.
Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just happy. After all, you probably sing or whistle (口哨) 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 (声称) 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 frightened 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.
72. Some scientists believe that most of the time birds’ singing is actually ______.
A. an expression of happiness
B. a way of warning
C. an expression of anger
D. a way of greeting
73. What is a bird’s “territory”?
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.
74. One reason for birds’ singing at nesting season is that ______.
A. they want to invite more friends.
B. their singing helps frighten outsiders away.
C. they want to find outsiders around.
D. their singing helps get rid of their fears.
75. How does the writer explain birds’ 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.
Wen Jiabao arrived in Singapore yesterday for an official visit to the country. It is the first visit by a Chinese premier to Singapore in eight years. In the arrival statement, When said he is looking forward to the meeting with Singing pore on ways to deepen East Asian cooperation between two nations so as to contribute to the building of a peaceful, harmonious relationship.
Premier Wen Jiabao and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong agreed to jointly develop an environmentally friendly city in northeastern China. The city will be a model for sustainable development, a Singapore government statement said.The”Sino-Singapore Tjanjin Eco—city” will be developed by a joint venture formed by Chinese and Singapore companies.”This eco-city, to be built in Tianjin, well become another highlight in our relations,” When said after signing an agreement with Lee, who agreed,“On the Singapore side, on all levels,we’ll give this project our full support.”
The two sides will share expertise and experiences in urban planning, environmental protection, resources conservation,recyeling,use of renewable resources and wastewater re-use. China’s economil planning agency issued a set of guidelines earlier this month welcoming foreign investment in environmentally friendly areas such as recycling,”clean”industries and environmental protection.
Bilateral relations between China and Singapore have seen big progress even though the two countries established diplomatic ties only 17 years ago, When said during his talks with Lee.
China and Singapore have also kept close contact and coordination on regional issues, he added. When said China and Singapore are both important Asian countries that share common interests in many areas.
Title: Wen’s visit to Singapore
| Main points |
contexts |
| General |
To To |
| Agreements |
Another |
| Co－operation in city planning, environment protection, recycling and so on for |
|
| Co－operation in |
|
| Guidelines |
China’s |
Once upon a time, there was a scholar who wanted to gain more knowledge each day even though he had already gained enough knowledge. One day, he came to visit a saint and wanted to be his student. The saint provided some tea. He slowly filled the scholar’s cup: the cup was full, yet he kept pouring and pouring. The scholar burst out, “Stop! You can’t add anything to something that’s already full!” The saint set down the teapot and replied, “Exactly.”
Whether it’s the silence between notes in music, or some open time in your schedule, you need space to act effectively. Yet most of us, myself included, tend to stuff as much as possible into whatever room is available－closets, schedules, budgets, relationships, and even the mind itself.
However, some people know how to avoid overstuffing their life. For example, in Australia, it seemed that most people there operated at about 85% of their capacity（能力），unlike Americans pushing as close to 100% as possible. So when you run into Australians you know in the street, they have time to hang out and talk with you.
Remember the cup: its value is in the space, the emptiness it holds. How to empty your “cup”?
Be mindful of the element of space, openness , and emptiness in your life. This includes room in a drawer, the volume of air in a kitchen, and open-mindedness in a friend. Sometimes you’re just stuck with a big bucket of tasks yet to do. But at least empty the bucket faster than you fill it with new tasks. Put some space between finishing one thing and staring another. For example, after sending one email, take a breath before replying to another one. Drop the stuff you can no longer afford to lug around. At sea level, you can run with a brick in your backpack, but if you’re hiking on a mountain, that brick has got to go.By pouring water into the cup, the saint most probably wanted the scholar to know that.
| A．he should pay attention to details |
| B．he should keep learning every day |
| C．he had already gained enough knowledge |
| D．he should be very careful in order to succeed |
We learn that compared to Americans, Australians.
| A．work much harder |
| B．know less about their capacity |
| C．spare more time for themselves |
| D．spend less time with their friends |
The underlined word“lug”in the last paragraph probably means“”.
| A．reach | B．carry | C．see | D．show |
What’s the structure of the passage?
| A．Example →advice→ conclusion →story. |
| B．Topic→ example →advice→ story. |
| C．Story→topic →example→advice. |
| D．Reason →topic →advice →example. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．The art of life. | B．Value every minute |
| C．The art of drinking tea | D．Empty your“cup”at times |
British English and American English are almost the same. But there are slight differences between British and American English in vocabulary, pronunciation, spelling and grammar.
