People have wondered for a long time how their personalities and behavior are formed. It is not easy to explain why one person is intelligent and another is not, or why one is cooperative and another is competitive. 
Social scientists are of course extremely interested in these types of questions. They want to explain why we possess certain characteristics and exhibit certain behavior. There are no clear answers yet, but two distinct schools of thought on the matter have developed. As one might expect, the two approaches are very different from each other, and there is a great deal of debate between proponents of each theory. The controversy is often conveniently referred to as “nature and nurture”.
Those who support the “nature” side of the conflict believe that our personalities and behavior patterns are largely determined by biological factors. That our environment has little, if anything, to do with our abilities, characteristics and behavior is central to this theory. Taken to an extreme,this theory states that our behavior is predetermined to such a great degree that we are almost completely governed by our instincts(本能).
Proponents of the “nurture” theory, or, as they are often called, behaviorists, claim that our environment is more important than our biologically based instincts in determining how we will act. A behaviorist, B. F. Skinner, sees humans as beings whose behavior is almost completely shaped by their surroundings. The behaviorists' view of the human being is quite mechanistic. They state that, like machines, humans respond to environmental stimuli (刺激) as the basis of their behavior. 
Socially and politically, the consequences of these two theories are far-reaching. In the US,for example, blacks often score below whites on standardized intelligence tests. This leads some “nature” proponents to conclude that blacks are genetically lower in status than whites. Behaviorists, on the contrary, say that the differences in scores are due to the fact that blacks are often robbed of many of the educational and other environmental advantages that whites enjoy, and that, as a result, they do not develop the same responses that whites do.
Neither of these theories can yet fully explain human behavior. In fact, it is quite likely that the key to our behavior lies somewhere between these two extremes and that the controversy will continue for a long time is certain. 
小題1:This passage is mainly concerned with ________.
A.relation between personality and behavior
B.relation between behavior and environment
C.different accounts of patterns of human behavior
D.different theories of the formation of human behavior
小題2:The underlined word “proponents” in Paragraph 2 means ________.
A.creatorsB.a(chǎn)dvisorsC.a(chǎn)dvocatesD.judges
小題3:In Paragraph 5, the author mainly writes about ________.
A.the considerable influence of the two theories
B.differences between the blacks and whites
C.racial discrimination in the United States
D.different responds to intelligence tests
小題4:What's the author's purpose in writing the passage?
A.To call our attention to the changes of human behavior.
B.To urge scientists to do more research in social science.
C.To give us a detailed explanation of human behavior.
D.To present an argument in the field of social science.

小題1:D
小題2:C
小題3:A
小題4:D

試題分析:本文主要討論了人的個性和智力是先天形成的還是受環(huán)境影響的。
小題1:主旨大意題。首段首句指出作者要討論的問題,第 2 段開始從兩個方面解釋 該問題,末段是總結(jié)段,由此看來,首段首句和末段首句提到的 human behavior 是本文的 中心內(nèi)容,雖然文章首段第 2 句就提到 intelligent 一詞, 但該句的 intelligent, cooperative, competitive 等都只是舉例說明首句有關(guān) personalities 和 behaviors 的問題, 由此可見,選項 B 并非本文主旨;作者提到兩種理論是為了解釋性格和行為形成的原因,并非討論這兩種理論形成的原因,因此 A和C兩項均不正確。選D
小題2:猜詞題。根據(jù)文章內(nèi)容,我們可以判斷 proponent 應(yīng)指人,指這兩種理論的支持者,只有 advocates“擁護者”符合這種推測,故選 C。
小題3:段落大意題:題干問第五段主要關(guān)于什么,這要看第五段的結(jié)構(gòu)。第一句Socially and politically, the consequences of these two theories are far-reaching.很明心是個概括句,下面的論據(jù)是為了證明這兩個理論的相當大的影響。選A
小題4:寫作意圖題:結(jié)合文章的首尾可知作者的寫作目的是為了介紹社會科學領(lǐng)域的一個爭論嗎,答案選D
練習冊系列答案
相關(guān)習題

