Darwin's great work, The Origin of Species, is now generally accepted as one of the most important books ever written. But when it first came out in 1859, it was both derided and bitterly condemned by scientists and laymen.
Much of opposition to The Origin of Species arose from Darwin's claim that all living creatures, including man, are somehow related. Many people were outraged by the suggestion that man shared a common ancestor with animals such as apes and monkeys. They attacked Darwin for saying that man had descended from the apes.
But Darwin never actually said this. He believed that modern men and modern apes have both descended from the same ancestor. But at some time in pre-history, millions of years ago, men and apes began to develop separately, and ever since have continued to take on different characteristics. Today, more than 90 years after Darwin's death, this is the opinion which scientists continue to hold.
In his works, Darwin described the progression of life from its earliest forms. First came the invertebrate-creatures without a backbone. Then invertebrates evolved into fish; fish into amphibians; amphibians into reptiles; and reptiles into birds and mammals.
Fossil remains found after his death show that Darwin was right. Perhaps the most amazing fact about his theory is that he managed to work it out with the aid of only a few fossil discoveries.
Fossil remains were not the only information which we now possess but which Darwin lacked. He did not know that apes have the same diseases as men; nor that they and men have the same kind of blood. Nor did he know about the modern uses of radiation which enable scientists to tell the age of fossil remains and so estimate the speed at which evolution has taken place.
Which of the following best describes the passage as a whole？
A．The Origin of Species is a very significant book.
B．Darwin's discoveries were proved to be right though the Origin of Species was severely attacked.
C．The evolution of men has gone through a very long process.
D．It was impossible for Darwin to prove his ideas only with the aid of fossils.
The men who race the cars are generally small,with a tight, nervous look.They range from the early 20s to the middle 40s, and it is usually their nerves that go first.
Fear is the driver's constant companion, and tragedy can be just a step behind.Scarcely a man in the 500 does not carry the scars of ancient crashes.The mark of the plastic surgeon is everywhere, and burned skin is common.Sometimes a driver's scars are invisible, part of his heritage.Two young drivers, Billy Vukovich and Gary Bettenhausen, raced in their first 500 in 1968.Less than 20 years before, their fathers also competed against one another on the Indy track-and died there.All this the drivers accept.Over the years, they have learned to trust their own techniques, reflexes, and courage.They depend, too, on a trusted servant-scientific engineering.Though they may not have had a great deal of schooling(an exception is New Zealand's Bruce McLaren, who has an engineering degree), many drivers are gifted mechanics, with a feeling for their engines that amount to kinship.A few top drivers have become extremely wealthy, with six-figure incomes from prize money, endorsements, and jobs with auto-product manufacturers.Some have businesses of their own.McLaren designs racing chassis(底盘).Dan Gurney's California factory manufactured the chassis of three of the first four ears in the 1968 Indy 500, including his own second place car.Yet money is not the only reason why men race cars.Perhaps it isn't even the major reason.Three-time Indy winner(1961,1964,1967)A.J.Foyt, for example, can frequently be found competing on dirty tracks in minor-league races, where money, crowds and safety features are limited, and only the danger is not.Why does he do it？ Sometimes Foyt answers, "It's in my blood." Other times he says, "It's good practice." Now and then he replies, "Don't ask dumb questions."
1.The statement "it is usually their nerves that go first" means ________.
A.at first they all have a nervous look
B.they often find they can't bear the tension even if they are in good condition
C.someday they find they can't make responses to any risk
D.they can continue their career at most until the middle 40s
2.It can be inferred that a car accident is often coupled with ________.
A.a plastic surgeon
B.a companion
C.a risk
D.a fire
3.The invisible scars of the drivers mentioned in the second paragraph refers to ________.
A.the regrets left by their fathers
B.the fears left by their fathers
C.the cars left by their fathers
D.the heritage left by their fathers
4.Bruce McLaren is different from most of the drivers in that ________.
A.he himself designs chassis
B.he has an engineering degree
C.he manufactures chassis
D.he is a gifted mechanic
5.A.J.Foyt often takes part in minor-league races for ________.
A.prize money
B.blood test
C.cheers from the crowd
D.Enjoyment
We can make mistakes at any age. Some mistakes we make are about money. But most mistakes are about people. "Did Jerry really care when I broken up with Helen？" "When I got that great job did Jim really feel good about it, as a friend？" "Or did be envy my luck？" "And Paul-- why didn't I pick up that he was friendly just because I had a car？" When we look back, doubts like these can make us feel bad. But when we look back, it's too late.
Why do we go wrong about our friends or our enemies？ Sometimes what people say hides their real meaning. And if we don't really listen, we miss the feeling behind the words. Suppose someone tells you, "You're a lucky dog." Is he really on your side？ If he says, "You're a lucky guy" or "You're a lucky gal," that's being friendly. But "lucky dog" ？ There's a bit of envy in those words. Maybe he doesn't see it himself. But bringing in the "dog" bit puts you down a little. What be may be saying is that be doesn't think you deserve your luck.
"Just think of all the things you have to be thankful for" is another noise that says one thing and means another. It could mean that the speaker is trying to get you to see your problem as part of you life as a whole. But is he？ Wrapped up in this phrase is the thought that your problem isn't important. It's telling you to think of all the starving people in the world when you haven't got a date for Saturday night.
How can you tell the real meaning behind someone's words？ One way is to take a good look at the person talking. Do his words fit the way he looks？ Does what he says square with the tone of voice？ His posture？ The look in his eyes？ Stop and think. The minute you spend thinking about the real meaning of what people say to you may save another mistake.
Note: guy = boy; gal = girl
In paragraph 1, when the writer recalls some things that happened between him and his friends, ______.
A．he feels happy, thinking of how nice his friends were to him.
B．he feels he may not have "read" his friends' true feelings correctly.
C．he thinks it was a mistake to have broken up with his girlfriend.
D．he is sorry that his friends let him down.
