1 . Can dogs and cats live in perfect harmony in the same home? People who are thinking about adopting a dog as a friend for their cats are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found a new recipe of success. According to the study, if the cat is adopted before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young (less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get along swimmingly. Two-thirds of the homes interviewed reported a positive relationship between their cat and dog.
However, it wasn’t all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggression and fighting were observed in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body signals were just opposite. For example, when a cat turns its head away it signals aggression, while a dog doing the same signals submission.
In homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behaviour. They are learning how to talk each other’s language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk ‘Dog’, and dogs can learn how to talk ‘Cat’.
What’s interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence. They can learn to read each other’s body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than we previously suspected. Once familiar with each other’s presence and body language, cats and dogs can play together, greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together in the sofa. They can easily share the same water bowl and in some cases groom (梳理) each other.
The significance of this research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets —to people who don’t get along, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers. If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.
1. The underlined word swimmingly in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to________.A.early | B.sweetly |
C.quickly | D.smoothly |
A.they are cold to each other |
B.they look away from each other |
C.they misunderstand each other’s signals |
D.they are introduced at an early age |
A.They eat and sleep together |
B.They observe each others behaviors |
C.They learn to speak each other’s language |
D.They know something from each other’s voice |
A.We should learn to live in harmony |
B.We should knows more about animals |
C.We should live in peace with animals |
D.We should learn more body languages. |
Lions,tigers and other animals are staying awake at night
Scientists have known that human activities can lead to changes in nature.Many animals may move around less or travel to far places to keep away
The latest research found even activities like farming and camping can
The new findings are
注意:1、词数100左右;
2、开头和结尾已经给出,不计入总词数;
3、可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
提示词:低碳生活:low-carbon life
Dear Jack,
How is everything going?
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Yours,
Li Hua
4 . Three-quarters of a million tourists flock to the primitive, white beaches every year—but this booming industry has come at a price. When foreigners left the government struggling to cope with a stream of rubbish, their answer was to turn one of these islands into a dumping ground. Clouds of sharp, poisonous smoke rising from open fires, piles of rubbish made up of plastic bottles, crisp packets and consumer junk. It’s a far cry from the white sands, crystal-clear waters and gently swaying palm trees that we associate with the Maldives (马尔代夫), the beautiful paradise island holiday destination set in the Indian Ocean.
Of its 200 inhabited islands, which are spread across an area of 35,000 square miles, 99 are dedicated resorts. Three-quarters of a million tourists visit every year — more than double the domestic population. of these, over 100,000 travel from the UK. The capital, Malé, is four times more densely populated than London. Given these facts, it’s hardly surprising that the Maldives on which has a waste disposal problem.
What you are seeing here is a view of the Maldives on which no honeymooners will ever fix eyes. Four miles west of Malé is the country’s dumping ground, Thilafushi — or Rubbish Island as it has simply become known.
The country dumps upwards of 330 tons of rubbish on the island every day. A figure attributed largely to the tourist industry on which the chain of islands relies. Each visitor generates 3.5 kg of waste per day.
Now, the government of the Maldives has banned the dumping of waste on the island, which is too late, due largely to an increase in the number of waste boats “fly-tipping”(非法倾倒) directly into the sea, fed up with waiting seven hours or more to offload their cargo.
1. The government of the Maldives is in troubled faced with ________.A.how to develop the tourist industry |
B.where to set up a dumping ground |
C.how to deal with the rubbish left by tourists. |
D.where to set up dedicated resorts |
A.the Maldives are still paradise islands with clear waters. |
B.the Maldives rely on tourist industry |
C.the Maldives are called Rubbish Islands |
D.the country dumps about 330 tons of rubbish on the island every month |
A.positive | B.satisfied |
C.forgiving | D.critical |
A.inform people of the present situation of the Maldives |
B.expose people’s bad behavior on the islands |
C.introduce the Maldives to the whole word |
D.persuade people out of going to the Maldives |
5 . Mandara seemed to know something big was about to happen. So she let out a yell, caught hold of her 2-year-old daughter Kibibi and climbed up into a tree. She lives at the National Zoo in Washington D.C..
