【推荐2】Thousands of years ago, Britain was covered by thick forests, home to many animals which no longer live in the United Kingdom. But all this has changed. Now the population of the United Kingdom has increased to sixty-five million. Three-quarters of Britain consists of fields, towns or cities. Although 25 percent of land is countryside, new methods of farming mean that there are fewer birds and small animals living in fields than ever before. Now, the United Kingdom does not have large wild carnivores (肉食动物). In Scotland, there are only 400 wildcats-Europe's rarest cats-but these are much smaller than wolves.

Some people would like to change things, however! Some organizations and writers say that Britain needs to become more natural again. They suggest that trees and plants that grew in the United Kingdom before towns and cities were built should be allowed to grow again. They even say that large wild animals which have not lived in the United Kingdom should be helped to return and live wild. They call this "rewilding".

Not everyone agrees. In the last twenty years, over one million trees which originally grew in Scotland have been planted and there are plans for more - but wild animals? Some people ask if wolves will attack sheep or even humans. They are also angry that rewilding might mean an end to walking in the hills which so many people enjoy. So far, there are no wolves or bears in Britain's forests - but soon there might be!

1. Which fact directly causes fewer birds living in the British countryside now?

A．The increasing population of the UK.

B．Too many fields, towns or cities.

C．The modern ways of farming.

D．Too much hunting.

2. Which of the following statements is wrong?

A．No large wild camivores live in the UK at present.

B．Many animals died out and forests were destroyed in the UK.

C．At least one million trees native to Scotland have been planted.

D．So far, no animals have been sent to the wild, except wolves and bears.

3. Why are some people against "rewilding"?

A．Introducing large animals to the wild will destroy the newly planted trees.

B．Introducing large animals to the wild will do harm to people.

C．Introducing large animals to the wild needs too much effort.

D．Introducing large animals to the wild will cost a lot of money.

【推荐3】Being able to tell human faces apart is a skill that almost every person has, although some are far better at it than others. But a new study out from the journal Scientific Reports says that this is not just a skill that humans possess. Even fish can do it.

Following up on research studying different species’ abilities to recognize human faces (sheep, dogs, cows, horses, and-birds have all been tried), the researchers from the University of Oxford and the University of Queensland decided to pick an animal that does not have an evolved neocortex, the part of the brain that processes sight and sounds, and does not have a close relationship with humans. That way, there would be no reason why these test subjects would have a past history of identifying human faces. So they picked the archerfish, a reef fish variety that shoots water into the air to knock its prey out of the sky. They used this adaptation to have the fish spray water at a face on a monitor hanging over their tanks for a reward. Most of the fish were able to pick out their learned face, even when colors were taken away or methods were used to make the face shapes unclear.

This study gives more backing to the hypothesis that differentiating between faces is not just a skill that big -brained organisms are born with. It is possible that a good portion of recognizing faces is learned over time. The development of the neocortex may contribute only to quickly process a large number of faces in varying situations. But more work needs to be conducted to find a deeper link to this possible learned behavior. The sample size of this study was very small—only eight fish were used altogether. Also, the faces displayed on the monitor were only white, female faces from a German database, shown in a frontal view, with no expressions. Other animal trials have shown that some species, like pigeons, respond more to differing angles and varied expressions.

1. What is the purpose of this passage?

A．To improve a scientific experiment design.	B．To present the differences between species.
C．To clarify how animals tell human faces apart.	D．To show animals can recognize human faces.

2. Why were the archerfish chosen as test subjects?

A．They are cleverer than other species.	B．They have sharp vision and hearing.
C．They aren’t closely related to humans.	D．They have a past history of identifying human faces.

3. What is the author’s attitude toward the study?

A．Cautious.	B．Negative.
C．Consistent.	D．Sympathetic.

4. Which of the following is suggested for similar studies in the future?

A．Including more test subjects.	B．Enlarging the human faces.
C．Employing more male researchers.	D．Using black-and-white pictures.

