The research team has discovered that subordinate (隶属的)fish voluntarily diet to avoid challenging their larger competitors. “In studying gobies we noticed that only the largest two individuals, a male and female, had breeding(繁殖) rights within the group, ”explains Marian Wong. “All other group members are non-breeding females, each being 5–10% smaller than its next largest competitor. We wanted to find out how they keep this size separation.”
The reason for the size difference was easy to see. Once a subordinate fish grows to within 5–10% of the size of its larger competitor, it causes a fight which usually ends in the smaller goby being driven away from the group. More often than not, the evicted fish is then eaten up.
It appeared that the smaller fish were keeping themselves small in order to avoid challenging the boss fish. Whether they did so voluntarily，by limiting how much they ate, was not clear. The research team decided to do an experiment. They tried to fatten up some of the subordinate gobies to see what happened. To their surprise，the gobies simply refused the extra food they were offered，clearly preferring to remain small and avoid fights, over having a feast.
The discovery challenges the traditional scientific view of how boss individuals keep their position in a group. Previously it was thought that large individuals simply used their weight and size to threaten their subordinates and take more of the food for themselves, so keeping their competitors small.
While the habits of gobies may seem a little mysterious, Dr. Wong explains that understanding the relationships between boss and subordinate animals is important to understanding how hierarchical (等级的) societies remain stable.
The research has proved the fact that voluntary dieting is a habit far from exclusive(排他的) to humans. “As yet, we lack a complete understanding of how widespread the voluntary reduction of food intake is in nature,” the researchers comment. “Data on human dieting suggests that, while humans generally diet to improve health or increase attractiveness, rarely does it improve long term health and males regularly prefer females that are fatter than the females’ own ideal.”
1. When a goby grows to within 5–10% of the size of its larger competitor, it_______.
| A．faces danger | B．has breeding rights |
| C．eats its competitor | D．leaves the group itself |
| A．the fish beaten up | B．the fish found out |
| C．the fish fattened up | D．the fish driven away |
| A．fought over a feast | B．went on diet willingly |
| C．preferred some extra food | D．challenged the boss fish |
| A．Fish dieting and human dieting. | B．Dieting and health. |
| C．Human dieting. | D．Fish dieting. |
2 . “In only six days I lost seven pounds of weight.”
“Two full inches in the first three days!”
These are the kinds of statements used in magazine，newspaper, radio and television ads, promising new shapes and new looks to those who buy the medicine or the device. The promoters of products say they can shape the legs, slim the face, smooth wrinkles, or in some other way to add to beauty or desirability.
Often such products are nothing more than money-making things for their promoters. The results they produce are questionable, and some are dangerous to health.
To understand how these products can be legally promoted to the public, it is necessary to understand something of the laws covering their regulation. If the product is a drug, FDA(Food and Drug Administration)can require proof under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act that is safe and effective before it is put on the market. But if the product is a device, FDA has no authority to require premarketing proof of safety or effectiveness. If a product already on the market is a danger to health, FDA can request the producer or distributor to remove it from the market voluntarily, or it can take legal action, including seizure(查封)of the product.
One notable case a few years ago involved an electrical device called the Relaxacisor, which had been sold for reducing the waistline. The Relaxacisor produced electrical shocks to the body through contact pads. FDA took legal action against the distributor to stop the sale of the device on the grounds that it was dangerous to health and life.
Obviously, most of the devices on the market have never been the subject of court proceedings(法律诉讼)，and new devices appear continually. Before buying, it is up to the consumer to judge the safety or effectiveness of such items.
1. It can be inferred that the ads mentioned in the text are . .| A．objective | B．costly | C．unreliable | D．illegal |
| A．The court is in charge of removing dangerous products. |
| B．New products are more likely to be questionable. |
| C．The production of a device must be approved by FDA. |
| D．The promoters usually just care about profits. |
| A．if it is a drug |
| B．if it is a device |
| C．if its consumers make complaints |
| D．if its distributors challenge FDA’s authority |
| A．a product which was designed to produce electricity |
| B．a product whose distributor was involved in a legal case |
| C．a successful advertisement of a beauty product |
| D．an example of a quality beauty product |
| A．make consumers aware of the promoters’ false promises |
| B．show the weakness of the law on product safety |
| C．give advice on how to keep young and beautiful |
| D．introduce the organization of FDA |
3 . The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Copenhagen is offering a free meal to any guest who is able to produce electricity for the hotel on an exercise bike linked to a generator (发电机). The idea is to get people fit and reduce their carbon footprint. Guests will have to produce at least 10 watt hours of electricity — roughly 15 minutes of cycling for someone of average fitness. Guests staying at Plaza Hotel will be given meal tickets worth $ 36 once they have produced 10 watt hours of electricity. The bicycles will have smart phones attached to the handlebars measuring how much power is being generated for the hotel.
