Why don’t birds get lost on their long migratory (迁居的) flights? Scientists have puzzled over this question for many years. Now they’re beginning to fill in the blanks.
Not long ago, experiments showed that birds rely on the sun to guide them during daylight hours. But what about birds that fly mainly by night? Tests with artificial stars have proved conclusively that certain night-flying birds are able to follow the stars in their long-distance flights.
One such bird, a warbler(鸣禽) , had spent its lifetime in a cage and had never flown under a natural sky. Yet it showed an inborn ability to use the stars for guidance. The bird’s cage was placed under an artificial star-filled sky at migration time. The bird tried to fly in the same direction as that taken by his outdoor cousins. Any change in the direction of the make-be-live stars caused a change in the direction of his flight. Scientists think that warblers, when flying in daylight, use the sun for guidance. But the stars are apparently their main means of navigation (导航). What do they do when the stars are hidden by clouds? Apparently, they find their way by such landmarks as mountain ranges, coast lines, and river courses. But when it’s too dark to see these, the warblers circle helplessly, unable to get their direction.The reasons why birds don’t get lost on migratory flights__________.
| A．have been known to scientists for many years |
| B．are known by everyone |
| C．have only recently been discovered |
| D．will probably remain a mystery |
Warblers migrate__________.
| A．from North America to South America |
| B．using what is apparently an inborn navigational ability |
| C．only once during their lifetime |
| D．when they are freed from their cages |
When the stars are hidden by clouds, warblers find their way by__________ .
| A．an artificial star | B．some landmarks |
| C．their inborn ability | D．A and B |
This article is a good example of the way scientists__________ .
| A．discover workable answers to universal questions by studying particular cases(特别案例) |
| B．jump to conclusions |
| C．find a law and then investigate（调查） |
| D．are disappointed by the habits of animals |
Fix it on your own
Did you know that a bowl of rice could save your iPod if you drop it in a swimming pool by accident? Or that the camera on your phone could tell you what’s wrong with your TV remote control? The experts at Geek Squad (geelsquad.co.uk) have made a gadget (小机件) rescue guide. So, let’s take a look at some of their useful advice.
♦ How to get more juice out of your phone batter
If your battery goes dead but you need to get a number or send one last text, try warming it up. That may give you a tiny bit of power. Take the battery from the phone and rub it between your hands. Or warm it under your arm for a few minutes. Then try to start the phone but use it quickly.
♦ What to do if your gadget gets wet
First, try drying it out with a vacuum cleaner (真空吸尘器). If a vacuum cleaner isn’t at hand, fill a pot or bowl with uncooked rice and put your wet gadget inside. The dry, uncooked rice will absorb all the water and, after a few hours, you should be able to use the gadget. Don’t forget to remove the battery and SIM card before you dry it.
♦ What to do if your TV remote control stops working
If replacing the batteries doesn’t work, get the camera function up on your phone and point the remote at the lens (镜头). When you press a button on the remote, if it is working, the glass bobble (小球) at the front of the remote will light up when you look at it on the screen of your phone. This is because the screen on a phone or digital camera picks up infrared rays (红外线), even though your eyes don’t. If the glass bobble doesn’t light up, the remote is broken. If it does, the receiving device (装置) is broken.If your cell phone falls into a sink, you can _________.
| A．warm it up under your arm |
| B．remove the battery after you dry it |
| C．put it into the uncooked rice |
| D．press it with both of your hands |
Why can a phone be used to prove the TV remote control works well? Because it can _____.
| A．improve the TV remote control |
| B．receive infrared ray |
| C．picture the TV remote control |
| D．reflect infrared ray |
In which section of a newspaper can we possibly read this text?
| A．Life | B．Entertainment |
| C．Finance | D．Culture |
The purpose of this passage is to give people __________.
| A．personal opinions | B．professional guides |
| C．necessary warnings | D．practical tips |
Jenny was a pretty five-year-old girl. One day when she and her mother were checking out at the grocery store, Jenny saw a plastic pearl (珍珠) necklace priced at $2.50. Her mother bought the necklace for her on condition that she had to do some homework to pay it off. Jenny agreed. She worked very hard every day, and soon Jenny paid off the necklace. Jenny loved it so much that she wore it everywhere except when she was in the shower. Her mother had told her it would turn her neck green!