【推荐1】Welcome to South Pole

Is it cold?

Yes! Be very careful out in the open air! The temperature is between -21℃ in the summer and -78℃ in the winter, and you can become numb with cold without realizing. There’s heavy frost even on the warmest summer days, and if it’s quiet you can hear your breath freeze. So if you leave the station, dress warmly and carry dry clothing and a portable radio.

Is there anything good about the weather?

The air is very pure, and it doesn’t snow very much — only about four millimetres a year. There’s very little wind and the sky is usually clear. It’s possibly the calmest place on Earth.

Is it safe?

Because the South Pole is a high altitude site, the glare of the sunlight here is very terrible. It’s also reflected by the snow, so if you go outside, remember to wear sunglasses and use suncream. If you don’t, there’s a severe risk that you’ll damage your eyesight or get badly sunburnt.

What’s it like to live here?

Life is quite abnormal. Sunrise and sunset come once every six months, and in the winter the total absence of daylight can be tiresome, and for some, depressing. We’re totally isolated except for radio and electronic communications, as no aircraft can fly here for about eight months. Usual equipment doesn’t always work as it should do. If you use an electric drill, the power cord will snap. Photography is tricky too, as film is fragile and the camera battery doesn’t work in the cold.

1. Which word best describes the South Pole most of the time？

A．Cool.

B．Freezing.

C．Cloudy.

D．Windy.

2. What is it not necessary to take along to the South Pole?

A．Raincoats.

B．Sunglasses.

C．Dry clothes.

D．Electronic communications.

3. What’s the main purpose of the text?

A．To send an invitation.	B．To make a research.
C．To give some advice.	D．To introduce the South Pole.

【推荐2】Approximately l,250 km long, the Red Sea coast of Egypt is surely one of the best places in the world to go underwater diving.     1    ？ Its hot sunny climate and clear warm water make it the ideal place for beginners as well as for experienced divers, at any time of the year.

With over fifty diving centres in the area, many different types of diving are possible. At centres for complete beginners, there are many training courses designed for them.    2    .   These dives get the rookie(新手)divers used to being underwater and teach some basic skills such as swimming and breathing below the surface.

More experienced divers can choose from a vast range of possible activities. Many of these can be enjoyed either as part of a group or, if they prefer, alone. Some like to explore the coast of the National Park, where the steep cliffs(悬崖)extend underwater to a depth of more than seventy metres.    3    ,for dives of this kind, divers are advised to be accompanied by a guide. An experienced guide can help the divers escape the danger before it approaches.

For really advanced divers, there are some fascinating wrecks(失事船只)at the bottom of the Red Sea.    4     ,it is well worth going just to see the huge variety of beautiful plants and fish down there.   However, divers do need to be aware that one kick in the wrong direction can cause a“storm" of fine dark silt(淤泥)which can be virtually blinding.           5    .However, divers are forbidden to touch anything or attempt to move any artworks.

A．If you are a more experienced diver

B．How well does it live up to its reputation

C．Where is exactly this truly wonderful diving place

D．As the strong currents can suddenly change direction

E．They all include simple dives with a qualified instructor

F．Although visits to these old ships require quite long boat trips

G．Also, some of the sites have artworks lying in the ships or on the sandy bottom

【推荐1】Throughout the centuries, pink has assumed a range of guises (表现形式). The way it is sensed by society has also changed over the years.

In the West, pink first became fashionable in the mid-1700s, when European aristocrats (贵族) were dressed in pink as a symbol of class. Madame de Pompadour loved the color so much that, in 1757, French porcelain manufacturer Sevres named its new shade of pink “Rose Pompadour” after her.

