Everyone knows that light attracts insects. In ancient times, people questioned why winged insects buzzed around fire. An old saying describes this attraction as being, “like a moth to a flame” (飞蛾扑火). However, a recent study ends the long-believed idea that insects fly towards light because they like it. Biologists at Imperial College London have reported that insects are drawn to light because it helps with their directions when they are flying. The scientists said artificial (人造的) light actually can make some insects lose their way. Jamie Theobald, co-author of the study, said all our guesses about why insects fly toward light “might have been wrong”.
The scientists planned their research in a rainforest in Costa Rica. They put artificial lights under the canopy (林冠) and surveyed the creatures’ flying behavior. Insects usually knows their directions by the moon to fly in straight lines. However, around the artificial lights, the insects became confused and made arcs (弧) and strange patterns of flight. An entomologist said: “Natural sky light helps maintain (维持) proper flight but Artificial light can produce continuous turning around the light and trap an insect.” Artificial light badly influences an insect’s ability to find a mate, things for food, and protect itself against natural enemies.
1. What is ancient people’s attitude towards “a moth to a flame”?| A．Unconcerned. | B．Acceptable. | C．Doubtful. | D．Positive. |
| A．Because they want to provide help for others. |
| B．Because they want to exchange their greetings. |
| C．Because they want to look for something to eat. |
| D．Because they want to make sure their directions. |
| A．To find a better way to catch insects. | B．To test a conclusion of their guesses. |
| C．To make new medicine to kill insects. | D．To stop insects from damaging the crops. |
| A．An old saying connected with insects | B．An adventure carried out in rainforest |
| C．Artificial light is dangerous for insects | D．Insects fight against their natural enemies |
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【推荐1】Have you heard of parallel universes? Some scientists believe that there might be other universes right alongside ours. Our universe may be just a part of a tree of universes that are all there at the same time—only in different states of time with different pasts and different futures.
What does this mean? It means there is a different “you” in these parallel universes. You might be a Hollywood star in one of them!
In parallel universes, there may be completely different physical laws (物理法则). World wars might have different results. Really, humans themselves might have become extinct (灭绝的) in certain parallel universes!
The idea of parallel universes dates back to 1954. Hugh Everett Ⅲ, a Princeton University student in the United States, developed the idea that parallel universes—exactly like and related to our universe—are there. However, many physicists and astronomers say that this theory can’t be tested, so it’s not really a theory at all.
But since then, the idea has shown up in comic books, television and movies. Shows like Star Trek and Doctor Who use the idea to develop their stories.
Parallel universes might not only be there in the movies. If their stories are true, some people might have already experienced other realities.
First covered by newspapers in 1952, Cornelio Closa, a schoolboy from the Philippines, kept disappearing right in front of his friends and family. Sometimes disappearing for days, he would somehow disappear from his locked family home and crowded school classroom.
While such stories may sound crazy, even the known universe is far older and larger than we are. So, who’s to say that one day we won’t learn to cross dimensions (维)?
1. What are parallel universes?| A．Everyone lives in two universes. |
| B．Other universes are right beside ours. |
| C．They are past universes and future universes. |
| D．Different countries are different universes. |
| A．a physicist | B．an astronomer |
| C．a Hollywood star | D．a university student |
| A．it was thought to be a theory |
| B．it showed up in comic books |
| C．it was experienced by some people |
| D．it was considered to cause humans to die out |
| A．can be really there |
| B．will be our home |
| C．have killed some people |
| D．can make a person disappear |
| A．The idea of parallel universes appeared a century ago. |
| B．Star Trek and Doctor Who are books about parallel universes. |
| C．You may see another “you” in parallel universes. |
| D．We will travel to another parallel universe. |
I’ll never lose weight--I come from a fat family
Wrong! While we can't change the body type we are born with, we can't blame our genes(基因) for making us fat. There's plenty of evidence that fatness runs in families, and the main reason is that they share the same habit of eating too much and exercise too little.
I am fat because I burn calories slowly
Wrong! Fatness is not caused by a slow metabolism(新陈代谢). In fact, although fat people consume(消耗) more energy than slim people, they also fail to realize how much they eat. Keeping a diary can help you work out your daily food intake more accurately(精确地).
Exercise is boring
Wrong! Anything will become boring if you do it again and again. The key is to develop a balanced and varied(各种的) program that's fun as well as progressive(不断进步的). If you enjoy a Sunday walk, take a different mute. If you do yoga(瑜伽), try a tai chi class.
No pain, no gain
Wrong! Exercise is not meant to hurt. Indeed, pain is your body telling you something's wrong, and continuing to exercise could lead to serious injury(伤害). You may experience mild discomfort as you begin to exercise regularly, but this is your body
1. What does the writer think about being fat?
| A．It is the family genes that make people fat. |
| B．People are fat because they consume too little energy. |
| C．A diary of exercise can prevent people from becoming fat. |
| D．It is the result of people's unbalanced lifestyle. |
| A．By taking all kinds of exercise. |
| B．By choosing simple exercise. |
| C．By doing regular exercise. |
| D．By sticking to outdoor exercise. |
| A．Keeping fit is essentially a painful experience. |
| B．Exercise should be stopped if continuous pain is felt. |
| C．Pain in exercise is a precondition(前提) for reaching your goal. |
| D．Getting used to pain leads to positive changes in your body. |
| A．适应 | B．顺从 | C．摆脱 | D．陷入 |
| A．To show the importance of keeping fit. |
| B．To clarify(澄清) some misconceptions(误解) about fatness and exercise. |
| C．To confirm what has long been believed about keeping fit. |
| D．To explain some medical facts about being fat and doing exercise. |
【推荐3】A shark attacked a 14-year-old girl near a Florida beach on Saturday, though a surfer tried to save her. The surfer pulled the girl from bloody water and frightened the shark away with his fists (拳头).
