1 . Many people feel that dream is unique to humans. However, many dog owners will likely disagree on that. They have noticed that their dogs at various times during the sleep may shake legs, snort (哼) and sometimes growl (低声吼叫) which gives the impression that they are dreaming. These things may wonder us about whether dogs dream.
Scientists confirm that dogs probably do dream. It turns out that dog brains and human brains have many similarities during sleep cycles. Researchers used special machines to measure electrical activity in a dog’s brain and human’s brain. Scientists already knew that when humans dream, a certain part of the brain is active during sleep. Researchers discovered that the same part of the brain is active in sleeping dogs. Scientists have other data that back up these findings.
Many people dream that they are trying to move but cannot. Interestingly, part of that experience is not a dream. When people sleep, the brain produces a chemical that causes the dreamer to become temporarily paralyzed (使麻痹). Researchers think this happens so that people cannot physically act out dreams while they are sleeping. Dog brains make the same chemical. In one study during which this chemical was blocked, sleeping test dogs performed physical activities, such as standing up, sniffing around the room for imaginary rabbits, or chasing imaginary balls.
Because of these similarities, researchers believe that the content of a dog’s dream might come from the same source as a human’s dream. “People’s dreams are usually based on things they did that day,” says Dr. Samantha Hudspith. “So there is reason to believe that dogs dream about the things they’ve done that day. Of course, there will never be a way to prove this. Dogs cannot describe their dreams the way that humans can.”
1. What does the underlined phrase “back up” mean in the second paragraph?| A．Disagree. | B．Support. |
| C．Record. | D．Show. |
| A．It woke up. | B．It stopped dreaming. |
| C．It acted out its dream. | D．It couldn't move its body. |
| A．By telling stories | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By comparing details | D．By listing differences. |
| A．Do Dogs Dream? | B．Why Do Dogs Dream? |
| C．Signs of Dog Dreams | D．Similarities Between Humans and Dogs |
2 . Maple syrup (枫糖浆) is a sweetener from maple tree sap (树汁). Many people use it in baking in place of sugar or other sweeteners, some use it in tea instead of honey and it is frequently used as a topping for pancakes, waffles, and other breakfast foods. Since true maple syrup is rather expensive, a wide range of false maple syrup exist.
This sweetener originated in the northeast region of North America, and it is in this region that most of the world’s maple syrup is still produced. Vermont, New Hampshire Maine, and the eastern portion of Canada are all known for their fine syrup, each with slightly different flavor qualities.
This sweetener is produced by tapping maple trees to release and collect their sap. A tree's sap is the liquid that, much like blood in animals, carries water and food to different parts of the tree to keep it nourished. A mature maple produces about ten gallons of sap in a given season, after which the tree will wall off the channel that has been tapped, so that a new tap has to be drilled the next season. Maples are not tapped for syrup until they are at least 40 years old and have reached a certain size, to ensure that no harm comes to the tree through the tapping process .
An immense amount of sap is required to produce maple syrup because the watery sap must be reduced to achieve the proper thickness and taste. Although the exact amount depends on the sweetness of the sap, in general it takes about 40 times as much maple sap to produce a portion of syrup. This may be further reduced to create thicker delicacies, such as maple butter, maple cream , and maple sugar.
In the Us, there are grade A and Grade B syrups, with three sub-divisions of Grade A: light amber, medium amber, and dark amber. Grade B is even darker than Grade A dark amber. Many people assume that the grading system is also indicative of quality, but in reality, it only helps to differentiate the color and taste of the syrup, which is a matter of personal preference. The tastes are different, but to say one is objectively “better” than another would be incorrect.
1. What do we know about the maple syrup from the first two paragraphs?| A．It can be a substitute of sugar and honey. |
| B．It varies greatly in flavor qualities. |
| C．It is produced in the northeast of the US. |
| D．It is too expensive to gain popularity. |
| A．warm. | B．healthy. |
| C．complete. | D．mature. |
| A．Because it is widely used in most delicacies. |
| B．Because it helps to protect old trees from harm. |
| C．Because it needs to be concentrated to make maple syrup. |
| D．Because the more sap is used, the better maple syrup tastes. |
| A．To teach people how to make maple syrup. |
| B．To attract more people to buy maple syrup. |
| C．To introduce basic knowledge of maple syrup. |
| D．To help people choose maple syrup of good quality. |
3 . Screens during meals rob kids of opportunities to improve language and communication skills （storytelling, making jokes, etc.）, as well as to develop patience and even imagination as they entertain themselves waiting for food to arrive.