The plan, a world-first, will start on 19 April and run for a year. Only guests staying at the hotel will be able to take part. Frederikke Toemmergaard，hotel spokeswoman, said, “Many of our visitors are business people who enjoy going to the gym. There might be people who will cycle just to get a free meal, but generally I don’t think people will take advantage of our programme.”
Copenhagen has a long-standing cycling tradition and 36 % of locals cycle to work each day, one of the highest percentages in the world, according to the website visitcopenhagen. dk. US environmental website treehugger. com recently voted Copenhagen the world’s best city for cyclists. “Because Copenhagen is strongly connected with cycling, we felt the bicycle would work well as a symbol of the hotel’s green profile (形象).”
If successful，the electric bicycle meal programme will be spread to all Crowne Plaza hotels in the UK, the hotel said in a statement.
1. What is the main purpose of the free meal programme?| A．To promote the hotel’s green concept. |
| B．To make the city known to the world. |
| C．To attract people to the hotel restaurant. |
| D．To get guests to stay longer at the hotel. |
| A．By becoming a professional cyclist. |
| B．By cycling to produce some electricity. |
| C．By linking a smart phone to a bicycle. |
| D．By monitoring his or her carbon footprint. |
| A．The poor local people. |
| B．The environment activists. |
| C．Health-conscious hotel guests. |
| D．Visitors fond of Copenhagen food. |
| A．best chain hotels |
| B．greenest natural environments |
| C．longest bike paths |
| D．highest rates of people cycling to work |
Why do we go wrong about our friends - or our enemies? Sometimes what people say hides their real meaning. And if we don’t really listen, we miss the feeling behind the words. Suppose someone tells you, “You’re a lucky dog.” That’s being friendly. But lucky dog? There’s a bit of envy in those words. Maybe he doesn’t see it himself. But bringing in the dog bit puts you down a little. What he may be saying is that he doesn’t think you deserve your luck.
Just think of all the things you have to be thankful for is another noise that says one thing and means another. It could mean that the speaker is trying to get you to see your problem as part of your life as a whole. But is he? Wrapped up in this phrase is the thought that your problem isn’t important. It’s telling you to think of all the starving people in the world when you haven’t got a date for Saturday night.
How can you tell the real meaning behind someone’s words? One way is to take a good look at the person talking. Do his words fit the way he looks? Does what he says agree with the tone of voice? His posture? The look in his eyes? Stop and think. The minute you spend thinking about the real meaning of what people to you may save another mistake.
1. This passage is mainly about ____________.
| A．how to interpret what people say |
| B．what to do when you listen to others talking |
| C．how to avoid mistakes when you communicate with people |
| D．why we go wrong with people sometimes |
| A．we fail to listen carefully when they talk |
| B．people tend to be annoyed when we check what they say |
| C．people usually state one thing but mean another |
| D．we tend to doubt what our friends say |
| A．being friendly | B．a bit of envy |
| C．lucky dog | D．your luck |
5 . China has recently been faced with serious issues of product safety. In Panama，it is said that medicine made with a poisonous chemical sickened some people.A Chinese company had identified it as diethylamide glycol(乙二醇)，a lowcost substitute commonly used in automobile antifreeze(防冻剂).
Some countries have banned Chinesemade toothpaste containing diethylamide glycol. China has now told companies to discontinue its use，even though it says the toothpaste is safe. Another industrial chemical，melamine，was found in wheat flour used to make pet food in North America.
Thousands of dogs and cats became sick.
The United States has restricted some imports of Chinese seafood because they contained banned substance. And questions have been raised about other products，including children's toys covered with lead paint.
Chinese officials promised to provide the European Union，the biggest trading partner，with detailed reports on enforcement efforts against unsafe goods.
Meglena Kuneva，commissioner(理事) for consumer protection of the European Union said China should have kept its promise.
China recently closed three companies linked to the Panama and the pet food scare. And it dismissed the former head of its food and drug administration. He was found guilty of corruption(腐败)for approving unsafe drugs. This week，a conference of the State Council approved a proposed special measure on the supervision of food safety. The Xinhua News Agency said it calls for stronger controls over producers，greater responsibilities for government and more serious punishment for illegal activities.
