While it remains debatable whether animals really feel what we call love, hate and happiness, the following might be yet more proof that humans are not the only creatures capable of emotions.
A friend in need
While some cats might spot a helpless baby chicken and think “lunch", an orange kitten in Russia saw a friend in need of a helping paw. Baby chickens are particularly vulnerable to attacks from rats and other vermin (害兽), but this little chick stayed safe thanks to its energetic feline (猫科的) bodyguard.
We’ve got each other
On an island off the coast of China, a little macaque (猕猴) was seen resting its head on a dove. Having got lost, the macaque was found and taken in by the staff of an animal protection center. It soon became friends with the white dove, which had also been adopted by center staff. For two months they ate together and slept together.
Fast friends
When baby elephant Themba’s mother died, the veterinary (兽医的) team at Shamwari Game Reserve in South Africa hoped another elephant would adopt the orphan, but none would feed him. The team took the baby elephant in, giving him constant care and attention, but Themba was too distressed to eat. Fearing he would starve to death, the team introduced him to a sheep called Albert, who they hoped could provide companionship for Themba. Despite some initial tension, the two quickly became inseparable and Themba finally started eating.
A strong bond
Koko the gorilla, one of the most studied primates (灵长类动物) in history, communicated in American Sign Language. Koko asked for a cat in 1984. She chose a grey kitten and called it All Ball. Koko took care of All Ball as if it were a baby gorilla, and would appear distressed when parted from it. When All Ball was hit and killed by a car, Koko was seen mourning (哀悼) the cat's death.
1. Why did Themba remained hungry in the beginning? Because________.| A．the staff members were unable to feed him. | B．he didn’t get on well with his new friend. |
| C．he lost his parent and was too sad. | D．he got lost from his mother. |
| A．Koko formed a close relationship with All Ball |
| B．All Ball suffered attacks from other vermin. |
| C．All Ball got parted from its mother gorilla. |
| D．Koko liked communicating with All Ball in sign language. |
| A．Animals are not capable of emotions. |
| B．Friendship actually knows no boundaries. |
| C．kittens are most likely to make friends with other animals. |
| D．None of the friends in the passage liked each other at first. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Have you ever heard the saying “If you want a friend, be one”?
Here is how one new teacher made friends with the girls and boys in her class on the first day of school. As the bell rang, the teacher smiled at each girl and boy. Then she said in a quiet voice, .”Good morning. How nice it is to have all of you in my class this year.I’d like to know each of you .I am sure we will enjoy working together.” Everyone felt that she meant what she said because of her sweet voice and her friendly look.
She told the girls and boys her name and wrote it on the blackboard. Then she told them some of the things she liked to do and she was hoping to do with them during the year.
Then she said to the class, “Now you know my name and the things I like and I want to know your names and the things you like. Then I will feel that I know you.”
Could you make friends by doing the same as this teacher did?
One way of getting to know girls and boys in your class is to find out more about them. It is often to be friends with those people who have the same hobbies with you. You play the same games and go on journeys together.
You may find that some new comers in your class miss their old friends and feel strange and lonely. You can invite them to take a walk or to ride bikes with you. You will find many things in common to talk about. Just talking together in a friendly manners is one good way to make friends.
1. How do you understand the saying “If you want a friend, be one’’?| A．If you want to have a friend, try to make one be your friend. |
| B．You can make friends by doing what a friend should do. |
| C．You may have a friend by doing everything for him. |
| D．When you need a friend, you have to be a friend of yourself. |
| A．showed that she would like to be a friend of the girls and boys. |
| B．made every girl and boy happy |
| C．told the girls and boys everything about herself |
| D．meant she wanted to tell the boys and girls something interesting |
| A．he always thinks of his old friend | B．you ask him to do something |
| C．he knows you very well | D．you talk with him in a friendly way |
| A．Learn more about them. | B．Go on journeys together |
| C．Share different hobbies with them | D．Try to be the same to them. |
| A．A Friend in Need Is a Friend Indeed | B．The Teacher Can Make Friends with Students |
| C．How to Make Friends with Students? | D．One Good Way to Make Friends |
【推荐2】I was driving my newly acquired motorcycle across the vastness of North Dakota when all of the sudden it froze up on the road. I would later be told the belt had slipped and this caused one of the pistons(活塞)to break a cylinder ((气缸) )head, or something like that.
