Squirrels often communicate with whistles, chirps and chucks, which sound like the word “chuck”. Whistles and chirps are like the sounds that many birds make.Now scientists have translated some of their squirrel-speak.
Hare, a professor of zoology at the University of Maniloha in Winnipeg, and his team managed to record squirrels' alarm calls.The researchers studied the sounds and then played them back to 60 wild squirrels, which the scientists approached individually with a video recorder to capture(抓拍)their reponses.Some squirrels lifted their heads up and became.Alert(警惕的).Creatures that were more frightened simply ran for their lives and dived into caves.
"In effect then, whistles that mix with chucks say 'there's an enemy of average threat that's here', and whistles without chucks say 'there's an enemy of seemingly average threat around here somewhere', while pure chirps say, 'I'm hiding here because there's an immediate danger.' " Hare told.Discovery News.
Hare and some other researchers believe such sounds arc part of an advanced language that develops just as all other communication systems.
Although squirrels risk their lives when they call out to warn others of threats, other squirrels might admire this behaviour, thus increasingly the caller’s social status, like humans who look up to heroes. Hare added that other animals, such as birds, probably understand at least some squirrel language, since they also may benefit from the alarm calls.
In fact, another Canadian study found that deep-voiced, black-capped chickadees have their own language too.According to certain research, there are a lot of tidings in chickadees' calls, such as directing fellows' activities, keeping in contact between mates, and raising alarms.
While chickadees and other birds are often welcomed into gardens by homeowners, squirrels are frequently viewed as pests(害兽). Hare wishes a greater understanding of the complex social lives and communication systems of squirrels will provide “hope that humans will gain a greater appreciation and stop doing harm to these animals”.The text mainly talks about
A.the study on the language of squirrels |
B.the comparison between squirrels and chickadees |
C.the calling for the protection of squirrels |
D.the ways for squirrels to escape from their enemies |
If a squirrel is in a very dangerous situation, it would probably make ____.
A.whistles with chucks | B.pure chirps |
C.whistles without chucks | D.repeated chucks |
The underlined word “tidings” in pardgmph 6 probably means ____.
A.difficulties | B.poises | C.messages | D.languages |
What can be learned from this text?
A.Squirrels communicate with cach other as humans do. |
B.Some squirrels understand the recorded alarm calls. |
C.Other animals also well understand the language of squirrels. |
D.Birds such as chickadees don’t have their own language. |
C
I’ve been told that in China,having a pet,particularly a dog,is often considered to be a status(地位)symbol because it shows the family can afford to have an animal.It’s very different here.
In Canada it’s common to have pets.Many people have dogs;many others have cats,fish,birds or rabbits.Some keep what we call exotic(奇异的)pets,although keeping exotic animals is difficult,and because it can also be hard on the animals, the keeping of some exotic animals is not allowed by law.Some people do it anyway.
I like animals.As far back as I can remember my family has always had cats.Our cats.of course,wanted to go outside and it seemed reasonable to let them wander the neighborhood finding birds to run after,trees to climb and sunny places to sleep.As we always lived in a city,however,there was a problem.I remember more than once losing a cat that was killed by a car and it was heartbreaking.
Now,my wife and I lived in a small town.We no longer have a house—we live in an apartment(公寓).We have a cat named Callie and she never goes out except onto the halcony(阳台)so cars are no longer a problem.She’s about sixteen years old and will probably live to be twenty or more.The trouble will come when she dies.We’ve had a pet for so long that it seems like a natural part of our lives and without a cat around the room it will seem somehow empty.On the other hand,we’re getting older and,given that a cat can live about twenty years we wonder if we’ll ever have another after Callie goes.
Having a pet is very good for a number of reasons.It helps to teach children how to look after a living creature,makes them realize that animals have feelings just like we do and that, in many ways,we depend on each other.For older people like me an animal is a companion(伙伴)and a comfort to have around.A pet,properly treated, returns the favor by giving back unconditional love.Wouldn’t this world be a great place if people could learn how to do that !
64.The writer keeps a cat as a pet now because___________.
A.she feels lonely living in the countryside
B.it acts as her companion
C.her family is used to keeping a cat
D.it can helps her teach her children.
65.What will happen after the writer’s pet,Callie dies?
A.She will surely buy another one. B.She won’t keep pets any longer.
C.She will remember it for a long time. D.Her room will be empty.
66.What should people do in keeping a pet according to the text?
A.Not allow it to go out of the room. B.Catch birds for him to play with.
C.Let it wander outside as it likes. D.Not live in the city.
67.What can be the best title for the passage?
A.How to keep a pet. B.My pet,Callie.
C.Keeping Pets in Canada. D.It’s the Animal in Me.
