Girls really prefer pink and boys prefer blue, recent research shows.
The reasons could have its origins in the hunt for food on the African savannah(稀树草原) thousands of years ago. Evolution may have developed women’s preference for pink, perhaps because it helped to find ripe fruit and healthy men with reddish faces, while both men and women have a natural desire for blue, according to scientists at Newcastle University.
“ Everyone in today’s western culture, from parents to toy manufactures, seems to assume that little girls like pink.” Said Prof. Anya Hulbert, who wanted to find out whether the reason was cultural or to do with biology.
A love of salmon, fuchsia and coral does seem to be rooted into females, rather than picked up from their mothers.
The participants in the study were Chinese and British. The Chinese students showed a marked preference for red, “ Culture may contribute to this natural female preference,” said Pro. Hulbert.
In her experience, 208 young adult men and women were asked to select, as rapidly as possible, their preferred color. Hulbert and her colleague Dr. Yazhu Ling marked the results and found that while men preferred blue, women tended to choose pink.
Hulbert said she could only prefer about the preference for blue: “Here again, I would favor evolutionary arguments. Going back to our savannah days, we would have a natural preference for a clear blue sky, because it signals good weather. Clear blue also signals a good water source.”
63. The passage mentions “the African savannah” to show that_____.
A. the ancient Africa was a beautiful place
B. human beings lived in Africa at first
C. women and men have different color preference
D. color preference has its historical origins
64. It can be inferred that the underlined word “fuchsia”_____.
A. is probably a kind of toy
B. is probably pink in color
C. can be only found in Africa
D. hardly causes men’s interest
65. By saying “the Chinese students for red.” in Para. 5, the writer means_____.
A. red is the Chinese students’ favorite color
B. the Chinese prefer red more than the British
C. culture influences people’s color preferences
D. the study was carried out by two nations
66. What can we know from the last paragraph?
A. Hulbert thinks evolution explains why people prefer blue.
B. Hulbert has a strong desire for “savannah days”.
C. Blue is a natural signal of all good things
D. While boys like blue, girls like pink.
I am the mother of a five-year-old girl now, but I’ll never forget some of the best lessons my mother taught me.
Lesson 1---Always be there for your child
I can’t tell you the last time my parents missed a big event in my life; it never happened. Whether it was a play, or even just a practice---my parents were always there for me. As an only child, they cherished everything in my life.
Lesson2---Hide in the bathroom
For years I wondered why my mother had made the bathroom her own personal library and would stay there forever. Now I know it’s the only place for her to have at least two minutes of peace and quiet. Well, I try to, but that’s quite difficult with two cats, a dog, a kid, a husband and only one bathroom.
Lesson3---Get involved(参与)
I was lucky in having parents who let me do anything they think was good. Now today, I am fond of being active and involved. Whether it is a sports game or a volunteering group, or just playing with my daughter, I love to be involved.
Lesson4---It’s OK to fail
My parents weren’t perfect and that was OK. I know I’m not perfect and I hope my daughter knows that’s OK. Families love one another no matter what happens. If you fail, you learn from the mistakes and keep right on going.
Parents are so important to a child’s growth and development and I’m so glad that I had great parents to follow.The big event in the writer’s life .
A.was seldom missed by her parents |
B.was never missed by her parents |
C.didn’t include her musical performances |
D.wasn’t noticed by her dad sometimes |
What does the underlined word “cherish” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A.Find out clearly. | B.Run after carefully. |
C.Care about gently. | D.Give up completely. |
What is difficult for the writer to do?
A.To set up her own personal library. |
B.To do her housework well every day. |
C.To find a quiet or peaceful place to read. |
D.To stay in her bathroom for a long time. |
When her kid knew it was OK that she wasn’t perfect, the kid .
A.thought being bad was nothing |
B.would love her more than others |
C.tried her best to do better than she |
D.would have a good mind if she failed |
What can we learn from this passage?
A.The writer hardly follow her parents now. |
B.The writer has raised two dogs, a cat and a kid. |
C.Getting involved leads to the writer’s active life. |
D.The writer’s mom likes reading in the bathroom. |
I’ve always known that dogs are clever, but even I was surprised when I heard about a dog called Red, at the Battersea Dog’s Home in London.
