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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 room
with 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.
When we’re little, our mother is the center of our attention, and we are the center of hers. So our mother’s characteristics leave an indelible(持久的)impression, and we are forever after attracted to people with her facial features, body type, personality, even sense of humor. If our mother is warm and giving, as adults we tend to be attracted to people who are warm and giving. If our mother is strong and even-tempered, we are going to be attracted to a fair-minded strength in our mates.
The mother has an additional influence on her sons: she not only gives them clues to what they will find attractive in a mate, but also affects how they feel about women in general. So if she is warm and nice, her sons are going to think that’s the way women are. They will probably grow up to be warm and responsive lovers and also be cooperative around the house.
Conversely, a mother who has a depressive personality, and is sometimes friendly but then suddenly turns cold and rejecting, may raise a man who becomes a “dance-away lover”. Because he’s been so scared about love from his mother, he’s afraid of commitment and may pull away from a girlfriend for this reason.
While the mother determines in large part what qualities attract us in a mate, it’s the father—the first male in our lives—who influences how we relate to the opposite sex. Fathers have an enormous effect on their children’s personalities and chances of marital happiness.
Just as mothers influence their son’s general feelings toward women, fathers influence their daughter’s general feelings about men. If a father lavishes praise on his daughter and demonstrates that she is a worthwhile person, she’ll feel very good about herself in relation to men. But if the father is cold, critical or absent, the daughter will tend to feel she’s not very lovable or attractive.
In addition, most of us grow up with people of similar social circumstances. We hang around with people in the same town; our friends have about the same educational backgrounds and career goals. We tend to be most comfortable with these people, and therefore we tend to link up with others whose families are often much like our own.Why do our mother’s characteristics leave us an indelible impression?
A.Because we are likely to be attached to people with her characteristics. |
B.Because the mother and her child are the centers of each other when her child is very young. |
C.Because our mother is better than our dad. |
D.Because our mother is a woman who is kind to us. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
A.If our mother is warm and giving, we love to be together with warm and generous people. |
B.If our mother is strong and well-controlled, we are going to be attracted to a fair-minded strength in our mates. |
C.Mother not only gives her children clues to what they will find attractive in a mate, but also affects how they feel about women in general. |
D.Fathers influence their daughter’s general feelings about men. |
What can we know from Paragraphs 2 and 3?
A.The mother only influences her sons. |
B.The sons always think women are warm and nice. |
C.A mother who has a depressive personality is sure to raise a dance-away lover. |
D.The mother has an additional influence on her sons. |
What does the underlined word “lavishes” in Paragraph 5 probably mean?
A.Uses much. | B.Uses little. | C.Never uses. | D.Seldom uses. |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
A.Mothers’ influence on their sons. | B.Parents’ influence on their children. |
C.Parents’ impression on their children. | D.Fathers’ influence on their daughters. |
(BEIJING, August 10)—The Beijing Daily has put together a number of tips for cost-efficient travel in Beijing.
★Subway transfer
“Transfer” is a word frequently used by volunteers helping visitors choose the best way of transport during the ongoing Beijing Olympics to save time.
On the seven subway lines now in operation, the transport authorities have set up a total of 16 transfer stations:
Transfer between Line 2 and Line 1 at Jianguomen and Fuxingmen stations;
Transfer between Line 2 and Line 5 at Chongwenmen and Yonghegong stations;
Transfer between Line 2 and Line 13 at Dongzhimen and Xizhimen stations; Dongzhimen station can also bring you to Beijing Capital International Airport via the Airport Line;
Transfer between Line 1 and Line Batong at Sihui and Sihuidong stations;
Transfer from Line 1 to Line 10 at Guomao station to reach Zhongguancun, the north Third Ring Road (going north and west) or Jinsong (going south).
Via Line 10, transfer to Line 8 at Beitucheng station to reach the Olympic central zone, where the “Bird’s Nest” and other venues are located; transfer to Line 5 at Huixinxijie Nankou; transfer to Line 13 at Zhichunlu and Shaoyaoju stations; Sanyuanqiao station takes you to the airport via the Airport Line.
★From subway to bus
Beijing’s subway system is thoroughly linked with bus routes.
The Beijing Railway Station, which can be reached via the Line 2 subway, has bus lines going north, southeast and to the West Railway Station, covering Chaoyang, Tongzhou, Daxing and other districts.
