Rare birds in the UK have been living far better than the more common birds over the last decade due to the efforts of conservation organisations, according to a new assessment.
The research shows almost 60% of the 63 rare birds that live in the UK have increased over the last 10 years.
By contrast, only about one third of common species have increased over the same period. Just 28% of rare birds have decreased over the same period, compared with four out of every 10 common birds. The rare birds described in the assessment with increasing populations include the osprey (鹗) and corncrake (秧鸡). All of these birds are subject to conservation action.
The declining common birds include the nightingale, swift (雨燕), house sparrow and red grouse (苏格兰雷鸟). These are suffering declines for a variety of reasons, including changes in farming practices.
Dr David Noble, from the British Trust for Ornithology, said: “That some of our rarer birds have responded to targeted conservation action is great news. It shows just what can be achieved. What we need to do now is to continue the good work and use some of the lessons we have learned to help our more common birds.”
Dr Mark Avery, the conservation director of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), said: “Over the last decade we've enjoyed some great conservation successes, including removing some threatened species from the World Conservation Union's Red List of Thratened Animals and increasing the populations of red kite, osprey, etc. However, these successes are countered (抵消) by continued declines of some widespread species.”
The overview of 210 native birds has been produced by a group of conservation organisations, to mark the publication of The State of the UK's Birds report, which is in its l0th year. The report was published by the RSPB for a group of conservation organisations. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.The decline of widespread birds is not worrying for the UK. |
B.The UK has got some practical experience of bird conservation. |
C.Changes in farming practices contribute to the increase of rare birds. |
D.Half of common birds have decreased in the past ten years in the UK. |
We can learn from the passage that Dr David Noble .
A.hopes that conservation organisations will change the way they work |
B.is quite disappointed with the result of the new assessment |
C.is losing confidence in conservation organizations’ action |
D.has high hopes for the increase in bird population in Britain |
Which of the following can best explain Dr Mark Avery's words?
A.The UK should not be satisfied with what they have achieved. |
B.The UK should share their experience with other countries. |
C.What conservation organisations do is far from satisfactory. |
D.The RSPB is responsible for the decrease of common birds. |
The passage is most likely to be found in a book about .
A.popular science | B.historical events |
C.nature | D.society |
The author's purpose of writing this article is to tell people .
A.some good ways to protect rare birds |
B.the differences between rare birds and common birds |
C.the number of rare birds has increased over the last decade |
D.some widespread birds in the UK are in great need of help |
People from East Asia tend to have more difficulty than those from Europe in distinguishing facial expressions--and a new report published online in Current Biology explains why.
Rachael Jack, University of Glasgow researcher, said that rather than scanning evenly across a face as Westerners do, Easterners fix their attention on the eyes.
"We show that Easterners and Westerners look at different face features to read facial expressions," Jack said. "Westerners look at the eyes and the mouth in equal measure, whereas Easterners favor the eyes and neglect the mouth."
According to Jack and her colleagues, the discovery shows that human communication of emotion is more complex than previously believed. As a result, facial expressions that had been considered universally recognizable cannot be used to reliably convey emotion in cross-cultural situations.
The researchers studied cultural differences in the recognition of facial expressions by recording the eye movements of 13 Western Whites and 13 East Asian people while they observed pictures of expressive faces and put them into categories: happy, sad, surprised, fearful, disgusted, angry, or neutral. They compared how accurately participants read those facial expressions using their particular eye movement strategies.
It turned out that Easterners focused much greater attention on the eyes and made significantly more errors than Westerners did. "The cultural difference in eye movements that they show is probably a reflection of cultural difference in facial expressions," Jack said. "Our data suggest that whereas Westerners use the whole face to convey emotion, Easterners use the eyes more and mouth less."
In short, the data show that facial expressions are not universal signals of human emotion. From here on, examining how cultural factors have diversified these basic social skills will help our understanding of human emotion. Otherwise, when it comes to communicating emotions across cultures, Easterners and Westerners will find themselves lost in translation.The discovery shows that Westerners __
A.pay equal attention to the eyes and the mouth |
B.consider facial expressions universally reliable |
C.observe the eyes and the mouth in different ways |
D.have more difficulty in recognizing facial expressions |
What were the people asked to do in the study?