Anyway, I sat on the side of the road for what seemed like hours. I even pretended to have been in an accident, which didn't help. Finally, a young man pulled over and offered me a ride, but given that he already had two motorcycles in the back of his truck, he could only take me.
He drove me to the next town, where I asked to be dropped off Rather than drop me off, he waited while I asked around if anyone could help me to pick up my motorcycle. One elderly gentleman was working and said that I could use his pickup! Can you imagine that a stranger gave me the keys to his pickup. It was quite an experience, I must say. So, as I drove back 20 miles to get my motorcycle, the gentleman who first stopped to help me followed me. We both put the motorcycle in the back of the truck and then I followed him another 50 miles or so and we both unloaded the motorcycle at his place. Then, he followed me back to the small town so I could return the man's truck. I didn't have much cash on me, maybe $40, but I gave it to the man for the use of his truck.
Two strangers helped rescue me from spending the night on the side of the road in ND. I don't recall their names, but when I close my eyes I can see their faces as if it were yesterday. Thank you, strangers. You may be reading this right now.
1. What happened to the author?| A．He lost his way. |
| B．His motorcycle broke down. |
| C．He was caught in a snowstorm. |
| D．He had an accident with his motorcycle. |
| A．The young man was too lazy. |
| B．The young man didn't want to help him. |
| C．The young man's truck was already full. |
| D．The author didn't want it any more. |
① My motorbike froze up on the road.
② I gave the old gentleman S40.
③ The young man drove me to ask for help.
④ We put the motorcycle in the pickup.
| A．①②③④. | B．④③②① | C．①③④② | D．②④③① |
| A．About S40 in cash. | B．His heartfelt appreciation. |
| C．His motorcycle. | D．His promise to do the same. |
| A．Hateful. | B．Indifferent. | C．Doubtful. | D．Grateful. |
【推荐3】Research has found that adults today have fewer friends than they did in the 1980s, and that more people say they have no one to discuss important stuff with.
Play the violin. Not just play it—and sing along. A new study suggests that singing is an effective way to make new friends because it helps us bond quickly with others.
For the study, led by Eiluned Pearce, Ph. D. at Oxford University, researchers looked at participants aged 18 to 83 in adult education classes organized by the Workers’ Education Association in the UK. Eighty-four participants were enrolled in one of four singing classes; 51 participants were enrolled in one of two creative crafts classes or a creative writing class.
Over a period of seven months, the classes went weekly. During the first, third, and final months, researchers asked participants to tell how close they felt to their classmates. Results showed something surprising. Although participants in all the classes felt closer to their classmates by the study’s end, participants in the singing classes developed that closeness much more quickly.
As for why exactly singing leads to fast group bonding, the researchers say one possible reason is that everyone does it at the same time. Compare that with creative writing or crafting, where everyone is working on an individual project. Another possible cause, according to the researchers, is that singing involves muscular effort, which causes the release of certain molecules (分子) that can make us happier and more willing to cooperate.
The point here is that singing can be a great icebreaker among large groups of strangers, which can lead to individual friendships down the line. “Really close relationships still depend on communication between individuals or much smaller groups,” Pearce said in a release(发布会), “but this study shows singing can start the bonding process.”
