It takes two to duet (二重唱), and one question for scientists is how these coordinated (协调的) performances arise — in birds. Are they the result of cooperation, a way in which one pair signals to others that they’ve got it together? Or are they the result of conflict, evolving to avoid one partner’s song interfering with the other’s?
A study of duetting in Peruvian warbling antbirds(蚁鸟) suggests that it might be a little of both, and that context is everything. Joseph A. Tobias and Nathalie Seddon of the University of Oxford show in Current Biology that sexual conflict can cause the female of a pair that normally cooperates to “jam” the male’s song by singing over it.
The researchers exposed antbird pairs to recorded songs of other antbirds and monitored the songs the pairs produced. In one experiment, they played the songs of an intruding pair. In this case, the resident pair “both are likely to lose their territory, so both should cooperate,” Dr. Tobias said. And they do. They produce a coordinated duet that in effect tells the intruders to keep away.
But when the researchers played the song of a single female, the pair behaved differently. “You’d expect the resident female to be highly motivated to defend her position in the partnership,” Dr. Tobias said. And that’s what occurs. The male sings its heart out, flirting(调情) with the single female, and the female of the pair does its best to interfere with the song by singing over it, apparently to make her mate less attractive to the other female.
“It’s clear that the male doesn’t like what she’s doing,” Dr. Tobias said. The behavior “breaks up what is otherwise a very cooperative situation into a more complicated signal,” he added.
It’s the first evidence of this kind of signal jamming among pairs, Dr. Tobias said.
And in that it leads the male to alter its song to avoid the female’s interfering notes, it shows that this kind of conflict could, over a long period, drive the evolution of coordinated song.
What is the key factor of antbirds’ duet?
| A．Their cooperation. | B．Their conflict. |
| C．The context. | D．Their instinct. |
How did the researchers conduct the experiment?
| A．They put the antbird pairs back to nature and observe them. |
| B．They played different recorded songs of other antbirds. |
| C．They put an antbird to the other’s territory and observed. |
| D．They played the songs of an intruding pair. |
Why did the female bird sing according to Paragraph 4?
| A．It wanted to show its singing talent to the partner. |
| B．It aimed at keeping the partnership with the male. |
| C．It wanted to frighten the other females. |
| D．It wanted to make her mate more attractive. |
Which of the following is the topic of this passage?
| A．The special phenomenon about birds pairs. |
| B．The conflict of bird pairs. |
| C．The cooperation of bird pairs. |
| D．The piece of music for bird pairs. |
Modern inventions have speeded up people’s lives amazingly. Motor-cars cover a hundred miles in little more than an hour, aircraft cross the world inside a day, while computers operate at lightning speed. Indeed, this love of speed seems never-ending. Every year motor-cars are produced which go even faster and each new computer boasts (吹嘘) of saving precious seconds in handling tasks.
All this saves time, but at a price. When we lose or gain half a day in speeding across the world in an airplane, our bodies tell us so. We get the uncomfortable feeling known as jet-lag; our bodies feel that they have been left behind in another time zone. Again, spending too long at computers results in painful wrists and fingers. Mobile phones also have their dangers, according to some scientists; too much use may transmit harmful radiation into our brains, a consequence we do not like to think about.
However, what do we do with the time we have saved? Certainly not relax, or so it seems. We are so accustomed to constant activity that we find it difficult to sit and do nothing, or even just one thing at a time. Perhaps the days are long gone when we might listen quietly to a story on the radio, letting imagination take us into another world.
There was a time when some people’s lives were devoted simply to the cultivation of the land or the care of cattle. No multi-tasking there; their lives went on at a much gentler pace, and in a familiar pattern. There is much that we might envy about a way of life like this. Yet before we do so, we must think of the hard tasks our ancestors faced: they farmed with bare hands, often lived close to hunger, and had to fashion tools from wood and stone. Modern machinery has freed people from that primitive existence.The new products become more and more time-saving because .
| A．time is limited | B．our love of speed seems never-ending |
| C．the prices are increasingly high | D．the manufacturers boast a lot |
What does “the days” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
| A．Simple life in the past. | B．Imaginary life. |
| C．Times of inventions. | D．Time for constant activity. |
What is the author’s attitude towards the modern technology?
| A．Objective. | B．Critical. | C．Optimistic. | D．Negative. |
What does the passage mainly discuss?
| A．Machinery and human beings. | B．The present and past times. |
| C．Imaginations and inventions. | D．Modern technology and its influence. |
Kong Zi, also called Confucius (551 — 479 B.C.), and Socrates (469 — 399 B.C.) lived only a hundred years apart, and during their lifetimes there was no contact between China and Greece, but it is interesting to look at how the world that each of these great philosophers came from shaped their ideas, and how these ideas in turn, shaped their societies.
