（二）
A
How Do Animals Catch Their ZZZ’s?
Different creatures have developed some pretty creative ways to get their rest and stay safe. The lizard（蜥蝎）likes to sleep at the far end of small branches hanging out over a pond or lake in the rain forest. If a snake tries to slither up the branch to eat it ,it will shake the branch and knock the lizard off ,and the lizard will fall safely into the water. Chameleons can change color to match their surroundings in order to hide even while sleeping.
Corillas（大猩猩）like to sleep high in the trees. They build a new bed every night, sometimes taking up to half an hour to pile branches ,twigs ,and leaves into a comfortable bed .Birds also find it safe to sleep in the trees, but unless they have eggs or young chicks ,they don’t use a nest .They just lock their feet around a branch and hang on .A special tendon（腱）in their legs in automatically tight when they are at rest ,so they won’t let go and fall.
Dolphins live underwater ,but must come to the surface to breather .Scientists now believe that dolphins may sleep with only half their brain, while the other half stays awake to keep them safe and breathing. Seals also do this ,lying on their sides on the surface of the water with one flipper underwater paddling to keep their noses above the surface. Some ducks may also have this ability, and actually sleep with one eye closed and one eye open.
56．How many animals are mentioned in this passage?
A．6. B．7. C．8. D．9.
57．How does a chameleon protect itself while sleeping?
A．By changing its body colors. B．By hinging out over a pond.
C．By sleeping with half their brain. D．By making beds with branches.
58．Why will not birds fall when they are at rest?
A．They build nests and sleep in them. B．They fall asleep automatically.
C．They have a loose tendon in their legs. D．They lock their feet around a branch.
59．What does the writer intend to tell us?
A．The cleverest animal is the gorilla because it can make beds.
B．Differences in habitat could lead to different living habits.
C．The ways animals catch their ZZZ’s are pretty much he same .
D．In order to protect themselves most animals choose not to sleep.
We know the famous ones--the Thomas Edisons and the Alexander Graham Bells --but what about the less famous inventors? What about the people who invented the traffic light and the windshield wiper (雨刮器) ? Shouldn' t we know who they are?
Joan Mclean thinks so. In fact, Mclean, a professor of physics at Mountain University in Range, feels so strongly about this matter that she' s developed a course on the topic. In addition to learning "who" invented "what" , however, Mclean also likes her students to learn the answers to the "why" and "how" questions. According to Mclean, "When students learn the answers to these questions, they are better prepared to recognize opportunities for inventing and more motivated to give inventing a try. "
Her students agree. One young man with a patent（专利）for an unbreakable umbrella is walking proof of McLean's statement. "If I had not heard the story of the windshield wiper' s invention," said Tommy Lee, a senior physics major. "I never would have dreamed of turning my bad experience during a rain storm into something so constructive. " Lee is currently negotiating to sell his patent to an umbrella producer.
So, just what is the story behind the windshield wiper? Well, Mary Anderson came up with the idea in 1902 after a visit to New York City. The day was cold and stormy, but Anderson still wanted to see the sights, so she jumped aboard a streetcar. Noticing that the driver was struggling to see through the snow covering the windshield, she found herself wondering why there couldn' t be a built - in device for cleaning the window. Still wondering about this when she returned home to Birmingham, Alabama, Anderson started drafting out solutions. One of her ideas, a lever (操作杆) on the inside of a vehicle that would control an arm on the outside, became the first windshield wiper.
Today we benefit from countless inventions and innovations. It' s hard to imagine driving without Garrett A. Morgan' s traffic light. It' s equally impossible to picture a world without Katherine J. Blodgett' s innovation that makes glass invisible. Can you picture life without clear windows and eyeglasses? By mentioning "traffic light" and "windshield wiper”, the author indicates that countless inventions are_______.
| A．beneficial, because their inventors are famous |
| B．beneficial, though their inventors are less famous |
| C．not useful, because their inventors are less famous |
| D．not useful, though their inventors are famous |
Professor Joan McLean' s course aims to _____.
| A．add color and variety to students' campus life |
| B．inform students of the windshield wiper' s invention |
| C．carry out the requirements by Mountain University |
| D．prepare students to try their own invention |
Tommy Lee' s invention of the unbreakable umbrella was _____
| A．not eventually accepted by the umbrella producer |
| B．inspired by the story behind the windshield wiper |
| C．due to his dream of being caught in a rainstorm |
| D．not related to Professor Joan McLean' s lectures |
Which of the following can best serve as the title of this passage?