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

The United States is trying to improve an edueation system that produces millions of citizens who cannot read, write, or add—let alone finding their country on a map.
In his first State of Union message since taking office a year ago, President George Bush promised to wipe out illiteracy(文盲) in the next decade and declared that“by the year 2008, U.S students must be first in the world in math and science achievements. ” They have a long way to go. American students were placed 14th in a recent general science test conducted in 16 countries. In a separate survey of chemistry students, the United States came 12 out of 14. In a mathematics test, they were last. According to Bush, there are 17 million illiterates in this country of 245 million people. Other estimates put the number as high as 23 million. In percentage terms, that ranks the United States alongside Niearague and below Cuba. “This nation,”Bush said in his State of the Union address, “will not accept anything but excellent in education.” Bush, who has declared himself “Education president”, and senior officals of his administration are warning that the United States will be unable to compete in the world without an educated workforce.
How to increase educational standards is a matter of debate in a country whose schools have no uniform national curriculum and are subject to a confusing variety of state and local controls. Most experts think that the problem lies at the elementary and high school'levels rather than with universities-but even their graduates show huge gaps in general knowledge. Among the root causes most frequently mentioned in education debates is the low respect in which U.S. society holds teachers-in contrast to Japan and Germany. In Japan teaching is a profession of high prestige(威望) and high pay. In the United States teachers are near the bottom of the society.
5.By“the United States came 12 out of 14”(Para. 2), the author means .      
A.the United States ranked 12th not 14th in the chemistry test
B.the United States ranked 12th in the chemistry test conducted by 14 countries
C.the United States progressed from 14th to 12th in the chemistry test
D.the United States ranked 12th in chemistry test and 14th in general science test
6.The cause of low educational level in America include the following EXCEPT that .      
A.some problems exist in primary and secondary education
B.society keeps teachers in low respect
C.America pays more attention to economy instead of education
D.America has no uniform national courses
7.Which of the following statements can be inferred from the passage?
A.President Bush carried out his promise made in his first State of Union message.
B.The education in Japan and Germany is in higher level.
C.According to Bush, the number of illiterates accounts for 9% of the total.
D.Teachers in the United States enjoy good treatment and great respect.
8.Which of the following is the right order of the least-first of the percent of illiterates?
A.Germany, Cuba, Nicaragua.         B.Germany, Nicaragua, Cuba.
C.Nicaragua, Japan, Cuba.            D.Cuba, Japan, Nicaragua.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

For some people, the sight of a mouse can be reason to scream. For other mice, the same sight can be reason to sing.
Mice will probably   21  sing their way to any concert, but researchers in the United States have found   22  that mice do,   23 , sing.
Scientists already knew that mice make ultrasonic(超聲波) sounds—noises that are too high-pitched(高音的) for people to hear   24  special equipment.
To find out whether mice put such sounds together in song-like   25 , the researchers recorded the sounds of 1 mice. Using computer   26 , they were able to separate the sounds into specific types of syllables(音節(jié)), and found the mice produced about 10 syllables per second.
The results showed that nearly all of the mice repeated sequences(順序) of syllables in different patterns. That’s enough to meet the definition of what scientists   27  song. But not all scientists are   28  _ that what the mice are doing is   29  singing. To prove it, the researchers must show that there’s learning involved. And, they need to __  30  why the mice sing.
21. A. almost               B. even                C. never               D. usually
22. A. coincidence        B. evidence           C. guidance          D. instance
23. A. at once               B. by means          C. for example             D. in fact
24. A. during               B. inside               C. through            D. without
25. A. fashions             B. instructions        C. patterns            D. styles
26. A. access                B. printer                    C. screen               D. software
27. A. call                   B. hear                 C. sing                 D. write
28. A. accustomed        B. convinced         C. involved           D. qualified
29. A. actually                     B. obviously         C. simply                    D. unlikely
30. A. figure out          B. get about          C. run across         D. talk over

