You might remember watching Tweety and Sylvester from the Looney Tunes cartoons while growing up. Every time the cat Sylvester would try to eat the bird Tweety, the latter would call its owner and complain about the cat, just as a human would. In reality, several birds are able to mimic (模仿) speech. The most common bird known to do this is the parrot.
Studies have shown that the young birds learn and memorize species-specific songs by mimicking vocalizations (发声) of their father, starting as early as a week after birth. If separated from the father during this sensitive (感觉敏锐的) period, young birds may develop very strange songs.
It is common sense that a singer with a broader vocal range (范围) will be more successful than one with a smaller vocal range. Similarly, male songbirds with the vocal learning ability to learn broader types of songs enjoy higher chances of attracting attention of female. Therefore, such songbirds started achieving broader song learning skills as time went by. Eventually, they ended up with vocal skills so broad that they could not just learn songs from other males in their species, but songs from different species too.
Parrots have been kept as pets for thousands of years, and are probably the most famous mimics. Vocal mimicry in parrots has often caught human’s attention, since they can mimic the difficult vocalizations of human speech learned from their caretakers. The reason for this is not to attract mates. Parrots raised as pets often mimic humans to establish social connections.
In a study on an African Grey parrot, scientists observed that it could not just mimic human speech, but could also learn several hundreds of words and their meanings, recognize objects by names, and even count! The study has made scientists think that parrots are not simply mimicking, but that their vocal ability is very similar to that of human speech. This is a huge discovery, as humans are the only animals known to be capable of using “language” to date.
1. Why does the author mention the cartoon in Paragraph 1?| A．To introduce the main topic. |
| B．To find a solution to a problem. |
| C．To present conflicts between animals. |
| D．To encourage readers to watch the cartoon. |
| A．Male birds are born to have the ability to use their language. |
| B．Animals start learning language one week earlier than humans. |
| C．Young male birds are more sensitive to vocalizations than female ones. |
| D．Language learning needs proper language environment at a proper stage. |
| A．To attract mates. | B．To build relations with humans. |
| C．To show off their vocal abilities. | D．To communicate with other parrots. |
| A．Confused. | B．Honoured. | C．Amazed. | D．Disappointed. |
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【推荐1】In 2000,Suy Senglim met a French journalist who inspired in him an interest in photography.To put this new-found interest to good use,in 2012 he began to take pictures of Cambodia's vast variety of birdlife.
Worried by the loss of biodiversity in his hometown of Mukh Kampul in Kandal province,Senglim created a photography project.He carefully documents each new species he photographs: the common name,scientific name,its identifying features,whether the species is endangered or not.Now the 35-year-old aims to educate Cambodians about the importance of bird species and the effect development has on nature.
Senglim thinks the biggest issues are damage to habitat and illegal hunting.Through his photography work he has also discovered what makes the problem worse is that there is not enough education and law enforcement. Hunting is at the root of Cambodian culture.Educating Cambodians about the need for conservation is of great importance to Senglim."Education is very limited.And in terms of legal enforcement,only one institution is standing out,and that is Wildlife Alliance,which has conducted a string of successful crackdowns（镇压）so far. However,there are few major campaigns on wildlife hunting as a whole."
Senglim is working on a book on 100 significant bird species from some of the 400 species he has so far photographed,which he hopes will be published in early 2018.He says he looks forward to teaching in high schools and colleges to inspire a new generation of nature-lovers."I think it's time to change the attitude,"he says.
1. How did Senglim carry out his photography project?| A．By taking more pictures in the wild. |
| B．By improving his photography skills. |
| C．By renewing his interest in loving life. |
| D．By recording new birdlife he photographs. |
| A．Less development of the wasteland. |
| B．Lack of education and law enforcement. |
| C．Small number of wildlife recorded in Cambodia. |
| D．Fewer campaigns conducted by Wildlife Alliance. |
| A．Strengthen legal enforcement. |
| B．Write more books about photography. |
| C．Change people's attitude to bird species. |
| D．Promote basic education in various schools. |
【推荐2】A man in Germany may not have been in danger when he called the police on a baby squirrel chasing him, but it all worked out for the best for the furry suspect.
Emergency services in the city of Karistruhe got a call on Thursday from a man afraid that the tiny animal wouldn't stop following him around, The Guardian reported. Police arrived at the scene, where the squirrel finally stopped running after him by lying down and going to sleep.
It turned out that the squirrel actually needed help, the police said, “It often happens that squirrels which have lost their mothers look for a replacement and then focus their efforts on one person,” the police spokesman Christian Krenz told The Guardian.