1. What has research found about today’s adults?| A．They don’t really want friends. |
| B．They are looking for new friends. |
| C．They have fewer friends than before. |
| D．They like discussing important things with friends. |
| A．creative writing classes help people bond |
| B．the participants would become closer to others |
| C．so many participants would take singing classes |
| D．participants in the singing classes would bond so quickly |
| A．very cheering | B．very interesting |
| C．a bit confusing | D．not completely possible |
| A．rely on individual communication | B．depend on one’s attitude |
| C．often occur in large groups | D．are easy to develop |
【推荐1】A New Zealand council has announced a month-long road closure in order to allow a sea lion and her pup to reach the ocean safely.
John Wilson Ocean Drive in Dunedin will be closed after the New Zealand sea lions made their home at a nearby golf course and started "regularly crossing the road to get to the beach," according to a Facebook post from Dunedin City Council.
"You can still visit the area on foot or by bicycle, but please give the sea lions lots of space," continued the post.
Locals applauded the decision, and one even called for the closure to be made permanent.
"No dogs should be on the beach, either," wrote Gaylene Smith. "We need to protect our beautiful sea life."
Dogs are known to attack sea lions, and Chisholm Links Golf Course, where the sea lions have made their home, also posted advice to dog walkers in a Facebook update.
"We're lucky to have sea lions on our coastline and we need to share the space with them, as this is what makes our coastline so unique!" wrote the course on Facebook.
The council went on to explain that New Zealand sea lions are endangered, and are one of the world's rarest species of sea lion.
There are an estimated 12,000 New Zealand sea lions left, according to the Department of Conservation. Under local law, anyone who kills a sea lion could face up to two years in prison or a fine of up to NZ$250,000(US$178,000).
1. What decision has the Dunedin City Council made?| A．Closing an ocean drive for a month. | B．Forbidding entry into a golf course. |
| C．Forbidding walking dogs outside. | D．Closing the nearby beach temporarily. |
| A．By informing on TV. | B．By sending out notices. |
| C．By posting on Facebook. | D．By advertising in a newspaper. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Supportive. | C．Uncaring. | D．Critical. |
| A．They are afraid of humans. | B．They are a common species. |
| C．They are being killed by dogs. | D．They are under legal protection. |
【推荐2】Cat behavior can often be puzzling and confusing to humans.
Scratching is a natural behavior for cats. It’s how they make their paws sharper. If cats do not have a suitable surface to scratch, they will choose your furniture or carpet. To protect your furniture, provide at least two scratching posts. These posts need to be stable so they don’t rock or tip over.
Cats love high places, which give them a sense of safety and allow them to watch everything going below.
If cats eat grass, there are several reasons. They may be seeking the nutrients in the grass have an upset stomach, inducing vomiting (催吐). It is not a problem if your cat enjoys eating ensure it hasn’t been treated with pesticides. Alternatively, offer your cat a pot of clean cat grass to chew, especially indoor cats.
| A．Sleeping positions of cats are unusual. |
| B．They need nutrients in the grass more. |
| C．Having a rough surface is also required. |
| D．This is available from most plant gardens. |
| E．However, there’s often an explanation for their actions. |
| F．Meanwhile, high places offer them larger space to jump. |
| G．Put up several shelves so your cat can leap from one to another. |
【推荐3】An advertisement in the newspaper stating that the local SPCA was promoting a campaign called “Home for Christmas,” appealing to local residents(居民) to give their numerous older cats a chance at a forever home, made my husband and I visit the shelter. As we were chatting with the worker, an orange cat reached for my husband’s shoulder. We took this as a sign, so Cici came to be a part of our lives.
It didn’t take her long to fit in with our life. As the weeks went by we all adapted to our routine. It soon became evident that Cici was an extremely laid-back cat and there wasn’t much that would upset her, aside from her humans serving up a late dinner. About this time, I heard about an organization called You Are Not Alone that was looking for dogs to visit the local seniors. Although cats had never been considered as appropriate visitors, Cici was reluctantly scheduled for an interview and surprisingly she was declared fit for the program.
