1 . Whether playing tricks or holding funerals in the wild, crows have surprised the public with their unexpected capabilities. But their “intelligence” knows no bounds. A new study published in Current Biology revealed for the first time that crows can use statistical logic to solve problems.
Crows have a large brain for their size and a particularly noticeable forebrain, associated with statistical and analytical reasoning in humans. “In our lab, crows have shown complicated numerical competence and careful consideration during decision-making,” said Dr. Melissa Johnston, a fellow at the University of Tübingen. In her recent work, Johnston and her team pushed these abilities to a new extreme, testing statistical reasoning.
In the experiment, two crows were first trained to peck (啄) at various images on touchscreens to earn food treats; and gradually they had to choose between two of these images, each corresponding to a different reward probability. “Crows were tasked with learning rather abstract quantities and then applying that combination of information in a reward maximizing way,” Johnston detailed. Over 10 days of training and 5,000 trials, the two crows managed to pick the higher probability of reward, showing their ability to use statistical inference. To researchers’ much surprise, even after a month without training, the crows still perform well every time.
Statistical reasoning involves using limited information about a situation to draw conclusions and make decisions. People unknowingly use such cognitive ability every day. When we select cafes for social meetups, our brains automatically weigh collected statistics from past observations and favor the one more capable of meeting needs. Similarly, crows remembered and analyzed the connections between the images and the reward probabilities to make themselves get the most treats possible.
Crows once symbolized misfortune and death, causing them disliked even killed by people. Actually, they are among the few animals to adapt to urbanization successfully due to underestimated intelligence. “I think these studies do help change public views and improve our relationship with these lovely animals,” Johnston stated.
1. What makes crows’ intelligence possible?| A．Their limitless abilities of tricks. |
| B．Their social leaning in the wild. |
| C．Their physical structure of brains. |
| D．Their training received in the lab. |
| A．Instruct, task, and retest. |
| B．Train, perform, and record. |
| C．Assume, prove, and reflect. |
| D．Prepare, teach, and examine. |
| A．By sharing a personal experience. |
| B．By quoting a previous study. |
| C．By making a detailed comparison. |
| D．By using a common example. |
| A．Food Prize Competition: Crows Choosing Rewards |
| B．Urban Bird Survival Strategies: Living with People |
| C．Beyond Tricks: Surprise of Crows’ Statistical Reasoning |
| D．Animal Behavior Study: Training Crows in Experiments |
2 . It was one of those freezing cold New England mornings in 1964. A four-day-old snow had turned to ice as it pressed against my bedroom window. In my twelve-year-old sleepiness, I staggered through the dark hallway into the bedroom, hearing the truck’s engine idling (空转) outside.
Staring out, I saw his figure — a dark shadow moving against the white background — his breath clouding the air when he breathed. I heard his work boots crunching the hard snow with his giant steps. I saw his dark face hidden beneath a knit cap, the upturned coat collar, the woolen scarf wrapped around his neck and chin. One gloved hand guided the ice scraper (刮削器) across the truck’s windshield. The other brushed the shavings like a crystal bear d from the truck’s old weathered face.
That was my daddy. Driven by a commitment and responsibility, he was taught to move with a quick purpose during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Daddy was like a silent gladiator (角斗士) who was stepping once more into the day’s battlefield. Daddy was always awake while the rest of the world slept. And as he slid behind the steering wheel, driving carefully from the driveway onto the street, the truck was swallowed up by dawn’s dimness. As I returned to the warmth of my blankets — in my own bed, in my own room, I knew I could go back to sleep, to dream, because daddy was outside facing the cold.
Throughout many junior and senior high mornings, I watched my father go to work. I never told him how that vision affected me. When I reached my early thirties and I became a father myself, I saw my own father with greater clarity. As I awoke in the early morning hours, compromised my wants, dealt with insults and worked overtime in order to give my son his own room — with his own bed and his own dreams, I realized I was able to do those things because my father had done them for me.
1. What was his father doing when the writer looked out of the window?| A．He repaired his old weathered truck. | B．He got rid of the ice on the truck. |
| C．He moved with a quick purpose. | D．He started the truck’s engine. |
| A．Tolerant. | B．Responsible. | C．Ambitious. | D．Considerate. |
| A．The tricks of dealing with insults. | B．The importance of owning a house. |
| C．The duty of being a father. | D．The benefit of waking up early. |
| A．A brochure. | B．A poster. | C．A book review. | D．A biography. |
3 . At Cambridge, rather than choosing a hall of residence or dormitory, you live in a Cambridge College. There are 29 undergraduate Colleges. Each College has its own services. facilities and community.
Applying for accommodation
You don’t need to apply for accommodation separately. If you’re offered a place to study, you will automatically get a room in College accommodation for your first year.
Accommodation is guaranteed for 3 or 4 years for international students. This accommodation will be in College-owned property. Typically, you won’t have to pay 12 months of rent per year. Our accommodation contracts are around 27 to 39 weeks.
Cost of accommodation
Accommodation costs vary from College to College. They also usually depend on the size of your room. Your accommodation costs will usually cover:
•water, electricity and heating
•cleaning
•internet access
•basic self-catering (自助膳食) facilities
Where you will live
During term time, you will need to live within a 3-mile radius (半径) of Cambridge city centre. You can live outside of this area if you get permission from your College or if you’re studying abroad as part of your course. If you think you’ll need to live outside of the 3-mile radius, you should contact a College to talk about your options before you apply.
College student life and support
Your College is where you do a lot of your studying and socializing. Register and click to find out about College facilities and student life on the College pages.