Can sharks really smell blood in the water? Yes. Sharks have a good sense of smell, and blood happens to be a very attractive smell. Sharks also use sight and hearing to discover their food. In particular, hungry sharks like to hear the sounds which are made by swimming fish. They also look for something bright. Attacks on people can sometimes be a case of mistaken recognition. Sometimes, a shark could confuse shining stones for food.
The sharks’ eyes, ears, and nose are all near their mouth. But sharks also search for their food with sensory receptors (感受器). These receptors can feel any movement in the water. When a shark gets very close to a food, it can use electroreceptive organs (电觉器官), which sit the wall of little holes on the shark’s nose. Living things in salty seawater produce a weak electrical field (电磁场) that the shark can feel at a short distance, so it allows the shark to find out creatures that bury themselves in the sea floor. Muscle (肌肉) movements also produce little electrical fields that a shark can feel.
The surfer who tried to save the girl said he protected himself by frightening away the shark with his fists. Is that a good idea? Some experts think frightening away a shark with fists should only be the last choice. It won’t be wise for you to stay still in water. Swimming away rapidly seems to be a better choice. If you can’t swim away right away, hit the shark on the face or nose—where it has a high concentration of sensory receptors like humans—to give you enough time to escape. When you are beside a shark’s face, try sticking your finger in its eyes.
1. Which of the following helps sharks search for food?| A．Swimming quietly. | B．A special kind of blood. |
| C．Working as a team. | D．A good sense of smell. |
| A．Hungry sharks. | B．The sounds. | C．Swimming fish. | D．People. |
| A．Sharks can feel movements from other living things in seawater. |
| B．Sharks use sensory receptor more than smell to search for food. |
| C．Sharks can’t feel weak muscle movements from other living things. |
| D．Sharks can’t find and attack creatures hiding in the sea floor. |
| A．Environment. | B．Science. | C．Sport. | D．Health. |
【推荐1】There are many deserts on the earth. And the following are some facts you may find interesting.
What are deserts like?
Deserts can be hot and dry places. Rain may not fall there for months or years. Some deserts are sandy and stony. Deserts can also be very windy places. The wind can change the shape of the deserts. It moves sand around from place to place.
Temperatures in the desert can vary greatly. During the daytime, the temperature may reach 40℃ even in the shade. At night deserts can become very cold. In winter there may even be a frost(霜冻) in the early morning.
Living in the desert
The camel is sometimes called “the ship of the desert”. It stores food in its hump (驼峰) and can go for days without water. It has large feet and they help it not to fall into the soft sand. Its long eyelashes (睫毛) keep out the sand during sandstorms.
An oasis is an area of the desert and there water may be found. The water may be in pools or under the ground. People and animals visit an oasis for water and food. Plants grow at an oasis. Some farmers are able to grow crops there.
The Arabian Desert
The Arabian Desert lies between the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf. In some parts of the desert it is too hot for people to live. Oil was discovered under parts of the desert and in the Arabian Gulf. This oil has made some countries in the area very rich. Much of the money has been spent building fine cities with lovely parks and lakes, and people live a comfortable life there.
1. Which of the following can best describe deserts?| A．Hot and dry. | B．Sandy and rainy. | C．Wet and stony. | D．Windy and snowy. |
| A．be low | B．be high | C．be same | D．be different |
| A．stay cool in deserts | B．go for days without water |
| C．help it not to fall into the soft sand | D．keep out the sand during sandstorms |
| A．frost and crops | B．sand and stones |
| C．water and food | D．money and oil |
| A．What is the weather like in deserts? | B．What do you know about deserts? |
| C．How do people live in deserts? | D．Where is the Arabian Desert? |
If you are inside:
●Quickly move under a strong desk, a strong table or along a wall. You can also go into a small room like the bathroom. Do not get into a lift.
●Don’t stand near windows, large mirrors, heavy furniture or fireplaces.
If you are outside:
●Move away from buildings and streetlights. These could fall on you.
●Squat (蹲下) and protect your head until the shaking stops.
After the earthquake:
●Check, take care of injuries (损伤) and help make sure people around you are all right.
●Watch out for
●Protect yourself by wearing long pants, a long-sleeved(长袖的) shirt and strong shoes.
●Listen to the radio for the latest information.
1. If you are in a tall building when an earthquake happens, you’d better .
| A．run into a lift |
| B．not stay in the bathroom |
| C．stand near large mirrors |
| D．not stand near windows |
| A．you must move into a building |
| B．you cannot squat |
| C．you have to stop the shaking |
| D．you must move away from streetlights |
| A．look after injuries |
| B．not help the others around you |
| C．protect yourself without wearing shoes |
| D．not listen to the radio for the latest information |
| A．what to do before an earthquake takes place. |
| B．what to do if you are in an earthquake. |
| C．how to escape from an earthquake when you are at home. |
| D．how to predict (预知) an earthquake in the open air. |
Usually, people arrive at three or four in the afternoon. By six o'clock, the streets have been full of people. The night markets are famous for their cheap but delicious food. If you are not hungry, you can buy some snacks to eat. If you are very hungry, you can sit down for a meal.
Besides the food, there are many shops that sell all kinds of things like clothes, toys, and books. The things sold at night markets are usually cheap. If you think the price is high, you can bargain(讨价还价) with the sellers.
There are also fun games to play at the night markets. Everyone can enjoy himself at the night markets.
根据短文内容，判断正（T）误（F）。
1. There are about three hundred markets in Taiwan.
2. Usually, the streets are filled with people at four in the afternoon.
3. The food at the night market are good, but not expensive.
4. You can buy toys for the kids at the night market.
5. If you don't buy food, you don't have to go to the night markets.
