湖北省黄石市高考英语 阅读理解训练题（13）.doc

湖北省黄石市2014高考英语阅读理解训练题（13）及答案violin prodigies（神童）， i learned, have come in distinct waves from distinct regions. most of the great performers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were born and brought up in russia and eastern europe. i asked isaac stern, one of the worlds greatest violinists, the reason for this phenomenon. “ its very clear, “ he told me. “ they were all jews and jews at the time were severely oppressed and ill-treated in that part of the world. they were not allowed into the professional fields, but they were allowed to achieve excellence on a concert stage.” as a result, every jewish parents dream was to have a child in the music school because it was a passport to the west.another element in the emergence of prodigies, i found, is a society that values excellence in a certain field and is able to nurture（培育） talent. nowadays the most nurturing societies seem to be in the far east. “ in japan, a most competitive society with stronger discipline than ours,” says isaac stern, “ children are ready to test their limits every day in many fields, including music. when western music came to japan after world war ii, that music not only became part of their daily lives, but it became a discipline as well.” the koreans and chinese, as we know, are just as highly motivated as the japanese.thats a good thing, because even prodigies must work hard. next to hard work, biological inheritance plays an important role in the making of a prodigy. j. s. bach, for example, was the top of several generations of musicians, and four of his sons had significant careers in music.13. jewish parents in eastern europe longed for their children to attend music school because_.a. it would allow them access to a better life in the westb. jewish children are born with excellent musical talentc. they wanted their children to enter into the professional fieldsd. it would enable the family to get better treatment in their own country14. nurturing societies as mentioned in the passage refer to societies that_.a. enforce strong discipline on students who want to achieve excellenceb. treasure talent and provide opportunities for its full developmentc. encourage people to compete with each otherd. promise talented children high positions15. japan is described in the passage as a country that attaches importance to_.a. all-rounded development b. the learning of western musicc. strict training of children d. variety in academic studies16. which of the following contributes to the emergence of musical prodigies according to the passage?a. a natural gift. b. extensive knowledge of music.c. very early training. d. a prejudice-free society.1316 abca*结束for the most part, schools are designed to produce people who fit into society, not people who set out to change it. however, schools, particularly universities, may not only spread culture; they may add to the cultural heritage （遗产）. today american society places a good deal of emphasis on the development of new knowledge, especially in the physical and biological sciences, medicine, and engineering. in recent years, the nations leading universities have increasingly become research centres.an emphasis on research has led universities to judge professors not by abilities as teachers, but as researchers. promotions, salary increases, and other benefits have long been dependent on research and publication （出版物）. however, the most important is no longer publishing. to be successful these days, professors have to bring in money provided by government and private industry. critics claim that academic success is most likely to come to those who have learned to “ignore” their teaching duties to pursue research activities. defenders say that even when students themselves are not involved in research projects they benefit from such an emphasis on research.major research universities like the massachusetts institute of technology have also cooperated with industrial companies to develop technology and products with commercial potential. with university-industry ties continuing to grow, debate has increased about the consequences for basic science, academic openness, the control of information, the direction of research, and the influence on students.13. according to the passage, which of the following is not emphasized by todays american society?a. physical science. b. biological sciences.c. engineering. d. computer science.14. in the present standard, a successful professor is one who can _.a. teach well b. get financial support for researchc. get the highest salary d. have many publications15. supporters of the present emphasis on research argue that _.a. it involves more students in itb. it does good to s