Raptor “interplanetary transport engines” which the company will use to carry astronauts to Mars. 58. What does the underlined word “reverse” in Para 4 mean?
A. recognise and control
B. get away from
C. change to the opposite
D. single out
59. Which of the following might Professor Hawking NOT agree with?
A. The human race has no way out but to stop progress in technology. B. It will take at least one century to colonize a planet. C. Artificial intelligence will bring disasters to the human race. D. Mankind is facing many dangers caused by technological progress 60. The underlined sentence “Our days on Earth are numbered” implies _____.
A. We are particular creatures living on earth. B. We can’t live on earth for much longer. C. There are too many days for human existence. D. Each day has its particular meaning.
61. The paragraphs following this passage would probably talk about _____.
A. how to make human life span longer B. more threats the human race faces C. the risk of artificial intelligence
D. Space X’s plan to colonize Mars
C
If you watch wolves, it’s hard to escape the conclusion that perhaps no two species are more alike behaviorally than wolves and humans. Living as we do in families, we can easily recognize the social structures and status search in wolf packs. No wonder Native Americans recognized in wolves a sibling (兄弟姐妹) spirit. And no wonder human males often face pressure to measure up as alpha males—to “wolf up,” as it were. The term alpha male indicates a man who at every moment shows that he’s in control in the home and who can become aggressive (好斗的).
This alpha male stereotype comes from a misunderstanding of the real thing. By observing wolves in free-living packs in Yellowstone National Park, I’ve seen that the leadership of the alpha male is not forced, and not aggressive to those on his team. “The main characteristic of an alpha male wolf,” the experienced wolf researcher Rick McIntyre told me as we were watching gray wolves, “is a quiet confidence. You know what you need to do; you know what’s best for your pack. You lead by example. You’re very comfortable with that. You have a calming effect.”
The point is, alpha males are not aggressive. They don’t need to be. “Think of an emotionally secure man or
a great champion. Whatever he needed to prove is already proven,” he said.
There is an evolutionary logic to it. “Imagine two wolf packs, or two human groups,” McIntyre said. “Which is more likely to survive and reproduce: the one whose members are more cooperative, more sharing, less violent (暴力的) with one another, or the group whose members are beating each other up and competing with one another?”
Thus, an alpha male may be a major player in a successful hunt, but after the takedown of the prey (猎物), he may step away and sleep until his pack has eaten and is full.
McIntyre has spent 20 years watching and studying wolves in Yellowstone for the National Park Service. He rises early, uses radio telemetry (遥感勘测) to locate a pack through a radio-collared pack member, then heads out with his spotting scope (观测镜) to observe the animals, keeping careful notes of their activities.
In all that time, he has rarely seen an alpha male act aggressively toward the pack’s other members. They are his family—his mate, offspring (both biological and adopted), and maybe a sibling.
This does not mean that alpha males are not aggressive when they need to be. One famous wolf in Yellowstone whose radio collar number, M21, became his name, was considered a “super wolf” by the people who closely observed his life. He was fierce (凶猛的) in defense of family and clearly never lost a fight with a male wolf. Within his own pack, one of his favorite things was to play with little pups (幼兽).
“And what he really loved to do was to pretend to lose. He just got fun from it,” McIntyre said.
One year, a pup was a bit sickly. The other pups seemed to be afraid of him and wouldn’t play with him. Once, after delivering food for the small pups, M21 stood looking around for something. Soon he started wagging (摇摆) his tail. He’d been looking for the sickly little pup, and he went over just to play with him for a while.
Of all McIntyre’s stories about the super wolf, that’s his favorite. Strength impresses us. But kindness is what we remember best.
Biologists used to consider the alpha male the big boss. But now they recognize two systems at work in wolf packs—one for the males, the other for the females.
Doug Smith, the biologist who is the project leader for the Yellowstone Gray Wolf Restoration Project, said the females “do most of the decision making” for the pack, including where to travel, when to rest, and when to hunt. The matriarch’s (女族长的) personality can influence the whole pack, Smith said. Or, as McIntyre put it: “It’s the alpha female who really takes control of the pack.”
