Part III 阅读理解

Passage One

The rising popularity of having goods delivered directly to one's doorstep has come with increased attention on another phenomenon: porch theft. In communities across the country, residents have expressed concern about stolen packages. Now, lawmakers around the country are aiming to crack down on it.

Brookhaven police has launched "Operation Plugged In", a program that allows residents and businesses to register their private surveillance( 监控)cameras with the department, so that police can request video contents ifacrime occurs inacertain area. Hundreds of individuals and businesses have registered their cameras as part of the program.

This technology has made policing quicker and easier, said Jacob Kissel, an officer at the Brookhaven police department. "We used to go out and knock on everybody's door after a crime happened. Now we can pull upamap and there are bullet points of all of our registered residents with cameras", he added.

That allows police to simply pick up the phone and ask residents: "Can you look at your system? Is there anything that you may be able to provide us?" Scholars who study surveillance and package theft raise concerns around the widespread use of technology to catch package thieves, however.

For instance, facial recognition technology has been known to misidentify people with darker skin tones. One research has also shown that predominantly white neighborhoods use doorbell cameras and related platforms more frequently than their non-white counterparts, and may often use these platforms to practice "racial gatekeeping", which can lead to increased policing of communities of color.

Lawmakers say the new laws making package theftafelony reflect the deep concerns of their constituents. But it's unclear whether residents truly feel that strongly about the issue. One Brookhaven resident said his package was stolen last year and it was notabig deal. Since the incidents last fall, package theft has not been an issue in the community, and he was surprised to hear that police were buildingafelony case around the thefts."I honestly think that'salittle extreme, " said Sabah Khandaker, another Brookhaven resident." A lot of the resources go into finding someone that has stolenapackage.

They could be reallocated somewhere else."

21. Operation Plugged In" allows the police to .

    A use the videos from registered camerasB check on the residents with camerasC install more surveillance camerasD require residents to register their cameras

22. What is Paragraph4mainly concerned with?

    A Violation of privacy.B Racial discrimination.C Abuse of technology.D Policing efficiency.

23. The word "felony" (Para. 5) is closest in meaning to .

    A minor offenseB dishonest behaviorC immoral conductD serious crime

24. What does Khandak think of the crackdown on package thefts?

    A It will turn out rewarding.B It hurts resident relationships.C It seems to be an overreaction.D It will achieve the intended effect.

25. What is the author's tone discussing package thefts?

    A Ironic.B Objective.C Relieved.D Humorous

Passage Two

There isaconcept in the psychological literature known as locus of control that is unfamiliar to most people, even though once defined, is commonly understood. Locus of control is an individuals belief system regarding the causes of his or her experiences and the factors to which that person attributes success or failure.

This concept is usually divided into two categories: internal and external. Ifaperson has an internal locus of control, that person attributes success to his or her own efforts and abilities. A person with an external locus of control, by contrast, often attributes his or her success to luck or fate and will be less likely to make the effort needed to learn.

This is not to say that an internal locus of control is "good" and an external locus of control is "bad." There are other variables to be considered. However, psychological research has found that people withamore internal locus of control seem to be better off, e.g., they tend to be more achievement-oriented and get better-paying jobs.

Locus of control is often viewed as an inborn personality component. However, there is also evidence that it is shaped by childhood experiences—including children's interactions with their parents. Children who were raised by parents who encouraged their independence and helped them to learn the connection between actions and their consequences tended to haveamore well-developed internal locus of control.

The benefits of this were specified inaresearch study that looked at the potential health effects of the locus of control trait. Researchers found that of more than 7,500 British adults followed since birth, those who had shown an internal locus of control at the age of 10 were less likely to be overweight at age 30, less likely to describe their health as poor, or show high levels of psychological stress.

The major explanation for these findings was that children with a more internal locus of control behave more healthily as adults because they have greater confidence in their ability to influence outcomes through their own actions. They may also have higher self-esteem.