| A．How to Help Students to Sell Their Inventions to Producers? |
| B．How to Design a Built -in Device for Cleaning the Window? |
| C．Shouldn't We Know Who Invented the Windshield Wiper? |
| D．Shouldn' t We Develop Invention Courses in Universities? |
Two of the hardest things to accomplish in this world are to acquire wealth by honest effort and, having gained it, to learn how to use it properly. Recently I walked into the locker room(衣帽间) of a rather well known golf club after finishing a round. It was in the late afternoon and most of the members had left for their homes. But a half - dozen or so men past middle age were still seated at tables talking aimlessly and drinking more than was good for them. These same men can be found there day after day, and, strangely enough, each one of these men had been a man of affairs and wealth, successful in business and respected in the community if material prosperity were the chief necessity for happiness, then each one should have been happy. Yet, it seemed to me, something very important was missing, else-there would not have been the constant effort to escape the realities of life through scotch（苏格兰威士忌） and soda. They knew, each one of them, that their productivity had ceased(停止). When a fruit tree ceases to bear its fruit, it is dying. And it is even so with man.
What is the answer to a long and happy existence in this world of ours? I think I found it long ago in a passage from the book of Genesis which caught my eye while I was looking through my Bible. The words were few, but they became memorably impressed on my mind. " In the sweat of the face shall you eat the bread. "
To me, that has been a challenge from my earliest recollections ( memories). In fact, the battle of life, of existence, is a challenge to everyone. The immortal words of St. Paul, too, have been and always will be a great inspiration to me. At the end of the road I want to be able to feel that I have fought a good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.Which of the following is indicated in the first paragraph?
| A．Wealth results from honest effort. |
| B．The men seated at tables in the locker room are lost in the significance of life. |
| C．For some people, no way can be found to escape the realities of life other than scotch and soda. |
| D．The men acquire wealth by planting fruit trees. |
The underlined sentence "In the sweat of the face shall you eat the bread " means "_______
| A．Bread tastes delicious when sweat pours off your face |
| B．No pains, no gains |
| C．Failure is the mother of success |
| D．Bread comes from the sweat on your face |
45.We learn from the passage that the author_______ .
| A．was a wealthy person in the community |
| B．held a positive attitude towards an active life |
| C．was fond of associating with celebrities (名人) |
| D．kept a secret of the reason why he was so impressed |
What is implied in the passage by the writer?
| A．To use wealth properly, eat, drink and be merry. |
| B．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| C．As life is but like a dream, a man is like a fruit tree. |
| D．If you cease to struggle, you cease to live. |
The English proficiency of Chinese women is much better than that of men, according to a study released in Shanghai yesterday, Chinese women scored three points higher than men in the English Proficiency Index(英语水平指数) released by EF Education, a language training company, mainly English. Worldside, women scored one point higher than men on average.
“This shows that Chinese women are more used to the Chinese education mode, the report said. Chinese women use their gift of language to gain success.”
However, Chinese mainlanders English proficiency ranked second to last in Asia, despite the great time and effort that many people invest in learning the language, the report said, China’s mainland is ranked the 36th in the index of 54 countries and regions where English is not the native language. That’s down by seven places comparing with that last year. The Chinese mainland belongs to the low-proficiency tier(低水平层次) and is ranked just above Thailand in Asia. This year’s index has increased the weight of listening tests, while decreasing the importance of grammar and vocabulary exams, which partly caused the ranking change, researchers said. Moreover, test-oriented(以考试为目的) and rote-based(死记硬背)learning methods often used in China hurt the language skills of Chinese students, education experts said.
The study compared test scores of more than 1.7 million adults in the 54 countries and regions. Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands have the best command of English, while Libya has the lowest English proficiency level. European countries generally performed well. But Italy, Spain and Portugal, some of the countries at the heart of the euro zone crisis, are being dragged down by poor English, according to the report. Singapore is 12th, the best in Asia, followed by Malaysia and India, South Korea; at 21st, and Japan, at 22nd, performed disappointingly low despite their focus on education; the report said.
One in every four people frequently uses English at work on China’s mainland, nevertheless nearly 15 percent said they never use English, lower than the world average level, according to the study.What is EF Education?
| A．It is a language test organization |
| B．It is an English teaching school. |
| C．It is a language training company. |
| D．It is an organization studying human. |
By what do Chinese women gain success in English learning?
| A．Cheating. | B．Gift. |
| C．Learning by heart. | D．Asking for help. |
What can we learn from paragraph 3?
| A．Chinese mainlanders’ English proficiency ranked second in the index of 54 countries and regions. |
| B．Chinese mainlanders’ English proficiency ranked 29th last year. |
| C．The Chinese mainland belongs to the midproficiency tier. |
| D．This year’s index has increased the weight of grammar and vocabulary exams. |
Which of the following order is TRUE in the ranking of the English Proficiency Index?
| A．Denmark > India > Japan > Singapore > Libya |
| B．Denmark > Japan > Singapore > India > Libya |
| C．India>Japan > Denmark > Singapore > Libya |
| D．Denmark > Singapore > India > Japan > Libya |
No one would much like the idea of eating 61 pounds of tomatoes a day. But if their goodness was put into an easy-to-swallow pill that you were told might prevent strokes(中风) and heart attacks you would probably be putting in an order tomorrow.
