People diet to look more attractive. Fish diet to avoid being beaten up, thrown out of their social group, and getting eaten as a result. That is the fascinating conclusion of the latest research into fish behavior by a team of Australian scientists.
The research team have discovered that subordinate fish voluntarily diet to avoid challenging their larger competitors. “In studying gobies we noticed that only the largest two individuals, a male and female, had breeding （繁殖） rights within the group,” explains Marian Wong. “All other group members are nonbreeding females, each being 5-10% smaller than its next largest competitor. We wanted to find out how they maintain this precise size separation.”
The reason for the size difference was easy to see. Once a subordinate fish grows to within 5-10% of the size of its larger competitor, it causes a fight which usually ends in the smaller goby being driven away from the group. More often than not, the evicted fish is then eaten up.
It appeared that the smaller fish were keeping themselves small in order to avoid challenging the boss fish. Whether they did so voluntarily, by restraining how much they ate, was not clear. The research team decided to do an experiment. They tried to fatten up some of the subordinate gobies to see what happened. To their surprise, the gobies simply refused the extra food they were offered, clearly preferring to remain small and avoid fights, over having a feast.
The discovery challenges the traditional scientific view of how boss individuals keep their position in a group. Previously it was thought that large individuals simply used their weight and size to threaten their subordinates and take more of the food for themselves, so keeping their competitors small.
While the habits of gobies may seem a little mysterious, Dr. Wong explains that understanding the relationships between boss and subordinate animals is important to understanding how hierarchical （等级的） societies remain stable.
The research has proved the fact that voluntary dieting is a habit far from exclusive to humans. “As yet, we lack a complete understanding of how widespread the voluntary reduction of food intake is in nature,” the researchers comment. “Data on human dieting suggests that, while humans generally diet to improve health or increase attractiveness, rarely does it improve long-term health and males regularly prefer females that are fatter than the females’ own ideal.”When a goby grows to within 5-10% of the size of its larger competitor, it .
| A．faces danger | B．has breeding rights |
| C．eats its competitor | D．leaves the group itself |
The underlined words “the evicted fish” in Paragraph 3 refer to .
| A．the fish beaten up | B．the fish found out |
| C．the fish fattened up | D．the fish driven away |
The experiment showed that the smaller fish .
| A．fought over a feast | B．went on diet willingly |
| C．preferred some extra food | D．challenged the boss fish |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．Fish dieting and human dieting. |
| B．Dieting and health. |
| C．Human dieting. |
| D．Fish dieting. |
Kong Zi, also called Confucius (551 — 479 B.C.), and Socrates (469 — 399 B.C.) lived only a hundred years apart, and during their lifetimes there was no contact between China and Greece, but it is interesting to look at how the world that each of these great philosophers came from shaped their ideas, and how these ideas in turn, shaped their societies.
Neither philosopher lived in times of peace, though there were more wars in Greece than in China. The Chinese states were very large and feudal, while the Greek city-states were small and urban. The urban environment in which Socrates lived allowed him to be more radical (激进的) than Confucius. Unlike Confucius, Socrates was not asked by rulers how to govern effectively. Thus, Socrates was able to be more idealistic, focusing on issues like freedom, and knowledge for its own sake. Confucius, on the other hand, advised those in government service, and many of his students went on to government service.
Confucius suggested the Golden Rule as a principle for the conduct of life: “Do not do to others what you would not want others to do to you.” He assumed that all men were equal at birth, though some had more potential than others, and that it was knowledge that set men apart. Socrates focused on the individual, and thought that the greatest purpose of man was to seek wisdom. He believed that some had more potential to develop their reason than others did. Like Confucius, he believed that the superior class should rule the inferior (下层的) classes.
For Socrates, the family was of no importance, and the community of little concern. For Confucius, however, the family was the centre of society, with family relations considered much more important than political relations.
Both men are respected much more today than they were in their lifetimes.Which of the following is TRUE according to the first paragraph?
| A．Socrates and Confucius had much in common. |
| B．The societies were influenced by the philosophers’ ideas. |
| C．Confucius had much influence on Socrates’ ideas. |
| D．There were cultural exchanges between China and Greece. |
Socrates shared with Confucius the idea that .
| A．all men were equal when they were born |
| B．the purpose of man was to seek freedom and wisdom |
| C．the lower classes should be ruled by the upper class |
| D．people should not ask others to do what they did not want to |
What made some pe
ople different from others according to Confucius?
| A．Family. | B．Knowledge. | C．Potential. | D．Community. |
This passage is organized in the pattern of .
