The Catnapper Mystery
Cody, the catnapper, had a talent for taking cats from trees, yards, and porches. He’d keep them until their owners paid for their return. One day, Milly’s kitten Mousie was missing. Milly accused Cody. “No way!” said Detective Denny. “I saw Cody catch a train to Planters Plain this morning. Mousie can’t have been kidnapped by Cody!”
“There are no paw prints on my lawn,” noted Milly. “Mousie didn’t just run off!”
“And there are no sneaker prints,” said Detective Denny. “Cody only wears sneakers.” Then he noticed tiny holes in the grass that looked like they were made by high-heeled shoes. Denny pulled out a pencil. He was very careful as he measured the holes. “Half a pencil deep! Only Patty Perry’s Pet Shop wears heels that high and thin.”
Milly and Detective Denny ran to Patty’s, where a man was loading pets into a van. “Where are these animals going?” asked Milly.
“To Carter’s Cats in Planters Plain,” he replied.
“Where is Patty Perry?” asked Detective Denny.
“She had to catch a train,” said the man.
“Hmmm,” thought Denny. “Cody’s full name is Cody Carter. Sounds like Carter’s Cats! And he’s on a train to Planters Plain.”
Denny figured Patty would sell the cats and then Cody would steal them back. Only this time, Patty made the snatch(抢夺). “They resell the cats in Planters Plain,” he realized, “and split the money!”
“Sounds illegal!” said the man with the van.
The Planters Plain police met the train and took the catnappers straight to prison. Best of all, the cats in captivity, including Milly’s Mousie, were returned to their owners.
1. Milly accused Cody of taking her cat because ________.| A．Cody was a detective | B．Cody had a van |
| C．Cody was a catnapper | D．Cody owned a pet shop |
| A．holes from Patty’s high heels | B．pets in the van |
| C．footprints from Cody’s sneakers | D．prints from Mousie’s paws |
| A．Mousie was missing. | B．The catnappers went to prison. |
| C．Cody left for Planters Plain. | D．Denny looked at Milly’s lawn. |
| A．Milly’s kitten, Mousie, was kidnapped, leading to a pursuit and the involvement of Detective Denny. |
| B．Cody, known for catnapping, is wrongly accused by Milly, but Detective Denny discovers the true criminal, Patty Perry. |
| C．The man with the van is arrested for transporting animals illegally, leading to the return of the kidnapped cats, including Milly’s Mousie. |
| D．Detective Denny investigates the disappearance of Milly’s kitten, leading to the uncovering of a catnapping plan involving Cody and Patty Perry. |
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【推荐1】Dogs are likely to have complex emotions such as jealousy(嫉妒)and pride, according to a new scientific research.
Dogs feel very jealous when they find that they are unfairly treated. And they do not like seeing their owners being kind to other creatures, especially other dogs. They often react negatively(消极地)when their owners bring home new pets, the research found. “Dogs show a strong aversion to unfair treatment,” Dr. Friederike Range of the Vienna University said.
At first, people believed most animals lack(缺少)the “sense of self” , which is needed to experience so-called secondary emotions such as jealousy, embarrassment or guilt. These emotions are more complex than feelings such as anger or joy.
Besides dogs research, another research includes cows, horse, cats and sheep, and all the results have shown that animals are far more self-aware than we thought.
Dr Paul Morris, a psychologist at the University of Portsmouth who studies animal emotions, told The Sunday Times, “We are learning that dogs, horses, and perhaps many other species are far more emotionally complex than we ever realized. They can suffer simple forms of many emotions we once thought only primates (灵长类) could experience.”
In research among dog owners, Dr Morris found almost all of them reported jealous behavior by their pets. The dog often tried to keep their owner away from a new lover in the early days of a relationship.
Behavioral experts suggest that owners should keep a close relationship with the dog as usual when a new pet or child comes along in order to prevent jealous activity from the dog such as interruptions with barking.
