【推荐1】A group of blue-faced birds step through the grass shoulder to shoulder, red eyes looking around. They look like middle schoolers seeking a cafeteria table at lunchtime. Perhaps they’re not so different.

A new study, led by Damien Farine, an ornithologist who studies collective behaviour, shows that vulturine guinea fowls of eastern Africa, like humans, have multilevel societies. In the past, scientists assumed such social structures required a lot of brainpower. But the pea-brained guinea fowls are revealing the faults in that assumption.

These large birds wander across the landscape in packs, often walking so closely that their bodies touch. They may fight each other to maintain their strict hierarchies, but at other times they engage in friendly behaviours like sharing food.

Suspecting the guinea fowl might have a social structure, Dr. Farine and his colleagues began a thorough study of their society. For a whole year, they made daily observations of 441 birds. Coloured leg bands in unique combinations let researchers tell the black-and-blue birds apart. They also attached GPS devices to the backs of 58 birds, which let them see exactly where every group went, 24 hours a day.

The findings of the research suggest that vulturine guinea fowls have a multilevel society. There are groups within groups within the population as a whole. There even seem to be groups of friends within the small groups. This is the first time anyone has observed such a society in a bird.

And Dr. Farine emphasizes this particular bird’s tiny brain size. “They don’t only have small brains relative to mammals; they also have quite small brains relative to other birds,” he said.

According to him, living in this kind of society might actually make it easier to keep track of the social order. For example, if groups are stable and a bird can identify just one or two individuals within a group, it knows which group it’s looking at — no need for a brain that can recognize every single animal. Multilevel societies also let animals adjust their group sizes based on whatever challenges they’re facing. Depending on what enemies or resources are around, it might make sense to travel in a combined group rather than a smaller one.

“Having a multilevel structure may not require having a large brain,” Dr. Farine said. There may be more birds and other animals out there that, although small-brained, have multilevel societies as our own.

1. According to the passage, what inspired Dr. Farine to carry out the study?

A．The guinea fowl’s social behaviour.	B．Previous assumptions about birds.
C．His interest in animals’ brainpower.	D．The faults in earlier research.

2. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The research subjects.	B．The research methods.
C．The research findings.	D．The research equipment.

3. What can be learned from the passage?

A．Complex social systems can be a disadvantage to guinea fowls.

B．Guinea fowls are good at recognizing individuals in a group.

C．Birds maintain the social order by travelling in combined groups.

D．Small-brained animals can form multilevel societies.

4. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To present the findings of a study of the guinea fowl.

B．To explain the interaction patterns in multilevel societies.

C．To introduce a new approach to observing the guinea fowl.

D．To uncover clues about how complex societies are formed.

【推荐2】What is the largest animal that lives on land？You most likely say，“The elephant．”You are correct．（In the animal kingdom，only the whale is larger．）There are two kinds of elephants．The first is the African elephant．The second is the Asian or Indian elephant．They are related．But they look different．The African elephant is bigger．Its ears are about four feet wide．Its tusks are about six to eight feet long．    1    

An African male elephant is about 11.5 feet at the shoulder．It weighs from 12,000 to 14,000 pounds．The largest ever measured stood 13 feet 2 inches tall．

The elephant has thick skin．It’s about one inch thick．It’s heavy．    2     Yet it is tender．The bite of a horsefly will draw blood．Elephants like to cover themselves with mud clay（泥土）．This protects their skin from bites by flies．

    3     It weighs about 300 pounds．The elephant uses the trunk in many ways．It smells，drinks，and feeds itself with its trunk．

    4     Only two thirds of each tusk sticks out．The rest is in the skull．Tusks are used to dig for food．They are also used to fight．When trained，elephants can lift as much as one ton with their tusks．The molars are about one foot long．Elephants have four molars．Each weighs eight to nine pounds．

The mother elephant gives birth after 20 to 22 months．    5     It is already about three feet tall．It drinks its mother’s milk until it is three or four years old．

A．The skin alone weighs about one ton．

B．There are many land animals in Africa．

C．Our interest is with the African elephant．

D．The elephant's trunk is about six feet long．

E．The tusks（about six feet long）are really teeth．

F．Many baby elephants miss their elephant families．

G．At birth，the baby elephant weighs about two hundred pounds．

【推荐3】Scientists estimate that over 500 million species have died out throughout evolution. Here is a list of 4 incredible extinct animals.

