Wild animals seem to have escaped the Indian Ocean tsunami(海啸), adding weight to ideas they possess a “sixth sense” for disasters, experts said on Thursday.
Sri Lanka wildlife officials have said the giant waves that killed over 24,000 people along the Indian Ocean island’s coast seemingly missed wild beasts, with no dead animals found.
“No elephants are dead, not even a dead hare or rabbit. I think animals can sense disaster. They have a sixth sense. They know when things are happening,” H.D. Ratnayake, deputy director of Sri Lanka’s Wildlife Department, said on Wednesday.
The waves washed floodwaters up to 3 km (2 miles) inland at Yala National Park in the southeast, Sri Lanka’s biggest wildlife reserve and home to hundreds of wild elephants. “There has been a lot of evidence about dogs barking or birds migrating before volcanic eruptions or earthquakes. But it has not been proven,” said Matthew van Lierop, an animal behaviour specialist at Johannesburg Zoo.
“There have been no specific studies because you can’t really test it in a lab or field setting,” he said.
Other authorities agreed with this conclusion.
“Wildlife seem to be able to pick up certain phenomenon, especially birds. There are many reports of birds detecting coming disasters,” said Clive Walker, who has written several books on African wildlife.
Animals certainly rely on the known senses such as smell or hearing to avoid danger such as predators(食肉动物).
The idea of an animal “sixth sense” is a lasting one that the evidence on Sri Lanka’s damaged coast is likely to add to. This passage is mainly about________.
A.the damage that was caused in the Indian Ocean tsunami |
B.why animals can save them from natural disasters |
C.how to protect the wildlife when disaster happens |
D.the different opinions about animals’ natural power |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
A.It has been proved that animals have a “sixth sense”. |
B.Research has been made on the special movements of animals before disasters. |
C.It’s generally considered that animals can sense the coming of disasters. |
D.Animals have depended on the known senses to escape the Indian Ocean tsunami. |
What does the term “sixth sense” in the text means?
A.It is the natural ability of animals that can save them from danger. |
B.It is the animal’s imagination in the brain. |
C.It is some hidden power to say in advance that something will happen. |
D.It is a kind of sense that is the same as smell or hearing. |
Which section does the text most probably appear in a newspaper?
A.News Report. | B.Discovery. | C.Science Fiction. | D.Culture. |
Have you ever suddenly felt that someone you knew was in trouble—and was he? Have you ever dreamed something that came true later? Maybe you have ESP (超感觉知觉).
ESP stands for Extrasensory Perception. It may be called a sixth sense. It seems to let people know about events before they happen, or events that are happening some distance away.
Here's an example. A woman was ironing clothes. Suddenly she screamed, "My father is dead! I saw him sitting in the chair!" Just then, a telegram came. The woman's father died of a heart attack. He died sitting in a chair.
There are thousands of stories like this one on record. Scientists are studying them to find out what's behind these strange mental messages. Here's another example—one of hundreds of dreams that have come true.
A man dreamed he was walking along a road when a horse and carriage came by. The driver said, "There's room for one more." The man felt the driver seemed dead, so he ran away. The next day, when the man was getting on a crowded bus, the bus driver said, "There's room for one more."
Then the man saw that the driver's face was the same face he had seen in the dream. He wouldn't get on the bus. As the bus drove off, it crashed and burst into flames. Everyone was killed!
Some people say stories like these are coincidences. Others, including some scientists, say that ESP is real. From studies of ESP, we may someday learn more about the human mind.
44.According to the passage, the author believes that the sixth sense is_________.
A.in existence B.imaginative C.not real D.impossible
45.ESP lets people know___________.
A.about events before they happen
B.about events after they happen
C.about events that are happening some distance away
D.A and C
46.In the last paragraph the underlined word "coincidences" probably means ____.
A.things that may not happen
B.things that happen in a dream
C.things that must happen
D.things that happen by accident
47.This article is mainly about_________.
