【推荐2】A 14-year-old killer whale named Wilkie has learned how to “speak” to humans. Wilkie, who lives at a whale aquarium（水族馆）in France, is able to imitate（模仿）a human saying “hello”, “bye-bye” and “one, two” after working with a team of researchers from the UK, Spain, Chile and Germany.

“Killer whales use their blowholes to make noises, almost like speaking out of your nose, so we were not expecting it to be perfect,” Jose Abramson, the lead author, told The Independent. “But we were surprised by how close it was.”

This isn’t the first time animals have learned how to imitate human sounds. Scientists have already made a record of animals like elephants，parrots，dolphins and beluga whales all imitating our words and noises, but it marks a first for killer whales.

Wilkie had already been trained to imitate the actions of a fellow killer whale. Once the scientists made her again learn how to mimic an action; they had her repeat four familiar sounds made by her 2-year-old calf（幼鲸），Moana. Next, they had her make five killer whale sounds she had never heard before, like a noise of opening the door. Then the researchers had Wilkie imitate the sounds made by a human and，finally，words like “ah ha” and her trainer’s name, “Amy”.

Wilkie was quickly able to imitate all the sounds and words, and she was even able to imitate some on the first try. Researchers said they had the first evidence that killer whales might be learning sounds by imitation, but they had no evidence that the killer whales understood what their “hello” stood for.

1. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Killer whales are the first to imitate humans.

B．Killer whale Wilkie has been used to test other animals.

C．Killer whales are able to imitate the sounds of their children.

D．Killer whale Wilkie has learned to imitate some human sounds.

2. What was Jose Abramson surprised by?

A．Wilkie enjoyed human sounds.

B．Wilkie lived so close to humans.

C．Wilkie made sounds different from human voices.

D．Wilkie made sounds quite close to those of humans.

3. What does the underlined word “mimic” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Change.	B．Copy.
C．Arrange.	D．Compare.

4. Which of the following best describes Wilkie according to Paragraph 5?

A．Quick.	B．Kind.
C．Honest.	D．Brave.

5. One thing still uncertain about Wilkie is ______.

A．whether Wilkie can make human sounds

B．whether killer whales can tell voices from noises

C．whether Wilkie can understand the words like “hello”

D．whether other killer whales can do the same as Wilkie

【推荐2】Publishers of books for beginning readers are in the business of doing whatever they can to make children develop a love of reading. At times, that means they'll produce books that are more colorful and more packed with pictures. But it turns out that when it comes to learning to read books, more pictures aren't always better.

In fact, simply having more than one picture on a page can negatively(消极地) affect the ability of preschoolers to learn words from that page, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Sussex. “Storybook reading is a great activity to help children increase their vocabularies,” writes co-author Zoe M. Flack in the University's School of Psychology blog.

But the illustrations(插图) can affect how well children will learn new words. “For example,” Flack writes, “We know that children learn words better if illustrations are realistic.” Also, studies have shown that adding bells and whistles(哨声) to storybooks may negatively affect learning, according to Jessica S. Horst, Flack's co-author for the study. “We also know that children look within illustrations for the things they hear in the story, so if the story mentions a girl dropping an ice cream, children will look at the ice cream in the illustration.”

With that in mind, Dr. Horst and Ms. Flack began to wonder what would happen when picture books show many illustrations on a page and how young children who haven't yet learned to read know which illustration to look at while listening to a story. To find out, they read storybooks that displayed either one or two illustrations per page to 36 three-year-old children. As it turns out, children who listened to stories with only one illustration at a time learned twice as many words as children who listened with two or more illustrations.

1. Why do publishers produce books with many colorful pictures?

A．Because such books help kids improve their imagination.

B．Because parents are more interested in such books.

C．Because they want to help kids love reading.

D．Because such books are easier to produce.

2. What does Zoe M. Flack say about storybook reading?

A．It helps kids learn new words.

B．Illustrations aren't that necessary.

C．More words should be added to a story.

D．It helps kids improve their reading ability.

3. What did the researchers find through their research?

A．Reading is a very important activity.

B．One page should have only one illustration for kids.

C．Children know what books they should read.

D．Children don't really love looking at illustrations.

4. According to the passage, the findings can help publishers____________.

A．choose better stories for children

B．produce more types of storybooks

C．Produce better books for little kids

D．Make more money through producing books

【推荐1】When asked to point out one or two things that are most important to themselves, many put friends ahead of homes, jobs, clothes and cars.

A true friendship carries a long history of experience that determines(确定)who we are and keeps us connected. It is a treasure we should protect. Unfortunately, the better friends you are, the more probably you'll have disagreements. And the result can be what you don't want—an end to the relationship.

The good news is that most troubled friendships can be mended. First, don't let your pride get in your way. Most of us can forgive each other when differences are brought out in the open. Second, apologize when you're wrong—even if you've been wronged. Over the course of a friendship, even the best people make mistakes. Sometimes, it may be best if the wronged person takes the lead and apologizes. When you apologize, give your friend a chance to admit that he has been wrong. Third, see things from your friend's point of view(观点). And finally, accept that friendships change as our needs and lifestyles change. Making friends can sometimes seem easy. The hard part is keeping the connections strong during the natural ups and downs that have an effect on all relationships. My suggestion: Consider the friendship an honor and a gift, and worth the effort to treasure and nurture(培养).

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

A．Easy Ways to Make Friends

B．Ups and Downs in Friendship

C．How to Mend a Troubled Friendship

D．How to Take the Lead in Making Friends

2. “Wronged person” underlined in the text refers to a person________.

