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SAN FRANCISCO--- As skies are filled with millions of migrating birds, Europeans scientists say the seasonal miracle appears to depend on a seeming contradiction: The fatter the bird, the more efficiently it flies.
The result of their study contradict a central theory of aerodynamics(空气动力学), which predicts that the power needed to fly increases with weight.
For birds, apparently, the cost of flying with heavy fuel loads is considerably smaller than previously thought.
Researchers found that red knot wading birds double their normal body weight of 100 grams before making their twice-a-year, non-stop commute(路程) between the British Isles and the Russian Arctic. Distance: 5,000 kilometers.
Another study in the journal Nature measured the benefits of flying in an aerodynamic V formation, which allows bird to save energy by gliding in the lead bird’s air stream.
Flying in formation, their heart rates were as much as 14.5 percent lower than flying solo, according to Henri Weimerskirch, a French scientist. The findings help explain how birds complete difficult migrations.
Researchers had assumed that thinner, more athletic birds would have the best chance of survival.
The first study suggests that building up fat deposits(存放) to be burned as fuel during the migrating is worth more than the energy it takes to carry the additional weight. In the study, researchers said their team studied the birds flown at different body masses during 28 simulated(模拟) flights. They were injected with a small amount of water containing a radioactive element that enabled the team to measure the amount of energy burned.
63. Researchers used to believe_______.
A. the thinner a bird is, the less energy it needs to fly
B. migratory birds make a journey from the British Isles to the Russian Arctic
C. aerodynamics makes no sense
D. birds eat more before they begin their migrations
64. According to the passage, birds prefer to fly in the V formation rather than fly solo because_____.
A. it is against aerodynamic to fly in the V formation
B. they can save energy while migrating
C. they won’t get lost with a bird leading the way
D. in this way their heart beat faster so that they can fly faster
65. The researchers didn’t ______ in the study.
A. inject the birds with water containing a radioactive element
B. watch birds of different body masses in simulated flights
C. take the birds’ heart rates
D. feed the birds to fatten them
66. The best title of the passage should be _______.
A. Birds Fatten up for Journey B. Migratory Birds in Europe
C. New Findings D. Migrating in V formation
Education is an expensive part of American life. Its size is matched by its variety. Differences in American schools compared with those found in the majority of other countries lie in the fact that education here has long been intended for everyone. Schools are expected to meet the needs of every child, regardless of ability, and also the needs of society itself. This means that public schools offer more than academic subjects. It surprises many people when they come here to find high schools offering such courses as typing, sewing, radio repair, computer programming or driver training, along with traditional academic subjects such as mathematics, history, and languages. Students choose their courses depending on their interests, future goals, and level of ability. The basic goal of American education is to develop every child to the utmost of his or her own possibilities, and to give each one a sense of community.
Schools have traditionally played an important role in creating national unity and “Americanizing” the millions of immigrants who have poured into this country from many different backgrounds and origins. Schools still play a large role in the community, especially in the small towns.
The teaching may seem unfamiliar to many, not only because it is informal, but also because there is not much emphasis on learning facts. Instead, Americans try to teach their children to think for themselves and to develop their own intellectual and creative abilities. Students spend much time learning how to use materials, libraries, statistics, and computers. Americans believe that if children are taught to reason well and to research well, they will be able to find whatever facts they need throughout the rest of their lives. Knowing how to solve problems is considered more important than the accumulation (积累) of facts.
This is America’s answer to the searching question that thoughtful parents all over the world are asking themselves in the fast-moving time, “How can one prepare today’s child for a tomorrow that one can neither predict nor understand?”The underlined words “reason well” probably means _____.
| A．persuade firmly | B．list the reasons clearly |
| C．think logically | D．conclude immediately |
It is implied in the passage that _____.
| A．all high-school students take the same courses |
| B．every student must take practical ability training courses |
| C．every public school offers the same academic subjects |
| D．the subjects every student takes may vary |
American schools place great emphasis on the learners’ _____.
| A．knowledge | B．accumulation of facts |
| C．creativity | D．ability to work with hands |
What makes American education different from others’?
| A．The large number of schools. |
| B．The variety of the courses. |
| C．Its consideration for immigrants. |
| D．The basic goal of the education. |
One of the main decisions you must make when traveling is deciding where to stay. A good place to stay can often make a holiday. Whether you are looking for a classy hotel or a night under the stars, we can guide you through your different options.
