【推荐1】Squirrels eavesdrop on (窃听) the chatter of songbirds to work out whether the appearance of a predator (食肉动物) is cause for alarm, researchers have found. Animals including squirrels have previously been found to tune in to cries of alarm from other creatures.

But the latest study suggests animals may also keep an ear out for everyday chitchat among other species as a way to assess whether there is trouble afoot.

Writing in the journal Plos One, researchers reported on how they made their discovery by observing 67 grey squirrels as they pottered about (晃悠) different areas in the residential regions of Oberlin.

After 30 seconds of observing a squirrel, researchers played it a recording of the call of a red-­tailed hawk, which lasted a couple of seconds — and their behaviour in the next 30 seconds was monitored. The squirrels were then played a three-minute recording of several different species of songbird chattering on a feeder.

The results revealed that in the 30 seconds after hearing the hawk call the squirrels increased the percentage of their time spent “vigilant” (警惕) compared with before the call, while they also looked up more often to scan the environment. Squirrels that were played bird chatter raised their heads less often during the recording and the number of these “look­ups” dropped off faster over time.

“Recognition of bird chatter as a sign of safety is likely adaptive, as squirrels that can safely reduce their vigilance level in the presence of bird chatter probably are able to increase foraging (觅食) success,” the authors wrote.

The team suggested that with levels of human­made noise increasing, squirrels may find it harder to eavesdrop on birds, meaning they may have to spend more time being alert and less time foraging.

Dr. Jakob Bro­Jorgensen, co­author of the study from Oberlin College, said: “The study calls attention to how animals can gather information from their environment by using cues that may at first glance seem irrelevant,” he said. “And it makes you wonder how the more and more pervasive (无处不在的) impact of human activities on natural soundscapes may reduce survival of wildlife in ways we haven’t thought of.”

1. What does the new research find about squirrels’ eavesdropping?

A．It lacks scientific evidence.	B．It is more widespread and broader.
C．It needs to be further investigated.	D．It is contradictory to previous findings.

2. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The subject of the experiment.	B．The findings of the experiment.
C．The process of the experiment.	D．The purpose of the experiment.

3. Why is recognition of bird chatter as a sign of safety important for squirrels?

A．They can escape from potential risks.

B．It helps them to forage food successfully.

C．It is safe for them to play with their mates.

D．They can adapt to a new environment quickly.

4. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about concerning the research?

A．It’s possible effects.	B．Its appeal to the public.
C．Expectations for further study.	D．Scientists with new awareness.

【推荐3】How do the world’s only flying mammals(哺乳动物) communicate? Researchers have observed young bats adopting new “dialects” simply by hearing them repeatedly, making them one of the few animals known to be capable of voice learning. “These bats may help us clarify the development of speech learning skills,” says Yosef Prat, a PhD at Tel AvivUniversity.

For one year, researchers raised 14 Egyptian fruit baby bats with their mothers in controlled area, surrounding each young bat with two different voices: the natural call of its mother and a distinct recording that varied in loudness or tone. They found that the baby bats in each group developed a dialect like the recording. “The general assumption in this field is that most animals develop their born voices in despite of what they hear, and that human voice learning abilities have developed as time goes by,” says Mr. Prat. “The finding that bats learn the common dialect in their rest place was unusual. ”

Scientists know little about the origin of spoken language, which is believed to have appeared in humans within the past 500,000 years. A diversity of theories attempts to give a detailed clarification of this skill, but none have done so conclusively.

“Studying voice communication and voice learning in animal models is a very useful way to approach the problem,” says Olga Feher, an assistant professor at the University of Warwick in England.

But animal voice s and human speech are very different things, says Jamin Pelkey, a professor at Ryerson University. “All species communicate. Unlike other animals, though, human beings are able to use sound patterns for functions that are far stranger—functions that are imaginative, theoretical, and critical. When speech is involved in these stranger functions, that is what we mean by spoken ‘language’. ‘‘

1. How do young bats pick up their “language” according to the research?

A．By hearing it constantly.	B．By interacting with partners.
C．By learning from researchers.	D．By repeating it with their mothers.

