Construction workers in Southern California have made a wild discovery. They were digging at a building site in San Timoteo Canyon (峡谷) when they unearthed hundreds of ancient animal fossils. Researchers say the bones hold important clues about the history of the region.
Nearly 1, 500 fossils were recovered from the dusty canyon. The remains are about 1.4 million years old. They include the bones of a new species of deer, several small rodents (啮齿目动物) and more. A giant cat fossil was also found. Scientists believe the animal was an ancestor of the saber- toothed tiger. Signs of plant life were uncovered as well.
“This is a huge find,” says Rick Greenwood, a scientist studying the site. “I don’t think most people had any idea that those types of animals were wandering around here more than a million years ago.”
San Timoteo Canyon is located about 85 miles from Los Angeles. The area of the canyon where the fossils were found was once part of a green river valley. Today, the region is dry and plant life is rare.
Most of the fossils are well preserved. Experts say a muddy lake bed may have trapped thirty animals that wandered over for a drink. The mud helped to protect the animal fossils.
The remains are a million years older than those discovered at the famous La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. Scientists studying the bones will be able to learn more about how the animals adapted to changes in the environment.
“We have a confused view of what this time period was like, ” says another scientist. “A discovery like this could really be an important contribution.”
About 35 different animal species are represented in the fossil collection. Scientists began removing bones from the site last fall. The project was completed this summer. Starting next year, the fossils will be on display at the Western Science Center in the nearby city of Hemet, California.
What does the passage mainly focus on?
| A．The secret of ancient animals’ deaths. |
| B．The preparation for a future fossil exhibition. |
| C．A great discovery of fossils. |
| D．The history of San Timoteo Canyon. |
From what Rick says, we know ________. (原创)
| A．fossils were discovered in the canyon for the first time. |
| B．the canyon in ancient times was quite different. |
| C．more research work will be carried on in the canyon. |
| D．the river water helped to protect the animal fossils. |
Compared to the discovery at the La Brea Tar Pits, the canyon-involved fossils _______.
| A．are far older | B．include more species |
| C．are better preserved | D．make experts more confused |
What do we know about the fossils from the passage?
| A．All of them are of new species. |
| B．Some of them have been destroyed |
| C．They were looked for under experts’ guidance. |
| D．They will be on show in the near future. |
You Mi, a lovely and confident 17-year-old student, is the first Chinese high school student to appear on the cover of the popular young adults’ fashion magazine Seventeen.
“You is IN,” said Wang Lihua，Editor-in-Chief of Seventeen. “She is active and mature (成熟) because of her knowledge on everything from academic studies，to books on art，to movies. We find she’s the very style we’re looking for to represent young people’s attitudes.”
You also impressed Wang with her fluent English when they first met last year. As the hostess of an English broadcasting program at the High School Affiliated to Renmin University（人大附中）， You is always praised for speaking English almost like a native speaker. “I’ve built up my English by watching thousands of English DVDs since I was 10,” she explained.
But for You，watching isn’t enough. Last year，while in Senior 1， she met a talented (有才能的) boy who showed self-made DV movies at the English Corner in her school.
“I thought it was so cool and I knew that I should start making my own films，” she said. So she wrote a campus (校园) story, persuaded schoolmates to star in it and then began shooting a 30-minute DV movie，all in English. “I played one of the leading roles，actually I was everything in my film. I worked on it every day during the holidays,” she recalled. The movie finally became a big hit on campus，earning You a strong reputation（名气） as a DV movie director.
But this is not the only field she wants to master. Though a science student, You likes art, literature and fashion design very much.
“There are people who can be artists，there are people who edit books, and there are people who become film producers. But I just hope to mix all the things up!” she said. “There is an old saying I believe：Chances favor only the prepared mind.”You Mi was chosen to be a cover of Seventeen, mainly because she _____.
| A．is beautiful | B．she is lovely and full of confidence |
| C．is active and mature | D．has rich knowledge |
You Mi’s fluent English is based on _____.
| A．her chance to host an English broadcasting program |
| B．the influence of her parents |
| C．her deep interest in it |
| D．her making DV movie |
The author mentioned a talented boy to show _____.
| A．the great influence he had on You Mi |
| B．he was admired by his schoolmates |
| C．the young can do things as well as the adults do |
| D．DV movies are popular at school |
In the 30-minute DV movie，You Mi didn’t act as a（n） _____.
| A．director | B．musician | C．actress | D．film-maker |
We can learn from the passage that _____.
| A．You Mi hopes to be a mixed talent. |
| B．the success of a 30-minute DV movie surprised You Mi. |
| C．You Mi dreams of becoming a scientist. |
| D．You Mi doesn’t like to study during holidays. |
In modern society there is a great deal of argument about competition . Some value it highly , believing that it is responsible for social progress and prosperity . Others say that competition is bad ; that it sets one person against another ; that it leads to unfriendly relationship between people .