The first difference between British and American English is in vocabulary. Almost all of the words used in British English and American English are exactly the same. Only a very small number of words are used disparately. For example, Americans would say “apartment”, but the British would say “flat” to talk about the place where they live. In addition to some common words, many idiomatic（惯用的）expressions are different. In England people might say “I’ll ring you up tonight”, but in the US, people might say “I’ll call you up tonight”.
The second difference between British and American English is in Pronunciation. The main difference in pronunciation concerns the vowels（元音）. Some American dialects and some British dialects use vowels in different ways. Sometimes, Americans and the British don’t understand each other’s pronunciation. But most of the time, the British and Americans do understand each other’s pronunciation because most of the sounds of the two dialects are the same.
The third difference is very small. This is the difference in spelling. A few types of words are spelled differently in British and American English. The most common example is in a word like “center”. In British English, this word would be spelled C-E-N-T-R-E, while in American English the same word would be spelled C-E-N-T-E-R. Another example is “or” vs “our”. The word “color”is spelled C-O-L-O-U-R in Britain but C-O-L-O-R in the US.
There are a few differences in grammar, too. The British may say “Have you got..?” while Americans prefer “Do you have..?” An American might say “my friend just arrived”, but a British would say “my friend has just arrived”. Sometimes function words are used differently: the British may say “at the weekend”, but Americans would say “on the weekend”.What is this passage mainly about?
| A．The development of American English |
| B．Differences between British and American English |
| C．The influences of British English on American English |
| D．The causes of the differences between British and American English |
What does the underlined word “disparately” in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．Frequently | B．Regularly | C．Eventually | D．Differently |
According to Paragraph 3, Americans and the British may find it hard to understand each other because of .
| A．the different ways of using vowels |
| B．the different idiomatic expressions they use |
| C．the differences in grammar |
| D．the differences in spelling |
Which of the following words probably belong to the American English vocabulary?
a. flavour b. theater c. humor d. centre e. kilometer f. honour g. color
| A．abce | B．bcde | C．bceg | D．defg |
Which of the following sentences is most probably used by Americans?
| A．I’ll learn with you at the weekend |
| B．Have you got a dictionary? |
| C．I’ll ring her up tonight. |
| D．Do you have a pen? |
Hidden in a small street in the south end of Springfield, not far from buildings torn apart by the tornado（龙卷风） earlier this year, Frigo’s is an Italian restaurant right in our own backyard.
Frigo’s is not a tiny place. It provides different kinds of Italian food. There are refrigerator cases full of prepared foods and desserts, and shelves filled with olives and various pasta.
There’s some traditional Italian music and the smell is of olive oil and garlic（大蒜）. Above the largest refrigerator case, there’s a chalk board covered with desriptions of more Italian sandwiches than I could remember.
I stepped into Frigo’s almost by accident when I had to stay in Springfield into the evening for an open house at the school where I work. Frigo’s is the perfect place to find something quick to go. There are no tables, so all food is taken out. I also thought it would be a great place to pick up some already-prepared food to bring home for dinner.
I ordered the easiest meal possible: a chicken sandwich and a salad. It cost＄4.75 for the sandwich. The salad was＄4.99 and didn’t have salad dressing on it. I must have missed the choice of salad dressing on the way out. The sandwich was great—great chicken, excellent tomato sauce and not too much cheese.
I wish I had tried one of the many other sandwiches which include Joe’s Favorite (＄5.25-＄6.75) and the Dante (King) which is made of turkey breast, roasted red peppers, asiago cheese and choice of dressing.
I have a feeling that I’ll be picking up dinner for me and the kids at Frigo’s soon. Who would be most likely to go to eat at Frigo’s?
| A．People who want to eat quietly in a nice restaurant. |
| B．People who want to enjoy home-made food |
| C．People who like traditional American food |
| D．People who are fond of Italian food |
Which of the following cannot be seen at Frigo’s?
| A．A chalk board covered with descriptions of sandwiches |
| B．Refrigerator cases full of prepared foods and desserts |
| C．Shelves filled with olives and different kinds of pasta |
| D．Customers eating happily around tables |
How much did the writer pay for his first meal at Frigo’s?
| A．＄4.75 | B．＄5.25 | C．＄9.74 | D．＄4.99 |
We can infer that “Joe’s Favorite” and “Dante” are the names of .
| A．sandwiches | B．salads | C．cheese | D．peppers |
We can infer from the passage that the writer .
| A．seldom eats out in a restaurant with his family |
| B．feels very happy that be has found Frigo’s |
| C．dislikes eating sandwiches |
| D．lives a very relaxing life |
The Board Meeting had come to an end. Bob started to stand up and knocked into the table, spilling his coffee over his notes. “How embarrassing! I am getting so clumsy(笨拙的) in my old age.”