1. What is the new discovery about the relationship between dogs and human?| A．Dogs usually have more emotions than humans. |
| B．Dogs are often treated unfairly by humans. |
| C．Humans are angry about their dogs’ negative reactions. |
| D．Dogs feel unhappy when their owners show kindness to other creatures. |
| A．Internet | B．Dislike |
| C．Concern | D．Fear |
| A．It is a complex feeling that belongs to humans. |
| B．It is a kind of ability to feel other people’s emotions. |
| C．It is a necessary awareness to feel some complex emotions. |
| D．It is a kind of emotion which is based on anger or joy. |
| A．The research includes four kinds of animals. |
| B．Animals are more self-aware than humans. |
| C．Dogs experience more emotions than primates. |
| D．Animals are emotionally complex. |
【推荐2】There are well-documented mental health benefits to pet ownership, as much research has shown. Indeed, we know there are some physical benefits as well, as dog owners tend to have more active lifestyles. Yet when it comes to conditions like allergies (过敏), we tend to think of pet ownership as exacerbating, not alleviating them.
Hence, a recent study published in the journal PLOS One might come as a surprise. The study, published Wednesday, found that children raised with cats and dogs early in life had a 13 to 16 % lower risk of developing all food allergies than those who did not own pets.
The researchers engaged in a detailed survey, studying 65,000 children. They found that children who were exposed to dogs either during fetal (胎儿) development, or up to the age of 3 years old were less likely to have nut, milk and egg allergies.
This wasn’t true for other pets that weren’t cats and dogs. Indeed, the same research found that children exposed to hamsters during this same period had an increased risk of nut allergies. Yet children who were exposed to cats during their early years were likewise less likely to develop specific allergies — namely, allergies to wheat, soybean and egg.
While the study is not the final word on the issue — the researchers note “further studies using oral food challenges are required to more accurately assess the incident of food allergies” — it reinforces preexisting research on the seemingly funny ways that cats influence human development.
In addition to adding to the growing body of scientific literature about pets and human health, the PLOS One also reinforces earlier research about the role of the environment in developing allergies. The research repeatedly found that exposure to farmyard dirt, dust and the various fine hairs that fly off animals helps children in their breathing system development.
1. What does the underlined word “exaccrbating” in paragraph 1 best mean?| A．Worsening. | B．Damaging. |
| C．Improving. | D．Benefiting. |
| A．Kids over 3 will have more food allergies. |
| B．Hamsters cause the most allergies to children. |
| C．All pet ownership will not reduce food allergies. |
| D．Cat owners are less likely to be allergic than dog owners. |
| A．Satisfied. | B．Objective. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．Benefits brought by raising animals |
| B．Pet ownership making kids healthier |
| C．Researches on different food allergies |
| D．Dogs and cats reducing kids’ allergies |
【推荐3】The flying fox is not a fox at all. It is an extra large bat that has got a fox’s head, and that feeds on fruit instead of insects. Like all bats, flying foxes hang themselves by their toes when at rest, and travel in great crowds when out flying. A group will live in one spot for years. Sometimes several hundred of them occupy a single tree. As they return to the tree toward sunrise.
Flying foxes have babies once a year, giving birth to only one at a time. At first the mother has to carry the baby on her breast wherever she goes. Later she leaves it hanging up, and brings back food for it to eat. Sometimes a baby bat falls down to the ground and squeaks for help. Then the older ones try to pick it up. If they fail to do so, it will die. Often hundreds of dead baby bats can be found lying on the ground at the foot of a tree.
1. The passage tells us that there is no difference between the flying fox and the ordinary bat in ________.| A．their size | B．their appearance |
| C．the kind of food they eat | D．the way they rest |
| A．fly out toward the sun | B．come back to their home |
| C．look for a new resting place | D．go out and look for food |
| A．They only care for their own babies. |
| B．They share the feeding of their young. |
| C．They help when a baby bat is in danger. |
| D．They often leave home and forget their young. |
【推荐1】Rene Compean was no stranger to Angeles National Forest. He’d hiked the park numerous times. But when hiking along a new path, the 45-year-old was lost.
As the day faded into darkness, his concern turned to fear. With only a little water in his backpack and 10% battery remaining on his cellphone, Compean was unprepared for anything more than the two-hour trip he’d planned.
