【推荐1】Ants keep traffic flowing by changing their behavior to meet changing conditions, according to new research.

For their experiment, researchers from the University of Toulouse and the University of Arizona focused on Argentine ants, which are only 2-3 millimeters long and frequently move from colony (栖息地) to colony depending on how far food is. Tapping into the ants' talent for fast commutes (通勤), the researchers constructed bridges between their colonies. The bridges varied in width from a fifth to three-quarters of an inch.

Then the researchers sat back and monitored the traffic. To their surprise, even when those narrower bridges were nearly overloaded, there were no 20-ant pile-ups. And traffic remained steady regardless of how crowed the bridges were because ants could adjust to the flow of road conditions.

"When crowding on the path increased, ants assessed it locally and adjusted their speed accordingly to avoid any interruption of traffic flow," the researchers said. "Moreover, ants avoided entering a crowded path and made sure the bridge was never overloaded."

The lesson for humans? The traffic problem mostly lies in our loss of the quality that the ants have. You've probably noticed it on your own commute to work. Driving is fun when there're few cars on the road-a lane-change (车道变换)here, a little acceleration there. Then traffic slows down. But some impatient drivers still constantly move between lanes.

"Traffic jams are common in human society where some people are focusing on their own personal objectives," the researchers said. "In contrast, ants share a common goal: the survival of the colony, thus they're expected to act cooperatively to get food."

The research also suggests that the ever-widening of highways may never free us from traffic jams. As long as we drive along with our own agendas, no matter how many other people are on the road, we'll always end up in a traffic jam. Indeed, less space may be a good thing. It leaves less room for personal choices and forces us to take a page from the driving handbook of ants.

1. What did the researchers do to the ants in the experiment?

A．They fed them with much delicious food.

B．They trained them to avoid heavy traffic.

C．They built bridges linking their colonies.

D．They improved their colonies constantly.

2. How did the ants behave during the experiment?

A．They worked together to remove the road blocks.

B．They sped up to get out of the traffic jam quickly. .

C．They made their way carefully in the given direction.

D．They adjusted themselves for the flow of the traffic.

3. What is the biggest cause of the traffic jam in human society?

A．Poor road const ruction.	B．People's inability to adjust.
C．People's selfish driving.	D．Too many vehicles on roads.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．What ants help us do for driving safety.

B．What ants can teach us about traffic jams.

C．Why ants drive much better than humans.

D．Why ants are best at handling traffic jams.

【推荐3】Western conservation groups are seeking stricter laws to deal with trade in endangered wildlife, but Dr. Paul Jepson warns that this isn’t the best solution. He specially mentions the case of the Bali starling (八哥). Bringing in tougher laws created unexpected outcomes, which contributed to the bird’s extinction in the wild in 2006.

He said that the traditional law enforcement (执行) approach that prohibited ownership of the Bali starling in the 1980s and 1990s increased rather than reduced the demand for wild-caught Bali starlings. The bird has become a popular gift among the rich of Indonesia, who can gain more status by owning one.

Instead, a case-by-case analysis might be needed. Last year, he said, a bird association set up a network of breeders (饲养者) among the owners of Bali starling on the island of Java. By introducing a “crowd-breeding” model, it transformed the bird into a species whose price and source of supply were publicly known. This lessened the status of keeping such birds and thereby reduced their profitability to black market suppliers.

Another case was on Nusa Penida, an island southeast of Bali. A Balinese conservation group planned to release starlings on the island. Some tried to block the plan, saying the island was outside the birds’ native zone. Eventually, the Governor of Bali came up with a plan. The starlings were given to a local temple as a ceremonial offering before they were released. This gave the Bali starling status as a “sacred bird”, giving them protection under customary laws. Now the released starlings established a breeding population on Nusa Penida.

Dr. Jepson commented, “I do not want to condemn the international approach seeking tighter law enforcement, but this case study shows we should not oversimplify how we respond to the problem of the wildlife trade. There is a growing body of evidence that shows more different approaches are sometimes needed to fit with the local social and political realities. We should tailor solutions on more of a case-by-case basis.”