Xizhimen station is linked to many bus routes that go south and northeast. The long-distance bus routes near Dongzhimen station pass through Shunyi, Pinggu and other outskirts.
★Park and ride
Park and ride facilities allow commuters to leave their personal vehicles in a parking lot and transfer to a bus or rail system.
In Beijing, because of city planning and other factors, park and ride is limited to bus and subway stations beyond the Fourth Ring Road. Since the Line 5 subway began operating, a low-fare parking lot, the largest in Beijing, was created at Tiantongyuan Beizhan station. Drivers are encouraged to spend just two yuan per day parking their vehicles and take the subway into the city.At which of the station, passengers can go to the Beijing Capital International Airport by subway?
A.Dongzhimen and Xizhimen. | B.Jianguomen and Fuxingmen. |
C.Dongzhimen and Sanyuanqiao. | D.Zhichunlu and Shaoyaoju. |
According to the tips, if you take Line 2, how can you reach Zhongguancun?
A.Transfer to Line 1 at Jianguomen station, and then transfer to Line 10 at Guomao station. |
B.Transfer to Line 5 at Chongwenmen station, and then transfer to Line 10 at Guomao station. |
C.Transfer to Line 13 at Dongzhimen station, and then transfer to Line 8 at Beituchengstation. |
D.Transfer to Line 1 at Dongzhimen station, and then transfer to Line 10 at Guomao station. |
Which of the following is TRUE?
A.You can get to the Beijing Railway Station via the Line 5 subway. |
B.Park and ride is limited to bus and subway stations beyond the Third Ring Road. |
C.Drivers can spend a little money in parking their vehicles in the largest parking lot. |
D.Drivers must park their cars in the largest parking lot and transfer to a bus or rail system. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
A.From the Beijing Railway Station, you can take buses to the West Railway Station. |
B.From the Beijing Railway Station, you can take the subway to the West Railway Station. |
C.The Beijing Railway Station has bus lines going north and southeast. |
D.The Beijing Railway Station has bus lines going southeast and to the West Railway Station. |
What is the purpose of the tips?
A.To help volunteers save time during the ongoing Olympic Games. |
B.To help tourists enjoy the places of interest in Beijing. |
C.To make people learn about the daily transport in Beijing. |
D.To make it convenient and efficient to travel in Beijing during the ongoing Olympic Games. |
I stood outsideNew York’s Madison Square Garden and just stared, almost speechless. I was a farm boy from County Kilkenny, a child who some thought would never walk, let alone go as far as I had in the world.
From the day I was born, there was a problem. The doctors at the Dublin hospital told my parents I had phocomelia, a deformity that affected both legs below the knee, which were outward and shorter than normal and each foot had just three toes. Life was tough. I couldn’t stand, much less walk. I rarely left the farmhouse—and then only in someone’s arms. Mom bundled me up whenever she took me to town, no matter the season.
“The world will see him when he can walk,” she told Dad. “And he willwalk.”
Mom devoted herself to helping me. She tried everything to get me on my feet. When I was three, she and Dad took me to a clinic in Dublin.
A few weeks later we returned to Dublin with my artificial limbs (肢). Back home I practiced walking with my new limbs.
“There’s nothing anyone can do but you can’t,” Mom said. “You and I are going to walk through town.”
The next day Mom dressed me in my finest clothes. She wore a summer dress and fixed herhair and makeup. Dad drove us to the church. We stepped out of the car. Mom took my hand. “Hold your head up high, now, Ronan,” she said.
We walked 300 meters to the post office. It was the farthest I’d walked, and I was sweating from the effort. Then we left the post office and continued down the street, Mom's eyes shining with a mother's pride.
That night, back on our farm, I lay exhausted on my bed. It meant nothing, though, compared to what I’d done on my walk.
Then I began to pursue my dream of singing. And at every step Mom's words came back to me—Ronan, you can do anything anyone else can do—and the faith she had in God, who would help me do it.
I’ve sung from the grandest stages in Europe, to music played by the world’s finest musicians. That night, I stood at the Madison Square Garden, with Mom’s words chiming in my ears. Then I began singing. I couldn't feel the pulse of the music in my feet, but I felt it deep in my heart, the same place where Mom’s promise lived.What was the problem with the author as a baby?
A.He was expected unable to walk. |
B.He was born outward in character. |
C.He had a problem with listening. |
D.He was shorter than a normal baby.![]() |
The underlined word “deformity” in the second paragraph most probably means _________.