Researchers believe they may have come up with just that after trials. The daily pill contains a chemical called lycopene which makes tomatoes red and is known to break down fat in the vessels(血管). A Cambridge University study found taking the pills improved blood flow and the lining of vessels in patients with pre-existing heart conditions. It also increased the flexibility(灵活性) of their vessels by 50 percent. The scientists believe it could limit the damage caused by heart disease-responsible for 180,000 deaths a year-and help cut the 49,000 deaths a year from strokes. They also hope it could benefit those with arthritis(关节炎), diabetes(糖尿病) and even slow the progress of cancer.
Each pill is equal to eating around 61 pounds of ripe tomatoes. Studies have shown eating a Mediterranean-style diet rich in tomatoes fish, vegetables, nuts and olive oil can significantly reduce cholesterol(胆固醇) and help prevent cardiovascular disease.
Preliminary results from a two-month trial, in which the pill was given to 36 heart disease patients and 36 healthy volunteers with an average age of 67, were presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association. It was shown to improve the function of the endothelium- the layer of cells lining blood vessels. It also improved their sensitivity to nitric oxide, the gas which causes the enlargement of the vessels in response to exercise.
Ian Wilkinson, head of Cambridge University’s clinical trials unit, said “These results are potentially very significant and it meets the goal, but we need more trials to see if they translate into fewer heart attacks and strokes.”
Further studies are planned, with researchers hoping it could offer a choice for heart disease sufferers who can not take the cholesterol-lowing drugs.
Mike Knapton, head of the British Heart Foundation, said, “Although this showed lycopene improved blood flow in people with heart disease, that’s a long way from demonstrating that taking it could improve outcomes for people with heart disease. The best way to get the benefits of a good diet is to eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.”What can we infer from Paragraph 1?
| A．We can eat too much tomato food. |
| B．Tomatoes are helpful to strokes and heart attacks. |
| C．Tomatoes will lose healthy elements were put into pills. |
| D．We had better not eat tomatoes. |
We can learn from the passage that the pills ____.
| A．are at the experiment stage |
| B．can cure all the disease |
| C．are widely used among patients |
| D．cost patients so little money |
Who were the volunteers by taking part in the trial?
| A．Children. | B．Youth. |
| C．Working people. | D．old healthy people. |
What Was Ian Wilkinson’s opinion on the trial?
| A．Disappointing. | B．Surprising. |
| C．Satisfactory. | D．Terrible. |
Cleverness is a gift while kindness is a choice. Gifts are easy---they’re given after all. Choice can be hard.
I got the idea to start Amazon 16 years ago. I came across the fact that the Internet usage was growing at 2300 percent per year. I’d never seen or heard of anything that grew that fast, and the idea of building an online bookstore with millions of titles was very exciting to me, I had just turned 30 years old , and I’d been married for a year, I told my wife MacKenzie that I wanted to quit my job and go to do this crazy thing that probably wouldn’t work since most start-ups don’t , and I wasn’t sure what to expect, MacKenzie told me I should go for it. As a young boy, I’d been a garage inventor, I’d always wanted to be an inventor, and she wanted me to follow my passion.
I was working at a financial firm in New York City with a bunch of very smart people, and I had a brilliant boss that I much admired. I went to my boss and told him I wanted to start a company selling books on the Internet. He took me on a long walk in Central Park, listened carefully to me, and finally said, “That sounds like a really good idea, but it would be an even better idea for someone who didn’t already have a good job.” That logic made some sense to me, and he convinced me to think about it for 48 hours before making a final decision. Seen in that light, it really was a difficult choice, but ultimately, I decided I had to give it a shot. I didn’t think I’d regret trying and failing. And I suspected I would always be haunted by a decision to not try at all.
After much consideration, I took the less safe path to follow my passion, and I’m proud of that choice, For all of us, in the end, we are our choice. What inspired the author with the idea of building an online bookstore?
| A．His dream if being an inventor. |
| B．The support of his wife. |
| C．The greatly increasing usage of the Internet. |
| D．Millions of exciting titles. |
Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined sentence?
| A．The idea of not trying would keep coming to his mind and disturb him. |
| B．He would be very excited if he tried it out. |
| C．He would be always having a doubt if he didn’t try. |
| D．The decision to not try the online bookstore would terrify him. |
We can know from the passage that ______.
| A．the boss thought the idea was suitable for the author |
| B．the author wanted someone else to try the idea |
| C．the author might not regret if he failed the idea |
| D．the author might go back to his boss if he failed |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Cleverness and Kindness |
| B．The Starting of Amazon |
| C．Following My Passion |
| D．We Are What We Choose |