I have taught many children who held the belief that their self-worth relied (依赖)on how well they performed at tennis and other skills . For them, playing well and winning are often life-and-death affairs. In their single-minded pursuit ( 追求)of success , the development of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten .
However ，while some seem to be lost in the desire to succeed , others take an opposite attitude .In a culture which values only the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players , they strongly blame competition . Among the most vocal are youngsters who have suffered under competitive pressures from their parents or society . Teaching these young people . I often observe in them a desire to fail . They seem to seek failure by not trying to win or achieve success . By not trying , they always have an excuse : “I may have lost . but it doesn’t matter because I really didn’t try . “What is not usually admitted by themselves is the belief that if they had really tried and lost, that would mean a lot . Such a loss would be a measure of their worth . Clearly, this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove themselves . Both are based on the mistaken belief that one’s self-respect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others . Both are afraid of not being valued . Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve (缓解) can we discover a new meaning in competition .What does this passage mainly talk about ?
| A．Competition helps to set up self-respect . |
| B．Opinions about competition are different among people |
| C．Competition is harmful to personal quality development . |
| D．Failures are necessary experiences in competition |
Why do some people favor competition according to the passage ?
| A．It pushes society forward . | B．It builds up a sense of duty . |
| C．It improves personal abilities . | D．It encourages individual efforts |
The underlined phrase “the most vocal” in Paragraph 3 means.
| A．those who try their best to win |
| B．those who value competition most highly |
| C．those who are against competition most strongly |
| D．those who rely on others most for success |
Which point of view may the author agree to ?
| A．Every effort should be paid back . |
| B．Competition should be encouraged . |
| C．Winning should be a life-and-death matter . |
| D．Fear of failure should be removed in competition |
Everyone should visit a lighthouse at least once.
The most important reason for such a visit is to realize how our ancestors (祖先) battled nature with the basic tools they had . They had only basic ways of creating light , and yet they found a way of using this simple technology in isolated (孤零零的) places to save ships from hitting rocks .
Secondly , visiting lighthouses will help us to understand the lives of lighthouse keepers .By their very nature , lighthouses were built on some rocks or cliffs . Thus , the lighthouse keepers often lived lonely lives . To walk around their small home , and imagine the angry storm outside beating against the walls , is to take a step towards understanding the lives they had.
The reasons for a visit to a lighthouse are not all so backward-looking in time . It is true that lighthouses were built in out-of-the –way places . But on a pleasant sunny summer day. This very isolation has a natural beauty that many people will love to experience . Therefore, with the gentle waves touching all round the lighthouse . the visitor is likely to think it is a world preferable to the busy and noisy modern life.
Another reason for considering a visit is that the lighthouses themselves can be very attractive buildings . Mankind could often not be content just to put up a basic structure . but felt the need . even in such an isolated place , to build with an artistic touch . The result is a view for tired eyes to enjoy .
Finally , lighthouses have a romantic attraction , summed up by the image of the oil-skin coated keeper climbing his winding stairs to take care of the light to warn ships and save lives .What is the reason to look back into the past of a lighthouse ?
| A．To escape from the busy and noisy city . |
| B．To look for the tools used by our ancestors . |
| C．To experience the natural beauty of a lighthouse . |
| D．To learn about the living condition of lighthouse keepers . |
The underlined phrase “out-of-the-way” in Paragraph of means.
| A．far-away . | B．dangerous | C．ancient | D．secret |
Lighthouses were often built with an artistic touch.
| A．to attract visitors | B．to guide passing ships |
| C．to give a pleasant sight | D．to remember lighthouse keepers |
How many reasons are mentioned for a visit to a lighthouse ?
| A．Three . | B．Four . | C．Five . | D．Six . |
Around the World in Eighty Days is a classic Adventure novel by Jules Verne. The story starts in London in 1872. One day in the Reform Club, Phileas Fogg, a wealthy gentleman, accepts a wager(赌注) for £20,000, which he will receive if he travels around the world in 80 days.