A.To make a face at each other. |
B.To get their faces impressive. |
C.To classify some face pictures. |
D.To observe the researchers' faces. |
What does the underlined word "they" in Paragraph 6 refer to?
A.The participants in the study. |
B.The researchers of the study. |
C.The errors made during the study. |
D.The data collected from the study. |
In comparison with Westerners, Easterners are likely to __
A.do translation more successfully |
B.study the mouth more frequently |
C.examine the eyes more attentively |
D.read facial expressions more correctly |
What can be the best title for the passage?
A.The Eye as the Window to the Soul |
B.Cultural Differences in Reading Emotions |
C.Effective Methods to Develop Social Skills |
D.How to Increase Cross-cultural Understanding |
Answering the Community Needs of Our City
The Silver City Council(议会) recognizes that citizens have certain needs. To better meet your needs, we have made several changes to community facilities(设施) in 2004. This chart shows how we have tried to make your life better.
TransportThree stations for the suburbs have been added to the western train service.20 new buses for the southern line were purchased(购买)in January. 50 percent of city bus-stops have been upgraded(升级). Buses to the eastern suburbs will run every15 minutes.
Communication Broadband cable(宽带揽线) is now available(可用的) to all parts of the city. All of the new Government buildings are ' smart'-wired for better computer service!
Medical FacilitiesThe new state-of-the-art Nightingale Hospital was opened in June. To overcome a shortage of trained medical staff(工作人员) at Dover Hospital, 10 doctors have been employed from overseas.Some facilities at Station Street Hospital have been upgraded.
Education Textbooks will be free to all primary students in 2004 ! Rent for private schools has been reduced. Teachers report that the 'no hat - no play' rule has been successful.
Protection and Security Extra police now patrol (巡逻 ) the tourist areas. 50 new police officers graduated in July and have taken up duties in the city area.
Entertainment / Recreation The John Street basketball courts have been re-surfaced ! The new Central Community Building opened in May. 5,000 new fiction books were bought for the Silver City Library.The public notice is from _____________.
A.the community | B.the local government | C.The citizens | D.a travel agency |
The notice is mainly about ____________.
A.the work carried out by the people of Silver City |
B.the facilities available in Silver City |
C.some improvements in Silver City |
D.information for interested tourists |
All the following are true EXCEPT that __
A.both residents and tourists can enjoy more security now |
B.Station Street Hospital had out-dated facilities before 2004 |
C.primary students had to pay for their textbooks in 2003 |
D.Dover Hospital is still short of trained medical staff |
Which of the following changes would tourists to Silver City be most happy with?
A.Travel books are provided in the new library. |
B.Traveling by train is more convenient in Silver City. |
C.Free medical treatment is available at Station Street Hospital. |
D.There are more police officers on duty now. |
To extinguish (熄灭) different kinds of fires, several types of fire extinguishers have been invented. They must be ready for immediate use when fire breaks out. Most portable (手提式的) kinds operate for less than a minute, so they are useful only on small fires. The law requires(要求) ships, trains, buses and planes to carry extinguishers.
Since fuel, oxygen and heat must be present in order for fire to exist, one or more of these things must be removed or reduced to put out a fire. If the heat is reduced by cooling the material below a certain temperature, the fire goes out. The cooling method is the most common way to put out a fire. Water is the best cooling material because it is low in cost and easy to get.
Another method of extinguishing fire is by cutting off the oxygen. This is usually done by covering the fire with sand, steam or some other things. A blanket may be used to cover a small fire.
A third method is called separation, which includes removing the fuel, or material easy to burn from a fire, so that it can find no fuel.
The method that is used to put out a fire depends on the type of fire. Fires have been grouped in three classes. Fires in wood, paper, cloth and the like are called Class A fires. These materials usually help keep the fire on. Such fires can be stopped most readily by cooling with water.If a fire breaks out on a bus, which of the following should be ready there for you to use?
A.Sand | B.Water | C. A blanket. | D.An extinguisher. |
To cover a small piece of burning wood with a basin( 盆)in order to stop the fire is an example of___________.