A.the human dreamB.the sixth sense
C.the human mind D.a crowded bus
It seems that the Englishmen just cannot live without sports of some kind. A famous French humourist once said that this is because the English insist on behaving like children all their lives. Wherever you go in this country, you will see both children and grown-ups knocking a ball about with a stick or something, as if in Britain men shall always remain boys and women girls! Still, it can never be bad to get exercise, can it?
Taking all amateur (业余) and professional sports in Britain into consideration, there can be no doubt that football is at the top of the list. It is called soccer in the United States. The game originated (起源于) in Britain and was played in the Middle Ages or even earlier, though as an organized game, or "association football", it dates only from the beginning of the 19th century.
The next is rugby, which is called "football" in the United States. It is a kind of football played by two teams of fifteen players than eleven. In rugby, an oval-shaped ball is used which can be handled as well as kicked. It is a pretty rough game.
In summer, cricket is the most popular sport. In fact, it has sometimes been called the English national game. Most foreigners find the game rather slow or even boring, but it enjoys great popularity among the British.
Tennis rates high on the list, too. It was introduced into England from France in the 15th century, but it was from England that it spread to practically every country in the world Table tennis, or "ping-pong", surely is not played on a great scale as it is in China or Japan. Basketball and volleyball were introduced into Britain during the late 19th century from America and are gaining popularity. Horse-back riding, swimming, rowing and golf all attract a lot of people.
41.The main purpose of Paragraph 1 is to tell us that the English ___________.
A.are all sports lovers B.behave like children
C.like to kick a ball around D.can remain young all their lives
42.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true about football and rugby?
A.They differ in the shape of the ball.
B.They are played by different numbers of players.
C.They both can be handled.
D.They both can be kicked.
43.The game that was never played in Britain until the late 19th century is _________.
A.basketball B.tennis C.rugbyD.football
It is true that a smile means the same thing in any language. So does laughter or crying. There are also a number of clear similarities in the way different animals show the same feeling. Dogs, tigers and humans, for example, often show their teeth when they are angry. This is probably because such behavior patterns are inherited (遗传) rather than learned.
Fear is another emotion that is shown in much the same way all over the world. In Chinese and in English literature, a phrase like “he went pale and begin to tremble (颤抖)”suggests that the man is either very afraid or he has just got a very big shock. However, “he opened his eyes wide” is used to suggest anger in Chinese whereas in English it means surprise. In Chinese surprise can be described in a phrase like “they stretched out(伸出)their tongues”! Sticking out your tongue in English is an insulting(侮辱)or expresses disgust.
Even in the same culture, people differ in ability to understand and express feelings. Experiments in America have shown that women are usually better than men at recognizing fear, anger, love and happiness on people’s faces. Disgust, contempt (蔑视) and suffering seem to be the most difficult emotions for people everywhere either to recognize or to express. Other studies show that older people usually find it easier to recognize or understand body language than younger people do. And psychologists (心理学家) such as E.G. Beier have also shown that some people often give the completely impression of how they feel. For example, they try to show love but in fact communicate dislike. Or when they want to show interest, they give the impression that they don’t care. This can happen even among close friends and members of the same family. In other words, what we think we are communicating through language, voice, face and body movements may be the exact opposite of what for people understand.
71.According to the passage, even in different cultures the most easily recognized emotion is .
A.anger B.dislike C.happiness D.surprise
72.Experiments show that easier understanding of words and gestures has something to do with your .
A.age and sex B.love and cultural differences
C.impressions about the speaker D.emotional state
73.When we communicate with people, .
A.we know exactly what they mean while they express their emotions
B.we sometimes misunderstand each other
C.we usually mislead them by expressing the opposite of our feeling
D.it seems much mere difficult to understand body language than language
74.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A.When we communicate our real emotions, we many cause misunderstanding to others.
B.Different people in different cultures may have different ways to understand one gesture.
C.Some people are likely to hide their real feelings and express them in the opposite way.
D.What we say does always mean the same thing as the gestures we make.
75.The underlined word “disgust” in Paragraph 2 probably means “ ” in this passage.