Compean climbed to a spot where he found one bar of signal. “SOS. My phone is going to die. I’m lost,” he texted a friend, attaching a photo showing where he was. The shot showed his legs hanging over a rock face. All Compean could do then was wait. The temperature was dropping fast. Dressed only in shorts, and a sweatshirt, the hiker was chilled to the bone. He hugged himself into a tight ball. And after spotting two mountain lions, he spent the night on high alert.
Sixty miles away, Ben Kuo was working at home when he read a posting from the police, showing an image of a man’s legs. The search-and-rescue teams had spent the previous night unsuccessfully looking for Compean, so they released the photo, hoping someone might recognize the location.
“I’ve always loved looking for where photos are taken,” Kuo says. He frequently tries to identify where movie scenes or commercials were filmed. He’s often successful. When he saw the image, he automatically pulled up a satellite map on his laptop. “There’s an amazing amount of information you can get from satellites,” he says. The first thing he noticed in Compean’s photo was plenty of greenery. After comparing it to the satellite map, Kuo realized something: “He’s got to be on the south side because there’re not any green valleys on the north side.”
That finding led him to an area that looked like the territory in the image. The final step was cross- referencing the original photo with 3-D images of the area. The locations matched!
After spending 27 hours in the wilderness, Compean was found.
Compean’s story probably would have ended differently had it not been for the man with strong satellite skills and a sharp eye for detail.
1. What caused Compean to get lost on the hike?| A．The thick forest. | B．The unfamiliar route. |
| C．The coming of nightfall. | D．Low battery on the phone. |
| A．his photo reading ability | B．his sense of responsibility |
| C．his professional experience | D．his familiarity with the area |
| A．One good turn deserves another. |
| B．Chance favors the prepared mind. |
| C．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. |
| D．There’s no such thing as useless knowledge. |
【推荐2】Female figure skaters aren’t really expected to be able to do triple axels(三周半跳). Especially not older ones---in the Olympics, that means older than 20. Mirai Nagasu did both, nailing the jump in competition at 24 during the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. She was the first American woman to land a triple axel in the Olympic Games-and only the third woman to do it.
Nagasu’s been pursuing her own path since she was just 5. “My parents used to take me golfing(打高尔夫球)every day because that was the career they wanted me to have,” she wrote. “They took me ice skating one day because we couldn’t go golfing due to the rain, and after that, I kept asking to be taken to go skating.” Her ambition paid off eventually, beginning with a host of Four Continents and ISU World Junior Championship medals and ending with two World Championship and two Olympic appearances each.
Unlike other popular athletes who’ve traded childhood for training, Nagasu had to attend public school by day and help her parents in their restaurant by night. “They really taught me to work for what I want,” she said. That lesson was put to the test in 2014, when despite taking third place at the U. S. Figure Skating Championships, Nagasu was passed over for the Olympic team in favor of fourth-place finisher Ashley Wagner. Some athletes might have taken off their skates for good at that point. Instead, Nagasu got a new coach and learned the triple axel. After two years under his instruction, she displayed her new skill in the U. S. National Championships. By the time she tried it on Olympic ice in 2018, she’d perfected it. Nagasu performed the difficult three-and-a-half jump, helping her team win a bronze medal(铜牌) in the end.
1. Which of the following statements about Mirai Nagasu is TRUE?| A．She disliked ice skating at a young age. |
| B．She was well-known as a golfer in America. |
| C．She succeeded in the 2018 Olympics for her triple axel. |
| D．She was the first woman who successfully did a triple axel. |
| A．Nagasu’s creativity and ambition. | B．Nagasu’s family background. |
| C．Nagasu’s education at home. | D．Nagasu’s road to success. |
| A．She had to quit training out of economic reason. |
| B．She dropped out of school to help her parents in the restaurant. |
| C．She failed to be involved in the Olympics for some reason beyond expectation. |
| D．She was defeated by Ashley Wagner at the U. S. Figure Skating Championships. |
| A．Interest is the best teacher. | B．Poor children are in charge early. |
| C．Misfortune may be an actual blessing. | D．Success comes from constant effort. |
【推荐3】I don’t know what I should talk about - about death or about love? Or are they the same? Which one should I talk about？
We were newlywed(s 新婚者). We still walked around holding hands, even if we were just going to the store. I would say to him, “I love you.” He would grab my hands, and whirl me around, and kiss me. People were walking by and smiling.