2. Why does Mr. Prat think the findings unusual?

A．It is distinct from the general assumption.

B．It helps people understand human voice leaning.

C．It proves animals only develop their inborn voices.

D．It makes the previous assumption more convincing.

3. What does the underlined word “problem” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．Illustrating the origin of animal voices.

B．Giving a full account of spoken language.

C．Helping animals develop their born voices.

D．Telling the differences between animal voices and human speech.

4. What does professor Pelkey think of researching young bats?

A．It is not so relevant to understanding human speech.

B．It promotes people to use imaginative sound patterns.

C．It is essential for analyzing animal voice learning skills.

D．It helps people explore more functions of spoken language.

【推荐1】Many of you should not own dogs. It’s that simple. The reason is that, if you own a dog, you must train a dog, and many dog owners out there, it is safe to say, have little or no control over their dogs, because they do not train them.

Strong words? Maybe. But they are simple, honest words, as untrained dogs living in residential neighborhoods bark at will, run loose, and visit and damage neighboring properties with their owners’ blessings as they let them run on purpose.

Take note of the fact that you, the dog owner, cannot control your dog causing a continual nuisance（麻烦事）that damages the quality of life in your neighborhood. There’s nothing more annoying to most people than a dog that barks and nothing more confusing than trying to understand the deficient（有缺陷的）mentality of the dog owner who allows his dog to do so.

After all, the irresponsible dog owner hears the barking too, and so those who must put up with it are continually left wondering-what are they thinking, are they deaf?

Many dog owners believe it is not possible for their dog to be trained, an indication that the owners themselves lack self discipline, and most likely have never really tried to apply discipline to other issues in their lives, not with consistency, or that they are simply lazy and inattentive(疏忽的) to their own adult responsibilities at the expense of others.

Irresponsible dog owners, though, do train their dogs. A dog is a reflection of its owner. Whatever a dog does (run loose, bark at will, jump on guests entering the front door, soil neighboring lawns) is a result of the decisions of the owner. The choice not to do something is indeed a choice.

The good news is that with mere consistency(一致性), a dog can be trained rather quickly, in a couple of weeks if the owner takes his responsibility seriously. Again, that process will be a reflection of the owner’s behavior, and the primary ingredient(要素) in that behavior is not allowing the dog, not even once, to repeat the bad behavior without consequences when told and directed not to. You can stop your dog from barking with simple firm voice commands, direct eye contact, and force of will in a relatively short time, as long as you are consistent and a reasonably mature person.

Dogs, what’s more, love this training because pleasing you, their owner, is what they are all about. The upshot(结果，要点) will be that you have a more connected relationship you’re your dog, a better dog that is suitable for its environment.

1. Which is NOT the reason for dog owners to have little or no control over their dogs?

A．They are lazy and unwilling to train their dogs.

B．They think their dogs can act well without training.

C．They lack self-control over many issues in daily life.

D．They don't give enough attention to their responsibilities.

2. What's the author's attitude towards owners of untrained dogs?

A．Prejudiced.

B．Unclear.

C．Disapproving.

D．Curious.

3. This article is mainly written to __________.

A．instruct dog owners how to train dogs

B．call on dog owners to train their dogs

C．sing high praise for responsible dog owners

D．analyze the relationship between dog owners and their dogs

4. It can be concluded from the passage that _________.

A．responsible dog owners can put up with dogs’ barking

B．irresponsible dog owners train their dogs to do something wrong on purpose

C．we should not own dogs because they can damage the quality of our daily life

D．whether a dog can be trained properly may depend on the dog owner's behavior

【推荐2】Rivers are earthly arteries(要道) for the nutrients, deposits and freshwater that sustain healthy, diverse ecosystems. Their influence extends in multiple dimensions—not only along their length but below­ground to aquifers(蓄水层) and periodically into nearby floodplains.

