We often see ants looking for new homes and returning with other ants if they’ve found a good one. Ants do this by teaching. And a team of scientists have developed small robots to study how ants teach one another. The robots can behave like rock ants. They use one-to-one teaching — an ant discovers a better home and teaches the route (路线) to another.
In their research, the scientists replaced the teaching ant with a small robot. They circled an area with two homes for the ants. One was their old home, and the other was a new, better home built for them. The researchers waited for an ant to leave its old home and put the robot directly ahead of it.
Then the robot moved towards the new, better home. During its journey, the robot stopped from time to time to wait for the follower ant. The ant needed to look around and get familiar with things around it. When the robot led the follower ant to the new home, the ant examined the new home in its own time and began its way back home. The robot had successfully taught the route to the pupil ant.
A key part of the teaching is tandem (纵排的) running. One ant leads another slowly along a route to the new-found home. The pupil ant memorizes the route so that it can find its way back home by itself and then lead another ant to the new home, and the process repeats.
1. What’s the role of the small robot in the study?| A．A student. | B．A teacher. | C．A researcher. | D．An engineer. |
| A．steps in building a home for ants. | B．preparations for the teaching process |
| C．locations of the small robot and the ant | D．differences between the two homes for ants |
| A．it ran too fast |
| B．it went the wrong way |
| C．the follower ant returned to its old home |
| D．the follower ant needed time to remember the route |
| A．Some ants can learn from humans. | B．Ants usually look for new homes together. |
| C．Things around may help an ant find its way | D．Repeating can help an ant improve its memory. |
| A．Using robots to study ants’ teaching process. | B．Passing knowledge to ants in an easy way. |
| C．How rock ants look for a new home. | D．How rock ants know their way. |
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Otters（水獭）are cute water animals. These days, keeping otters as pets is getting popular. In Japan, some “otter cafés（咖啡馆）” are open for business. People can pay to play with the otters there and to take photos with them. In Indonesia, people go swimming with their pet otters and take funny videos. These photos and videos posted online have interested more people to buy otters as pets.
However, these enjoyable photos and videos hide the damage（损害）that the online trade is doing to otters. In fact, wild otters are facing many threats—they have long been hunted（猎杀）for their coats; in some places, fishermen have been killing otters in order to stop them from eating fish; and now, the online pet trade has become another big problem for otters.
In the wild, baby otters usually stay with their mothers during their first year of life. According to a report, 70% of the otters sold online are under one year old. These baby otters have been stolen from their mothers. When they are kept as pets by humans, they do not live full and natural lives.
Otters are very social. They live in family groups of up to 15 in the wild. Keeping an otter as a pet can make it very sad and lonely. These animals also need enough space to swim. Their owners’ bathtubs（浴缸）or pools are nowhere near as large as the bodies of water in the wild.
On the other hand, otters simply don’t make good pets. They have a very special fishy smell. If they are kept indoors, they will leave a lot of waste around the house. This would make the smell even more unpleasant. Besides, when otters are unhappy, they will make loud noises and even attack（攻击）people. If a person is hurt by an otter, he or she needs to go to hospital at once.
So, we should stop the otter pet trade and never share photos and videos about them online.1. What does Paragraph 1 mainly talk about?
| A．The ways of buying otters online. |
| B．The advantages of playing with otters. |
| C．The popularity of keeping otters as pets. |
| A．机遇 | B．威胁 | C．选择 |
| A．They live in family groups of up to 15. |
| B．They don’t need enough space to swim. |
| C．Baby otters never stay with their mothers. |
a. They may attack people.
b. They may make loud noises.
c. They have a special fishy smell.
d. They need to go to hospital often.
| A．a, b, c | B．a, b, d | C．b, c, d |
| A．To tell people the otters’ living habits. |
| B．To teach people how to keep a pet otter. |
| C．To call on people to stop the otter pet trade. |
【推荐2】Every year, millions of birds are killed or hurt when they fly into buildings. Why does this happen?
Many birds fly from one place to another. Most of the time, they live in the wild, such as forest and wetlands.