Bed and Breakfast
An English invention, bed and breakfasts offer exactly what they suggest, a bed for the night and breakfast in the morning. People who hate the anonymity of hotels but want more luxury than a hostel often choose to stay at bed and breakfasts. “B&B’s”, usually someone’s private home, are often found in the countryside.
Hostels
For those traveling on a tight budget, hostels are the best accommodation option. Informal places usually with a friendly youthful vibe(氛围), they offer dormitory beds for rent. Bathrooms are usually down the hall.
Remember to check reviews by previous guests online before you book your hostel.
Couch Surfing
An unusual but interesting option, couch surfing is a growing trend among young internationals. The idea is that you become a member of the online couch-surfing community (www. couchsurfing. com) and then when you travel, look up other members in that country and ask to stay on their couch (沙发). Most hosts will suggest sightseeing trips and take you out in the evening, making it a great way to see things that aren’t in your guidebook. And remember, it may be free but don’t forget to offer to buy your host a drink or dinner.
Camping
Sleeping under the stars! For budget travelers staying at camping grounds is the cheapest way to travel. The drawback is that you have to carry a tent with you. Camping grounds can be found across Europe, America and Australia. However, if you intend on camping in busy cities, check first where the nearest campsite is. More often than not, they are on the outskirts, which can mean lengthy bus rides into town when you want to eat or see the sights.Hostels are popular among budget travelers because they provide _____.
| A．a friendly atmosphere |
| B．dormitory beds for sale |
| C．reviews by previous guests |
| D．beds and bathrooms as well |
The advantage of couch surfing is that _____.
| A．you don’t have to pay any money |
| B．you can have a couch to sleep on |
| C．you can explore the nightlife there |
| D．the host will charge you for sightseeing |
The disadvantage of camping is that you have to ______.
| A．sleep in the open air |
| B．take some extra articles |
| C．camp near big cities for safety |
| D．take a long distance bus to the campsites |
You want a better but not too expensive place to stay, you may choose _____.
| A．Bed and Breakfast | B．Hostels |
| C．Couch Surfing | D．Camping |
New York — Wednesday, October fifteenth, is the first Global Hand Washing Day. Activities are planned in more than twenty countries to get millions of people in the developing world to wash their hands with soap.
Experts say people around the world wash their hands but very few use soap at so-called critical moments. These include after using the toilet, after cleaning a baby and before touching food.
Global Hand Washing Day is the idea of the Public-Private Partnership for Hand Washing with Soap. The goal, they say, is to create a culture of hand washing with soap. The organizers say all soaps are equally effective at removing disease-causing germs (病菌). They say the correct way to wash hands is to wet your hands with a small amount of water and cover them with soap. Rub it into all areas, including under the fingernails. Then, rinse well under running water. Finally, dry your hands with a clean cloth.
The Partnership says soap is important because it increases the time that people spend washing. Soap also helps to break up the dirt that holds most of the germs. And it usually leaves a pleasant smell, which increases the likelihood that people will wash again.
It also says washing with soap before eating and after using the toilet could save more lives than any medicine. It could help reduce cases of diarrhea (痢疾), which is the second leading cause of child deaths, killing more than one and a half million children a year, by almost half.The most suitable title for the text would be _____.
| A．Hand Washing Brings Good Health |
| B．Hand Washing Gets a Day of Its Own |
| C．It Is Soap That Matters |
| D．Partnership for Hand Washing Takes Action |
The Partnership creates Global Hand Washing Day to _____.
| A．call on people to wash hands |
| B．help the developing countries |
| C．promote the importance of soap in hand washing |
| D．make a culture of hand washing in the third world |
The following facts can explain why soap is important EXCEPT that _____.
| A．soap gives people a longer hand washing time |
| B．soap helps to get rid of more germs off hands |
| C．soap attracts people to do more hand washing |
| D．soap gets people into the habit of washing hands |
According to the last paragraph, diarrhea is a disease that _____.
| A．kills half of the kids in developing countries |
| B．causes the greatest number of child deaths |
| C．can be prevented by washing hands with soap |
| D．makes soap stand out in hand washing |
In the summer of 1978 an English farmer was driving his tractor through a field of wheat when he discovered that some of his wheat was lying flat on the ground. The flattened wheat formed a circle about six meters across. Around this circle were four smaller circles of flattened wheat. The five circles were in a formation like five dots. During the following years, farmers in England found the strange circles in their fields more and more often.