A.strong dislike B.friendliness C.love D.sickness
MONEY – SAVING TIPS FOR DISNEY WORLD
Every time you visit Disney World, there’s something new to see. What began in 1971 as the Magic Kingdom now includes the high – tech, movie-mad Disney and Animal Kingdom . Each time the park expands(扩大), so do your chances to spend money. How can you save ? As a family guide to Disney World, I've been to the park more than 25 times with my kids , and I've developed a few money-saving tips for you.
●Buy the Five-Day All-in-One Hopper Pass. Even if you're visiting for fewer days , it's a deal (The pass costs $ 229 for visitors aged 10 and up , $ 183 for kids aged three to nine and is free for kids under age three). Without the pass , you'll have to pay separately for Pleasure Island and the water parks . A single trip to Blizzard Beach , for example , would cost a family of four $100.
● Dine out at Lunchtime. The prices at some of the nicer restaurants , especially those in Epcot's World Showcase , are much lower at noontime than at any other time. It's wise to make reservations(预定)before you leave home . Call 407-W-DISNEY .
● Become a Gold Card Member. For $ 65 , you can get a Magic Kingdom Club Gold Card (call 1-800-56-DISNEY). Cardholders get up to 20% off Disney hotel rooms , plus prices on character breakfast , theme park tickets and goods from Disney stores .
● Don't Pay Extra to See a Character. Character-theme dinner shows are expensive , costing a family of four about $ 140 , and even a character breakfast , where Mickey or Donald Duck joins you for cakes , can set you back $ 50. If your budget (预算) is tight, try to meet the characters inside the theme parks and at free in-park shows . You can watch the Diamond Horseshoe show , for example , in the Magic Kingdom for no additional cost , while the similarly themed Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue needs expensive tickets .
● Wait Until the End of Your Trip to Buy Souvenirs. By then , the kids will really know what they want , and you won't waste money on expensive things .
67.If you are short of money, the writer suggests you should not .
A.buy things for the kids from Disney stores.
B.buy souvenirs at the beginning of the trip
C.make a trip to Blizzard Beach
D.have your meals out at noontime
68.Which of the following can be used in place of “set you back”
A.offer you B.save you C.return you D.cost you
69.You should pay more money if you .
A.have a five – day All – One Hopper Pass while you’re visiting for four days.
B.do not make a reservation for hotel rooms in advance..
C.are not a Magic Kingdom Club Gold Card holder.
D.have lunch at a restaurant in Epcot’s World Showcase
70.In the writer’s opinion, the better way of meeting the Disney cartoon character is .
A.to have a character breakfast
B.to watch the Diamond Horseshoe show
C.to pay separately for Pleasure Island and the water parks
D.to attend the Hoop – Dee – Doo Musical Revue
Can hard work be replaced by machines in agriculture? Yes, man is trying out automatic (自动化) farming. It is fun to watch a machine picking tomatoes. The strange machine sails like a ship across a sea of plants. In its front is a hole. As the machine moves forward, tomato plants are pulled into the hole. The tomatoes are gathered while the rest of the plants are thrown back onto the fields. Twelve workers sit on top of the machine. They rapidly pick out the bad fruit from the tomatoes. A red stream of ripe tomatoes is being sent into a cart that is pulled alongside the machine. One driver and twelve workers can pick in an hour ten tons of a new kind of tomato. Without the invention, it would take 60 men to do the job.
Not all plants cooperate well with the farming machines. Take lettuce(莴苣)for example, seeds plants in the same field in the same time ripe at different times. The only way to tell a ripe head of lettuce is to look at it and feel it. And now there is a machine even to do that!
There is a special machine to test lettuce. When it moves over one that feels right, it sends a signal back to the picking machine which goes behind. The cutting and picking is done satisfactorily by this unit.
64.This passage mainly tells us something about .
A.the machines picking tomatoes B.automatic farming
C.the science of farming D.agriculture machines
65.After the bad tomatoes are picked out, .
A.the others are sent into a cart nearby
B.the workers carry them away
C.the others are put into bags
D.the others will be thrown into the field
66.The last paragraph mainly tells us .
A.that lettuce is not good to get in
B.that a special unit of machines has been made to test and pick lettuce
C.about a wonderful machine that can be used pick all kinds of plants
D.that lettuce is not a cooperation plant