The idea for a science experiment can come from an unusual place. After watching a YouTube video of a dancing bird named Snowball, a scientist in California decided to study the ability of animals to keep the beat.
Bird lovers have long claimed that their pets have rhythm, and there are many videos of dancing birds online. Until now, scientists have suspected that humans are the only animals that can accurately keep rhythm with music.
Thanks to Snowball, that scientific opinion is changing. Snowball is a cockatoo, a kind of parrot, and his favorite song is "Everybody" by the Backstreet Boys. When he hears the song, he moves his feet and rocks his body with the tempo, or pace of the music, as though he is the only bird member of the boy band.
Aniruddh Patel is a neuroscientist, or a scientist who studies how the brain and the nervous system contribute to learning, seeing and other mental abilities. He works at the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego. After seeing Snowball's dance online, Patel visited the cockatoo at the bird rescue facility he's called home for two years. The scientist played "Everybody" for Snowball and also played versions of the song that were sped up or slowed down. Sometimes, Snowball danced too fast or too slowly. Often, when there was a change in tempo, Snowball adjusted his dancing to match the rhythm. In other experiments, scientists have observed the same abilities in preschool children.
Patel isn't the only scientist who has studied Snowball's moves. Adena Schachner, who studies psychology at Harvard University, also wanted to know more about the dancing bird. Schachner's team played different musical pieces for Snowball and a parrot named Alex, as well as eight human volunteers. The scientists observed that the birds and the humans kept time to the music with about the same accuracy.
Schachner and her team watched thousands of YouTube videos of different animals moving to music. Not all the animals could dance, however. From watching the videos, the scientists observed that only animals that imitate sounds, including 14 parrot species and Asian elephants, accurately moved in time to music.
63. The underlined words “that scientific opinion” in the third paragraph refers to the theory that ______.
A.birds like Snowball have the ability to keep the beat
B.humans are the only animals that can accurately keep rhythm with music
C.the brain and the nervous system contribute to some mental abilities
D.bird pets can have their special rhythm under human’s instruction
64. From the fourth paragraph we may know that ______.
A.Patel is the only scientist who has studied Snowball’s moves.
B.Snowball is able to adjust his dancing to match the rhythm.
C.Snowball cannot dance to the versions of the song Everybody.
D.it is the brain and the nervous system that control the mental abilities.
65. The idea of studying animals’ ability to keep the beat comes from ______.
A.bird lovers’ discovery
B.humans musical sense
C.the same abilities in children
D.videos of dancing birds
66. According to the scientists, Snowball’s ability to dance to music is probably related to the fact that ______.
A.it is the only bird member of the Backstreet Boys band
B.it has the ability to imitate sounds
C.it is a kind of dancing parrot
D.it has the same abilities as preschool children
A volcanic eruption in Iceland has sent ash across northern Europe. Airlines have stopped or changed the flights across the Atlantic Ocean, leaving airport hundreds of passengers stuck in airport.
Grimsvotn is one of the largest and most active volcanoes in Europe. What makes Grimsvotn different is that it lies under a huge glacier(冰川) of ice up to 12 meters thick. The hot volcano heats up the ice above it, which then forms a layer of water between the glacier and the volcano. This layer of water puts pressure on the volcano, keeping it stable. As the water flows out from under the glacier, the pressure lifts. The lava(岩浆) from the volcano then comes up to the surface. This is exactly what happened today.
Now, airlines have to make changes to their flights so as not to fly through the clouds of volcanic ash. According to KLM, one of Europe’s biggest airlines, airplanes cannot go under the cloud or cover it. Going through the cloud can result in as getting stuck in the airplane’s engines, causing damage to the plane.
The eruption has also caused problems for animals in Iceland. The volcano left ash and sharp, glass-like rocks all over the countryside. Farmers are keeping their animals inside to stop them from eating ash-covered grass or the sharp object.
72. What makes Grimsvotn different from other volcano?
A.It is below ice. B. It lies under the sea.