| A．time and events | B．cause and effect |
| C．comparison and contrast | D．definition and classification |
| CWU The communications union Head of Research Salary: ￡55, 271 We are looking for a Head of Research to manage the CWU Research Department and Information Centre. You would be required to exercise control of all research work of the department and manage a team of three researchers and four support staff. The person appointed would be expected to carry out research work of a strategic nature across the range of businesses in which the CWU has or seeks membership and to contribute to the strategic thinking and direction of the union as a whole. You will need: proven line management skills, especially in managing and motivating a team; good research skills, holding a good degree in a related subject or other similar experience; a high level of mathematical and calculating skills; the ability to produce high quality work under pressure; a commitment to and knowledge of the trade union movement and social democratic politics; and knowledge and/or experience of the postal and/or telecommunications industry. To apply, please request an application pack by emailing hr@ cwu. org or by telephoning HR (Human Resources) on 020 8971 7482. When applying please state your source. Closing Date for Applications: 4th August 2010 Anticipated interview date: 17th August 2010 No agencies please |
In which column of a newspaper could we find this advertisement?
| A．Arts. | B．News. | C．Jobs. | D．Sales. |
One of the duties of the person to be appointed is .
| A．taking charge of research work | B．running a telecommunications company |
| C．managing a team of three or four members | D．seeking membership for the trade union |
If you want to apply for this position, you can do all EXCEPT .
| A．ask an agency for an application form |
| B．send in your application before 4th August 2010 |
| C．email hr@ cwu. org for an application pack |
| D．dial 020 8971 7482 for more information |
Which of the following applicants is most likely to be employed?
A．A school teacher with a master’s degree. |
| B．A clerk from a telecommunications company |
| C．A director from a research centre with a master’s degree. |
| D．A university graduate majoring in computer science. |
Andy rode slowly on his way to school, day-dreaming about the fishing trip that his father had promised him. He was so busy dreaming about all the fish he would catch that he was unaware of everything else around him.
He rode along until a strange sound drew him to the present. He came to a stop and looked curiously up to the heavens. What he saw shocked and terrified him. A huge swarm of bees filled the sky like a black cloud and the buzzing mass seem
ed to be heading angrily towards him.
With no time to waste, Andy sped off in the opposite direction, riding fur
iously — but without knowing how to escape the swarm. With a rapidly beating heart and his legs pumping furiously, he sped down the rough road. As the bees came closer, his panic increased. Andy knew that he was sensitive to bee stings (蜇). The last sting had landed him in hospital — and that was only one bee sting! He had been forced to stay in bed for two whole days. Suddenly, his father’s words came to him. “When you are in a tight situation, don’t panic. Use your brain and think your way
out of it.”
On a nearby hill, he could see smoke waving slowly skywards from the chimney of the Nelson family home. “Bees don’t like smoke,” he thought. “They couldn’t get into the house.” Andy raced towards the Nelson house, but the bees were gaining ground. Andy knew he could not reach the house in time. He estimated that the bees would catch up with him soon.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted a smal
l dam used by Mr. Nelson to irrigate his vegetable garden. Off his bike and into the cool water he dived, disappearing below the surface and away from the savage insects. After holding his breath for as long as he could, Andy came up for air and noticed the bees had gone. Dragging himself out of the dam, he struggled up the hilly slope and rang the doorbell. Mrs. Nelson took him inside and rang his mother.
“You’ll really need that fishing break to help you recover,” laughed his mother with relief. “Thank goodness you didn’t panic!” But Andy did not hear her. He was dreaming once again of the fish he would catch tomorrow.”Why did Andy fail to notice the swarm of bees earlier?
| A．He was lost in the thought of the fishing trip. |
| B．He was listening to a strange sound. |
| C．He was going fishing with his father. |
| D．He was riding to school. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the swarm of bees in the passage?
| A．They made Andy stay in hospital for two days. |
| B．They shocked and terrified Andy. |
| C．They tried to attack Andy in a mass. |
| D．They crowded like a black cloud. |
How did Andy avoid the bees in the end?
| A．He rode off in the opposite direction. | B．He hid himself under the water. |
| C．He rushed into the Nelson house. | D．He asked Mr. Nelson for help. |
Which of the following can best describe Andy’s escape from the bees?
