Dolphins（海豚）are not fish, but warm-blooded animals. They live in groups, and speak to each other in their own language. In this, they are like other animals, such as bees and birds. But dolphins are very different from almost all land animals. Their brain is nearly the same size as our own, and they live a long time―at least twenty or thirty years. Like some animals, dolphins use sound to help them find their way around. They also make these sounds to talk to each other and to help them find food. We now know they do not use their ears to receive these sounds, but the lower part of the mouth, called the jaw.
Strangely, dolphins seem to like man, and for thousands of years there have been stories about the dolphin and its friendship with people.
There is a story about sailors in the 19th century. In a dangerous part of the sea off the coast of New Zealand, they learnt to look for a dolphin called Jack. From 1871 to 1903, Jack met every boat in the area and showed it the way. Then in 1903 a passenger on a boat called The Penguin shot and wounded Jack. He recovered and for nine years more continued to guide all ships through the area－except for The Penguin.
Today, some people continue to kill dolphins, but many countries of the world now protect them and in these places it is against the law to kill them. Dolphins are different from many other animals in that they _____.
| A．live in groups | B．have large brains | C．are warm-blooded | D．have their own language |
Which of the following does the dolphin use to help it find its way around?
| A．Its nose. | B．Its ears. | C．Its mouth. | D．Its eyes. |
Why did the sailors off the coast of New Zealand look for Jack?
| A．He was lonely and liked to be with people. |
| B．They enjoyed playing with him. |
| C．He was seriously wounded. |
| D．They wanted his help. |
By telling the story of Jack, the writer wanted to show that _____.
| A．dolphins are friendly and clever | B．people are cruel to animals |
| C．Jack is different from other dolphins | D．dolphins should be protected by law |
Nothing succeeds like confidence. When you are truly confident, it radiates from you like sunlight, and attracts success to you like a magnet（磁铁. Besides, those who are self-confident can in turn inspire confidence in others: their audience, their peers, their bosses, their customers, and their friends. And gaining the confidence of others is one of the key ways in which a self-confident person finds success.
So how can we build a sense of self-confidence and prepare ourselves on the way to success?
First, do what you believe to be right, even if others mock or criticize you for it. Believe in yourself and believe that you can do it under any circumstances, because if you believe you can, then you really will. The belief keeps you searching for answers, which means that pretty soon you will get them.
Second, govern your behavior based on what other people think. What’s more important, be willing to take risks and go the extra miles to achieve better results, in which case mistakes cannot be avoided. Don’t hesitate to admit your mistakes, and learn from them. Next, work hard to settle the problems in order to cover up your mistakes before anyone notices. Building self-confidence is readily achievable, as long as you have the focus and determination to carry things through. And what’s even better is that the things you’ll do to build self-confidence will also build success ----after all, your confidence will come from real, solid achievement. No one can take this away from you!
As you sow, sow will reap. With your perseverance and improvement, you are getting closer to success. At this stage, wait for others to congratulate you on your accomplishments and compliments graciously. “Thanks, I really worked hard on that prospect. I’m pleased you recognize my efforts.” The congratulations and compliments from others will promote you to gain further success.
Self-confidence is extremely important in almost every aspect of our lives, and it is no wonder that so many people struggle to find it. Self-confidence really can be learned and built on. Besides, whether you’re working on your own self-confidence or building the confidence of people around you, it’s well worth the effort!Those who are truly confident _________.
| A．succeed without effort and hard work |
| B．encourage people around to become confident |
| C．appear more attractive and thus become successful |
| D．gain the confidence of others and feel successful |
The underlined word “mock” (Para.3 ) is closest in meaning to ________.
| A．praise | B．imitate |
| C．punish | D．laugh at |
When others congratulate us on our achievements, we are supposed to ________.
| A．praise them in return |
| B．gain further improvement |
| C．politely accept the compliments |
| D．expect them to congratulate you again |
Which of the following proverbs best goes with Paragraph 4?
| A．Look before your leap. |
| B．It is no use crying over spilt milk. |
| C．Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. |
| D．Learn from past mistakes and avoid future ones. |
The purpose of the text is to ________________.
| A．tell people how to become successful |
| B．convince people to do what they believe to be right |
| C．encourage people to build confidence and achieve success |
| D．criticize people who lack confidence and thus fail in their career |
It’s exciting to imagine how future humans will have solved the problems we have now, or what amazing new inventions will make our lives more convenient and interesting. We asked top scientists to share their predictions on what the world will be like in a century. If they’re right, the 2114 is going to be really cool.
1. Robots will do your chores and more
Robots will be doing most of our jobs, from building homes to teaching math. There are already robots that clean floors and pump gas. In the future they will be more complicated and useful. Unfortunately, with robots taking all the jobs, unemployment will be high.