The squirrel, now named Karl-Friedrich, is in the care of an animal rescue center. Karlstruhe police posted a statement on Facebook about the animal, including several lovely photos. The department wished Karl-Friedrich the best.
The baby squirrel chase is the second police-involved squirrel incident to make international headlines this summer. Last month, a London woman called the police after she heard loud noises in her home and suspected a thief. The unwanted visitor turned out to be a “rogue squirrel”, according to the police who came for help.
Although authorities in the German case said the squirrel did need assistance, wildlife experts generally warn that before dealing with the case where you suspect a squirrel is orphaned, you should do your best to make sure the creature truly requires help. The Wildlife Center of Virginia, which gets hundreds of calls annually about supposedly orphaned squirrels, published this handy guide to help determine whether such an animal really needs help and what to do if so. When in doubt, contact a local wildlife rescuer, a rehab center on animal control.
1. Why did the man in Germany call the police?| A．A baby squirrel was asleep there. | B．A baby squirrel tried to bite him. |
| C．A baby squirrel was lying down there. | D．A baby squirrel kept running after him. |
| A．A woman from London. | B．A lovely little squirrel. |
| C．An unwanted visitor. | D．A local policewoman. |
| A．They are very active in animal protection. |
| B．They are very eager to help disabled squirrels. |
| C．They think squirrels are endangered animals. |
| D．They think squirrels are in a hungry state. |
| A．People should try to give first aid to injured or sick squirrels. |
| B．People should figure out whether squirrels actually need assistance. |
| C．People should help squirrels who are left alone as soon as possible. |
| D．People should contact a local wildlife rescuer when seeing orphaned squirrels, |
【推荐3】Four reasons to adopt a dog
If you haven’t already experienced the unbelievable joy of adopting (收养) a dog, this year is a great time to feel the love.
Even your closest friends and family members trouble and are troubled by you occasionally.
Each year, 2.7 million dogs die in shelters because there just aren’t enough people to adopt them. When you adopt from a shelter or rescue group, not only are you saving that dog, but you’re clearing up space for another animal that might need it.
You’ll never be lonelyThere are all sorts of studies that show links between dog ownership and health benefits from lowering the risk of heart diseases to living longer lives.
| A．You’ll save a life |
| B．Do you need some reasons |
| C．But your dog wouldn’t trouble you |
| D．Would you like to go to walk a dog |
| E．Other studies show that dogs help relieve stress |
| F．Unlike cats that often are quite happy doing their own thing |
| G．Your friends are tired of seeing your face from social media |
【推荐1】There are many interesting science experiments out there for young kids. You can surprise your friends and teachers with them. All you have to do is to put a little effort into it and you should have no problem coming up with an interesting science experiment. One such experiment is to show your friends and teachers that you can make mothballs (樟脑丸) dance!
If you want to do it, first, be sure that you have got all the necessary science kits(工具箱) for your science experiment.
What you need for this experiment is a glass filled half full with water. Add a little bit of vinegar to your glass of water, about 1/3 or 1/4 of a cup (60 ml), and one teaspoon (10 ml) of baking soda, and then carefully stir the mixture. Drop a few mothballs into the glass and have your audience watch. As long as the surfaces of the mothballs become fairly rough, they should begin to bounce（弹起） up and down in the glass.
You can also do a similar experiment with raisins (葡萄干) and clear pop, such as Sprite. In this experiment, all you have to do is to fill a glass with Sprite and drop a few raisins into it. The raisins should begin to bounce up and down in the glass of Sprite. You can also replace the raisins with mothballs and you should get the same effect in the Sprite. This project works because the irregular surfaces of the mothballs and the raisins hold some CO2 bubbles (气泡) ,causing them to bounce up and down in a dancing motion.
1. The writer writes this passage to ________.| A．explain why some science experiments are easy |
| B．encourage people to spend more time on science |
| C．tell us how good he is at doing science experiments |
| D．teach kids how to do an easy and interesting science experiment |
| A．Producing mothballs. |
| B．Dancing mothballs. |
| C．Changing mothballs. |
| D．Swimming mothballs. |
| A．mothball | B．kind of vinegar |
| C．drink with bubbles | D．special kind of raisin |
| A．why Sprite has some CO2 bubbles |
| B．what people usually use Sprite for |
| C．what scientists usually do with raisins |
| D．why the mothballs bounce up and down |
【推荐2】Why Do Movie Theaters Serve Popcorn?
The savory smell. The crunchy bite. The buttery finish. Americans will recognize the smell and flavor of their favorite moviegoing snack anywhere. Why is it that we feast our taste buds on these crisp kernels while our eyes focus on the big screen?