Some birds fly at night. They use the moon and stars to help guide them in the right direction. Tall buildings with lights on at night can confuse (迷惑) the birds.
阅读短文，把A～E五个句子填入文中空缺处，使短文内容完整。
| A．The answer is glass. |
| B．People are trying to solve the problem. |
| C．These birds have no idea what glass is. |
| D．As a result, they fly right into the glass. |
| E．This is a big problem, especially on foggy and rainy nights. |
In the last passage we've already talked about some dangerous plants, but we don’t want to give anyone the wrong idea. The truth is that some plants can hurt you, but most are completely harmless. In fact, there are plenty of plants that are actually very useful to humans.
That is why plants are so popular in Chinese medicine. Chinese medicine has been using plants for at least 4, 800 years. One of the most popular plants in Chinese medicine is ginseng（人参）. Doctors of Chinese medicine believe that ginseng can help your lungs（肺）, clean your blood and do many other thing. Ginseng also provides energy for people. In fact, many modern energy drinks that you see in stores have ginseng.
In some parts of U.S., there is a plant called lady fern（蹄盖蕨）. This is the plant you need if you’ve been stung by a bee, or if you’ve got a small burn or a cut. Lady ferns are great for making your skin feel better. All you have to do is roll one of its leaves and make it into pieces in your hands. The juice inside the leaf will help your skin feel better.
If you’re hiking in Europe, look for a flower called tansy（艾菊）. This yellow flower is a natural insects' enemy. You just rub it on your skin, and insects will leave you alone.
Sage（鼠尾草）is one of the most useful plants in the world. Because it has so many uses it's also quite valuable. Human beings have been using sage for a very long time. In Europe before fridges appeared, people used sage to keep food. Over the years, people have used sage to fight all kinds of health problems. Sage has been used to treat colds, stop muscle（肌肉）problems and reduce（减少） swelling. In fact, sage comes from the Latin word “salvere”, which means “to be saved”.
1. How many kinds of useful plants are mentioned in the passage?| A．2 | B．3 | C．4 | D．5 |
| A．It's still being used in Chinese medicine. |
| B．It can make people feel sleepy. |
| C．It can be found in many modern energy drinks. |
| D．It is helpful to our lungs and blood. |
| A．skin | B．muscle | C．burn | D．cut |
| A．It's the most useful plant in the world. | B．It hasn’t been used by people for long. |
| C．It was once used to keep food in Europe. | D．Its name comes from a German word. |
| A．How to protect plants | B．Some harmful plants |
| C．How to grow plants | D．Some useful plants |
【推荐1】There’s a lot of important information that comes with the drug label. It lets you know how to take the drug, what’s in it, and how it might make you feel.
| Naproxen Purpose Uses □fever reducer □headache □toothache □ common cold Other information □Keep at room temperature (15℃﹣30℃) Directions Adults and children (12 years and older): Take two tablets every six hours when needed. Children under 12 years: Don’t give this product to children under 12 years old. Warnings □You may have serious heart problems if you take 3 or more alcoholic drinks every day while using this product. □Do not use for more than 3 days for fever. □Stop using it when pain or fever gets worse. □If red spots appear on your face, legs, arms and etc., stop using and ask for medical help immediately. |
| A．At a restaurant. | B．At a drugstore. |
| C．At a bus stop. | D．At a bookshop. |
| A．An adult who has a backache. |
| B．An adult who has a fever. |
| C．A ten-year-old child with a headache. |
| D．A fourteen-year-old child with a stomachache. |
| A．see red spots on your body |
| B．drink more than three cups of coffee |
| C．hurt your legs or arms |
| D．keep it in a room with the temperature of 20℃ |
【推荐2】You think it’s “cool” to carry your backpacks and head out to school. But if you don’t know exactly how to choose, load, lift and wear them, you may carry a heavy load improperly(不正确地) and even hurt the spinal column（脊柱）. This also can cause muscle strain, headaches, back, neck and arm pain.