A.shortcoming | B.disadvantage |
C.disability | D.delay![]() |
Why did Mom dress him and herself in finest clothes?
A.To hide their depressed feeling. |
B.To indicate it an unusual day. |
C.To show off their clothes. |
D.To celebrate his successful operation.![]() |
From the story we may conclude that his mother was __________.
A.determined | B.stubborn | C.generous | D.distinguished![]() |
According to the writer, what mattered most in his success?
A.His consistent effort. | B.His talent for music. |
C.His countless failures. | D.His mother’s promise. |
Losing a baby tooth can be fun for a kid. You can put it under your pillow and look forward to finding some money there in the morning. And then you can watch your new permanent(永恒的) tooth grow in its place.
But if a permanent tooth falls out, that’s a problem. There isn’t another one under the gum(齿龈)that can replace it. Unfortunately, this happens to some older people. And if permanent teeth fall out or need to be pulled, an older person might need dentures.
Dentures, known as false teeth, are a set of replacement teeth for any teeth that are missing. There are partial dentures, which take the place of only a few teeth and prevent the others from changing position. If all the teeth are gone, the person would need complete dentures, which replace every tooth in the mouth.
Dentures can cause pains at first and take little time to get adjusted to. They also need special care. They should be brushed daily with a special denture brush and cleanser and soaked(浸泡) in denture solution when not in the mouth.
Dentures are important for the old because, without teeth, it’s hard to smile, talk, and eat properly. But it can be a little weird if you see someone take out his or her dentures. It can also be strange to see someone, like a grandparent, without dentures in because he or she won’t have any teeth. Try not to make fun of the person because this could cause hurt feelings.
People usually lose their permanent teeth due to periodontal disease(牙周炎), or gum disease, which is caused by bacteria that attacks the gums. Diseased gums aren’t strong and healthy, so teeth can get loose and fall out. Older people often have many cavities(洞)that have been filled over the years, and these fillings can weaken over time, leading to more tooth problems.If one of your baby teeth falls out, you.
A.should have a false tooth fixed in its place | B.have to put it under your pillow at once |
C.will gain a permanent tooth in future | D.can exchange it for some money |
A person wearing dentures.
A.should brush them with a special denture brush every few days |
B.will take a very long time to adjust himself or herself to them |
C.will experience unpleasant feelings at the beginning of fixing them |
D.should use denture solution to soak them in his or her mouth |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A.Partial dentures can prevent the remaining teeth from changing position. |
B.Old people will find it hard to smile, talk, and eat properly without teeth. |
C.A person’s teeth will possibly get loose if diseases strike his gums. |
D.It is hard for a person to wear dentures if all his teeth have fallen out. |
What does the underlined word “weird” mean in the fifth paragraph?
A.inconvenient | B.excited | C.uncomfortable | D.impolite |
Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just happy. After all, you probably sing or whistle when you are happy.
Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of the time just because they are happy. However they sing most of the time for a very different reason. Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory.
Do you know what a ‘territory’ is? A territory is an area that an animal, usually the male, claims as its own. Only he and his family are welcome there. No other families of the same species are welcome. Your yard and house are your territory where only your family and friends are welcome. If a stranger should enter your territory and threaten you, you might shout. Probably this would be enough to frighten him away.
If so, you have actually scared the stranger away without having to fight him. A bird does the same thing. But he expects an outsider almost any time, especially at nesting(筑巢)season. So he is screaming all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not. This screaming is what we call a bird’s song, and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away.
Birds sing loudest in the spring when they are trying to attract a mate and warn others not to enter the territory of theirs.
You can see that birds have a language of their own. Most of it has to do with attracting mates and setting up territories.Some scientists believe that most of the time bird’s singing is actually________.
A.an expression of happiness | B.a way of warning |
C.an expression of anger | D.a way of greeting |
What does the underlined word “territory’’ mean?
A.A place where families of other species are not accepted |
B.A place where a bird may shout at the top of its voice |
C.An area for which birds fight against each other |
D.An area which a bird considers to be its own |
Why do birds keep on singing at nesting season?
A.Because they want to invite more friends |
B.Because their singing helps frighten outsiders away |
C.Because they want to find outsiders around |
D.Because their singing helps get rid of their fears |
How does the writer explain bird’s singing?
A.By comparing birds with human beings | B.By reporting experiment results |
C.By describing birds’ daily life | D.By telling a bird’s story |