The literal meaning of philosophy is “l(fā)ove of wisdom”．But this meaning does not tell us very much．Unlike the other disciplines, philosophy cannot be defined by what you study, because it si actually unlimited．Anything can be the subject matter of philosophy: are, history, law, language, literature, mathematics, and in fact, the other academic disciplines are directly related to philosophy．For this reason you get a Doctorate（博士學(xué)位）of Philosophy （Ph．D．） in biochemistry, or computer science, or psychology．

       Two broad sub-fields of philosophy are logic and the history of philosophy．Logic is the science of argument and critical thinking．It provides sound methods for distinguishing good from bad reasonign．The history of philosophy involves the study of major philosophers and periods in the development of philosophy．

       Of what use is philosophy? First it is useful in educational advancement．It is necessary for understanding other disciplines．Only philosophy questions the nature of the concepts used in a discipline, and its relation to other disciplines．And through the study of philosophy, one develops sound methods of research and analysis that can be applied to any field．

       There are a number of general uses of philosophy．It strengthens one’s ability to solve problems, to communicate, to organize ideas and issues, to persuade, and to take what is the most important from a large quantity of data．These general uses are of great benefit in the career field, not necessarily for obtaining one’s first job after graduation, but for preparing for positions of responsibility, management  and leadership later on．It is very short-sighted after all, to take a course of studies only for the purpose of getting one’s first job．The useful skills developed through the study of philosophy have significant long-term benefits in career advancement．No other discipline systematically follows the ideals of wisdom, leadership, and capacity to resolve human conflict．

41．According to paragraph 1, philosophy can best be described as the study of        ．

       A．social sciences                           B．natural sciences

       C．both social and natural sciences             D．the subject matter of politics

42．What does “discipline” mean in the first paragraph?

       A．subject     B．science     C．literature   D．occupation

43．With the study of philosophy, you can        ．

       A．become a great leader

       B．succeed in everything

       C．find a good job soon after graduation

       D．make progress in your career development

44．According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

       A．Philosophy is an independent discipline．

       B．Logic helps you to become a better thinker．

       C．The study of philosophy brings you immediate benefits．

       D．The meaning of philosophy is too limited to define．

45．From the passage, we can conclude        ．

       A．not all the subjects have to do with philosophy

       B．a(chǎn) person will get a Ph．  D．if he/she studies philosophy

       C．philosophy can be helpful for the study of any other subjects

       D．philosophy is the only solution to all the problems in the world

Unless we spend money spotting and preventing asteroids(小行星) now, one might crash into Early and destroy life as we know it, say some scientists.

Asteroids are bigger versions of the meteoroids(流星) that race across the night sky. Most orbit the sun far from Earth and don’t threaten us. But there are also thousands of asteroids whose orbits put them on a collision course with Earth.

Buy $50 million worth of new telescopes right now. Then spend $10 million a year for the next 25 years to locate most of the space rocks. By the time we spot a fatal one, the scientists say, we’ll have a way to change its course.

Some scientists favor pushing asteroids off course with nuclear weapons.  But the cost wouldn’t be cheap. Is is worth it? Two things experts consider when judging any risk are: (1)How likely the event is; and (2) How bad the consequences if the event occurs. Experts think an asteroid big enough to destroy lots of life might strike Earth once every 500 000 years. Sounds pretty rare-but if one did fall, it would be the end of the world. “If we don’t take care of these asteroids, they’ll take care of us,”says one scientist.  “It’s that simple.”

 The cure, though, might be worse than the disease. Do we really want fleets of nuclear weapons sitting around on Earth? “The world has less to fear from doomsday(世界末日) rocks than from a great nuclear fleet set against it,” said a New York Times article.

9.What does the passage say about asteroids and meteoroids?

A.They are heavenly bodies different in composition.

  B.They are heavenly bodies similar in nature.

C.There are more asteroids than meteoroids.

D.Asteroids are more mysterious than meteoroids.

10.What do scientists say about the collision of an asteroid with Earth?

A.It is very unlikely but the danger exists.

B.Such a collision might occur once every 25 years.

C.Coilisions of smaller asteroids with Earth occur more often than expected.

  D.lt’s still too early to say whether such a collision might occur.

11.What do people think of the suggestion of using nuclear weapons to alter the course of asteroids?

A.It sounds practical but it may not solve the problem.

B.It may create more problems than it might slove.

C.It is a waste of money because a collision of asteroids with Earth is very unlikely.

D.Further research should be done before it is proved applicable.

12.We can conclude from the passage that .      

A.while pushing asteroids off course nuclear weapons would destroy the world

B.asteroids racing across the night sky are likely to hit Earth in the near future

C.the worry about asteroids can be left to future generations since it is unlike to happen in our    lifetime.

D.workable solutions still have to be found to prevent a collision of asteroids with Earth

閱讀下面短文，按照句子結(jié)構(gòu)的語(yǔ)法性和上下文連貫的要求，在空格處填人一個(gè)適當(dāng)?shù)脑~或使用括號(hào)中詞語(yǔ)的正確形式填空，并將答案填寫(xiě)在答題卡標(biāo)號(hào)為16～25的相應(yīng)位置上。

If you struggle against figures, maybe you were born that way, research has suggested. Being good at mathematics may be entirely pre-destined—you either have it   16   you don’t.

