-There is a very special wolf that lives in Africa. They are actually called, the African wild dog, or painted dogs.
These animals live in open woodlands. or in the plains of Africa. Today, however, most of the animals can be found in eastern or southern Africa. These animals are beautiful. They have rounded ears instead of pointed like most dogs, and they have four toes (脚趾) on each of their feet, also a unique characteristic because other dogs have five. Their fur is always different from each other. The fur is usually a combination of black, brown, red, and white, and sometimes even yellow. No wonder they’re called the painted wolf.
The African wild dog is a very social animal. They live in groups and have numbers from five to about twenty. The members of a group are always very close to one another. They communicate in their own language or body language. When someone is very old or sick, the others will help, and they are willing to share the food with elders and with those who are weak, which is what we should learn from.
The family does everything together, from raising young, to sleeping together, to hunting. When they hunt, they work together using team work to kill animals that are larger than them.
They sometimes hunt farm animals. This is unfortunate, because both poachers (偷猎者), and people who own farms shoot the painted dogs who are just trying to survive.
Before, there used to be many large groups throughout the land, but now the African wild dog is very rare. They are also losing their population because of their own loss of habitat thanks to human’s farming and forest cutting.Why do African wild dogs get the name “painted dogs” ?
| A．They all have colorful fur. |
| B．The dogs in the same group are of different colors. |
| C．Artists love to paint them in different colors. |
| D．None of them has the same color. |
According to the author, what should we learn from African wild dogs?
| A．They always do everything together. |
| B．They are always very close to one another. |
| C．They help the sick, the elderly and the weak. |
| D．They communicate in their own language. |
Which of the following is NOT the reason why African wild dogs are becoming very rare?
| A．Poachers kill some of them. |
| B．They are short of food sometimes. |
| C．They are losing their habitat. |
| D．Farmers shoot some of them. |
Where could this passage probably be found?
| A．The Travelers | B．Fashion Weekly |
| C．Animal World | D．Star Magazine |
It’s really a tough job for automakers doing marketing and sales in China, where competition is acute and customers have little loyalty. They have tried a range of tricks in recent years.
But there should be a moral bottom line. Unfortunately, a Buick dealership used the tragedy of a two-month-old infant to advertise its cars last week on Weibo – Micro blog. And Hyundai Motor followed suit.
On March 4, an SUV was stolen with the infant left inside alone in the northeastern city of Changchun. The news spread widely on Weibo after the baby’s father called the local police and radio station for help. The next day it was revealed that the infant was choked to death and buried in snow by the thief. The online community expressed its deeply felt sympathy and condolences.
The Buick dealership posted a photo of the baby and two of its cars on its official Weibo account to advertise its GPS system that can locate the stolen car. “A few thoughts on the Changchun stolen car and baby incident: when buying a car it’s entirely OK to choose a brand with advanced technology,” said the post. Though the post was made before tragic fate of the infant was known, the action generated a storm of outrage on Weibo. Some online commentators said it is “marketing at the cost of lives” and “extremely despicable.”
Worse was the post on Hyundai’s official Weibo account that advertised the anti – theft system on its new SUV Santa Fe, an entry made after the child was known to have died. The action also enraged micro bloggers.
Both posts were soon deleted. The Buick dealership made an apology on Weibo to the family of the victim and the public. But screenshots saved by users continued to be posted and the negative impact on both brands persists.
The two brands probably didn’t expect such a firestorm of fury from the Internet community, but they really made a big mistake sinking below the moral bottom line. They certainly ruined their own brand images.
The Chinese have the same proverb as the English language – a little leak will sink a great ship. It takes decades to build the great ship of a respectable brand but it can take just a moment of negligence to make it fail completely.
For those in corporate marketing, two lessons should be learned: first, be careful in the era of social media when one wrong can be easily magnified and have disastrous impacts in just a few clicks.
Second and more importantly, think with your brain and heart. Never break the moral bonds of respect for human life and sympathy for our fellow man.Who is to blame for the tragedy of Changchun infant according to the passage?
| A．The baby’s father | B．Buick and Hyundai dealership | C．Weibo | D．Not clear |
Which of the following statements is correct?
| A．The missing infant was found alive in the stolen car. |
| B．Micro blog marketing of tragic infant death fuels firestorm of criticism. |
| C．People can’t see the two posts any more because they were deleted. |
| D．The two car brands mentioned in the passage spoiled their own reputation by selling the stolen car. |
What does the underlined word – “despicable” in paragraph 4 mean?
| A．Immoral | B．Important | C．Distinguished | D．Considerable |
The reason why Hyundai’s post was worse than Buick’s is that _________.
| A．Hyundai dealership didn’t make an apology on Weibo |
| B．Buick dealership expressed its deeply sympathy and condolences |
| C．Hyundai’s post was made after people knew the infant had died |
| D．Buick’s car was more advanced on its GPS system |
In the last paragraph, the author encourages people _____________.
| A．not to sink below the moral bottom line |
| B．not to sympathize our fellow man |
| C．to think twice before making decision |
| D．to magnify the mistakes people make |
We all know what it is like to be unable to turn your head because of a cold in the muscles of your neck, or because an unexpected twist has made your neck ache. The slightest move makes you jump with pain. Nothing could be worse than a pain in the neck.
