1 . Dolphins have been known to show many human-like behavioral characteristics. These include forming complex relationships to accomplish common goals, teaching one another survival skills, and “babysitting” each other’s kids. Now, some researchers at Largo, Florida have discovered another thing the intelligent animals share with humans — a love for the television!
For their research, Kelly A. Winship and Holli C, Eskelinen observed 11 bottlenose and five rough-toothed dolphins. The animals were treated to two TV shows — Planet Earth and the popular kids’ series, SpongeBob SquarePants. The researchers say the dolphins did not seem to care what was being played. They were equally attracted by both — the realistic imagery of Planet Earth and the cartoon in SpongeBob SquarePants.
Interestingly, however, the male dolphins spent more time staring at the screen than the females. They also responded more strongly to the programming by either showing aggression (indicated by head moves), or interest (shown by raising their heads or pressing their foreheads against the TV), or even blowing bubbles (indicating interest or aggression). Winship and Eskelinen, who published their findings in the journal Zoo Biology, believe the display of aggression was most likely a result of the failure to physically interact with, or manipulate, the TV.
Though there is a lot more to learn about the animals’ television preferences, the scientists believe suitable programming could be used as part of enrichment programs for dolphins unfit to be released in the wild. The researchers also think monitoring their response to different kinds of shows could provide scientists with some insight into the dolphins’ thinking process.
1. What have researchers newly discovered about dolphins?| A．They somewhat behave like humans. | B．They offer help to each other |
| C．They are highly intelligent. | D．They enjoy watching TV shows. |
| A．The time of body moments. | B．Program preferences. |
| C．The strength of response. | D．Interacting methods. |
| A．Have control over. | B．React to. | C．Catch sight of. | D．Turn on. |
| A．Learning about their TV preference. | B．Enriching their life in the wild. |
| C．Monitoring their daily behaviors. | D．Studying how they think. |
2 . Scientists have designed “transparent(透明的) wood” that could replace conventional glass in windows.
The innovation was developed using wood from the balsa tree, which is native to South and Central America, and claims to be five times more thermally efficient than glass.
The team treated balsa wood in an oxidizing bath that bleaches(漂白) it of nearly all visibility and then penetrated it with PVA - creating a product that is virtually transparent. Unlike traditional glass, the transparent wood can withstand much stronger impacts and will bend or splinter when damaged, instead of shattering(粉碎).
The transparent wood was created by teams at the University of Maryland and University of Colorado, which set out to find a greener alternative to conventional glass – a production that creates 25,000 tons in emissions each year. Along with contributing to greenhouse gases, glass contributes to a loss of energy.
“Residential building windows in particular account for 10–25% of the heat loss due to their poor thermal management capability,” the team wrote in the study.
“Exploring energy efficient window materials is thus highly desirable to address heating costs, energy shortages, and the global impact of climate change associated with increased carbon emissions.”
The team notes that the bonding between PVA and cellulose(纤维素) in the wood, creates a tightly packed structure that allows for more thermal protection and makes it more durable and lighter than glass.
“Switching to transparent wood could prove to be cost efficient as well,” researchers shared in a statement. “It is made from a sustainable, renewable resource with low carbon emissions. It can be produced with existing industrial processing equipment, making its manufacturing an easy prospect.”
1. What does the underlined word “thermally” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Associated with cost. | B．Connected with heat. |
| C．Associated with emissions. | D．Connected with structure. |
| A．It will shatter when damaged. | B．It has replaced traditional glass. |
| C．It is more durable than glass. | D．It contributes to greenhouse gases. |
| A．To show the disadvantages of conventional glass. |
| B．To show the efficiency of thermal management. |
| C．To explain the importance of building designing. |
| D．To explain the global impact of climate change. |
| A．Its tightly packed structure. | B．Its sustainable, renewable resource. |
| C．Its easy manufacturing prospect. | D．Its industrial processing equipment. |
Did you know that the Chinese built the largest canal in the world? Its length of 1,104 miles easily compares with a route linking New York and Florida. Connecting five river systems and four provinces, it ends at Beijing in the North and Hangzhou in the south. For this reason, it is officially called the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.
