Do dogs understand us?
Be careful what you say around your dog. It might understand more than you think.
A border collie named Rico recognizes the names of about 200 objects, say researchers in Germany. The dog also appears to be able to learn new words as easily as a 3-year-old child. Its word-learning skills are as good as those of a parrot or chimpanzee(黑猩猩).
In one experiment, the researchers took all 200 items that Rico is supposed to know and divided the into 20groups of 10 objects. Then the owner told the dog to go and fetch one of the items and bring it back. In four tests,Rico got 37 out of 40 commands right. As the dog couldn't see anyone to get clues, the scientists believe Rico must understand the meanings of certain words.
In another experiment, the scientists took one toy that Rico had never seen before and put it in a roomwith seven toys whose names the dog already knew. The owner then told Rico to fetch the object, using a word the dog had never heard before.
The correct object was chosen in seven out of l0 tests, suggesting that the dog had worked out the answer by process of elimination(排除法). A month later, Rico remembered half of the new names, which is even more impressive.
Rico is thought to be smarter than the average dog. For one thing, Rico is a border collie, a breed (种)known for its mental abilities. In addition, the 9-year-old dog has been trained to fetch toys by their names since the age of nine months.
It's hard to know if all dogs understand at least some of the words we say. Even if they do, they can't talk back. Still, it wouldn't hurt to sweet-talk your dog every now and then. You might just get a big, wet kiss in return!
60. From paragraph 2 we know that __ .
A. animals are as clever as human beings
B. dogs are smarter than parrots and chimpanzees
C. chimpanzees have very good word-learning skills
D. dogs have similar 'learning abilities as 3-year-old children
61. Both experiments show that .
A. Rico is smart enough to get all commands right
B. Rico can recognize different things including toys
C. Rico has developed the ability of learning mathematics
D. Rico won't forget the names of objects once recognizing them
62. Which of the following statements is true?
A. The purpose of the experiments is to show the border collie's mental abilities.
B. Rico has a better memory partly because of its proper early training.
C. The border collie is world-famous for recognizing objects.
D. Rico is born to understand its owner's commands.
63. What does the writer want to tell us?
A. To train your dog. B. To talk to your dog.
C. To be friendly to your dog. D. To be careful with your dog.
From good reading we．can get pleasure, companionship, experience, and instruction．A good book may absorb our attention so completely that for the time being we forget our surroundings and even our identity．Reading good books is one of the greatest pleasures in life．It increases our contentment when we are cheerful, and lessens our troubles when we are sad．Whatever may be our main purpose in reading, our contact with good books should never fail to give us enjoyment and satisfaction．
With a good book in our hands we need never be lonely．Whether the characters portrayed are taken from real life or are purely imaginary, they may become our companions and friends．In the pages of books we can walk with the wise and the good of all lands and all times．The people we meet in books may delight us either because they resemble human friends whom we hold dear or because they present unfamiliar types whom we are glad to welcome as new acquaintances．Our human friends sometimes may bore us, but the friends we make in books need never weary us with their company．By turning the page we can dismiss them without any fear of hurting their feelings．When human friends desert us, good books are always ready to give us friendship, sympathy, and encouragement．
One of the most valuable gifts bestowed by books is experience．Few of us can travel far from home or have a wide range of experiences, but all of us can lead varied lives through the pages of books．Whether we wish to escape from the seemingly dull realities of everyday life or whether we long to visit some far-off place, a book will help us when nothing else can．To travel by book we need no bank account to pay our way; no airship or ocean liner or stream-lined train to transport us; no passport to enter me land of our heart's desire．
Through books we may get the thrill of risky adventure without danger．We can climb lofty mountains, brave the danger of an Antarctic winter, or cross the hot sands of the desert, all without hardship．In books we may visit the studios of Hollywood; we may walk among the gay crowds of the Paris wide streets; we may join the picturesque peasants in an Alpine village or the kindly natives on a South Sea island．Indeed, through books the whole world is ours for the asking．The possibilities of our literary experiences are almost unlimited．The beauties of nature, the enjoyment of music, the treasures of art, the triumphs of architecture, the miracles of engineering, are all open to the wonder and enjoyment of those who read．
67．Why do we sometimes forget our surroundings and even our identity while reading?
A．No one has come to disturb you．
B．Everything is so quiet and calm around you．
C．The book you are reading is so interesting and attractive．
D．Your book is overdue; you are finishing it at a very fast speed．
68．What can we leam from this passage?