They also provide vital services for people by fertilizing agricultural land and feeding key fisheries and by acting as transportation corridors. But in efforts to ease ship passage, protect communities from flooding, and draw off water for drinking and irrigation, humans have increasingly constrained and broken these crucial water ways. “We try to control rivers as much as possible,” says Gunther Grill, a hydrologist at McGill University.

In new research published in May in Nature, Grill and his colleagues analyzed the barriers to 12 million total kilometers of rivers around the world. The team developed an index(指数) that evaluates six aspects of connectivity—from physical fragmentation (by dams, for example) to flow regulation (by dams or levees) to water consumption—along a river’s various dimension. Rivers whose indexes meet a certain threshold(临界值) for being largely able to follow their natural patterns were considered free­flowing.

The researchers found that among rivers longer than 1,000 kilometers (which tend to be some of those most important to human activities), only 37 percent are not blocked along their entire lengths. Most of them are in areas with a minimal human presence, including the Amazon and Congo basins and the Arctic. On the contrary, most rivers shorter than 100 kilometers appeared to flow freely—but the data on them are less comprehensive, and some barriers might have been missed. Only 23 percent of the subset of the longest rivers that connect to the ocean are uninterrupted. For the rest, human infrastructure is starving estuaries(河口) and deltas (such as the Mississippi Delta) of key nutrients. The world's estimated 2.8 million dams are the main cause, controlling water flow and trapping deposits.

The new research could be used to better understand how proposed dams, levees and other such projects might impact river connectivity, as well as where to remove these fixtures to best restore natural flow. It could also help inform our approach to rivers as the climate changes, says Anne Jefferson, a hydrologist at Kent State University, who was not involved in the work. Existing infrastructure, she says, “has essentially been built to a past climate that we are not in anymore and are increasingly moving away from.”

1. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT a function of rivers?

A．Easing ship passage.	B．Fertilizing agricultural land.
C．Transporting people or goods.	D．Sustaining healthy ecosystems.

2. What does the underlined word “constrained” in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?

A．Exhausted.	B．Restricted.
C．Consumed.	D．Expanded.

3. The underlined word “them” in Paragraph 4 refers to “________”．

A．earthly arteries	B．human activities
C．entire lengths	D．unblocked rivers

4. What does Anne Jefferson mean by the underlined sentence in the last paragraph?

A．Existing infrastructure has been perfectly built.

B．Existing infrastructure doesn't depend on the past climate.

C．Existing infrastructure determines the future climate.

D．Existing infrastructure doesn’t fit the changing climate.

【推荐3】It could be said that trees naturally call for attention as they climb toward the sky with their arms outstretched (伸展的). Yet, it’s still easy for us to ignore them. As we live busy lives, trees seem to play the role of a background.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Trees are important to the quality and health of our lives, our homes and our planet. Rooted to a single spot, they appear still. But that stillness is not equal to laziness. In fact, they are workhorses of the environment as the impact of their hard work carries miles farther than the ground in which they stand.

Globally, trees are the most cost-effective tool in the fight against climate change. Trees clean the air and absorb carbon. They promote biodiversity and support important habitats. For example, ring-tailed lemurs (环尾狐猴) are considered one of the most endangered creatures on the planet. A big reason is that half of the forests they depend on in Madagascar off the east coast of Africa were cut down.

Lemurs aren’t alone when it comes to a dependency on trees. Trees are home to 80% of all animals, plants and insects that live on land. Though humans aren’t always dependent on treetops for shelter, trees can save our lives, too.

Reports indicate in 2022 alone, heat waves across Europe caused an estimated 20,000deaths. Scientists point to trees as a way to fight against these urban heat islands, saying that increasing Europe’s tree canopy (树冠) by 30% could prevent thousands of deaths. Being around trees can also improve a person’s blood pressure, mental health and boost creativity. In fact, doctors in Canada are so convinced of nature’s benefits for the mind and body that they started suggesting patients free passes to national parks.