1. What might have sped up the wild Bali starling’s extinction in 2006?

A．The bad natural environment.

B．The side effect of strict protection laws.

C．The debate over the wildlife trade.

D．The popularity of the bird in the world.

2. Why was the “crowd-breeding” model introduced?

A．To make the Bali starling less profitable.

B．To cut off the supply to the black market.

C．To increase the demand for the Bali starling.

D．To block the strict laws passed by the government.

3. What can we learn from the case on Nusa Penida?

A．The starlings were protected as a result of stricter laws.

B．It is unwise to release starlings outside their native zone.

C．The starlings were endangered due to their reduced status.

D．Attaching spiritual value to the starlings helps protect them.

4. Which of the following will Dr. Jepson probably agree with?

A．Stricter enforcement is needed to protect biodiversity.

B．Those who seek tighter law enforcement should be blamed.

C．There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to the wildlife trade problem.

D．The problem of wildlife trade should be treated with determination.

【推荐1】Some people surveyed tasted the sweet, salty, and crunchy together with other tastes of food as they listen to different noises. It shows that louder noises reduced the reported sweetness or saltiness of food while increasing the measure of crunchiness（松脆）.

It may go some way to explain why airline food is widely complained about by both the workers and passengers. Andy Woods, a researcher, said, “It’s a general opinion that plane foods aren’t fantastic, but I’m sure airlines do their best, so we wondered if there were other reasons. One thought was that perhaps the background noise may have an effect. NASA gives their space explorers very strong-tasting foods, because for some reason, they can’t taste food that strongly – again, it may have something to do with the background noise.”

In a study, 48 people were fed sweet foods or salty ones, while listening to nothing or noise through earphones. Meanwhile they rated（划分等级）the foods. In noisier settings, foods were rated less salty or sweet than they were when it was silent, but were rated crunchier. “The evidence shows that if the background noise is loud, your attention might be drawn to that, away from the food.” Dr. Woods said.

“We are still at an early stage of progressing and this is a rather small study to really draw definitive（最完整可靠的）conclusions from,” Dr Woods said, “but they suggest that restaurants could well adapt their choice of food for a given environment.”

Also in the group’s findings there is the suggestion that the overall satisfaction with the food is also related to the degree to which people like what they are hearing.

1. How does the food taste when it is eaten in a noise environment?

A．Less salty but crunchier.	B．Sweeter and saltier.
C．Sweeter but less crunchy.	D．Less sweet and crunchy.

2. What does NASA give their space explorers very strong-tasting foods?

A．Foods become less tasty in space.

B．The explorers lose their sense of taste in space.

C．Loud noises in space may weaken the explorers’ sense of taste.

D．The explorers need tastier foods to keep energetic in space.

3. We can infer from what Dr. Woods said in the 4th paragraph that ________.

A．the environment influences the food a restaurant sells

B．the researchers have made an effective conclusion

C．music will weaken people’s sense of taste while eating

D．listening to nothing while eating is the best choice

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A．The best dinner environment

B．How to change plane foods

C．Listening to music while eating

D．Background noise affects the taste of foods

【推荐2】It is difficult to imagine what life would be like without memory. The meanings of the thousands of everyday perceptions, the bases for the decisions we make, and the roots of our habits and skills are to be found in our past experiences, which are brought into the present by memory.

Memory can be defined as the capacity to keep information available for later use. It includes not only “remembering” things like arithmetic or historical facts, but also involves any change in the way an animal typically behaves. Memory is involved when a rat gives up eating grain because he has sniffed (发觉) something suspicious in the grain pile. Memory is also involved when a six­year­old child learns to swing a baseball bat.

Memory exists not only in humans and animals but also in some physical objects and machines. Computers, for example, contain devices for strong data for later use. It is interesting to compare the memory storage capacity of a computer with that of a human being. The instant­access memory of a large computer may hold up to 100,000 “words” —ready for instant use. An average US teenager probably recognises the meaning of about 100,000 words of English. However, this is but a fraction of the total amount of information which the teenager has stored. Consider, for example, the number of faces and places that the teenager can recognise on sight.

