Language as a System of Symbols Of all systems of symbols(符号), language is the m
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Language as a System of Symbols
Of all systems of symbols(符号), language is the most highly developed. It has been pointed out that human beings, by agreement, can make anything stand for anything. Human beings have agreed, in the course of centuries of mutual(相互的)dependency, to let the various noises that they can produce with their lungs, throats, tongues, teeth, and lips systematically stand for certain happenings in their nervous systems. We call that system of agreements language.
There is no necessary connection between the symbol and that which it stands for. Just as social positions can be symbolized by feathers worn on the head, by gold on the watch chain, or by a thousand other things according to the culture we live in, so the fact of being hungry can be symbolized by a thousand different noises according to the culture we live in.
However obvious these facts may appear at first glance, they are actually not so obvious as they seem except when we take special pains to think about the subject. Symbols and the things they stand for are independent of each other, yet we all have a way of feeling as if, and sometimes acting as if, there were necessary connections. For example, there are people who feel that foreign languages are unreasonable by nature; foreigners have such funny names for things, and why can’t they call things by their right names? This feeling exhibits itself most strongly in those English and American tourists who seem to believe that they can make the natives of any country understand English if they shout loud enough. Like the little boy who is reported to have said: “Pigs are called pigs because they are such dirty animals,” they feel that the symbol is inherently(内在地) connected in some way with the things symbolized.
69. Language is a highly developed system of symbols because human beings ______.
A. have made use of language for centuries B. use our nervous systems to support language
C. have made various noises stand for any events
D. can make anything stand for anything by agreement
70. What can we conclude from Paragraph 2?
A. Different noises may mean different things.
B. Our culture determines what a symbol stands for.
C. The language we use symbolizes our social positions.
D. Our social positions determine the way we are dressed.
71. In Paragraph 3, “take special pains” probably means “_____”.
A. try very hard B. take our time C. are very unhappy D. feel especially painful
72. The example of the little boy is used to show that _____.
A. adults often learn from their young
B. “pig” is a dirty word because pigs are dirty
C. words are not connected with the things they stand for
D. people sometimes have wrong ideas about how language works |
答案
69. D 70. B 71. A 72. D |
解析
69.这是一道细节推断题。根据第一段“It has been pointed out that human beings， by agreement， can make anything stand for anything.”可推断出人们发出的各种噪音代表着任何一种活动。
70.这是一道主旨题。第二段“so the fact of being hungry can be symbolized by a thousand different noises according to the culture we live in”可知，我们的文化决定了某一种系统代表着什么。
71.这是一道猜测词义题。根据上文中“they are actually not so obvious as they seem except”可猜测出take special pains的意思是“努力尝试”。
72.这是一道主旨题。根据最后一段的内容可知，作者举小孩的例子说明人们有时对语言的作用产生误解。 |
举一反三
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C．Buy six more movies at the price of $19.95 all the time.
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65．You may receive a free Video Magazine _________ a year.
A．13 times B．12 times C．4 times D．17 times
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A．Special Selection and Director’s Selection
B．lower-priced cassettes and movies
C．lower-priced cassettes and Special Selection
D．Director’s Selection and a number of lower-priced cassettes
67．We can learn from the passage that the members of the Club ________.
A．cannot cancel their membership anytime
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C．can always buy what they want at the lowest price.
D．can enjoy more savings from the very beginning |
From the moment that an animal is born it has to make decisions. It has to decide which of the things around it are for eating, and which are to be avoided; when to attack and when to run away. The animal is , in fact , playing a very dangerous game with its environment , a game in which it must make decision—a matter of life or death .
Animals’ ability to act reasonably is believed to come partly from what we may call “genetic (遗传性的)learning” , which is different from the individual (个体的) learning that an animal does in the course of its own lifetime . Genetic learning is learning by a
species —animals of the same kind—as a whole , and it is achieved by selection of those members of each generation that happen to act in the right way . However, the role of genetic learning depends upon how similar the future environment is to the past. The more important individual experience is likely to be, the less important is genetic learning as a means of getting over the problems of the survival game. Because most animals live in ever changing environments from one generation to the next, it is not surprising to find that very few species indeed depend wholly upon genetic learning.
