Today, giant pandas are considered to be one of the world’s best-known animals. People make huge efforts
The inspiration for WWF’s logo (标识) came from Chi Chi,
The panda has ever since become a symbol not just for WWF,
2 . During World War II, Duchess Nina Douglas-Hamilton played a vital role in looking after animals.
As the war broke out, the government issued orders for the mass killing livestock (家畜) to prevent them from being captured or destroyed by the enemy. Duchess Nina launched a campaign to save as many animals as possible, and soon became known as the “animal heroine” for her efforts.
Duchess Nina worked with local farmers and animal owners to relocate animals to safer areas, such as the Scottish Highlands. She also established a network of volunteers who helped to care for animals during the war. She organized feeding programs, medical care and transportation, ensuring that animals were well looked after even during the most difficult times. The most challenging aspect of her work was the shortage of food during the war. So she established a vegetable garden and used leftovers to create nutritious meals for animals. She also reached out to the public for donations of food and supplies, and was able to secure enough resources to keep animals healthy and fed.
In addition to her work with domestic animals, Duchess Nina was also a strong advocate for wildlife conservation. She established a center for wild animals Scotland, where she provided a safe place for deer, foxes and other animals that were threatened by the war. She also worked with local protection groups to protect natural habitats.
Duchess Nina’s work during World War II was not without its risks. She frequently risked her life to save animals, often driving through perilous areas.
Sadly, some people saw her efforts as a distraction from the war effort. However, she continued to work tirelessly for animals. After the war, Duchess Nina’s work was recognized by the government and she got an important award for her services to animals.
1. How did Duchess Nina probably feel when she heard the government’s orders?| A．Calm. | B．Worried. | C．Excited. | D．Encouraged. |
| A．Nobody gave her any donations. |
| B．She couldn’t find enough volunteers. |
| C．The animals didn’t have enough food to eat. |
| D．Local farmers didn’t give her enough support. |
| A．To keep domestic animals there. |
| B．To attract local protection groups. |
| C．To provide a home for wild animals. |
| D．To offer a safe place to animal owners. |
| A．Dangerous. | B．Urban. | C．Faraway. | D．Poor. |
3 . On the night of the speech contest, I was worried about the shy girl. My heart
My palms (手掌) began to
But the moment that
| A．beat | B．sank | C．lost | D．broke |
| A．sure enough | B．worse still | C．above all | D．in addition |
| A．crying | B．warning | C．clapping | D．screaming |
| A．sweat | B．tremble | C．change | D．turn |
| A．try | B．pose | C．guess | D．slip |
| A．thought | B．admitted | C．ignored | D．noticed |
| A．confused | B．interested | C．surprised | D．challenged |
| A．loud | B．weak | C．tight | D．low |
| A．support | B．attention | C．vote | D．silence |
| A．determined | B．puzzled | C．relaxed | D．bored |
| A．crowded | B．hurried | C．bounced | D．flowed |
| A．started | B．ended | C．progressed | D．rested |
| A．sincerely | B．easily | C．wildly | D．eagerly |
| A．misted | B．hid | C．prevented | D．shaded |
| A．pushed | B．threw | C．pulled | D．lifted |
4 . Dogs may have earned the title of our best friends through their interactions with humans, but now researchers say these social skills could, be present shortly after birth rather than being learned.
To better understand the role of biology in dogs’ abilities to communicate with humans, the researchers studied 375 eight-week-old service dogs. They looked at how these dogs performed in a series of tasks designed to measure their communication skills. The puppies were still living with their littermates (同窝出生者) and had not been sent to live with a volunteer puppy raiser, making it unlikely that they had learned about his or her behavior.
In the first task, a person hid a treat beneath one of two overturned cups and pointed to it to see if the puppy could follow the gesture. Since dogs are good at using noses to find things a treat was also taped to the insides of, both cups. In the second task, puppies watched as the researchers placed a yellow, block next to the correct cup, instead of pointing to indicate where the puppy should look for the food.
The third task was designed to observe puppies’ tendency to look at human faces. The researchers spoke to the puppy in a voice people sometimes use when talking to a baby. They then measured how long the puppy fixed a stare on the human.
In the last task, researchers sealed a treat inside a closed container and presented it to the puppy. They then measured how often the puppy looked to the human for help in opening the container.
The study found that while many of the puppies were responsive to humans’ physical and verbal cues, very few looked to humans for help with the unsolvable task. Researchers said, “This suggests that while puppies may be born knowing how to respond to human-initiated communication, the ability to initiate communication on their own may come later.” The next step will be to see if specific genes that may contribute to dogs’ abilities to communicate with humans can be identified.
