week3.docx

week3.docx

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week3

SomehowCaliforniaisalwaysatthecuttingedge,beitintheflower-powerdaysofthe1960sorthedotcomboomofthe1990s.AsKevinStartpointsoutinhishistoryofthestate,Californiahaslongbeen"oneoftheprismsthroughwhichtheAmericanpeople,forbetterandforworse,couldglimpsetheirfuture".

Mr.Starristoogoodahistoriantoofferanypatexplanation;instead,heconcentratesontheextraordinaryarrayofpeopleandeventsthathaveledfromthemythicallandofQueenCalafia,throughtheruleofSpainandMexico,andontothegovernorshipofArnoldSchwarzenegger,aniron-pumpingfilmstarwithanAustrianaccent①.Moreover,hedoessowithsucheleganceandhumorthathisbookisajoytoread.

WhatemergesisnotallCaliforniansunshineandlight.Thinkbacktothesavageviolencethataccompaniedthe1849GoldRush;ortotheexclusionordersagainsttheChinese;ortotheriotsthatregularlymarkedindustrialandsocialrelationsinSanFrancisco.CaliforniawasverymuchtheWildWest,havingtowaituntil1850beforeitcouldforceitswaytostatehood.

Sowhattamedit?

Mr.Starr'sanswerisacombinationofgreatmen,greatideasandgreatprojects.HeemphasizesthedevelopmentofCalifornia'sinfrastructure,thedevelopmentofagriculture;thespreadoftherailroadsandfreeways;and,perhapsthemostimportantfactorfortoday'shi-techCalifornia,thecreationofasuperbsetofpublicuniversities.

Allthis,hewrites,"beganwithwater,thesinequanonofanycivilization."Hegoesoncheerfullytonotethe"monumentaldamagetotheenvironment"causedbyirrigationprojectsthatwere"plaguedbyclaimsofdeception,double-dealingandconflictofinterest".

Onevirtueofthisbookisitsstructure.Mr.Starrisnevertrappedbyhischronologicalframework.In-stead,whenthesubjectdemandsit,hemanagesdeftlytoflitbackandforthamongthedecades.LesssatisfyingishisaccountofCalifornia'sculturalprogressinthe19thand20thcenturies:

doeshereallyneedtoinvokesomanylong-forgottenwriterstoaccompanysuchnamesasJackLondon,FrankNorris,MarkTwainorRaymondChandler?

ButthatisaminorcriticismforabookthatwillbecomeaCaliforniaclassic.TheregretisthatMr.Starr,doubtlesspressedforspace,leavessolittleroom--justabrieffinalchapter--fortheimplicationsofthepastforCalifornia'sfuture.HeposesthequestionthatmostAmericansprefertoglossover:

isCaliforniagovernable?

"Forallitsimpressivegrowth,thereremainsavolatilityinthepoliticsandgovernanceofCalifornia,whichbecameperfectlycleartotherestofthenationinthefallof2003whenthevotersofCaliforniarecalledonegovernorandelectedanother②."

Indeedso,andMr.Startwiselyavoidsmakinganyprematurejudgmentontheirchoice.Illssuchassoaringhouseprices,gridlockedfreewaysand"embattled"publicschools,combinedwiththebudgetaryproblemsthatstemfromthetaxrevoltof1978wouldtesttothelimitanygovernor,eventheTerminator3.AsMr.Starrnotes,nooneshouldciteCaliforniaasanunambiguoustriumph:

"TherehasalwaysbeensomethingslightlybipolaraboutCalifornia.Itwaseitherutopiaordystopia,adreamoranightmare,ahopeorabrokenpromise--andtooinfrequentlyanythinginbetween."

21.Thephrase"sinequanon"inPara.5,Line1possiblymeans____.

[A]theessentialelements

[B]thepremise

[C]thecontribution

[D]theadvantage

22.WhichoneofthefollowingisNOTthecharacteristicofthebook?

____

[A]Thedistributionalimbalanceofeachofthepart.

[B]Thechaoticarrangementanddesignofthestructure.

[C]Theimproperselectionofsomematerials.

[D]Thecautiousviewandattitudeofthewriter.

23.WhatisthemostadversepotentialproblemforthedevelopmentofCalifornia?

____

[A]Theresidentsarehypocritical,reluctanttofacethereality.

[B]Thereexistsomeelementsofpoliticalinstability.

[C]Themeritsanddemeritsco-exist.

[D]Economiccrisisandtheharshconditionsinfront

24.FromthetextwecanlearnthatMr.Startisvery____asahistorian.

[A]conservative

[B]cunningandshrewd

[C]objectiveandcanny

[D]criticalandaggressive

25.Thepurposeofthewriterismainlyto____.

[A]giveabriefaccountofCaliforniaanditsproblems

[B]informuswhyCaliforniaissoattractiveandenduring

[C]promoteandpopularizeawould-beclassicalbook

[D]makeacommentonMr.Starrandareviewofhismasterpiece

Itisgenerallybelievedthatthegreatestdamageofoldageisthelossofmentalfaculties.Withtheneardoublingoflifeexpectancyinthepastcenturyhascomeamixedblessing.Afewgreatthinkersandartistsremainedproductiveintheirlateryears--Galileo,Monet,Shaw,Stravinsky,Tolstoy--buteventheywerenotwhattheyhadbeenintheirprimes.Insciences,theboomfallssoonerstill:

"Apersonwhohasnotmadehisgreatcontributiontosciencebeforetheageof30willneverdoso,"saidEinstein.

