My husband can plan wonderful surprise celebrations for me.Recently，however，I told him I didn’t want him to plan one for my upcoming birthday.
“Why？” he asked.
“I am embarrassed being the center of attention，” I quickly explained.
Later，I began to think more deeply about this reason. Then I remembered the surprise celebration I had planned for my friend Nancy on her 60th birthday. We were roommates on a threeweek tour following the Silk Road on those famous steppes (大草原)—and through the mountains—of central Asia.
That afternoon we had arrived at our hotel in Samarkand，Uzbekistan. The young man at the hotel desk told me about a bakery about 10 minutes away. After giving me detailed directions，he added，“Your nose will let you know when you arrive there.”
The temperature was 40 ℃.Soon，my_olfaction proved to be an unfailing guide. Outside the bakery，a delicious smell greeted me.
There were several kinds of breads，cookies，and cakes on display. There were also beautiful iced cakes. I chose a cake topped with powdered sugar.
Later at the Karim Bek Restaurant，Nancy didn’t see the young waiter walk up the steps with the cake.When I began singing“Happy Birthday，”everyone at our table—except Nancy—joined in.
It took her a moment to realize what was happening. Then the grinning (咧嘴笑的) guest of honor thanked me，blew out the candles on the cake，and ate three pieces of it.
Today，after reliving this experience in my mind，I told my husband to ignore my request.I now understand what a surprise party is about：It is not about having a surprise party but rather the delight in giving it. That is what brings the satisfying joy.Why did the author go to the bakery?
| A．To get some bread for her journey. |
| B．To experience the local taste in Samarkand. |
| C．To buy a birthday cake for her friend. |
| D．To eat some iced cakes to cool herself down. |
The underlined words “my olfaction” in Paragraph 7 most probably refer to________.
| A．the waiter at the hotel |
| B．the author’s sense of smell |
| C．the author’s friend |
| D．the author’s map |
The party held at the Karim Bek Restaurant was________.
| A．very successful | B．a little simple |
| C．quite boring | D．too noisy |
From the last paragraph we learn that now the author________.
| A．becomes less interested in surprise parties |
| B．thinks surprise parties are embarrassing |
| C．enjoys giving others surprises |
| D．realizes the true meaning of surprise parties |
From the passage，we can NOT infer that________.
| A．the author’s birthday is coming |
| B．the author’s husband loves her very much |
| C．the author and Nancy have been roommates for three weeks |
| D．the author has already spent her 60th birthday |
Cars!!! Holidays! Thousands of prizes! Hurry! Free with every packet of splash! Your personal lucky number! Will be among the 500,000 winners! Use splash for the softest…quickest… whitest wash! Don’t delay… buy a packet today!Those who bought a packet of splash________.
| A．are sure to win a prize. |
| B．are sure to be among the 500,000 winners. |
| C．could get $500,000. |
| D．could get the personal lucky number. |
Splash is________.
| A．a certain kind of material used for washing in high quality. |
| B．something like a machine used to wash clothes. |
| C．the softest, quickest, and whitest car to drive. |
| D．one of thousands of prizes for players to win. |
Which of the following diagrams(图解) shows the correct relation?
●：prize：personal lucky number ★：splash ■：cars
| A．■→→★→● | B．★→→●→■ |
| C．●→★→■→ | D．■→★→→● |
If you want to get prize,________.
| A．don’t delay joining us in playing. |
| B．you should buy 500,000 packets of splash. |
| C．please buy a packet of splash. |
| D．please drive a car as quickly as possible. |
Dolphins(海豚) live in a dark underwater world. It’s often impossible to see each other or anything else around them, so sound plays an important role in their survival. To communicate with each other, dolphins produce all kinds of sounds.
Only other dolphins understand what the sounds mean. Scientists haven’t uncovered their secret communication, except for one kind of whistle. It might last less than a second, but this whistle is a big deal. Why? Because these whistles are actually names of dolphins - and every dolphin has one. Scientists call these sounds a “signature whistle.” When other dolphins hear the whistle, they know which dolphin is calling.
