【推荐1】We can recognize our friends’ face. Many social animals can also identify individuals of their own species by their facial features. That’s important, because they need to be able to adjust their behavior depending on who they meet. And research has shown that some species of monkeys, birds, and domesticated(驯养的) animals can even distinguish among different faces by looking at photographs alone.

Scientists have also wondered whether domesticated animals that have coexisted with people for thousands of years can recognize different human faces. Léa Lansade of France’s National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment is one of them. Her experiment on horses provides insight into this.

She and her team first taught the horses how to “choose” between two side-by-side images by touching their noses to a computer screen. The horses were then shown photos of their present keeper alongside face of unfamiliar humans. They had never seen photos of any of the people before. The horses correctly identified their present keeper and ignored the stranger’s face about 75% of the time, significantly better than chance.

What’s more, the horses also preferentially picked photos of their previous keeper—a person they hadn’t seen in six months. In fact, even though the horses didn’t get it right every single time, they were at least as accurate in picking out their previous keeper as they were in identifying their present one. The results suggest that not only can horses distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar human faces, but they know that photographs are two-dimensional representations of real life, without any other cues(提示) like sound. And they’re even better at this than our oldest animal companion, the domestic dog.

So maybe think twice before doing anything at a stable(马厩) that might give a horse a long face. After all, the horse could probably “remember” you.

1. What does the author say about man’s ability to recognize friends’ faces?

A．It’s not unique to man.

B．It’s an inborn ability.

C．It’s man’s most vital ability.

D．It’s superior to that of animals.

2. Why did Léa Lansade and her team do the experiment?

A．To teach horses to recognize human faces.

B．To study horses’ ability to identify human faces.

C．To make horses distinguish between their keepers.

D．To figure out similarities between man and horses.

3. How does the author sound in writing the last paragraph?

A．Academic.

B．Dramatic.

C．Cautious.

D．Humorous.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Human Faces Are Familiar to Horses

B．Horses Read Man’s Facial Expressions

C．Horses Recognize Keepers’ Pictures

D．Man’s Sound Helps Horses Select Photos

【推荐2】It’s in Your Hands

Feeding bread to the ducks is a fond pastime for many of us, reminding us of happy childhood trips to the local park.     1     Eating it can cause our feathered friends to develop a condition called Angel Wing, which is when too much bread makes birds’ feathers grow too quickly. This additional weight puts a strain on their muscles, causing their wings to twist and drop open.

“Angel Wing can be cured if we reach birds before it has developed too severely,” says Caroline Simpson, a trustee of UK charity Swan Lifeline, “    2    ” Over the last 20 years UK charity Swan Lifeline has rescued and treated more than 30,000 birds. Adult swans can develop heart disease by eating much bread, so it’s important that we do our best to prevent this by feeding them the right kind of food.

    3     Rotten bread at the bottom of rivers and lakes allows bacteria to breed, spreading disease and attracting rats and other pests to our waterways, which can result in the presence of a mould (霉菌) called Aspergillus. It has the potential to kill waterfowl and other wildlife if it gets into their lungs.

    4     Definitely not. Wild Things Swan & Duck Food has launched the “Better than Bread” Campaign to highlight the risk of a calorific diet to water birds. The campaign advises that there are much healthier alternatives to bread, such as specially developed feeds. They can float on the water surface, so birds can enjoy every last bit.     5    

A．So we must stop feeding the ducks.

B．But did you know that bread actually puts birds in danger?

C．Does this mean we have to stop fun trips to feed the ducks?

D．Bread can also cause harmful changes to the natural ecosystem.

E．What a scene it is to watch ducks eating bread floating on the river!

F．Otherwise the consequences can be serious — such as the loss of the wing.

G．Next time take a healthier alternative and do your bit to protect our precious wildlife.

【推荐3】Humans have been known to develop strong connections with dangerous animals. Werner Freund has spent several decades in the company of wolves. While why the former soldier became attached to these beautiful wild animals is a little unclear, he has been caring for them since 1972. The army experience leaves him a strong body and energetic state.    1    .