It’s time to put trees in the spotlight and inspire people to plant trees. This isn’t a one-sided relationship. What we give to nature we will receive in return.

1. What does the author want to tell us by mentioning ring-tailed lemurs?

A．The importance of trees to animals.	B．The function of trees in purifying the air.
C．How animals fight against climate change.	D．Why trees are always overlooked by people.

2. Which statement will the author probably agree with?

A．Insects’ lives are not affected by trees	B．Trees can contribute to human survival.
C．Carbon can hardly be absorbed by trees.	D．Planting trees is high-cost and low-return.

3. What does the author intend to do in the last paragraph?

A．Encourage people to make more friends.	B．Advertise a spotlight.
C．Introduce a new topic for discussion.	D．Call on people to plant trees.

4. In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?

A．Entertainment

B．Health.

C．Environment.

D．Education.

【推荐1】The New York Times’ Room for Debate blog has a panel (专门小组) considering the pluses and minuses of summer homework. This has been the subject of debate in our house. Our 11^th-grade daughter’s summer assignments were very challenging, to the point where I sometimes wondered if more of her time would have been better spent just riding a bicycle or swimming around a pool.
Here are some opinions from the panel:
Harris Cooper, psychologist, Duke University: “The long summer vacation disrupts(打乱) the rhythm of instruction, leads to forgetting and requires time be spent reviewing old material when students return to school in the fall. My advice? Teachers, you need to be careful about what and how much summer homework you assign. Summer homework shouldn’t be expected to overcome a student’s learning deficits(不足); that’s what summer school is for. Parents, if the assignments are clear and reasonable, support the teachers. ”
Nancy Kalish, co-author of the Case Against Homework: “Schools should rethink summer homework, and not just because it stresses out kids (and parents). The truth is, homework doesn’t accomplish what we assume it does. According to a Duke University review of more than 175 studies, there is little or no connection between homework and standardized test score or long-term achievement in primary school.”
Mark Bauerlein, professor of English at Emory University: “To the general question of whether or not schools should assign summer homework, the answer is ‘Yes.’ The reason comes not only from the brain drain(脑力消耗) of summer. It relates also to an attitude young people take toward education. They tie knowledge to the syllabus(教学大纲), not to themselves. They read and study to write the paper and score highly in the test, not to furnish their minds. In a word, they regard learning as a classroom thing. That’s all.”
It seems to me that summer homework is a good idea to keep the brain cells moving, but like everything else it should be given in moderation.
1. Harris Cooper seems to believe that_________.

A．more summer homework causes students’ learning difficulties

B．students should go to summer school if they have no homework

C．teachers should give careful consideration to summer homework

D．parents should tell teachers how much homework their kids need

2. In the 4^th paragraph, Nancy Kalish explains her idea by_________.

A．making comparisons	B．giving research findings
C．raising questions	D．telling stories

3. Mark Bauerlein might agree that summer homework_________.

A．should be based on the school’s teaching program

B．has no direct connection to students’ higher grades

C．brings more pressure to both students and their parents

D．helps students develop the right attitude toward learning

【推荐3】As a child growing up in a suburban town in the Northeast of the United States, the arrival of spring had little meaning for me. Sure, we had a weeklong spring vocation from school, but the key word there was vacation, not spring.

For the kids in my neighborhood, the arrival of spring was a non-event. There were two important seasons: winter, when we could go skating and sledding or build snow forts, and summer, when we could finally make proper use of the beach about 100 meter east of my family home. Spring and autumn were just technical details, weeks and weeks of waiting for the good times’ return.

Admittedly, spring later developed its own attractions for me- “In the spring a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of love”, as the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson noted-however, it was not spring itself, but the other stuff bat got my attention.

In short, I never thought much at all about spring.... and then I arrived in China. I had been in Beijing for about three months when my first Spring Festival rolled around, and it could hardly be ignored. Aside from the random bursts of fireworks at any time day or night, what stood out most for me was that the capital seemed to be empty.