The home has been caring for lost and unwanted animals for over 140 years. Recently, the staff there got a shock when they came to work in the morning. They found that some of the dogs had got out of their kennels(狗窝) during the night, opened cupboards and taken out food and toys. And it happened again and again. The manager described how as many as nine dogs were escaping every night. “ When we came in, dogs were running around having fun and causing a lot of mess. ”
Someone or something was unlocking (开锁) the kennels during the night. The manager decided to put in cameras to record how the dogs were getting out.
When she and her staff played back the recording, they saw Red, a three-year-old dog, put his nose through the bars of his kennel and use his teeth to press the button(按钮) that opened his door. That was clever enough, but Red did more: he unlocked the kennels next to his and let the dogs out too. The group broke into cupboards and stole dog biscuits and toys to play with.
The manager said, “ It’s surprising that Red worked out how to open his own kennel and let all his friends out.” I suppose, Red didn’t like to party alone.
The story has a happy ending: after Red was shown on TV, several people came and offered to give him a new home as a family pet.What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A.To ask people to look after unwanted dogs. |
B.To describe dogs escaping from the Dog’s Home. |
C.To give an example of how clever a dog can be. |
D.To introduce the work done by the Battersea Dog’s Home. |
What did Red do after he got out of his kennel at night?
A.He slept in a cupboard. |
B.He let the other dogs out. |
C.He took biscuits and toys back to the other dogs. |
D.He showed the other dogs how to unlock their doors. |
What can we learn from the text?
A.Red didn’t like being at the Dog’s Home. |
B.Red and his friends had a good time when they escaped. |
C.Red and his friends enjoyed being recorded by the cameras. |
D.Red and the other dogs escaped because they were hungry. |
The underlined phrase “ worked out” in paragraph 5 means .
A.found the way and dealt with |
B.made the plan of |
C.thought carefully about |
D.was ready for |
Which of the following was the topic of the TV program about Red?
A.A dog that can unlock doors. |
B.A night when kennels were unlocked. |
C.Parties for the missing dogs. |
D.Battersea Dog’s Home. |
A lot more people are about to get a chance to buy Google Glass. It’s the Internet-connected eyewear that has become the hottest sale.
Google will sell the “Explorer” version(版本) of Glass to any U.S. person who places an online order for the device beginning at 9am. PDT April 15. The product will cost $1,500. Google is saying how many sets of Glass will be available during the limited-time offer.
This version of Glass, though, still isn’t the perfect product that Google hopes to sell in stores later this year.
For now, Google is still trying to recruit(招聘) more people willing to serve as volunteers for its attempt to build a wearable device that features some of the same feature as a smart phone. “ Our Explorers are moms, bakers, surgeons, rockers, and each new Explorer has brought a new view that is making Glass better,” Google said.
The device has a small screen attached above the right eye. A user can check e-mails, see Twitter post or get directions without having to use a phone. It can also take hands-free photos and video through voice-activated(声控的) commands. The ability to record images so easily has raised safely concerns about drivers wearing Glass. The lawmakers have to draw up new rules forbidding use of the device in moving vehicles.
Google regards Glass as a breakthrough(突破). It will make it easier for people to surf the Internet while on the go. They also hope that the device could help police officers, firefighters, doctors and reporters do their jobs better.What is special about Google Glass?
A.People can only order it online. |
B.It’s cheaper than the ordinary glasses. |
C.People can explore the Internet with it. |
D.It doesn’t contain any actual glass in the future. |
Google is still trying to recruit more volunteers to _____________.
A.improve their products |
B.sell their products |
C.advertise their products |
D.wear their products |
We can use Google Glass to do the following EXCEPT_____________.
A.check e-mails | B.make a call |
C.take video | D.find your way |
What problem may Google Glass bring to people?
A.Its screen is too small for people to surf the Internet. |
B.It may cause traffic accidents if people use it while driving. |
C.Users must use their hands to take photos. |
D.It is difficult for many people to learn to use. |
Tuvalu is located in the South Pacific. It is tiny and has only nine islands with a population of just 11,000. In 1999, it was the third- poorest country in the world. The islanders earned just $1,000 each year.
