Baby girls make their way directly for dolls as soon as they can crawl（爬）, while boys will head for the toy cars, a study has shown． The findings, the first to show differences in very young babies, suggest there is a biological basis to their preferences．
Psychologists Dr． Brenda Todd from City University London carried out an experiment involving 90 infants aged nine months to 36 months． The babies were allowed to choose from seven toys． Some were typically boys' toys: a car, a digger, a ball and a blue teddy． The rest were girls’ toys: a pink teddy, a doll and a cooking set． They were placed a meter away from the toys, and could pick whichever toy they liked． Their choice and the amount of time they spent playing with each toy were recorded．
Of the youngest children （nine to 14 months）, girls spent significantly longer playing with the doll than boys, and boys spent much more time with the car and ball than the girls did． Among the two-and three-year-olds, girls spent 50 percent of the time playing with the doll while only two boys briefly touched it． The boys spent almost 90 percent of their time playing with cars, which the girls barely touched． There was no link between the parents’ view on which toys were more suitable for boys or girls, and the children’s choice．
Dr． Brenda Todd said: “Children of this age are already exposed to much socialization． Boys may be given ‘toys that go’ while girls get toys they can care for, which may help shape their preference． But these findings agree with the former idea that children show natural interests in particular kinds of toys． There could be a biological basis for their choices． Males through evolution have been adapted to prefer moving objects, probably through hunting instincts（本能）, while girls prefer warmer colors such as pink, the color of a newborn baby．”Baby boys and girls have different toy preferences probably because ．
| A．baby boys are much more active |
| B．baby girls like bright colors more |
| C．there is a natural difference between them |
| D．their parents treat them differently |
What can we infer from Paragraph 3 ?
| A．Nine-month-old baby boys don’t play with dolls at all． |
| B．Two-year-old baby girls sometimes play with cars and balls． |
| C．Parents should teach their babies to share each other’s toys． |
| D．The older the babies are, the more obvious their preference is． |
Both baby boys and baby girls like to play with _________ according to the study．
| A．a teddy | B．a car | C．a doll | D．a ball |
We may read this article in a section of a newspaper．
| A．health | B．science | C．culture | D．entertainment |
It's difficult not to become involved in gossip at work. After all, people like gossip and interesting bits of information: you only have to look at the number of celebrity-focused publications to realize that we have a huge appetite for discussing other people's lives. At work, however, this type of interaction is harmful and costly. It wastes time, damages reputations, promotes divisiveness(分歧), creates anxiety.
Rumors often grow because people like to be "in the know." Knowledge is power, and that's why the people with the least amount of power in an organization can often be the ones to start and spread rumors. It can make them feel important if they're seen to know things that others don't.
This knowledge is at the center of why and how rumors start and spread. Insufficient（不足） knowledge or incomplete information are often to blame. Consider these examples:
◆People don't know why a colleague was fired, so they make up a reason based on some limited knowledge or insignificant fact. "I saw John override（推翻） the cash register the other day without a supervisor present. Maybe he stole some money and that's why he went."
◆People see a pattern of behavior between two individuals and they add their own explanation. "Joseph and Samantha spend a lot of time together after hours ‘catching up on paperwork.' And just yesterday, they were sitting awfully close to each other in the meeting. I bet paperwork isn't all that's getting done after work!"
These rumors are typical of the things you'll face at work, and they spread because of a lack of accurate information. So, the best way to fight rumors is with good communication. When you communicate well, your team knows what's happening, and they trust that you'll keep them informed. Good communication within your team also means that you will become aware of any rumors that are starting, and you'll be able to address them quickly and effectively.The huge number of celebrity-focused publications reveals that_______.
| A．celebrities depend on publications to achieve fame |
| B．people like discussing other people’s lives |
| C．the publishing industry is booming |
| D．celebrities are rather disturbed by rumors. |
Who is most likely to spread rumors at work?
| A．The ones who have a large circle of friends |
| B．The ones who have quick access to information. |
| C．The ones who have good knowledge. |
| D．The ones with the least amount of power. |
The passage is developed mainly___________.
| A．by using time order. | B．by making comparisons |
| C．by giving figures | D．by giving examples |
What is the relationship between Joseph and Samantha in the eyes of the people spreading rumors?
| A．They are lovers. | B．They are work partners. |
| C．They are rivals. | D．They are old friends. |
What is mainly discussed in the last paragraph?
| A．How to fight rumors. |
| B．Why rumors start. |
| C．How to communicate with colleagues. |
| D．Why knowledge matters. |
In California, young sea lions are in danger of starving to death and it is not clear why.