Meals are an opportunity to connect, to learn more about and enjoy each other. They strengthen the bonds that will bring benefits to the rest of our lives. We squander that opportunity when we stick a screen in front of our kids during dinner.
Of course, we all want to have enjoyable family meals, which is why I love Bruce Feiller's book "The Secrets of Happy Families", in which he devotes an entire chapter to ways to make them fun and meaningful for everyone---such as "fill in the blank" sentences you make up. Sharing something good and something challenging makes for pleasant conversations, too. And I've had fun playing Uno with my daughters until the food arrives in a restaurant.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (小儿科）also offers guidelines to help families manage children's screen time. The academy recommends avoiding digital media for children under 2, except for video-chatting, and limiting screen time to just one hour a day of high-quality programming for children ages 2 to 5.
Fundamentally, we all benefit from more human connection, not less — and that's especially true for children. Schools, airplane trips, most jobs, games, even "social" interaction were all once done without screens but now are filled with them. And while we have gained some advantages, including new connections, we have lost something fundamental, as well.
Less is always more when it comes to screens, even if they are effective at keeping kids quiet. But soon after complaining that they are "bored, ” kids have a natural tendency to fill the screenless void （空虚）with creative games, art, exploration and conversation. There are no studies that warn against having too many hours of those activities.
Let's all work harder to keep family meals special by getting rid of the iPads and nourishing our personal connections as we nourish our bodies.
1. What's the author's attitude to the kids' staring at screens during meals?| A．Disapproving. | B．Favorable. |
| C．Cautious. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．Take. | B．Waste. |
| C．Expect. | D．Create. |
| A．Keep quiet. |
| B．Refuse to eat. |
| C．Feel bored all the time. |
| D．Find ways to entertain themselves. |
| A．To introduce the iPads to the children. |
| B．To stress the importance of family meals. |
| C．To appeal for family meals without screens. |
| D．To teach parents how to punish their children. |
4 . Do you know how children in other countries spend their schooldays and what kind of games they always play?
Children in Brazil
| School | The school year runs from February to December. Children attend (上学) school for about four hours in the morning or the afternoon. About a quarter of children in Brazil do not attend school at all. |
| Play | Football is the most popular sport. Brazil’s beautiful beaches also make swimming and volleyball popular. |
| Family | Brazilian families are often large. Nearly a third of the population is under eighteen! |
| School | The school day begins from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, with a two-hour lunch break. Schools close on Wednesday and Sunday, and are closed for a half day on Saturday. |
| Play | Football, bicycling and tennis are favorite sports in France. In some areas, pelote, a traditional ball game, is also very popular. |
| Family | Most French mothers work. The majority of preschool (幼儿园) children attend day care centres known as crèches. France has laws about naming children and all names have to be chosen from an official list. |
| School | Schools in Japan are very competitive (竞争的). Even pre-schoolers may attend “cramming (填鸭式教学的) schools” to prepare for exams. There is a summer break about six weeks, but the children have homework during this time. |
| Play | Comic books have been popular in Japan since the 1700s. Comics now account for about 40% of all published materials in Japan. Kite flying is enjoyed by people of every age. |
| Family | Homes in Japan are small on average. The typical family of four lives in five small rooms. Most fathers in Japan work long hours. As a result, some children only see their fathers on weekends or holidays. |
① Kite flying. ② Bicycling. ③ Football. ④ Pelote.
| A．②③④ | B．①②③ |
| C．①④ | D．①②③④ |
| A．Places with beautiful beaches. |
| B．The name of the place where French mothers work. |
| C．A day care centre for preschool children. |
| D．Cramming schools to improve children’s exam results. |
| A．like to read comic books | B．write their names on an official list |
| C．only see their fathers on weekdays | D．do not attend school |
5 . A study of 27,000 men showed those skipping (不吃) breakfast were at a greater risk of heart problems. The British Heart Foundation said breakfast helped people resist (抵制) sugary snacks before lunch.