And on Tuesday, August 23rd, witnesses said she seemed to sense the big earthquake that shook much of the East Coast before any humans knew what was going on. And she’s not the only one. In the moments before the quake, an orangutan (猩猩) let out a loud call and then climbed to the top of her shelter.
“It’s very different from their normal call,” said Brandie Smith, the zookeeper. “The lemurs (monkey like animals of Madagascar) will sound an alarm if they see or hear something highly unusual.”
But you can’t see or hear an earthquake 15 minutes before it happens, can you? Maybe you can——if you’re an animal.
“Animals can hear above and below our range of hearing,” said Brandie Smith. “That’s part of their special abilities. They’re more sensitive to the environment, which is how they survive.”
Primates weren’t the only animals that seemed to sense the quake before it happened. One of the elephants made a warning sound and a huge lizard (蜥蜴) ran quickly for cover. The flamingoes (a kind of birds) gathered before the quake and stayed together until the shaking stopped.
So what kind of vibrations (震动) were the animals picking up in the moments before the quake? Scientist Susan Hough said earthquakes produce two types of waves——a weak “P” wave and then a much stronger “S” wave. The “P” stands for “primary”. And the “S” stands for “secondary”. She thinks the “P” wave might be what sets the animals off.
Not all the animals behaved unusually before the quake. For example, Smith said the zoo’s giant pandas didn’t jump up until the shaking actually began. But many of the other animals seemed to know something was coming before it happened. “I’m not surprised at all,” Smith said.
1. Why did Mandara act strangely one day?A.Because it sensed something unusual would happen. |
B.Because its daughter Kibibi was injured. |
C.Because it heard an orangutan let out a loud call. |
D.Because an earthquake had happened. |
A.many animals hearing is sharp |
B.earthquakes produce two types of waves |
C.primates usually gather together before a quake |
D.humans can also develop the ability to sense a quake |
A.A giant panda. | B.A flamingo. |
C.A lemur. | D.A lizard. |
A.How animals survive a quake |
B.How animals differ from humans |
C.How animals behave before a quake |
D.How animals protect their young in a quake |
I'm not sure
My name is Mireya Mayor. I'm a
When the gorillas and I frightened each other, I was just glad to find
7 . Steven Stein likes to follow garbage trucks. His strange habit makes sense when you consider that he’s an environmental scientist who studies how to reduce litter, including things that fall off garbage trucks as they drive down the road. What is even more interesting is that one of Stein’s jobs is defending an industry behind the plastic shopping bags.
Americans use more than 100 billion thin film plastic bags every year. So many end up in tree branches or along highways that a growing number of cities do not allow them at checkouts(收银台). The bags are prohibited in some 90 cities in California, including Los Angeles. Eyeing these headwinds, plastic-bag makers are hiring scientists like Stein to make the case that their products are not as bad for the planet as most people assume.
Among the bag makers’ argument: many cities with bans still allow shoppers to purchase paper bags, which are easily recycled but require more energy to produce and transport. And while plastic bags may be ugly to look at, they represent a small percentage of all garbage on the ground today.
The industry has also taken aim at the product that has appeared as its replacement: reusable shopping bags. The stronger a reusable bag is, the longer its life and the more plastic-bag use it cancels out. However, longer-lasting reusable bags often require more energy to make. One study found that a cotton bag must be used at least 131 times to be better for the planet than plastic.
Environmentalists don’t dispute(质疑) these points. They hope paper bags will be banned someday too and want shoppers to use the same reusable bags for years.