That is why we use the phrase to describe some people who give you the same feeling. We have all met such people.
One is the man who always seems to be clapping his hands—often at the wrong time—during a performance in the theater. He keeps you from hearing the actors.
Even worse are those who can never arrive before the curtain goes up and the play begins. They come hurrying down to your row of seats. You are comfortably settled down, with your hat and heavy coat in your lap. You must stand up to let them pass. You are proud of yourself-control after they have settled into their seats…Well, what now…God, one of them is up again. He forgot to go to the men’s room, and once more you have to stand up, hanging on to your hat and coat to let him pass. Now, that is “a pain in the neck”.
Another, well—known to us all, is the person sitting behind you in the movies. His mouth is full of popcorn ; he is chewing loudly, or talking between bites to friends next to him. None of them remain still. Up and down, back and forth, they go—for another bag of popcorn, or something to drink.
Then, there is the man sitting next to you at lunch, smoking. He wants you to enjoy it too, and blows smoke across your food into your mouth.
We must not forget the man who comes into a bus or subway and sits down next to you, just as close as you will let him. You are reading the newspaper and he gets closer so that he can read the paper with you. He may even turn the paper to the next page before you are ready for it.
We also call such a person a “rubber neck”, always getting close to where it does not belong, like neighbors who watch all your visitors. They enjoy learning about your personal business. People have a strong dislike for “rubber necks”. They hate being watched secretly.Where can you find this passage?
| A．In a medicine dictionary. | B． in a kids’ story book. |
| C．In a social science book. | D．In a science textbook. |
According to the passage, how do you feel when late comers walk back and forth in front of you in a cinema?
| A．disturbed. | B．bored. | C．ignored. | D．relaxed. |
A “rubber neck” often __________________ .
| A．says bad words behind people. |
| B．quarrels face to face with neighbors. |
| C．bargains with salespeople over the price |
| D．asks about other people’s business |
Which of the following persons CANNOT be described as a “pain in the neck”?
| A．Someone who often claps at the wrong time during a performance. |
| B．Someone who feels ache in his neck due to a cold in the muscles. |
| C．Someone who sits next to you smoking, which you never enjoy. |
| D．Someone who keeps eating or talking all through the movies. |
What is the main purpose of the author?
| A．To tell people what might be bad manners in public. |
| B．To criticize (批评) the people who might be a “pain in the neck” |
| C．To show anger to those who are described as a “pain in the neck”. |
| D．To tell people how to stop the pain in the neck. |
Dr. Sylvia Earle wants you to stop eating fish. It's not because fish are endangered, though wild fish stocks in many oceans are very low. It's not because they're bad for you, though fish in many areas are exposed to poisonous substances in the water. It’s because they're smart.
"Fish are sensitive, they have personalities," says the marine biologist. For Earle, eating a fish would be like eating a dog or a cat. "I would never eat anyone I know personally."
There's a lot more to fish than meets the eye: they talk to each other, they like to be touched, and they engage in behavior that can seem very human. They can remember things and learn from experience. Earle and a growing number of animal rights activists see these as strong arguments against eating fish altogether.
The activists also point out that fish feel pain and fish suffer horribly on their way from the sea to the supermarket. "While it may seem conspicuous that fish are able to feel pain, like every other animal, some people think of fish as swimming vegetables," says Dr. Lynne Sneddon. "Really, it's kind of a moral question. Is the enjoyment you get from fishing (or eating fish) more important than the pain of the fish?"
Fishermen and (fried) fish lovers are skeptical. "I've never seen a smart fish," says Marie Swaringen as she finishes off a plate of fish at a Seattle seafood restaurant. "If they were very smart, they wouldn't get caught."
"For years, everyone's been telling us to eat fish because it's so good for us," says another diner. "Now I've got to feel guilty while I'm eating my fish? What are they going to think of next? Don't eat salad because cucumbers have feelings?"According to Dr. Sylvia Earle, he would stop eating fish as a result of the following reasons EXCEPT ___________ .
| A．Fish are sensitive and have personalities |
| B．He knows fish very well |
| C．Fish are dangerous to eat because the water is polluted |
| D．Fish are clever |
Dr. Lynne Sneddon describes the behavior of eating fish in a(n) _______ tone.
| A．opposed | B．optimistic | C．indifferent | D．supportive |
Which word below can take the place of the underlined word “conspicuous” in Paragraph 4?
| A．obvious | B．easy | C．impossible | D．necessary |
It can be inferred from the last paragraph that _____________ .
| A．Human beings should stop eating fish |
| B．We would feel guilty if we continued eating fish |
| C．People eat fish because fish are delicious |
| D．Cucumber is a kind of vegetable or fruit |
What was the author’s purpose when writing this passage?
| A．To advise people to stop eating fish. |
| B．To introduce a topic of whether people should eat fish. |
| C．To advise people not to stop eating fish. |
| D．To tell us that fish will feel pain when caught and transported. |
Debate: Can stricter gun control laws decrease the rate of crimes involving guns?