Jenny had a very loving daddy. When Jenny went to bed, he would read Jenny her favorite story.
One night when he finished the story, he said, “Jenny, could you give me your necklace?”
“Oh! Daddy, not my necklace!” Jenny said. “But you can have Rosy, my favorite doll. Remember her? You gave her to me last year for my birthday. Okay? ”
“Oh no, darling, that’s okay.” Her father brushed her cheek with a kiss. “Good night, little one.
A week later, her father once again asked Jenny for the necklace after her favorite story. “Oh, Daddy, not my necklace! But you can have Ribbons, my toy horse. Do you remember her? She’s my favorite.”
“No, that’s okay,” her father said and brushed her cheek again with a kiss. “God bless you, little one. Sweet dreams. ”
Several days later, when Jenny’s father came in to read her a story, Jenny was sitting on her bed and her lip was trembling. “Here, Daddy,” she said, holding out her hand. She opened it and her beloved pearl necklace was inside. She let it slip into her father’s hand.
With one hand her father held the plastic pearl necklace and with the other he pulled out of his pocket a blue box. Inside the box was a real, beautiful pearl necklace. He had had it all along. He was waiting for Jenny to give up the cheap necklace so he could give her a real one.What did Jenny have to do to get the plastic pearl necklace?
| A．She had to help her mother do some housework. |
| B．She had to listen to her father tell a story every night. |
| C．She had to ask her father to pay for the necklace. |
| D．She had to give away her favorite toys to the poor children. |
From the text we know that ______.
| A．Jenny’s mother paid a lot for the plastic pearl necklace |
| B．Jenny wore the necklace everywhere even in the shower |
| C．Jenny didn’t like Rosy and Ribbons any longer |
| D．Jenny got a real pearl necklace from her father |
Jenny’s father asked for her plastic pearl necklace repeatedly in order to ______.
| A．get it for himself | B．donate it |
| C．train her character | D．put it away |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．A Lovely Girl | B．Father and Daughter |
| C．A Pearl Necklace | D．An Unforgettable Childhood |
You may think your bathroom is often full of bacteria(细菌) and so you give it a complete cleaning once a week. But how often do you clean out and disinfect(消毒) your fridge? Well, probably not often enough, according to a recent study, which found out that the fridge is the second dirtiest place in your house, just behind the bathroom.
Fridge temperatures were often set too high, allowing the growth of bacteria, which included E.coil, Enterobacteria, and S. aureus, all of which will give you an easy access to food poisoning. So what can you do to ensure your fridge---and your food in it---is not a health threat?
For starters, clean the fridge weekly---wipe it and repeat.
Make sure your fridge is at the correct temperature for storing food, between 0 and 5 degrees centigrade. Your freezer should be below-18 degrees centigrade. You can use fridge and freezer thermeters to make sure this is the case.
Some modern fridges have zones to store different types of food ,such as meat and vegetables. Make sure you don`t store meat in the vegetable zone, as the temperature there might be higher.
Make sure you don not leave the door open too long as the temperature in the fridge will quickly rise, creating a breeding(繁殖) ground for bacteria.
Cover food that has not been finished, and eat it within a couple of days.
Keep bottles and jars closed.
Keep raw meat away from cooked meat. Both should be well covered to prevent pollution.
Store raw meat at the bottom of the fridge to stop juices dripping onto other foods.