A．Your wish to visit some far-off place can be realized through the pages of the books．
B．To escape from the dull realities of everyday life you should take up reading．
C．Books can always help you to live a colorful life．
D．You may obtain valuable experience from reading good books．
69．The underlined word "weary" means ____．
A．to attract someone's attention B．to distract someone's attention
C．to make someone very tired D．to make someone interested
70．The last paragraph of the passage implies that through books ____．
A．the whole world is more accessible to us
B．we can ask to go anywhere in the world
C．it is possible for us to make a round-the-world trip free of charge
D．we can ask for everything in this world
In late March, Southwest University became the first school in China to open a 24-hour hotline providing suicide-prevention counseling．
College suicide is a heart-breaking and argumentative topic．Chinese college students have long been the focus of public attention: their youth, education and, most importantly, bright futures make them the envy of society．
However, in recent years, we've read more reports of student suicides．Perhaps that's simply because of society's attention with youth．But it could also signify the increasing troubled mental state of college students．
Many studies have sought to find out the causes of student suicides．Not surprisingly, the top factors usually include psychological and physical sickness, emotional trouble and peer pressure．Despair about their futures is also quickly becoming a leading factor: many students say they feel hopeless and confused about the direction of their careers in a crowded job market．
Thankfully, more and more universities and colleges are providing counseling services to address students' mental and psychological problems．These at least offer some comfort to students facing tough job prospects and personal difficulties．
From appointing in-house student counselors to setting up hotlines and recruiting students to help their troubled peers, many universities are making efforts to fight student depression．There is no denying that much remains to be done, but such efforts are already working, helping students and saving lives．
However, the most important front in this battle lies with the students themselves．Whatever efforts school officials make, it is up to students to realize their problems and ask for help．Unfortunately, many students considering suicide refuse to seek help．By shutting themselves away, they can easily fall into vicious cycles (恶性循环), becoming even more easily hurt to personal
difficulties and the pressures of the outside world．
While establishing better on-campus psychological education and outreach programs as a step forward, students themselves must actively reach out for help．These dangers are a reality for every
student, not only those who feel confused and depressed．
63．Why are there so many students that commit suicide?
A．Because of psychological and physical sickness．?
B．Because they feel hopeless and confused about their future．
C．Because of the emotional trouble．
D．All of the above．
64．According to the article, all of the following are right except ____．
A．No university in China had a whole day hotline about suicide-prevention before March．
B．Many people envy the college students their bright futures．
C．The students who feel confused and depressed may need psychological education．
D．The problems of student suicides indicate the increasing troubled mental state of youths.
65．The key to avoid student suicides is that ____．
A．parents communicate with their children and understand them
B．colleges and universities offer more help to students
C．students themselves realize their problems and seek help from others
D．friends give more comfort and show more understanding to the problem students
66．Which of the following can be the main idea for this article?
A．Help is at hand for suicidal students．
B．More college students commit suicide．
C．How can students avoid committing suicide?
D．Why do college students feel depressed?
Federal regulators Wednesday approved a plan to create a nationwide emergency alert system using text messages delivered to cell phones．Text messages have exploded in popularity in recent years, particularly among young people．The wireless industryls trade association, CTIA, estimates more than 48 billion text messages are sent each month．
The plan comes from the Warning Alert and Response Network Act, a 2006 federal law that requires improvements to the nation's emergency alert system．The act tasked the Federal Communications Commission （FCC） by coming up with new ways to alert the public about emergencies．
"The ability to deliver accurate and timely warnings and alerts through cell phones and other mobile services is an important next step in our efforts to help ensure that the American public has the information they need to take action to protect themselves and their families before and during disasters and other emergencies," FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said following approval of the plan．
Participation in the alert system by carriers -telecommunications companies is voluntary, but it has received solid support from the wireless industry．The program would be optional for cell phone users．They also may not be charged for receiving alerts．
There would be three different types of messages, according to the rules．The first would be a national alert from the president, likely involving a terrorist attack or a nationwide disease．The second would involve "approaching threats," which could include natural disasters like hurricanes or storms or even university shootings．The third would be reserved for child kidnapping emergencies．The service could be in place by 2010．
59．What is the purpose of the approved plan?