    2    They touch him with noses, and play with him.What’s more, they are generally very submissive(卑躬屈膝的) when he is around, just like they would be around a head wolf!

This, however, does not happen by chance.    3     Whenever it’s feeding time, he calls his pack to come for the raw meat by howling. As the hungry animals rush to get their food, they always meet with this scene. Werner sinks his teeth into the raw meat first.

What may sound a little cruel is how the position of hierarchy(等级制度) is built in the animal world.    4    When he signals, the rest of the pack can join in. Wemer’s wolves know this rule quite well and never challenge his authority.

Wolves, the largest member of the dog family, are mistakenly believed to be dangerous.    5    

They are beautiful gentle souls, whose reputation has been spoiled by fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood!

A．But in reality they rarely attack humans

B．They are considered as the smartest beasts.

C．Werner works on it with a simple act every day

D．Werner seems to know where wolves come from.

E．It is always the strongest male that gets the first meal

F．The wolves treat Werner as if he were one of their own.

G．Therefore,Werner can survive the wolves and get along with these cold-blooded creatures.

【推荐1】Eating chocolate at least once a week could stave off a heart attack, according to new research. Chocolate is packed with plant chemicals that weaken inflammation(炎症) and help blood flow, explained scientists.

Lead author Dr. Chayakrit Kittanawong said, “Our study suggests chocolate helps keep the heart's blood vessels healthy.” It collected data from six trials that examined the link over the past five decades. A total of 336, 289 people reported their intake. Those who ate chocolate more than once a week reduced their risk of coronary artery( 冠状动脉) disease by eight percent. This was compared to peers who ate it less than once a week.

Chocolate is known to produce the same chemical in the brain as falling in love. But evidence is growing that its reputation as a “guilty pleasure” is wrong. Dr. Krittanawong said, “Chocolate contains heart healthy nutrients such as flavonoids, methylxanthines, polyphenols and stearic acid which may reduce inflammation.

Known medically as HDL(high-density lipoprotein)(高密度脂蛋白), it helps to rid LDL (low-density lipoprotein) out of the body. When this collects, it causes vessels and arteries to become blocked up. It can stop blood flow to the heart or brain, causing a heart attack or stroke. Dr. Krittanawong said, “In the past, clinical studies have shown chocolate is beneficial for blood pressure.

Dark chocolate has long been known to have health benefits but recent research has suggested milk chocolate may also provide valuable nutrients to the heart. Dr. Krittanawong pointed out his study did not investigate whether any particular type of chocolate is more beneficial - or if there is an ideal portion size. He said, “Chocolate appears promising for the prevention of coronary artery disease. But more research is needed to show how much and what kind of chocolate could be recommended.”

While it's not clear how much is perfect, Dr. Krittanawong warned people against overeating. He said, “Moderate amounts of chocolate seem to protect coronary arteries but it's likely that large quantities do not.”

1. What does Paragraph 2 mainly talk about?

A．The result of the study.	B．The process of the study.
C．The participants of the study.	D．The intention of the study.

2. Which of the following can probably prevent blood flow?

A．A heart attack.	B．A stroke.
C．High-density lipoprotein.	D．Low-density lipoprotein.

3. What does the recent study tell us?

A．Chocolate is good for blood pressure.	B．Dark chocolate is beneficial for health.
C．Milk chocolate may also benefit the heart.	D．Chocolate contains special plant chemicals.

4. What's Dr. Krittanawong's attitude toward chocolate's preventing coronary artery disease?

A．Indifferent.

B．Hopeful.

C．Negative.

D．Uncertain.

【推荐2】In the Amazon rainforest of Venezuela, Yanomami hunter-gatherers exist on cassava, palm hearts and wild bananas. They also hunt frogs and monkeys using techniques that would have been familiar to their ancestors 11,000 years ago. The extraordinary continuity of their culture, and the fact that some of the groups have had little contact with outsiders, led biologists to wonder whether the Yanomami might reveal what the human digestive system looked like before industrialization supplied the world with processed foods and antibiotics.