One night I heard a noise. I looked out the window. He saw me. “Close the window and go back to sleep. There’s a fire at the reactor(反应堆). I’ll be back soon.”
I didn’t see the explosion itself. Just the flames. A tall flame. And smoke. The heat was awful.
And he’s still not back.
Seven o'clock. I was told he was in the hospital. I ran there, but the police had already encircled it, and they weren’t letting anyone through. Only ambulances.
Many of the doctors and nurses in that hospital would get sick themselves and die. But we didn’t know that then. ①
I couldn’t get into the hospital that evening. There was a sea of people. Someone in the crowd said the injured firemen were being taken to Moscow that night. All the wives got together in one group. We decided we’d go with them. Let us go with our husbands! The soldiers - there were already soldiers - they pushed us back. Then the doctor came out and said, yes, they were flying to Moscow, but we needed to bring them their clothes. The clothes they’d worn at the station had been burned. We ran across the city, and came running back with their bags of clothes. But the plane was already gone. They tricked us. ②
I decided that I have to get to Moscow. By myself.
For those days I was allowed to stay in the hospital dormitory. ③
“But there’s no kitchen. How can I cook for him?”
“You don’t need to cook anymore. They can’t digest the food.”
He started to change - every day I met a “brand-new” person. The burns started to come to the surface. In his mouth, on his tongue, his cheeks - at first there were little damages, and then they grew. It came off in layers - as white film(薄膜)… the color of his face… his body… blue… red… grey-brown. And some of his internal organs began to dissolve … It’s impossible to describe! It’s impossible to write down! And even to get over. The only thing that saved me was, it happened so fast; there wasn’t any time to think, or to cry.
It was a hospital for people with serious radiation poisoning. Fourteen days. In fourteen days a person dies. ④
I was still able to make him some soup. It was all useless; he couldn’t even drink anything. He couldn’t even swallow a raw egg. But I wanted to get something tasty! As if it mattered.
It was the ninth of May. He always used to say to me: “You have no idea how beautiful Moscow is! Especially on V-Day, when they set off the fireworks. I want you to see it.”
I’m sitting with him in the room. He opens his eyes. “Is it day or night?” “It’s nine at night.”
“Open the window! They’re going to set off the fireworks!”
I opened the window. We’re on the eighth floor, and the whole city’s there before us! There was a bouquet of fire exploding in the air.
“Look at that!” I said.
“I told you I’d show you Moscow. And I told you I’d always give you flowers on holidays ...”
I look over, and he’s getting three carnations from under his pillow. He gave the nurse money, and she bought them.
I had no idea then how much I loved him! Him ... just him.
And then - the last thing. I remember it in flashes, all broken up.
I came back from outside and called the nurse’s post right away. “How is he?”“He died fifteen minutes ago.” What? I was there all night. I was gone for half an hour! Then I came to: I’ll see him one more time! Once more! I run down the stairs. He was still in his bio-chamber; they hadn’t taken him away yet. His last words were “Lyusya! Lyusenka!” “She’s just stepped away for a bit; she’ll be right back,” the nurse told him. He sighed and went quiet. I didn’t leave him anymore after that. I accompanied him all the way to the grave site. Although the thing I remember isn’t the grave; it’s the huge plastic bag. That bag used for the prevention of radiation leakage.
1. Which is the best title of the passage?| A．Alternative love | B．Forever-lost love |
| C．Brand-new love | D．Unaffordable love |
| A．they failed to bring clean clothes for their men |
| B．they would stop the treatment going on smoothly |
| C．the plane couldn’t accommodate so many people |
| D．their husbands were suffering radiation poisoning |
| A．Bored. | B．Impressed. | C．Heartbroken. | D．Relieved. |
| A．① | B．② | C．③ | D．④ |
| A．giving examples | B．telling a story |
| C．making comparisons | D．explaining an argument |
| A．We ran across the city, and came running back with their bags of clothes (Paragraph 7) |
| B．But I wanted to get something tasty! As if it mattered (Paragraph 14) |
| C．I look over, and he’s getting three carnations from under his pillow (Paragraph 22) |
| D．Although the thing I remember isn’t the grave; it’s the huge plastic bag (Paragraph 25) |
【推荐1】I’d always dreamed of exploring Africa, ever since I read my first Tarzan(《人猿泰山》)comic as a child. Finally, in 2004, to celebrate my 60th birthday, I went to Tanzania to experience a safari(东非游猎)and climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. Seated next to me on the flight was Tanzania’s minister of water and wildlife development. We talked for thousands of miles, and he arranged me to visit a school. When I toured the school, I was shocked. The leaky(漏的)roofs turned the dirt floors into mud during the rainy season, and the walls couldn’t keep out the heat, cold or bugs(小昆虫). The school was in need of all material goods, but the kids possessed great human spirit.