2. You will read minds.
Speaking of being social, we will communicate in an entirely different way. Forget texts and emails. Mind-reading technology will allow us to send thoughts to each other without speaking a word. We will also be able to send thoughts to objects around us. (Instead of pressing “start” on the microwave, you could just think “start.”) Meanwhile, chips implanted（植入in our brains will improve memory and intelligence.
3. Your car will drive you
Today, around 30,000 Americans die in car accidents each year. One hundred years form now, accidents will be a thing of the past. According to Mark Safford, consultant or the U.S. Department of Transportation, future cars will drive themselves. These electric cars will communicate with other cars on the road to travel safely in close formation at high speeds.
4. You will eat fake meat.
Raising animals is not an efficient way to produce food, and it harms the environment: Cows, chickens, and pigs eat a lot, and then we have to deal with all that poop（粪便. What’s more, that poop can up poisoning lakes, rivers, and streams. Today, scientists can “grow” meat in a lab from animal cells, but it’s expensive and not very delicious. In the future, they will have perfected the process. You’ll order hamburgers that come from factories, not cows. Scientists may even find ways to make lab-grown meat tastier and healthier than the real thing.According to the passage, what is likely to happen when robots become more common in the future?
| A．People will be much lazier. |
| B．More people will lose their jobs. |
| C．People may become physically weaker. |
| D．More people may become less intelligent. |
Mind-reading technology will help people to _______.
| A．have a good memory |
| B．talk to other creatures |
| C．read books efficiently |
| D．convey messages silently |
According to the passage, in the future cars will be__________.
| A．less popular |
| B．more expensive |
| C．much easier to operate |
| D．much smaller and lighter |
Future meat will be ________.
| A．much more affordable |
| B．less tasty but healthier |
| C．more organic and delicious |
| D．more environmentally friendly |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The history of human life. |
| B．The predictable future life. |
| C．The development of science. |
| D．The latest scientific findings. |
The computer keyboard helped kill shorthand—a system of rapid handwriting, and now it’s threatening to finish off handwriting as a whole. When handwritten essays were introduced on the SAT exams for the class of 2012, just 15% of the most 1.5 million students wrote their answers in cursive(草写字母). The rest? Block letters.
And those college hopefuls are just the first edge of a wave of US students who no longer get much handwriting instructions in the primary grades, frequently 10 minutes a day or less. As a result, more and more students struggle to read and write cursive.
At Keene Mill Elementary School in Springfield, all their poems and stories are typed. Children in Fairfax County schools are taught keyboarding beginning in kindergarten. Older students who never mastered handwriting say it doesn’t affect their grades.
There are those who say the culture is at a crossing, turning from the written word to the typed one. If handwriting becomes a lost form of communication, does it matter?
It was at University Virginia that researchers recently discovered a previously unknown poem by Robert, written in his unique script. Handwritten documents are more valuable to researchers, historians say, because their authenticity(真实性) can be confirmed. Students also find them more fascinating.
The loss of handwriting also may be a cognitive(认知的) opportunity missed. Several academic studies have found that good handwriting skills at a young age can help children express their thoughts better—a lifelong benefit.
It doesn’t take much to teach better handwriting skills. At some schools in Prince George’s County, elementary school students use a program called Handwriting Without Tears for 15 minutes a day. They learn the correct formation of manuscript letters through second grade, and cursive letters in third grade.
There are always going to be some kids who struggle with handwriting because of their particular neurological(神经系统的) writing, learning issues or poor motor skills. Educators often point to this factor in support of keyboarding.What is the author concerned about after 2012 Sat exams?
| A．Keyboarding. | B．Shorthand. |
| C．Handwriting. | D．Block letters. |
A poem by Robert mentioned in the passage is used to ____________.
| A．prove how valuable handwriting is |
| B．explain what a famous poet he is |
| C．show how unique his poem is |
| D．stress how fascinating the documents are |
The example of Handwriting Without Tears helps to argue that _____________.
| A．the schools are responsible for the loss of handwriting |
| B．the loss of handwriting is a cognitive opportunity missed |
| C．it doesn’t take much to teach better handwriting skills |
| D．the culture is turning from the written word to the typed one |
According to the author, when is a perfect time to learn handwriting?
| A．Kindergarten. | B．Primary school. |
| C．High school. | D．College. |
What is the author’s attitude towards this debate?
| A．Devotion. | B．Encouragement. |
| C．Critical. | D．Objective. |
I wasn’t surprised when I read that actress Helen Hunt recently stated that she would never allow her young daughter to become a child star. Ms Hunt is the daughter of a Hollywood technical director, and grew up in Hollywood. Now in her late 40s, she started acting and modeling when she was eight and has probably seen a lot over those years in show business.
