第二篇 The Only Way Is Up Think of a modem city and the first image that come to mind is the skyline. It is full of great buildings, pointing like fingers to heaven. It is true that some cities don’t permit buildings to go above a certain height. But these are cities concerned with the past. The first thing any city does when it wants to tell the world that it has arrived is to build skyscrapers. When people gather together in cities, they create a demand for land. Since cities are places where money is made, that demand can be met. And the best way to make money out of city land is to put as many people as possible in a space that covers the smallest amount of ground. That means building upwards. The technology existed to do this as early as the 19th century. But the height of buildings was limited by one important factor. They had to be small enough for people on the top floors to climb stairs. People could not be expected to climb a mountain at the end of their journey to work, or home. Elisha Otis, a US inventor, was the man who brought us the lift - or elevator, as he preferred to call it. However, most of the technology is very old. Lifts work using the same pulley system the Egyptians used to create the Pyramids. What Otis did was attach the system to a steam engine and develop the elevator brake, which stops the lift falling if the cords that hold it up are broken. It was this that did the most to gain public confidence in the new invention, In fact, he spent a number of years exhibiting lifts at fairgrounds, giving people the chance to try them out before selling the idea to architects and builders. A lift would not be a very good theme park attraction now. Going in a lift is such an everyday thing that it would just be boring. Yet psychologists and others who study human behavior fund lifts fascinating. The reason is simple. Scientists have always studied animals in zoos. The nearest they can get to that with humans is in observing them in lifts. "It breaks all the usual conventions about the bubble of personal space we carry around with us — and you just can’t choose to move away," says workplace psychologist, Gary Fitzgibbon. Being trapped in this setting can create different types of tensions, he says. Some people are scared of them. Others use them as an opportunity to get close to the boss. Some stand close to the door. Others hide in the corners. Most people try and shrink into the background. But some behave in a way that makes others notice them. There are a few people who just stand in a corner taking notes, Don’t worry about them. They are probably from a university. When Otis came up with the idea of a lift,
A. he sold it to the architects and builders immediately.
B. the Egyptians used it to build the Pyramids.
C. it was accepted favorably by the public.
D. most people had doubt about its safety.
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阅读下面的短文,文中有15处空白,每处空白给出了4个选项,请根据短文的内容从4个选项中选择1个最佳答案。 An Early Form of Jazz Music Music comes in many forms; most countries have a style of their own. At the turn of the last century, (51) jazz was born, America had no prominent. (52) of its own. No one knows exactly when it was invented or by whom. But it began to be (53) in the early 1890s. Jazz is America’s contribution to (54) music. In contrast to classical music, which (55) formal European traditions, jazz is spontaneous and free in form. It bubbles with energy, (56) the moods, interests, and emotions of the people. In the 1920s jazz (57) like America. And so it does today. The (58) of the music are as interesting as the music itself. American Negroes, or blacks, as they are called today, were the jazz pioneers. They were brought to the Southern states (59) slaves. They were sold to plantation owners and forced to work long hours. When a Negro died his friends and relatives (60) a procession to carry the body to the cemetery. In New Orleans, a band often accompanied the (61) . On the way to the cemetery the band played slow, solemn music suited to the occasion. (62) on the way home the mood changed. Spirits lifted. Death had removed one of their number, but the living were glad to be (63) . The band played (64) music, improvising on both the harmony and the melody of the tunes (65) at the funeral. This music made everyone want to dance. It was an early form of jazz.