26. It is stated in Paragraph1that locus of control is .

    A intensively discussed by researchersB familiar to most peopleC a method to avoid failureD a belief of what determines success

27. People with an internal locus of control tend to .

    A categorize things as either good or badB be more motivated and hardworkingC feel they are not in control of their livesD experience more anxiety than other people

28. Which of the following seems to be supported by psychological research?

    A An external locus of control is better than an internal one.B An external locus of control brings poor work performance.C An internal locus of control is affected by luck or fate.D An internal locus of control may lead to higher income.

29. A more well-developed internal locus of control .

    A is inherited from one's parentsB can be affected by childhood experiencesC should be trained at school by teachersD is strengthened by financial independence

30. Why does the author mentionaresearch study in the last paragraph?

    A To show the benefits of internal locus of control.B To compare the findings of psychological stress.C To illustrate the importance of healthy habits.D To explain the origin of locus of control.

Passage Three

I'm an oceanographer who focuses on the study of the ocean. One of my research interests is amphipods（片脚类动物）, a kind of tiny sea creature withasoft body andahard outer shell. Amphipods often live in the canyons（峡谷）under the sea. They areafood source for larger organisms, fueling the food chain and ultimately the species that humans catch and eat.

There are thousands upon thousands of amphipod species all over the world in fresh and salty water, from the surface to the deep sea. We can think of amphipods asakey species― one that helps indicate how healthy an ecosystem is—because they are so common across the oceans. This wasafactor in my decision to study them.

I didn't directly observe how the amphipod species lives its life. Instead, I compared what Iknew about it to studies of similar species. This allowed me to make assumptions about its lifestyle. For instance, amphipods have excellent "smell" detecting abilities because large food falls are few and far between.

For some female amphipods, finding these food falls is especially important because they must stuff themselves before reproducing. By the end of my studies, I was keenly aware of the difficulties in studying deep-sea organisms. The challenges are not just limited to accessing their habitats.

It's also tough to locate the organisms themselves. Finding amphipods in the deep, open ocean is like finding needles inahaystack. Scientists sometimes use large nets to scoop（舀取）up whatever is in the sea around them, but there's no guarantee that they'll get what they are looking for.

I presented my research atabig sustainability symposium, which allowed me to hear more about human activities that affect amphipods. Offshore oil exploration is one example. The process of looking for oil in the seafloor may reduce the availability of food for deep-sea organisms, including amphipods.

As their populations decrease, the food sources for larger organisms, like the fish we want to eat, start disappearing too. Amphipods and humans seem to be worlds apart. And yet harm to rarely seen organisms in the deepest darkest depths of the ocean could end up hurting us in the not-too-distant future.

31. The author decided to study amphipods because .

    A they show the health condition of an ecosystemB they areamain source of seafood for humansC it's valuable to compare them with other speciesD it's interesting to learn about their living habits

32. Why are large food falls important for female amphipods?

    A They are the only food source for amphipods.B They help to attract male amphipods.C They enhance amphipods' sense of smell.D They are needed for amphipods' reproduction.

33. The phrase "finding needles inahaystack" (Para 3) is used to indicate .

    A the high cost of capturing amphipodsB the difficulty of finding amphipods in the seaC the urgency in locating amphipods' habitatsD the challenge to tell amphipods from similar species

34. Which of the following may bring harm to amphipods?

    A Seasonal overfishing.B Fish farming at sea.C Exploring oil resources.D Searching for sea organisms.

35. What can be learned about the relations between amphipods and humans?

    A Harm to amphipods will affect humans soon.B Amphipods and humans live in separate worlds.C Human activities lead to the growth of amphipods.D Amphipods poseathreat to fishing industry.

Passage Four

Europeans play football, and Americans play football; but surprisingly they do not play the same game. American football is played by men (and occasionally women) wearing helmets and protective clothing; the ball is oval. European football is played witharound ball, by people wearing just socks, shorts, a shirt, and football boots.

Americans have another popular outdoor game too—baseball, a classic American game that is only played seriously in North America. In Britain, a few people play an "ancestor" of baseball, called "rounders"—but it is notapopular sport. In today's "global village", lifestyles are becoming international.