C. It is the largest volcano D. It is lava affects the airlines.
73. What keeps Grimsvotn still?
A. The slow flow of water B. The low water temperature.
C. The thick glacier D. The water pressure.
74. Which of the following is the result of the volcanic eruption?
A. People stop traveling in Europe.
B. Airlines suffer from the loss of planes.
C. It becomes dangerous for animals to eat outside.
D. Farmers have lost many of their animals.
75. This text is most probably taken from _________.
A. a research paper B. a newspaper report
C. a class presentation D. a geography textbook.
Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you
you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sort of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse.. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centres. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.
68. Which of the following is the author mostly probably in favour of(支持)?
A. Cycling around a lake B. Motor racing in the desert
C. Playing basketball in a gym. D. Swimming in a sports center.
69. What do we know about golf from the passage?
A. It is popular in Portugal and Spain
B. It causes water shortages around the world.
C.It pollutes the earth with chemicals and waste
D. It needs water and electricity to keep its courses green.
70. The author uses power walking as an example mainly because____.
A. it is an outdoor sport B. it improves our health
C. it uses fewer resources D. it is recommended by experts.
71. The author writes the passage to _________.
A. show us the function of major sports.
B. encourage us to go in for green sports.
C. discuss the major influence of popular sports.
D. introduce different types of environment-friendly sports.
Now, it’s time for some brief news item.
1.China wins women’s 3,000m short track relays, S. Korea disqualified
VANCOUVER,Feb.24 2010(Xinhua)—Twice Olympic champion Wang Meng led the Chinese short track speed skating team to the top podium of women’s 3,000m relay with a world record at the Vancouver Winter Games here on Wednesday, as South Korea was later disqualified. Canada took the silver, with the United States picking up the bronze. South Korean’s skaters had already started waving flags in joy after crossing the line but later the judges decided Kim Ming-jung had impeded(阻碍) during an exchange push.
2. Severe drought cracks Airport’s runway
KUNMING, March, 18 2010 (China Daily)—Severe drought continues to plague southwestern China’s Yunnan Province.
In the provincial capital Kunming, the surface of Wu Jiaba International Airport’ sonly runway has been fractured(断裂). Repairs have been going on since Tuesday. The airport is closed every day from midnight to seven-thirty in the morning. Airport authorities say the severe drought is the cause of the damage. The airport also needs to repair its plane taxing and parking area. Chen Zhiwei, Security Dept., Kunming International Airport, said, “The drought has greatly lowered the underground water level. And this has affected the runway foundations. The damage to its surface is severe.”
3. School Soldiers
Russian school students will have to do basic military training in their final year of school, the government has decided. The lesson will include learning to fire guns, marching drills and how to deal with a chemical, nuclear or biological attack. The activity is seen as part of a drive toward education of their love for their country.
4.
Is it hard for you to get up early and get ready for classes? Some students at Winter Park High School just roll out of bed in their pajamas(睡衣) and go to class in their own bedrooms. Of course, their teachers and classmates do not see them because all their class work is on the computer. The Florida High School, the state’s only online program take classes in algebra, American government, chemistry, computer, economics, and web-page design. They also have to go to regular school to attend other classes.
64. Which country ranks fourth in the women’s 3,000m short track relay according to the first news?
A. S. Korea B. Canada C. The USA. D. Not know
65. Which of the following is correct according to the second news?
A. The airport has been closed since Tuesday
B. Drought caused the trouble for repairs.
C. The underground water level became lower, and that’s why the Airport’s runway cracked.
D. Flights were not really stopped during the day, because Wu Jiaba International Airport had another runway.
66. Why will Russian school students have basic military training?
A. To get ready for a military parade. B. To learn to protect themselves.
C. To gain some military knowledge
D. To develop their love for their country.
67. The news from Florida can be given in a title “__________”.
A. Get up Late B. Online School
C. The special pajamas D. The popular subjects
Some of the world’s most famous persons had suffered from a similar disability, such as Albert Einstein, the mathematician; Thomas Edison, the inventor; Auguste Rodin, the artist. What disabled these three famous men? Strange as it may seem, they all suffered from learning disabilities. They had great difficulty learning to read, write or use numbers. Almost always, there is a problem with one of the mental processes needed to understand or use written signs or spoken language. Yet he or she is unable to recognize difference in sizes, shapes or sounds that are easy for others to recognize. Learning disabilities are very common. They affect perhaps 10 percent of all children. Four times as many boys as girls have learning disabilities.
