1 . Science experiments don’t always go as planned.
The researchers were eager to try a new tracker on the magpies. They hoped to learn more about how far the birds flew and what they did during a normal day. But it’s hard to find trackers that work well with small-and medium-sized birds.
To keep the trackers on the birds without causing flying problems, the researchers developed a special harness (系带). It was tough, so it wouldn’t come off by accident.
The scientists were disappointed about the trackers. However, they realized that the magpies had taught them something else—
| A．Magpies are able and willing to help each other out |
| B．However, that doesn’t mean you can’t learn from them |
| C．Either the trackers are too heavy, or don’t last long enough |
| D．Magpies may have a hard time adapting to global warming |
| E．The birds the scientists hoped to study were Australian magpies |
| F．The scientists need to find a good way to track these clever birds |
| G．But there was just one problem-the birds didn’t like the trackers |
2 . Every year, as many as 50, 000 elephants in Africa are killed illegally for their tusks (象牙). Now scientists have improved DNA methods that allow them to match up elephant tusks, and help track down criminals that are selling them.
Even though it’s against the law, African elephants have long been killed by criminals for their tusks. Other people, called “traffickers”, buy the tusks and transport them out of the country on a ship. The traffickers re-sell the tusks for even more money, usually in Asia. Elephant tusks can sell for about $1, 000 a kilogram.
In the past, it was hard to catch the criminals. Usually by the time the dead animals were found, the illegal hunters had been far away. And when traffickers were caught with elephant tusks, it was impossible to say where the tusks came from. Traffickers usually hide them in tricky ways inside shipments of other products. That means that only about 10% of tusks from illegally killed elephants are ever found.
Several years ago, scientists led by Dr. Samuel Wasser figured out a new way to solve the problem. Using elephant waste, they built a list of the DNA of almost all elephants in Africa.
Now when elephant tusks are found on a ship in another country, DNA tests can show where they came from. This information can trigger quick action in the country where the animals were killed. It can also help the police discover patterns in the ways the illegal hunters and traffickers work.
Dr. Wasser is hopeful that the method of using DNA information from elephants to track illegally killed wildlife will soon be adopted to help protect other kinds of animals and break up more criminal groups.
1. Why do scientists use DNA information from elephants?| A．To improve the health of elephant tusks. |
| B．To keep track of the illegal dealers. |
| C．To protect elephants against natural disasters. |
| D．To research into elephants’ habits. |
| A．The way they are transported. |
| B．The lack of tracking technology. |
| C．The difficulty in catching criminals. |
| D．The various tricks of illegal hunters. |
| A．start with | B．result from | C．hold back | D．lead to |
| A．It can make all criminals have nowhere to hide. |
| B．It can scare away potential illegal hunters. |
| C．It can be widely used in wildlife protection. |
| D．It can make elephant tusk sales unprofitable. |
3 . The time between full wakefulness and being sound asleep may be packed with creative potential. In a new experiment, people who fell into a light sleep were better problem-solvers later.
Thomas Edison inspired the new study. It’s said that the famous inventor used to value the moments between wakefulness and sleep. Supposedly, he used to fall asleep in a chair holding two steel balls. As he nodded off, the balls fell into metal pans. The resulting noise woke him. Then, he could write down his inventive ideas before he fell into a deep sleep and forgot them.
Researchers tested Edison’s method of developing creativity with 103 healthy people. Volunteers came to the lab to solve a difficult number problem. They were asked to change a string of numbers into a shorter sequence (数列) following two simple rules. What the volunteers weren’t told was that there was an easy trick to do this task. The second number in the sequence would always be the correct final number, too. Once discovered, this trick greatly cut the solving time. After doing this task 60 times, the volunteers earned a 20-minute break in a quiet, dark room. Volunteers lay in chairs and held a version of the steel balls that Edison used as “alarm clocks”. The researchers told participants to close their eyes and rest or sleep if they desired. All the while, their brain waves were monitored.
After their rest, participants returned to their number problem. The researchers saw a big difference between the groups. People who had fallen into a shallow, early sleep were 2.7 times as likely to spot the hidden trick as people who had stayed awake. Shallow sleepers were 5.8 times as likely to spot the trick as people who reached the deeper stage.
More work is needed to prove the link between the shallow stage of sleep and creativity. But the results raise an interesting possibility. People may be able to learn to reach that stage of sleep.
1. What was the function of the steel balls and metal pans for Thomas Edison?| A．To help him stay on guard during sleep. |
| B．To stop others from disturbing his sleep. |
| C．To make his brain work even during sleep. |
| D．To prevent him from falling sound asleep. |
| A．Its results are well worth wide promotion. |
| B．It proves researchers’ work is demanding. |
| C．Its findings still need to be further confirmed. |
| D．It will motivate more people to practice light sleep. |
| A．Edison’s Method of Developing Creativity |
| B．Nodding off May Turn Your Creativity on |
| C．A Better Sleep Helps with Problem-Solving |
| D．Links Between Sleep Quality and Creativity |
| A．A science magazine. | B．A travel brochure. |
| C．A museum guide. | D．A diary. |
4 . Students at an elementary school in California, with the help of their art teacher, created a telephone hotline that people can call to get cheerful advice from kids during difficult times. Shortly afterwards, the hotline began getting thousands of calls an hour.