She has had a successful career. She earned four Golden Globes and four Emmys. She also attained the top honor of her profession when she won the Best Actress Academy Award for her role in the 1992 movie, As Good As It Gets. Given those accolades, Ms Hunt is successful. There is no doubt that her early experiences as a child star prepared her for what has been an outstanding adult career. Given those achievements, why would this star declare she’ll never allow her daughter, now at the age of six, to follow in her footsteps?
Everyone familiar with the entertainment scene is aware of the reasons for her attitude. Recent tabloid (小报) news headlines featuring the troubles of former child stars, among them Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and the late Gary Coleman, may answer the question. Although Ms Hunt managed to become a successful grown-up star, she apparently believes she’s an exception.
What Ms Hunt may be suggesting is that many very young stars go through unnatural childhoods on movie and TV sets. While they’re earning big incomes, they’re so pampered (纵容) by directors and praised by fans; they may get false impressions that their lives will always be that way. Then, within a few years, when faced with reality, they’re hurt and confused. After all the overwhelming affection, they find they can’t deal with the problems. That’s often when drugs and alcohol take over their lives.
Helen Hunt has some other reasons why she doesn’t want her daughter to be in the entertainment business. Many child stars can never make a successful transition to meaningful adulthood. However, as with many Hollywood movies, I believe there are both good and bad scenes about how it can be played out in real life.According to the passage, Ms Hunt _________.
| A．started acting and modeling when she was a little girl |
| B．has been acting for about 30 years |
| C．is the daughter of a famous actor |
| D．started singing when she was eight |
The underlined word “accolades” in Paragraph 2 probably means “_________”.
| A．difficulties | B．awards |
| C．salaries | D．opinions |
The author thinks Helen Hunt’s success is mainly due to _________.
| A．her hard work |
| B．the help of a technicaldirector |
| C．her experiences as a child star |
| D．her talent and good luck |
Helen Hunt wouldn’t allow her daughter to become a child star because she thinks _________.
| A．child stars often take drugs and alcohol |
| B．being a child star may ruin her future |
| C．child stars aren’t able to solve their problems |
| D．it is difficult to succeed as a child actor |
From the passage we can conclude that _________.
| A．few child stars will succeed in the future |
| B．there is no way to save the entertainment business |
| C．the author has a different opinion about child stars |
| D．meaningful adulthood only belongs to non-child stars |
Are you a dog person or a cat person?
With so many photos and videos of cats and dogs doing cute things online, it’s easier than ever to answer which of these furry friends you like more. There are many reasons why people prefer one type of pet over the other. So, have you ever wondered what your preference for cats or dogs says about you?
In fact, a 2010 study done by Sam Gosling, a psychologist at the University of Texas, US, and his graduate student Carson Sandy found that dog people are more extroverted (外向的), agreeable and con- scientious (认真的) than cat people.
“Cats will occasionally engage in social activities, but usually after only a few minutes they will abandon the game. Dogs, on the other hand, will often engage in play, like fetching a thrown ball, for hours at a time,” said Modern Dog magazine.
Just on the basis of dogs’ nature being more sociable than cats’, you may expect that the personalities of dog people also reflect higher sociability. And Gosling’s study found that dog people are generally about 15 percent more extroverted and 13 percent more agreeable, both of which are linked with social orientation (态度).
In addition, dog people are 11 percent more conscientious than cat people. “Conscientiousness” is a tendency (趋势) to show self-discipline (自律), to complete tasks and aim for achievement. This trait (特点) also shows a preference for planned rather than spontaneous (一时冲动的) behavior.
In comparison, cat people are about 12 percent more anxious, but they are also 11 percent more “open” than dog people, due to a general appreciation for art, emotion, imagination, curiosity, adventure, unusual ideas and variety of experience. And people high on openness are more likely to hold unconventional (非传统的) beliefs.
Despite vast differences, there are some things that cat people and dog people have in common. “Both types of people consider themselves close to nature, dislike animal-print clothing and are generally optimists,” noted Mother Nature Network.
| A．Differences between dogs and cats in their personality traits. |
| B．Factors that influence people’s preference for dogs or cats. |
| C．How raising a pet helps shape your personality. |
| D．What your preference for dogs or cats tells about you. |
| A．get involved in | B．benefit from |
| C．take little interest in | D．perform well in |
| A．be more imaginative and creative |
| B．live a more organized life |
| C．love to get close to nature more |
| D．be more easygoing and adventurous |
| A．are generally self-disciplined |
| B．are usually positive and care about nature |
| C．are likely to hold unconventional beliefs |
| D．like to wear animal-print clothing |