Popcorn does not refer to the popped kernel alone.
Since popcorn was cheap to make, it was also cheap to buy, which increased the popularity of this treat during the Great Depression. The Depression increased consumer spending on cheaper luxury items such as popcorn and movies, and the two industries teamed up.
| A．A few aspects made popcorn the typical movie snack. |
| B．They were like the great-great-grandfathers of food trucks. |
| C．Therefore, movie theaters attracted more and more customers. |
| D．The secret of popcorn’s pleasant taste lies in the special material. |
| E．It’s also the name for the specific type of corn that is used to make the snack. |
| F．Theaters would allow a popcorn salesman to sell right outside for a daily fee. |
| G．Popcorn also got popular at a time when theaters badly needed an economic increase. |
【推荐3】It seems that people are gradually losing their smartness as smart phones become increasingly important assistants in their lives. As we rely too much on technology instead of our brains, many people have lost three basic abilities.
The first skill many people have lost is remembering phone numbers. Because phone numbers are stored in smart phone contacts, there’s now no need to dial a number or look at it again. This is fine until you need to call someone for help only to find your phone is not around.
And some people may also have lost their sense of direction because some apps can guide people anywhere they want. People get so dependent on them that when they can’t use their smart phones, they get lost and anxious.
But the worst lost skills may be social ones, meaning that some people are becoming socially disabled. People often bury themselves in their smart phones. As we’re too absent- minded by what’s happening in the virtual (虚拟的) some of us have lost conversational skills and sometimes can’t even tell whether a person is happy or not.
Last August, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, studied 51 students aged 11 and 12 who had over five hours’ screen time ever)r day. Their task was to tell the emotions of 48 pictures of faces that were happy, sad, angry or scared.
The children made an average of 14.02 mistakes at the beginning. But after a five-day camp without electronic products, they made only 9.41 mistakes on average.
Luckily, people still have a chance to get these abilities back. You should try to keep your parents’ numbers in mind for emergencies. You should also pay more attention to street signs and stores, which will help you to draw a mind map and stop you from getting lost. And the easiest solution to social skill loss is to take a break from electronic products.
1. The underlined sentence in the second paragraph implies that ______.| A．you are able to turn to others for help |
| B．others are able to call you anytime and anywhere |
| C．others are unable to get in touch with you by smart phone |
| D．you are unable to contact others without your smart phone |
| A．recognize more facial expressions correctly |
| B．lose the sense of direction frequently |
| C．tell different emotions immediately |
| D．tell more pictures of faces easily |
| A．have no sense of numbers | B．lose face-to-face communication skills |
| C．fail to find their destination | D．weaken their senses of hearing and sight |
| A．objective | B．critical | C．supportive | D．Optimistic |
【推荐1】If you’ve ever started a sentence with, “If I were you …” or found yourself scratching your head at a colleague’s headache over a decision when the answer is crystal-clear, there’s a scientific reason behind it. Our own decision-making abilities can become declined over the course of the day causing indecision or poor choices, but choosing on behalf of someone else is an enjoyable task that doesn’t suffer the same trouble.
The problem is “decision fatigue” , a psychological phenomenon that greatly damages the quality of your choices after a long day of decision making, says Evan Polman, a leading psychologist.
Physicians who have been on the job for several hours, for example, are more likely to prescribe antibiotics (抗生素) to patients when it’s unwise to do so. “Presumably it’s because it’s simple and easy to write a prescription and consider a patient case closed rather than investigate further,” Polman says.
But decision fatigue goes away when you are making the decision for someone else. When people imagine themselves as advisers and imagine their own choices as belonging to someone else, they feel less tired and rely less on decision shortcuts to make those choices. “By taking upon the role of adviser rather than decision maker, one does not suffer the consequences of decision fatigue,” he says. “It’s as if there’s something fun and liberating about making someone else’s choice.”
Getting input from others not only offers a fresh perspective and thought process; it often also includes riskier choices. While this sounds undesirable, it can be quite good, says Polman. “When people experience decision fatigue — when they are tired of making choices — they have a tendency to choose to go with the status quo,” he says. “But it can be problematic, since a change in the course of action can sometimes be important and lead to a positive outcome.”
1. What does the author say about people making decisions?| A．They become exhausted when making too many decisions for themselves. |
| B．They are more cautious in making decisions for others than for themselves. |
| C．They are more likely to make decisions in the way advantageous to themselves. |
| D．They show considerable variations in their decision-making competence. |
| A．To explain a principle. | B．To indicate a fact. |
| C．To clarify a concept. | D．To illustrate a prediction. |
| A．Turn to physicians for advice. | B．Make risky decisions. |
| C．Adopt a totally new perspective. | D．Resist trying something new. |
| A．The decision fatigue. | B．The existing situation. |
| C．The different choice. | D．The positive outcome. |
【推荐2】Tips for avoiding traffic jams:
The radio has more than just music. Check the local news station for the latest traffic report. Or go online and check traffic cameras before you set out. If there is a jam, you'll be prepared and can try another route.
