Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just happy. After all, you probably sing when you are happy.
Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of the time just because they are happy. However they sing most of the time for a very different reason. Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory.
Do you know what a ‘territory’ is? A territory is an area that an animal, usually the male, claims as its own. Only he and his family are welcome there. No other families of the same species are welcome. Your yard and house are your territory where only your family and friends are welcome. If a stranger should enter your territory and threaten you, you might shout. Probably this would be enough to frighten him away.
If so, you have actually scared the stranger away without having to fight him. A bird does the same thing. But he expects an outsider almost any time, especially at nesting(筑巢) season. So he is screaming all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not. This screaming is what we call a bird’s song, and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away.
Birds sing loudest in spring when they are trying to attract a mate and warn others not to enter the territory of theirs.
You can see that birds have a language of their own. Most of it has to do with attracting mates and setting up territories.Some scientists believe that most of the time bird’s singing is actually _____________.
| A．an expression of happiness | B．a way of warning |
| C．an expression of anger | D．a way of greeting |
What does the underlined word“territory”mean?
| A．A place where families of other species are not accepted. |
| B．A place where a bird may shout at the top of its voice. |
| C．An area for which birds fight a against each other. |
| D．An area which a bird considers to be its own. |
Why do birds keep on singing at nesting season?
| A．Because they want to invite more friends. |
| B．Because their singing helps frighten outsiders away. |
| C．Because they want to find outsiders around. |
| D．Because they want to express their happiness. |
Macao(澳门) is only forty miles from Hong Kong and it is easy to reach. You can get there by sea. It is an interesting place and it had a long history. Macao is part of China and most people living there are Chinese.
The first Europeans to go to Macao came from Portugal(葡萄牙). More than four hundred years ago the Portuguese went there to trade with China. Some settled and made their homes there. They built strong forts(堡垒,炮台) to guard the city and the harbor. They also built churches, schools, hospitals and other places. Slowly the city grew. People from many countries came to live and work in Macao.
Today many people visit Macao. Some only go there to watch dog-racing or motor-racing or to gamble(赌博) with their money. But Macao is a quiet and peaceful place. It is pleasant just to walk around and look at old buildings and forts. You feel you are back in the old days. Of course, some of the buildings are now in ruins. The Church of St. Paul has only the front wall with many steps leading up to it. But it is still interesting to see.
When you are hot and tired, there are small cool gardens to rest in. when you are hungry, there are good restaurants with many kinds of food. Nearby there are some islands, which are also nice and are easy to get to. There is certainly a lot to do in Macao. Macao is easy to get to because_________.
| A．most people there are Chinese |
| B．it is not far away from Hong Kong |
| C．it is very fast and cheap by sea |
| D．it is an interesting place |
You feel in Macao you are back in the old days because_________.
| A．most of the buildings are now in ruins |
| B．you can watch dog-racing or motor-racing |
| C．you can go about to see the old buildings and forts |
| D．it is a peaceful place |
Where will you have a break when you feel tired?
| A．In good restaurants. | B．In small cool gardens. |
| C．On some islands. | D．In beautiful parks. |
The writer’s idea seems to be that_________.
| A．people from many countries came to live and work in Macao |
| B．Portuguese were willing to do business in China |
| C．people in Macao serve good food |
| D．Macao is a quiet and peaceful place with a lot to see and to do |
Because earthquakes happen without warning, it’s important to take measures now to prepare. Because you don’t know where you will be when an earthquake happens, prepare some supplies for your home, workplace, and car.
1. Water
A person needs at least 1/2 gallon(加仑) of water daily just for drinking. Store at least 1 gallon of water per person per day and be prepared for a 72-hour period. It is suggested that you buy bottled water. Keep bottled water in its original container and do not open it until you need to use it. Also, do check the “use by” date.
2. Food
It’s always a practical idea to keep a supply of non-perishable(不易腐烂的) food on hand. Have an enough supply of canned food, powdered milk, dried fruits, non-salted nuts and canned juices for at least 72 hours.
3. Torch(手电筒) and spare batteries (电池)
Keep a torch beside your bed, at your place of work, and in your car. Do not use matches or candles after an earthquake until you are sure that no gas leaks(泄露).Prepare a battery-powered radio and spare batteries. Most telephones will be out of order, so radios will be your best source of information.
