Scientists from the Max Plank Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tubingen, Germany, have presented the first experimental evidence that people do end up walking in circles if lost in unfamiliar areas．The study, published in the journal Current Biology, examined the tracks of people who walked for several hours in the Sahara desert in Tunisia and in the Bienwald forest in Germany．Researchers Jan Souman and Marc Ernst said the scientists used the global positioning system （GPS） to record these paths．The results showed that the walkers were only able to keep a straight line when the sun or moon was visible．As soon as the sun disappeared behind some clouds, people started to walk in circles without even noticing it．
Souman said one explanation offered in the past for people walking in circles was that most people have one leg longer or stronger than the other, which would produce a systematic bias（偏差） in one direction．To test this．the researchers asked people to walk straight while blindfolded which removed the effects of vision．They found that these circles were rarely in a systematic direction, with the same person sometimes switching to the left and sometimes to the right．
"Most of the participants in the study walked in circles, sometimes in extremely small ones．Walking in circles is therefore not caused by differences in leg length or strength, but more likely the result of increasing uncertainty about where straight ahead is," said Souman, "Small random errors （随机性误差） in the various sensory signals that provide information about walking direction add up over time, making what a person perceives to be straight ahead drift away from the true straight ahead direction．"The underlined word "this" in Paragraph 2 refers to _____．
| A．the effects of vision | B．a systematic bias |
| C．the leg length differences | D．one explanation offered in the past |
What is the probable reason for people's walking in circles?
| A．The invisible sun or moon． |
| B．The increasing uncertainty about directions． |
| C．Differences in leg length or strength． |
| D．Wrong signals providing information about areas． |
Why are the subjects required to be blindfolded?
| A．To encourage them to walk straight． | B．To stop them from seeing each other． |
| C．To dismiss the effects of vision． | D．To keep the test a top secret． |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．People walk straight in the day． |
| B．The farther people walk, the greater the direction bias grows． |
| C．People walk only in large circles． |
| D．Researchers use the global positioning system to record their tracks． |
It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.
The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour a week to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries（食品杂货）, saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.
I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity（人性）as a whole. And it has influenced us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.Why was the bike so important to the couple?
| A．They used it for work and daily life. |
| B．It was their only possession. |
| C．It was a nice Kona 18 speed. |
| D．The man's job was bike racing. |
What does the underlined phrase mean?
| A．go very far to see someone |
| B．walk out on foot to greet someone |
| C．help someone |
| D．enjoy the moment with someone |
How did people get to know the couple's problem?
| A．From a stranger. |
| B．From a newspaper. |
| C．From TV news. |
| D．From radio broadcasts. |
What do the couple learn from their experience?
| A．Strangers are usually of little help. |
| B．One should take care of their bike. |
| C．News reports make people famous. |
| D．An act of kindness can mean a lot. |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Terrible Suffering |
| B．Lasting Smile |
| C．Ask strangers for help |
| D．Spreading Effect of Acts of Kindness |
Beach volleyball is one of those sports that can be an exciting game to play and watch, or, can just be about some friends getting together to have a great time. It’s really easy, and all you need is sand, a net and a group of people, of any age or fitness level, who want to have fun.
Beach volleyball can be played with as few as two people on each team, making a total of four people. However, if you are less skilled and experienced in the game, it will be easier to play with a larger team. The more players you have, the less ground each person will be responsible(负责)for covering and the more time they will have to recover in between shots. If you only have a few players, each of you will get quite a workout running for the ball after each volley. If you are looking for that relaxing, fun, low-key experience, choose larger teams.
Beach volleyball is similar(相似)to regular volleyball in its rules. However, even experienced volleyball players do not realize how much more difficult it is to run and jump on sand. Since it is harder to move quickly on sand than a hard ground, play will be much slower than regular volleyball on a playground. When a player trains for beach volleyball, he will focus(专注)on building lower body strength as well as upper body. While he needs to be able to hit the ball with a great deal of power and accuracy(准确性), strengthening his legs is extremely important.
Whether you are in it for the competition, or just to have a great time with your friends, beach volleyball can be very exciting and fun. You may even start out with friends and fall in love with the sport.When you join a large beach volleyball team, you’ll_________.
| A．have as many shots as possible | B．improve your volleyball skills |
| C．be responsible for more ground | D．feel light-hearted(轻松)while playing |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．You can hit the ball with much less power when playing beach volleyball. |
| B．The playground size of beach volleyball is much larger than that of regular volleyball. |
| C．You can run more quickly when you are playing regular volleyball. |
| D．The rules of beach volleyball are totally different from those of regular volleyball. |
What does the writer think of beach volleyball?
| A．It is a difficult sport to learn. |
| B．It is a very exciting and interesting sport. |
| C．It is a sport which needs less power. |
| D．It is a sport which needs more skills. |
Why is it much slower to play beach volley ball than regular volleyball? Because _________.
| A．it is not an easy job to move on sand |
| B．it is a workout running for the ball |
| C．it is usually a larger team |
| D．the beach volleyball is heavier |
The passage mainly tells us _________.
| A．the game of beach volleyball |
| B．how to become an excellent volleyball player |
| C．why beach volleyball is one of exciting sports |
| D．what we should pay attention to when playing beach volleyball |
John and Booby joined a wholesale company together just after graduation from college the same year. Both worked very hard. After several years, however, the boss promoted（提升）Bobby to the position of manager but John remained an ordinary employee（雇员）. John could not take it any more, so he sent his resignation(辞职信) and complained that the boss did not value（重视）hard working workers but only promoted those who said good words of him.