In 486 B.C., the leader of the State of Wu, to transport goods to the northern areas of China, constructed a man-made channel using already existing waterways to link the Yangtze and Huai rivers. It was this channel that laid the foundation for the future longer Grand Canal. More than 1000 years later, Emperor Yang of Sui Dynasty had the old canals rebuilt and connected to form what we know today as the Grand Canal.
Then in 1403,Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty transferred his capital from Nanjing to Beijing. In order to feed all those moving North, he had to transport grain from the south along the Grand Canal. To restore the Canal, more than 47,000 men were employed.
The canal soon became the economic lifeline of the empire. Grain was not the only trade goods transported North on the waterways. Salt was another, as well as wine and tea. Goods traded from the North included cotton, wool, coal, flour, precious stones, and dried meat. At times, more than 120,000 soldiers and officers were needed to operate the almost 12,000 ships that annually travelled the Grand Canal.
With the expansion of the railway system in the mid-1800s, the Grand Canal became less and less important to traders. Today, few goods are transported along its waterways. Still, the current South-North Water Transfer Project proves that the Chinese government still sees the Grand Canal important to the welfare of China. The aim of this costly project is to divert huge amounts of water every year from the Yangtze River to the drier regions in the north.
1. What is special about the Grand Canal?| A．It can date back to the Sui Dynasty. |
| B．It has a history of less than1, 000 years. |
| C．It runs from New York to Florida. |
| D．It is the longest canal across the world. |
| A．It was first constructed to convey officers. |
| B．It was employed for wars by Emperor Yongle. |
| C．It used to transport goods between south and north. |
| D．It is now carrying more goods than the railway system. |
| A．Transfer. | B．Recycle. | C．Conserve. | D．Clarify. |
| A．A diary. | B．A magazine. | C．A novel. | D．A biography. |
4 . Researchers from Pennsylvania University suggest that loud snoring can be caused by having a fat tongue. Scientists have long known that losing weight can help the condition, but now they know why. It explains why losing weight reduces the risk of obstructive sleep apnoea (阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停).
Improved symptoms are linked to slimming down the unexpected part of the body - opening the door to better treatments. Professor Richard Schwab, chief of sleep medicine at Pennsylvania University, said: "Most clinicians, and even experts in the sleep apnoea world, have not typically focused on fat in the tongue for treating sleep apnoea."Having a large neck was previously believed to be the culprit(引起问题的事物). Prof Schwab said: "Now we know tongue fat is a risk factor and sleep apnoea improves when tongue fat is reduced, we have established a unique therapeutic target that we've never had before.
In sleep apnoea the airways become blocked - leading to snoring . It blights the lives of four and two percent of middle aged men and women, respectively, in the UK. Long term, sleep apnoea is linked with a number of chronic diseases, including high blood pressure , heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and depression.
Analyzing MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans of the throat and nose of obese patients, the researchers found reducing tongue fat is the key. They found that a reduction in tongue fat volume was the key factor. Weight loss also resulted in a smaller pterygoid - the jaw muscle that controls chewing. This is irrespective of whether they appear to fall into the typical "high-risk" obese categories, said Prof Schwab.
He added: "Primary care doctors, and perhaps even dentists, should be asking about snoring and sleepiness in all patients, even those who have a normal body mass index, as, based on our data, they may also be at risk for sleep apnoea."
Twenty-two million Americans suffer from sleep apnoea, in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts, causing patients to wake up randomly throughout their sleep cycles. One of the recommended treatments is CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), which has been free on the NHS since March 2008.
1. What can we learn from Prof Schwab?| A．People with high tongue fat must be at high risk of obesity. |
| B．Sleep apnea improves when tongue fat is reduced. |
| C．Patients with a normal body mass index won’t develop sleep apnea. |
| D．Most clinicians focus on the fat on the tongue to treat sleep apnea. |
| A．The shape of tongue fat. |
| B．The harm of tongue fat. |
| C．The feature of tongue fat. |
| D．The cause of tongue fat. |
| A．harm | B．affect |
| C．benefit | D．cost |