   And those who find   17   difficult to add up the number shouldn’t feel too hopeless—mathematical talent does not appear to be linked to all-round intelligence. Previous research has indicated that "number sense" is    18    (base) to humans. We use it to estimate such things as    19    number of seats in a cinema or crowd sizes.

   U.S. psychologists at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore made their finding after testing children too young to have been taught mathematics. During the study, 200 four-year-olds   20   (study) in terms of number senses, calculation skills and vocabulary. The verbal test was done for the reason   21   language and maths abilities are thought to be   22   (close) linked through general intelligence.

   "Unlike    23    previous studies proved, this one shows that the link   24   number sense and maths ability is already present before the beginning of formal maths instruction. One of the most important questions is whether we can train a child’s number sense   25  

(improve) his future maths ability."

 

I walked into the grocery store not particularly interested in buying something. The sorrow of   1  my husband of 37 years was still too painful. And this grocery store held so many sweet  2 . Bob often came with me and almost every time he'd  3  to go off and look for something special. I'd always see him walking down the walkway   4  the three yellow roses in his hands. Bob knew I loved yellow roses. With a heart   5  with pain, I came to the meat shelf, I searched for the  6  small steak and remembered how Bob had loved his steak.

Suddenly a woman came beside me. She was in a soft green dress. I   7  as she picked up a large pack of T-bones,   8  them in her basket, hesitated, and then put them back. She saw me watching her and she smiled. "My husband loves T-bones, but   9 , at these prices, I don't know."

"My husband passed away eight days ago," I told her. "Buy him the steaks. And value every   10  you have together."

She smiled and I saw the feeling in her   11  as she placed the package in her basket and   12  away. I turned and pushed my cart forward too. Several minutes later I saw first the green suit and then  13  the pretty lady coming to me. In her arms she carried something. On her face was the   14  smile I had ever seen.

As she came closer, I saw what she held and   15  welled down. "These are for you, " she said and placed three beautiful yellow roses in my arms. She placed a gentle kiss on my cheek, then smiled again. I wanted to tell her what the roses   16 , but still unable to speak. I watched as she walked away as tears clouded my   17 . I looked down at the beautiful roses and found it almost  18 . How did she know?

Suddenly the   19  seemed so clear. I wasn't alone. "Oh, Bob, you haven't   20  me, have you?" I whispered, with tears in my eyes. He was still with me, and she was his angel.

1.                A．leaving         B．losing          C．passing   D．failing

 

2.                A．flowers         B．roses           C．thoughts  D．memories

 

3.                A．pretend        B．happen         C．refuse    D．decide

 

4.                A．by             B．between        C．with D．during

 

5.                A．full            B．pleased         C．filled D．crowded

 

6.                A．perfect         B．beautiful        C．pretty    D．very

 

7.                A．saw            B．watched        C．found    D．glared

 

8.                A．fell            B．carried         C．took D．dropped

 

9.                A．honestly        B．generally        C．usually   D．exactly

 

10.               A．dinner         B．moment        C．time  D．year

 

11.               A．hands          B．voice          C．eyes  D．basket

 

12.               A．wheeled        B．ran            C．slipped    D．left

 

13.               A．realized        B．thought        C．recognized D．received

 

14.               A．saddest        B．funniest        C．strangest  D．brightest

 

15.               A．words          B．feelings        C．tears D．sweats

 

16.               A．stood          B．described       C．designed  D．meant

 

17.               A．cart           B．sight           C．roses D．package

 

18.               A．unknown       B．uncommon      C．unlike D．unreal

 

19.               A．question        B．case           C．a(chǎn)nswer    D．puzzle

 

20.               A．forgotten       B．disappointed    C．hated D．missed

 

 

Why is pink or purple a color for girls and blue or brown for boys?

The answer depends largely on cultural values as well as personal experiences. To the Egyptians, green was a color that represented the hope and joy of spring, while for Muslims, it means heaven. Red is a symbol (象征) of good luck in many cultures. In China, children are given money in a red envelope to bring good fortune in the New Year. For many nations, blue is a symbol of protection and religious beliefs. Greek people often wear a blue necklace hoping to protect themselves against evils (災(zāi)禍).

People’s choice of colors is also influenced by their bodies’ reactions (反應(yīng)) toward them. Green is said to be the most restful color. It has the ability to reduce pain and relax people both mentally and physically. People who work in green environment have been found to have fewer stomach aches.

Red can cause a person’s blood pressure to rise and increase people’s appetites (食欲). Many decorators will include different shades of red in the restaurant. Similarly, many commercial websites will have a red “Buy Now” button because red is a color that easily catches a person’s eye.

Blue is another calming color. Unlike red, blue can cause people to lose appetite. So if you want to eat less, some suggest that eating from blue plates can help.

The next time you are deciding on what to wear or what color to decorate your room, think about the color carefully.

1.Muslims regard green as a symbol of heaven mainly because of their______.

A．cultural values                         B．commercial purposes

C．personal experiences                    D．physical reactions to the color

2.Why will many commercial websites have a red “Buy Now” button?

A．To relax people physically.

B．To increase people’s appetites.

C．To encourage people to make a purchase.

D．To cause a person’s blood pressure to rise.

3.What color might help lose weight according to the text?

A．Red.             B．Green.            C．Blue.             D．Purple.

4.Which of the following would be the most proper title for the text?

A．Colors and Human Beings

B．The Cultural Meaning of Color

C．The Meaning and Function of Color

D．Colors and Personal Experiences