Often the American model has spread to other countries of the world. American sports, however, have not spread all over the world, as American films and American fashions have. On the contrary, European sports have been more successful internationally. Indeed European football is slowly developing in the USA.

In motor racing too, though it is not reallyateam sport, the USA is different. In Europe, South America, Japan and other countries (including Canada), " motor racing" means "Formula 1"; Americans have IndyCar racing. The Indianapolis 500 is like aFormula1race, but different. Several famous Formula1drivers — including Nigel Mansell and Jacques Villeneuve—have won the race.

On the other hand, no American IndyCar drivers have ever been Formula1champions. Nevertheless, Americans are beginning to discover Formula 1 racing, since the first American Grand Prix. Besides these big sports, America of course has basketball — perhaps the most successful export.

Invented at Springfield College, Massachusetts, in 1891, basketball is quite certainly an "American game". Although it is not as big in Europe as in the USA, basketball has become much more popular in other countries than any other American team sport. Why is America different? The answer is simple.

Until the 1960's, team sports were not played onaglobal scale. The only real "global" sports were individual sports, such as golf and tennis. A hundred years ago, individual rich Americans could travel to Europe on holiday, and play these two games. But whole teams of sportsmen did not often travel around the world, it was too expensive and slow!

36. Which statement is true about the description of football?

    A American football is round while European's is oval.B European football players wear protective clothing.C American football is mainly played by males.D Rules for football games are similar across the world.

37. What can we learn about the current "global village" (Para.3)?

    A Globalization of lifestyles is taking place.B American sports are as popular as its films worldwide.C European football has replaced American football.D Different cultures have shaped the American model.

38. American motor racing drivers .

    A are opposed to Formula1racingB often win FormulalraceC have strong team spiritD take part in IndyCar racing

39. According to Paragraph 5, American basketball .

    A reserves its unique American styleB was brought in by Europeans in the 19th centuryC has spread to many other countriesD is the most popular team sport in Europe

40. American team sports were difficult to spread internationally due to .

    A high travelling costB lack of team spiritC fierce competitionD high demand of skills

Blog and Comments

blog and comments are followed by questions or unfinished statements, each with four choices A, B, C and D. Choose the best answer and mark your answer on the Answer Sheet. World Mental Health (WMH) Day, on 10 October, isaday to raise awareness of the effects mental illness has on millions of people's lives across the world, and to help educate and inform us all.

Around the world, one in four people will have some mental illness during their lifetime. Around 450 million people are living withamental health problem right now, making it one of the biggest health issues in the world. Yet people rarely talk about any mental health problems they have because it is humiliating.

WMH Day was first celebrated in 1992 to raise awareness of just how common mental health issues are, fight against stigma(污名) and campaign for better conditions and treatment for people who haveamental health problem. The number of people and organizations involved in celebrating WMH Day has grown and grown, and now many countries, such as Australia, even have aMental Health Week.

Each year there isadifferent theme. For example, in 2017 the theme was mental health in the workplace. WMH Day encourages us to be more aware of both our own mental health and other people's. As well as looking after yourself, think about how you could support other people. For example, you could find out more about common issues such as anxiety and depression, so you will understand friends' and colleagues' problems better.

You could also encourage your workplace to startawellness program that would benefit everyone. Companies with wellness programs have found employees take 28 per cent less time off for sickness.

41. Which of the following is true about mental illness around the world?

    A It is not as serious as people think.B A majority of people suffer from it.C A shameful feeling is attached to it.D People are eager to understand it.

42. What can we learn about WMH Day?

    A It was first celebrated in Australia.B Millions of people celebrate it every year.C Mental health in the workplace is the constant theme.D It advocates care of mental health for oneself and others.

43. According to Comment 1, what may result in mental illness?

    A Unfair treatment.B Limited access to the Internet.C Tense human relations.D Negative attitude.

44. Which comment stresses people's unwillingness to admit their mental problems?

    A Comment 2.B Comment 3.C Comment 4.D Comment 5.

45. Which comments call for consistent efforts to improve mental health?

    A Comment1and Comment 3.B Comment2and Comment 5.C Comment1and Comment 4.D Comment3and Comment 5.