The men, aged 45-82, were studied for 16 years. During that time there were more than 1,500 heart attacks or cases of deadly heart failure. However, people who skipped breakfast were 27% more likely to have heart problems than those who started the day with a meal. The researchers took into consideration other lifestyle risk factors (因素) such as smoking and exercise.
Researcher Dr Leah Cahill told the BBC: “The take-home message is to eat in the morning when you wake up, preferably within an hour. The results show that something is better than nothing, but it’s always better to have something healthy and balanced.”
She said the timing of the meal seemed to be key and waiting until lunch rather than “having breakfast” may be straining (损伤) the body over time. This could be increasing the risk of high blood pressure and fatness which could in turn damage the heart. “Don’t skip breakfast,” Dr Cahill suggested.
Victoria Taylor, an expert with the British Heart Foundation, said: “These researchers only looked at men aged over 45, so we would need to see further research to prove that breakfast has the same effect on the heart health of other groups of people. What we do know is that a healthy breakfast can make that mid-morning biscuit less tempting, as well as giving you another opportunity to widen the variety of foods in your diet. Cereals (谷类食品) with low fat milk are a good way to start the day. Try a banana or dried fruit on top and you’ll be on your way to a fine day before you’ve even left the house.”
1. What does the text mainly deal with?| A．The effects of snacks on the health of the heart. |
| B．An interview by the BBC on people’s lifestyles. |
| C．What a healthy and balanced diet should contain. |
| D．The relationship between breakfast and a healthy heart. |
| A．fix the time for each meal we eat in a day |
| B．make sure our breakfast is always balanced |
| C．eat our breakfast immediately after getting up |
| D．have breakfast within an hour after waking up |
| A．attractive | B．valuable |
| C．obvious | D．familiar |
| A．men over 45 are more likely to get heart diseases |
| B．fresh fruits like bananas are necessary for a healthy breakfast |
| C．it’s healthy to eat some biscuit between breakfast and lunch |
| D．the researchers should have covered other age groups in their study |
6 . My wife and I were at a crowded grocery store not long ago. It was a weekday evening, cold and wet-and tense. People were carelessly blocking aisles, complaining and cutting one another off with their carts.
Things got worse at the checkout line. The cashier scanned a man’s discount card, but he misread the savings on her screen as an additional charge. He decided she was acting deliberately and began to argue.
“She is being spiteful (恶意的) !” he yelled. “This is unbelievable.”
Other customers looked away as the cashier tried to reason with him. She called a manager, who accompanied him to customer service. Shaken, she moved to the next customer in line.
We’ve all witnessed uncomfortable scenes like this in public places. The grocery scene was another example of how our trust in others has eroded. But it was also a teachable moment on how we can rebuild our faith-starting with just one person.
Back at the grocery store, my wife and I reached our uneasy cashier. I grabbed a bottle of water from a nearby cooler and handed it to her. “We felt bad about how that man treated you and wanted to buy this for you.” I said. Her face lit up, and we talked as she scanned our items. She told us she had been working that evening through severe foot pain and would be having surgery later that week. We wished her well in her recovery, and she thanked us as we left.
Those are the balancing acts, the moments of responding social and emotional pain with healing, which will add up to restore trust among people. You can start that pattern in someone else’s life, even in a place as ordinary as the neighborhood grocery store.
1. Why did the man at the checkout line argue with the cashier?| A．The cashier called a manager to help her. |
| B．Someone jumped the queue waiting to check out. |
| C．There was something wrong with his discount card. |
| D．He believed the cashier charged him more on purpose. |
| A．changed | B．increased |
| C．faded | D．formed |
| A．he thought the cashier might feel a little bit thirsty |
| B．he knew she had gone through much trouble recently |
| C．he wanted to restore the trust between her and the man |
| D．he wanted to comfort her after the terrible experience just now |
| A．add a warning | B．make a suggestion |
| C．introduce a topic | D．present an argument |
7 . "I didn't hear them call my name," explained Shelley Hennig to Active Teens (AT) as she talked about that exciting moment on national television when she won the honor of Miss Teen USA 2004. "Are you ready?" is what she heard. Then she said, "I shook my head no, and then they said ‘yes’ and it was announced again."
