1 . In the story of “The crow and the Pitcher” from Aesop’s Fables, a thisty crow (乌鸦)drops stones into a narrow jar to raise the low level of water inside so he can take a drink.
Now scientists have evidence to back up that story. Crows actually do understand how to make water displacement (移位) work to their advantage, experiments show. The results suggest that the birds are, at least in some aspects, as smart as first-graders.
Researchers, led by Sarah Jelbert at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, presented six crows with tubes filled with water. Inside the tubes, a worm or piece of meat on a piece of wood was floating, just out of reach of the crow. In front of the tubes, the researchers arranged several rubber erasers that would sink, and some plastic objects that would float. The crows found out that they could drop the erasers into the tubes in order to raise the water level and get their snack.
However, the birds handled awkwardly in experiments in which they could choose to drop objects in either a wide tube or a narrow one to get a snack, the researchers said. Dropping objects into narrow tube would lift the water level by a greater amount and put the treat within reach after just two drops; while it took around seven drops to raise the snack to the same level in the wide tube. The crows obviously didn’t realize this, and most of them went for the wide tube first.
Previous studies showed that chimps and human children can solve similar tasks. In a 2011 study, chimps and kids found out that they could put water into a tube to reach a peanut that was floating in a small amount of water at the bottom.
1. How did the crows get the snack in Sarah’s experiment?| A．By breaking the tube. |
| B．By dropping in erasers. |
| C．By standing on the wood. |
| D．By removing the wood. |
| A．They were unable to tell different shapes. |
| B．They dropped objects only into narrow tubes. |
| C．They were not aware of the snack at first sight. |
| D．They mostly avoided the easier way to get the snack. |
| A．Stories of Aesop’s Fables. |
| B．The development of crows. |
| C．Crows’ intelligence. |
| D．Human-animal communication. |
| A．Crows are almost as clever as first-graders in some respects. |
| B．Crows understand water displacement completely. |
| C．Chimps and children are much smarter than crows. |
| D．The story of “The crow and the Pitcher” lacks evidence. |
2 . Maaseik, a city in Belgium, has opened an exhibition of about 200 relics and treasures of the Tang Dynasty (618 AD - 907 AD), showing China’s golden age of ancient civilisation (文明).
The exhibition, which opened on May 11 and will continue until Oct. 20, is part of the city's effort to create a centre of Chinese culture. Belgian Princess Mathilde formally announced the beginning of the exhibition, titled “China’s Golden Age: Treasures from the Tang Dynasty”.
The items, including gold plates and silver wares for royal families, Tang Dynasty tri-colour glazed figurines (小雕像) of women and paintings, have recently been on exhibit in the Dutch city of Assert.
All of the exhibited items are from Shaanxi Province, China. Its provincial capital Xi’an was the most populous (人口多的) city in the world and once the capital of the Tang Dynasty.
The Tang period is generally regarded as a high point in Chinese civilization-equal to, or better than that of the earlier Han Dynasty (202 BC—220 AD), a golden age of Chinese culture.
Several years ago, said Dirk Verlaak, vice-mayor of Maaseik, his city and Assen teamed up to host history and culture exhibitions of China’s first two imperial dynasties, the Qin (221 BC—206 BC) and the Han. The Chinese relics and treasures attracted 350,000 visitors in Assen and 190,000 in Maaseik.
“Westerners don’t know much about China’s ancient civilisation and history, and we hope the new exhibition in Maaseik can attract more visitors,” said Verlaak.
1. Maaseik held the exhibition in order to .| A．make money | B．educate people |
| C．attract foreign visitors | D．spread Chinese culture |
| A．Dirk Verlaak is interested in Chinese history |
| B．All the items in the exhibition are from China |
| C．Assert attracted more visitors than Maaseik several years ago |
| D．This is the first time that Maaseik has held such an exhibition. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Consent. |
| C．Worried. | D．Excited |
| A．Tang Dynasty Treasures Exhibited in Belgium |
| B．Tang Dynasty Treasures Discovered in Belgium |
| C．Chinese Culture Goes Around the World |
| D．Chinese Civilisation Attracts Foreigners |
China is making great effort to protect its cultural relics. In early May, State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) added 1,943 unmovable cultural relics sites to the list. So the number of these sites on this list will increase to 4,295.