A few days later, Cici and I arrived at the Nanaimo Seniors Village and prepared to meet a resident who wanted a visit from a cat. Joan Samuels had recently moved to the Village after giving up her home and her two pets. Understandably, she was missing them terribly and I was hoping that our visits would help with the healing of her loss. I still remember Joan’s face when she saw Cici for the first time. It was truly love at first sight. Every Tuesday morning after that, Cici and I had the pleasure of visiting Joan. Sometimes we played cards or just chatted while the cat made herself cozy on Joan’s bed. All our times together were so special.
I must admit being part of the pet visitation program was truly a privilege. Playing a part in bringing two sweet souls together and watching them bond was truly a gift.
1. The writer got Cici from ________.| A．an organization called You Are Not Alone |
| B．a center called Home for Christmas |
| C．an animal shelter called SPCA |
| D．the Nanaimo Seniors Village |
| A．easy-going | B．sensitive |
| C．smart | D．wild |
| A．A Programme to Care for Cats |
| B．The Cat that Made a Difference |
| C．The Visit that Changed My Life |
| D．A Home for Old Cats and Seniors |
【推荐1】Sakamoto Ryuichi, who died on March 28 after a long battle with cancer, once described his musical method thus: “I open my ears to the world.” But what Mr. Srakamoto heard, few others could. As a member of the Japanese techno-pop band Yellow Magic Orchestra, he helped pioneer modern electronic music. As a composer, he brought the work of directors such as Bernardo Bertolucci to life. His passing brought about mourning from the whole music world.
Mr. Sakamoto was born in Tokyo in 1952 and took to music early. He graduated from one of Tokyo’s top colleges of music, where he studied Western classical music, and explored an interest in the traditional music of Japan’s Okinawa as well as in that of India and Africa. Early in his career, Mr. Sakamoto trained his ears on the sound of technology. Yellow Magic Orchestra, a group he formed in 1978,used synthesisers(合成器)in instrumental songs intended for dancing - a novel combination at the time. “Errors or noises absorb me and I wonder if new musical currents could come from this imperfection,” Mr. Sakamoto said. That was exactly what happened: Mr. Sakamoto’s music helped inspire what would later become techno and hip-hop. Then he turned towards the sound of nature. He listened to the wind blowing, the water dropping, the rocks moving and the leaves falling, which he introduced into his music.
Unusually for a Japanese musician, Mr. Sakamoto used his fame to speak out on social and political issues, including environmental preservation and nuclear(原子核的)power. In 2011, an earthquake and tsunami rocked northeast Japan and set off a nuclear meltdown in Fukushima. In the wake of the disaster, Mr. Sakamoto travelled often to the region to support local residents.
In 2014, the cancer shook Mr. Sakamoto’s life. But even that could not weaken his longing to hear more. In the next few years, he composed the score for “The Revenant”, and produced a film about sound called “Coda”.
1. What’s paragraph 1 mainly about?| A．The style of Sakamoto Ryuichi’s music. |
| B．Sakamoto Ryuichi’s comments on music. |
| C．Sakamoto Ryuichi’s contributions to music. |
| D．The influence of Sakamoto Ryuichi’s music. |
| A．He liked nature scenery. |
| B．He got inspired from noises. |
| C．He created techno and hip-hop. |
| D．He became interested in music at college. |
| A．Intelligent and frank. | B．Talented and caring. |
| C．Generous and enthusiastic. | D．Determined and humorous. |
| A．A musician: making sounds into music |
| B．Sounds of nature: sources of music composition |
| C．Yellow Magic Orchestra: memories of generations |
| D．Sakamoto Ryuichi: speaking out for the common people |
【推荐2】Plans to bring wild tigers back to their original home , their historical range(历史分布范围） in the IliBalkhash region, have been announced by Kazakhstan( 哈萨克斯坦 ) and an agreement with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to conduct a tiger reintroduction program has been signed . “It will not only bring wild tigers back to their original home, but also protect the unique ecosystem of the IliBalkhash region，” said Askar Myrzakhmetov, the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
If successful, Kazakhstan will be the first country in the world to bring wild tigers back to an entire region where they have died out for nearly half a century. Tiger reintroduction projects have only been achieved within national borders and in areas that are considered current tiger habitats . Kazakhstan's tiger reintroduction program is unique and it badly requires the restoration of a vast forest that is part of the wild tiger's historical range.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, wild tigers have lost over 90 per cent of their historical range. Wild tigers have completely disappeared from the region since the late 1940s, due to the loss of habitat. To prepare for the return of wild tigers, on 1st January 2018 Kazakhstan will set up a new nature reserve in the southwestern IliBalkhash, in order to restore the unique forest habitat. This will include the protection of existing wildlife, and reintroducing important prey ( 猎物 ), such as the endangered wild Bactrian deer（中亚红鹿).
