xí)冊(cè)系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

完形填空（共20小題，每小題1.5分，滿分30分）
When Wilson got to the airport, 36 flight was already being called 37 the loudspeakers. The day before he had given up his 38 for a morning flight and had booked（預(yù)定）an afternoon 39 instead. He had to go to the reservations（預(yù)定）desk to collect his 40ticket.
　　He apologized for being 41.The reservations clerk（預(yù)訂票的職員）smiled and began to look through the reservations in front of her. Then her 42 disappeared and 43 began to look 44 .
　　“Your ticket doesn’t seem to be here, ” she said. “Let me check it with the computer. ”The　45 clicked（滴答聲）and whirred（颼颼聲）and 46 began to flash 47 , his flight was called a second time. Wilson became very 48 .  49 the girl looked 50 .
　　“There’s been a mistake. Your new ticket was sent to you by post. That’s why it isn’t here”, she said. 51 took her only a 52 time to write 53 a new one. Wilson managed to catch the plane just before it took 54 . “What a way to start a 55 !” he thought.
小題1:
A．heB．his　　　　C．him 　　　　D．her
小題2:
A．upB．with 　　　C．over 　　　D．out
小題3:
A．ticket 　　B．walletC．money　　　D．plane
小題4:
A．planeB．ticket　　　C．flight　　　D．fight
小題5:
A．first　　　B．newC．old　　　　D．a(chǎn)nother
小題6:
A．later　　　B．lateC．last　　　　D．early
小題7:
A．smileB．smiling　　C．smiled 　　D．laugh
小題8:
A．he　　　　B．hisC．her 　　　　D．she
小題9:
A．happy 　　B．a(chǎn)ngryC．sad 　　　D．worried
小題10:
A．flight 　B．loudspeakersC．clerk 　　D．computer
小題11:
A．lights 　B．light 　　　C．flight 　　D．computer
小題12:
A．just 　　B．just then 　C．then 　　　D．when
小題13:
A．a(chǎn)ngry　　B．happyC．nervousD．sad
小題14:
A．Finally 　B．Last 　　　C．Then 　　　D．Just
小題15:
A．a(chǎn)t 　　　B．down 　　　C．up 　　　　D．out
小題16:
A．That 　　B．It 　　　　C．SheD．He
小題17:
A．long　　　B．short　　　C．some 　　　D．few
小題18:
A．down 　　B．out　　　　C．a(chǎn)way 　　　D．of
小題19:
A．off 　　　B．out　　　　C．a(chǎn)wayD．place
小題20:
A．travel 　B．work 　　　C．job 　　　　D．holiday

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空


III.完形填空（共20小題；每小題1分，滿分20分） 
Learn to Express Thanks
“Exposed to strong sunshine and heavy winds, postmen are the most handsome.”
“Thank you, dear postmen.” 
Many Teens readers write letters with  such words on the envelopes. Once they are  36  , editors are always    37   by their sincere gratitude(感激的心情) to ordinary people.
38   gratitude is an important  form  of good   39  .In western countries, people often write a note to thank those who   40   them. Nowadays more and more people in China have found it’s high time to cultivate(培養(yǎng)) a thankful     41    for the good others do.
Everyone likes to get praised and appreciated. Gratitude is   42   of virtues, which lets 
others smile and makes the    43  more beautiful. You just need several  44   to write down a thank-you note, but it could bring much joy to the    45     .          
We live in a society  46 we enjoy the different services of others. But none of them should be taken for granted. Gratitude is also a kind of  attitude in life. In developing gratitude for 
every    47   –for the simple joys, and even for the   48   time—we come to   49  enjoy and appreciate life. Then we are able to see the    50   around us.
Try to write a thank-you letter to your parents for working hard to   51  you a happy life.        Be grateful to your  52   because of their help with your studies and character  building.
Say thanks to your friends who   53    both your happiness and sorrow and spend a few minutes   54   you go to sleep giving thanks for all that you have.
We are sure it will bring them much joy and add  55  into your own life as well.
36. A. said                 B.closed                      C. opened                  D. invited
37. A. surprised            B. interested          C. moved                     D. thanked
38. A. Having               B. Expressing        C. Taking                            D. Enjoying
39. A. manners                 B. uses                  C. ways                        D. things
40. A. helps                 B. has ever helped        C. is helping                 D. have ever helped
41. A. feeling                      B. heart                C. word                       D. mind
42. A. the good            B. the smallest       C. the greatest              D. good one
43. A. world                 B. school               C. community               D. crowd
44. A. times                 B. words               C. pieces                      D. minutes
45. A. performer           B. receiver             C. speaker                    D. doer
46. A. which                 B. when                C. how                         D. where
47. A. time                  B. day                  C. moment                   D. form
48. A. managing            B. challenging        C. changing                  D. developing
49. A. simply                B. truly                 C. hardly                      D. ably
50. A. truth                   B. reality               C. experience                D. magic
51. A. offer                  B. make                C. feed                        D. put
52.A. classmates           B. parents             C. teachers                   D. friends
53.A. gave                  B. shared              C. appreciated              D. formed
54. A. after                   B. as                     C. before                      D. while
55.A. color                  B. taste                 C. means                     D. Reflection