The circles are called “crop circles” because they appear in the fields of grain ― usually wheat or corn. The grain in the circles lies flat on the ground but is never broken; it continues to grow, and farmers can later harvest it. Farmers always discover the crop circles in the morning, so the circles probably form at night. They appear only in the months from May to September.
At first, people thought that the circles were a hoax. Probably young people were making them as a joke, or farmers were making them to attract tourists. To prove that the circles were a hoax, people tried to make circles exactly like the ones that farmers had found. They couldn’t do it. They couldn’t enter a field of grain without leaving tracks, and they couldn’t flatten the grain without breaking it.
Many people believe that beings from outer space are making the circles to communicate with us from far away and that the crop circles are messages from them.
Scientists who have studied the crop circles suggested several possibilities. Some scientists say that a downward rush of wind leads to the formation of the circles — the same downward lash of air that sometimes causes an airplane to crash. Other scientists say that forces within the earth cause the circles to appear. There is one problem with all these scientific explanations: crop circles often appear in formations, like the five-dot formation. It is hard to believe that any natural force could form those.In the summer of 1978, an English farmer discovered in his field that ______.
| A．some of his wheat had been damaged |
| B．some of his wheat had fallen onto the ground |
| C．his grain was growing up in circles |
| D．his grain was moved into several circles |
The underlined word "hoax" in Paragraph 3 is probably ______.
| A．an attempt made to fool people |
| B．a special way to plant crops |
| C．an experiment for the protection of crops |
| D．a research on the force of winds |
Which of the following may prove that the crop circles are not made by man?
| A．The farmers couldn’t step out of the field. |
| B．The farmers couldn’t make the circles round. |
| C．The farmers couldn’t leave without footprints. |
| D．The farmers couldn’t keep the wheat straight up. |
One explanation given by scientists for the crop circles is that they are made by _____.
| A．airplane crashes | B．air movement |
| C．unknown flying objects | D．new farming techniques |
I was walking along the main street of a small seaside town in the north of England looking for somewhere to make a phone call. My car had broken down outside the town and I wanted to contact the AA Company. Low grey clouds were gathering across the sky and there was a cold damp wind blowing off the sea which nearly threw me off my feet every time I crossed one of the side streets. It had rained in the night and water was dripping from the bare trees that lined the street. I was glad that I was wearing a thick coat.
There was no sign of a call box, nor was there anyone at that early hour whom I could ask. I had thought I might find a shop open selling the Sunday papers or a milkman doing his rounds, but the town was completely dead. The only living thing I saw was a thin frightened cat outside a small restaurant.
Then suddenly I found what I was looking for. There was a small post office, and almost hidden from sight in a dark narrow street. Next to it was the town’ s only public call box, which badly needed a coat of paint. I hurried forward, but stopped in astonishment when I saw through the dirty glass that there was a man inside. He was fat, and was wearing a cheap blue plastic raincoat. I could not see his face and he did not even raise his head at the sound of my footsteps.
Carefully, I remained standing a few feet away and lit a cigarette to wait for my turn. It was when I threw the dead match on the ground that I noticed something bright red trickling from under the call box door.At what time was the story set?
| A．An early winter morning. |
| B．A cold winter afternoon. |
| C．An early summer morning. |
| D．A windy summer afternoon. |
Which of the following words best describe the writer’s impression of the town?
| A．Cold and frightening. | B．Dirty and crowded. |
| C．Empty and dead. | D．Unusual and unpleasant. |
The underlined word “trickling” in the last paragraph probably means ______.
| A．rushing out suddenly | B．shining brightly |
| C．flowing slowly in drops | D．appearing slowly |
Why didn’t the man raise his head when the writer came near?
| A．He was annoyed at being seen by the writer. |
| B．He was angry at being disturbed by the writer. |
| C．He was probably fast asleep. |
| D．He was probably murdered. |