For example, if it is carried on one shoulder, a heavy backpack forces the muscles and spine to balance the unequal weight. This may increase the possible back problems later in life. More than 50 percent of young people suffer back pain by their teenage years. Research shows that this could be mainly caused by improper use of backpacks. Here’s some advice to help you carry backpacks comfortably and safely.
Choose the right backpack. Forget leather（皮革）! It looks great, but it’s far too heavy. Go for canvas（帆布）. Pick a pack that has two wide, adjustable, comfortable shoulder straps（带子）, along with a hip or waist strap, and plenty of pockets. Make sure the pack fits properly and its size is suitable for the wearer’s body.
Packing it properly. Only put in the pack what is needed for that day. It’s a good idea to know what each object weighs. The total weight of the filled pack should be no more than 10 to 15 percent of the wearer’s own body weight. Pack heaviest objects close to the body, and place little ones outside, away from the back.
Putting the backpack on. Put the pack on a smooth surface, at waist height. Put on the pack, one shoulder at a time, then adjust（调整）the straps to fit comfortably. Remember when lifting a backpack, or anything, to lift using the arms and legs and to bend at the knees.
Take the above advice, and you may not complain back pain, numbness or weakness in your arms and legs any more.
1. What could mainly cause some young people to suffer back pain by their teenage years?| A．Too much homework. | B．Poor treatment for backs. |
| C．Improper use of backpacks. | D．Unhealthy sleep position. |
①Choose leather backpacks because it looks “cool” to go to school.
②Pick a pack that its size is suitable for the wearer’s body.
③Make sure the backpack contains only what is needed for that day.
④Pack heaviest objects close to the body, and place little ones outside.
⑤Put the pack on a smooth surface, above the waist height.
| A．①②④ | B．①③⑤ | C．②③④ | D．②③⑤ |
| A．About 4kg. | B．About 6kg. | C．About 10kg. | D．About 15kg. |
| A．Some problems that teenagers face in their study at school. |
| B．The suitable backpack material that you should choose. |
| C．The good influence that backpacks have on your health. |
| D．Some advice on how to carry backpacks comfortably and safely. |
【推荐3】Don’t throw away your old phone. You are actually throwing away real gold! Smartphones contain many useful things such as gold, silver and copper（铜）. People can recycle them to make new electronics（电子器件）.
But many people may not know this. In Australia alone there are more than 25 million unused mobile phone lying around, Sydney Morning Herald reported. The gold in these phones can add up to a value of more than $80 million (542 million yuan). There are about 6 billion（十亿）smartphone users around the world, who change their phones once every 25 months on average. In China, people generate（产生）1 billion old phones every year, according to New Express Daily.
However, it’s not easy to get the useful things out of the phones. Smartphones have not only useful things, but also harmful materials. Guiyu, a small town in Shantou, Guangdong, is one of the world’s biggest dumping grounds（垃圾倾倒场）for electronic waste, reported by Reuters. Many recycling centres in Guiyu simply break the old electronics by hand and don’t think about the pollution it causes. According to a local government report, 81 percent of children in Guiyu are harmed by lead（铅）poisoning.
Veena Sahajwalla, a professor at Australia’s University of New South Wales, has made a mini factory. It makes smartphone recycling cleaner and easier. The mini factory is very small and easy to move around. It breaks the phones and automatically（自动地）removes the useful parts. That way, humans do not get poisoned.
1. What can people do with old phones?| A．Clean the city’s roads. | B．Put them away. |
| C．Make gold rings. | D．Make new electronics. |
| A．25 million. | B．80 million. | C．1 billion. | D．6 billion. |
| A．Twice every 18 months. | B．Once every 25 months. |
| C．Twice a month. | D．Once a month. |
| A．Guiyu has the world’s biggest lead factory | B．Guiyu uses machines to recycle electronics |
| C．Guiyu is polluted by electronic waste | D．Guiyu people like to throw away old phones |
| A．Smart phones in different countries. | B．Find gold in your old phone. |
| C．Prevent being harmed by environmental pollution. | D．New electronics made from old ones. |
【推荐1】Schools across Central Florida and around the US are starting to use yoga to help young people reduce stress and spread their bodies.