But then something unusual happened. Tuvalu received an internet domain (领土) name—the letters “tv”. These letters were very interesting for many companies around the world. A communication company from California offered to buy the domain name “tv” for $40 m. For the Tuvalans this was a very large amount of money. The islanders became very rich.
Because of global warming, and because the islands are only 3m above sea level, Tuvalu will probably become the first country in the world that will disappear under the sea.
You can already see signs of the rising sea on Tuvalu. Some beaches are disappearing and you can see tree roots by the ocean. Cyclones(旋风)used to be very rare but they now appear a few times a year, and the rains that come with the cyclones cause flooding. Despite these problems, the Tuvalans had their new money. They could use it to buy themselves a future. Or at least they could use it to buy some time. Paul Lindsay, a documentary film-maker, took these questions with him all the way to Tuvalu, and came back with an incredible (难于置信的)story. As the water rises, the Tuvalans are using the money to develop the land. They are building new houses, planning nightclubs, restaurants and hotels and new cars are driving around on new roads. The residents do not think this is strange: “Just because we are sinking, it doesn’t mean we don’t want to raise our standards of living.” Sam Teo, Tuvalu’s minister for natural resources told Lindsay.Which of the following information about Tuvalu is WRONG?
A.It only has a population of 11,000 people. |
B.The average income of the Tuvalans is $1000 in 1999. |
C.Tuvalu is only 3m high above sea level. |
D.The Tuvalans received $40 million when they sold the domain name. |
The biggest problem for the Tuvalans is _________.
A.poverty | B.global warming |
C.The small population | D.cyclones |
Which of the following match the beginnings with the endings is correct?
①The Tuvalans became rich…
②By the end of the century…
③The Tuvalans are spending their money
④When the sea rises…
a.on roads, cars and new buildings
b.the sea will cover the islands completely.
c.the Tuvalans will have to leave their islands
d.when they sold their internet domain name.
A.①-d, ②-b, ③-a, ④-c | B.①-c, ②-d, ③-b, ④-a |
C.①-c, ②-b, ③-a, ④-d | D.①-d, ②-c, ③-a, ④-b |
Why did Paul Lindsay come to Tuvalu?
A.To make a documentary film to record the life of the Tuvalans. |
B.To understand the living condition of the Tuvalans. |
C.To know how the Tuvalans survive despite all of their problems. |
D.To discover the reason for the Tuvalans not to improve their living standards. |
Today tell you a series of information about how students in other countries can attend colleges and universities in the United States.
Two years ago we broadcast our Foreign Student Series. Since then we have got more requests for information about how to attend American schools. So we will offer new reports in our series with the most current information.
Each week, we will discuss a part of the process of becoming an international student in the United States. Each report will also appear on the Internet at www. Tingroom.com. Currently you can find the programs from the last time our series aired.
Foreign students who want to study in the United States have many questions. How do I find out about American colleges? How do I choose the right one for me? What tests must I take? What kinds of documents will I need? How much will it cost? We will answer these and other questions in our reports.
We will discuss the American system of higher education. We will tell about financial aid and rules about working in jobs while a student. We will discuss required tests and explain English language requirements. And we will tell where to find help in other countries.
Our reports will also describe a few of the three thousand colleges and universities in the United States. We will discuss programs of study as well as living situations at American schools. For students without the ability to come to the United States, we will tell how to take classes by computer. We will also examine how the threat of terrorism has changed some of the rules for study in the United States.
In researching our series, we talked not only to officials in education and government, but also to some foreign students. Most students say planning ahead helped make their educational experience successful. That is the purpose of this series—to help you plan.
We would like to hear from anyone who has a question about studying in the United States. We will try to answer as many questions as possible as part of our series in the coming weeks. Send your questions to special @ voanews.com.The series of report probably comes from________.
A.TV | B.Internet |
C.radio | D.newspaper |
The report intends to ___________.
A.introduce education in America |
B.help foreign students learn more about education in America |
C.advertise for American colleges and universities |
D.attract more foreign students to study in America |
How many ways of getting the information about studying in America are mentioned?
A.1 | B.2 | C.3 | D.4 |
The contents of the program include the following EXCEPT_________.
A.discussion about the educational system in America |
B.description about some colleges and universities in America |
C.help foreign students to plan |
D.teach how to use computer |