| A．In time of danger, one’s mind works fast. | B．Once bitten, twice shy. |
| C．Where there is a will, there is a way. | D．No pains, no gains. |
Have you winterized your horse yet? Even though global warming may have made our climate more mild, many animals are still hibernating(冬眠)．It’s too bad that humans can’t hibernate．In fact, as a species, we almost did．
Apparently, at times in the past, peasants in France liked a sem
i-state of human hibernation．So w
rites Graham Robb, a British scholar who has studied the sleeping habits of the French peasants．As soon as the weather turned cold people all over France shut themselves away and practiced the forgotten art of doing nothing at all for months on end．
In line with this, Jeff Warren, a producer at CBC Radio’s The Current, tells us that the way we sleep has changed fundamentally since the invention of artificial(人造的) lighting and the el
ectric bulb．
When historians began studying texts of the Middle Ages, they noticed something referred to as “first sleep”, which was not clarified, though．Now scientists are telling us our ancestors most likely slept in separate periods．The business of eight hours’ uninterrupted sleep is a modern invention．
In the past, without the artificial light of the city to bathe in, humans went to sleep when it became dark and then woke themselves around midnight．The late night period was known as ”The Watch” It was when people actually kept watch against wild animals, although many of them simply moved around or visited family and neighbours ．
According to some sleep researchers, a short period of insomnia(失眠) at midnight is not a disorder ．It is normal．Humans can experience another state of consciousness around their sleeping, which occurs in the brief period before we fall asleep or wake ourselves in the morning．This period can be an extraordinarily creative time for some people．The impressive inventor, Thomas Edison, used this state to hit upon many of his new ideas．
Playing with your sleep rhythms can be adventurous, as anxiety may set in．Medical science doesn’t help much in this case．It offers us medicines for a full night’s continuous sleep, which sounds natural; however, according to Warren’s theory, it is really the opposite of what we need．The example of the French peasants shows the fact that________．
| A．people might become lazy as a result of too much sleep |
| B．there were signs of hibernation in human sleeping habits |
| C．people tended to sleep more peacefully in cold weather |
| D．winter was a season for people to sleep for months on end |
The late night was called “The Watch” because it was a time for people_______．
| A．to set traps to catch animals | B．to wake up their family and neighbours |
| C．to remind others of the time | D．to guard against possible dangers |
What does the author advise people to do?
| A．Sleep in the way animals do． | B．Consult a doctor if they can’t sleep． |
| C．Follow their natural sleep rhythm． |
D．Keep to the eight-hour sleep pattern． |
What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
| A．To give a prescription for insomnia． |
B．To urge peopl e to sleep less． |
| C．To analyze the sleep pattern of modern people． |
| D．To throw new light on human sleep． |
This brief book is aimed at high school students, but speaks to anyone learning at any stage of life．
Its formal, serious style closely matches its content, a school-masterly book on schooling．The author, W．H．Armstrong, starts with the basics: reading and writing．In his opinion, reading doesn’t just mean recognizing each word on the page; it means taking in the information, digesting it and incorporating it into oneself just as digests a sandwich and makes it a part of himself．The goal is to bring the information back to life, not just to treat it as dead facts on paper from dead trees．Reading and writing cannot be
completely separated from each other; in fact, the aim of reading is to express the information you have got from the text．I’ve seen it again and again: someone who can’t express an idea after reading a text is just as ineffective as someone who hasn’t read it at all．
Only a third of the book remains after that discussion, which Armstrong devotes to specific tips for studying languages, math, science and history．He generally handles these topics thoroughly(透彻地) and equally, except for some weakness in the science and math sections and a bit too much passion(激情) regarding history．Well, he was a history teacher — if conveyed only a tenth of his passion to his students, that was a hundred times more than my history teachers ever got across．To my disappointment, in this part of the book he ignores the arts．As a matter of fact, they demand all the concentration and study that math and science do, though the study differs slightly in kind．Although it’s commonly believed that the arts can only be naturally acquired, actually, learning the arts is no more natural than learning French or mathematics．
My other comment is that the text aged．The first edition apparently dates to the 1960s — none of the references(参考文献)seem newer than the late 1950s．As a result, the discussion misses the entire computer age．
These are small points, though, and don’t affect the main discussion．I recommend it to any student and any teacher, including the self-taught student．According to Armstrong, the goal of reading is to________．
| A．gain knowledge and expand one’s view |
| B．understand the meaning between the lines |
| C．express ideas based on what one has read |
| D．get information and keep it alive in memory |
The author of the passage insists that learning the arts_________．
| A．requires great efforts | B．demands real passion |
| C．is less natural than learning maths | D．is as natural as learning a language |
What is a shortcoming of Armstrong’s work according to the author?
| A．Some ideas are slightly contradictory． |
| B．There is too much discussion on studying science． |
| C．The style is too serious． |
| D．It lacks new information． |
This passage can be classified as________．
| A．an advertisement | B．a book review |
| C．a feature story | D．a news report |