Dolphins often hunt by themselves but still need to stay connected to the group. Since they can’t always see each other, dolphins use their signature whistles to check in with other dolphins hundreds of yards away. “In coastal areas, dolphins exchange whistles even when they’re a third of a mile apart,” says Greg Campbell, who studies animals. That means dolphins shout out to group members that might be nearly five football fields away.
What’s amazing is who names the baby dolphin. Not the mother. Not an auntie dolphin or another group member. Scientists believe the baby dolphin itself comes up with the signature whistle. Like human babies, a baby dolphin plays with sounds throughout its first year. While testing its sound skills, a baby dolphin is doing something amazing. It’s creating or figuring out its signature whistle. How or why it chooses its signature whistle is not clear. Studies show that most of the time the signature whistle is nothing like its mother’s or group members’ whistles.
When the baby dolphin is about a year old, its signature whistle is set. It repeats it often so the other dolphins learn to recognize it.
Deciphering(破译) dolphin names is just the beginning of figuring out what dolphins communicate about. Do they chat about sharks? Discuss the tides? Maybe they even have a name for people. Someday scientists are to decipher the rest of dolphins’ communication.Sound is important for dolphins because of ______.
| A．their poor sense of direction |
| B．their living environment |
| C．their strong enemies |
| D．their big groups |
The dolphin’s signature whistle ______.
| A．lasts along time |
| B．can travel long distances |
| C．is especially helpful in hunting |
| D．can be recognized by other animals |
The author writes the text mainly to _____.
| A．encourage readers to study dolphins |
| B．tell readers how dolphins communicate |
| C．show how lovely and clever dolphins are |
| D．introduce a special sound made by dolphins |
A baby dolphin gets its name ______.
| A．soon after it was born | B．according to its size |
| C．all by itself | D．with the help of its group |
Ask a question! Email it to Letters@Highlights.com.
Gift Giving
I'm going to China and everyone in my class is asking me to buy them something. What should I do?
Reply from the Highlights Editor:
Your classmates are probably just excited about your trip. Most likely they don't expect you to buy gifts for everyone. Sending a few postcards to the entire class during your trip would be a wonderful way to share your experiences. The pictures on the cards and your words of description will be the best gift of all.
Dog Begging
My dog always begs for food at the dinner table. I really want to feed him, but my mom says I can't. I'm afraid he won't like me anymore. What should I do?
Reply from the Highlights Editor:
Your dog loves you for many more reasons than just for what you feed him. You can show him that you care about him by playing with him, by petting him and speaking kindly to him and by making sure he has fresh water. It might be best if your dog is not near the dinner table while you are eating. You could teach him to stay in another room.
Being Bilingual(会说双语的)
My aunt insists that we speak our language(Tagalog) at home and English outside the house. Do you think she is right?
Reply from the Highlights Editor:
It is a great gift to have someone in your family who is willing to take the time to teach you another language. It's a good way to keep family traditions alive, and it helps develop your language skills. Your ability to use both English and Tagalog will help you learn a third and fourth language later in life. So it sounds like a great idea!The Highlights editor suggests the student who is going to China _______.
| A．send postcards as the gifts to the class |
| B．make phone calls to all the classmates |
| C．buy gifts for some of the classmates |
| D．give each classmate a picture as a gift |
According to the Highlights editor, if your dog begs for food at the dinner table, you'd better __________.
| A．feed him immediately |
| B．speak loudly to him |
| C．teach him to stay in another room |
| D．provide him with fresh water |
What is the Highlights editor's attitude towards being bilingual?
| A．Opposed(反对） | B．Tolerant（忍受） |
| C．Supportive（支持） | D．Doubtful（怀疑）. |
The Highlights editors give the replies to __________.
| A．show their readers how to send girls |
| B．tell their readers about their interesting work |
| C．help their readers to solve school problems |
| D．offer their readers advice on personal problems |
I became a teacher at 55 years of age. Things were going on so well during my first two periods. Then came my 3rd period class – the 8th graders with only one girl in the class. I thought the class was bad until the intercom(内部通话系统) came on and the office was asking if I was in my classroom. “Of course,” I responded. A student who knew he was going to be late for class had informed the office I was not in my classroom – 10 minutes after class began.