Everyone had a good laugh, and soon we were all telling stories of our most embarrassing moments. It came around to Frank, who sat quietly listening to the others. Someone said, “Come on, Frank. Tell us your most embarrassing moment.”
Frank laughed and began to tell us of his childhood. “I grew up in San Pedro. My Dad was a fisherman, and he loved the sea. He had his own boat, but it was hard making a living on the sea. He worked hard and would stay out until he caught enough to feed the family. Not just enough for our family, but also for his Mom and Dad and the other kids that were still at home.”
He looked at us and said, “I wish you could have met my Dad. He was a big man, and he was strong from pulling the nets and fighting the seas for his catch. When you got close to him, he smelled like the ocean. He would wear his old canvas, foul-weather coat and his bibbed overalls. His rain hat would be pulled down over his brow. No matter how much my mother washed them, they would still smell of the sea and of fish.”
Frank’s voice dropped a bit. “When the weather was bad he would drive me to school. He had this old truck that he used in his fishing business. That truck was older than he was. It would wheeze and rattle down the road. You could hear it coming for blocks. As he would drive toward the school, I would shrink (畏缩) down into the seat hoping to disappear. Half the time, he would slam to a stop and the old truck would belch (喷出) a cloud of smoke. He would pull right up in front, and it seemed like everybody would be standing around and watching. Then he would lean over and give me a big kiss on the cheek and tell me to be a good boy. It was so embarrassing for me. Here, I was twelve years old, and my Dad would lean over and kiss me goodbye!”
He paused and then went on, “I remember the day I decided I was too old for a goodbye kiss. When we got to the school and came to a stop, he had his usual big smile. He started to lean toward me, but I put my hand up and said, “No, Dad.” It was the first time I had ever talked to him that way, and he had this surprised look on his face. I said, “Dad, I’m too old for a goodbye kiss. I’m too old for any kind of kiss.” My Dad looked at me for the longest time, and his eyes started to tear up. Then he turned and looked out of the windshield(挡风玻璃). “You’re right,” he said. “ You are a big boy....a man. I won’t kiss you anymore.”
Frank got a funny look on his face, and the tears began to well up in his eyes, as he spoke. “It wasn’t long after that when my Dad went to sea and never came back. It was a day when most of the fleet (船队) stayed in, but not Dad. He had a big family to feed. They found his boat adrift with its nets half in and half out. He must have gotten into a strong wind and was trying to save the nets and the floats.”
I looked at Frank and saw that tears were running down his cheeks. Frank spoke again. “Guys, you don’t know what I would give to have my Dad give me just one more kiss on the cheek…to feel his rough old face… to smell the ocean on him… to feel his arm around my neck. I wish I had been a man then. If I had been a man, I would never have told my Dad I was too old for a goodbye kiss.”When his father drove him to the school, Frank would shrink down into the seat hoping to disappear because ________.
| A．he was ashamed of his father’s old truck |
| B．he didn’t want his schoolmates to see his father |
| C．he thought he was old enough to go to school alone |
| D．he hated the way his schoolmates stared at his father |
According to the story we can conclude that Frank’s father ________.
| A．was quite confident in his skills in fishing |
| B．loved his children but hardly expressed it |
| C．seldom gave up faced with challenges |
| D．was full of devotion to his family |
By saying the sentence “I wish I had been a man then…”, Frank meant ________.
| A．he was tired of his father kissing him goodbye |
| B．he deeply regretted what he had done to his father |
| C．he was then too young to refuse a goodbye kiss |
| D．he hoped that his father would forgive him |
Which of the following may be the best title for this passage?
| A．The Smell of the Ocean | B．We All Need Love |
| C．A Goodbye Kiss | D．Father’s Embarrassment |