Neither philosopher lived in times of peace, though there were more wars in Greece than in China. The Chinese states were very large and feudal, while the Greek city-states were small and urban. The urban environment in which Socrates lived allowed him to be more radical (激进的) than Confucius. Unlike Confucius, Socrates was not asked by rulers how to govern effectively. Thus, Socrates was able to be more idealistic, focusing on issues like freedom, and knowledge for its own sake. Confucius, on the other hand, advised those in government service, and many of his students went on to government service.
Confucius suggested the Golden Rule as a principle for the conduct of life: “Do not do to others what you would not want others to do to you.” He assumed that all men were equal at birth, though some had more potential than others, and that it was knowledge that set men apart. Socrates focused on the individual, and thought that the greatest purpose of man was to seek wisdom. He believed that some had more potential to develop their reason than others did. Like Confucius, he believed that the superior class should rule the inferior (下层的) classes.
For Socrates, the family was of no importance, and the community of little concern. For Confucius, however, the family was the centre of society, with family relations considered much more important than political relations.
Both men are respected much more today than they were in their lifetimes.Which of the following is TRUE according to the first paragraph?
| A．Socrates and Confucius had much in common. |
| B．The societies were influenced by the philosophers’ ideas. |
| C．Confucius had much influence on Socrates’ ideas. |
| D．There were cultural exchanges between China and Greece. |
Socrates shared with Confucius the idea that .
| A．all men were equal when they were born |
| B．the purpose of man was to seek freedom and wisdom |
| C．the lower classes should be ruled by the upper class |
| D．people should not ask others to do what they did not want to |
What made some pe
ople different from others according to Confucius?
| A．Family. | B．Knowledge. | C．Potential. | D．Community. |
This passage is organized in the pattern of .
| A．time and events | B．cause and effect |
| C．comparison and contrast | D．definition and classification |
| CWU The communications union Head of Research Salary: ￡55, 271 We are looking for a Head of Research to manage the CWU Research Department and Information Centre. You would be required to exercise control of all research work of the department and manage a team of three researchers and four support staff. The person appointed would be expected to carry out research work of a strategic nature across the range of businesses in which the CWU has or seeks membership and to contribute to the strategic thinking and direction of the union as a whole. You will need: proven line management skills, especially in managing and motivating a team; good research skills, holding a good degree in a related subject or other similar experience; a high level of mathematical and calculating skills; the ability to produce high quality work under pressure; a commitment to and knowledge of the trade union movement and social democratic politics; and knowledge and/or experience of the postal and/or telecommunications industry. To apply, please request an application pack by emailing hr@ cwu. org or by telephoning HR (Human Resources) on 020 8971 7482. When applying please state your source. Closing Date for Applications: 4th August 2010 Anticipated interview date: 17th August 2010 No agencies please |
In which column of a newspaper could we find this advertisement?
| A．Arts. | B．News. | C．Jobs. | D．Sales. |
One of the duties of the person to be appointed is .
| A．taking charge of research work | B．running a telecommunications company |
| C．managing a team of three or four members | D．seeking membership for the trade union |
If you want to apply for this position, you can do all EXCEPT .
| A．ask an agency for an application form |
| B．send in your application before 4th August 2010 |
| C．email hr@ cwu. org for an application pack |
| D．dial 020 8971 7482 for more information |
Which of the following applicants is most likely to be employed?
A．A school teacher with a master’s degree. |
| B．A clerk from a telecommunications company |
| C．A director from a research centre with a master’s degree. |
| D．A university graduate majoring in computer science. |
Andy rode slowly on his way to school, day-dreaming about the fishing trip that his father had promised him. He was so busy dreaming about all the fish he would catch that he was unaware of everything else around him.
He rode along until a strange sound drew him to the present. He came to a stop and looked curiously up to the heavens. What he saw shocked and terrified him. A huge swarm of bees filled the sky like a black cloud and the buzzing mass seem
ed to be heading angrily towards him.
With no time to waste, Andy sped off in the opposite direction, riding fur
iously — but without knowing how to escape the swarm. With a rapidly beating heart and his legs pumping furiously, he sped down the rough road. As the bees came closer, his panic increased. Andy knew that he was sensitive to bee stings (蜇). The last sting had landed him in hospital — and that was only one bee sting! He had been forced to stay in bed for two whole days. Suddenly, his father’s words came to him. “When you are in a tight situation, don’t panic. Use your brain and think your way
out of it.”