It’s just really made a difference with these kids. They have so much on their minds.
Yoga gives them the ability to focus (集中注意力) .
Some schools also offer yoga as an after-class activity. Central Florida churches(教堂) offer “mommy and me” and baby yoga classes and work yoga into summer camps. The Orlando Public Library offers monthly “ Storybook Yoga” courses.
Why? It increases focus, improves calmness, reduces stress, and builds strength.
There are no distractions while the leader leads her students through different poses (姿势). The students put their cell phones aside at the beginning of class.
“When I do this, I don’t even think about whether I have a text,” one leader said.
In Central Florida, more than 100 people have been trained by Kidding. Around Yoga, a St. Petersburg company that shows adults how to lead children in relaxation. The trainees(受训者) include PE teachers, math teachers, psychologists(心理学家).
“Yoga is something different that most kids have not experienced yet. And including yoga is a sign of a high-quality PE program. The final purpose of PE is to teach our kids how to be active and make healthy choices for the rest of their lives,” said Lambdin, a professor who trains PE teachers at the University of Texas at Austin. “Team sports are not for everybody.”
1. What is the article mainly about?| A．The difficulties of doing yoga. |
| B．The advantages yoga can bring people. |
| C．The basic requirements for doing yoga. |
| D．How yoga has grown in popularity around the world. |
a. reducing stress
b. building strength
c. increasing focus
d. improving calmness
e. reducing ache
| A．a, b, c, d | B．b, c, d, e | C．a, b, d, e | D．a, b, c, d, e |
| A．Something that makes it difficult to focus. | B．Something that encourages you. |
| C．Something that gets you down. | D．Something that makes you feel relaxed. |
*Listening
Listening is a great way to improve your pronunciation（发音）and intonation（语调）. You can start by listening to short stories for children because they are usually easy.
*Reading
Reading is a good way to help you learn new words. And it will also help you learn English grammar. Children’s books are great for beginners.
*Vocabularies
When you meet new words in the reading, write them down on your notebook. You can write down the meanings of the words to help you understand.
*Grammar
Children’s books are great for learning grammar, too. You can know how people use the basic grammar.
*Speaking
When doing your reading exercises, read them aloud. You can also look for some articles on the Internet to read.
Learning any language needs lots of practice. You don’t have to spend hours studying each day. Just forty minutes a day for four or five days a week will help you improve your English skills.
1. Students can improve pronunciation by ________.| A．listening | B．watching | C．writing | D．learning grammar |
| A．Two hours a day. | B．Two hours every week. |
| C．Forty minutes a day for four or five days a week. | D．Forty minutes a day for twice a week. |
| A．Seven. | B．Six. | C．Five. | D．Four. |
| A．Skills of Improving English | B．Ways to Study English Grammar |
| C．The Importance of Studying English | D．The Reasons for Studying English |
【推荐3】“Who needs a shopping mall if you have Taobao?”, says Wang Lin, 28, a writer in Beijing.
Taobao, China’s largest online shopping site(网址), has become an important part of Wang Lin’s life. She spends lots of money on Taobao.
A growing number of Chinese Internet users like Wang have found the joys of online shopping. Most online shoppers are students or young workers. More women shop on line than men. Clothing and home-use products are the most popular on line.
It was reported that more than 900 billion(十亿) yuan was spent on online shopping last year, 80% through Taobao.
Taobao means “looking for treasure” in Chinese. People can find almost everything they need on Taobao, from clothes to books, from candies to DVD players.
You may question the security(安全) of online shopping, Wang Lin said, “It’s very safe and convenient. Unless you receive the products from the sellers and are satisfied with them, the shop owner will not get the money. You can also get your money back if you want to return the products.”
1. What are the most popular online?| A．Candles and DVD players. | B．Clothes and books. |
| C．Clothing and home-use products. | D．Food. |
| A．a shopping mall | B．an online shopper |
| C．an online shopping site | D．is a computer game |
| A．young | B．old | C．men | D．students |
| A．Wang Lin’s life | B．Online shopping in China |
| C．Shopping on line is not safe | D．All Chinese people use Taobao |