Pinta Island Tortoise	The giant tortoise of Pinta lived on the island Pinta of the Galapagos Islands,Ecuador. By the end of the nineteenth century,most of the Pinta Island tortoises had been wiped out due to hunting. The last known individual was a male named Lonesome George who died on 24 June 2012. In his later years,he was considered the rarest animal in the world.
Falkland Islands Wolf	The Falkland Islands wolf was the only native land mammal of the Falkland Islands. The animal was hunted for his beautiful fur,and the shepherds(牧羊人），considering it a threat to the sheep,poisoned him. On the islands,there were no forests in which the species could take shelter,and its lack of fear towards man made it easy prey to kill. The last known individual died in the late 19th century on the western island.
Caucasian Wisent	The Caucasian wisent which went extinct in 1926 inhabited(栖息）the Caucasus mountains. In 1910 their numbers were estimated in the hundreds. When state authority collapsed after the First World War,the remaining population fell victim to hunters. The decline can also be contributed to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease that was introduced with cattle.
Javan Tiger	The Javan tiger is an extinct subspecies of the tiger that was native to the Indonesian island of Java. Very little data was gathered about their behavior before they were driven to extinction. The reduction of its two main prey species,and the modification of its habitat led to the extinction of the subspecies in the 1980s.

1. According to the passage,which shows the correct order of the animals' extinction?
① Pinta Island tortoise                           ② Falkland Islands wolf
③ Caucasian wisent                              ④Javan tiger

A．②③①④	B．②③④①
C．③②④①	D．③④②①

2. Which of the following is NOT the reason for extinction of the animals?

A．Pollution.	B．Disease.
C．Hunting.	D．Habitat loss.

3. Where does this article probably come from?

A．A travel brochure.	B．A news report.
C．A nature magazine.	D．A biology textbook.

【推荐1】Alexis, 17, sat quietly in the passenger seat of her dad’s car. She let her eyes lazily scan the landscape for wildlife. Then a deer came into view about 200 yards in front of them. “Dad, there’s a deer there!” Alexis said. It was a male deer with sharp antlers (角) on each side of its head.

As the car moved closer, Alexis saw that the deer’s head was bent toward the ground. Then she heard a scream and saw an arm fly up near the deer’s head. Alexis realized the deer was attacking a woman. Sue, a 44-year-old mother, had been out for her morning run. The deer followed her and edged closer. “I knew I was in trouble,” Sue says. She went to pick up a stick for self-defense, and the deer charged. It lifted her with its antlers and threw her into the air. Sue could feel blood flew down her leg.

Within seconds, the deer had pushed her off the road. When Alexis and her father pulled up, the deer was throwing Sue like a doll. Alexis looked into the woman’s terrified eyes, and before her father had even stopped the car, the teenager jumped quickly out of the car and ran toward the deer.

“I was kicking it to get its attention,” she says. Then her father, who had followed his daughter, pushed the deer away from the women.

Alexis helped Sue into the car, and then applied a piece of cloth to Sue’s injured leg. “We’re going to get you to a hospital,” Alexis said. Then she heard her father shout loudly. He had been knocked to the ground. Alexis took hold of a hammer from the car and ran to where her father lay on his back. She beat the deer’s head and neck, but the blows didn’t scare it away. “I was losing faith,” she says. “A couple more strikes, Alexis,” said her father. “You can do it.” Turning the hammer around, Alexis closed her eyes and beat the deer’s neck with all her strength. When she opened her eyes, the deer was running away. Alexis got in the driver’s seat and sped toward the nearest hospital.

After Sue was treated, she tearfully thanked her rescuers. “You expect a teenage girl to get on the phone and call for help,” she says, “not to beat up a deer.”

1. What was Sue doing when she was attacked by the deer?

A．She was driving home.	B．She was taking exercise.
C．She was resting on the road.	D．She was feeding wild animals.

2. What did Alexis do to save Sue?

A．She pushed the deer away.	B．She beat the deer with a hammer.
C．She drove the car to hit the deer.	D．She hit the deer with her feet.

3. What is the best title for the passage?

A．A Woman Was Seriously Injured

B．A Girl Saved Her Father Successfully

C．A Dangerous Deer Attacked a Woman

D．A Teenager Rescued Others from a Deer Attack

【推荐2】It was Monday. Mrs Smith’s dog was hungry, but there was not any meat in the house.