4. Clothes
If you live in a cold place, you must think about warmth. You might not have heat after an earthquake. Think about your clothing and bedding supplies.Why should people prepare themselves for an earthquake?
| A．Because earthquakes can be known before they happen. |
| B．Because earthquakes take place without warning. |
| C．Because earthquakes usually take place in the neighborhood. |
| D．Because it’s people’s daily work to prepare the earthquakes. |
You should prepare all of the following except ______.
| A．powdered milk | B．fresh vegetables | C．dried fruits | D．canned juices |
According to the article we know that ______.
| A．we need to prepare some supplies only at home |
| B．a telephone is the most important prepared thing |
| C．after earthquakes you’d better use torch first but not matches |
| D．clothes are used to protect your head |
If you live in a cold place, you should prepare _______.
| A．some warm clothes and bedding supplies | B．some hot water |
| C．some batteries | D．some torches |
How to eat healthfully can be especially complex for working women who often have neither the desire nor the time to cook for themselves (or for anyone else )．Registered dietitian Barbara Morrissey suggests that a few simple rules can help.
“Go for nutrient－dense foods，”she suggests，“foods that contain a multiple of nutrients. For example，select whole wheat bread as a breakfast food，rather than coffee cake. Or drink orange juice rather than orange drink，which contains only a small percentage of real juice—the rest is largely colored sugar water. You just can't compare the value of these foods, the nutrient－dense ones are so superior，”she emphasizes.
Morrissey believes that variety is not only the spice of life，it's the foundation of a healthful diet. Diets which are based on one or two foods are not only almost impossible to keep up the strength，they can be very harmful, she says, because nutrients aren't supplied in enough amounts or balance.
According to Morrissey，trying to find a diet that can cure your illnesses，or make you superwoman is a fruitless search.“ As women，many of us are too concerned with staying thin，”she says，and “we believe that vitamins are some kind of magic cure to replace food.”
“We need carbohydrates，protein and fat－they are like the wood in the fireplace. The vitamins and minerals are like the match，the spark，for the fuel，”she explains.“ We need them all，but in a very different proportions（部分）. And if the fuel isn't there，the spark is useless.”From the first paragraph we know that working women________.
| A．think cooking is especially complicated |
| B．do not share the same views with registered dietitians |
| C．are busy and not interested in cooking |
| D．are likely to eat healthfully |
Orange juice is different from orange drink because________.
| A．it contains only a small percentage of real juice |
| B．it is natural，nutritious and prepared from real oranges |
| C．it is largely orange－colored sugar water |
| D．it produces nothing but calories |
In Paragraph 4，“a fruitless search” means “____”．
| A．an effort with no results |
| B．a search for a diet without fruits |
| C．a research on fruitless diet |
| D．a diet serving as medicine |
Many women take it for granted，according to the passage that________.
| A．a balanced diet can result in being fat |
| B．staying thin and healthy are both possible |
| C．lack of variety in diets leads to staying thin |
| D．vitamins are some kind of substitutions（代替物）for food |
By saying “if the fuel isn't there，the spark is useless”，the author means “________”．
| A．carbohydrates，protein and fat are enough to support a human life |
| B．vitamins and minerals are almost of no value |
| C．carbohydrates，protein and fat are as important as vitamins and minerals |
| D．without carbohydrates，protein and fat，vitamins and minerals are of no use |
Centerville High School Essay Contest “Write All About It”
Calling All Aspiring Authors—Centerville High School Essay Contest
◇Rules
1．Students are asked to present essays of 500 to 700 words of their own work. Any essay containing material plagiarized(剽窃) from another source will be disqualified（取消资格）.
2．Manuscripts should be typed double－spaced，with the student's name，address，and grade level on a separate sheet of paper.
3．Essays must be turned in by 4∶00 p.m. on November 30.They can be brought to Mrs. Elton in Rom 104 or to Mr. Markham in the school library.
◇Essay－Writing Tips
1．Catch your readers' interests—Your opening should immediately pull your readers into your essay. Asking a question or starting with an story，quotation，or surprising statement is a good way to do this.
2．Create a picture—Use active words that show your readers what is happening. Instead of telling your readers vaguely that “the room was disordered”，paint a picture using active verbs and lively adjectives.