In 2019, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine had a chance to find the answer in a previously unknown Yanomami village. Health workers collected feces (排泄物) from about 30 villagers. When the researchers cultured and analyzed microbes (微生物) from the feces in their laboratory, they discovered whole categories of bacteria that were absent from the guts (肠道) of people from industrialized countries. Even more strikingly, they found the microbial population in the average Westerner to be about half as diverse as the community inside these hunter-gatherers. The researchers realized that the microbes might have implications beyond basic science. People’s microbial communities are believed to play a role in disorders like obesity, diabetes and Alzheimer’s, which shorten lives and overburden health care systems. These disorders don’t trouble these preindustrial hunter-gatherers, however. Therefore, researchers want to learn which microbes protect them and figure out how to reintroduce them in modern societies. It has the potential to affect health more profoundly than the discovery of the fabled Fountain of Youth.

But the opportunity might be more fleeting than youth itself. “The world is becoming urban so fast.” says microbiologist Maria Gloria, co-author of the study that reveals the Yanomami microbiome (微生物群). “Our lifestyles are killing microbial diversity.” Although nobody has yet determined exactly what the Yanomami mystery bugs are doing and how they improve an individual’s health, she believes that scientists need to collect and preserve as many microbes as possible for future breakthroughs. “We cannot afford to wait,” she says, “or we’ll have lost the high diversity of the human microbiome of traditional peoples before we understand how to use the microbiome to improve health.”

1. What did the researchers find out in 2019?

A．The hunter-gatherers had a different digestive system.

B．Microbial communities were to blame for many disorders.

C．People from industrialized countries had less diverse microbes.

D．Some categories of bacteria did not exist in the villagers’ guts.

2. How did the researchers make their discovery?

A．By collecting health data.

B．By conducting experiments.

C．By interviewing the villagers.

D．By recording the Yanomami’s daily life.

3. What does the author mean by “the opportunity might be more fleeting than youth itself”?

A．The opportunity seems more precious than youth.

B．The opportunity enables people to stay young forever.

C．The opportunity is of great significance to modern society.

D．The opportunity disappears so quickly that we cannot afford to miss it.

4. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．We are close to solving the mystery of Yanomami microbiome.

B．Processed foods and antibiotics have changed human digestive system.

C．Treating diseases by introducing beneficial bacteria has been made possible.

D．The discovery of those microbes will help cure many life-threatening diseases.

【推荐3】What a Messy Desk Says About You

For some time, psychologists have been studying how personality traits affect health and health-related choices. Not surprisingly, they have found that people blessed with innate conscientiousness, meaning that they are organized and predictable, typically eat better and live longer than people who are disorderly. They also tend to have immaculate offices.

What has been less clear is whether neat environments can produce good habits even in those who aren’t necessarily innately conscientious. To find out, researchers at the University of Minnesota conducted a series of experiments. In the first experiment, they randomly assigned a group of college-age students to spend time in two office spaces, one of which was very neat, the other wildly cluttered (乱堆) with papers and other work-related stuff. The students spent their time filling out questionnaires unrelated to the study. After 10 minutes, they were told they could leave with an apple or a chocolate bar. Those students who sat in the orderly office were twice as likely to choose the apple as those who sat among the mess.

A second experiment, however, found that working in chaos has its advantages, too. In this one, college students were placed in a messy or a neat office and asked to dream up new uses for Ping-Pong balls. Those in messy spaces generated ideas that were significantly more creative, according to two independent judges, than those in offices where stacks of papers and other objects were neatly arranged.

The results were something of a surprise, says Dr. Vohs, the leader of the study. Few previous studies found much virtue in disorder. The broken window theory, proposed decades ago, holds that even slight disorder and neglect can encourage indifference and poor discipline.