The hotline is available in English and Spanish. It offers the happy voices of children of different ages sharing positive messages. For example, by pressing 1, you can hear a group of kindergartners saying together, “You can do it! Keep trying, and don’t give up!” Pressing 2 brings the sounds of children laughing-a sound certain to bring a smile to anyone’s face.
Jessica Martin, who teaches art at West Side School in Healdsburg, California, thought her students just might have the magic words needed to bring calm to people in difficult times. Ms. Martin worked with students at West Side on a project they called “PepToc”. Actually, they called it “Pep Talk” first. But when Ms. Martin’s 6-year-old son drew an ad for the hotline and spelled it “PepToc”, they decided they liked that even better.
Most of the project was completed in a day. Ms. Martin worked with students from kindergarten to the sixth grade. She had the same basic question for all the students-What could you say to help or encourage someone else? Students working on the hotline thought of what they would like to say. When they were ready, Ms. Martin recorded each one. Later, she sorted out the recordings into the different parts of the telephone hotline.
Ms. Martin thought the project would only attract interest from people near the school. But the hotline was soon getting hundreds of calls a day-and then, thousands of calls an hour. It’s become unbelievably popular with stressed adults, patients in hospitals, older people in homes, and others who just want to hear the happy voices of children.
1. What does the text say about the hotline?| A．It is answered by teachers. |
| B．It has offered callers all kinds of help. |
| C．It’s mainly aimed at cheering kids stuck at home. |
| D．It enjoyed great popularity quickly. |
| A．Out of a mistake. | B．From a similar project. |
| C．On the recommendation of students. | D．At the request of Ms. Martin’s son. |
| A．Students’ interest in the hotline. | B．Primary purposes of the hotline. |
| C．What the hotline focuses on. | D．How the hotline was set up. |
| A．Unacceptable. | B．Unreasonable. | C．Unexpected. | D．Unpleasant. |
5 . There’s no better way to get to know a country than by taking part in its festivals. Our yearly round-up of Germany’s best festivals will give you a taste of German culture, tradition, and art at its best. Here are some of them.
Carnival
Carnival is also called the “Fifth Season” in Germany. Alongside many colorful costume balls, the highlight of this festival is the Rose Monday Parade with marching bands, dancers, and decorated floats parading down the streets across Germany. Carnival is celebrated throughout the country but centered in Cologne, Düsseldorf, Muenster, and Mainz.
International Film Festival in Berlin
Every February, Berlin rolls out the red carpet to host the Berlin International Film Festival. What to expect? More than 400 films from all over the world, parties, historic theatres and special events open to everyone who loves film. Besides Cannes, Berlinale is the most important film festival in Europe.
Oktoberfest in Munich
Every September and October, over 6 million visitors from around the world come to Munich to celebrate Bavarian cuisine, music, and traditions. There are many colorful parades, open-air concerts, and fun rides to enjoy for the whole family.
Wine Festival and Wurstmarkt in Bad Duerkheim
Although this fair is officially called “ Wurstmarkt”(sausage market), it’s famous for its celebration of excellent local wines. Located in Rhineland, the second largest region in Germany where wine is produced, the Wurstmarkt prides itself on being the world’s biggest wine festival. This event has been celebrated every September for almost 600 years.
1. What’s the text mainly intended to introduce?| A．Rich German culture, tradition and art. |
| B．Some of the best festivals in Germany. |
| C．Exciting ways to get to know Germany. |
| D．Some popular destinations in Germany. |
| A．appeal for visitors | B．diversity of activities |
| C．region of celebrations | D．length of time for celebrations |
| A．Cologne. | B．Berlin. | C．Munich. | D．Rhineland. |
Adam: Hi,Julie!I’d like to, but I’m not sure which one.
Julie:
Adam: Oh, wow, dancing’s not for me—I’ve got two left feet!
Julie: Did you hear about the Cartoon club?
Adam: Yes, I love cartoons!
Julie: No,they write stories and draw cartoons.
Adam: Oh,no.I’m not good at drawing.
Julie: Max is in the Volunteer Club. He says that they mostly help clean up parks and give directions to visitors.
| A．But what do they do in the club? |
| B．Besides, I’d like to do something outdoors. |
| C．I think I will join the Ballet Club. |
| D．Why not talk to him? |
| E．Mr Brown told me about the Nature Club. |
| F．Visitors like the clean parks. |
| G．But how much do they love cartoons? |
7 . Football is my favorite sport. I loved to watch it, but I had never played in a football game before I went to college. I didn’t have enough confidence and I wanted to know whether I could do well in a team, which was why I hardly did sports in company with others. I just loved practising playing football in the backyard of my house.