Since about 1970, new research has helped brain scientists understand these problems better. Scientists now know there are many different kinds of learning disabilities and that they are caused by many different things. There is no longer any question that all learning disabilities result from differences in the way the brain is organized.
You can not look at a child and tell if he or she has a learning disability. There is no outward （外部的） signs of disorder （混乱）. So some researchers began looking at the brain itself to learn what might be wrong. In one study, researchers examined the brain of a learning-disabled person who had died in an accident. They found two unusual things. One involved cells in the left side of the brain, which control language. These cells normally are white. In the learning-disabled person’s brain, however, these cells were gray . The researchers also found that many of the nerve cells were not in a line the way they should have been. The nerve cells were mixed together.
60. How can we learn whether a person has suffered from a learning disability or not?
A. By judging whether she or he sees or hears perfectly well.
B. By checking whether he or she is of normal or great intelligence.
C. By judging whether he or she is the world’s most famous person or not.
D. By judging whether he or she has any difficulty in recognizing the difference in sizes, shapes or sounds.
61. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Among the children suffering from learning disabilities, girls are fewer than boys.
B. It is reported that many more girls have learning disabilities than boys.
C. All the world’s most famous persons have the chance to get the similar disorder.
D. All the world’s most famous persons have suffered from learning disabilities.
62. Why did researchers examine the brain of a learning-disabled person who had died in an accident?
A. To try to look at the brain itself to find out the cause of learning disabilities.
B. To see if the person had any outward signs of disorder.
C. To check if the person is of normal or great intelligence.
D. To find out if the person suffered from a learning disability.
63. If someone has a learning disability, _______.
A. his or her nerve cells are in a line
B. he or she is able to recognize difference in sizes, shapes or sounds
C. he or she has no difficulty in learning to read, write or use numbers
D. his or her nerve cells in the left side of the brain are gray and are not in a line
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，计分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项中（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
America is growing older. Fifty-eight years ago, only 4 out of every 100 people in the United States were 65 years old or older. Today, 10 out of every 100 Americans are over 65 years old. The aging （老龄化） of the population will affect American society in many ways—education, medicine, and business. Quietly, the graying of America has given us a very different society— one in which people have different ideas of what kind of behavior is suitable at various ages.
A person’s age no longer tells you anything about his / her social position, marriage or health. There’s no longer a particular year in which one goes to school or goes to work or gets married or starts a family. The social clock that keeps us on time and tells us when to go to school, get a job, or stop working isn’t as strong as it used to be. It doesn’t surprise us to hear of a 29-year-old university president or a 35-year-old grandmother, or a 70-year-old man who has become a father for the first time. Public ideas are changing.
Many people say, “I am much younger than my mother or my father when she or he was at my age.” No one says “Act your age” any more. We’ve stopped looking with surprise at older people who act in youthful ways.
56. It can be learnt from the text that the aging of the population in America has _______.
A. made people feel younger B. changed people’s social position
C. changed people’s understanding of age
D. slowed down the country’s development
57. The underlined word “one” refers to ________.
A. a very different society B. America C. a place D. population
58. “Act your age” means people should ________.
A. be active when they are old B. do the right things at the right age
C. show respect for their parents
D. take more physical exercise suitable to their age
59. If a 25-year-old man becomes the manager of a big firm, the writer of the text would most probably consider it ________.
A. normal B. wonderful C. unbelievable D. strange