It was four days after that life changing moment for the seventeen-year-old high school student from Destrehan, Louisiana----she was still on cloud nine．
"I was so shocked! I never believed that it could actually really happen." Present in the audience(观众)that day were: her mother and father, older brother, her friends, and her dance teacher.
Understanding why members of her family and her friends would be there, AT asked why her dance teacher had traveled so far to see her compete (比赛)."She's always been my role model．I've danced with her since I was six. She's been through so many difficulties and came through them all. I've learned to get over bad life's experiences and learned how to move on because of her."
One of those bad life's experiences for Shelley happened three years ago when her brother Brad was killed in a drunk driving accident. He was 18. She found writing helped her get through the rough days. She said, "I write a lot about my brother. I write a lot, a lot, a lot...”
As Miss Louisiana Teen, she traveled around the state speaking to teens (青少年) about the dangers of drinking and driving. In her role as Miss Teen USA, Sheiley will continue to speak to youth about safe driving, in addition to many other things to help the youth.
When AT asked Miss Teen USA if she had any advice for our readers, she said, "Don't let anyone change you. Hang out with people that make you feel good about yourself. That way, it is easy to be yourself."
1. What do the words “on cloud nine” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．frightened | B．very happy |
| C．troubled | D．very angry |
| A．strict | B．friendly |
| C．determined | D．experienced |
| A．1. | B．2. |
| C．3. | D．4. |
| A．She visited drunken drivers. |
| B．She made speeches on safe driving. |
| C．She gave dance performance. |
| D．She helped other teens with their studies. |
| A．Meet friends whenever possible. |
| B．Be yourself with the support of friends. |
| C．Go easy on yourself and others. |
| D．Have a good role model. |
8 . Travel is one of the most exciting experiences a human being can have. Imagine how Italian traveler Marco Polo must have felt when he found himself on Chinese soil, seeing a way of life quite different from anything he’d seen before.
And how marvelous must it have been to listen to Zhang Qian when he returned to China from his journey through Central Asia and West Asia? His brain must have been packed with everything he’d seen and heard, leading to the founding of the Silk Road.
Some people have traveled all over the world, and travel is a way of life to them. They perhaps know what to expect before they travel. That’s why the best travel is when it’s for the first time. Imagine a person who has always wanted to travel to the United States. Of course, they’ve probably seen the Statue of Liberty a thousand times on TV, and the White House, and all the other famous sights. But none of that would compare to the thrill of looking out of the cabin window as the plane lands, watching the cities and streets of the real America come into view.
Although travel is often just for recreation, it’s also educational. We may not know that we are getting an education, but we still are.
We’re learning every day: new words in a new language, new people, and new ways of life. But this learning takes place in the school of the world, not the classroom. One of the lessons we learn is undoubtedly a moral one. As we get to know foreign places, we come to understand that there are many different ways to live, and that the way we live isn’t necessarily the best way. The British politician Benjamin Disraeli summed this up well when he said, “Travel teaches toleration.”
1. The author uses Marco Polo and Zhang Qian as examples to .| A．explain how the Silk Road was founded |
| B．present travel as an amazing experience |
| C．show how the way people travel has changed |
| D．describe important cultural exchanges in history |
| A．one’s first trip is usually the most challenging |
| B．no other trip is better than one’s first trip |
| C．there is always much to learn on one’s first trip |
| D．people usually make better preparations for their first trip |
| A．learning | B．knowledge |
| C．fun | D．risk |
| A．traveling should be included in formal education |
| B．traveling improves people’s confidence in their lifestyle |
| C．a foreign journey may raise people’s cultural understanding |
| D．there is more to learn from adventures than being in classroom |
The WWF recently released its 10th Flagship Living Planet Report. The group warns the condition of the world's animals is worse than its earlier reports showed, indicating worldwide action is needed.
