Question

Imagine a world in which there was suddenly no emotion―a world in which human beings could feel no love or happiness，no terror or hate. Try to imagine the consequences of such a transformation. People might not be able to stay alive: knowing neither joy nor pleasure, anxiety nor fear,they would be as likely to repeat acts that hurt them as acts that were beneficial. They could not learn： they could not benefit from experience because this emotionless world would lack rewards and punishments. Society would soon disappear: people would be as likely to harm one another as to provide help and support. Human relationships would not exist：in a world without friends or enemies， there could be no marriage, affection among companions, or bonds(關(guān)系)among members of groups. Society, s economic underpinnings(支柱)would be destroyed：since earning $ 10 million would be no more pleasant than earning $10，there would be no incentive to work. In fact，there would be no incentives of any kind,for as we will see,incentives imply a capacity to enjoy them.

In such a world, the chances that the human species would survive are next to zero,because emotions are the basic instrument of our survival and adaptation. Emotions structure the world for us in important ways. As individuals, we categorize objects on the basis of our emotions. True,we

consider the length, shape, size,or texture, but an object' s physical aspects are less important than what it has done or can do to us―hurt us，surprise us，anger us or make us joyful. We also use categorizations colored by emotions in our families,communities, and overall society. Out of our emotional experiences with objects and events comes a social feeling of agreement that certain things and actions are "good" and others are "bad"，and we apply these categories to every aspect of our social life―from what foods we eat and what clothes we wear to how we keep promises and which people our group will accept. In fact,society uses our emotional reactions and attitudes,such as loyalty, morality,pride,shame, guilt,fear and greed,in order to maintain itself. Jt gives high rewards to individuals who perform important tasks such as surgery, and makes heroes out of individuals for unusual or dangerous achievements such as flying fighter planes in a war,and uses the legal system to make people afraid to engage in antisocial acts.

(   ) 8. Which of the following is right according to the first paragraph?

A.  People would not be able to tell the texture of objects.

B.  People would not know what was beneficial and what was harmful to them.

C.  $10 million is equal to $ 10 in a world without emotions.

D.  There would be full of lies,arguments and violence.

(   ) 9. It can be inferred from the passage that the economic foundation of society is dependent on      .

A.  the ability to make money

B.  the capacity to work

C.  the stimulus to work

D.  the categorizations of our emotional experiences

(   ) 10. Emotions are significant for man，s survival and adaptation because            .

A.  they provide the means by which people view the size or shape of objects

B.  they are the basis for the social feeling of agreement by which society is maintained

C.  they encourage people to perform dangerous achievements

D.  they produce more love than hate among people

(   ) 11. Why are the emotional aspects of an object more important than its physical aspects?

A.  They help society use its members for profit.

B.  They encourage us to perform important tasks.

C.  They help to perfect the legal system.

D.  They help us adapt our behavior to the world surrounding us. 

(   ) 12. What is the text mainly about?

A.  People could only live in a world with emotions.

B.  People would always do bad things in the emotionless world.

C.  Emotions are very important in the world.

D.  Emotions structure the world for us in important ways.

Answer 1

8. B細(xì)節(jié)理解題。A項(xiàng)第一段未提及。第一段中"...since earning $10 million would be no more pleasant than earning $10"并沒(méi)表達(dá)1億美元等于10美元的意思；C項(xiàng)是對(duì)該句話的曲解。通過(guò)"a world in which human beings could feel no love or happiness， no terror or hate"可知D項(xiàng)是錯(cuò)誤答案。

9. C邏輯推理題。從第一段"since earning $10mil?lion would be no more pleasant than earning $10, there would be no incentive to work. In fact,there would be no incentives of any kind. For as we will see, incentives imply a capacity to enjoy them."可知人們工作的積極性是需要"incentives"來(lái)調(diào)動(dòng)的， incentive刺激物。

10. B細(xì)節(jié)理解題。人類對(duì)事物的形狀大小的認(rèn)知并不來(lái)源于情感，所以A項(xiàng)概念錯(cuò)誤。根據(jù)"It gives high rewards to individuals who perform important tasks such as surgery, makes heroes out of individuals for unusual or dangerous achievements such as flying fighter planes in a war"可知：是社會(huì)利用情感讓人們?nèi)�從事危險(xiǎn)工作，而非情感鼓勵(lì)人類去這么做，C項(xiàng)表述屬偷梁換柱。D項(xiàng)表述文中沒(méi)有出現(xiàn)。

11. D細(xì)節(jié)理解題。通過(guò)第二段"In such a world,the chances that the human species would survive are next to zero，because emotions are the basic instrument of our survival and adaptation."可知,情感可以幫助我們適應(yīng)環(huán)境。

12. C主旨大意題。第一段的描述向人們展示沒(méi)有感情的世界有多么的可怕，第二段進(jìn)一步說(shuō)明事物的情感方面比其自然面要重要得多。由此可知本文主要講情感的重要性。