A.separating the fire | B.reducing the heat |
C.removing the fuel | D.cutting off the oxygen |
In choosing how to put out a fire, we should first be clear about__________.
A.when it breaks out | B.how it comes about |
C.what kind it is | D.where it takes place |
What would the author probably discuss in the paragraph that follows?
A.Another class of fires | B.Another type of extinguishers |
C.How fires break out. | D.How fires can be prevented. |
Part-time Front Desk Position
Fuse Fitness is looking for a part-time front desk receptionist (接待员) at our new Carlsbad location.
Job duties include:
Welcoming and greeting members; Answering phone calls;
Signing up new members; Cleaning and performing other various duties.
You should have great communication skills and be dependable. More importantly, you should have a positive spirit in stressful situations. You are expected to work five days a week (including weekends).
Please, no phone calls about this job in the morning!
Tel: (760) 434-7704 E-mail: info@fusefitness.com
Apply (申请) in person at: 2502 El Camino Real, Carlsbad, CA 92008
The first impression you make in a job interview is very important. The first judgment an interviewer makes is based on how you look and what you are wearing. That’s why it’s always important to dress professionally for a job interview, even if the work environment is casual.
Before you even think about going to an interview, make sure you have suitable interview clothes and that everything fits correctly.
Get your clothes ready the night before, so you don’t have to spend time getting them ready on the day of the interview.
Polish (擦亮) your shoes.
Bring a breath mint (薄荷糖) and use it before you enter the building.
For more information: Visit: Jobsearch. monster. com
Or Tel: (800) 421-7250 or (760) 603-4000 Carlsbad, CaliforniaHow should you contact Fuse Fitness about the front desk position in the morning if you can’t go in person?
A.Call (760) 603-4000 | B.Call (760) 434-7704 |
C.Visit Jobsearch. monster. Com | D.Send an e-mail to info@fusefitness.com. |
What does Fuse Fitness think is the biggest challenge for a receptionist?
A.Working five days a week including weekends. |
B.Having good communication skills. |
C.Keeping cheerful even in difficult situations. |
D.Welcoming guests and answering phone calls. |
What would be the best title for the second piece of information?
A.What to Bring to a Job Interview | B.How to Find a Desired Job |
C.Job Interview | D.Interview Dressing Suggestions |
Which is TRUE according to the second piece of information?
A.The first judgment is made based on how you behave. |
B.What to wear should be taken into consideration before an interview. |
C.It is OK to dress informally for an interview if the work environment is casual. |
D.You don’t need to pay attention to your shoes because nobody will notice them. |
“Yes, I’ll be ready at nine in the morning. Goodbye, dear, and thanks again.” It had not been an easy telephone call for Mrs. Robson to make. Her daughter had been very kind, of course, and had immediately agreed to pick her up and drive her to the station, but Mrs. Robson hated to admit that she needed help. Since her husband had died ten years before, she had always been proud of her independence. She had continued to live in their little house, alone.
On this evening, however, she was standing at her living-room window, staring out at the SOLD notice in the small front garden. Her feelings were mixed. Of course, she was sad at the thought of leaving the house, as it was full of so many memories. But at the same time she was looking forward to spending her last years near the sea, back in the little seaside town where she had been born. With the money from the sale of the house, she had bought a little apartment there. She turned from the living room window, and looked round at the walls. There was a small fish tank, with two goldfish in it. When asked why, her husband used to say, “It’s nice to have something alive in the room.” Since he had passed away, she had always kept some goldfish, had always had “something alive in the room.”
The next morning, as her train was pulling out of the station, Mrs. Robson called to her daughter, “Kate, you won’t forget to collect the goldfish, will you? The children will love them. It’s …” “I know,” Kate interrupted gently, “It’s nice to have something alive in the room.”According to the passage, we know that Mrs. Robson _________.
A.was tired of living alone |
B.was not liked by her daughter |
C.did not like asking people for help |
D.did not want to be visited by her daughter |
Mrs. Robson was going to _______.
A.be in hospital | B.live with her daughter |
C.travel abroad alone | D.live where she was born |
The feelings of Mrs. Robson on her last night in the house were________.
A.sad and hopeful | B.regretful and excited |
C.sad and regretful | D.excited and hopeful |