1. Why were eight-week-old service dogs chosen for the study?| A．They were the best age to learn. |
| B．They were cute and safe to deal with. |
| C．They were unlikely influenced by their mates. |
| D．They had had little contact with humans before. |
| A．To provide clues for the puppies’ final decisions. |
| B．To make comparisons between different conditions. |
| C．To prevent the puppies from making use of their smell. |
| D．To check the puppies’ preference for a particular color. |
| A．Puppies can understand our body language. |
| B．Puppies are good at asking humans for help. |
| C．Puppies are born to arouse communication with humans. |
| D．Puppies need specific genes to communicate with humans. |
| A．Dogs—talented performers | B．Dogs—humans’ best friends |
| C．Dogs—born to be able to learn | D．Dogs—born to understand humans |
5 . I’ve never had a great sense of direction. And I often wander into shops and, upon coming back out, can’t remember which way I’ve come from — left or right? Many people are like me, and why do some constantly have no idea where they are?
The hippocampus (海马体) is a region of the brain associated with memory and involved in sense of direction. And a nearby region has also been associated with sense of direction. There are four known types of navigation-related neurons (神经元), found in these regions place cells, grid cells, border cells and head direction cells.
In short, you can think of place cells as an internal cognitive (认知的) map; they identify where you are. Grid cells are like a GPS system in our brain; they tell us about the relationship of this place to other places we’ve been to. Border cells respond to the presence of environmental boundaries at a specific direction and distance from us. Lastly, head direction cells are activated when our head faces a specific direction. These cells will fire electrical impulses when we enter familiar locations, with each group of cells relating to a specific place.
Our reliance on GPS and smartphones may have decreased the ability to use our internal maps. Older adults who regularly used GPS had less activity in their hippocampus, compared with those who did not use GPS. They also performed slightly worse in a cognition test. In contrast, a study involving London taxi drivers found they significantly larger hippocampus than ordinary people.
You can improve your way-finding ability specifically by practicing the skill, according to Aziz, PhD of neurology at Temple University School of Medicine. “The more you get out and go to places, the better,” he says. Physical exercise improves the blood flow to the brain, while mental exercise, such as doing puzzles or learning a new language, stimulates the development of new nerve cells and connections in your brain.
1. How does the author introduce the topic of the text?| A．By raising a question. |
| B．By making a comparison. |
| C．By stating personal opinions. |
| D．By referring to scientific research. |
| A．They depend closely on each other. |
| B．They are responsible for different jobs. |
| C．They will decrease in numbers as one ages. |
| D．They will fail to function in unfamiliar situations. |
| A．We will easily be misled. |
| B．Our hippocampus will get enlarged. |
| C．Our cognitive ability will be affected. |
| D．We will have our hippocampus relaxed. |
| A．Build up our body. | B．Take training courses. |
| C．Try different brain exercises. | D．Get out to connect with people. |
6 . Mirthy hosts over 80 online events every month. You can enjoy them from the comfort of your home. All you need to do is visit our dedicated page on the Mirthy website.
Learning to rug hooking on a budgetFriday 4th and Friday 18th November at 2:30 pm
Participants will learn a brief history of rug hooking. Participants will also be encouraged to try their hand at this multi-generational art form, have two weeks to complete the small project and then come back to the second session to learn how to finish it off and prepare it for display.
The disappearance of Heneage BloxhamWednesday 9th November at 7:30 pm
In 2001, Sam Eedle was approached by an elderly woman in Tewkesbury. Her uncle, Heneage Bloxham, had disappeared on the Western Front and nobody in her family was able to tell her what actually happened to him. By accessing the available records, maps and war diaries, and by taking a diversion to the battlefield while on a trip to France, Sam was able to find out what happened to the woman’s uncle.
African danceMonday 2lst November at 5:15 pm
African dance allows us to express ourselves individually while also being part of a collective. Creative expression is encouraged and our uniqueness is celebrated. Kenzi will be reminding you that movements can be adapted and explored to find a way that works for your body and movement style. Making a wild foraged wreath Monday 28th November at 2:30 pm
In this workshop, you will be learning how to make a wreath! Through winding twigs and vines to find forest textures into a festive sampling of nature, this will be an artistic nature-based experience. The wreath is free-form and adds a naturalistic winter atmosphere to your door with a minimal, organic style.
1. Where do the activities take place?| A．On the Internet. | B．In public places. |
| C．At school. | D．In a lecture hall. |
| A．Sam Eedle. | B．An elderly woman. |
| C．Heneage Bloxham. | D．Kenzi. |
| A．18th November at 2:30 pm. | B．9th November at 7:30 pm. |
| C．21st November at 5:15 pm. | D．28th November at 2:30 pm. |
7 . In a world where acts of kindness often go unnoticed, a good story that has been discovered reminds us of the power of care and the effect it can have on someone’s life.
It all started with a “Kindness Week Challenge” given to Brennan by his 8th-grade teacher, Ms. Watkins. Little did he know that this challenge would lead to a wonderful friendship with 84-year-old Ms. Ann.
Brennan’s promise to send his little attractive things every day for a week developed a habit of checking up on Ms. Ann and sending gifts regularly(定期地), long after the challenge was over.
Their friendship has now lasted for over five years, and Brennan still visits Ms. Ann every month with flowers, cakes, chocolates, cards and more.