The use of words is the basis of the advanced problem­solving intelligence of human beings. A large part of a person’s memory is in terms of words and combinations of words.

1. According to the passage, memory is considered to be ________.

A．the basis for decision making and problem solving

B．an ability to store experiences for future use

C．an intelligence typically possessed by human beings

D．the data mainly consisting of words and combinations of words

2. The comparison made between the memory capacity of a large computer and that of a human being shows that ________.

A．the computer’s memory has a little capacity than a teenager’s

B．the computer’s memory capacity is much smaller than an adult human being’s

C．the computer’s memory capacity is much smaller even than a teenager’s

D．both A and B

3. The whole passage implies that ________.

A．only human beings have problem­solving intelligence

B．a person’s memory is different from a computer’s in every respect

C．animals are able to solve only very simple problems

D．animals solve problems by instincts rather than intelligence

4. The topic of the passage is ________

A．What Would Life Be Like Without Memory?

B．Memory Is Of Vital Importance to Life

C．How Is A person's Memory Different from An Animal’s Or A Computer’s ?

D．What Is Contained In Memory?

【推荐3】Wondering what the meaning of life is? Good news-you'll probably feel like you know when you're around age 60. That's the age when people report feeling that there's the most meaning in their lives, and they have the least need to search for meaning, according to a recently published research.

The research also found that as people's sense of meaning in life rises, so does their well-being. "People with purpose in life are physically and psychologically healthier," said Dr. Awais Aftab, a psychiatrist, who led the research.

Aftab and his colleagues used data from a study of adults in San Diego County that recruited （招募） a large number of people aged 70 and older. This survey included a question about the level of meaning people found in their life and the level of their search for meaning. The 1, 042 adults included in the study also answered questions over the telephone about their mental and physical health.

The results showed that both sense of meaning and search for meaning tend to be U-shaped over a person's lifetime. Presence of meaning starts low in the 20s and gradually rises to a peak around age 60, on average, before declining again. The search for meaning is a mirror image: It starts high in people's 20s and drops to an all-time low around age 60 before climbing in older age.

"Young adults in their twenties and adults in their thirties are actively seeking out careers, friendships,and romantic relations hips," Aftab wrote in an email to Live Science. People in their forties and fifties usually have more established careers and relationships; many of them have families and children. After age 60, with retirement and increasing health issues, the established sources of meaning in their lives begin to fade and people tend to start searching for other sources of meaning.

1. Which of the following is a finding of the research？

A．People's sense of meaning in life increases with age.

B．Healthier people tend to lead a more meaningful life.

C．The level of search for meaning is fairly high in youth.

D．The levels of meaning and search for meaning correspond.

2. Which group probably have the strongest sense of meaning in life ？

A．People over 70 years old living alone.

B．Young adults in their 20s still hunting for a job.

C．People in their 50s with stable careers and families.

D．Retired people in their 60s with various health problems.

3. What is the last paragraph mainly about ？

A．The results of fading life purposes.

B．The reasons behind the research findings.

C．The lessons young adults should learn early.

D．The influence of age on people's life purposes.

【推荐2】A new study published on Monday in an American Heart Association journal Hypertension, examined 360,000 participants who provided blood, saliva (唾液)and urine samples, as well as detailed information about their lifestyles. Researchers found that adults who napped (打盹) often were more likely to develop high blood pressure and have a stroke (中风). But that doesn’t mean napping causes these health issues-instead, napping may be due to unhealthy behaviors. The researchers found that a high percentage of frequent nappers reported cigarette smoking, daily drinking, sleeplessness and other factors that could cause health-related issues.

Dr. Margaret Blattner, a clinical instructor, from the department of neurology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, tells PEOPLE that frequent or long daytime naps can have a bad effect on healthy nighttime sleep. Napping during the day may make it harder to fall asleep at night or cause nighttime sleep to become fragmented (支离破碎的) and missing out on nighttime sleep can cause severe daytime sleepiness.