Clearly, our alpha male stereotype should be shaken off. Men can learn a thing or two from real wolves: less soar, more quiet confidence, leading by example, faithful devotion in the care and defense of families, respect for
females, and a sharing of responsibilities. That’s really what wolfing up should mean. 62. What does the underlined “alpha male stereotype” in paragraph 2 refer to? A. That wolves have a sibling spirit.
B. That alpha males are aggressive and in control at home.
C. That humans face pressure to be alpha males. D. That wolves and humans are alike. 63. Why is the example of M21 mentioned? A. To prove alpha males are tough if necessary. C. To illustrate that it is McIntyre’s favorite.
B. To compare it with other super wolves. D. To show how the research was carried out.
64. Which of the following images most resembles a real alpha male? A. A strict father who never smiles at his children. B. A father who does most of the decision making.
C. A general who never loses a battle in defense of his country. D. A powerful executive shouting at a board meeting. 65. The best title of the passage should be ________. A. Wolf families
B. The matriarch
C. Supreme bosses D
From where I live on the coast of California’s Monterey Peninsula, there is no easy way to go anywhere. We have roads with views that will amaze you, but few fast lanes (车道). To go north to San Francisco, you take the Old Coast Highway, and then go ahead to 101, a multilane freeway, which, depending on weather and traffic, will finally get you where you’re going or drive you crazy. But the part I feared most was a narrow two-lane stretch (段) of a road that connected the two. In the south, where I grew up, such roads are called cow trails.
Roads are like people; they have personalities --- colored by how we see and feel about them at particular times. My husband taught me this about roads. Randy was an athlete, body and soul. A high school basketball coach, he loved and worked out with his teams. He was a marathoner who could run miles and not be tired. In 25 years of teaching he rarely had a sick day. And then he had cancer.
So we began another race down another road: a four-year-long marathon to Stanford University Medical Center for routine treatment and more than a few emergencies. And to get to the hospital we had to travel those impossible roads --- 91 miles, two hours. I hated every minute and inch. I especially hated that traffic-crowded cow trail. Then they started construction. Randy never complained. But as he grew weaker, I tried to avoid that cow trail to shorten our drive. I spent hours with maps but found that there was no getting around it. I had no choice but to drive it. Once, when we were running late for a meeting with the doctor, I complained, “I hate this
D. Alpha males
stupid road.”
“Four miles,” he said.
I looked over. His eyes were closed. “What did you say?” I asked.
“This part of the road,” he said in his calm voice. “It’s only four miles long. That’s easy. You can do anything for four miles.”
I checked the odometer(里程表). He was right. Four miles exactly. I could have sworn it was 20. Suddenly the drive got easier. Four miles was doable and understandable. It was the distance we walked in the evening from our house to the beach and back. It was half the length of a mountain trail he loved to hike (远足) in Yosemite, with a baby on his back. Four short trips to our local park to play catch with our kids. A part of the 26 miles he once ran in the Big Sur International Marathon. Four miles was nothing --- certainly not a space or time worth wasting in anger when he had only months to live. So I stopped complaining. I started really looking. And there appeared green acres of fields that shined in the sun. Strawberries and roses stand at the roadside. And there was an old white horse watching cars running down the open road.
Those things had always been there, but I had never noticed. Randy taught me how to see them. Now when the road is long and hard, I break it into pieces in my soul. I divide it into four-mile stretches. You can tolerate anything for four miles --- even find beauty and acceptance along the way. 66. It can be leant from Paragraph 1 that ______.
A. you can drive crazily on 101 in a fine day B. the roads are very dangerous and amazing
C. the cow trail joined the Old Coast Highway and 101 D. the roads to go north are narrow and rough
67. Which of the following about Randy is NOT right?
A. He had a strong love for playing sports. B. His poor health was due to 25 years’ overwork. C. He was very ill and could only live for months. D. He had fought with cancer for about four years.
68. It can be inferred from the last but one paragraph that _____.
A. Four miles was nothing worth wasting in anger. B. The author didn’t see the beautiful views on roads.
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