Considering that there was no better way, Mrs Smith took a piece of paper, and wrote the following words on it, “Give my dog half a pound of meat” Then she gave the paper to her dog and said gently, “Take this to the butcher(卖肉者), and he’s going to give you your lunch today.”

Holding the piece of paper in its mouth, the dog ran to the butcher’s shop. It gave the paper to the butcher. The butcher read it carefully, recognized that it was really the lady’s handwriting and pleasantly did as he was asked to. The dog was very happy, and ate the meat up immediately.

At midday, the dog came to the shop again. It gave the butcher a piece of paper again. After reading it, he gave it half a pound of meat once more.

The next day, the dog came again exactly at midday. And as usual, it brought a piece of paper in the mouth. This time, the butcher did not take a look at the paper, and gave the dog its meat, for he had thought of the dog as one of his customers.

However, the dog came again at four o'clock. And the same thing happened once again. To the butcher’s more surprise, it came for the third time at six o'clock, and brought with it a third piece of paper. The butcher felt a bit puzzled. He said to himself, “This is a small dog. Why does Mrs Smith give it so much meat to eat today?”

Looking at the piece of paper, he found that there were not any words on it!

1. When Mrs Smith’s dog was hungry, what did she give to the dog?

A．Some chicken.	B．Half a pound of meat.
C．A hot dog.	D．A piece of paper with some words on it.

2. Mrs Smith treated her little dog quite _______.

A．cruelly

B．fairly

C．kindly

D．unfriendly

3. From its experience, the dog found that _______.

A．only the paper with Mrs Smith’s words on it could bring it meat

B．a piece of paper could bring it half a pound of meat

C．the butcher would give the meat to it whenever he saw it

D．Mrs Smith would pay for the meat it got from the butcher

4. At the end of the story, you’ll find that_________.

A．the dog was clever enough to write on the paper

B．the dog dared not go to the butcher’s any more

C．the butcher was told not to give any meat to the dog

D．the butcher found himself cheated by the clever animal

【推荐3】A British woman, Dr. Mantri, growing up in India started to notice his son, Dhruv, was struggling with simple math problem when he was in fifth-grade. After noticing this, she started employing an abacus (算盘) to help her son visually comprehend mathematics.

“I would ask him something like 35 minus 13 and he couldn’t do it.” said Dhruv’s mom Dr. Mantri. “I decided to change the way he looked at numbers,” she said. “An abacus is a tried and tested method, and the Egyptians used them for building the pyramid.” In just six days he started to show progress with the abacus and would go on to become a whizz kid with numbers, with even his classmates’ parents reaching out for help.

She never thought she would teach her son using an abacus, which she used as a child in India and it was always helpful. Within six days she started to notice a difference and see results. So dramatic was the turnaround, that school staff asked him to perform with the abacus at a meeting, where some parents even came to ask for advice on using it for their kids.

IT specialist Dr. Mantri said the humble abacus can be used for calculations into the trillions and kids enjoy learning on it because it’s like a game. “It becomes a playing tool for younger children, for it feels like a game. I think the success comes because children can touch and feel an abacus and visualize them.” She added.

By the age of 12, Dhruv was giving online cyber security class and is now pursuing a career in data science and analytics. Dhruv has now landed an apprenticeship (实习) at an international firm. During the four-year apprenticeship, he will spend one day a week studying Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at Glasgow Caledonian University. “He is so confident now and I am so proud,” she said, with Dhruv adding “I don’t think my teachers would have guessed that I would be following a career in data science at that time.”

1. Why did Dhruv have difficulty in learning mathematics?

A．He was faced with language barrier.	B．He didn’t find a proper way.
C．He suffered from eyesight problems.	D．He lacked academic support from the family.

2. What does the underlined word “whizz” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Careful.

B．hardworking.

C．Outstanding.

D．Struggling.

3. Why do kids like learning on abacus according to the text?

A．They find it attractive.	B．They can calculate faster.
C．They enjoy playing games.	D．They are eager for success.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Dhruv was addicted to the internet at 12.

B．Dhruv is teaching data science and analytics now.

C．Dhruv is a full-time student at Glasgow Caledonian University.

D．Dhruv’s career choice was beyond his teachers’ expectation.