It broke my heart that these children had to struggle to survive, so I asked the headmaster what it would cost to feed them. As little as 20 cents per child per day, he told me. Immediately I got home, I founded Kids of Kilimanjaro. Since then we’ve grown to provide hot lunches for nearly 13,000 schoolchildren every day. The free lunch program has eased a major problem the youngsters face.
I know a good education could really make a difference in these children’s lives. My parents always stressed the importance of education. I paid my own way through college in Tokyo by teaching English to students and business people. After attending university I moved to San Francisco, when I was 25 years old. In 1978 I realized my American dream when I founded my own company. My success all started with a good education.
It’s amazing that something as simple as a nutritious lunch can change and enrich so many lives. Giving young people a better, healthier life can inspire them to go all the way through college and lead a movement that transforms their country.
1. Why did the author go to Tanzania to celebrate his 60 th birthday?| A．He was curious about what Africa was like. |
| B．He was concerned about the Africans’ terrible life. |
| C．He wanted to get an idea of the area’s wildlife. |
| D．He hoped to lead a movement that would transform his country. |
| A．in need of help | B．not interested in studies |
| C．not used to the rainy season | D．in low spirits |
| A．To make sure the African kids are mentally healthy. |
| B．To spread knowledge among the African kids. |
| C．To build new schools for the African kids. |
| D．To protect the African kids from hunger. |
a. “I” founded “my” first company.
b. “I” founded Kids of Kilimanjaro.
c. “I” read “my” first Tarzan comic.
d. “I” moved to San Francisco.
| A．a, c, d, b | B．a, d, c, b | C．c, a, d, b | D．c, d, a, b |
| A．his parents always stressed the importance of education |
| B．a good education contributes to his success |
| C．he paid his own way through college by teaching English |
| D．he’s trying to realize his American dream |
【推荐2】On many days I admit that I feel depressed, days when it seems that the efforts, the struggles, and the sacrifices of so many people fighting for social and environmental justice, fighting prejudice and racism, are fighting a losing battle.
But without hope, all is lost. It is a crucial survival character that has supported our species from the time of our Stone Age ancestors. Certainly, my own improbable journey would have been impossible if I had lacked hope.
Like all people who live long enough, I have been through many dark periods and seen so much suffering. I was in New York on that terrible day in 2001. I still can remember the disbelief, the fear, the confusion as the city went quiet except the whistles of the police cars and ambulances on the streets emptied of people.
It was ten years after that day that I was introduced to the Survivor Tree, a Callery pear tree discovered a month after the collapse of the towers. All that was left was half a trunk that had been burned black, with roots that were broken and only one living branch.
She was almost sent to the dump, but the young woman who found her, Rebecca Clough, begged that the tree be given a chance. And so she went to be cared for in a nursery in the Bronx. Bringing that seriously damaged tree back to health was not an easy task, and it was touch-and-go for a while. But whenever you give her a chance, nature returns. Eventually the tree made it. In the spring, her branches are bright with blossoms. I’ve seen people looking at her and wiping away tears. She is a symbol of the resilience (适应力) of nature — and a reminder of all that was lost on that terrible day 20 years ago.
The Survivor Tree, brought back from the dead, had not only put out new leaves herself but also nurtured (养育) the lives of others. Now do you understand how I dare hope?