But in the study by Dr. Vohs, disordered offices encouraged originality and a search for novelty. In the final portion of the study, adults were given the choice of adding a health “boost” to their lunchtime smoothie that was labeled either “new” or “classic.” The volunteers in the messy space were far more likely to choose the new one; those in the tidy office generally chose the classic version. “Disorderly environments seem to inspire breaking free of tradition,” Dr. Vohs and her co-authors conclude in the study, “which can produce fresh insights.”

The implications of these findings are also practical. “My advice would be, if you need to think outside the box for a future project”, Dr. Vohs says, “then let the clutter rise and free your imagination. But if your primary goal is to eat well or to go to the gym, pick up around your office first. By doing this, the naturally messy can acquire some of the discipline of the conscientious.”

1. The underlined word “immaculate” in paragraph 1 probably means ______.

A．messy	B．tidy
C．terrible	D．comfortable

2. Which of the following can best explain the broken window theory?

A．Chaos begets chaos.	B．Misfortune may be an actual blessing.
C．Bad news has wings.	D．When a door shuts, a window opens.

3. Which of the following will Dr. Vohs probably agree with?

A．More virtue exists in organized people.

B．Creativity results from tidiness and discipline.

C．Disorderly surroundings help to create new ideas.

D．Workers’ good habits guarantee the success of a project.

4. What can we conclude from the study results?

A．The naturally neat people tend to be very creative.

B．A messy office will cause quite low working efficiency.

C．Environments can affect people’s way of thinking and behavior.

D．People’s personalities are determined by their working environments.

【推荐1】Toni Morrison was an American writer who received the Nobel Prize in Literature. Her novels, Beloved, Song of Solomon and others explored the way African-Americans search for freedom and identity in a country obsessed (受困扰的) with skin colour. Morrison was nearly 40 when she published her first novel The Bluest Eye in 1970. The Nobel Prize committee described her writing as “language itself, a language she wants to liberate from race”. Her novels discussed America’s past, focusing on black history and the effects of slavery and racism. She called her characters “the unfree at the heart of the democratic experiment”.

In 1988, she won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel Beloved, the story of a mother who kills her baby daughter rather than permit her to return to slavery. It became a best-seller and was later made into a film. Many Americans admired her as the country’s greatest writer, including former President Barack Obama.

She was born in 1931. She attended Howard University, an all-black university in Washington, DC. At Howard, she read African, British and American literature, including writers William Faulkner and Virginia Woolf. After a short marriage, she became a single mother of two sons and worked as a book editor in New York.

Several publishers rejected her first book The Bluest Eye, but it impressed The New York Times’ book critic John Leonard, who believed Morrison was an important new voice. He said her writing was “so full of pain and wonder that the novel becomes poetry”.

Morrison enjoyed her literary fame and was proud of her Nobel Prize.

1. What are Toni Morrison’s books mainly about?

A．Women’s equality and rights.	B．The development of America.
C．The literature of America.	D．Black history and racism.

2. Which of the following helped Toni Morrison receive the Pulitzer Prize?

A．Beloved.	B．Song of Solomon.
C．The Bluest Eye.	D．The New York Times.

3. Why is former President Barack Obama mentioned?

A．To show Barack Obama’s support in literature.

B．To prove Toni Morrison’s greatness as a writer.

C．To stress Toni Morrison’s contribution to America.

D．To remind readers of the skin colour of Barack Obama.

4. What can we infer from John Leonard’s words?

A．He thought highly of Morrison.

B．He rejected the book The Bluest Eye.

C．The book The Bluest Eye made him painful.

D．Toni Morrison’s book was hard to understand.

【推荐2】How important is fish farming? Very. Although it's an ancient business, the rise of aquaculture has been one of the biggest revolutions in food supply over the past half century.

Aquaculture has made fish more affordable for consumers around the world, popularizing the consumption of what used to be expensive, and easing the pressure on hard-pressed wild stocks. Aquaculture also has many clear environmental benefits: compared with other ways of growing animal protein, it uses little or no land, and has low greenhouse emissions. And while the world has traditionally had a bad record of regulating wild fishing, fish farming generally occurs within the boundaries of governments, meaning it should, in theory, be much easier to ensure that good practices are upheld.

