湖北襄阳四中,龙泉中学,荆州中学2014高三10月联考英语试题答案(4)

But you may be misguided because things don’t turn out for the best. You may believe that when one door closes another one opens (for example, you may fail to obtain a new job; another chance will come around soon). Wrong. When one door closes, another door slams (砰然关上) in your face. That’s bitter reality.
Now a book has been published which confirms what pessimists (悲观者) have suspected all along. It’s called The Positive Power of Defensive Pessimism. Its author argues that defensive pessimism can lead to positive results. Defensive pessimism is a strategy used to manage fear, anxiety and worry. Defensive pessimists prepare for the things by setting low outcomes for themselves. They carefully consider everything that may go wrong and plan for ways to handle these problems. And this gives them a sense of control. Lawrence Sanno, a psychology professor, says, “What’s interesting about defensive pessimists is that they tend to be very successful people, so their low opinion of the situation’s outcomes is not realistic. They use it to motivate themselves to perform better.”
So far, so good. This is not rocket science. Defensive pessimists prepare carefully and consider what might go wrong, whether at work, on date or even in a sports game. It makes sense to have a back-up plan. There are many sayings in English urging caution. For example, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” And “Don’t count your chickens until they hatch.” To have a confident and optimistic approach to life’s problems is good. But listen to what Woody Alien, the American comedian says, “Confidence is what you have before you understand the problem.”
There are pros and cons to being an optimist and a pessimist. Don’t feel bad if you see the glass half empty. You are a realist. But lighten up and hook up with someone who sees the same glass half full.
59. What’s the passage mainly about?
A. A book that has recently been published.
B. How to become successful in life.
C. The dangers of being too optimistic.
D. The benefits of defensive pessimism.
60. The underlined sentence “This is not rocket science” (Para. 4) means __________.
A. it’s not a dangerous thing to do  B. it is quite simple to understand
C. the cost is not so high D. there is no real proof
61. Which of the following English expressions would a defensive pessimist believe?
A. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
B. The glass is half full not half empty.
C. Whatever will be, will be.
D. Every cloud has a silver lining.
62. The writer would probably describe himself as __________.
A. an optimist  B. a defeatist  C. a realist  D. a scientist
D
One day when I was driving on the freeway, I noticed all the way there were large dividing walls, which had been built between it and the road running parallel to it, for noise reduction (减少) and a sense of separation. The purpose was to create a sense of privacy (隐私) for people on the other side.
This got me thinking: How often do we put up mental barriers that keep us distant from others? Lifting the artificial barriers that keep us apart can offer opportunities to express our goodwill and create better relationships. If we can do like this, maybe our life will be a little different.
There is a little post office in a nearby town, and since it is closer to me than the post office in my own town, I go there. One day, with many people jammed into the little building, a man came hurrying in to mail a letter, and the girl at the counter saw he had too little postage on it. She told him he needed 2 more cents. Obviously he was a little at a loss. He had hurried over from his office, and didn’t have any money on him or time to stand in line. He was going to run back to get the needed money and wait in line again, but he hurried to get the letter mailed in the first place.
As we were watching him, one woman volunteered a two-cent stamp, and the whole line became very quiet. It was a beautiful moment. The man hesitated for a little while and asked her if she was sure, and she assured him she was fine with giving him the stamp. He offered to go back to his office to get the two cents, and she told him not to bother.
It was a small thing, but it meant something to both of the people involved, and to the rest of us. We aren’t a yard that needs defining or a freeway that needs barriers. We are human beings who can contribute to each other’s wellbeing by taking time to pay attention and interact. After all, we are all parts of a whole living in society.
63. The purpose of the first paragraph is to __________.
A. summarize the main idea  B. give detailed information
C. tell readers the author’s opinion  D. introduce the topic
64. What happened after the man being told he needed two more cents?
A. The man went back to his office immediately.
B. The man turned to a lady for help.
C. A woman offered a stamp to the man.
D. The man waited in line patiently.
65. What can we learn about the author?
A. She pays too much attention to privacy.
B. She believes people should participate in the world around them.
C. She confuses real barriers with false ones.
D. She insists all small things always have the greatest meaning.
66. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A. Artificial Barriers   B. Unnecessary Separation
C. An Unforgettable Experience  D. The Kindness of People
E
Plastic is everywhere because plastic is an extremely useful material. It is cheap, strong and lightweight. What’s more, it can take on nearly any form or shape, from soft and stretchy (有弹性的) to hard and glasslike.
Plastic, however, is far from perfect. It may even be bad for us. Studies now suggest that poisonous chemicals can get out of some types of plastic, get into our bodies, and cause a variety of health problems, including cancer, birth defects and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (注意缺陷障碍).