1. What can we know about the author?| A．She wanted to fight for justice. |
| B．She once lost hope in her journey. |
| C．She felt hopeful despite many difficulties. |
| D．She planned to remove prejudice and racism. |
| A．Scared and annoyed. | B．Frightened and shocked. |
| C．Thrilled and desperate. | D．Disappointed and puzzled. |
| A．The tree was slightly damaged. | B．The tree nearly got abandoned. |
| C．The tree was destroyed on the spot. | D．The tree got nothing but a trunk left. |
| A．To call on people to protect nature. |
| B．To show the great strength of a tree. |
| C．To expect people to care for damaged trees. |
| D．To share the author’s reasons to keep optimistic. |
【推荐3】Deo had grown up barefoot in Burundi, but for a peasant boy he had done well. He was twenty-four. Until recently he had been a medical student, for three years at or near the top of his class. But he had spent the past six months on the run.
He had one friend who had seen more of the world than East Central Africa, a fellow medical student named Jean. And it was Jean who had decided that New York was where he should go. Deo was traveling on a commercial visa. Jean’s French father had written a letter identifying Deo as an employee on a mission to America. He was supposed to be going to New York to sell coffee. Deo had read up on coffee beans in case he was questioned. Jean’s father had also paid for the plane tickets. A fat book let of tickets.
He had heard of French soldiers behaving badly in Rwanda, and had even caught glimpses of them training militiamen (民兵) in the camps, but waking up and seeing a white person in the next seat wasn’t alarming. No one called him a cockroach (蟑螂). No one held a machete (大砍刀).
A voice was speaking to him. He turned and saw a policeman who seemed friendly. Deo spoke to him in French, but the man shook his head and smiled. He asked a question in what Deo guessed was English. Then a woman who had been sitting nearby got up and walked over French, at long last French, coming out of her mouth. Perhaps she could help, the woman said in French. Deo thought: “God I’m still in your hands.” She arranged to sit next to him on the flight to New York and asked him lots of questions. Deo wanted to pay her back for helping him. So he tried to answer her questions. They talked most of the way to New York. After such long solitude (独处), it felt wonderful to talk.
When he reached Immigration the agent stared at Deo’s documents, then started asking questions in what had to be English. There was nothing to do except smile. The agent went off and came back with another man. He introduced himself to Deo in French. His name was Muhammad. He said he came from Senegal. Muhammad asked Deo the agents’ questions and also some questions of his own. For the agents, he asked Deo, “Where are you coming from?” When Deo said he had come from Burundi, Muhammad made a pained face and said to him in French, “How did you get out?”
There was no time even to attempt an answer. The agents were asking another question: Deo’s visa said he was here on business. What business?
Selling coffee beans, Deo told them through Muhammad. Just keep smiling, Deo told himself.
How much money did he have?
Two hundred dollars, Deo said with pride. The cash had been a gift from Jean. Exchanged for Burundian francs, it could have bought a lot of cows. But neither Muhammad nor the agents looked impressed.
Where was he staying?
Jean had told him he’d be asked this. A hotel, he said.
The agents laughed. A week in a hotel on two hundred dollars?
In 1994, airport security wasn’t what it soon would be. Muhammad said something in English to the agents. His words must have been the right ones, because after a few more questions, the agents shrugged at each other and let him through, into America.
He had no idea what he’d do next. After six months on the run, he was in the habit of not looking ahead. And what was there to fear? What could the man in the booth up ahead do to him? Whatever it might be, he’d already seen worse. God had taken care of him so far. And still was taking care of him, it seemed. As this serious-looking stranger, Muhammad, walked him out of Customs, he said that Deo could stay with him in New York City. But Deo would have to wait here for three hours. Muhammad worked at the airport as a baggage handler. He had to finish his shift. Could Deo wait three hours?
Only three hours? said Deo. Of course!
1. Which of the following is the reason why Deo left his hometown?| A．Jean persuaded him to go to New York. |
| B．Jean's father paid for the plane tickets for him. |
| C．He was an employee on a business mission to America. |
| D．He wanted to flee his home town to seek shelter in New York. |
| A．She arranged a seat for him. |
| B．She did the interpreting for him. |
| C．She asked the policeman to show mercy to him. |
| D．She talked with him which made him feel less lonely. |
| A．God is toying with him. | B．God is taking him under his wing. |
| C．He is at the mercy of God. | D．He can’t break away from God. |
| A．happy | B．sympathetic |
| C．terrified | D．relieved |