Take the road less traveled. Although highways may be the most direct route, back roads can be much less crowded, which can save you from the frustration of the stopandgo traffic.
Rush hour isn't just a lovely nickname. It means the morning and afternoon traffic lasts for several hours, but they're still called “rush hour” for a reason — everyone's on the road and in a hurry to get somewhere. Treat rush hour like bad weather — if you don't have to go anywhere, stay off the roads.
Tips for those unavoidable traffic jams:
Don't break the law. You've gone 30 feet in 30 minutes and all of a sudden you see people using the shoulders (紧急停车道). Don't behave like them. Not only is this illegal, but also there's a good chance they'll get caught or cause even more problems.
Pay extra attention to zigzaggers (Z字形行进者). When some people are anxious, they may start changing lanes (车道) every 5 seconds or cut you off. Keep checking your windows and mirrors for these lane changers.
Look for an escape. If it is possible to exit the road safely, do it. Use a GPS unit, and you can change your route midtrip if needed.
Be courteous. Good manners could help you avoid a possible accident. Allow people in from a lane that is ending. Speeding up to keep them out increases your chances of an accident.
1. To avoid traffic jams, we are advised to do the following EXCEPT ________.| A．getting traffic news before leaving | B．choosing back roads |
| C．avoiding rush hours | D．changing lanes frequently |
| A．Keep checking the mirrors. | B．Stop and let them go first. |
| C．Sound the horn loudly. | D．Drive quickly to keep them out. |
| A．Energetic. | B．Polite. | C．Careful. | D．Honest. |
| A．Entertainment. | B．Life. | C．Market. | D．Advertisement. |
【推荐3】The sense of obligation to continue is present in all of us. A duty to strive is the duty of us all. I felt a call to that duty.
—Abraham Lincoln
Probably the greatest example of persistence is Abraham. Lincoln. If you want to learn about somebody who didn't quit, look no further.
Born into poverty, Lincoln was faced with defeat throughout his life. He lost eight elections, failed in business twice and suffered a nervous breakdown
He could have quit many times-but he didn't and because he didn't quit, he became one of the greatest presidents in the history of the U.S.A.
Lincoln was a champion and he never gave up. Here is a sketch of Lincoln's road to the White House.
1816 His family was forced out of their home. He had to work to support them.
1818 His mother died.
1831 Failed in business.
1832 Ran for state legislature — lost.
1832 Also lost his job -wanted to go to law school but couldn't get in.
1833 Borrowed some money from a friend to begin a business and by the end of the year he was bankrupt. He spent the next 17 years of his life paying off this debt.
1834 Ran for state legislature again-won.
1834 Was engaged to be married, sweetheart died and his heart was broken.
1836 Had a total nervous breakdown and was in bed for six months.
1838 Sought to become speaker of the state legislature — defeated.
1840 Sought to become elector—defeated.
1843 Ran for Congress—lost.
1846 Ran for Congress again—this time he won—went to Washington' and did a good job.
1848 Ran for re—election to Congress—lost.
1849 Sought the job of land officer in his home state—rejected.
1854 Ran for Senate of the United Sates — lost.
1856 Sought the Vice-Presidential nomination at his party's national convention and got less than 100 votes.
1858 Ran for U.S. Senate again—again he lost.
1860 Elected president of the United States.
The path was worn and slippery. My foot slipped from under me, knowing the other out of the way, but I recovered and said to myself, "It's a slip and not a fall."
—Abraham Lincoln (after losing a senate race)
1. What personal quality did Abraham Lincoln possess according to the passage?| A．Modesty. | B．Sense of humor. |
| C．Persistence | D．Curiosity. |
| A．When Lincoln failed in business for the first time, he was in heavy debt. |
| B．Lincoln had never planned to get married in his whole life. |
| C．Lincoln once suffered a mental illness resulting from heartbreaks. |
| D．Lincoln displayed a remarkable strength of character on the way to presidency. |
| A．Though suffering a loss in the senate race, he remained optimistic. |
| B．He didn't take the senate race seriously and considered the loss unimportant. |
| C．He felt that he was lucky because he recovered from the loss in the race. |
| D．He considered the loss in the race a fatal mistake that he couldn't afford to make. |
