惠州市2015届高三第三次调研考试英语试题及答案

C

Playing the piano may seem like nothing special to you, but what about playing it on fruits instead of piano keys? Lin Hai, a 24-year-old graduate, did exactly that, as he made an electronic board by himself. Wearing thick glasses and a simple T-shirt, Lin looks no different to other engineering students. But under his plain appearance lies a true geek（极客）heart.

When Lin was little, he loved disassembling things to look at how they work. Even though he often failed at putting them back together, his curiosity was never satisfied and he laid hands on everything, except computers. “My parents told me not to disassemble computers because they’re expensive, so I researched the software instead,” says Lin. When he went to university, Lin chose a subject that was related to engineering and programming.

Lin is a typical geek who often spends days in the laboratory inventing new things. His most successful invention is an electronic board he calls “Crazyer”, the one that turns bananas into piano keys. Lin’s Crazyer electronic board was inspired by a similar device built by two PhD students at MIT. Their device is called Makey Makey, which turns everyday objects into touchpads.

Having seen a video, Lin was so impressed by the device that he searched for its website in the hope of buying one. But he found it’s not for sale. For most people, the story would have ended there. But for Lin, it was about to begin: “Why not make my own Makey Makey?” he thought. So he studied the video and website, trying to figure out how it worked. “I found that the mechanism Makey Makey is based on what was similar to that of the electronic lock I built before.” says Lin.  

   From watching the video to building an electronic board and writing a program for it, Lin spent an entire month bringing Crazyer to life. His hard work paid off. With the money he earns from selling Crazyer, Lin can give back to society. Lin has helped many disabled people by building customized Crazyer boards for them. Another benefit is that the money he earns can support Lin in inventing new things. Lin’s geek spirit is always striving toward new goals.

36. Which statement is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Lin has attractive appearance and wise head.

B. Lin made his invention on his own.

C. Lin is a little different from other engineering students.

D. Lin’s good at playing the piano.

37. Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined word “disassemble”?

A. look through                        

B. search into

C. take apart                           

D. focus on

38. From the passage, we can know that________________.

A. “Crazyer” is the most successful invention in Lin’s school.

B. Lin got inspiration for inventing “Crazyer” from others.

C. “Crazyer” works in the same way as Makey Makey.

D. Lin copied the idea of two PhD students at MIT.

39. What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Lin’s invention did good to himself as well as others.

B. Lin made a lot of money from selling his invention.

C. Lin will stop inventing new things in the future.

D. Lin’s invention “Crazyer” is designed for disabled people.

40. Which can be the best title of the passage?

A. No pains, no gains.                  

B. Once a geek, always a geek.

C. Great minds think alike.              

D. Geek spirit brings great benefits.

D

  Ask most people anywhere in the world what they want out of life and the reply will probably be: “to be happy.” Ed Deiner, an American psychology professor, has spent his whole professional life studying what makes people happy, comparing levels of happiness between cultures and trying to find out exactly why we enjoy ourselves.

  Many people would say that this question does not need an answer. But Professor Deiner has one anyway. “If you're a cheerful, happy person, your marriage is more likely to last, and you're more likely to make money and be successful at your job. On average, happy people have stronger immune systems, and there is some evidence that they live longer.”

  So who are the world's happiest people? It depends on how the word is defined. There is individual happiness, the sense of joy we get when we do something we like. But there is also the feeling of satisfaction we get when we know that others respect us and approve of how we behave. According to Professor Deiner, the Western world pursues individual happiness while Asia prefers mutual satisfaction.

  “In the West, the individualistic culture means that your mood matters much more than it does in the East. People ask themselves if they are doing what is fun or interesting. They become unhappy when they can't do any of these things. If you ask people from Japan or China if they are happy, they tend to look at what has gone wrong in their lives. If not much has gone wrong, then they are satisfied.”

  People from Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries had the happiest culture, Professor Deiner found. “The biggest cultural difference is to do with pride and shame. Hispanic (西班牙语言的) cultures report much more pride and much less shame than others.”

  Income also made a big difference to people's happiness, but only at the lowest levels. Average income earners in the US were much happier than people in poverty. But millionaires were only a little bit happier than people on average incomes. It seems that money makes us happy when we have enough to feel secure.

41. According to the passage, happy people enjoy the following benefits EXCEPT ________.

A. a long marriage                    

B. better health   

C. profession success                  

D. respect from others

42. In Professor Deiner’s opinion, ________.

A. Asians focus more on others’ respect and approval than westerners

B. Westerners care more about mutual satisfaction than Asians

C. Asians have a culture to enjoy individual happiness

D. Westerners value individual happiness as much as mutual satisfaction

43. What can be inferred from the fifth paragraph?