1. What is an advantage of Cambridge College accommodation?| A．It is eco-friendly. | B．It is money-saving. |
| C．It is self-tailored. | D．It is space-efficient. |
| A．plans to travel abroad | B．prefers more privacy |
| C．takes an optional course | D．gains college approval |
| A．A college guidebook. | B．An admission letter. |
| C．A university website. | D．A property rental ad. |
4 . My town is a great place to live in. It’s the best place to enjoy your free time. There are three movie theaters in town. They are all good, but the one nearest my house is the best. Shopping is also easy. There are many shops and most of them are trendy (时髦的). They sell very nice clothes. The shops are also cheaper than those in other towns, so students love to shop here.
There are also a lot of video and music stores. They are very popular with students. I go to the music store every week to buy a new CD. The most crowded place for students to hang out is the park. Everyone goes there, so it’s really interesting. Sometimes there are even street performers. Some students think they’re boring, but I think they’re the most creative people. I want to be a street performer, too.
1. The writer’s town is the best place to ________.| A．eat delicious food | B．enjoy free time | C．buy different bike |
| A．big | B．new | C．good |
| A．the best | B．the worst | C．the smallest |
| A．once a week | B．once a month | C．three times a year |
| A．pilot | B．street performer | C．writer |
5 . Kindle, Nook or Ipad? How should we choose the right e-book reader?
Weight:289g Page Size: 6 inches (e-ink screen) In it there can be over 390, 000 books to choose from. You can also read international newspapers and magazines. Click here for more. |
Weight:196g Page Size: 6 inches (e-ink screen) It is similar to Kindle in many ways. The e-ink screen is much better for eyes than the traditional computer or desk screen. Click here for more. |
Weight:780g Page size: 9.7 inches (Full-colour touch LCD screen) It can work as a tablet computer as well as an e-book reader. Many young people use it to watch videos. Click here for more |
Weight: 448g Page Size: 7 inches (full-color touch LCD screen) It not only offers books, magazines and newspapers, but it can also be used as a video player. Click here for more. |
Kindle
Nook
Apple iPad
Nook Color| A．$287 | B．$385 | C．$397 | D．$647 |
| A．Kindle and iPad | B．iPad and Nook Color |
| C．Nook and Kindle | D．Nook Color and Nook |
| A．loves colourful pictures | B．loves computer games |
| C．wants to protect their eyes | D．wants to save money |
| A．is the lightest | B．costs most |
| C．has the largest page size | D．can work like a computer |
| A．textbook | B．storybook | C．newspaper | D．website |
6 . Why should we learn body language?
In English classes, we spend a large amount of time studying grammar and learning new words. We work hard to improve our reading and listening skills. Few of us, however, pay enough attention to body language. So body language is not important, is it?
The answer is “No!” Sometimes, we can communicate with others even without a single word. For example, shrugging our shoulders (耸肩), and without a word, we’ve just said, “I don’t know.”
Body language can help us stress what we are saying. It can help us express our true, inner feelings. Moreover, body language can help us find out if someone is lying. Often, people who are lying do not make eye contact. They may raise their shoulders because they are uncomfortable with the conversation.
In job interviews, the interviewers can sometimes judge the interviewee before he or she speaks. Body language is important in our personal life, too. It can show if you really care about your friends. Leaning (前倾) forward in the conversation, for example, means you are interested in what is being said. Listening without making eye contact means you are not paying attention but are waiting for your turn to speak.
Scientists have been studying body language for a long time. They say more than 70 percent of our messages are given through body language, Sometimes, body language is more accurate (精准的) than the words we use.
So it is very important for us to learn body language. By understanding body language, we are less likely to be misunderstood. We will find it easier to get a job. We will also have lasting friendships.
1. According to the first paragraph, in English classes, people do all of the following things EXCEPT ______.| A．studying grammar | B．learning new words |
| C．improving reading skills | D．practising using body language |
| A．Lean forward | B．Make eye contact. |
| C．Raise their shoulders. | D．Shrug their shoulders. |
| A．To teach readers to understand body language. |
| B．To tell readers the importance of learning body language. |
| C．To show readers how to find out if someone is lying. |
| D．To help readers improve their English reading and listening skills. |
| symbol two in enjoy amaze near different on which answer and that |
China’s Chang’e 6 successfully landed on the far side of the moon
We can make a wish when we see full moon. Full moon is one of the
The far side of the moon is quite different from the near side. We don’t know why there are
China is the only country to get samples on the far side of the moon. We will take a person to the moon before 2030. China will be the
| A.主谓宾宾(SVOO) B.主谓宾补(SVOC) C.主系表(SVP) D.主谓状(SVA) E.主谓宾状(SVOA) |
2. She loves the library because she loves books.
3. Our grandpa often tells us stories about Chairman Mao on Sundays.
4. To do today’s homework without the teacher’s help is very difficult.
5. She likes the children to read newspapers and books in the reading-room.
10 . Nancy is reading an e-mail from her friend Jack. She is very
Jack likes his school very much. Nancy likes her school
The teachers are nice and the
Jack also writes about his life
| A．beautiful | B．hungry | C．happy | D．sad |
| A．also | B．again | C．too | D．very |
| A．desks | B．schoolbags | C．pencils | D．pens |
| A．in | B．on | C．near | D．at |
| A．subjects | B．books | C．workers | D．students |
| A．drawing | B．swimming | C．dancing | D．reading |
| A．sports | B．trees | C．animals | D．hobbies |
| A．teachers | B．parents | C．friends | D．brothers |
| A．basketball | B．football | C．music | D．volleyball |
| A．in | B．for | C．at | D．from |
| A．like | B．play | C．go | D．have |
| A．early | B．late | C．before | D．after |
| A．a year | B．a month | C．an hour | D．a day |
| A．breakfast | B．lunch | C．supper | D．dinner |
| A．day | B．hour | C．afternoon | D．morning |