A．To warn people of emergencies through messages．
B．To popularize the use of cell phones．
C．To estimate the monthly number of messages．
D．To promote the wireless industry．
60．According to the passage, cell phone users ____．
A．must accept the alert service． B．may enjoy the alert service for free．
C．must send the alerts to others D．may choose the types of messages
61．An alert message will NOT be sent if____．
A．a child gets robbed in the street B．a university shooting happens
C．a natural disaster happens D．a terrorist attack occurs
62．Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A．Cell Phone Alerts Protecting Students
B．Cell Phone Alerts by Wireless Industry
C．Cell Phone Alerts of National Disasters
D．Cell Phone Alerts Coming Soon
He was an old man who fished alone in a boat in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish．hi the first forty days a boy had been with him．But after tony days without a fish the boy's parents had told him that the old man was now definitely salao and he finally would be so．The boy had gone at their orders in another boat which caught three good fish the first week．It made the boy sad to see the old man come in each day with his skiff empty and he always went down to help him carry either the coiled lines or the gaff （鱼钩） and harpoon （鱼叉） and the sail that was rolled around the mast （桅杆）．The sail was patched with flour bags and, rolled, it looked like tneflag of permanent defeat．
The old man was very thin with deep wrinkles in the back of his neck．The brown blotches（斑点）of the skin cancer the sun brings from its reflection on the tropic sea were on his cheeks．The blotches ran well down the sides of his face and his hands had the deep-creased scars from handling heavy fish on the cords．But none of these scars were fresh．They were as old as erosions in a fishless desert．Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated．
"Santiago," the boy said to him as they climbed the bank from where the boat was pulled up．"I could go with you again．We've made some money．" The old man had taught the boy to fish and the boy loved him．
"No," the old man said．"You're with a lucky boat．Stay with them."
"But remember how you went eighty-seven days without fish and then we caught big ones every day for three weeks．"
"I remember," the old man said．"I know you did not leave me because you doubted．"
"It was papa who made me leave．I am a boy and I must obey him．"
"I know," the old man said．"It is quite normal．"
"He hasn't much faith．"
"No," the old man said．"But we have．Haven't we?"
"Yes," the boy said．"Can I offer you a beer on the Terrace and then we'll take the stuff home．"
"Why not?" said the old man, "between fishermen．"
55．The underlined word "salao" in the first paragraph probably means ____．
A．lonely B．unlucky C．selfish D．stubborn
56．The boy left the old man and went in another boat to fish because ____．
A．the old man preferred to fish alone
B．the old man was poor
C．the boy's parents ordered him to
D．the old man's sail suggested a permanent defeat
57．After reading this passage, we may safely conclude that ____．
A．the old man was insistent and not afraid of failure
B．the boy's papa had confidence in everything
C．the old man caught big fishes during eighty-seven days
D．the boy obeyed his father because he had some doubts about the old man
58．What might happen after the last paragraph?
A．The old man and the boy might go to fish with other fishermen．
B．The old man might go to have a drink with the boy．
C．The old man and the boy might go to enjoy beer at the old man's home．
D．The old man might go to tell the boy's papa about the secrets between fishermen．
第三部分阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Too often we accuse others of not listening, pretending that we ourselves are faultless, yet in our hearts we know that many of the mistakes we make come about because we haven't listened carefully enough．We get things wrong because we haven't listened carefully enough．We get things wrong because we haven't quite understood what someone meant when they were talking to us．Anyone who has ever taken the minutes of a long meeting will know how hard it is to remember—despite the benefit of notes—exactly what everyone said．But success depends on getting things right—and that means listening．
Listening is not the same thing as hearing; it is not an effort actively．It demands attention and concentration．It may mean quizzing the speaker for additional information or for clarification—it is always better to ask than to continue regardless and get things wrong．However, if you allow your mind to wander onto something else, even for a few minutes, you'll miss what the speaker is saying—probably at the very moment when he or she is saying something critical．And not having heard, you won't know you've missed anything until it's too late．
The most common bad habit we have is to start thinking of what we are going to say about the subject long before the other speaker has finished．We then stop listening．Even worse, this often addsrudeness to inattentiveness, as once you have decided what to say there is a fair chance you will interrupt to say it．Good listeners don't interrupt, hi fact it is often worth explaining the main idea of what you have just been told before going on to make your own points．Nobody is offended by this and it shows that you have listened well．
Above all, be patient and accept that many people are not very good communicators．It's helpful to remember that the ways people move and position themselves while they are speaking can reveal a great deal about what they are saying．Equally important you should put yourself in the other person's place, both intellectually and emotionally; it will help you to understand what they are getting at and form a response．But don't be too clever．Faced with a know-all, many people keep quiet because they see no point in continuing．
51．Which is the best title for this passage?
A．Don't be too clever B．Be a good listener
C．Don't miss anything critical D．Think of the speaker
52．In the last paragraph, the underlined sentence"…what they are getting at…" means ____．
A．what they imply B．what they like．
C．what they attack - D．what they achieve
53．According to the passage, which of the following is the writer's opinion?
A．If you want to be a good listener, you should be very clever and emotional．
B．Speakers won't continue talking when their listeners explain what they've heard．
C．If you don't want to get things wrong, it's important to be a good listener．
D．It's hard to be a good listener because listening tests you on your intelligence．
54．What is the lesson we can learn from this passage?
A．Don't accuse others of not listening while talking with them．
B．Don't get anything wrong if you miss what the speaker is saying．
C．Listening inattentively may cost you the loss of your success．
D．Think carefully of what you're going to say before the speaker finishes．