3 . According to a recent study, laughter and joy may not be unique to humans. Ancestral forms of play and laughter existed in other animals long before they did in humans. Jaak Panksepp, a professor of psychobiology at Washington State University and the author of the study, says, “Human laughter has deep roots in our animal past.”

While humans are the only creatures that tell jokes, it has long been suspected that some animals like to laugh. In 1872, Charles Darwin pointed out that “very many kinds of monkeys, when pleased, make a sound, clearly analogous to our laughter.” In an experiment Panksepp had performed earlier, he found that when chimpanzees (黑猩猩) play, they make noises strikingly like human laughter, and that dogs have a similar response.

Panksepp notes that children who are too young to laugh at jokes are likely to laugh during noisy plays. Panksepp found that when young rats (老鼠) are playing, they also make sounds - they chirp (发唧唧声), although people can’t hear them. These chirps are far too high for humans to hear. Researchers must use special electronic receivers that change the chirps to sounds that humans can hear.

In studying laughter, scientists have focused mostly on related issues - humor, personality, health benefits, social theory - rather than laughter itself. New research, however, shows that circuits (电路) for laughter exist in very ancient parts of the human brain. The ability to laugh appears early in childhood, as anyone who has seen a baby laugh knows.

Some scientists say that other mammals, just like humans, have many feelings. “The recognition by neuroscientists that the brain mechanisms (机制) causing pain, pleasure and fear are the same in humans and other mammals shows our similarity to other species and extremely important.” said Tecumseh Fitch, a psychology lecturer at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Science has traditionally held that humour is only a human quality, and many scientists believe that more research is required before rats’ chirping sounds can be considered real laughter. Panksepp believes that, through a study of laughter in rats, the human sense of humour can be more fully understood.

1. What is the finding of the recent study?

A．Animals can also play jokes on others.

B．Animals can hardly express happiness.

C．Human laughter has its origin in animal sounds.

D．Humans actually developed from ancient animals.

2. What does the underlined word “analogous” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Similar.

B．Special.

C．Familiar.

D．Important.

3. What can be learned about rats’ chirps?

A．They are beyond human hearing range.

B．They sound like young kids’ sounds.

C．They are made during rats’ fighting.

D．They may affect human feelings.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Mammals have a particularly sensitive brain area.

B．Humans have fully understood animals’ behaviours.

C．People and animals share some emotional responses

D．Rats’ chirps and human laughter are basically the same.

4 . Floyd Norman, 81, was just 20 years old in 1956 when Walt Disney Studios employed him. He was the first African-American artist to be employed by the company. “It wasn’t something he set out to do as a goal,” Erik Sharkey said. Sharkey is a codirector of the documentary Floyd Norman: An Animated Life. “It sort of happened by his pursuing(追求) the thing that he loved.”

Norman’s first assignment was on Sleeping Beauty. He drew the characters positions that made them appear to move. A few years later, he helped bring the animated sequences(连续镜头)in Mary Poppins to life.

While at the studio, Norman liked to create gag(诙谐)drawings that he would post around the office. His coworkers, including Walt Disney, appreciated the humor. Disney assigned Norman a job on The Jungle Book. Norman drew the “Trust in Me sequence, in which Kaa, the snake, hypnotizes(迷惑)the boy, Mowgli. It was cool to be in that room with Walt - as long as he didn’t spot you. He might ask you a question,” Norman says in the documentary, “I thought he was always going to ask me: What are you doing here?”

In 1966, Norman left Disney to start Vignette Films with three friends. They made educational movies, including a series devoted to black history. But Norman never stopped drawing. He worked on Scooby-Doo, Jonny Quest, and Josie and the Pussycats. He also drew a Mickey Mouse comic strip(连环漫画)for Disney. In 1997, he joined Pixar to work on Toy Story 2.

Today, Norman is back at Disney. where he is an inspiration to young artists. But he is not ready to call himself a pioneer. “I never saw myself as anything special,” Norman says. “I was just another artist looking for a job.”

1. How did Norman make history according to Sharkey?

A．By aiming high.

B．By following his dreams.

C．By setting long-term goals.

D．By working for a world-class company.

2. How did Walt Disney find Norman’s drawings?

A．Excellent.

B．Natural.

C．Confusing.

D．Mysterious.

3. What did Norman do after he left Disney?

A．He became a moviemaker.

B．He taught young artists to draw.

C．He wrote a book about black history.

D．He pursued advanced study on drawing.

4. Which of the following can best describe Norman?

A．Honest and responsible.

B．Optimistic and sensitive.

C．Determined and talented.