In the great majority of animals , their particular ways of acting in a new environment are a compound (复合体) of individual experience added to the action patterns animals are born with .That is why animals can survive.
72．The animal’s life will come to an end .
A．if the animal makes a wrong decision B．if the animal plays a dangerous game
C．when the animal attacks its enemy D．when the animal runs too slowly
73．Very few species depend entirely on genetic learning because .
A．each generation has its own way of learning
B．their environments change all the time
C．they can act reasonably on their own
D．it takes their whole life to learn
74．When the environment doesn’t change much, .
A．animals cannot act in a right way
B．genetic learning is less important for animals
C．individual learning plays a less important role
D．animals cannot get over problems on their on their own
75．Animals’ living on generation after generation depends on .
A．their natural action pattern with their own experience
B．the lessons they have learnt during their lifetime
C．their experience in particular environments
D．the knowledge passed on by their parents |
Collections were the inspiration(灵感) for a project at Thomas Tallis School, which formed part of the Imagine Children"s Literature Festival last autumn. Each child (aged 12-13) beautified a box and wrote a story on the subject of collections to throw inside it. The boxes were spread within the Royal Festival Hall"s Ballroom. Some were left empty to encourage visitors to write their own stories.
The subject chosen by Lauren was an imaginative one. "It"s a sort of Cinderella (灰姑娘) story," she told me, inspired by a collection of letters from her cousin, In the story these become love letters, burned by a cruel stepmother. Lauren"s best friend Charlotte is the stepmother. "I"m in Charlotte"s story too," says Lauren, "and I get run over." Charlotte"s tale was inspired by the girls" coin collection. "We"ve collected foreign coins for years – since our families went on holiday to Tenerife." she explains. "That was before the Euro, so we put pesetas in." Lauren continues: "I find a coin in the road, go to get it and get run over. I"m in hospital and then I die." Charlotte adds: "Or she might not die. I haven"t decided yet."
Millie Murray, who is a teen-novel author, thinks that setting the subject of collections was a useful inspiration to their creativity rather than a restriction(限制). "In the beginning I thought, "Will the children be able to do it?"she says. "But it"s been fruitful. Some have their own collection, some have parents who do, and some have written complete stories. It"s made them think about something they wouldn"t have otherwise, which can only be a good thing."
59. What were the children asked to do in the project?
A. To meet friends at Thomas Tallis School. B. To write stories on the subject of collections.
C. To encourage visitors to write their own stories.
D. To have their friends for characters in the stories.
60. The underlined word "pesetas" in Paragraph 2 is a kind of _____.
A. story B. collection C. inspiration D. foreign coin
61. From the stories by Lauren and Charlotte, we know that _____ .
A. Charlotte hurt herself when getting a coin
B. both of them developed their imagination
C. both of them will die in each other"s stories
D. Lauren"s cousin posted her some love letters
62. Millie Murray thinks ________.
A. collections could inspire writing creativity
B. it was good for parents to have collections
C. inspirations were very useful in writing stories
D. setting collection subjects restricted inspirations |
From Mr. Ward Hoffman.
Sir, I was halfway through Professor Raj Persaud"s article “What"s the tipping point"(Financial Times Weekend, April 9-l0) when it occurred to me that what I was reading was not ironic(讽刺的). If Prof Persaud wants to know why Americans tip in restaurants, he need only ask the first American he meets in London.
Americans tip in restaurants for one reason, and one reason only: we tip to supplement (补贴) the salary of restaurant workers. Quality of service does not enter into it, beyond the fact that one may tip a bit less for poor service, or a little more for good service.
