2014高考英语 上海卷 阅读部分解析

III. Reading Comprehension Section A Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context. Research has shown that two-thirds of human conversation is taken up not with discussion of the cultural or political problems of the day, not heated debates about films we've just watched or books we've just finished reading, but plain and simple __51__. Language is our greatest treasure as a species, and what do we __52__ do with it? We gossip. About others' behaviour and private lives, such as who's doing what with whom, who's in and who's out-and why; how to deal with difficult __53__ situations involving children, lovers, and colleagues. So why are we keen on gossiping? Are we just natural __54__, of both time and words? Or do we talk a lot about nothing in particular simply to avoid facing up to the really important issues of life? It's not the case according to Professor Robin Dunbar. In fact, in his latest book, Grooming, Gossip and the Evolution of Language, the psychologist says gossip is one of these really__55__issues. Dunbar __56__ the traditional view that language was developed by the men at the early stage of social development in order to organize their manly hunting activities more effectively, or even to promote the exchange of poetic stories about their origins and the supernatural. Instead he suggests that language evolved among women. We don't spend two-thirds of our time gossiping just because we can talk, argues Dunbar—__57__, he goes on to say, language evolved specifically to allow us to gossip. Dunbar arrived at his cheery theory by studying the __58__ of the higher primates（灵长类动物）like monkeys. By means of grooming--cleaning the fur by brushing it, monkeys form groups with other individuals on whom they can rely for support in the event of some kind of conflict within the group or__59__ from outside it. As we human beings evolve from a particular branch of the primate family, Dunbar __60__ that at one time in our history we did much the same. Grouping together made sense because the bigger the group, the greater the __61__ it provided; on the other hand, the bigger the group, the greater the stresses of living close to others. Grooming helped to __62__ the pressure and calm everybody down. But as the groups got bigger and bigger, the amount of time spent in grooming activities also had to be __63__ to maintain its effectiveness. Clearly, a more __64__ kind of grooming was needed, and thus language evolved as a kind of vocal（有声的）grooming which allowed humans to develop relationship with ever-larger groups by exchanging information over a wider network of individuals than would be possible by one-to-one __65__ contact. 51. A. claim B. description C. gossip D. language 52. A. occasionally B. habitually C. independently D. originally 53. A. social B. political C. historical D. cultural 54. A. admirers B. masters C. users D. wasters 55. A. vital B. sensitive C. ideal D. difficult 56. A. confirms B. rejects C. outlines D. broadens 57. A. for instance B. in addition C. on the contrary D. as a result 58. A. motivation B. appearance C. emotion D. behaviour 59. A. attack B. contact C. inspection D. assistance 60. A. recalls B. denies C. concludes D. confesses 61. A. prospect B. responsibility C. leadership D. protection 62. A. measure B. show C. maintain D. ease 63. A. saved B. extended C. consumed D. gained 64. A. common B. efficient C. scientific D. Thoughtful 65. A. indirect B. daily C. physical D. secret Section B Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read. (A)简单 Most people agree that honesty is a good thing. But does Mother Nature agree? Animals can't talk, but can they lie in other ways? Can they lie with their bodies and behavior? Animal experts may not call it lying, but they do agree that many animals, from birds to chimpanzees, behave dishonestly to fool other animals. Why? Dishonesty often helps them survive. Many kinds of birds are very successful at fooling other animals. For example, a bird called the plover sometimes pretends to be hurt in order to protect its young. When a predator（猎食动物）gets close to its nest, the plover leads the predator away from the nest. How? It pretends to have a broken wing. The predator follows the "hurt" adult, leaving the baby birds safe in the nest. Another kind of bird, the scrub jay, buries its food so it always has something to eat. Scrub jays are also thieves. They watch where others bury their food and steal it. But clever scrub jays seem to know when a thief is watching them. So they go back later, unbury the food, and bury it again somewhere else. Birds called cuckoos have found a way to have babies without doing much work. How? They don't make nests. Instead, they get into other birds' nests secretly. Then they lay their eggs and fly away. When the baby birds come out, their adoptive parents feed them. Chimpanzees, or chimps, can also be sneaky. After a fight, the losing chimp will give its hand to the other. When the winning chimp puts out its hand, too, the chimps are friendly again. But an animal expert once saw a losing chimp take the winner's hand and start