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

You may not  have heard of Ashoka,  but for the past 27 years,this association, founded by Bill Drayton, has fought  poverty (貧窮)and sickness, promoted education and  encouraged small businesses. To support these worthy causes, Ashoka provides money for the world's most  promising "changemakers" seeking to solve (解決) urgent problems and would like to create a  world in which every citizen is a changemaker.
Drayton believes that anyone can become an agent for change. The important thing is to simply give yourself permission. If you see a problem that you care about, you can help solve it. The young in particular are willing to accept this concept because at heart every child wants to grow into a happy, healthy,  contributing adult. In fact It is many young people's ambition to set up programmes or businesses that improve social conditions. An excellent example is an Ashoka project started in 1995 in Dhaka, which handled the rubbish problem facing the city ,helped local farmers and provided an income for poor people there .
When Masqsood and Iftekhar began to study the problem of all the uncollected rubbish that lay in Dhaka’s streets,Attracting tats and disease , they discovered that 80% of it was natural waste . So they educated the poor people in the city to compost (把……制成堆糞)this waste . They knew that they would have a market for the end product because local farmers were struggling with chemical ferntilisers (化肥) which were expensive and had reduced the natural minerals in the soil over the years . At first , they were refused ,but once they were able to persuade them that there was money to be made , the project took off. In 2009 sales were $14,000.
Drayton is optimistic that in ten years Ashoka will be making really serious ,practical progress in bringing about social change by changing the way we look at economic development.
小題1:Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?
A.changemakersB.Businessmen
C.Social ConditionsD.Rubbish Problem
小題2:The underlined word "them" in Paragraph 3 probably refers to"       "
A.the local farmers B.Masqsood and Iftekhar
C.Drayton and his teamD.the poor people in Dhaka
小題3:It can be concluded from the passage that anyone can become a changemaker if he      .
A.considers Drayton's concept
B.gets permission from Ashoka
C.tries to improve social conditions
D.is a young, happy and healthy adult
小題4:The authors attitude towards Ashoka's program can be described as        
A.changingB.forgivingC.cautiousD.Positive

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

How far would you be willing to go to satisfy your need to know? Far enough to find out your possibility of dying from a terrible disease? These days that’s more than an academic question,as Tracy Smith reports in our Cover Story.
There are now more than a thousand genetic(基因的)tests,for everything from baldness to breast cancer,and the list is growing.Question is do you really want to know what might eventually kill you? For instance,Nobel Prize-winning scientist James Watson,one of the first people to map their entire genetic makeup, is said to have asked not to be told if he were at a higher risk for  Alzheimer’(老年癡呆癥).
“If I tell you that you have an increased risk of getting a terrible disease,that could weigh on your mind and make you anxious,through which you see the rest of your 1ife as you wait for that disease to hit you.It could really mess you up.”Said Dr.Robert Green,a Harvard geneticist.
“Every ache and pain,”Smith suggested,could be understood as“the beginning of the e nd.”“That’s right.If you ever worried you were at risk for Alzheimer's disease,then every time you can’t find your car in the parking lot,you think the disease has started.”
Dr.Green has been thinking about this issue for years.He led a study of people who wanted to know if they were at a higher genetic risk for Alzheimer’s.It was thought that people who got bad news would,for lack of a better medical term,freak out.But Green and his team found that there was “no significant difference”between how people handled good news and possibly the worst news of their lives.In fact,most people think they can handle it.People who ask for the information usually can handle the information,good or bad,said Green.
小題1:The first paragraph is meant to .
A.a(chǎn)sk some questionsB.introduce the topic
C.satisfy readers,curiosity D.describe an academic fact
小題2:Which of the following is true of James Watson?
A.He is strongly in favor of the present genetic tests.
B.He is more likely to suffer from Alzheimer's disease.
C.He believes genetic mapping can help cure any disease.
D.He doesn’t want to know his chance of getting a disease.
小題3:According to Paragraphs 3 and 4,if a person is at a higher genetic risk,it is .
A.a(chǎn)dvisable not to let him know
B.impossible to hide his disease
C.better to inform him immediately
D.necessary to remove his anxiety
小題4:The underlined part“freak out”in Paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to .
A.break downB.drop outC.leave offD.turn away
小題5:The study led by Dr.Green indicates that people .
A.prefer to hear good newsB.tend to find out the truth
C.can accept some bad news D.have the right to be informed

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

A large number of people in the world eat fast food. Whenever you go into a fast food restaurant, you can see lots of people enjoying their meals there. How do you know in which country people like fast food best?
  The English people are the world’s biggest fans of fast food, while the French are the least interested in quick meals, according to a survey done last year.
  The survey of thirteen countries shows 45% of the English people say they can’t give up fast food because it’s delicious. And 44% of Americans and 37% of Canadians say the same.
  The French, proud of their delicious cuisine, don’t like fast food. 81% of them think it is unhealthy, followed by 75% of the Japanese.
  How about the Chinese? How often do you have hamburgers or fried chicken? It doesn’t matter whether you like Western fast food or Chinese food. The most important thing is to keep a balanced diet.
小題1:According to the survey, some people can’t give up fast food because _____.
A.it’s cheapB.it’s safe
C.it’s deliciousD.it’s healthy From the survey,
小題2:We know _____ like fast food best.
A.the ChineseB.the FrenchC.the JapaneseD.the English
小題3:The survey is about _______.
A.Western countriesB.fast food
C.restaurants in the worldD.Chinese food
小題4:The word “cuisine” in the passage means _______.
A.foodB.houseC.waterD.country

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

San Francisco,unofficially regarded as one of the homeless capitals of the US,counts nearly 6,500 homeless people, with 4,300 living on the street.