A. like
B. for
C. as
D. by
So what is depression Depression is often more about anger turned (1) than it is about sadness. But it’s usually (2) as sadness. Depression can (3) at all ages, from childhood to old age, and it’s the United States’ No. 1 (4) problem.When someone is depressed, her behavior (5) change and she loses interest in activities she (6) enjoyed (like sports, music, friendships). The sadness usually lasts every day for most of the day and for two weeks or more.What (7) depression A (8) event can certainly bring (9) depression, but some will say it happens (10) a specific cause. So how do you know if you’re just having a bad day (11) are really depressed Depression affects your (12) , moods, behavior and even your physical health. These changes often go (13) or are labeled (14) simply a bad case of the blues.Someone who’s truly (15) depression will have (16) periods of crying spells, feelings of (17) (like not being able to change your situation) and (18) (tike you’ll feel this way forever), irritation or agitation. A depressed person often (19) from others, Depression seldom goes away by itself, and the greatest (20) of depression is suicide. The risk of suicide increases if the depression isn’t treated. 14()
A. by
B. as
C. in
D. for
2 Thirty-two people watched Kitty Genovese being killed right beneath their win dows. She was their neighbor. Yet none of the 32 helped her. Not one even called the po lice. Was this in gunman cruelty Was it lack of feeling about one’s fellow man "Not so," say scientists John Barley and Bib Fatane. These men went beyond the headlines to probe the reasons why people didn’t act. They found that a person has to go through two steps before he can help. First he has to notice that is an emergency. Suppose you see a middle-aged man fall to the side-walk, is he having a heart attack Is he in a coma from diabetes Or is he about to sleep off a drunk Is the smoke coming into the room from a leak in the air conditioning Is it "steam pipes," Or is it really smoke from a fire It’s not always easy to tell if you are faced with a real emergency. Second, and more important, the person faced with an emergency must feel personal ly responsible. He must feel that he must help, or the person won’t get the help he needs. The researchers found that a lot depends on how many people are around. They had college students in to be "tested. " Some came alone. Some came with one or two others. And some came in large groups. The receptionist started them off on the "tests. " Then she went into the next room. A curtain divided the "testing room" and the room into which she went. Soon the students heard a scream, the noise of file cabinets falling and cry for help. All of this had been pre-recorded on a tape-recorder. Eight out of ten of the students taking the test alone acted to help. Of the students in pairs, only two out of the ten helped. Of the students in group, none helped. In other words, in a group, Americans often fail to act. They feel that others will act. They, themselves, needn’t. They do not feel any direct responsibility. Are people bothered by situation where people are in trouble Yes, scientists found that the people were emotional, they sweated, they had trembling hands. They felt that other person’s trouble. But they did not act. They were in a group. Their actions were shaped by the actions of those they were with. The author suggests that______.
A. we shouldn’t blame a person if he fails to act in emergencies
B. a person must feel guilty if he fails to help
C. people should be responsible for themselves in emergencies
D. when you are in trouble, people will help you anyway
阅读下面的短文,文中有15处空白,每处空白给出了4个选项,请根据短文的内容从4个选项中选择1个最佳答案。 An Early Form of Jazz Music Music comes in many forms; most countries have a style of their own. At the turn of the last century, (51) jazz was born, America had no prominent. (52) of its own. No one knows exactly when it was invented or by whom. But it began to be (53) in the early 1890s. Jazz is America’s contribution to (54) music. In contrast to classical music, which (55) formal European traditions, jazz is spontaneous and free in form. It bubbles with energy, (56) the moods, interests, and emotions of the people. In the 1920s jazz (57) like America. And so it does today. The (58) of the music are as interesting as the music itself. American Negroes, or blacks, as they are called today, were the jazz pioneers. They were brought to the Southern states (59) slaves. They were sold to plantation owners and forced to work long hours. When a Negro died his friends and relatives (60) a procession to carry the body to the cemetery. In New Orleans, a band often accompanied the (61) . On the way to the cemetery the band played slow, solemn music suited to the occasion. (62) on the way home the mood changed. Spirits lifted. Death had removed one of their number, but the living were glad to be (63) . The band played (64) music, improvising on both the harmony and the melody of the tunes (65) at the funeral. This music made everyone want to dance. It was an early form of jazz.
A. sung
B. showed
C. played
D. expressed