The WWF is worried about the loss of and damage to Earth’s environment. The report provides information about more than 10,000 animal populations from 1970 to 2010. These populations are called “vertebrate species,” or animals with backbones — like fish, birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles. The report shows these populations have dropped by 52 percent in just 40 years. It warns freshwater species have fallen by 76 percent, which is almost twice the loss of land and ocean species. Most of these losses are in the tropics, with the biggest drop in Latin America.
Marco Lambertini, the WWF’s International Director-General said, “This is about losing natural habitats. This is about converting forests, grasslands, and wetlands into agriculture mainly, and it is about unsustainable use of wildlife. Illegal hunting has been actually increasing over the last 10 years, which definitely a driving force for extinction, particularly of large species.”
The report also notes what it calls the world’s “Ecological Footprint”, that is, the effect of human activities on the planet. Mr. Lambertini says there has been an increase in carbon dioxide gases and the pouring of nitrogen into oceans and rivers from fertilizers used in agriculture, which certainly cannot continue.
“We are consuming on average every year about the equivalent of about 1.5, one and a half times the resources available to the planet. That means we are cutting trees more quickly than they can be restored. We are fishing the oceans more quickly than fishing stocks can reproduce, and we are emitting in the atmosphere more CO2 than the natural systems can actually absorb, which is clearly not sustainable.”
Mr. Lambertini warns climate change affects almost everyone on the planet and that whole species may disappear if the world does not reduce the effects of humans on the climate.
1. According to the passage, what kind of species faces the biggest drop in population?
| A．Land and ocean species. |
| B．Animals with backbones. |
| C．Freshwater species in Latin America. |
| D．Freshwater species in the tropics. |
| A．turning wildlife habitats into agriculture land. |
| B．making sustainable use of wildlife. |
| C．hunting illegally. |
| D．emitting CO2 gases and pouring nitrogen. |
| A．Conserving. | B．Conveying. |
| C．Exchanging. | D．Transforming. |
| A．Marco is much concerned about human’s current behaviors towards wildlife. |
| B．what the planet provides now can satisfy human’s sustainable development. |
| C．more than half of the world’s wildlife population has been lost. |
| D．if humans reduce the effects on the climate, the whole species will not disappear. |
Their cheery song brightens many a winter's day. But robins are in danger of wearing themselves out by singing too much. Robins are singing all night一as well as during the day, British-based researchers say.
David Dominoni, of Glasgow University, said that light from street lamps, take away signs and homes is affecting the birds' biological clocks, leading to them being wide awake when they should be asleep.
Dr Dominoni, who is putting cameras inside nesting boxes to track sleeping patterns, said lack of sleep could put the birds’ health at risk. His study shows that when robins are exposed to light at night in the lab, it leads to some genes being active at the wrong time of day. And the more birds are exposed to light, the more active they are at night.
He told people at a conference, "There have been a couple of studies suggesting they are increasing their song output at night and during the day they are still singing. Singing is a costly behaviour and it takes energy. So by increasing their song output, there might be some costs of energy."
And it is not just robins that are being kept awake by artificial light. Blackbirds and seagulls are also being more nocturnal. Dr Dominoni said, "In Glasgow where I live, gulls are a serious problem. I have people coming to me saying `You are the bird expert. Can you help us kill these gulls?'.During the breeding(繁殖)season, between April and June, they are very active at night and very noisy and people can't sleep."
Although Dr Dominoni has only studied light pollution, other research concluded that robins living in noisy cities have started to sing at night to make themselves heard over loud noise.
However, some birds thrive(兴旺)in noisy environments. A study from California Polytechnic University found more hummingbirds in areas with heavy industrial machinery. It is thought that they are capitalising on their predators(天敌)fleeing to quieter areas.
1. According to Dr Dominoni's study, what cause robins to sing so much?
| A．The breeding season. |
| B．The light in modern life |
| C．The dangerous environment. |
| D．The noise from heavy machinery. |
| A．The environment might be polluted. |
| B．The birds' health might be damaged. |
| C．The industry cost might be increased. |
| D．The people's hearing might be affected. |
| A．Active at night. | B．Inactive at night. |
| C．Active during the day. | D．Inactive during the day. |
| A．Because there are fewer dangers. |
| B．Because there is more food to eat. |
| C．Because there is less light pollution |
| D．Because there are more places to take shelter. |