Among the many problems that the homeless face is little or no access to showers.San Francisco only has about 16 to 20 shower stations to accommodate them.But Doniece Sandoval has made it her task to change that.
“Homelessness is something you can’t really miss,”the 51-year-old woman said.She started Lava Mae,a sort of showers on wheels, a new project that aims to turn old city buses into shower stations for the homeless.
“One day I passed a woman in the street and she was very dirty and basically crying,and I heard her say that she would never be clean.But I was wondering what her opportunities were to actually get clean,” Sandoval said.
Sandoval was inspired to start Lava Mae. The project has already been welcomed with open arms in the city.The Transportation Agency has donated one bus for the cause and is willing to donate three more if the project succeeds.Sandoval hopes the first bus will be able to hit the road in May this year.The Public Commission has also agreed to let the buses plug into fire hydrants(消防龍頭)around the city if Lava Mae  pays for the water.
One of Lava Mae’s biggest supporters is Bevan Dufty, the director of Housing Opportunity, Partnerships & Engagement under the mayor of San Francisco.“For people who are unhoused,access to showers is very difficult.Shower buses are something that could potentially be deployed (部署)in response to an emergency,so it is relevant to all San Franciscans," Dufty said.“Doniece has done an incredible job as a citizen who cares about helping the poor.We are very excited to see Lava Mae become real soon.”  
Each bus will have two shower stations and Sandoval expects that by 2015,they’ll be able to provide 2000 showers a week.
小題1:What problem does San Francisco face according to the text?
A.The city has the most homeless people in the USA.
B.There are no shower stations for the homeless in the city.
C.It’s hard for homeless people in the city to take showers.
D.Few citizens in the city care about the homeless.
小題2:What does the underlined word ''them” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A.City problems.B.Shower stations.C.Old buses.D.The homeless.
小題3:Which of the following best describes Doniece Sandoval?
A.Brave and independent.B.Caring and responsible.
C.Honest and determined.D.Friendly and humorous.
小題4:What can we learn from Dufty’s words?
A.All San Franciscans are excited to use Lava Mae.
B.Emergencies in San Francisco will be prevented by Lava Mae.
C.Dufty thinks highly of Doniece's way of helping the poor.
D.The mayor of San Francisco will support Doniece financially.
小題5:What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.A newly invented way of shower
B.Showers on Wheels for the Homeless
C.The health problem of the homeless
D.Lave Mae-a new name for old city buses