Finally, use common sense, and throw away old food.What do we know from the first paragraph?
| A．People often clean their fridges once a week. |
| B．A recent study shows the bathroom is the dirtiest place in the house. |
| C．Many people don`t believe that the fridge is a dirty place. |
| D．The fridge may not have as many bacteria as the bathroom. |
Which is the best temperature for storing your food in the fridge?
| A．10ºC | B．-2 ºC | C．4 ºC | D．-18 ºC |
The purpose of this text is to________.
| A．introduce some common knowledge about fridges |
| B．teach people how to fix their fridges |
| C．guide people to store food properly in their fridges |
| D．let people know how to keep their fridges clean |
Commander was my parents` cat but I knew him first. In fact, Commander was my college roommate`s cat. My roommate wanted to sell Commander, but no one would buy him. I called my parents to see if they would like to adopt him. My mom had always loved cats but my dad disliked cats very much. As predicted my dad said, “No way. No cats” Fortunately for me, my dad was out of town at a math conference. So I brought Commander home. By the time he returned, both my mom and Commander had decided that Commander was going to stay.
My mom said that Commander was going to live at our house for a “trial period” while we looked for a buyer. As the months went by there was absolutely no effort to sell Commander and it became clear to my dad that Commander was there to stay. Commander started sitting by my dad as he read the newspaper and slowly my dad began to like Commander---just a little bit.
By the time I came home that summer, I was surprised to see my dad carrying Commander around the house. Over the years, my parents` love for Commander grew to the point where they could not imagine life without him.
Once I finished college, my parents built their dream house and they named the floor plan（平面图） The Commander! They worked with the architect to design the house so that it was perfectly suited both for them and for Commander.
Commander died at the age of eighteen. My mom still talks about him often and misses him, and so does my dad, which proves that not even the most determined cat-hating human being in the world can resist the charms(魅力)of a cat once the cat decides he is moving in to your heart.When the author`s dad returned from the conference,_________.
| A．the author had decided to sell Commander. |
| B．the author`s roommate sold commander to someone else |
| C．the author`s mother decided to keep Commander |
| D．the author`s mother started looking for a buyer |
What was the father`s feeling towards Commander when the author came home that summer?
| A．He still hated the cat very much |
| B．He began to like the cat |
| C．He wanted to sell the cat |
| D．He wanted to keep another cat |
What did the author`s parents do when they designed their new house?
| A．They designed a room for Commander. |
| B．They named the floor plan the Commander. |
| C．They opened a door in the wall for Commander. |
| D．They worked with the architect to build a cathouse |
Put the following events into the correct order.
a.The author`s father changed his attitude towards Commander.
b.The author brought Commander home
c.The author finished college.
d.The author`s parents built their dream house.
e.Commander died.
| A．a-e-b-c-d | B．b-a-d-c-e |
| C．d-b-c-a-e | D．b-a-c-d-e |
Nowadays, with the busy working hours, parents have no time left to spend with their children. However, spending time with children is of extreme importance. Giving some time for children will play an important role in their development. Therefore, it is a must for parents to spend time with children. Here are some tips for parents which will help them spend time with their little wonder.
Having Dinner with Children
Even if you are not there at home for a whole day, you should make sure that you have dinner with your children. Moreover, you should make it a point that you are having dinner with your entire family. Also, you should avoid watching TV when you are having dinner with your family.
Helping Child Comlete Homework
Helping your child complete homework will help you know how he/she is at studies. It is not that you have to spend hours regularly helping your child with homework. But, sometimes you can help your child solve some questions. In this way, you will get to spend time with your child as well as get to know about his or her studies.
Fun Activities
During weekends you can indulge your child in fun activities like gardening, painting etc. However, do not force your child to do so. You can also spend some time in teaching your child finger painting, vegetable painting and craft work. You may even help your child complete his or her art and craft assignments. These activities will help you improve creativity of your child as well as the interaction between you and your child.The passage is mainly about_______.
| A．the importance of spending time with children |
| B．the ways to spend time with children |
| C．the reasons to spend time with children |
| D．the activities children like to take part in |
In the second paragraph, the author suggests that parents should________.
| A．watch TV with their children |
| B．stay at home a whole day |
| C．spend time with the whole family |
| D．avoid listening to some music |
The underlined word “indulge” in the last paragraph means_______.
| A．push | B．put | C．ask | D．allow |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Helping children with homework will help improve their creativity. |
| B．Parents should spend time regularly with children`s homework |
| C．Spending time with children for parents is a must |
| D．Parents should pick up their children regularly. |