Question

Every day we experience one of the wonders of the world around us without even realizing it. It is not the amazing complexity of television, nor the impressive technology of transport. The universal wonder we share and experience is our ability to make noise with our mouths, and so transmit ideas and thoughts to each other’s minds. This ability comes so naturally that we tend to forget what a miracle it is.
Obviously, the ability to talk is something that marks humans off from animal. Of course, some animals have powers just as amazing, Birds can fly thousands miles by observing positions of the stars in the sky in relation to the time of day and year. In Nature’s talent show, humans are a species of animal that have developed their own special act. If we reduce it to basic terms, it’s an ability for communicating information to others, by varying sounds we make as we breathe out.
Not that we don’t have other powers of communication. Our facial expressions convey our emotions, such as anger, or joy, or disappointment. The way we hold our heads can indicate to others whether we are happy or sad. This is so-called “body language”. Bristling(直立的) fur is an unmistakable warning of attack among many animals. Similarly, the bowed head or drooping tail shows a readiness to take second place in any animal gathering.
Such a means of communication is a basic mechanism that animals, including human beings, instinctively acquire and display. Is the ability to speak just another sort of instinct? If so, how did human beings acquire this amazing skill? Biologist can readily indicate that particular area of our brain where speech mechanisms function, but this doesn’t tell us how that part of our bodies originated in our biological history.
【小題1】According to the passage, the wonder we take for granted(認為理所當然) is________.

A．our ability to use language

B．the miracle of technology

C．the amazing power of nature

D．our ability to make noises with mouth

【小題2】What feature of “body language” mentioned in the passage is common to both human and animals?

A．Lifting heads when sad.

B．Keeping long faces when angry.

C．Bristling hair when ready to attack.

D．Bowing heads when willing to obey.

【小題3】What can be inferred from Paragraph 3?

A．Body language is unique to humans.

B．Animals express emotions just as humans do.

C．Humans have other powers of communication.

D．Humans are no different from animals to some degree.

【小題4】This passage is mainly about _______.

A．the development of body language.

B．the special role humans play in nature

C．the power to convey information to others

D．the difference between humans and animals in language use

Answer 1

【小題1】A
【小題2】D
【小題3】D
【小題4】C

解析試題分析：本文主要介紹的人類所擁有的語言的能力，這種能力正是人類區別與動物的一個主要的特點。
【小題1】A 細節題。根據第一段3,4行The universal wonder we share and experience is our ability to make noise with our mouths, and so transmit ideas and thoughts to each other’s minds.說明這種能力就是我們的語言能力，故A正確。
【小題2】D 細節題。根據第二段最后2行Similarly, the bowed head or drooping tail shows a readiness to take second place in any animal gathering.說明bowing表示的是同意服從。故D項正確。
【小題3】D 推斷題。根據本段前2行Such a means of communication is a basic mechanism that animals, including human beings, instinctively acquire and display.說明本段講述的是在某種程度上，這些交流的方式是人和動物都有的，故D項正確。
【小題4】C 主旨大意題。根據文章第一段內容可知本文主要講述的是人有擁有的語言的能力，這種能力能夠讓我們傳遞信息。故C正確。
考點：考查科普類短文閱讀
點評：本文主要介紹的人類所擁有的語言的能力，從題目設置的角度看，本題側重對學生把握文章中心段落和各段落的中心句的能力的考查，所以遇到這類題后，要注意把握好文章結構，了解文章中心意思，找到各段落中心句。不要讓文中的一些生詞影響了注意力。