According to the passage, what was the greatest benefit of cars to American life?

A. They provided people with more freedom to travel.encouraged people to drive cars to and from work.

B. They

C. They led to the

D. They

development of drive-in movies and drive-through restaurants.allowed teenagers to spend more time with their friends. 13)

The main point of Paragraph 4 is that cars ________.

A. caused families to grow closerteenagersand fun

14)

What caused the change of the car safety features?

A. Many car accidents during 1960s.government.

C. changed the lives of adults

B. changed the thoughts of D. made everyday life easy

B. The regulations by the

D. Customers

C. The standards by the car company.

who would purchase cars.

15)

What’s the main theme of the passage?

A. The US has most of the cars in the world.surpass the US in the car market.with the car industry.II.

参考答案：

11) C 12) A 13) B 14) D 15) C

B. China will soon

C. Americans’ lives have changed a lot

D. Europeans were living in poverty after World War

What do Leonardo da Vinci (达芬奇) and Albert Einstein have in common? They were both left-handed, along with other famous people including Pablo Picasso (毕加索). In fact, an estimated 11 percent of Americans and Europeans are left-handed.

Most people around the world are right-handed. This fact also seems to have held true throughout history. In 1977, scientists studied works of art made at various time in history starting with cave drawings from 15,000 B.C. and ending with paintings from the 1950s. Most of the people shown in these works of art are right-handed, so scientists guessed that right-handedness has always been common.

Many researchers claim to have found relationships between left-handedness and various physical and mental characteristics, such as blond hair, blue eyes, vegetarianism, and sleep difficulties. Other studies have found a higher-than-normal level of left-handed people in certain occupations, including professional baseball and tennis players, architects, lawyers, as well as prisoners. However, some of these connections are very weak, and others haven’t been proven.

What makes a person become right-handed rather than left-handed? As yet, no one really knows for sure. One simple idea suggests that people normally get right-handedness from their parents. Studies have found that two right-handed parents have only 9.5 percent chance of having a left-handed child, while two left-handed parents have a 26 percent chance of having a left-handed child. Another common theory is that left-handed people suffer mild brain damage during their birth.

Whatever the reasons behind it, people’s attitudes toward left-handedness have changed a lot over the years. Statistics show that although 13 percent of young people (10-12 years old) are left-handed, only 6 percent of the elderly are left-handed. Left-handed children used to be punished until they began using their right hand like other children, but today people who are left-handed are no longer looked down upon nor are they considered abnormal.

For most people today either case is perfectly acceptable. There are even a number of shops now that specialize in selling products designed for left-

handed people, such as left-handed scissors, can openers, guitars, and even a left-handed camera. Don’t you think it’s wonderful?

16)

From studying works of art, scientists have learned that ________.

A. left-handed people are better artists

B. most artists are left-handed

D. cave drawings were

C. most people in history were right-handeddrawn using both hands

17)

What is talking about in the Paragraph 3?

A. People with certain characteristics are better at certain jobs.B. Left-handed people are better at some jobs.linked with certain characters and occupations.reasons why people are left-handed. 18)

Why is a person right-handed?

A. It is caused by the person’s parents.the person lives in.

B. It is due to the environment

D. It

C. Left-handedness is D. There are some

C. It is suffered a mild brain damage at birth.

is not sure about specific reasons yet.

19)

What can be assumed about the children of two left-handed parents?

A. Many of them are left-handed.

B. Most of them are right-handed.

D. Very few of them are left-

C. Most of them use both hands equally.handed.

20)

Left-handed children ________.

A. are usually looked down uponEinstein

B. are exceptionally talented like

D. were often forced to

C. are thought of as abnormal

become right-handed 参考答案：

16) C 17) C 18) D 19) A 20) D

What is the value of the humanities? Why should we study the humanities given the current economic recession? In this new era of continuous unemployment slides and shrinking university funds, questions about the importance of the humanities in a complex and technologically demanding world have taken on new urgency.

While the humanities may not seem as important as engineering, chemistry, or any of the other “hard” sciences, it still plays a significant role in the world. There is a great misunderstanding of what the humanities are and what they can do. People often assume that the humanities are just about reading the great literary and philosophical works and understanding the question of what living is for.

I would argue that humanities – at least from a Cultural Studies perspective – is much more than reading the classic works and speculating about the meaning of life. In Cultural Studies, we apply theory to practice. Thinking and acting outside of the ivory tower, Cultural Studies attempts to produce research that engages with the public. As a cultural researcher, I am constantly asking myself the “So what?” question. Why does this topic matter? Why should people care?

This continuous self-questioning helps bridge the gap between theory and practice. While I am learning for the sake of learning, I believe scholars have the responsibility to think about the ways in which their research relates to the larger picture. What is the point of research if it doesn’t affect the way people think about and act in the world?

One thing I think Cultural Studies does effectively is rethinking the way we have traditionally thought about things. In Cultural Studies, few things – if anything – are taken for granted. Our research is largely driven by the

question of what it means to be human. Through critical and creative engagement, we attempt to speculate on a question in a way that inspires people to imagine what might be instead of what is.

This critical and creative engagement is especially important given the worsening state of the economy and the need for creative ways of being in the world.

21)

Why has the question of studying the humanities taken on new urgency?

A. More people have realized its importance.more interesting topic.

B. It has become a

C. It’s driven by the current economic downturn.

D. It’s compelled by today’s complex world.

22)

According to the author, what’s the assumption of the general public?

A. “Hard” sciences are more important than the humanities.people don’t know who they are and what they can do.really understand the meaning of life.with literatures and philosophies.

23)

What does Paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A. It asks “So what?” question.

B. It argues to support the humanities.

D. It tries to think

B. Most

C. People don’t

D. The humanities are only to do

C. It produces research to get involved with people.and act outside of the ivory tower. 24)

What is the author’s point in Paragraph 4?