When the student came in and I walked over to greet him, he said, “Don’t touch me.” He then put his head on his desk and did not seem to listen to a word I said. I did not comfront(使面对) him with the “lie” to the office.
The next day he came into class on time. This time instead of listening or following instructions on keyboarding software, he played Internet games. I walked over to him. He looked at me ready to snap back(没好气地顶撞) at anything I said. I asked him, “Where did you learn to use a computer like that?” he looked at me surprised. I repeated, “You are really good at that. Where did you learn so much?” He began to tell me his father “used to” buy him games to play, but not anymore. I could feel the pain. Instead of blaming him for being off task, I surprised him and praised him for his skills. Then, I asked him to show me what he could do in our software. He was amazed.
On a Friday night at a high school football game, I really got my breakthrough(突破). From about five feet away, in front of his friends he came over to me and gave me a big hug saying, “Hi, Ms. Marie.” We talked for a while and before he walked away, he had hugged me two more times. This was a long way from “don’t touch me” on that first day.How did the boy react(反应) towards Ms. Marie’s greeting on the first day?
| A．Gratefully. | B．Coldly. |
| C．Respectfully. | D．Amazedly. |
From the dialogue between Ms. Marie and the boy in Paragraph 3, we can infer that _____.
| A．the boy was impatient with Ms. Marie’s interruption |
| B．the boy was proud to show how to play games |
| C．Ms. Marie was curious about the boy’s father |
| D．Ms. Marie felt sorry for the boy |
By saying “I really got my breakthrough”, Ms. Marie meant _____.
| A．she finally learned to play games |
| B．she won the boy’s trust in the end |
| C．she scored at the football game |
| D．she made great achievements in teaching |
Bark
Cover Price: $19.80 Price: $15.00($2.50 / issue (期) )
You save: $4.80 (24%) Review: By Pat Kane
I absolutely love Bark magazine! I love the “smiling” pages and the tips on every issue. I am a dog lover and have saved all of my dogs from either death row or from people who were going to put them down. Everyone should have a chance to live and Bark stresses that with its articles. This magazine is a MUST HAVE for any dog lover!!
Dog Fancy
Cover Price: $54.00 Price: $14.99 ($1.25 / issue)
You save: $39.01 (72%) Review: By Berner Mom
Don't waste your money on this magazine. 60-70 percent of it are advertisements, and the articles offer little useful information. It might be suitable for children, but not adults who are serious about educating themselves about dogs.
Dog World
Cover Price: $48.88 Price: $14.99 ($1.25 / issue)
You save: $33.89 (69%) Review: By one critic
Dog World has many very interesting and thought-provoking (令人思考的) articles for people involved in dog showing, breeding(饲养), performance events, etc. However，over half of the magazine is devoted to breeder ads, which is boring. Still, as a whole, I recommend(推荐) it for the articles. Good articles, but tons of ads.
Modern Dog
Cover Price: $45.00 Price: $15.00 ($3.75 / issue)
You save: $30.00 (24%) Review: By Dinah
My new favorite magazine! Beautiful photos, smart and amusing articles, fashion, art, interviews with famous people… all with a dog focus！Cover models range from Paris Hilton and Tinkerbell to Virginia Madsen and her dogs. Thanks to Modern Dog I now know how to give a dog-friendly cocktail party and how to actually get my dog to come when she’s called. Surely worth checking out.Which of the following magazines saves the most money?
| A．Bark | B．Dog Fancy |
| C．Dog World | D．Modern Dog |
Dog world is recommended for its _________.
| A．wonderful articles | B．fashionable cover |
| C．low price | D．good paper quality |
According to the text, Modern Dog ________.
| A．has lovely dog pictures on the cover |
| B．is interesting but not helpful |
| C．has some photos but no articles |
| D．has interviews with famous people |
The purpose of the text is to introduce _________.
| A．some cheap magazines |
| B．different magazines for different readers |
| C．some magazines about dogs |
| D．information on raising dogs |