On a nearby hill, he could see smoke waving slowly skywards from the chimney of the Nelson family home. “Bees don’t like smoke,” he thought. “They couldn’t get into the house.” Andy raced towards the Nelson house, but the bees were gaining ground. Andy knew he could not reach the house in time. He estimated that the bees would catch up with him soon.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted a smal
l dam used by Mr. Nelson to irrigate his vegetable garden. Off his bike and into the cool water he dived, disappearing below the surface and away from the savage insects. After holding his breath for as long as he could, Andy came up for air and noticed the bees had gone. Dragging himself out of the dam, he struggled up the hilly slope and rang the doorbell. Mrs. Nelson took him inside and rang his mother.
“You’ll really need that fishing break to help you recover,” laughed his mother with relief. “Thank goodness you didn’t panic!” But Andy did not hear her. He was dreaming once again of the fish he would catch tomorrow.”Why did Andy fail to notice the swarm of bees earlier?
| A．He was lost in the thought of the fishing trip. |
| B．He was listening to a strange sound. |
| C．He was going fishing with his father. |
| D．He was riding to school. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the swarm of bees in the passage?
| A．They made Andy stay in hospital for two days. |
| B．They shocked and terrified Andy. |
| C．They tried to attack Andy in a mass. |
| D．They crowded like a black cloud. |
How did Andy avoid the bees in the end?
| A．He rode off in the opposite direction. | B．He hid himself under the water. |
| C．He rushed into the Nelson house. | D．He asked Mr. Nelson for help. |
Which of the following can best describe Andy’s escape from the bees?
| A．In time of danger, one’s mind works fast. | B．Once bitten, twice shy. |
| C．Where there is a will, there is a way. | D．No pains, no gains. |
Have you winterized your horse yet? Even though global warming may have made our climate more mild, many animals are still hibernating(冬眠)．It’s too bad that humans can’t hibernate．In fact, as a species, we almost did．
Apparently, at times in the past, peasants in France liked a sem
i-state of human hibernation．So w
rites Graham Robb, a British scholar who has studied the sleeping habits of the French peasants．As soon as the weather turned cold people all over France shut themselves away and practiced the forgotten art of doing nothing at all for months on end．
In line with this, Jeff Warren, a producer at CBC Radio’s The Current, tells us that the way we sleep has changed fundamentally since the invention of artificial(人造的) lighting and the el
ectric bulb．
When historians began studying texts of the Middle Ages, they noticed something referred to as “first sleep”, which was not clarified, though．Now scientists are telling us our ancestors most likely slept in separate periods．The business of eight hours’ uninterrupted sleep is a modern invention．
In the past, without the artificial light of the city to bathe in, humans went to sleep when it became dark and then woke themselves around midnight．The late night period was known as ”The Watch” It was when people actually kept watch against wild animals, although many of them simply moved around or visited family and neighbours ．
According to some sleep researchers, a short period of insomnia(失眠) at midnight is not a disorder ．It is normal．Humans can experience another state of consciousness around their sleeping, which occurs in the brief period before we fall asleep or wake ourselves in the morning．This period can be an extraordinarily creative time for some people．The impressive inventor, Thomas Edison, used this state to hit upon many of his new ideas．
Playing with your sleep rhythms can be adventurous, as anxiety may set in．Medical science doesn’t help much in this case．It offers us medicines for a full night’s continuous sleep, which sounds natural; however, according to Warren’s theory, it is really the opposite of what we need．The example of the French peasants shows the fact that________．
| A．people might become lazy as a result of too much sleep |
| B．there were signs of hibernation in human sleeping habits |
| C．people tended to sleep more peacefully in cold weather |
| D．winter was a season for people to sleep for months on end |
The late night was called “The Watch” because it was a time for people_______．
| A．to set traps to catch animals | B．to wake up their family and neighbours |
| C．to remind others of the time | D．to guard against possible dangers |
What does the author advise people to do?
| A．Sleep in the way animals do． | B．Consult a doctor if they can’t sleep． |
| C．Follow their natural sleep rhythm． |
D．Keep to the eight-hour sleep pattern． |
What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
| A．To give a prescription for insomnia． |
B．To urge peopl e to sleep less． |
| C．To analyze the sleep pattern of modern people． |
| D．To throw new light on human sleep． |