发布时间 : 星期六 文章1990年6月大学英语六级(CET-6)真题试卷更新完毕开始阅读
D) are exposed to the same new ideas introduced by books, radios, and TV sets
Passage Four
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.
To call someone bird-brained in English means you think that person is silly or stupid.
But will this description soon disappear from use in the light of recent research? It seems the English may have been unfair in association bird?s brains with stupidity. In an attempt to find out how different creatures see the world, psychologists at Brown University in the USA have been comparing the behaviour of birds and humans. One experiment has involved teaching pigeons to recognize letters of the English alphabet. The birds study in “classrooms”, which are boxes equipped with a computer. After about four days of studying a particular letter, the pigeon has to pick out that letter from several displayed on the computer screen. Three male pigeons have learnt to distinguish all twenty-six letters of the alphabet in this way.
A computer record of the birds? four-month study period has shown surprising similarities between the pigeons? and human performance. Pigeons and people find the same letters easy, or hard, to tell apart. For example, 92 per cent of the time the pigeons could tell the letter D from the letter Z. But when faced with U and V (often confused by English children), the pigeons were right only 34 per cent of the time.
The results of the experiments so far have led psychologists to conclude that pigeons and humans observe things in similar ways. This suggests that there is something fundamental about the recognition process. If scientists could only discover just what this recognition process is it could be very useful for computer designers. The disadvantage of a present computer is that it can only do what a human being has programmed it to do and the programmer must give the computer precise, logical instructions. Maybe in the future, though, computers will be able to think like human beings.
36. The writer suggests that the expression “bird-brained” might be out of use soon
because it is ________.
A) silly B) impolite C) unnecessary D) inappropriate
37. Psychologists have been experimenting with pigeons to find out whether the birds
________.
A) are really silly or stupid
B) can learn to make ideas known to people C) see the world as human beings do
D) learn more quickly than children 38. U and V are confused by ________.
A) 92 per cent of pigeons B) many English children C) most people learning English D) 34 per cent of English children
39. There are similarities in observing things by pigeons and humans ________.
A) because pigeons are taught by humans
B) because pigeons have brains more developed than other birds C) because their basic ways to know the world are the same D) because pigeons and humans have similar brains 40. The research may help ________.
A) computer designers B) computer salesmen C) psychologists D) teachers
Part III Vocabulary and Structure (20 minutes)
Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are
four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Choose the ONE that best completes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre. 41. Germans used to believe that all other races were inferior ________ them.
A) than B) for C) to D) from
42. The main road through Pittsburgh?s blocked for three hours today after an accident
________ two trucks.
A) connecting B) combining, C) including D) involving
43. Many parents think that a regular ________ is an excellent way to teach children
the value of money.
A) allowance B) grant C) aid D) amount
44. The girl is so sensitive that she is ________ to get angry at the slightest offence.
A) adaptable B) liable C) fit D) suitable
45. He was at the ________ of his career when he was murdered.
A) glory B) power C) pride D) height
46. I have never met the professor though I have been in correspondence him for
several years.
A) with B) by C) of D) to
47. ________ they must learn in a course is not provided in the classroom.
A) Many things B) So much C) Much of what D) All what
48. Of the immigrants who came to America in the first three quarters of the
seventeenth century, the ________ majority was English.
A) overwhelming B) overflowing C) overtaking D) overloading
49. You can?t be ________ careful in making the decision as it is such a critical case.
A) quite B) too C) very D) so
50. By the first decade of the 21st century, international commercial air traffic is
expected ________ vastly beyond today?s levels.
A) to have extended B) to be extending C) being extended D) having been extended
51. The doctor warned his patient that ________ should he return to work until he had
completely recovered.
A) on all accounts B) on no account C) on any account D) on every account
52. We started burning some leaves in our yard, but the fire got ________ and we had
to call the fire department to put it out:
A) out of hand B) out of order C) out of the question D) out of the way
53. If an earthquake occurred, some of the one-storey houses ________.
A) might be standing left B) might be left standing C) might leave to be standing D) might be left to stand
54. The professor picked several students ________ from the class and asked them to
help him with the experiment.
A) at ease B) at all C) at random