1 . We humans rely on a series of signs to recognize our friends, such as their smiles, their voices, or the way they walk. Biologists have known for several decades that dolphins form close friendships, and that the cetaceans (鲸类) identify friends by their unique whistles. Now new surprising research suggests bottlenose dolphins use their sense of taste to recognize their friends from unrelated dolphins through their urine (小便).
Study leader Jason Bruck, a marine biologist at Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas, didn’t set out to test whether bottlenose dolphins could identify each other through their urine. His original goal was to test whether dolphins use their signature whistles in the same way people rely on names. But to do that, he needed a second way for dolphins to identify each other.
To find out if dolphins could associate a whistle with a specific dolphin, Bruck turned to an unlikely substance: urine. A scientist had previously observed wild dolphins purposefully swimming through urine, leading Bruck to suspect they were gathering information from it.
“It was a shot in the dark,” says Bruck, whose study was published this week in the journal Science Advances. “And I was not expecting it to work, to be honest.”
In experiments using caged dolphins, the team discovered that dolphins paid more attention to their friends’ urine and whistles, suggesting they knew the animals that issued them, he says.
The findings are the first strong evidence of an animal identifying other members of its species using taste. They also show that by using at least two signs to identify individuals, dolphins have a complex understanding of their family and friends—much as humans do.
1. Why did Bruck turn to urine?| A．To show the types of whistles. | B．To study dolphins’ swimming styles. |
| C．To test dolphins’ ability of recognition. | D．To protect dolphins’ living conditions. |
| A．It is beyond description. | B．It is beyond his expectation. |
| C．It matches his prediction. | D．It goes against previous observation. |
| A．Dolphins can identify their friends by taste. |
| B．Dolphins show deep love for their friends |
| C．Cetaceans contribute much to modern science. |
| D．Cetaceans have much in common with humans. |
| A．A short story. | B．A book review. |
| C．A biologist’s story. | D．A science report. |
The trade routes are of great importance. In March, the Suez Canal, one of the world’s most important sea trade routes
Besides the Suez Canal, China’s ancient Silk Road also played
In early history, the Silk Road was the most important trade route,
Though the Silk Road was mainly a trading route, it was
3 . Every act of kindness starts with something small, something we all can — and should — do every single day.
I’m Will Rubio, one of the
On Random Acts, it may be a neighbor or a colleague who
So, where can you start? The key is to be like Lily: look for an opportunity to make a
After two seasons of hosting Random Acts, the joy of
Be that person doing acts of
| A．photographers | B．directors | C．viewers | D．hosts |
| A．expose | B．conduct | C．arrange | D．advocate |
| A．changing | B．counting | C．ranging | D．transforming |
| A．in search of | B．in need of | C．in defence of | D．in favor of |
| A．recognizes | B．ignores | C．rejects | D．abolishes |
| A．Bring | B．Take | C．Create | D．Make |
| A．anxious | B．proud | C．afraid | D．unwilling |
| A．exception | B．dilemma | C．competition | D．challenge |
| A．provided | B．seized | C．spotted | D．missed |
| A．successful | B．acceptable | C．reasonable | D．available |
| A．choice | B．difference | C．promise | D．decision |
| A．generous | B．caring | C．ambitious | D．sociable |
| A．never | B．even | C．still | D．just |
| A．put up with | B．make up for | C．work at | D．bring down |
| A．bearing | B．carrying | C．reducing | D．overcoming |
| A．admit | B．realize | C．remember | D．assume |
| A．truth | B．deadline | C．destination | D．boundary |
| A．accompany | B．surprise | C．locate | D．please |
| A．refreshes | B．inspires | C．hits | D．satisfies |
| A．forgiveness | B．politeness | C．generosity | D．kindness |
4 . Six “sacrificial pits(祭祀坑)”, dating back 3,200 to 4,000 yeas, were newly discovered in Sanxingdui Ruins site in Guanghan. Over 500 artifacts, including gold masks, bronze wares, ivories, jades and textiles were unearthed from the site. Sanxingdui site is located in Sanxingdui Town, Guanghan City, Sichuan Province, on the south bank of Qianjiang River (Yangtze River), a tributary of Tuojiang River in the north of Chengdu Plain. The site covers an area of about 12 square kilometers, and the core area is the ancient city of Sanxingdui, with an area of about 3.6 square kilometers. It is the largest and highest-grade central site found in Sichuan Basin during the Xia and Shang period.