Crowding large numbers of fish into limited spaces means that waste products, including waste, uneaten food and dead fish, are poured into the surrounding waters, polluting them. Besides, the pesticides and drugs used to treat conditions that upset fish in concentrated numbers can also affect local wildlife. Many farmed fish are fed on other fish, so the industry also puts pressure on wild stocks：about a fifth of all caught fish, some 18 million tonnes, is used for fish oil and fishmeal production. There is also the problem of fish escaping, with potentially dangerous effects on surrounding ecosystems.

In 2018 the Scottish Parliament’s environment committee published a report into the fish farming industry’s environmental effects, stating that key problems simply hadn’t been tackled, and that the Scottish government’s plan to double salmon output by 2030 could cause“irrecoverable damage”to ecosystems. Since then, protections have been toughened. There is now more pressure from regulators to situate farms in remote, deep-water locations. Meanwhile, though, catches of Scottish wild salmon have fallen to their lowest level since records began in 1952. “There are good reasons for fish farming and real dangers to it as well. ”concludes an official. “The question is how to make it work. ”

1. How has fish farming benefited people?

A．It has many clear environmental effects.

B．It can monitor the wild fish in 1imited areas.

C．It makes it easier for more people to consume fish.

D．It’s easier for the government to make fish product.

2. What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The reasons for fish farming.	B．The downsides of aquaculture.
C．The development of sea exploring.	D．The effects on surrounding ecosystems.

3. What do we know about fish farming according to the Scottish report?

A．The massive fish farming may damage ecosystems.

B．The problems of fish farming are likely to be solved.

C．The fish farming industry has no effect on environment.

D．The Scottish government plans to double fish output now.

4. What is the writer’s attitude towards aquaculture?

A．Objective.

B．Doubtful.

C．Critical.

D．Disapproving.

【推荐3】Cats communicate a variety of messages using cats’ body language. Examples include arching ( 弓起) their backs as a signal of fear or attack, and slowly blinking (眨) their eyes to signal relaxation. The open mouth without showing teeth suggests a feeling of playfulness. A cat which chooses to lie on its back shows happiness, trust and comfort. Cats show dissatisfaction by moving their ears back, equal to a human’s frown.

As is the case with dogs, a twitching (抽动) tail can mean a little anger while a tail held high suggests confidence. Cats will twitch their tails when hunting or angry, while a larger twitch suggests displeasure. They may also twitch their tails when playing. A tail held high is a sign of happiness, or can be used as a greeting towards humans or other cats (usually close relatives) while a half-raised tail shows less pleasure, and unhappiness is expressed with a tail held low.

Some signals, however, are often misunderstood. It is important to keep in mind that each cat may show its feelings with different body language. For instance, a cat rubbing its body along an arm or a leg of its owner is not only a way to attract attention and, perhaps, a way to ask for food; it is also a way of “marking” its owner as its own. Usually a cat with its tail held high and twitching shows excitement, but this is often mistaken for anger.

Many people fail or are too slow to understand the silent body language of cats. And they may have the false impression that cats are cold-hearted, unfaithful or not clever. To understand cats, people must observe a cat closely and learn what its body signals tell them.

1. Which cats’ body language shows that a cat is relaxed?

A．Holding its tail high.	B．Moving its ears back.
C．Lying on its stomach.	D．Blinking its eyes slowly.

2. According to the passage, which is wrong?

A．A cat will twitch its tail when it feels sleepy.

B．A cat will twitch its tail when it is hunting.

C．A cat will twitch its tail when it feels angry.

D．A cat will twitch its tail when it is playing.

3. How many meanings does a cat’s rubbing its body along its owner have?

A．2.

B．3.

C．4.

D．5.

4. What does the last paragraph intend to tell us?

A．Every cat has its own special body language.

B．It is not easy to understand cats’ body language.

C．Many people often have wrong opinions on cats.

D．We should learn more about cats’ body language.