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

From the health point of view we are living in a marvelous age. We are immunized from birth against many of the most dangerous diseases. A large number of once fatal illnesses can now be cured by modern drugs and surgery. It is almost certain that one day remedies will be found for the most stubborn remaining diseases. The expectation of life has increased enormously. But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the incredible slaughter of men, women and children on the roads. Man versus the motor-car ! It is a never-ending battle which man is losing. Thousands of people the world over are killed or horribly killed each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting it happen.
It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering wheel, his car becomes the extension of his personality. There is no doubt that the motor-car often brings out a man’s very worst qualities. People who are normally quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizable when they are behind a steering-wheel. They swear, they are ill-mannered and aggressive, willful as two-years-olds and utterly selfish. All their hidden frustrations, disappointments and jealousies seem to be brought to the surface by the act of driving.
The surprising thing is that society smiles so benignly on the motorist and seems to condone his behaviour. Everything is done for his convenience. Cities are allowed to become almost uninhabitable because of heavy tragic; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is desecrated by road networks; and the mass annual slaughter becomes nothing more than a statistic, to be conveniently forgotten.
It is high time a world code were created to reduce this senseless waste of human life. With regard to driving, the laws of some countries are notoriously lax and even the strictest are not strict enough. A code which was universally accepted could only have a dramatically beneficial effect on the accident rate. Here are a few examples of some the things that might be done. The driving test should be standardized and made far more difficult than it is; all the drivers should be made to take a test every three years or so; the age at which young people are allowed to drive any vehicle should be raised to at least 21; all vehicles should be put through stringent annual tests for safety. Even the smallest amount of alcohol in the blood can impair a person’s driving ability. Present drinking and driving laws (where they exist) should be mad much stricter. Maximum and minimum speed limits should be imposed on all roads. Governments should lay down safety specifications for manufacturers, as has been done in the USA. All advertising stressing power and performance should be banned. These measures may sound inordinately harsh. But surely nothing should be considered as to severe if tit results in reducing the annual toll of human life. After all, the world is for human beings, not motor-cars.
小題1:The main idea of this passage is
[A] Traffic accidents are mainly caused by motorists.
Thousands of people the world over are killed each year.
[C] The laws of some countries about driving are too lax.
[D] Only stricter traffic laws can prevent accidents.
小題2:What does the author think of society toward motorists?
[A] Society smiles on the motorists.
Huge car parks are built in the cities and towns.
[C] Victims of accidents are nothing.
[D] Society condones their rude driving.
小題3:Why does the author say:’ his car becomes the extension of his personality?’
[A] Driving can show his real self.
Driving can show the other part of his personality.
[C] Driving can bring out his character.
[D] His car embodies his temper.
小題4:.Which of the followings is NOT mentioned as a way against traffic accidents?
[A] Build more highways.
Stricter driving tests.
[C] Test drivers every three years.
[D] raise age limit and lay down safety specifications.
小題5:.The attitude of the author is
[A] ironical
critical
[C] appealing
[D] militant
Vocabulary
1.immunise             使免疫,使免除
2.expectation of life =" life" expectancy    平均壽命
3.versus =" against"             對頂,反對
4.mutilate             傷害
5.wilful             任性的,固執(zhí)的
6.benign             寬厚的,仁慈的
7.condone             寬容
8.desecrate          褻瀆,玷污
9.code             法規(guī),規(guī)定,慣例
10.stringent          嚴格的,緊急的,迫切的
11.performance                   演出,成品,這里是指
car’ s behavior such as speed,
function etc.可譯成行為,
汽車行為、功能等。
難句譯注
1.Man versus the motor-car ! It is a never-ending battle which man is losing.
【參考譯文】人和汽車對抗!這是一場人類永遠是輸家的無休止的戰(zhàn)斗。
2.All advertising stressing power and performance should be banned.
【參考譯文】應(yīng)當禁止所有強調(diào)力量和表現(xiàn)行為的廣告。
寫作方法與文章大意
文章論述“交通事故”,采用因果、對比手法。從人的平均壽命增加和交通事故率成正比談起,觸及事故率上升的原因,要求制定更嚴格的法規(guī)予以制止種種造成事故的不良行為。

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

It’s really true what people say about English politeness: it’s everywhere. When squeezing  past someone in a narrow passage, people say “sorry”. When getting off a bus, English passengers say “thank you” rather than the driver. In Germany, people would never dream of doing these things. After all, squeezing past others is sometimes unavoidable, and the bus driver is only doing his job. I used to think the same way, without questioning it, until I started traveling to the British Isles, and here are some more polite ways of interacting  with people in UK.
People thank each other everywhere in England, all the time. When people buy something in a shop, customer and shop assistant in most cases thank each other twice or more. In Germany, it would be exceptional to hear more than one thank you in such a conversation. British students thank their lecturers when leaving the room. English employers thank their employees for doing their jobs, as opposite to Germans, who would normally think that paying their workers money is already enough.
Another thing I observed during my stay was that English people rarely criticize others. Even when I was working and mistakes were pointed out to me, my employers emphasized several times but none of their explanations were intended as criticism. It has been my impression that by avoiding criticism, English people are making an effort to make others feel comfortable. This also is showed in other ways. British men still open doors for women, and British men are more likely to treat women to a meal than German men. However, I do need to point out here that this applies to English men a bit more than it would to Scottish men! Yes, the latter are a bit tightfisted.
小題1:What is the author’s attitude towards English politeness?
A.He thinks it is unnecessary.B.He thinks little of it.
C.He appreciates it very much.D.He thinks it goes too far.
小題2:What can be inferred from the passage?
A.German men never treat a woman to dinner.
B.The author think it’s unnecessary to say “thank you” to the bus driver.
C.In Germany, employers often say “thank you” to employees for their job.
D.Germans think it is unnecessary to thank workers because payment is enough.
小題3:We can learn from the last paragraph that Scottish men ______.
A.like to fight with each other
B.treat women in a polite way
C.a(chǎn)re as generous as English men
D.a(chǎn)re unwilling to spend money for women
小題4:The author develops the text through the method of ______.
A.making comparisonsB.telling storiesC.giving reasonsD.giving examples

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習冊答案