Sanxingdui site, first found in 1929, is generally considered as one of the most important archaeological sites along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. However, the work of excavation on the site only began in 1986, when two pits — widely believed for sacrificial ceremonies — were accidentally discovered.
Investigation in the area around No.1 and 2 pits was relaunched in October 2019, and No.3 pit was found in December 2019, according to Lei Yu, a researcher of Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute who heads the ongoing excavation. Thirty four research universities and research institutes have cooperated in this project. He said the new discoveries will help to better understand many unexplained findings in 1986.
More excavation followed in March 2020, and five more pits were found last year. And detailed research began in October. Excavation capsules with hi-tech equipment were set up in the pits in order to prevent the site from further damage.
According to the National Cultural Heritage Administration, studies of Sanxingdui site will become a crucial project in an ongoing program Archaeology China, which tries to explain the origins of Chinese civilization and how diverse cultures communicate and come together.
1. What does the underlined word “excavation” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Check. | B．Dig. | C．Protection. | D．Extension. |
| A．By conducting more experiments around the site. |
| B．By dividing the task of excavation into several parts. |
| C．By cooperating with research universities and institutes. |
| D．By using excavation capsule armed with hi-tech equipment. |
| A．There are 6 sacrificial pits discovered in Sanxingdui site in all. |
| B．The size of the core zone is about 1/3 of Sanxingdui site. |
| C．The discovery of Sanxingdui site only began in 2019. |
| D．All sacrificial sites were discovered in the meantime. |
| A．Sanxingdui site needed protecting. |
| B．Hi-tech helped to explore Sanxingdui site. |
| C．Sanxingdui discoveries reveal ancient China. |
| D．Sacrificial pits were unearthed in Sanxingdui site. |
1. How do scientists at University College London measure memory loss?
| A．By recording the time people spend on TV. |
| B．By tracking people’s living habits. |
| C．By using memory and fluency tests. |
| A．Watching television for hours. |
| B．Playing video games for hours. |
| C．Surfing the Internet for hours. |
| A．Make more friends. |
| B．Sleep eight to ten hours per night. |
| C．Balance TV viewing with other activities. |
1. How does the man feel about the American football match?
| A．Confused. | B．Disappointed. | C．Interested. |
| A．She thought it was a soccer game. |
| B．She’d like to share the man’s hobby. |
| C．She wanted to see how exciting it was. |
7 . Given the crowds of visitors and many attractions at the Disney parks, it's easy to get lost. Thankfully, you will always find a worker to point you in the right direction. When you do, you just might start to notice something unique about their body language—and it's just one of the many secrets Disney employees won't tell you.
Cast members, as park employees are called, are taught in their training to always point with two fingers instead of one. The first reason for this is that pointing with just the one index finger(食指), as most Americans do, is considered impolite in some cultures and countries. The Disney parks have always attracted many international visitors, so the friendlier two-finger gesture became the norm among employees, in an effort to be sensitive and welcoming to every person. Employees have even affectionately named it "the Disney point”. Michaela Paris, a former Disney employee, said the Disney point is a sign of respect.
"Disney receives plenty of foreign travelers to their parks. The typical single finger point is a symbol of disrespect and has a negative(负面的) meaning in many cultures. Therefore, Disney created 'the Disney point' to accommodate all of their guests, " Paris said.
Other sources say this way of pointing is related to Disney himself. According to the Huffington Post, it's actually how Walt Disney himself used to point things out to visitors, because he usually had a cigarette balanced between the two fingers. You won't find cast members today smoking a cigarette—there's no smoking allowed for anyone, employees or guests, once you are inside the entrances at Disney parks—but the tradition of pointing with two fingers still stands.
Keep an eye out for the statue of Walt and Mickey doing "the Disney point" next time you're at Disney World. Meanwhile don't miss other such rules that all Disney employees must follow.