| A．All of them need protecting as quickly as possible. |
| B．They also include outstanding modern architecture. |
| C．The SACH has found a total of 4,295 cultural relics. |
| D．Many relics have been destroyed in the process of urban construction. |
| E．Cultural relics sites should become positive factors to improve economic development. |
| F．When talking about protecting the cultural relics, the head of SACH ordered some to be saved. |
| G．Moreover, many of the new sites also include valuable cultural relics from ethnic minority regions(少数民族地区). |
4 . Supreet Kaur, 28, was reporting the Saturday morning bulletin（新闻快报）for news channel（电视台）IBC24 in Chhattisgarh, eastern India. She delivered a breaking news report about a car crash and spoke with a reporter on the phone who gave additional details. While the reporter didn’t identify the three victims by name, there were enough details for Kaur to realise her husband, Harshad Kawade, had been killed. She knew he had been travelling on the same road, at the same time with four friends in the same type of car identified in the accident —a Renault Duster.
But brave Kaur kept her professionalism and continued to read the headlines for another ten minutes — before breaking down in tears off camera.
Colleagues were full of admiration for the way the 28-year-old mother of one handled the situation. One editor told the “Indian Express”: “It clearly shows her sense of duty and professionalism that she continued and kept calm for another 10 minutes. The moment the cameras were off she began calling her relatives and broke down. She left for the accident site after that. Kaur has worked with us for nine years and is one of the most popular news presenters in the State. "We stand with our colleague in pain.” Another colleague told the ‘‘Hindustan Times; “She is an extremely brave lady. We are proud of her as a news presenter, but what happened today has left us in shock.”
Viewers on social media were also full of praise for the way Kaur calmed herself down.
1. What happened to Supreet Kaur’s husband?| A．He was murdered. |
| B．He died in a car crash. |
| C．He killed 3 people by accident. |
| D．He got lost when traveling with friends. |
| A．doubted the truth of the news |
| B．kept calm and continued her work |
| C．rushed to the accident site at once |
| D．burst into tears before the camera |
| A．Friendship. | B．Teamwork. |
| C．Understanding. | D．Professionalism. |
5 . I first met Paul Newman in 1968, when George Roy Hill, the director of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, introduced us in New York City. When the studio didn’t want me for the film - it wanted somebody as well known as Paul — he stood up for me. I don’t know how many people would have done that; they would have listened to their agents or the studio powers.
The friendship that grew out of the experience of making that film and The Sting four years later had its root in the fact that although there was an age difference, we both came from a tradition of theater and live TV. We were respectful of craft(技艺) and focused on digging into the characters we were going to play. Both of us had the qualities and virtues that are typical of American actors: humorous, aggressive, and making fun of each other — but always with an underlying affection. Those were also at the core(核心) of our relationship off the screen.
We shared the belief that if you’re fortunate enough to have success, you should put something back — he with his Newman’s Own food and his Hole in the Wall camps for kids who are seriously ill, and me with Sundance and the institute and the festival. Paul and I didn’t see each other all that regularly, but sharing that brought us together. We supported each other financially and by showing up at events.
I last saw him a few months ago. He’d been in and out of the hospital. He and I both knew what the deal was, and we didn’t talk about it. Ours was a relationship that didn’t need a lot of words.
1. Why was the studio unwilling to give the role to author at first?| A．Paul Newman wanted it. |
| B．The studio powers didn’t like his agent. |
| C．He wasn’t famous enough. |
| D．The director recommended someone else. |
| A．They were of the same age. |
| B．They worked in the same theater. |
| C．They were both good actors. |
| D．They han similar charactertics. |
| A．Their belief. |
| B．Their care for children. |
| C．Their success. |
| D．Their support for each other. |
| A．To show his love of films. |
| B．To remember a friend. |
| C．To introduce a new movie. |
| D．To share his acting experience. |
| 12:25a.m Tuesday | The Real Swiss Robinson Family Laura worried that her children have had their life too easy due to her husband’s career in big business, so she decides to take her teenagers to the Cook Islands to experience the simple life. They face storms and a lack of food, but Laura is happy as their local guide shows them the island’s wealth of rare fruits and foods. |
| 11:00a.m Wednesday | A team have come across an armed man who is holding two baby chimps who were trapped. One of them, David, is sent to a medical emergency in the forest. Later a center director, Nielsen, finds a suitable place to set free more rescued animals. |
| 7:50p.m Thursday | Lost Building of Britain Simon Thurley visits the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey(修道院), which ,before its destruction by Henry VIII, was famous for some of the most amazing stained glasses of its age. It also had a great deal of financial power, acting as the center of an influential business empire. |