Pink was not then considered a girls’ color — infants of both genders were dressed in white.     1    The color’s more recent association with femininity (女性气质) started around the mid-19th century, according to Valerie Steele, editor of the book Pink: The History of a Punk, Pretty, Powerful Color. She explained, “Men in the Western world increasingly wore dark colors, leaving brighter options to females.     2    ”

By the turn of the century, pink had entered the mainstream — and its status shifted in the process. The advent of industrialization and mass production led to comparatively cheap dyes (染料). Pink went from luxury to working class.

Its guises continued to change throughout the 1900s.     3     By the 1950s, pink had become more gender-coded than ever. The branding and marketing in post-war America that used it as a symbol of super-femininity, strengthened a “pink for girls, blue for boys” stereotype.

Pink did not regain its popularity until the 1960s, when public figures such as Jackie Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe adopted it as a mark of luxury. In more recent decades, pink has also been accepted as a color of protest and awareness for various communities. For example,    4    

“Pink is going through a generational shift,” Steele said. “    5     There’s a shared recognition that pink can be pretty and powerful and feminine. We’re redefining pink.”

A．Pink became an expression of delicacy.

B．The color was in fact, often considered more appropriate for little boys because it was seen as a paler (浅的) red, which had manly implications.

C．Pink was regarded as simple, because of its association with women, who have been traditionally looked down upon.

D．Society is increasingly moving away from the idea of it as a childish color.

E．French designer Paul Poiret created dresses in pale pinks, pushing the shade back into the field of high fashion.

F．Society decides what colors mean.

G．it has become internationally equivalent to the fight against breast cancer, in the form of a pink ribbon.

【推荐2】Nervous suspects locked up in Britain’s newest police station may feel relieved by a pleasant yellow colour on the door. If they are close to confessing a crime, the blue on the wall might tip the balance.

Gwent Police have abandoned colours such as greys and browns of the 20th-century police cell and have used colour psychology to decorate them.

Ystrad Mynach station, which recently opened at a cost of 5 million, has four cells with glass doors for prisoners who suffer from claustrophobia. Designers have painted the frames yellow, which researchers say is a calming colour. Other cells contain a royal blue line because psychologists believe that the colour is likely to encourage truthfulness.

The station has 31 cells, including 12 with a “live scan” system for drunken or disturbed prisoners, which detects the rise and fall of their chest. An alarm alerts officers if a prisoner’s breathing stops and carries on ringing until the door is opened.

Designers and psychologists have worked for years on colour. Blue is said to suggest trust, efficiency, duty, logic, coolness, thinking and calm. It also suggests coldness and unfriendliness. It is thought that strong blues will stimulate clear thought and lighter, soft colours will calm the mind and aid concentration.

Yellow is linked with confidence, self-respect and friendliness. Get the colour wrong and it could cause fear, depression and anxiety, but the right yellow can lift spirits and self-respect.

Ingrid Collins, a psychologist who specializes in the effects of colour, said that colour was an “energy force”. She said: “Blue does enhance communication but I am not sure it would enhance truthful communication.”

Yellow, she said, affected the mind. Red on the other hand, should never be considered because it could increase aggression. Mrs Colling praised the designers for using colours in the cells. Gwent is not the first British force to experiment with color to calm down or persuade prisoners to co-operate. In the 1990s Strathclvde Police used pink in cells based on research carried out by the US Navy.

1. The expression “tip the balance” in paragraph 1 probably indicates that the blue might ________.

A．let suspects keep their balance	B．make suspects cold and unfriendly in law court
C．help suspects to confess their crimes	D．enable suspects to change their attitudes to colours

2. Which of the following helps alert officers if someone stops breathing?

A．Royal blue lines

B．Scanning equipment.

C．Glass doors.

D．Yellow frames.

3. Which of the following colours should NOT be used in cells according to the passage?

A．Pink.

B．Red.

C．Blue.

D．Yellow.

4. The passage is mainly concerned with ________.

A．the relationship between colours and psychology

B．a comparison of different functions of colours

C．Scientific ways to help criminals reform themselves in prison

D．the use of colours in cells to affect criminals’ psychology