"I'm going on a rescue right now," said Peter Wallerstein talking on his cell phone while in his truck. "'I've already rescued two sea lions."
Wallerstein can barely keep up with the distress calls. His sea mammal rescue operation has already saved 240 California sea lion pups this year.
"Not much energy left in this guy," he said about one particular sea lion. Almost all were dying from starvation.
"We found them seven miles up the flood control channel, found them under a car, and we don't really know why," he said.
On average, about a hundred sea lions are rescued in Southern California during the winter. But 700 have been picked up over the last three months.
"They're very sick," said Keith Matassa, who runs the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. His team is nursing 115 sea lions back to health.
"A normal sea lion at this age -- 8 to 9 months old -- should be around 60, 70 pounds," said Matassa. "We're seeing them come into our center at 20 to 25 pounds, and really, they look like walking skeletons."
Sea lions depend on herring, sardines and other small fish found close to California's coast.
Sarah Wilkin is a marine biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service. Asked why it has reached this point, she said: "We're looking at whether the prey that these animals should be eating just isn't available to them for some reason, and that could be because there's less of it or because it's moved and it's not accessible."
It can take four months of care before the animals are strong enough to be released back into the Pacific.
"This is the ultimate gift watching an animal come in as a walking skeleton," said Matassa, "and watching it run off the beach...and just head out where it should be."
Scientists worry they'll find even more starving sea lions in the weeks ahead. April and May are usually peak months for sea lion rescues.
| A．Wallerstein is bored with the calls. |
| B．The situation is terrible for the sea lions. |
| C．Wallerstein’s telephone is hard to get through to. |
| D．The rescue operation is going very well. |
| A．The winter coldness. | B．A lack of prey. |
| C．A flood. | D．Car accidents. |
| A．released back into the Pacific |
| B．sent to the National Marine Fisheries Service |
| C．sent to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center |
| D．released on the Californian coast |
| A．they are very firm | B．they are very active |
| C．they are very ugly | D．they are very thin |
| A．Access to Sea lions’ Prey |
| B．Sea Lion Rescue Operation |
| C．Starvation Endangers Sea Lions |
| D．Protection for Sea Lions Is Pressing |
I was diagnosed with cancer in September 2005, after discovering a small lump in my neck. All seemed well after the lump had been removed. However, a follow-up blood test revealed that the cancer had spread. I underwent chemotherapy(化疗), and within four months I lost nearly 20kg, all my hair and energy.
I got a tentative all-clear(解除警报)two days after my 28 the birthday. To me, it signaled a new start, and I couldn’t wait to get on with my life. The doctors told me that it would be months before I could get back to my old activity levels, but I just didn’t want to accept this. I wanted to be normal again –now, not in six months.
So I started by simply walking around Edinburgh. Each day I would get home four or five hours later feeling like I had run a marathon. After less than six weeks, I half-ran, half-crawled up Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh. I spent the next couple of days in bed recovering, but soon after that I was back in the gym.
My diet had never been great before I fell ill --- I was a real vegetable-phobe(厌恶蔬菜的人)， and to some extent I still am. Nowadays, though, I make myself eat more natural foods. I have discovered that a good blender and a slow-cooker help make foods I don’t like bearable.
When one suffers a physical setback, emotional support from others is important. Still, there are things only you can do for yourself; at the end of the day, you are the one going through it. I went back to work, and now have started a company to take my passion for health and fitness forward. I believe that what holds most people back is a poor mental attitude and lack of determination. You can achieve whatever you want; you just have to work hard at it.
| A．He was diagnosed with cancer after a regular blood test. |
| B．He got back in the gym two days after his 28th birthday. |
| C．His doctors asked him not to do any kind of exercise for six months. |
| D．He wanted to recover from his illness as soon as possible. |
| A．He started eating more natural foods. |
| B．He began to like eating vegetables. |
| C．He learned to cook by himself. |
| D．He liked eating the foods he hadn’t liked before. |
| A．the help and support of others are useless to sick people |
| B．people can’t be mentally unprepared to decide things |
| C．people should do everything by themselves |
| D．hard-working people get what they want |
| A．optimism | B．calmness |
| C．passion | D．honesty |
| A．Life Depends on Exercise |
| B．Perseverance Is the Key to Success |
| C．How I Bear Cancer |
| D．How to Overcome Cancer |
Cooking food over a smoky fire is found everywhere in the world. It is often difficult to find wood for the fire. People who do not have wood must spend large amounts of money on cooking fuel. However, there is a much easier way to cook food using energy from the sun. Solar cookers, or ovens, have been used for centuries. A Swiss scientist made the first solar oven in 1767. Today, people are using solar cookers in many countries around the world. People use solar ovens to cook food and to heat drinking water to kill bacteria and other harmful organisms.