A．who has been mistaken for another

B．who has been blamed unfairly

C．who has treated friends badly

D．who has admitted his mistakes

3. According to the text, a friendship can last long only if________.

A．we have much in common

B．we know our friends' mistakes

C．we treat our disagreements wisely

D．we have known one another for long

4. What should we do if we follow the author's second suggestion?

A．Stick to our own point of view.	B．Avoid making mistakes.
C．Make an apology first.	D．Change our lifestyles.

【推荐2】

Oct. 23rd is the beginning of Shuangjiang or “Frost’s Descent” in English, the 18th of 24 solar terms(节气) in the Chinese lunar calendar. It refers to the time when frost(霜) starts to fall across China, or “the dews(露水) were frozen into frost” because of the coldness, as recorded in ancient Chinese books.

By the time of Shuangjiang, most of the harvesting work is already completed in northern China, and farmers are now able to enjoy a period of rest. But in the south, the harvest is still on the go. Farmers have to take home the sweet potatoes before they are destroyed by the coming frost. After a year of farming, it is the time to plow the fields and prepare the soil for next year in both south and north.

Autumn might be the most colorful season in China with the leaves turning from golden yellow to red. Hiking has become popular since the ancient times as people can enjoy the special autumnal scenery. Du Mu, a well-known poet from the Tang Dynasty wrote the beautiful mountainous scenery in a poem: “I stopped the coach as charmed by the maple woods; Frosted autumn leaves outshine February flowers in redness.”

The Double Ninth Festival also falls during the season, a festival for the elders. Going hiking in the highlands is part of the celebrations practiced by the ancient Chinese people.

“Keeping warm” becomes a most important thing at this time of the year as the weather is getting colder. Persimmon(柿子) is the favored fruit in many areas. The Chinese believe that persimmons could not only keep off the coldness, but strengthen the muscles and bones. Also, chicken or mutton soup is believed to be good for the spleen and advised for the diet.

Shuangjiang brings the frost and freezing wind, and autumn has come to an end. But for most Chinese, it is not necessarily a sad time because in winter, they are able to have different but equally beautiful scenery.

1. The underlined phrase “on the go” in the 2nd paragraph probably means ________.

A．admirable

B．mild

C．active

D．widespread

2. What did the poet Du Mu describe in his famous poem?

A．Coldness of frost.	B．View of autumn.
C．Autumnal farming.	D．The Double Ninth Festival.

3. What is the main idea of the 5th paragraph?

A．Tell the differences of the harvest in China’s south and north.

B．Explain why Shuangjiang gets its name.

C．Advise some activities to enjoy the colorful season.

D．Introduce the ways to stay warm before the coming of winter.

4. Which of the following statement about Shuangjiang is TRUE according to the text?

A．People believe eating persimmons in Shuangjiang can help to get rid of coldness.

B．Shaungjiang is the best time for people who want to lose weight to take exercises.

C．Farmers in the south of China can enjoy a great rest during the time of Shuangjiang.

D．Shuangjiang is the end of summer and the beginning of autumn of a year.

5. The best title of this passage is _______.

A．What causes Frost’s Descent	B．Time to say goodbye to autumn
C．Enjoy the beautiful autumn	D．Prepare for a good harvest

【推荐3】It’s 3 o'clock and you’ve been hard at work. As you sit at your desk, a strong desire (欲望) for chocolate overcomes you. You try to busy yourself to make it go away. But it doesn’t. Here is another situation. Perhaps you are not feeling well. The only thing you want to eat is a big bowl of chicken soup, like your mom used to make when you were sick as a child. Food cravings are a strong desire for a specific type of food. And they are normal.

Scientists at the website How Stuff Works compare hunger and cravings this way. Hunger is a fairly simple connection between the stomach and the brain. They even call it simply “stomach hunger.” When our stomachs burn up all of the food we have eaten, a hormone (荷尔蒙) sends a message to one part of the brain for more food, which controls our most basic body functions such as thirst, hunger and sleep. The brain then produces a chemical to start the appetite (食欲) and you eat. Hunger is a function of survival.

A craving is more complex. It activates (刺激) brain areas related to emotion, memory and reward. These are the same areas of the brain activated during drug-craving studies. Because of this, some scientists call food cravings “mind hunger.” People often crave foods that are high in fat and sugar. Foods that are high in fat or high in sugar produce chemicals in the brain. These chemicals give us feelings of pleasure.

In a 2007 study, researchers at Cambridge University found that “dieting or controlled eating generally increases the possibility of food craving.” So, the more you refuse yourself a food that you want, the more you may crave it. However, fasting is a bit different. They found that eating no food at all for a short period of time reduced food cravings.

So, the next time you crave something very special, know that it’s the fault of your brain, instead of your stomach.

1. The author describes two situations in the first paragraph to ________.

A．deepen the understanding of hunger	B．report the discovery of craving study
C．introduce the topic of the whole passage	D．remind readers of their own special food

2. What do we learn about food craving?

A．It shows food is connected with emotion.	B．It makes sure that a person survives hunger.
C．It means the stomach functions well.	D．It proves the brain decides your appetite.

3. What’s the likely result of dieting?

A．The drop of chemicals.	B．The increase of food desire.
C．The refusal of fat and sugar.	D．The disappearance of appetite.

4. In which part of a newspaper can you see this passage?

A．Education.	B．Entertainment.
C．Science.	D．Economy.