【推荐2】At the end of my senior year of high school, I got a job working at a local coffee shop．I thought the job would be easy and stress-free．I pictured myself pouring the best coffees, making delicious doughnuts (炸面包圈), and becoming friends with regular customers．
I wasn’t expecting the people with enormous orders, the women who complained that the coffee was much too creamy (含乳脂的), or the men who wanted their iced coffees remade again and again until they reached perfection．I couldn’t seem to please anyone．
One rainy day, one of my regular customers came in looking upset．He said he felt like getting in bed, pulling the sheets up over his head, and staying there for a few years．I knew exactly how he felt．
Before he left, I handed him a bag along with his iced coffee．He was surprised, since he hadn’t ordered anything but coffee．I had given him his favorite type of droughnut．
“It’s on me,” I told him．“Have a nice day．”
He smiled and thanked me before heading back out into the rain．
The next day, it was still raining．I spent my afternoon hanging out the window handing people their orders．I was completely wet and freezing cold．Worse, no one was tipping that day．Every time I looked into our empty tip jar, I grew more depressed．
In the evening, the customer from the day before drove up to the window．He handed me a pink rose and a note．He said that not many people took time to care about others and he was glad there were still people like me in the world．With a friendly wave, he drove away．
I ran to the back of the shop and read the note．It read:
Christine,
Thanks for being so sweet, kind and thoughtful yesterday．It is so nice to meet someone who’s indeed nice．Please don’t change your ways! Have a great day! –Hank
After that, whenever I felt depressed or sick of coffee, I thought of Hank and his kindness．Then I would smile, hold my head up high, clear my throat and ask politely, “How can I help you?”
1. Why wasn’t the writer happy with her job at first?

A．The customers didn’t tip her enough

B．It was difficult to make iced coffee perfect

C．Everybody had an enormous order

D．The job didn’t turn out as she had expected

2. The man came to the coffee shop to ______

A．buy his favorite doughnut	B．complain to the author
C．buy a cup of iced coffee	D．get out of the rain

3. The man felt thankful for the writer because ______

A．she was indeed kind to him in a time of need

B．she knew exactly how the man felt

C．she offered him coffee and food for free

D．she comforted him by sharing his pain

4. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Don’t count your eggs until they are hatched

B．If you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your path

C．The quality of your life is the quality of your relationships

D．A man is happy so long as he chooses to be happy

【推荐3】The old man walked slowly into the restaurant. His poor jacket, patched (打补丁的) trousers, and worn-out shoes made him stand out from the usual Saturday morning breakfast crowd. Unforgettable were his pale blue eyes that sparkled (闪耀) like diamonds, large rosy cheeks, and thin lips held in a steady smile.

With the help of his trusty cane (拐杖), he walked toward a table by the window. A young waitress named Mary watched him and ran over to him, and said, “Here, Sir. Let me give you a hand with that chair.”

Without a word, he smiled and nodded a thank you. She pulled the chair away from the table. Steadying him with one arm, she helped him move in front of the chair, and get comfortably seated. Then she pushed the table up close to him, and leaned his cane against the table where he could reach it.

In a soft, clear voice he said, “Thank you, Miss.”

“You are welcome, Sir.” She replied. “My name is Mary. I’ll be back in a moment. If you need anything, just wave at me!”

After he had finished a hearty meal of pancakes, bacon, and hot lemon tea, Mary brought him the change, helping him up from his chair and out from behind the table. She handed him his cane, and walked with him to the front door. Holding the door open for him, she said, “Come back and see us, Sir!”

He nodded a thank you and said softly with a smile, “You are very kind!”

When Mary went to clean his table, she was surprised. Under his plate she found a business card and a note written on the napkin, under which was a $ 100 bill.

The note on the napkin read...

“Dear Mary, I respect you very much, and you respect yourself, too. It shows by the way you treat others. You have found the secret of happiness. Your kind gestures will shine through those who meet you.”

The man she had served was the owner of the restaurant. This was the first time that she, or any of his employees, had seen him in person.

1. Who helped the old man in the restaurant? (No more than 8 words)
2. Please explain the underlined phrase “stand out” in English. (No more than 5 words)
3. How much did the old man leave on the table? (No more than 2 words)
4. Who do you think the old man was? (No more than 10 words)
5. According to the passage, how do you understand the meaning of “Happiness”？ (No more than 20 words)