3．Have a purpose—Well－written essays do more than just describe an incident or express a viewpoint，and they also communicate a message.
4．Check for mistakes—Read your paper over to check for mistakes. Ask another student to read your paper and make suggestions. Another pair of eyes will often spot a mistake you've overlooked.
5．Format your essay—Neatly type your essay on white paper. Choose an attractive cover for submission. The computer lab will be open after school from 3∶15 to 4∶45 p．m. each day this month so that students can use the computers.
◇Prizes
Winning essays will be published in the Centerville Times. Every contestant(选手)will also receive a free pass to enter one school activity or athletic game this year.
First Prize： $150
Second Prize:Dictionary and thesaurus
Third Prize:Pen set and journal
Special thanks to the Centerville Writers' Association for the prizes to help encourage our aspiring authors. Good luck to all contestants.The first writing tip given is mostly about________.
| A．the use of quotations and stories in an essay |
| B．using active verbs and lively adjectives |
| C．how a student should begin an essay |
| D．how to submit your essays |
Information in the passage suggests that________.
| A．the essay contest has been carefully planned |
| B．the students of the school are all athletic lovers |
| C．most essay contestants have published their work previously |
| D．Mr. Markham is an English teacher at Centerville High School |
The prize section of the poster is included in order to________.
| A．show organizations how to donate prizes |
| B．inform teachers of the prizes available |
| C．persuade students to enter the essay contest |
| D．convince students to buy the local newspaper |
Thanks are given to the Centerville Writers' Association because it has________.
| A．offered to judge the contest |
| B．prepared the essay－writing tips |
| C．organized the essay contest |
| D．donated prizes for the contest |
What do we know by inference from the passage?
| A．The computer lab usually closes at 4∶15 p.m. each day. |
| B．Winning essays will be published in the Centerville Times. |
| C．Every contestant will benefit from the essay contest. |
| D．The essay contest is held annually at Centerville High School. |
Two thieves came to a house to steal something. They dug a hole in the wall of the house.
There lived many mice in the house. The woman in the house saw a mouse crawl(爬行) into the house in the moonlight. “Look! In comes one,” she said to the man in the house. The thief was so frightened that he hurriedly crawled out of the house and said to the one waiting outside, “She found me when I was just in.” But the thief outside didn’t believe him, so he said, “Let us try to crawl into the house together.” At that time two mice happened to crawl into the house, too. The woman saw the mice and shouted, “In come two, catch them!” The two thieves were terribly frightened. The man in the house said, “You saw them come in but where are they? I will catch them tonight.” The two thieves started running away at once.
The two thieves wanted to make it clear whether they had been found or not the night before. The next day they acted as men selling sweet potatoes and came before the house. The man and the woman were ploughing in their fields. The rope broke and the woman came home for a rope. She saw two men selling sweet potatoes and wanted to buy some. She picked out two which looked like mice. At the time the man couldn’t wait for her any longer in the fields and he ran back from the fields to hurry her up. The woman showed the sweet potatoes to the man and said, “How they look like the two of last night.” The man said, “I asked you to fetch a rope, why don’t you hurry for it?” The two thieves ran away very quickly without their sweet potatoes.The two thieves failed to steal anything from the house because _____.
| A．they were found out |
| B．they were frightened by what they had heard in the house |
| C．they didn’t work together well with each other |
| D．mice stopped them from doing so |
From the last paragraph, we know that _____.
| A．the two thieves were famous selling sweet potatoes |
| B．the woman recognized the two thieves |
| C．the woman pretended to know nothing about the two thieves and made fun of them |
| D．the two thieves didn’t know that they were not found at all |
When the woman said, “How they look like the two of last night!” _____.
| A．she referred to the two thieves | B．she meant nothing |
| C．she said it on purpose | D．she referred to the mice |
“____________”is the best title for this passage.
| A．Two Clever Thieves | B．Terrible Mice |
| C．Hit the Mark by a Fluke(侥幸) | D．A Clever Coupe |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．The two thieves not only failed to steal things but also lost their sweet potatoes. |
| B．Whenever they found mice, the people in the house would try to catch them. |
| C．The two thieves ran away at once, because they thought the woman had seen them. |
| D．The man let the woman go home for a rope, which would be used for catching the thieves. |