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


Every pet owner loves his pet. There is no argument here.
But when we asked our readers whether they would clone(克隆) their beloved animals, the answers were split almost down the middle. Of the 228 readers who answered it, 108 would clone, 111 would not and nine weighed each side without offering an opinion.
Clearly, from readers’ response, this is an issue that reaches deeply into both the joy and final sadness of owning a pet. It speaks, as well, to people’s widely differing expectations over the developing scientific procedure.
Most of the respondents (被調(diào)查的人) who liked the idea strongly believed it would produce at least a close copy of the original; many felt the process would actually return an exact copy. Those on the other side, however, held little hope a clone could never truly recreate a pet, many simply didn’t wish to go against the natural law of life and death.
Both sides expressed equal love for their animals. More than a few respondents owned “the best dog/cat in the world”. They thought of their pets as their “best friend”, “a member of the family,” “the light of my life.” They told moving stories of pets’ heroism(英勇精神), cleverness and selfless devotion.
“People become very close to their animals, and the loss can be just as hard to bear as when a friend or family member dies,” says Gary Kowalski, author of Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet. “For me, cloning feels like an attempt to turn death away…It’s understandable. Death is always painful. It’s difficult to deal with. It’s hard to accept.”
　　But would cloning reduce the blow? This question seemed to be at the heart of this problem.
71. So far as the cloning of pets is concerned, a recent survey shows that, of all pet owners, __________.
A. a lot more of them are for it  
B. a lot more of them are against it
C. very few of them are willing to tell their opinions
D. about half of them are for it and the other half against it
72. While talking about the respondents from the readers, the underlined expression “final sadness of owning a pet” refers to ___________.
A. the death of one’s pet   
B. the high cost of owning a pet
C. the troubles one has to deal with in keeping a pet
D. the dangers involved in the cloning of a pet
73. In spite of(盡管) their differences on the problem of cloning, it seems that ________.
A. all pet owners try to go against the natural law of life and death
B. all pet owners love their pets very much
C. people who support cloning love their pets more
D. people who dislike cloning love their pets more
74. From what Gary Kowalski says, we can know that he _________.
A. has never thought about the problem of cloning
B. is going to write another book on pets
C. support the idea of cloning pets
D. is all against the cloning of pets
75. What is the key question at the heart of the problem of cloning pets?
A. Can cloning make one suffers less pain when a pet dies?
B. Can pet owners afford the cost of cloning?
C. Does cloning go against the law of nature?
D. Can cloning really produce an exact copy of one’s pet?

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空


第二節(jié) 完形填空（共20小題；每小題1．5分，滿分30分）
閱讀下面短文，掌握其大意，然后從36—55各題所給的四個(gè)選項(xiàng)（A、B、C和D）中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)，并在答題卡上將該項(xiàng)涂黑。
I just read a beautiful story．It is about a little girl, a   36  and a corporation．  37 , if crying at work might be a  38 , you should wait until you get home to read it．Trust me．
10-year-old Colby Curtin of Huntington Beach, California, had been  39  a rare form of cancer for three years．This month, it became  40  that Colby would probably   41  soon．The one thing she wanted to do  42  she died was see the movie, “Up（《飛屋環(huán)游記》）．” She’d been  43  by the previews（預(yù)告片）．
But Colby’s health was so  44  that she could not be taken to the theater, and “Up” is only playing in theaters．By June 9, it was clear Colby wouldn’t  45  much longer．A family friend began desperately  46  numbers at Pixar．She finally  47  to someone and told them Colby’s  48 ．After a discussion, Pixar  49  to help．
Colby’s mother asked her, “Do you think you can hold on?” “I’m   50  to die, but I’m going to wait for the movie,” the girl replied．
On June 10, Pixar  51 an employee to the Curtin home and showed the film on DVD—possibly the only DVD copy of the movie that  52 ．
Here’s what her mom said, “When I  53  it, I had really no idea about the  54  or the theme of the movie, I just know that word ‘Up’ and all of the balloons and I swear to you, for me it meant that Colby was going to go up．Up to 55 ．”
Colby died seven hours after watching the movie．
36．A．boy   B．lover C．play  D．movie
37．A．However  B．Besides     C．Therefore  D．Finally
38．A．joy    B．problem    C．treat  D．misery
39．A．sticking to       B．diagnosed with C．keeping up with       D．living with
40．A．clear B．uncertain  C．sorry D．sure
41．A．recover     B．return       C．die    D．come
42．A．until  B．when C．a(chǎn)fter  D．before
43．A．fascinated B．food  C．interested  D．surprised
44．A．good B．poor  C．healthy     D．ordinary
45．A．do it  B．see to it    C．make it     D．survive it
46．A．calling      B．sending     C．dialing      D．taking
47．A．got over   B．got across C．got down  D．got through
48．A．wish  B．will   C．demand    D．order
49．A．refused     B．hoped       C．a(chǎn)greed      D．offered
50．A．scared      B．ready C．a(chǎn)fraid       D．sad
51．A．planned    B．made C．shipped     D．flew
52．A．matters     B．counts      C．disappears D．exists
53．A．watched    B．listened     C．saw   D．heard
54．A．trick  B．content     C．hint   D．disadvantage
55．A．sky   B．balloon     C．heaven      D．hell