About one month after I went to college, one day some of my classmates said they’d play a football game with some players of another class. I really looked forward to but never thought I’d join them to play. That day finally came and I went to watch with my classmates. However, just about ten minutes after the game started,one member of our football team got injured and could no longer play. The other members looked worried. Then one of them came to me and asked, “Can you play?” At first, I shook my head, but then I nodded.“Great! Come and play.” he said. I followed him, having no idea at all what to do. To my joy, he asked me to play in defense(防守). Defense was my favourite because I found it more fun and less complicated(复杂的). Then the game began again.There weren’t a lot of big kids on the offensive line(攻击线) of the other team and I suddenly became confident. About five minutes later,the ball was kicked toward the guard. I thought it was a good chance for me.I quickly ran past the guard and got the ball. When the guard came to the offensive line. I kicked the ball. I scored and all my classmates cheered. You may not believe it, but I scored twice that time. The final score was 6-2 and we won. My teammates thought that I did very well and none of them believed I hadn’t played in a game before.
That game really changed me. I am a really confident person now and often play football games with my teammates.
1. Why didn’t the author play sports with others before?| A．He wasn’t interested in sports. |
| B．He wasn’t popular with others. |
| C．He didn’t have time to play sports. |
| D．He wasn’t confident about his ability. |
| A．excited | B．boring | C．anxious | D．angry |
| A．got more worried about watching football games |
| B．decided to become a full-time football player |
| C．was thought to be the best football player at school |
| D．fell in love with joining others in playing football |
8 . Fright started taking over.I was walking into my first school in America. I had traveled a long distance from India in order to join my parents, who had been here for three years, hoping America would help my future. My father decided that I would be better off going to school here, so I registered in the local high school in my new town.
I was afraid how I would do. On the first day, I went to my second period class after I had missed my first. Anxiously, I reached for the door,opening it slowly.Without paying attention to my classmates. I went straight to the teacher and asked if this was the right class. With a soft voice,he answered.“Yes.”His voice made me feel a little comfortable. He gave me a sheet called Course Requirements, which I would never get in India because we didn’t have anything like that. Then he asked me to choose where I would sit. I didn’t actually want to pick a seat. In India we had fixed seats, so I never needed to worry about that. I spent the rest of the class taking notes from the image produced by the overhead projector. In India schools, we didn’t use the technology we had.We had to take notes as the teacher spoke.
It was noon. I was very confused about when I would have lunch. I went to my next class and the bell rang as I entered. Again, I asked the teacher if I was in the right class. She said,“It’s still fourth period.”
“But the bell just rang.”I said.
Changing from a gentle tone to a harsher(刺耳的)one,she said,“That is the lunch bell, young man.”
I said sorry. Without another word I headed for the dining hall. I felt lucky because we didn’t have this in India. Every confusion seemed like a barrier(障碍) I had to get through to reach my goal.At the end of the day, I was on my way to the bus which we didn’t have in India either. I found my bus and sat down inside happily. I was thinking, today wasn’t so bad.
1. The author attended an American high school because______.| A．his father preferred American schools |
| B．his family wanted him to have a bright future |
| C．his mother had worked in it for 3 years |
| D．he had been longing to leave his homeland |
| A．He went to the wrong class for the second period. |
| B．He met some helpful teachers and classmates. |
| C．He got the Course Requirement sheet from his classmate. |
| D．He found a lot of differences from the Indian schools in many ways. |
| A．worried | B．confused | C．relaxed | D．excited |
| A．My Senior High School in America |
| B．My First day of School |
| C．MY First Impression on Teachers |
| D．The Differences between American and Indian Schools |
9 . Hi! My name is Adam and I’m a freshman at senior high school. Going from junior high school to senior high school is a really big challenge. The first week was a little confusing.
First, I had to think very carefully about which courses I wanted to take. The school adviser helped me choose the suitable ones: maths, English, chemistry, world history, and Chinese. I know that Chinese is a very difficult language, but I hope to be fluent when I graduate. My adviser recommended that I should sign up for advanced literature because I like English and I’m good at it.
I had to choose extra-curricular activities, too. I tried to join the school football team, but the coach told me that I didn’t play well enough. Obviously, I was unhappy, but I won’t quit. I’ll find a way to improve on my own so that I can make the team next year. I joined a volunteer club instead. Every Wednesday, we work at a soup kitchen and hand out food to homeless people in the community.
I know I’ll have to study harder as a senior high school student and get used to being responsible for a lot more. I’m a bit worried about keeping up with the other students in my advanced course, and it’ll be quite difficult to get used to all the homework. Still, I’m happy to be here. Studying hard isn’t always fun, but I’ll be well prepared for university or whatever else comes in the future.
1. What does Adam think about his senior high school life?| A．Easy | B．Challenging | C．Ordinary | D．Unhappy |
| A．Because he hates maths,chemistry and history. |
| B．Because he prefers English to Chinese. |
| C．Because he is fond of English and does well in it. |
| D．Because he wants to be a writer in the future. |
| A．To form a sports team with others. |
| B．To try to win the sports game. |
| C．To try out and then be allowed to join a sports team. |
| D．To help a sports team as a volunteer. |
| A．Hard-working and confident | B．Outgoing and humorous |
| C．Unhappy and worried | D．Anxious and annoyed |