1. Why is Laura worried?
| A．Because life on the Cook Islands is too simple. |
| B．Because her husband faces difficulties in his business. |
| C．Because storms are approaching her hometown. |
| D．Because her children may not know how to cherish(珍惜) life. |
| A．7:50 p.m Thursday |
| B．11:00 p.m on Wednesday |
| C．11:00 a.m on Wednesday |
| D．12:25 a.m on Tuesday |
| A．David is a farmer |
| B．Henry VIII set up a business empire in the Abbey |
| C．Nielsen is an animal-lover |
| D．Glastonbury Abbey is famous today for its stained-glass |
7 . Animals can move from place to place, but plants cannot. When an animal is under attack, it can run away or fight back. Plants certainly cannot run away, and they lack teeth and claws. But plants can defend themselves by using both physical and chemical means.
Some plants have their own ways to keep animals away. For example, the leaves of the holly plant have sharp spines (刺) that discourage grass-eating animals. Holly leaves on lower branches have more spines than leaves on upper branches. This is because the lower leaves are easier for most animals to reach.
Some plants, such as the oak tree, have thick and hard leaves that are difficult for animals to eat. Some grasses may contain a sandy material; eating such grasses wears down the animal's teeth.
Many plants also have chemical defenses. Some plants produce chemicals that taste bitter or cause an unpleasant reaction. Some plants may fight against an attack by increasing the production of these chemicals. When a caterpillar (毛虫) bites a tobacco leaf, the leaf produces a chemical messenger. This messenger sends to the roots the information to produce more nicotine. The higher levels of nicotine discourage the caterpillar.
Many plants depend on both physical and chemical defenses. A certain plant in China, for instance, has prickly (多刺的) leaves, and each prickle contains poisonous venom (毒液). A single experience with this kind of plant will teach an animal to stay away from it in the future.
1. The holly plant has more spines on the lower leaves because most animals________.| A．are not tall enough | B．like the lower leaves only |
| C．are not clever enough | D．can get the lower leaves easily |
| A．chemical means | B．physical means |
| C．bitter chemicals | D．sandy materials |
| A．Its leaves fight against the attack by physical means. |
| B．Its roots send a messenger to discourage the caterpillar. |
| C．Its roots increase the production of nicotine when it is attacked. |
| D．Its leaves produce poisonous sand to drive the caterpillar away. |
| A．Plants and Animals | B．How Plants Defend Themselves |
| C．Attacks and Defenses | D．How Animals Eat Plant Leaves |
8 . Parents are fighting for their child’s right to rest across the country. Twenty-three elementary schools in Orange County, Florida, have been cutting back on rest, and even canceling it to increase class time.
In a recent Orange County School Board meeting, parents demanded that rest time be carried out in all local schools for all students. Angela Browning, a parent in the area, said that schools’ rest is ranging from zero to 30 minutes per day. “Five-year-olds not getting rest means abuse,” said Browning, whose twins in the second grade benefit from taking a break and learn better.
“The main reason for reducing the rest time is Common Core exams including math, language arts and literacy, where the students’ performance often controls teachers’ pay and sometimes teachers may lose their jobs. Many teachers are using that extra 20 minutes that would have been spent on the schools’ scores, everybody is stressful,” said Diana Moore, president of the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association.
The decision of whether reducing rest takes place, and for how long is up to each school’s rule. “Florida law requires that districts provide 900 teaching hours during the school year,” Florida’s Department of Education press secretary Cheryl Etters said in a statement. “Whether test is part of the school day is a decision made by the school board.”
Reducing test also can take away an opportunity for children to learn social skills, according to many experts. “In society, who cares if you have straight A’s and you get a scholarship to Harvard if you lack social skills?” said Mallet, a mother of two children.