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


People travel for a lot of reasons. Some tourists go to see battlefields or other historic remains. Others are looking for culture, or simply want to have their pictures taken in front of famous places. Most European tourists are looking for a sunny beach to lie on.
Northern Europeans are willing to pay a lot of money for the sun because they have so little of it. People in cities like London, Copenhagen and Amsterdam spend much of their winter in the dark because the days are so short, and much of the year it rains. This is the reason why the Mediterranean (地中海) has always attracted them. Every summer many people travel to Mediterranean resorts (度假勝地) and beaches for their vacation. They all come for the same reason. Sun!
The huge crowds mean lots of money for the economies of Mediterranean countries. Italy's 30,000 hotels are booked without a break every summer. And 13 million people visited French beaches, parks, and roadsides. Spain's long sandy coastline attracts more people than anywhere else. 37 million tourists visit there yearly, or one tourist for each person living in Spain.
But there are signs that the area is getting more tourism than it can deal with. The Mediterranean is already one of the most polluted seas on earth. None of this, however, is ruining anyone's fun. Obviously, visitors don't go there for clean water. They allow traffic jams and endure crowded beaches. They don't even mind the pollution. No matter how dirty the water is , the coastline still looks beautiful. And as long as the sun shines, it's still better than sitting in cold Berlin, London, or anywhere else.
64. The writer seems to infer that Europeans travel mostly for the reason that _____.
A. they want to see historic remains
B. they wish to escape from cold, dark and rainy days
C. they would like to take pictures in front of famous places
D. they are interested in different cultural and social customs
65. According to the passage, which of the following countries attracts more tourists than the others?
A. Italy.    B. Greece.   C. France.   D. Spain.
66. The underlined part in Passage 3, "one tourist for each person living in Spain" means _____.
A. all the 37 million people living in Spain are tourists
B. every person living in Spain has to take care of a tourist
C. every year as many tourists visit Spain as there are people living in that country
D. every family in Spain is visited by a tourist every year
67. According to the passage, which of the following might ruin the tourists' fun at Mediterranean resorts and beaches?
A. Polluted water     B. Crowded buses   C. Rainy weather     D. Traffic jams

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


Greece is one of the most beautiful countries of the world. Millions of tourists visit this place every year.
In Greece the bus is the most convenient and preferred means of traveling. There are intercity buses operated by KTEL that interconnect various cities of Greece, and there are international buses operated by OSE that connect Greece to other European cities.
Every tourist must visit Greece at least once in life. This country is really a vacation heaven. It is the perfect blend(融合) of history and art with adventure and romance. You can dive into deep blue waters, climb up the mountains or enjoy ancient architecture and history.
Buses in Greece are cheap and very comfortable. All bus stations display schedules of buses on every route. Conductors and drivers are very polite and helpful. Travelers never face any trouble locating and boarding buses to their destinations. Tourists can always ask the conductor to inform them about their stop, so that they can get down at the right stop. Everyone here is more than happy to help tourists.
Athens, the capital of Greece, has three bus terminals(終點(diǎn)站). Buses to different parts of Greece leave from different terminals. Air-conditioned express buses also operate between major cities. They are faster and more comfortable than other buses. Tourists can choose guided Greece bus tours. These tours are the perfect way of exploring this great country.
Buses in Greece are also a great way of saving bucks on the journey. The long-distance bus system is very cheap. Buses save a lot of money to cover long distances, cheaper than taxis or cars. They are also the best means of interacting with local people. You can sit next to a native of Greece and get some information about the place.
1. The company KTEL offers bus services         .
A. from Greece to other countries      B. to different cities in Greece
C. to tourist attractions in Greece       D. from Greece to its bordering countries
2. It can be inferred from Para. 3 that the Greeks are        .
A. generous       B. hard-working     C. warm-hearted    D. economical
3. If you are a tourist to Greece from overseas, you’d better choose     .
A. taxis          B. guided Greece bus tours   
C. cars           D. air-conditioned express buses
4. The underlined word “bucks” in the last paragraph probably refers to      .
A.  trouble       B. energy           C. time           D. money