Phileas Fogg sets off immediately, with his servant Passepartout. They reach Suez(苏伊士) quickly. While landing in Egypt, he is watched by a British detective named Fix, who is in search of a bank robber. Because Fix mistakes Fogg for the criminal, he follows secretly, as they are getting on a ship to Bombay.
After more than 20-days of travelling, they arrive in San Francisco, and then get on the train to New York. During that trip, the train is attacked by Indians, who take Passepartout away. With some soldiers’ help, Fogg succeeds in freeing his companion. To make up for the lost time, Fogg and his companion hasten on to New York, and catch the steamer for the crossing of the Atlantics. They arrive in Ireland in time to reach London before the deadline. However, once on British soil again, Fix arrests Fogg. Although the misunderstanding is quickly cleared up—the actual bank robber had been caught several days earlier. Fogg has missed the train and returns to London five minutes late, sure that he has lost the wager.
However, the next day Fogg learns from the priest that he is mistaken in the date, which he thinks Sunday but which actually is Saturday, due to the fact that they gained a full day on their journey around the globe, by crossing the International Date Line. Fogg immediately sets off for the Reform Club, where he arrives just in time to win the wager.The reason that Fix wants to arrest Phileas Fogg is that .
| A．Phileas Fogg is the bank robber whom Fix is trying to catch |
| B．Phileas Fogg doesn’t have a passport for his travels |
| C．Fix mistakenly takes Phileas Fogg for the bank robber |
| D．Fix intends to prevent Fogg from winning the wager |
During his time in America, Phileas Fogg spends a lot of “unexpected” time .
| A．travelling across the continent of America |
| B．rescuing his companion from the Indians |
| C．waiting for the ship back to London |
| D．getting rid of the pursuing of Fix |
Does Phileas Fogg win the wager at last? Why?
| A．No. Because he doesn’t get to the Reform Club before the deadline. |
| B．Yes. Because he is not the bank robber； it’s a misunderstanding. |
| C．No. Because he wastes too much time during his trip. |
| D．Yes. Because he arrives at the Reform Club before the deadline. |
Many people go to work each day to a job they hate. The harmful feelings influence their entire life, putting a negative cloud over the home, their friends and many of their other activities. There is a better way to live your life. Meaningful purpose is a driving force that adds enthusiasm to your days. Here are a few steps to get the new career rolling:
Do some self-analysis. Ask yourself -- What really matters to me? What problem or wrong would I like to fix? What do I enjoy? Where are my interests and hobbies? What are my priorities? What is my secret passion? What do I want to do with the rest of my life? Reviewing these questions can give you new insight to where you want to go.
Use your unique genius and talents. Every person is born with a unique set of natural abilities. Talents, such as managing, creating, researching, training others, drawing, can all seem like easy work because you have a natural flair（才能）for them. True happiness comes from combining your natural talents, developing and excelling in them, and working in a field, job, industry that you have a passionate interest in.
Make a decision. Only action can change your life. Read a book. Take vocational tests. Use a good career-management professional. Do some career exploration and gather all the information you need. Then make a decision and go forward. Outline the action steps to reach your career goal. Finding meaning, passion and purpose every day you go to work is the wonderful reward, so don’t wait any longer. Begin right now and set in motion your own plan to live a happier, more satisfying life.Which is the best title of the passage?
| A．Suggestions on How to Build a More Meaningful Career |
| B．Steps on How to Live Happily and Comfortably |
| C．Do not Hate Your Job Any Longer. |
| D．Find Out Your Natural Talents and Make a Success. |
According to the passage, by analyzing ourselves, we can .
| A．know the true meaning of our life |
| B．understand better about the career we want |
| C．find out our own unique genius and talents |
| D．improve relations with our family and friends |
According to the passage, it’s easier to make success in the work which we .
| A．have much experience at |
| B．have professional knowledge about |
| C．have been performing for a long time |
| D．have a natural talent for |
The purpose in writing this passage is to _____.
| A．persuade people to work hard to make a happier life |
| B．reveal some wrong-doings at work |
| C．direct people to choose their career |
| D．give some solutions to deal with troubles at work |