It was as though the crowds and streams of cars and trucks commonly seen in the capital had all gone into hiding. My puzzlement cleared up when I returned to work. My colleagues explained that Chinese traditionally travel, if necessary, to visit their families during Spring Festival, and that many Beijingers were not natives of the capital.

I also got my first knowledge of something about Spring Festival that never ceases to amaze me. Regardless of when the holiday is set to begin, there is an almost immediate and sudden change for the better in the weather. Spring really does arrive.

I can’t begin to figure out how the ancient Chinese could create a system that would almost always accurately predict when the season would shift year after year after year. But they did.

1. What did the author think of spring as a child?

A．It was a season full of promise.	B．It was always beyond his imagination.
C．It was a tiring and long holiday.	D．It hardly left a good impression on him.

2. What impressed the author most about Beijing during the Spring Festival?

A．The busy traffic.	B．The unexpected quietness.
C．Beijingers’ love for travel.	D．Occasional bursts of fireworks.

3. How does the author feel about the system created by ancient Chinese?

A．Adorable.

B．Confused.

C．Wonderful.

D．Convenient.

4. What can be inferred from the text?

A．Spring Festival in Beijing will make one feel quite lonely.

B．The author spent his first Spring Festival at a colleague’s home.

C．In China Spring Festival always indicates the coming of Spring.

D．The author still worked during the Spring Festival while in Beijing.

【推荐1】It was early in 1981 when I first met George. I was in my early 30s, seeking a creative outlet unrelated to the humdrum of housework and raising little ones. My children, then aged three and five, were just entering kindergarten and school life. At 65, George had recently retired and was seeking a rewarding hobby for his golden years. For both of us, painting was art and we met at a local TAFE painting class. Thus began a friendship that was to last for 25 years—until the day he died.

In the late 1950s, George arrived in Western Australia from Britain with his wife and two children. He wasn’t a tall man but was as neat as a pin, with a mouthful of large teeth and glasses that gave his blue eyes a Bambi-like appearance. George was a man who lived life to the full; he worked hard, played hard, and had an opinion about everything. He loved his wife, his family, his friends, and was loyal and outspoken to the equal degree. A slim and vigorous man, George took pride in his fitness and health and walked three kilometres every day. “”I’d no more go without my walk than without brushing my teeth,” he’d say.

And as the only male in a painting class full of women, George was in his element. He loved his singular role and looked after his brood with the same attention he gave to everything.

He took to painting with passion and commitment, even turning the spare bedroom of his home into a studio. His painting equipment was comprehensive—an easel, quality paints, linseed oil, turpentine, brushes, palette, canvases, charcoal pencils, fixative, palette knives—even a rolling pin for removing air bubbles when gluing. Ever practical, George housed many of these items in a tool box-a red metal tool box-built to take hard knocks and purchased from a local hardware store.

For about six years George and I studied together through various units until the completion of the course and other commitments drew us apart, though we always maintained personal contact as we lived within a couple of kilometres of each other. Td sometimes see him on his daily walk or at the local shops and occasionally we'd touch base with a ‘proper’ afternoon tea, sharing a cuppa and a chinwag.

1. Why did the author start to learn painting?

A．To find a lasting and rewarding friendship.

B．To take a break from her boring family life.

C．To develop a hobby for her future golden years.

D．To realize her long-held dream of becoming a painter.

2. The phrase “his brood”（in paragraph 3) most probably refers to __________.

A．George’s interest	B．George’s tools
C．George’s family	D．George’s classmates

3. In the author’s eye, George was a person who__________

A．desired a luxurious life	B．was enthusiastic about sports
C．cared little about his appearance	D．seldom told others about his opinion

4. What is the author most likely to deal with in the paragraphs that follow the passage?

A．What happened on the day George died.

B．Why she became a painter while George didn’t.

C．How she and George turned away from each other.

D．Where George used to live before coming to Australia.