The boss knew that John worked very hard for the years. He thought for a moment and said, “Thank you for telling me, but I have a request. I hope you will do one more thing for our company before you leave. Perhaps you will change your mind and take back your resignation.”
John agreed. The boss asked him to go and find out anyone selling watermelons in the market. John went and returned soon. He said he had found out a man selling watermelons. The boss asked how much per kg, John shook his head and went back to the market to ask and returned to tell the boss $1.2 per kg.
The boss told John to wait a second, and he called Bobby to go and find anyone selling watermelons in the market. Bobby went, returned and said only one person sold watermelons. $1.2 for a kg, $10 for 10kg and his watermelons added up to 340. On the table 58 melons, every melon weighs about 2 kg, bought from the south two days ago and they were fresh, red and good quality.
John was surprised and realized the difference between himself and Bobby. He decided not to go away but to learn from Bobby.
The story tells us that a more successful person is more concerned and thinks more. Chances are there in the daily details. For the same thing, a person sees one year ahead, while another sees only tomorrow. The difference between a year and a day is 365 times, how could you win?John wanted to stop his job in his company because_________.
| A．Bobby was promoted but he was not |
| B．he didn’t want to say good words of his boss |
| C．he thought the boss didn’t take his hard work seriously |
| D．he didn’t want to be an ordinary employee |
The boss asked John to find out where watermelons were sold in order to _________.
| A．persuade him to stay in the company |
| B．prove he was a hardworking worker |
| C．buy some watermelons for the company |
| D．prove his abilities at work for himself |
From what Bobby did, we can see that he was promoted only because _________.
| A．he was a more concerned businessman |
| B．he knew how to do business |
| C．he was more experienced at work |
| D．he knew details about the watermelon market |
We can conclude from the story that _________.
| A．one should stop his job if the boss doesn’t think much of his work |
| B．it’s necessary to know the market when you buy a watermelon |
| C．detail plays a very important part in one’s success |
| D．one should get along well with his boss if he wants to be promoted |
What can be the best title of the passage?
| A．More Concerned, More Successful | B．How to Buy Watermelons |
| C．Who Is More Successful | D．Proud John |
The story happened during the Second World War. An old man lived in a small town of Germany. He had three sons and they all worked in the same factory where he had worked. After the war had begun, his sons were all made to join the army one after another and they all died in the fights. The old man was very sad. He didn’t have enough food and was often hungry. And nobody helped him and he didn’t know how to go on living.
It was a very cold winter night. The old man couldn’t go to sleep. He had been hungry for two days and it was so cold in his room that ice could be seen. He had to get up and began to run in the room until he lay down on the floor. The next morning he had to beg from door to door. He had been to a lot of cities and knew a lot.
Once he came to a village, but the villagers were all poor and couldn’t give him anything. He was too hungry to go to another village. He thought hard and found a way. He came to a police station and called out, “Hitler is a foolish pig!”
Out came an old policeman at once. He took the old man into a room, gave him some bread and a cup of tea. Then he said, “Don’t say so in our village, sir!”
“I’m sorry, sir,” said the old man. “I don’t know it’s Hitler’s hometown.” “No, no, sir,” the policeman said in a hurry. “It’s pigs’ hometown!”The old man’s sons joined the army because_________.
| A．they were all strong | B．they loved their country |
| C．they wanted to be full | D．they had to do so |
The old man was sad because _________.
| A．his three sons had to join the army |
| B．his three sons lost their lives during the war |
| C．he lived in the small town alone |
| D．he had neither food nor clothes |
From the passage we can infer that _________.
| A．the old policeman would send the old man into prison |
| B．the old policeman hated Hitler, too |
| C．the old policeman thought Hitler was better than pigs |
| D．the old man found a friend at the police station |
In the old policeman’s opinion, _________.
| A．Hitler was more foolish than pigs |
| B．the old man insulted（侮辱）their hometown |
| C．the old man had to say sorry to him |
| D．the old man had to fight with Hitler |
What would probably be the best title for this passage?
| A．An Old Man and His Three Sons | B．Hitler is a Foolish Pig |
| C．It’s Hitler’s Hometown | D．It’s Pigs’ Hometown |
A farmer had some puppies to sell. He painted a sign advertising them on the edge of his yard.
One day, a little boy came to buy one of the puppies. With a whistle（口哨）, the farmer called, “Here, Dolly!” Out from the doghouse ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur. The little boy stood against the fence（栅栏）. His eyes danced with happiness.
As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else inside the doghouse. Slowly another little ball appeared, something wrong with its legs, doing its best to catch up.
“I want that one,” the little boy said.
The farmer knelt（跪下）down at the boy's side and said, “Son, you don't want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would.”
With that, the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down and began rolling up one leg of his trousers. In doing so, he showed a steel brace（固定器）running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe. Looking back up at the farmer, he said, “You see, sir, I don’t run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands.”How did the farmer advertise his puppies?
| A．Advertise them in the newspaper. | B．Put up a sign in his yard. |
| C．Show them to his neighbors. | D．Send pictures to a magazine. |
The underlined words “four little balls of fur” refer to “_________”.
| A．four toy balls | B．four balls made of fur |
| C．four lovely dogs | D．four puppies with no fur |
Why did the boy choose the last dog?
| A．Because they have something in common. |
| B．Because he didn't have enough money. |
| C．Because it was the most lovely one. |
| D．Because the farmer wouldn't sell other dogs. |
According to the story, we know that the boy _________.
| A．didn't like dogs at all | B．needed a dog to help him |
| C．could run as fast as others | D．had an artificial leg |
Which of the following words best describes the boy?
| A．clever | B．lovely | C．warm–hearted | D．strange |