They talk about everything from his high school life to his college goals. The pair has found that they share a common love of chocolates. Ms. Ann always hopes to hear about what he’s doing and loves to share her own stories from a different time. They have become the best friends, with Brennan treating her as his great-grandmother.
Brennan’s mom, Traci, takes pride in her son. She said, “The best thing a teenager can do is to take care of the elderly. I’m so glad my son has added more sunshine to Ms. Ann’s life. I hope he always remembers the joy he’s brought her, and his fun talks with her, keeps his kind heart, and thinks of others.”
Ms. Ann’s daughter Emma, with her husband Gould, has a 2-year-old son. They are thankful for Brennan’s friendship as they cannot always be with Ms. Ann. Brennan’s kind heart has brought more sunshine into Ms. Ann’s life, and her encouraging words have helped to inspire(启发)him in return.
1. How did the task “Kindness Week Challenge” affect Brennan?| A．He discovered his love of chocolates. |
| B．He became a good friend of Ms. Ann. |
| C．He developed a habit of receiving gifts. |
| D．He learned how to choose attractive things. |
| A．Flowers. | B．Cakes. | C．Chocolates. | D．Cards. |
| A．His kindness to others. |
| B．His talent for telling stories. |
| C．His good performances at school. |
| D．His ability to earn money for the gifts. |
| A．Worried. | B．Sorry. | C．Thankful. | D．Surprised. |
增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(),并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除:把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改:在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意:1每处错误及其修改均仅限一词;
2.只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
It is generally believed there is a good supply of fresh water. And to our disappointment, the fact was just the opposite.What we know, the world population is growing rapid day by day. So much fresh water is needed to feed so a big population. What's the more, with the development of industry, some factories produce poisonous waste, which consequently results from the pollution of water. It’s high time for we to take quick action to protect water resources. Stopping pollution and save water, otherwise we cannot survive on the earth.
9 . Poet Wadsworth Longfellow said “music is the universal language of mankind”, and there’s growing evidence that he was right. New research shows people with Alzheimer’s (老年痴呆) disease often respond to familiar music or song lyrics, even when their memories and ability to participate in conversation may be flagging.
Jonathan Graff-Radford,Doctor of Medicine,explains on The Mayo Clinic website why this may be: “Musical memories are often preserved in Alzheimer’s patients because key brain areas linked to musical memory are relatively undamaged by the disease.”
When English senior Ted McDermott was diagnosed with Alzheimer in 2016, his son Simon McDermott found Ted became verbally and physically violent as the disease progressed. Grateful for the resources provided by the Alzheimer’s Society, Simon and 80-year-old Ted made videos of their daily car duets (二重唱) for a fundraising ‘‘Singing for the Brain” program in 2019. Truly remarkable,considering that some days Ted didn’t recognize Simon.
The songs brought them to the attention of the public. In just a few months their efforts had considerable success on YouTube, raising over 100,000, and resulting in a contract with Decca Records for 80-year-old Ted. Although Ted has begun to decline a little in the last years, he always remembers the words to his favorite songs and is happy to go with Simon daily in the car to sing. Different music-related programs and projects are offered by the U.K. Alzheimer’s Society organizations. These programs are designed for people with Alzheimer to provide mental stimulation in a supportive social environment.
Social engagement and keeping your brain active, along with a healthy diet and exercising, may seem like obvious good habits to follow for your health in general. They’ve also been proven to be factors in reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer.
It’s never too late to start taking care of your body and your brain — so make music appreciation or singing part of the routine of your loved one struggling with Alzheimer. As William Shakespeare said, “If music be the food of love,play on.”
1. What does the underlined word “flagging”mean in paragraph 1?| A．Getting worse. | B．Doing well. |
| C．Developing slowly. | D．Changing quickly. |
| A．To explain the cause of Alzheimer. | B．To lead in the main topic of the text. |
| C．To show the structure of the brain. | D．To provide evidence for the research. |
| A．He has learned new life skills. | B．He has recovered his memory. |
| C．He has got enough fund for his disease. | D．He has improved the quality of his later life. |
| A．80-year-old Ted defeats Alzheimer’s disease. |
| B．The power of music for Alzheimer’s patients. |
| C．Poets inspire Alzheimer’s patients with music. |
| D．A good habit to follow for your physical health. |
10 . Money Matters
Parents should help their children understand money.
● The basic function of money
Begin explaining the basic function of money by showing how people trade money for goods or services. It is important to show your child how money is traded for the things he wants to have.If he wants to have a toy, give him the money and let him hand the money to the cashier(收银员).
● Money lessons
Approach money lessons with openness and honesty.
●
Begin at the grocery store. Pick out two similar brands of a product—a kind of name-brand butter and a generic (无商标消费品),for example. You can show your child how to make choices between different brands of a product so that you can save money.
| A．Wise decisions |
| B．The value of money |
| C．Permit the child to choose between them |
| D．Tell your child why he can—or cannot—have certain things |
| E．Ask yourself what things that cost money are most important to you |
| F．Talk about how the money bought the thing after you leave the toy store |
| G．The best time to teach a child something about money is when he shows an interest |
