上海市高三英语二轮复习概要写作练习二.docx

（4）A Question of JudgementHuman beings are, in principle, poor at considering background information when making individual decisions. At first glance, this might seem like a strength that grants people the ability to make judgments which are independent of external factors. But in a world of limited resources- in other words, the world in which most professional people operate Dr. Simonsohn reported in Psychological Science that it was actually a weakness since an inability to consider the big picture was leading decision-makers to be biased (有偏见)by the daily samples they were working with.To test this idea, Dr. Simonsohn and his assistants turned their attention to the university-admissions process. Admissions officers interview hundreds of applicants every year, at a rate of 4% a day, and can offer entry to about 40% of them. In theory, the success of an applicant should not depend on the few others chosen randomly for interview during the same day, but Dr. Simonsohn suspected the truth was otherwise.He studied the results of 9,323 MBA interviews conducted by 31 admissions officers. The interviewers had rated applicants on a scale of one to five. This scale took numerous factors, including communication skills, personal drive, team-working ability and personal accomplishments, into consideration. The scores from this rating were then used in conjunction with an applicant's score on the GMAT, a standardized exam which is marked out of 800 points, to make a decision on whether to accept him or her.Dr.Simonsohn found if the score of the previous candidate in a daily series of interviewees was 0.75 points or more higher than that of the one before that, then the score for the next applicant would drop by an average of 0.075 points. This might sound small, but to reverse the effects of such a decrease, a candidate would need 30 more GMAT points than would otherwise have been necessary.As for why people behave this way, Dr.Simonsohn proposes that after accepting a number of strong candidates, interviewers might form the illogical expectation that a weaker candidate "is due".参考答案：4.Making decisions without considering the big picture will cause biased opinions, which can be proved by MBA interviews. The success depends on the candidate's competitors because his score will fall if the previous candidates keep being graded with higher points. The reason is that the interviewer expects the arrival of a 'weaker' candidate after meeting with several strong ones. (59 words)（5）Small TalkSecurity guard, truck driver, salesperson year after year, these jobs appear on lists of the unhappiest careers. Although many factors can make a job depressing 一 unusual hours, low pay, no chance for advancement these three jobs stand out for another reason: a lack of small talk.Psychologists have long said that connecting with others is central to our well-being, but just how much conversation we require is under investigation. In one study, researchers overheard undergraduates for four days and then catalogued each conversation as either "small talk" （"What do you have there? Pop corn? Yummy!"） or “serious" （"Did they break up soon after?"）. They found that the second type is connected with happiness the happiest students had roughly twice as many "serious" talks as the unhappiest ones. Small talk, meanwhile, made up only ten percent of their conversation, versus almost 30 percent of conversation among the unhappiest students.However, don't just consider small talk worthless yet. Scientists believe that small talk could promote bonding. Chatting with strangers could brighten our morning. In a series of experiments, psychologists found that those who chatted with other train passengers reported a more pleasant journey than those who didn't.Small talk can also help us feel connected to our surroundings. People who smiled at, made eye contact with and briefly spoke with their Starbucks baristas（咖啡帀）reported a greater sense of belonging than those who rushed through the transaction（交易）.Similarly, when volunteers broke the silence of the art gallery to chat with gallery-goers, the visitors felt happier and more connected to the exhibit than those who were not approached.Of course, some of us are better than others at turning small talk into something bigger. In one study, people who were rated "less curious" by researchers had trouble getting a conversation rolling on their own. People who were considered "curious", meanwhile, needed no help transforming conversations about ordinary things like favorite holidays into friendly exchanges. A “curious mindset “, the researchers concluded, can lead to 44positive social interaction.参考答案：5.Jobs lacking a small talk will become joyless. Psychologists find happy students like serious talk more than small talk, but small talk has its value in promoting relationship and bringing a good mood. It also helps one connected with the environment, increasing sense of belonging. Curious people are better at initiating a friendly conversation. (54 words)（6）How much do you know about venom?All snakes arc hunters and predators, feeding on the animals and sometimes their eggs. Having no limbs, snakes cannot hold their preys down to bite； hence they usually swallow them whole. Poisonous snakes sometimes do immobilize their preys with their venom（毒液）to make consumption easier.Most poisonous snakes are conspicuously colored to warn others off. One example is the redheaded krait which has a bluish-black body and scarlet head and tail. Snakes like the cobras, which have less outstanding body colors, display their fatality by lifting the front part of their body and spreading their hoods.Why then is the venom so deadly? Each species of venomous snakes has a different mix of poisonous chemicals in its bite. Scientists know about two basic categories. One type of poison contains molecules that block the activity of nerves, which paralyzes the muscles. When this action stops the muscles that work the lungs, the prey stops breathing and dies. The other type of venom is made up of molecules that kill the prey by making tissues in the body begin to break down.Though these bites arc deadly, certain actions can be taken to slow down the spread of the venom, hence saving the victim's life. Attempting to incise and suck at the spot of the bite is more likely to be harmful than a cure. The poisonous venom usually travels fast into the body upon being released; hence sucking at the mouth of the wound will not help remove the poison； rather, it may lead the victim to great pain and further increase bleeding. Instead, a broad, firm bandage should be applied over the wound and up the full limb to compress the tissues and prevent the spread of the venom. After which, the victim must be duly sent to the hospital for professional treatment.参考答案：6.Venom helps snakes make swallowing preys easier. Poisonous snakes will use color or change their body position to send off warnings. Venom is deadly because the molecules it contains either stop nerves from functioning properly or make preys5 tissues collapse. To slow down its spread, remember to apply bandage and send victims to the hospital immediately. (56 words)