There are three kinds of solar ovens. The first is a box cooker. It is designed with a special wall that shines or reflects sunlight into the box. Heat gets trapped under a piece of glass or plastic covering the top of the cooker. A box oven is effective for slow cooking of large amounts of food.
The second kind of solar oven is a panel(嵌板式) cooker. It includes several flat walls, or panels, which directly reflect the sun’s light onto the food. The food is inside a separate container of plastic or glass that traps heat energy. People can build panel cookers quickly and with very few supplies. They do not cost much. In Kenya, for example, panel cookers are being manufactured for just two dollars.
The third kind of solar oven is a parabolic(抛物线的) cooker. It has rounded walls that aim sunlight directly into the bottom of the oven. Food cooks quickly in parabolic ovens. However, these cookers are hard to make. They must be re-aimed often to follow the sun. Parabolic cookers can also cause burns and eye injuries if they are not used correctly.
You can make solar ovens from boxes or heavy paper. They will not catch fire. Paper burns at 232 degrees Celsius. A solar cooker never gets that hot. Solar ovens cook food at low temperatures over long periods of time. This permits people to leave food to cook while they do other things.
To learn more about solar cooking, you can write to Solar Cookers International. The postal address is nineteen-nineteen Twenty-First Street, Sacramento, California, nine-five-eight-one-one, USA. Or you can visit the group’s Internet Web site. The address is www.solarcooking.org.How long is the first solar cookers invented?
| A．About 1767 years | B．More than 300 years |
| C．More than 250 years | D．Less than 250 years |
In which of the following column could we find the passage?
| A．Development Report | B．Agricultural Report |
| C．Health Report | D．Education Report |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The first sun-cooker was made by a Swiss soldier |
| B．Parabolic cookers can be dangerous sometimes |
| C．Sun-cookers often get hotter than 232℃ |
| D．It is more expensive to cook with a sun-cooker than on fire |
Which of the following could be the best title of the passage?
| A．Different Ways of Cooking |
| B．The History of the Solar Cookers. |
| C．How to Choose Solar Cookers. |
| D．Cooking Meals with the Sun for Fuel |
Dear Friend,
The recent success of children's books has made the general public aware that there's a huge market out there.
And there's a growing need for new writers trained to create the $3 billion worth of children's books bought each year ... plus stories and articles needed by over 650 publishers of magazines for children and teenagers.
Who are these needed writers? They're ordinary folks like you and me.
But am I good enough?
I was once where you might be now. My thoughts of writing had been pushed down by self-doubt, and I didn't know where to turn for help.
Then, I accepted a free offer from the Institute to test my writing aptitude（潜能）,and it turned out to be the inspiration I needed.
The promise that paid off
The Institute made the same promise to me that they will make to you, if you show basic writing ability:
You will complete at least one manuscript（手稿） suitable to hand in to a publisher by the time you finish our course.
I really didn't expect any publication before I finished the course, but that happened. I sold three stories. And I soon discovered that was not unusual at the Institute.
Since graduation, I have authored 34 nationally published children's books and over 300 stories and articles.
Free test and brochure
We offer a free aptitude test and will send you a copy of our brochure describing our recognized home-study courses on the basis of one-on-one training.
Realize your writing dream today. There's nothing sadder than a dream delayed until it fades forever.
Sincerely,
Kristi
Kristi Holl, Instructor
Institute of Children's LiteratureFrom the first three paragraphs, we learn that_____.
| A．children’s books are usually bestsellers |
| B．there is a growing need for writers of children's |
| C．magazines for teenagers have drawn public attention |
| D．publishers are making $3 billion each year |
When finishing the course, you are promised to_____.
| A．be a successful publisher |
| B．become a confident editor |
| C．get one story or article published |
| D．finish one work for publication |
Kristi Holl mentions her experience mainly to_____.
| A．prove she is a good instructor |
| B．give her advice on course preparation |
| C．show she sold more stories than articles |
| D．promote the writing program |