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


If you are human, you can’t help but experience times when everything seems to be going wrong and you feel as if your life is completely out of control. It is during those “down times” that words of encouragement from family, friends, co-workers or even strangers can lighten your spirits. It is also during those times that destructive words can sink you deeper and deeper into depression.
For example, consider this story about a group of frogs who were traveling through the woods when two of them fell into a deep pit （坑）. All of the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the two unfortunate frogs they would never get out.
The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump out of the pit. The other frogs kept telling them to stop. Finally, one of the frogs took heed of what the other frogs were saying and simply gave up. He fell down and died. The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again the crowd of frogs shouted at him to stop the pain. The more they shouted, the harder he jumped and finally he made it to safety.
When he got out, the other frogs asked him why he continued to jump when they were all shouting at him to simply quit. The frog explained to them that he was a little bit deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.
Every time you have a chance to say either something positive or negative to another human being, do choose the chance to say something positive! Don’t let those opportunities get away from you. Your words have a large amount of power. Use them wisely. You really never know just how much they can mean to someone else.
68. The first paragraph tells us that words play an important part especially when         .
A. we stay with our family, friends and co-workers
B. we hear strangers say something to us
C. we get through hard times in life
D. we make some big mistakes
69. The underlined phrase “took heed of ” had the similar meaning with “     ”.
A. acted according to            B. had some doubt
C. held on to                   D. got used to
70. The more they shouted, the harder he jumped and finally he made it to safety. That’s because        .
A. he struggled to prove that they were wrong  
B. he thought they were encouraging him
C. he was angry with what they said              
D. he didn’t want to let them down
71. After reading the passage, readers should learn a lesson that        .
A. we can use encouraging words to help others out 
B. having a positive attitude is important in life
C. never give up until we win   D. we must believe in ourselves rather than others

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


People living in the UK take quite a few holidays abroad and in this country each year. Choices made about where to go, how to get there and what to do while there can either benefit or harm the environment.
While on holiday
Many of the things you can do to be greener on holiday will be the same things you can do at home—but there are also some extra things too, like avoiding gifts made from endangered plants and animals. Here are some suggestions:
●Making the most of locally produced food and drink, and local activities and attractions will support people in the area you are visiting and reduce the need for further environmental influence from transport;
●Switching off any air conditioning, heating and lights will help reduce climate change effect;
●Save water—some countries suffer from water shortages and saving water can help avoid damage to our natural habitats.
Endangered species
Some gifts and foods available in some countries can be made from endangered plants or animals. Check before you buy, but if in doubt, avoid animal and plant gifts. More details of the types of products to avoid and illegal trade hotspots can be found on the Souvenir Alert webpage.
Making a positive contribution to the place you are visiting
There are ways in which your holiday can help support local people and the environment;
●There are many opportunities to volunteer and help with projects that conserve and improve natural habitats;
●When you are away, or if you are looking for somewhere to visit, you can support projects or attractions which protect wildlife, such as nature reserves and conservation projects.
60．According to the passage, we can ________ to help reduce climate change effect.
A．save electricity                                    B．buy local food and drink
C.  make good use of water                       D．go around on foot
61．We should check the gifts and foods before buying because ________.
A．sometimes they are of poor quality
B．they may not be typical local products
C.  some of them will do harm to our health
D．they may be made from endangered animals or plants
62．We can infer from the passage that ________.
A．it is not easy for people to travel abroad
B．not everyone can tell an illegal souvenir
C.  green holidays have been accepted by people
D．volunteer work is a must for protecting natural habitats
63．The passage is mainly about ________.
A．travel dos and don’ts                            B．the harm done to the environment
C.  greener choices for holiday                  D．tips on protecting endangered species

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊(cè)答案