But Chinese officials have accused some foreign media of overstating problems with goods made in China. They say food imports from the United States also fail inspection sometimes. Next week，American and Chinese food safety officials are planning to hold 5 days of meetings in Beijing to discuss cooperation.
1. How many cases with safety problems are mentioned in the passage?| A．Six. | B．Five. | C．Four. | D．Three. |
| A．Three companies linked to it were closed down. |
| B．The former head of food and drug administration was removed from his position. |
| C．More serious punishment was conducted for leaders linked to it. |
| D．Both A and B. |
| A．Chinesemade toothpaste is safe |
| B．the safety of “Made in China” is doubted |
| C．there are safety problems with one more Chinese products |
| D．stronger control over Chinese products is in need |
| A．China is facing product safety problems |
| B．more controls are taken of Chinese goods |
| C．overstated problems with Chinese goods |
| D．China is losing its trade partners |
Depression（沮丧) is a state of mind that most of us experience at some point of time. There are some periods in our life when everything seems difficult. It seems that everything is getting worse and we have no control over our life. Studies have shown that music can be an important mood lifter in such situations. Music also plays a great role in making us feel less nervous or worried. Anxiety(焦虑) can often cause loss of sleep and other illnesses.
Music is often known as an international language. We may not know the language another person is speaking, but most of us respond to music in the same way. Music can often be the best way to connect with someone.
Music is one of the best ways to improve your moods, but this can depend largely on the kind of music you listen to. While happy music can certainly make you feel better, sad music can further lower your spirits. Listening to classical music can often make you feel a lot more powerful, while soft music can be the perfect way to relax at the end of a long way. If you want to use music to change the way how you are feeling, you need to understand the role of it, learn to recognize the kind of music that lifts your mood and helps you feel better. Once you realize the kind of music you can use, you can use it to change the way you feel. The right kind of music can be the perfect way to help us feel happier.
1. The passage is mainly about __________.
| A．what meanings music has |
| B．how we control our moods |
| C．how music affects our moods |
| D．what kind of music we listen to |
| A．welcome the customers |
| B．make customers feel good |
| C．make customers dance |
| D．make customers feel powerful |
| A．most of us suffer depression all the time |
| B．most of us respond to music in different ways |
| C．music can be a good way to connect with others |
| D．any kind of music will help us improve our moods |
| A．Soft music. | B．Classical music. |
| C．Sad music. | D．Rock music. |
7 . It's generally believed that people act the way they do because of their personalities and attitudes .They recycle their garbage because the care about the environment .They pay $5 for a caramel brulée latte because they like expensive coffee drinks.
It's undeniable that behavior comes from our inner dispositions (性情), but in many instances we also draw inferences about who we are, as suggested by the social psychologist Daryl Bem , by observing our own behavior .We can be strangers to ourselves .If we knew our own minds, why would we need to guess what our preferences are from our behavior? If our minds were an open book, we would know exactly how much we care about the environment or like lattes .Actually , we often need to look to our behavior to figure out who we are.
Moreover, we don't just use our behavior to learn about our particular types of character—we infer characters that weren't there before .Our behavior is often shaped by little pressures around us, which we fail to recognize .Maybe we recycle because our wives and neighbors would disapprove if we didn't .Maybe we buy lattes in order to impress the people around us .We should not mistakenly believe that we always behave as a result of some inner disposition.
Whatever pressures there can be or inferences one can make, people become what they do, though it may not be in compliance (符合) with their true desires .Therefore , we should all bear in mind Kurt Vonnegut's advice: “We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.”
1. According to the passage, personalities and attitudes are commonly believed to___.| A．determine one's behavior |
| B．reflect one's taste |
| C．influence one's surroundings |
| D．result from one's habits |
| A．The return of a wallet can indicate one's honesty. |
| B．A kind person will offer his seat to the old. |
| C．One recycles plastics to protect the environment. |
| D．One buys latte out of true love of coffee. |
| A．We fail to realize our inner dispositions. |
| B．We can be influenced by outside pressures. |
| C．Our behavior is the result of our true desires. |
| D．Our characters can shape our social relationships. |
| A．Personalities and attitudes. |
| B．Preferences and habits. |
| C．Behavior and personalities. |
| D．Attitudes and preferences. |
The Pillow
At the age of sixteen, I joined a volunteer group with my dad. I went on my first volunteer project in West Virginia. On the night we arrived, we discovered that “our family” was living in a trailer(拖车) that was in poor condition. A crew had been working on it for two weeks, but every time they finished one problem, another surfaced.
