112學測英文

第31至34題為題組
Have you ever thought of “coloring” the names of the days of the week? When you listen to someone speaking， do you see a rainbow of colors? Or perhaps Mozart’s music tastes like an apple pie to you? If so， it is very likely that you have synesthesia.

Synesthesia is a condition in which people’s senses intermix. In some cases， people with synesthesia may experience colors when they hear， read， or even think of letters and numbers. In others， words can trigger a real sensation of taste on their tongue.

__31__ In the early 1990s， however， scientists noticed that synesthetic colors do not change over time. When asked what color is evoked by a letter or number， synesthetic people would persistently give the same answer even if tested months or years apart.
(A) This consistency serves as a proof that synesthesia is real.
(B) Meanwhile， environmental influences seem to shape a person’s synesthesia.
(C) People with synesthesia used to be accused of making their experiences up.
(D) Some studies even show that people may all be synesthetic to some degree.

第31至34題為題組
__32__ The most compelling support， however， comes from brain scans， which show that color processing areas in the brain light up when these people listen to certain words.
(A) This consistency serves as a proof that synesthesia is real.
(B) Meanwhile， environmental influences seem to shape a person’s synesthesia.
(C) People with synesthesia used to be accused of making their experiences up.
(D) Some studies even show that people may all be synesthetic to some degree.

第31至34題為題組
Is synesthesia genetically inherited or acquired after birth? Scientists agree that synesthesia has a genetic basis， because it frequently runs in families. But an actual synesthesia gene (or genes) has not been identified yet. __33__ For example， the flavors people with taste-word synesthesia experience are usually childhood flavors， such as chocolate or strawberries. Also， people with color-music synesthesia more often than not have had early musical training.
(A) This consistency serves as a proof that synesthesia is real.
(B) Meanwhile， environmental influences seem to shape a person’s synesthesia.
(C) People with synesthesia used to be accused of making their experiences up.
(D) Some studies even show that people may all be synesthetic to some degree.

第31至34題為題組
Once thought to be extremely rare， synesthesia is now found to affect about one to four percent of the population. __34__ As is often observed， most of us tend to associate lower notes with darker colors and higher notes with brighter colors. Researchers further point out that in most people synesthesia is active only during the first months of their infancy， while this ability remains forever in certain individuals.
(A) This consistency serves as a proof that synesthesia is real.
(B) Meanwhile， environmental influences seem to shape a person’s synesthesia.
(C) People with synesthesia used to be accused of making their experiences up.
(D) Some studies even show that people may all be synesthetic to some degree.

第35至38題為題組 When did people first experience the joy of the hula hoop? Although the term did not emerge until the 18th century， toy hoops twirled around the waist， limbs， or neck can be traced back to ancient times. As early as 1000 BC， Egyptian children played with hoop toys of dried grapevine. They threw， jumped， and slung them around their bodies as we do today. They also struck them with sticks to roll them down the road. Hoop rolling was also popular in ancient Greece. Their hoops， often made of metal， were not merely toys for Greek children but served as exercise devices as well. In the 14th century， hoops were popular as a form of recreation in Great Britain. The craze for hoops even resulted in dislocated backs and heart attacks， according to medical records. The term hula， however， did not enter the English language until the 1700s， when British sailors first witnessed hula dancing in the Hawaiian Islands. Though no hoops were used， the movements of the ritual dances looked very similar to those in hooping. Thus hula and hoop came together， resulting in the term hula hooping. Hoops spun their way through the cultures of pre-colonial America as well. Often considered as representing the circle of life， hoops featured prominently in the ritual dances of Native Americans. Dancers used small reed hoops as symbolic representations of animals such as eagles or snakes. With very rapid movements， they used the hoops to construct the symbolic forms around their bodies. The hula hoop gained international popularity in the late 1950s， when a plastic version was successfully marketed by California’s Wham-O toy company. Twenty-five million plastic hoops were sold in less than four months. The hula hoop fad is still going strong today. What question does the passage answer? (A) How was the word hula-hooping derived? (B) Why did Wham-O start making hula hoops? (C) Where did Hawaiian hula dancing come from? (D) What was the favorite toy of ancient Egyptian kids?

第35至38題為題組
Which of the following statements is true about use of the hoop in history?
(A) The British used it for medical purposes.
(B) Native Americans used it to train animals.
(C) Ancient Greeks used it as a tool for workout.
(D) Hawaiian dancers used it to represent the circle of life.

第35至38題為題組
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way of enjoying hula hoop fun?
(A) Striking.
(B) Twirling.
(C) Spinning.
(D) Kicking.

第35至38題為題組
According to the passage， what materials have been used for making hoops?
(A) reed， grapevine， bamboo， plastic
(B) reed， grapevine， plastic， metal
(C) reed， bamboo， plastic， animal skin
(D) grapevine， plastic， metal， animal skin

第39至42題為題組
When you enjoy your morning cup of tea， you are probably not aware that those tea leaves can mean injury， or even death， for Asian elephants roaming Indian tea gardens.

In the Indian state of Assam， growing numbers of tea farms are destroying the Asian elephant’s habitats and endangering their population. Much of the forest land where tea is grown in Assam is flat and thus farmers must dig drainage trenches to prevent water from accumulating and hurting the shrubs. The trenches， however， can be death traps for the elephants. Since the elephants need to use tea plantations as landmarks when navigating forests， they almost inevitably have to move through the farms. Moreover， because there are fewer humans around， pregnant females often use tea-growing areas as safe shelters to give birth. But baby elephants， not used to negotiating rough ground， may easily fall into the trenches and get hurt; and once injured， they might not be able to climb out. When mothers try to dig their babies out， both may be trapped and smothered by thick mud. Furthermore， elephants are known to resist leaving their sick or dying behind， and a herd may linger at a trench with a trapped baby for hours， reluctant to move on until all hope is lost.

Is it possible for elephants to coexist with the prosperous tea business? Elephant Friendly Tea is an organization that takes the initiative to make it possible. The organization encourages consumers to choose brands that take precautions to protect elephants and has set up a certification program to reward tea growers who are doing it right. Until now， only smaller tea brands have been certified， but awareness is growing. The organization believes that people may be motivated to buy elephant-friendly brands when they know more about the risk tea can pose to these endangered animals.
Why do farmers in Assam dig trenches in tea gardens?
(A) To protect tea trees.
(B) To trap elephants.
(C) To expand tea farms.
(D) To mark boundaries of tea gardens.

第39至42題為題組
Why are baby elephants easily injured in the Assam tea gardens according to the passage?
(A) They cannot find a safe shelter when climbing out of the trenches.
(B) They cannot locate the landmarks while trying to navigate forests.
(C) They are trapped by the sharp branches of the tea trees.
(D) They have difficulties moving around the uneven fields.