Not tipping at all in a non-fast-food restaurant is not a choice. In the US, one used to tip about 15 per cent for dining in a family-style restaurant or in an upmarket (高档的) restaurant. Here, in San Francisco Bay area restaurants, we are encouraged to tip 20 per cent or more, to help restaurant workers live in this very expensive area.
After eating at an Italian restaurant in my city, I left a tip of 20 per cent on the non-tax part of our dinner bill. It was expected. There is nothing more complicated (复杂的) than that about Americans tipping in restaurants.
Ward Hoffman,
Palo Alto, CA 94306, US
* * *
From Mr. Philip McBride Johnson.
Sir, I agree with most of Raj Persaud"s opinions about the doubtful value of tipping, but with one exception(例外). Tips can be very useful when one is a repeat customer or diner.
It is only when the tipper is a stranger and likely to remain so that the system does not work to his or her advantage. But frequent a hotel or a restaurant, always tip a bit more, and the difference in service and treatment will be easily felt.
Philip McBride Johnson,
Great Falls, VA 22066, US
68. What can we learn from Hoffman"s letter?
A. Quality of service determines tipping in the US.
B. Americans don"t tip in non-fast-food restaurants.
C. Tipping in US upmarket restaurants is unnecessary.
D. How to tip in the United States is not complicated.
69. Johnson"s letter shows ________.
A. a stranger in a restaurant is likely to tip a bit more
B. diners receive better service if they frequent a restaurant
C. repeat diners may get good service if they tip a bit more
D. the tipping system works to the advantage of new customers
70. From the two letters, we can learn Professor Raj Persaud ______ .
A. feels doubtful about the value of tipping
B. believes tipping improves quality of service
C. wants to ask Hoffman about tipping in the US
D. thinks tipping a bit more one can get good service
71. The two letters most probably appears in a ______.
A. notice B. handbook C. book review D. newspaper |
Being considered a leader in our society is indeed of high praise. Leadership means power, commands respect and, most important, encourages achievement. Unlike vitamin C, leadership skills can"t be easily swallowed down. They must be carefully cultivated.
Different from popular belief, most good leaders are made, not born. They learn their skills in their everyday lives. But which do they develop? How do they (and how can you) get others to follow?
Always give credit. Many leaders note that the most efficient way to get a good performance from others is to treat them like heroes. Giving public credit to someone who has earned it is the best leadership technique in the world. It is also an act of generosity (慷慨) that"s never forgotten.
Giving credit is more effective than even the most constructive criticism (批评) , which often hurts rather than helps. Kenneth Blanchard, the author of The One-Minute Manager, agrees. "Catch people doing something right!" he says. Then tell everyone about it.
Take informed risks. " The best leaders know that taking a risk is not a thoughtless exercise," says management adviser Marilyn Machlowitz. "Sky divers don"t go up in an airplane without checking the parachutes (降落伞) beforehand. "
Because the idea of risk also carries with it the possibility of failure, many of us usually wait for others to take charge. But if you want to be a leader, you must learn to fail － and not die a thousand deaths. Pick yourself up and start all over again.
Encourage enthusiasm (热情). "When people understand the importance of work, they lend their mental strengths," says Lee Ducat. But when they get excited about the work, all their energy gets poured into the job. That"s a great force! Is this the best way to create excitement? Be enthusiastic yourself － You will be followed by everyone.
60. The underlined word "cultivated" (paragraph 1) roughly means _______.
A. encouraged B. compared C. examined D. developed
61. The part Always give credit tells us that a leader should _______.
A. give helpful criticism B. regard others as real heroes
C. praise people for their good performances D. praise everyone
62. To be a good leader, you should _______.
A. not be afraid of any risks B. think twice before taking risks
C. try to avoid any possible failures D. know what a thoughtless exercise is
63. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A. Leadership Is of Skills and Techniques B. Leadership Is Very Important
C. Not Many Can Be Leaders D. How to Be a Leader |
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