54.【题干】The criticism the author received from his mother changed him as a person.
【答案】H
【解析】最后一句话
55.【题干】The author gradually improved his writing by avoiding fancy language.
【答案】J
56.【题干】Constructive criticism gives an author a good start to improve his writing.
【答案】E
Section C
Passage One
Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passge.
Could you reproduce silicon valley elsewhere, or is there something unique about it?
It wouldn't be surprising if it were hard to reproduce in other countries, because you couldn't reproduce it in most of the US either. What does it take to make a Silicon Valley?
It's the right people. If you could get the right ten thousand people to move from Silicon Valley to Buffalo, Buffalo would become Silicon Valley.
You only need two kinds of people to create a technology hub(中心); rich people and nerds(痴迷科研的人).
Observation bears this out. Within the US, towns have become startup hubs if and only if they have both rich people and nerds. Few startups happen in Miami, for example, because although it's full of rich people, it has few nerds. It's not the kind of place nerds like.
Whereas Pittsburgh has said to be MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, and Carnegie-Mellon yield in Pittsburgh? And what happened in Ithaca, home of Cornell University, which is also high on the list?
I grew up in Pittsburgh and went to college at Cornell, so I can answer for both. The weather is terrible, particularly in winter, and there's no interesting old city to make up for it, as there is in Boston. Rich people don't want to live in Pittsburgh or Ithaca. So while there're plenty of hackers(电脑迷)who could start startups, there's no one to invest in them.
Do you really need the rich people? Wouldn't it work to have the government invest in the nerds? No, it would not. Startups investor are a distinct type of the people. they tend to have a lot of experience themselves in the technology business. This helps them pick the right startups, and mean they can supply advice and connections as well as money. And the fact that they have a personal stake in the outcome makes them really pay attention.
57.【题干】What do we learn about Silicon Valley from the passage?
A.Its success is hard to copy anywhere else.
B.It is the biggest technology hub in the US.
C.Its fame in high technology is incomparable.
D.It leads the world in information technology.
【答案】A
58.【题干】What makes Miami unfit produce a Silicon Valley?
A.Lack of incentive for investment.
B.Lack of government support.
C.Lack of the right kind of talents.
D.Lack of famous universities.
【答案】C
【解析】第三段
59.【题干】In what way is Carnegie-Mellon different from Stanford, Berkeley and MIT?
A.Its location is not as attractive to rich people.
B.Its science departments are not nearly as good.
C.It does not produce computer hackers and nerds.
D.It does not pay much attention to business startups.
【答案】D
60.【题干】What does the author imply about Boston?
A.It has pleasant weather all year round.
B.It produces wealth as well as high-tech.
C.It is not likely to attract lots of investors and nerds.
D.It is an old city with many sites of historical interest.
【答案】C
61.【题干】What does the author say about startup investors?
A.They are especially wise in marking investments.
B.They have good connections in the government.
C.They can do more than providing money.
D.They are rich enough to invest in nerds.
【答案】C
【解析】由startup investors定位到最后一段。Startup investors不仅富有，他们一般都经验丰富，而且能给提供一些建议，所以答案选C——They can do more than providing money.
Passage Two
Questions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.
It's nice to have people of like mind around. Agreeable people boost your confidence and allow you to relax and feel comfortable. Unfortunately, that comfort can hinder the very learning that can expand your company and your career.
It's nice to have people agree, but you need conflicting perspectives to dig out the truth. If everyone around you has similar views, your work will suffer from confirmation bias(偏颇).
Take a look at your own network. Do your contacts share your point of view on most subjects? If yes, it's time to shake things up. As a leader, it can be challenging to create an environment in which people will freely disagree and argue, but as the saying goes: From confrontation comes brilliance.
It's not easy for most people to actively seek conflict. Many spend their lives trying to avoid arguments. There's no need to go out and find people you hate, but you need to do some self-assessment to determine where you have become stale in your thinking. You may need to start by encouraging your current network to help you identify your blind spots.
Passionate, energetic debate does not require anger and hard feelings to be effective. But it does require moral strength. Once you have worthy opponents, set some ground rules so everyone understands responsibilities and boundaries. The objective of this debating game is not to win but to get to the truth that will allow you to move faster, farther, and better.
Fierce debating can hurt feelings, particularly when strong personalities are involved. Make sure you check in with your opponents so that they are not carrying the emotion of the battles beyond the battlefield. Break the tension with smiles and humor to reinforce the ideas that this is friendly discourse and that all are working toward a common goal.
Reward all those involved in the debate sufficiently when the goals are reached. Let your sparring partners(拳击陪练)know how much you appreciate their contribution. The more they feel appreciated, the more they'll be willing to get into the ring next time.