Restoring tigers will also help protect Lake Balkhash and prevent it from repeating the fate of the Aral Sea, formerly the world's fourth largest lake and now 10 percent of its original size. “The hard work remains ahead of us. We have to spare no effort to make this region ready for tigers and involve all the relevant people to make this happen. That means dealing with illegal activities, having these people who govern parks be welltrained and equipped, increasing prey populations and involving local communities，” said Ekaterina Vorobyeva, Director of the WWF program.
1. What is Askar Myrzakhmetov's attitude toward the tiger reintroduction program?| A．Doubtful. | B．Favorable. |
| C．Concerned. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．The increasing loss of prey. | B．The evolution of the species. |
| C．The lack of natural living places. | D．The serious environmental pollution. |
| A．Regulating human activities. | B．Limiting the number of prey. |
| C．Building a reserve for tigers only. | D．Training tigers to be more adaptable. |
| A．Efforts to restore forests in Kazakhstan |
| B．Bringing tigers back home to Kazakhstan |
| C．Attempts to handle illegal activities effectively |
| D．Preventing tigers disappearing in Kazakhstan |
【推荐3】Santa Claus is someone who will remain in the hearts of children forever. He is the make-believe person who brings toys and other gifts to children at Christmas.
To grown-ups, he is a special symbol of goodwill and selfless giving. Santa Claus also has another name — Saint Nicholas.
Saint Nicholas came from the Dutch who settled in New York long ago. The Dutch believed Saint Nicholas gave gifts to children. They honored this kindly Saint with a yearly festival on December sixth.
The English-speaking people who lived nearby greatly enjoyed Dutch festivals. And they brought the Saint and the custom of giving gifts into their own celebration at Christmas time. The Dutch spoke the name “Saint Nicholas” very fast. It sounded like “sinterklaas”. And so, when the English said this word, it sounded like Santa Claus.
The picture of Santa Claus came from Thomas Nast. He was an American painter born in Bavaria. He painted pictures for Christmas poems. Someone asked him to paint a picture of Santa Claus. Nast remembered when he was a little boy in southern Germany, every Christmas a fat old man gave toys and cakes to the children. So when Nast painted the picture, his Santa Claus looked like the kindly old man of his childhood.
And through the years, Nast’s painting has remained as the most popular picture of Santa Claus.
Santa can be seen almost everywhere in large American cities during the Christmas season. Some stand on street corners asking for money to buy food and gifts for the needy. Others are found in stores and shopping centers. It is easy to find them by the long lines of children waiting to tell Santa what they want for Christmas. If one took a vote among children to learn who their favorite person was, there is no question who would win — Santa Claus.
1. The Dutch honored Saint Nicholas mainly for his .| A．bravery | B．kindness |
| C．honesty | D．intelligence |
| A．Christmas was a festival first celebrated by the Dutch |
| B．the English were the first people to settle in New York |
| C．the story of Saint Claus was first told among the Dutch |
| D．the English used to receive gifts from the Dutch at Christmas |
| A．In New York. | B．In Germany. |
| C．In England. | D．In Bavaria. |
| A．The tradition of Christmas. |
| B．The popularity of Santa Claus. |
| C．Children’s wishes for Christmas. |
| D．Business activities at Christmas. |