We decided the only reasonable solution was to build a new house — something unusual but necessary under these circumstances. The family was overjoyed with their new house that was twenty by thirty feet with three bedrooms, a bath and a kitchen.
On Tuesday of that week, while we ate lunch together, I asked the family’s three boys, Josh, Eric and Ryan, “What do you want for your new room?” Expecting toys and other gadgets that children usually ask for, we were surprised when Josh responded, “I just want a bed.”
The boys had never slept in a bed! They were accustomed to plastic mats. That night we had a meeting and decided that beds would be the perfect gift. On Thursday night, a few adults in our group drove to the nearest city and bought beds and new bedding.
When we saw the delivery truck coming, we told the family about the surprise. We could hardly contain ourselves. It was like watching excited children on Christmas morning.
That afternoon, as we fitted the frames of the beds together, Eric ran into the house to watch us. Too dirty to enter his room, he observed with wide-eyed enthusiasm from the doorway.
As my father slipped a pillowcase onto one of the pillows, Eric asked, “What is that?”
“A pillow,” he replied.
“What do you do with it?” Eric continued to ask.
“When you go to sleep, you put your head on it,” I answered softly. Tears came to our eyes as she handed Eric the pillow.
“Oh . . . that’s soft,” he said, hugging it tightly.
Now, when my sister or I start to ask for something that seems urgent, my Dad gently asks, “Do you have a pillow?”
We know exactly what he means.
1. The writer’s first volunteer project was ________.| A．working on a poor trailer | B．helping a poor family |
| C．donating beds and bedding | D．dealing with a housing problem |
| A．the family lived in a trailer | B．he expected to get some toys |
| C．he didn’t know what a bed was | D．the boys had no bed to sleep in |
| A．a trailer | B．a truck | C．a pillow | D．a house |
| A．what they want to get may be unnecessary |
| B．they should not waste money on small things |
| C．they should do more volunteer work for the poor |
| D．what he will buy is not what they want but a pillow |
On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine’s Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest（牧师） in the third century Rome. When the emperor (皇帝) decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn’t allow marriage. But Valentine continued to perform（主持） marriage ceremonies（典礼） for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison（监狱）, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed （签名）“From your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a Saint (圣徒), as well as becoming one of history’s most romantic characters.
Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is also popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine’s cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart-shaped（心形的） cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine.
1. Why did the emperor in Rome not allow marriage in his country?
| A．Because there were few women in his country at that time. |
| B．Because he wanted to control the birth rate. |
| C．Because there wasn’t enough food for so many people. |
| D．Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers. |
| A．he killed one of the soldiers |
| B．he didn’t obey the emperor’s order |
| C．he stole a lot of food |
| D．he didn’t want to be a soldier |
| A．students in China send cards to their teachers |
| B．Valentine’s Day is also popular in China now |
| C．it is interesting to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China |
| D．it is a good idea to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China |
| A．Valentine’s Day in China | B．A Brave Priest |
| C．Valentine’s Day | D．A Romantic Man |
One day a lawyer said to him, “One thousand dollars, and here is the money.” As Hobbs took the package of notes, he was very dumbfounded. He didn’t know where the money came from and how to spend it. He said to himself, “I could go to find a hotel and live like a rich man for a few days; or I give up my work in the factory and do what I’d like to do: painting pictures. I could do that for a few weeks, but what would I do after that? I should have lost my place in the factory and have no money to live on. If it were a little less money, I would buy a new coat, or a radio, or give a dinner to my friends. If it were more, I could give up the work and pay for painting pictures. But it’s too much for one and too little for the other.”
“Here is the reading of your uncle’s will（遗嘱）,” said the lawyer, “telling what is to be done with this money after his death. I must ask you to remember one point. Your uncle has said you must bring me a paper showing exactly what you did with his money, as soon as you have spent it.”
“Yes, I see. I’ll do that,” said the young man.
1. Hobbs wanted to borrow money to _______.
| A．study abroad | B．work abroad | C．pay off the debts | D．learn to paint pictures |
| A．Surprised. | B．Frightened | C．Satisfied. | D．Excited. |
| A．planned to have a happy life for a few days | B．decided to give up his work in the factory |
| C．was to give a dinner to his friends | D．had no idea what to do |
| A．tell the lawyer what he did with the money after spending it |
| B．read his uncle’s will |
| C．buy some pictures |
| D．tell the lawyer what was to be done with the money |
