C

The idea of being able to walk on water has long interested humans greatly. Sadly, biologicalfacts prevent us ever accomplishing such a thing without artificial aid--we simply weigh too much,and all our mm pushes down through our relatively small feet, resulting in a lot zxxkof pressure thatmakes us sink.

However, several types of animals can walk on water.  One of the most interesting is thecommon basilisk Basilicusbasilicus, a lizard (蜥蜴) native to Central and South America. It canrun across water for a distance of several meters, avoiding getting wet by rapidly hitting the water'ssurface with its feet. The lizard will take as many as 20 steps per second to keep moving forward.For humans to do this, we'd need huge feet that we could bring up to our ears in order to create

adequate "hitting. “

But fortunately there is an alternative: cornflour. By adding enough of this common thickeningagent to water (and it does take a lot), you can create a "non-Newtonian" liquid that doesn't behavelike normal water. Now, if the surface of the water is hit hard enough, particles(微粒) in the watergroup together for a moment to make the surface hard. Move quickly enough and put enough force intoeach step, and you really can walk across the surface of an adequately thick liquid of cornflour.

Fun though all this may sound, it's still rather messy md better mad about in theory than carriedout in practice, if you must do it, then keep the water wings handy in case you start to sink--and takea shower afterward!

44. Walking on water hasn't become a reality mainly because humans __

A. are not interested in it

B. have biological limitations

C. have not invented proper tools

D. are afraid to make an attempt

45. What do we know about Basiiliusbasilicus from the passage?

A. It is light enough to walk on water.

B. Its huge feet enable it to stay above water.

C. It can run  across water at a certain speed.

D. Its unique skin keeps it from getting wet in watch

46, What is the function of the cornflour according to the passage?

A. To create a thick liquid.

B. To turn the water into solid.

C. To help the liquid behave normally.

D. To enable the water to rove rapidly.

47. What is the author's attitude toward the idea of humans' walking on water?

A, It is risky but beneficial.

Il. It is interesting and worth trying.

C. It is crazy md cannot become a reality.

D. It is impractical thigh theoretically possible.

D

One moment it was quiet and calm in the forest, the next, the air was charged with tension. Theelephant had heard the distant alarm calls of animals and her zxxkmood suddenly changed. I urged theelephant deeper into the forest. We sounded like a forest fire-crackling, snapping, trailblazing. Butthrough all the noise came a sharp wanting cry. The elephant stopped and we heard it again—thetell-tale call of a spotted deer.

I looked quickly mound the shadows of the forest. Rays of sunlight shone through tree branches,beneath which the patchwork (交错) of green plants and shadow-within-shadows would make tigerstripes (条纹) look more attractive. Apart from an occasional noise from the elephant's stomach, theforest wins silent.

Gradually, the tension slipped from our bodies. The elephant seized a nearby branch and put itinto her mouth. I roached forward and gently moved my hand over the elephant's neck; there was asoft part, free of wrinkles and hairs, behind her ear.

This was my fourth time to sense the aura of the forest in Corbett, although I saw no tigers in theend. Located at the foot of the Himalayan mountains, Corbett is home to about 135 Bengal tigers, butthe forest seemed to be guarding their whereabouts( 出没处), a silent reminder of their secrecy andrarity. Still, I was happy enough touching the elephant behind the ear. If I had so desperately wantedto see a tiger, I could have gone to a zoo. After all, spotting tigers mealy confirms their beauty;backing them can make you aware of something more.

48. Which of the following was a clear signal of alarm?

A. The elephant stopped.

B. A spotted deer called.

C. The elephant seized a branch.

D. The forest was silent for a while.

49. The author begins his account of the tour in the forest mainly by

A. describing various sounds

B. comparing different animals

C. listing different activities

D. introducing various plants

50. What does the underlined part "to sense the aura" most probably mean?

A. To see the diversity.

B. To enjoy the scenery.

C. To feel the atmosphere.

D. To experience the freedom.

51. How does the author feel after several visits to Corbett?

A. Seeing a Bengal tiger is quite thrilling.

B. It is very time-consuming to travel in Corbett.

C. It is really worthwhile to study the animals in Corbett.

D. The process of finding Bengal tigers is most appealing.

E

It's generally believed that people act the way they do because of their personalities and attitudes.They recycle their garbage because they care about the environment. They pay $5 for a caramelbrulée latte because they like expensive coffee drinks.

It's undeniable that behavior comes from our inner dispositions (性情), but in many instanceswe also draw inferences about who we are, as suggested by the social psychologist Daryl Bern. Byobserving our own behavior. We can be strangers to ourselves. If we knew our own minds, why wouldwe need to guess what our preferences are from our behavior? If our minds were an open book, wewould know exactly how much we care about the environment or like lattes. Actually, we often need tolook to our behavior to figure out who we are.

Moreover, we don't just use our behavior to learn about our particular types of character—weinfer characters that weren't there before. Our behavior is often shaped by little pressures around us,which we fail to recognize. Maybe we recycle because our wives and neighbors would disapprove if wedidn't. Maybe we buy lattes in order to impress the people around us. We should not mistakenlybelieve that we always behave as a result of some inner disposition.

Whatever pressures there can be or inferences one zxxkcan make, people become what they do,though it may not be in compliance (符合) with their true desires. Therefore, we should all bear inmind Kurt Vonnegut's advice: "We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what wepretend to be. “

52. According to the passage, personalities and attitudes are commonly believed to __

A. determine one's behavior

B. reflect one's taste

C. influence one's surroundings

D. result from one's habits

53. Which of the following would Daryl Bern most probably agree with?

A. The return of a wallet can indicate one's honesty.

B. A kind person will offer his seat to the old.

C. One recycles plastics to protect the environment.

D, One buys latte out of true love of coffee.

54. What can be inferred from the underlined sentence in the passage?

A. We fall to realize our inner dispositions.

B. We can be influenced by outside pressures.

C. Our behavior is the result of our true desires.

D. Our characters can shape our social zxxkrelationships.

55, What does the author mainly discuss in the passage?

A. Personalities and attitudes.

B, Preferences and habits.

C, Behavior and personalities.

D. Attitudes and preferences.

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