D．Considerate and generous.

5 . First of all, an advertisement has to be powerful and attract people’s attention. You need a strong image (形象) that is eye-catching, a catchy slogan, a joke or something shocking. In advertising we talk about the AIDA method. A is for attention. I is for interest. D is for desire (渴望). A is for action. An ad needs to do more than just get our attention. It also has to be effective. It must get us interested, make us want the product and motivate us to go out and buy it.

—Michael Hamilton, advertising executive

Advertising has changed over the years. Adverts are no longer just informative and focused on the product. Many of the adverts that we see today are short stories telling inspirational tales that are often amusing, humorous and highly-developed. People do not want to remember that life can be boring. They want to see something original and creative. The adverts take away the ordinariness of everyday life and take us to somewhere unusual or romantic (浪漫的).

—Miranda Hoyles, head of a US advertising agency

Many people talk about advertisements that are exciting and interesting. But for me, an immediately recognisable logo (标识) is really important. Good logos have been built up so they are recognisable. Part of what makes a good advert is a clear symbol that people immediately identify with the company. A good slogan also helps you make a connection. The real thing makes you think of Coca-Cola immediately. It’s also important to ensure that your slogan does not end up bothering(烦扰) everyone.

—Christie Peterson, illustrator

1. According to Michael Hamilton, a good advert should _______.

A．keep up with the times

B．excite people’s imagination

C．be attention-getting and persuasive

D．be product-centered and informative

2. What does Miranda Hoyles say about adverts today?

A．They reflect everyday life.

B．They are business-focused.

C．They are complex and boring.

D．They involve some excellent ideas.

3. Which of the following is Christie Peterson’s main concern about advertising?

A．Creative stories.

B．Public recognition.

C．The slogan and logo.

D．Special visual effects.

6 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

I knew this dreaded day would come sooner or later. It came too fast and there I was, in the waiting room of the dental clinic, miserable with butterflies in my stomach.

My parents told me to sit up, stop wringing(拧) my hands, and take deep breaths to keep calm. It worked. I was calm for maybe two seconds when I heard my name being called. I pretended to be deaf but my mother touched me to get up. I forced myself to step forward and immediately stumbled (绊) over a toy and the boy who was playing with it. My clumsiness got me the attention of everyone in the room. Being stared at by so many pairs of eyes was too much and I hurried to the consultation room as fast as I could, leaving the boy crying for his broken toy.

I had refused my parents’ offer to accompany me. I meant to show them that I was brave enough to face the treatment on my own. I regretted it right now. Thankfully, I forgot my anxiety as I looked around the dentist’s room. Tools of different sizes were arranged neatly in a plate on the tiny table which was connected to a chair with buttons and a light hanging right over it. I avoided looking at my dentist in the eye as I took my seat on the chair shakily.

I tried to calm myself down, imaging how brave I would be. After a while, I was taken by great surprise when all of a sudden the chair moved and I was lying down facing the bright yellow light. When I caught sight of the dental drill on the plate, panic related to a bad childhood experience involving the drill kicked into me.

注意：1.续写的词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

I cried out and almost jumped out of the seat.

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My parents were waiting at the door anxiously when I ran out excitedly.

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9 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

On the first day of fourth grade, my teacher, Mrs. Brown, told my class a story about her husband Rob, who is a brain cancer survivor. She became emotional as she talked about their journey through his treatment and recovery. After what Mrs. Brown experienced with Rob’s illness, she decided to devote part of her life to helping people in similar situations. She told us about a local organization she was a part of called Be Head Strong, which works to support and comfort families with a member suffering from brain cancer.

Mrs. Brown never showed any sadness about the disease. She instead spoke only with words of determination to find a cure. Through her positive spirit she showed us how strong hope could be.

My parents taught me form a very young age that making wise choices with my money is important. I would always set aside most of my $2.50-a-week allowance. By the end of the school year, I had saved over one hundred dollars, $131.30 to be exact. One day I was wondering what to do with it. I thought about the stories Mrs. Brown told us. I decided that was where I wanted my money to go.

As the last day of school approached, I told my parents about my gift for Mrs. Brown. My mom helped me wrap the heart-shaped box full of dollars and coins. After all the other kids had left on the last day of school, I handed Mrs. Brown the present. As she opened it, I told her that I wanted the money to go to Be Head Strong to help people like Rob. She broke into tears and hugged me tightly. At last, she invited me to Be Head Strong’s annual fundraiser and auction.

注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

The night’s theme was hope and giving and many stories were shared.

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At the end of the night’s auction, people were asked to donate what they could.

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