“Often, naps continuing long are less beneficial than more brief daytime naps; people often wake up unrefreshed after a long nap,” she adds. “Additionally, long daytime naps take away time from other healthy things that people enjoy during the day: spending time with family, enjoying hobbies, and exercise.” When napping during the day becomes unpredictable, uncontrollable, or stops an individual from finishing what they need or want to do, it could show a possible sleep disorder.

Blattner believes that taking naps can also be beneficial. “Napping is not always a cause for concern. Taking a nap can be refreshing and enjoyable,” she says. “The key is, are you missing out on things that you enjoy because you are too sleepy to stay awake-that can indicate a problem-or does the nap help you get more out of your day?”

“Taking a brief nap can feel refreshed, reduce stress, and improve focus. Early afternoon is a good time to nap, as this agrees with a physical circle drop in energy,” Blattner continues. “However, napping too late into the afternoon or evening may have a bad effect on nighttime sleep quality and make it harder to fall asleep.”

1. According to paragraph 1, adults who napped often could ________.

A．get angry more easily	B．become fatter and fatter
C．develop high blood pressure	D．have a better sleep at night

2. What does Dr. Margaret Blattner intend to express in paragraph 2?

A．Methods of having a good sleep at night.

B．Causes of frequent or long daytime naps.

C．Importance of having a good sleep at night.

D．Bad results of frequent or long daytime naps.

3. How can people benefit from taking a brief nap?
①Reducing stress   ②Feeling refreshed   ③Having a better appetite   ④Improving concentration   ⑤Keeping proper body weight

A．③④⑤

B．①②④

C．①③⑤

D．②③④

4. Where can you most probably find the text?

A．In a science magazine.	B．In a literature magazine.
C．In a sports magazine.	D．In a fashion magazine.

【推荐3】Have you ever lost your car on a parking lot? It happens. You park and go shopping. When you get back, you have no idea where your car is. It can be discouraging.

You don’t need to install (安装) an expensive GPS system to keep track of your car. That’s too expensive. You would need to pay a monthly subscription fee just to use it. But is there a way to track your vehicle without spending a fortune? Yes, now there is! A California-based start-up company was able to make this a reality. They created a tiny device (装置）that works with your smartphone, and it could be exactly what you’re looking for! It’s called TrackR Bravo. It’s changing the way we keep track of the important things in our lives.

Install the free TrackR app on your smartphone, connect the app to your device and you’re ready to go! Simply attach TrackR to whatever you want to keep an eye on. The entire process of setting it up only takes 5 minutes or less. You can attach it to your keys, wallet and anything else you don’t want to lose. Then use the TrackR app to find where your missing item are in seconds.

Forget expensive GPS systems or tracking services. Nobody wants to pay expensive monthly subscription fees. We understand how stressful these things can be, and this is the reason why the company created TrackR. This device is your VIP when you need to take care of important things.

If you forget where you park your car, take out your smartphone and open the TrackR app. Tap on the “lost item” sign on the screen and the app will tell you the exact location. This device is by no means expensive. TrackR only costs $29, a small price to pay for peace of mind. The device is small enough that you can attach it to your pets. Put it on their collar, and you will never lose track of them! Attach it to your key or wallet, and never waste a minute rummaging the whole house for it.

Since you’ve been informed about this brilliant invention, now attach it to everything that’s important to you.

1. Why does the author mention the lost car in the first Paragraph?

A．To explain how terrible the situation is.

B．To stress the importance of being cautious.

C．To lead to the topic concerning finding lost items.

D．To provide one common example about theft.

2. What’s the feature of the TrackR app?

A．The process of setting up the app is complex.

B．The cost of setting up the app is rather high.

C．The app is available in any electronic equipment.

D．The app helps locate the lost items in a short time.

3. The TrackR was created because       .

A．life is full of all kinds of pressure

B．tracking services cause financial burden

C．people want to keep their important items safe

D．GPS systems can not provide specific location

4. Which of the following is closest to the meaning of the underlined word ‘‘rummaging” in Paragraph 5?

A．Searching.	B．Destroying.
C．Cleaning.	D．Moving.