【推荐2】Each year Canada Chocolate Town, St. Stephen, New Brunswick, celebrates our community’s rich and delicious heritage with our annual Chocolate Fest. Now in its 30^th year, this week-long, family-oriented festival is “choc-full” of activities, fun events, and all things chocolate-related. Our beloved mascot, the Great Chocolate Mousse, and his lovely wife Tiffany, invite you to join us this August for the sweetest festival of the year—Chocolate Fest!

Ball Hockey Tournament
8:30 am to 11:30 am
Location: Garcelon Civic

Center Game on! Dust off your hockey sticks, turn back the clock, enjoy the great game of Ball Hockey and be the first team to claim the “Chicken Bone Cup”. We encourage sportsmanship and equal opportunity for all players. For details call Heather, 465-5616. Sponsored by SUBWAY Restaurants and Chocolate Fest. Cost: $ 100/team.

Ca-r-ma Charlotte County Coffee Morning
9: 30 am to 12 noon
Location: St. Stephen Town Square

Come out and join us for a Starbucks coffee, cup of tea or juice and scrumptious (美味的) home-baked goods, many featuring chocolate. Sponsored by Ca-r-ma Charlotte County and adoption programs-caring for homeless and feral cats.

Dot’s Delecto Birthday Party
11 am to 2 pm
Location: Boys and Girls Club of Charlotte County, 54 Disher Lane, Oak Bay, NB

Who does St. Stephen love? Dot Larsen! Please join us for chocolate cake and chocolate milk and help celebrate Dot’s birthday. Come and play in our indoor/outdoor playground, have your face painted and enjoy a barbecue to help raise funds for the Barracuda Swim Team. For details call BGCCC, 466-4300.

Lucy the Lady Bug’s 1st Birthday Party
12 noon to 3 pm
Location: Kingsbrae Garden, St. Andrews, NB

Come to celebrate with Lucy and her friends for a picnic on our front lawn-bring your own picnic, or grab lunch at our Garden Cafe. At 2 pm, join Lucy and her friends for an amazing race adventure through the big maze, obstacle course on the main lawn, find treasure in the fantasy garden and much, much more! Cost: $ 38/Family Day Pass, $ 16/Adult, $ 12/Students and Seniors, Free/Children 6 and younger.

1. If you love home bakery, you may go to ________.

A．Garcelon Civic	B．Boys and Girls Club of Charlotte County
C．St. Stephen Town Square	D．Kingsbrae Garden, St. Andrews

2. When will you go if you raise money for a swimming team?

A．From 11 am to 2 pm.	B．From 8: 30 am to 11: 30 am.
C．From 9: 30 am to 12 noon.	D．From 12 noon to 3 pm.

3. If your grandparents accompany your 5-year-old sister to Lucy the Lady Bug’s Birthday Party, they may pay at least ________.

A．$ 32	B．$ 44
C．$ 24	D．$ 38

【推荐3】第一节 阅读下列短文 ，从每题所给的四个选项 （A 、B 、C 和 D ）中 ，选出最佳选项,并在题卡上将该项涂黑。
A.
A group of graduates, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.
Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain,plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite -- telling them to help themselves to the coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best foryourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.
Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups. And then you began eyeing each other's cups. Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position insociety are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us."
God brews the coffee, not the cups. Enjoy your coffee!
"The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything."
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.
Leave the rest to God.
1. What did a group of graduates talk about when they visited their old professor?

A．How to make the most delicious coffee.

B．How to choose the coffee cup.

C．The complaints about stress in work and life.

D．How to free themselves from stress of work and life.

2. What is the function of the more expensive cup from the passage?

A．It makes the coffee taste better.

B．In some cases it hides what we drink.

C．It shows people’s wealth.

D．It shows people’s status.

3. The purpose of this writing is ____________.

A．about how to complain about stress in work and life

B．to enjoy the present life and get happiness from it

C．to enjoy the coffee with expensive cups

D．to prove the power of the God

4. What’s the best title of this passage?

A．God’s Coffee.	B．Drink Coffee.
C．Coffee and Work	D．Coffee Cups