Imagineifwecouldtransplantoldbrainsintoyoungerbodies:

wouldourmindsstayyoung,orwouldwebesenileteenagers,scalingmountainsandskateboardingat120,butforgettingwhereweputthecar'skeys.Isthebrainuniquelyvulnerabletotheravagesoftime?

Cananythingbedone?

Indisputableevidencefrommanystudiesshowsthatahigherlevelofeducationandgreatermentalactivitythroughoutlifecorrelatedwithlowercognitivelossesinoldage.Thesebenefitsapplytoallsortsofcognitivelosses,includingthoseassociatedwithdementia.Someresearchersbelievethatmentalapplicationinearlylifeproducescomplexneuralconnectionsthatprovideareservelateron;othersarguethateducationmerelygivespeoplethemeanstocopewithandcompensatefortheirlosses.

K.WarnerShay,aprofessorofhumandevelopmentandpsychologyatPennsylvaniaStateUniversity,hasstudiedage-relatedchangeinmorethan5,000people,someformorethan40years.Comparingearlierwithlaterrecruits,Mr.Shayconcludesthattherateofmentaldeclineisslowing,achangeheattributestobettereducation,healthierdiet,lessenedexposuretoseriousdisease,andmorementalactivity."You'vegottopractise,"Mr.Shaysays."Ifyoudon'tsolveproblems,younolongercansolveproblems."Retirementcanbeparticularlyhard,headds,becauseformanypeople,workistheirmostchallengingactivity."Retirementisgoodforpeoplewho'vehadroutinejobs--theymayfindsomethingmorestimulating.Butit'sdisadvantageousforpeopleinhigh-leveljobs,whoarelesslikelytofindsomethingasstimulatingasthejobtheyhad."

K.AndersEricsson,apsychologyprofessoratFloridaStateUniversity,confirmsMr.Shay'semphasisonthevirtueofpractice.Initiallyinterestedinexpertperformancelikemusicians,hefoundthatmanygeniusesaren'treallysodifferentfromeveryoneelse--theyjustpractiseharderandlonger,benefitingfromsheerlabor,ratherthanfromsomespecialgift.Professionalmusicianswhocontinuetopractiseassiduouslyastheyagecontinuetoplaywell,whileamateurswhojustplayforpleasureshowage-relateddeclines.

Mr.Ericsson'sstudiesfailedtoshowsignificantgeneralizedfitnessfrommentalexercise.Ifyouplaytennis,youimproveyourgeneralfitness,butthegreatestimprovementisspecifictotennis,nottoothersports.It'sthesamewithcognitiveexercise.Youhavetolookatyourlifeandpickwhatyouwanttoimprove.

26.Accordingtothecontext,"amixedblessing"（Para.1）mostprobablymeans____.

[A]livinglongerandlosingmore

[B]livingshorterandgettingmore

[C]havingalonglifeandmakinggreatcontributions

[D]achievingsuccessbothinyoungageandinoldage

27.Scientificstudiesindicatethat____.

[A]higherlevelsofeducationarerelatedtogreatermentalawarenessinyoungage

[B]higherlevelsofeducationareirrelevanttolowerlevelsofmentaldeclineinoldage

[C]ahigherlevelofeducationistheexclusivefactorthatcanslowtherateofmentaldecline

[D]lessmentalactivityinlifecanprobablyresultinhighercognitivelossesinoldage.

28.Accordingtothetext,retirementcanbenefitthosewho____.

[A]havealwayshadverybusyworkintheirlives

[B]havepreviouslyhaddepressingworkexperiences

[C]canfindmorestimulatingactivitiesthantheyhadthroughwork

[D]havehadhigh-leveljobsorverystimulatingworkexperiences

29.Theexampleoftennisismentionedinthelastparagraphtosuggestthatmentalexercise____.

[A]cancounterage-relatedmentaldeclineinacomprehensiveway

[B]offersbenefitsdirectlyboundupwiththatkindofexercise

[C]shouldbepairedwithphysicalexerciseformaximumbenefit

[D]iscomparabletophysicalactivitiesintermofitsimportancetooverallhealth

30.Throughoutthistexttheauthormainlyintendsto____.

[A]underlinethedifficultiesdirectlyrelatedtoaging

[B]arguethatoldageneednotbeabarriertosuccess

[C]commentondifferenttheoriesofmentaldeclineinoldage

[D]statehowpeoplecancountertheimpactofagingonmentalfaculties

Atthefall2001SocialScienceHistoryAssociationconventioninChicago,theCrimeandJusticenet-worksponsoredaforumonthehistoryofgunownership,gunuse,andgunviolenceintheUnitedStates.Ourpurposewastoconsiderhowsocialsciencehistorymightcontributetothepublicdebateoverguncontrolandgunrights.Todate,wehavehadlittleimpactonthatdebate.Ithasbeendominatedbymainstreamsocialscientistsandhistorians,especiallyscholarssuchasGaryKleck,JohnLott,andMichaelBellesiles,whosework,despiteprofoundflaws,ispoliticallycongenialtoeitheropponentsorproponentsofgunc