Yes, because with fewer weapons, you get fewer crimes.
Take a look at the crime rates of countries like the United Kingdom. Their crime rate is very low, compared to ours here in the United States. Just by simply putting stricter laws in place on who can own them, it will greatly reduce the crimes involving guns.
Posted by: 5h4yGlory
Past Practice
There was an assault weapon(攻击性武器) ban back in 1994 under Bill Clinton. Shootings and crime did not go down for the 10 years when this law was in effect.Criminals do not follow rules.The law only affects those who try to obey the law to arm them to protect themselves.
Posted by: jb1988
Wake up, you Americans!
It's hardly surprising that America has one of the highest gun related murder rates of all countries! And of course guns don't kill people, but the more people own guns, the easier it is to get access to one, the higher the chance of people using it to kill somebody is!
In Germany, we have really strict gun laws and only a few people own guns, and obviously we don't need them. There's no reason that a normal citizen would need a gun! Guns are made for one reason only: killing.
Posted by: cstephie13
More gun control laws, fewer shootings
On the same day as the Sandy Hook tragedy, a man in China entered a primary school with a knife and injured 22 students on December, 14. However, nobody was killed. Compare that to the 26 students and teachers killed at Sandy Hook in Connecticut with a powerful gun.We must learn something from this tragedy.
Posted by: Jasonx986
Gun violence goes up with more gun control
Criminals will take advantage of the situation. They will do whatever they want and take whatever they want and kill whoever gets in their way. They will get guns illegally.Crime rates go up as a result of more gun control, because criminals know you don't have one,and they will kill you as they like.There is no point in banning guns!
Posted by: eebnflowAccording to the first post, in the United Kingdom___________.
| A．the crime rate is higher than America's |
| B．the crime rate is rising sharply |
| C．there is no gun control laws |
| D．buying guns is very hard |
We can infer that jb1988___________.
| A．is against gun control laws |
| B．was working under Bill Clinton |
| C．is in favor of gun control laws |
| D．has a gun |
Which of the following does cstephie13 probably agree with_________?
| A．The more people own guns, the more people will be killed by them. |
| B．The USA has one of the highest murder rates in the world. |
| C．People need guns to protect themselves in time of danger. |
| D．Guns are made to protect rather than kill. |
What do we know about the Sandy Hook tragedy___________?
| A．22 students and teachers were killed by a powerful gun. |
| B．22 students were injured without any deaths. |
| C．The tragedy took place on December 14 in Connecticut. |
| D．26 primary students were killed by a knife. |
Which of the following thinks that guns should not be controlled___________?
| A．Jasonx986 | B．eebnflow | C．5h4yGlory | D．cstephie13 |
Many people think of the brain as a mystery. They don't know much about intelligence and how it works. When they do think about what intelligence is, many people believe that a person is born smart, average, or dumb — and stays that way in the whole life. But new research shows that the brain is more like a muscle — it changes and gets stronger when you use it. And scientists have been able to show just how the brain grows and gets stronger when you learn.
Everyone knows that when you lift weights, your muscles get bigger and you get stronger. A person who can't lift 20 pounds when he/she starts exercising can get strong enough to lift 100 pounds after working out for a long time. That's because the muscles become larger and stronger with exercise. And when you stop exercising, the muscles shrink and you get weaker. That's why people say “Use it or lose it！”
But most people don't know that when they practice and learn new things, parts of their brain change and get larger a lot like muscles do when they exercise. Inside the cortex (皮层) of the brain are billions of tiny nerve cells, called neurons. The nerve cells have branches connecting them to other cells in a complicated network. Communication between these brain cells is what allows us to think and solve problems. When you learn new things, these tiny connections in the brain actually multiply and get stronger. The more you challenge your mind to learn, the more your brain cells grow. Then, things that you once found very hard or even impossible to do — like speaking a foreign language or doing algebra (代数) — seem to become easy after learning them for a period of time. The result is a stronger, smarter brain.
Scientists started thinking that the human brain could develop and change when they studied animals' brains. They found out that animals that lived in a challenging environment were more “perspicacious” — they were better at solving problems and learning new things.According to the first paragraph，________.
| A．the function of our brain is like that of the muscle |
| B．until now it's impossible to explain the brain's mystery |
| C．many people believe one's intelligence is naturally determined |
| D．one's brain grows stronger as the age increases |
Training muscles is compared to ________.
| A．using the brain |
| B．connecting things in your brain |
| C．lifting weights |
| D．doing research about the brain |
What is Paragraph 3 mainly about_________?
The complex structure of the brain.
B. How changes in the muscles affect the brain.
C. The importance of the brain.
D. How the brain becomes stronger by learning new things.What does the underlined word “perspicacious” in the last paragraph probably mean_________?
| A．Strong. | B．Smart. | C．Popular. | D．Active. |
The paragraph that follows the passage will most probably talk about _______.
| A．the differences between animals’ brains and humans’ brains |
| B．the relation between human brains and muscles |
| C．scientists’ findings about animals’ brains |
| D．how to make your brain smarter through self-development |