1. When will a visitor probably notice "the Disney point"?| A．When asking the way. | B．When entering the park. |
| C．When greeting foreigners. | D．When smoking a cigarette. |
| A．A gesture. | B．An employee. | C．A park. | D．A statue. |
| A．offer space to. | B．put up. | C．provide food for. | D．adapt to. |
| A．Rules to follow in the park. |
| B．The life story of Walt Disney. |
| C．Some attractions at Disney World. |
| D．A possible origin of “the Disney point”. |
8 . I am rather good at using maps. But I forgot the maps and here we were, late afternoon, last day of holiday, my daughter, my cousin and I, driving along a two-lane highway in Oregon. No other car in sight, and the sun had just gone down. Where was that sweet little village?
It was supposed to be right along this river. We drove on, farther into the unknown river always at left as our guide. We kept passing farms and fields and now a few lights were coming out. In my head, I was doing a lot of self-criticism: Why didn’t we start earlier, bring the map and so on? My cousin and I were both impatient and stressed. My daughter, at least, was happy in the back seat, texting a friend. I pulled up on the shoulder of the road to think.
Just the — Wow! Amazing! A new scene appeared. Where did it come from?
Right there, out of nowhere: a magical misty landscape. Fields stretched in silent purple, with rows of tall trees, darkening in the dusk. I turned the car engine off. All was silent in the hot summer air. Beside us, a plum-covered river hardly moved between a border of trees, its dark lazy water reflecting the last light of day.
How breathtaking! Where had it been? If I had seen even a bit of beauty while driving along, I could have stopped and taken a look. I had missed it all.
We miss a lot, almost everything, in fact, in our world. Our task-focused filters (过滤器)takes care of that, selecting only what we need. We need to get to work. Have some lunch. We see what we need to see, often for purposes of survival. Gregory Bateson, speaking of beauty, said the judgment is selection of a fact. In our daily lives, who or what is doing the selecting? Can we make a change? Can we see further?
1. Where might the author be heading for?| A．A tourist attraction. | B．A destination of his holiday. |
| C．Her own home. | D．Her cousin farm. |
| A．That the holiday is unexpectedly tiring and boring. |
| B．That she hadn’t been well prepared got her cousin annoyed. |
| C．That lack of full preparation made her lose her way. |
| D．That there was no familiar river in sight. |
| A．she discovered a tourist spot unknown to others |
| B．she finally reached what she had intended |
| C．the right route to her destination was close |
| D．her carelessness brought an unexpected pleasure |
| A．Slow down your pace and enjoy the beauty in life. |
| B．Stay calm even if trapped in trouble. |
| C．Keep positive because everything has a way out. |
| D．Adjust your plan for the purpose of pleasure. |
9 . Volunteer with elephants in South Africa
Join a project to work with elephants, help do research and provide care for these giants that have been given a second chance in life. They say that an elephant never forgets, and your contribution will mean that these rescued elephants have a chance to live in a place as close to the wild as possible.
How long can I do?
Volunteers can join for 3-12 weeks on the main volunteer project. We also offer a one-week elephant volunteer experience for those with less time to spare. We would encourage volunteering for as long as you can.
What will I be doing?
As a volunteer, you will join the experts to care for 10 rescued elephants. These elephants come from difficult backgrounds, such as circuses (马戏团) and hunting farms, but happily they are now able to travel freely and in safety in the site. The elephants are never asked to behave in a manner that is not natural for them.
What do I need to know regarding COVID-19?
●All volunteers must be able to provide proof of a COVID-19 test ( taken within 72 hours before you start ).
●All volunteers are asked to wear face masks in public places.
●Volunteers will do a temperature and symptom (症状) screening, every day before starting their first shift.
1. How long does a volunteer need to work on a main volunteer project at least?| A．One week. | B．Three weeks. | C．Twelve weeks. | D．Two years. |
| A．Preparing food for elephants. | B．Leading elephants’ action. |
| C．Performing elephant back riding. | D．Cleaning out the elephants’ sleeping areas. |
| A．Wear face masks in public places. |
| B．Wear face masks before working. |
| C．Do a temperature and symptom screening every other day. |
| D．Provide proof of a COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours. |
Studies have shown that creative activities like baking and knitting contribute to an overall sense of well-being. Boston University professor Donna Pincus told Huff Post that there’s “a stress relief that people get from having some kind of an outlet and a way to express
Baking is very good for focusing the mind because it often
