B

　 How quickly can you count from one to ten? Do you use ten different words to do it? Can you do it in English, or do you have to use your first languages? Do you count on your fingers?Many people think that numbers and math are the same all over the world. But scientists have discovered that it is not true.

People in different parts of the world use different ways to count on their fingers. In the United States,people think begin counting with their first fingers,which they extend or stick out.They then extend the rest of their fingers and finally the thumb(拇指）to count to five.Then they repeat this with the other hand to get to ten.In China,people count by using different finger positions.In this way, a Chinese person can easily count to ten on only one hand.

Besides ways of finger counting,scientists have found that cultures and languages are also different when it comes to numbers.Some languages have only a few words for numbers,and others have no words for numbers.A group of scientists studied aboriginal(土著的）people in Australia.These people don’t have hand movements to stand for numbers.They don’t even have word for numbers.However,they are still able to understand different ideas about numbers.

In a similar study,researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology discovered that people of the Piraha tribe(部落） in northwestern Brazil don’t have words for numbers such as “one” or “three.”.They are not able to say “five trees” or “ten trees” but can say “some trees,” “more trees,” or “many trees.” Professor Edward Gibson said that mist people believe that everyone knows how to count, “but here is a group that does not count.They could learn,but is’t not useful in their culture,so they’ve never picked it up.”

Although all humans are able to understand quantities(数量）,not all languages have numbers and not all people use counting.Number words in a certain language are a result of people needing numbers in their daily lives.Now we know that people have different ideas about numbers and math,too.

51.The writer begins with the four questions in order to______.

A.make a survey　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B.interest readers

C.tell a story　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.solve math problems

52.What do we learn from the difference in finger counting between the U.S. and China?

A.People from China count much faster than people from the U.S.

B.People from China need two hands to count from one to ten.

C.People of different cultures may use different ways of finger counting

D.People of different cultures use the same way of finger counting.

53.Which of following is true about aboriginal Australians?

A.They have only a few words for numbers

B.They have hand movements to stand for numbers

C.They can only count to five on their fingers

D.They can understand different ideas about numbers

54.The study of the Piraha tribe shows that____

A.people all over the world know how to count

B.People of the tribe have words for number

C.Some groups of people are not smart enough to count

D.Counting is not useful in the culture of the tribe

55.What is the main idea of the passage?

A.people from different cultures have different ideas about numbers and math

B.Chinese people can count more easily on their fingers than Americans

C.In some aboriginal culture,people don’t even know how to count

D.Some languages don’t have number words because people don’t need numbers.

A

46.According to the passage,we can see that both writers______.

A.have changed their jobs　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　 B.like sports very much

C.feel unhappy at work　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.are looking for jobs

47.The reason why the first writer take up the jobs as a clown is that_____.

A.he has had a disease for two years.　　　　　 B.he needs a much easier job

C.he wants to be a successful man　　　　　　　 D.he wishes to help people

48.The second writer mentions famous people in the passage to show that_____.

A.they are always rich　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B.they have stress sometimes

C.they like funny people　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.they are good at doing yoga

49.The underlined part “fed up” is closest in meaning to ______.

A.interested　　　　　　　 B.satisfied　　　　　 C.disappointed　　　　　 D.bored

50.It can be learned from the passage that both writers think of their jobs as______.

A.happy moments to learn from other people

B.great chances to make themselves well known

C.rich expensive of acting on the stage

D.good ways of making people happy and healthy

五、完形填空

通读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后在各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出一个最佳选项。

At a day care centre in Texas,Jessica McClure was playing outside.Jessica’s mother,__31__worked at the day care centre,was watching her.Suddenly Jessica__32__ and disappeared.Jessica’s mother cried and ran to her.

The well in the yard was only eight inches across,and a rock always__33__it.But children had moved the rock.__34__ Jessica fell,she fell right into the well.

Jessica’s mother ran to a phone and called 911 for __35__.Men from the fire department arrived.They __36__that Jessica was about 20 feet down in the well.Then they told Jessica’a parents their__37__. “We can’t go down into the well”they said,”It’s so small.So we are going to dig a hole ___38___well.We’ll dig down about 20 feet.Then we’ll dig a tunnel(通道) across to Jessica.When we reach her,we’ll bring her through the tunnel.Then we’ll bring her up through our__39__.”

The men began to gig the hole on a Wednesday morning.Two days later,on Friday morning,they were__40__digging.And Jessica McClure was still in the well.

All over the world people waited for news of Jessica.They read about her in newspapers and watched her rescue(营救）on TV.Everyone__41__ the little girl in the well.

At 8:00 p.m. On Friday,the men__42__ reached Jessica and brought her up from the well.Then doctors rushed her to the hospital.Jessica was badly injured but she was still__43__.A doctor at the hospital said, “Jessica is lucky she is very__44__.She’s not going to remember this very well.”

Maybe Jessica will not remember her days in the well.But her parents,her rescuers,and many other people around the world will not forget__45__.

After Jessica’s rescue,one of the rescuers made a metal cover for the well.On the cover he wrote, “To Jessica,with love from al of us.”

31.A.she　　　 　　　　　　　 B.who　　　　　　　　 C.whom　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.which

32.A.fell　　　　　　　　　　 B.slept　　　　　　　　 C.stooped　　　　　　　　　 D.rose

33.A.broke　　　　　　　　 B.hid　　　　　　　　　 C.covered　　　　　　　　　 D.opened

34.A.Because　　　　　　 B.Although　　　　 C.If　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.When

35.A.advice　　　　　　　　 B.money　　　　　　　 C.help　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.information

36.A.promised　　　　　 B.discovered　　　　　　　 C.hoped　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.agreed

37.A.dream　　　　　　　　 B.study　　　　　　　 C.lesson　　　　　　　　　　　 D.plan

38.A.next to　　　　　　　 B.along with　　　　　　　 C.far from　　　　　　　　　 D.out of

39.A.well　　　　　　　　　 B.tunnel　　　　　　　　　　 C.hole　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.yard

40.A.still　　　　　　　　　　 B.already　　　　　　 C.always　　　　　　　　　　 D.almost

41.A.looked after 　　 B.worried about　 C.made friends with　 D.stayed away from

42.A.immediately　　　 B.usually　　　　　　 C.quickly　　　　　　　　　　 D.finally

43.A.alone　　　　　　　　　 B.asleep　　　　　　　 C.alive　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.afraid

44.A.young　　　　　　　　 B.popular　　　　　　 C.clever　　　　　　　　　　　 D.pretty

45.A.it　　　　　　　　　　　　 B.them　　　　　　　　 C.him　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.us

30.--What about having a drink?　 --_______.

A.Help yourself　 B.Never mind　　　　　　 C.You’re right　　　　　　 D.Good idea.

29.They usually go shopping____ their lunch break.

A.against　　　　　　　　　　 B.among　　　　　　　　　　 C.between　　　　　 D.during

28.After Steven sent some e-mails ,he______ surfing the Internet.

A.starts　　　　　　　　 B.has started　　　　　　　 C.will start　　　　　 D.started

27.It’s hard to believe____ the way out of the forest without the help of the local guide.

A.what they were able to find　　　　　　　 B.what were they able to find

C.how they were able to find　　　　　　　　 D.how were they able to find

26.The boats take different routes, but they all____ in the same place.

A.give up　　　　　　　　　 B.clear up　　　　　　 C.end up　　　　　　　　　　 D.make up

25.Of the two shirts,I’d like to choose the_____ one to save some money for a cap.

A.cheapest　　　　　 B.cheaper　　　　　　 C.more expensive　　　 　 D.most expensive