1. What has Steven Stein been hired to do?A.Help increase grocery sales. |
B.Recycle the waste material. |
C.Stop things falling off trucks. |
D.Argue for the use of plastic bags. |
A.Bans on plastic bags. |
B.Effects of city development. |
C.Headaches caused by garbage. |
D.Plastic bags hung in trees. |
A.They are quite expensive. |
B.Replacing them can be difficult. |
C.They are less strong than plastic bags. |
D.Producing them requires more energy. |
A.Plastic, Paper or Neither |
B.Industry, Pollution and Environment |
C.Recycle or Throw Away |
D.Garbage Collection and Waste Control |
8 . Color is fundamental in home design—something you’ll always have in every room. A grasp of how to manage color in your spaces is one of the first steps to creating rooms you’ll love to live in. Do you want a room that’s full of life? Professional? Or are you just looking for a place to relax after a long day?
Over the years, there have been a number of different techniques to help designers approach this important point.
Medium color choices are generally furniture pieces such as sofas, dinner tables or bookshelves.
The large color decisions in your rooms concern the walls, ceilings, and floors. Whether you’re looking at wallpaper or paint, the time, effort and relative expense put into it are significant.
A.While all of them are useful |
B.Whatever you’re looking for |
C.If you’re experimenting with a color |
D.Small color choices are the ones we’re most familiar with |
E.It’s not really a good idea to use too many small color pieces |
F.So it pays to be sure, because you want to get it right the first time |
G.Color choices in this range are a step up from the small ones in two major ways |
9 . Give yourself a test. Which way is the wind blowing? How many kinds of wildflowers can be seen from your front door? If your awareness is as sharp as it could be, you’ll have no trouble answering these questions.
Most of us observed much more as children than we do as adults. A child’s day is filled with fascination, newness and wonder. Curiosity gave us all a natural awareness. But distinctions that were sharp to us as children become unclear; we are numb(麻木的)to new stimulation(刺激), new ideas. Relearning the art of seeing the world around us is quite simple, although it takes practice and requires breaking some bad habits.
The first step in awakening senses is to stop predicting what we are going to see and feel before it occurs. This blocks awareness. One chilly night when I was hiking in the Rocky Mountains with some students, I mentioned that we were going to cross a mountain stream. The students began complaining about how cold it would be. We reached the stream, and they unwillingly walked ahead. They were almost knee-deep when they realized it was a hot spring. Later they all admitted they’d felt cold water at first.
Another block to awareness is the obsession(痴迷) many of us have with naming things. I saw bird watchers who spotted a bird, immediately looked it up in field guides, and said, a "ruby-crowned kinglet" and checked it off. They no longer paid attention to the bird and never learned what it was doing.
The pressures of "time" and "destination" are further blocks to awareness. I encountered many hikers who were headed to a distant camp-ground with just enough time to get there before dark. It seldom occurred to them to wander a bit, to take a moment to see what’s around them. I asked them what they’d seen. "Oh, a few birds," they said. They seemed bent on their destinations.
Nature seems to unfold to people who watch and wait. Next time you take a walk, no matter where it is, take in all the sights, sounds and sensations. Wander in this frame of mind and you will open a new dimension to your life.z.xxk
1. According to Paragraph 2, compared with adults, children are more ____________.A.anxious to do wonders |
B.sensitive to others’ feelings |
C.likely to develop unpleasant habits |
D.eager to explore the world around them |
A.To avoid jumping to conclusions. |
B.To stop complaining all the time. |
C.To follow the teacher’s advice. |
D.To admit mistakes honestly. |
A.are very patient in their observation |
B.are really fascinated by nature |
C.care only about the names of birds |
D.question the accuracy of the field guides |
A.The natural beauty isn’t attractive to them. |
B.They focus on arriving at the camp in time. |
C.The forest in the dark is dangerous for them. |
D.They are keen to see rare birds at the destination. |
A.fill our senses to feel the wonders of the world |
B.get rid of some bad habits in our daily life |
C.open our mind to new things and ideas |
D.try our best to protect nature |
湿地 | “地球之肾(kidney)”, 有极其重要的生态功能 |
西溪湿地 | 杭州市区西部,总面积约10平方公里 |
主要活动 | 泛舟、观鸟、赏花、品尝美食等 |
2. 可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯;
3. 开头和结尾已为你写好,但不计入总词数。
Dear Mike,
How’s it going with you?
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I’m sure we’ll have great fun.
Yours,
Li Hua