1. What will Angela Browning agree with?| A．Kids of five years old had better get more break time. |
| B．Proper rest time improves children’s learning efficiency. |
| C．The more rest children have, the higher grades they will get. |
| D．Elementary schools should limit kids’ rest time to 30 minutes. |
| A．Parents’ demand. |
| B．Students’ lack of social skills. |
| C．Students’ bad behavior. |
| D．The link between their pay and school’s scores. |
| A．Social skills are more important than high scores. |
| B．Whether students get A’s in school is very important. |
| C．Graduates from Harvard can’t find good jobs. |
| D．Rest time has nothing to do with students’ social skills |
| A．The government is to order schools to increase rest time. |
| B．Students expect to get more time to play in school. |
| C．Parents struggle for the rest right for their kids in school. |
| D．Teachers’ pay is related to their performance in teaching. |
China Singles’ Day, as a shopping day, takes place on November 11 each year. There are sharp discounts and other promotions (促销) designed by Alibaba to attract online customers. In 2015, E-commerce giant Alibaba broke records with sales of $14.3 billion on China Singles’ Day, with online sales increasing 60 percent from last year, according to Alibaba. “Most people shop on mobile phones or ipads and online shopping has become a comfortable channel for most consumers”, said Kitty Fok, China manager for market research. “China is a big market with close to one billion smart, connected device users. It is good news for both Alibaba and their competitors,” she said.
The company is focusing on international e-commerce for future Singles’ Days, reported Reuters. “Within the next five years, we expect China will become the world's largest e-commerce market for imported products,” President Michael Evans told reporters on Wednesday. Alibaba Chief Executive Daniel Zhang said in a statement that Singles’ Day would mean that “the whole world will see the power of Chinese consumption.” Over 130 million users visited Alibaba’s marketplace app, Taobao, reported the BBC.
1. What does Alibaba expect to do on Singles’ Day?
| A．Celebrate single lives | B．Defeat competitors |
| C．Develop firm cultures | D．Increase online sales |
| A．Smart products | B．Crazy buying |
| C．Low prices | D．More advertisements |
| A．The popularity of smart, connected device users. |
| B．The potential power of Chinese consumption. |
| C．The cooperation with the international e-commerce. |
| D．The promotions on Alibaba's marketplace app, Taobao. |
| A．doubtful | B．optimistic |
| C．negative | D．uncertain |
Robots，such as the sound．sensitive Chapit，answer simple questions and even joke with people to help them fight loneliness and stay alert in old age．
Japan has one of the world’s fastest-ageing societies and the government predicts that by 2050 the proportion of people over 65 will reach 40 percent．”Many older people in Japan live alone and have no one to talk to，”said Kazuya Kitamura representative of the expo organizer．“Communication robots accompany people and don’t mind listening to the same stories over and over again．”
Matsumoto’s“Personal Mobility Robot，”equipped with four cameras and a sensor to recognize the user's centre of gravity, is designed to help elderly move around without pressing buttons．using joysticks(操纵杆)or rotating wheels as in traditional wheelchairs．
The robot can also help find misplaced glasses by identifying them with a sensor．
Other robots，such as the award-winning“DiGRO”can support busy parents who have little time to play with their children．The robot can use the Internet to find a simple image and then draw pictures，keeping children company while parents work．
While Chapit，a relatively simple robot，managed to attract a corporate partner many researchers，such as Kiyoshi Matsumoto，a professor at the University of Tokyo，struggle to attract sponsors for more expensive projects．
“We have developed a robot that can assist many people，but we still haven’t found a sponsor,”said Matsumoto，who added that the cost of the machine，if mass-produced，would be comparable to that of a car．”In the current economic environment there are few companies willing to invest in such a costly project，”he said．
1. It can be inferred from the text that_______．
| A．many children lack love from parents |
| B．robots helpful to the old will be in great demand |
| C．robots are the most useful to children |
| D．robots do better than people in healthcare |
| A．Japan is suffering economy depression |
| B．the robots are of poor design |
| C．the production of robots costs a lot |
| D．the future market is worrying |
| A．Unsatisfied． | B．Doubtful． |
| C．Favorable． | D．Regretful． |