B
Advice to “sleep on it” could be well founded, scientists say. After a good night’s sleep a problem that couldn’t be solved the night before can often appear more manageable, although the evidence(证据)until now has been personal experience. But researchers at the University of Luebek in Germany have designed an experiment that shows a good night’s sleep can improve insight(洞察力)and problem-solving.
“If you have some newly-got memories in your brain, sleep acts on these memories and rebuild them, so that after sleep the insight into problem which you could not solve before increases,” said Dr Jan Born, a neuroscientist(神经病学专家)at the university. To test the theory, they taught volunteers two simple rules to help them turn some numbers into a new order.There was also a third,hidden rule,which could help them increase their speed in solving the problem.The researchers divided the volunteers into two groups:half were allowed to sleep after the training while the rest were forced to stay awake.Dr Jan Born and his team noticed that the group that had slept after the training were twice as likely to figure out the third rule as the other group.“Sleep helped,”Born said in a telephone interview.“The important thing is that you have to have a memory representation in your brain of the problem you want to solve and then you sleep,so it can act on the problem.”But Born admitted that he and his team don’t know how rebuilding of memories occurs or what governs it.Pierre Maquet and Perrine Ruby of the University of Liege in Belgium said the experimental evidence supports the suggestions that sleep can help develop creative thinking.Although the role of sleep in human creativity will still be a mystery,the research gives people good reason to fully respect their periods of sleep,they added.
60.The underlined phrase“sleep on it”in Paragraph 1 probably means_________.
A.to delay deciding something until the next day
B.to get as much sleep as possible
C.to go on sleeping without being disturbed
D.to sleep till after the time you usually get up in the morning
61.Jan Born and his team carried out the experiment through________.
A.comparison B.interview C.survey D.imagination
62.It can be inferred from the passage that___________.
A.people should sleep so long as they have time
B.sleep is the only way to solve hard problems
C.people have various periods of sleep D.people know how sleep rebuilds memories
63.What would be the best title for the passage?
A.How Sleep Works. B.Sleep Helps Solve Problems.
C.No Evidence,But Well Founded. D.Born’s Discovery on Sleep.
第三部分阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
It u won $ 50,000,000 would u still go to college?
Lots of people go to college so they have a chance to get a better job, but if you won $ 50 million, would you still pursue(追求)a higher education?
Re: If u won $ 50,000,000 would u still go to college?
I would surely still go to college if I had that much money, but I would not be competing for a scholarship on collegenet. com. I would probably still discuss things here and I would create other scholarships to help other people to go to college as well.
With $ 50 million, I would not have to worry about getting a loan(贷款)from Chase Bank or finding scholarships to study abroad. I would have published several books by now as well, but I would still pursue my education. Going to undergraduate school is something that I really want to do because I want to become a Pediatrician. Money may buy a lot of things, but it does not necessarily give you knowledge and knowledge is what I am hunting for now.
I am not just going to school to get a better job; I am going to school to realize all of my dreams. $ 50 million is a lot of money, but no amount of money can keep me from my dreams.
Veggie thought: “Money may make things easier, but it is not everything. ”
Re: If u won $ 50,000,000 would u still go to college?
Would I still go? UMM , YES YES YES YES YES! ! ! ! !
I still want to teach... I don’t care if I have more money than Bill Gates... I still want to be in a classroom teaching! ! And I need a degree to do that! Teaching is my dream job, and it would make me really happy.
I would pay off my loans as well as my boyfriend’s loans and help out a couple of friends who are having trouble with money.
Re: If u won $ 50,000,000 would u still go to college?
I would still go to college. The only difference is with that much money to go to college I probably would stay in college longer and pursue a few extra degrees while I am there. I am looking for knowledge not money. The only problem is I need money to pursue knowledge.
Also I could set up scholarship funds and I could save some more for additional dreams that I have.
56. According to the answers, what do they have in common?
A. They all prefer money to education.
B. They all want to get a better job.
C. They will continue to pursue knowledge.
D. They will give up jobs.
57. From the first answer, we know the person is ________.
A. patient B. ambitious C. mean D. selfish
58. In the following statements, which is true according to the passage?
A. They all have something they want to do.
B. They think money is more important than knowledge.
C. The first person is rich.
D. The second person doesn’t want to get other scholarship.
59. The underlined phrase “pay off” means ________.
A. give back B. cost C. ask for D. get
D
This is a time of year when we think about giving and receiving presents. Can you find little extra to give? On this page we suggest a few organizations you might like to help.
Littleton Children’d Home
We DON’T want your money, but children’s toys, books and clothes IN GOOD CONDITION would be very welcome.
Also,we are looking for friendly families who would take our children into their homes for a few hours or days as guests. You have so much —will you share it?
Phone Sister Thomas on 55671.
Children’s Hospice
We look after a small number of very sick children. This important work needs skill and love. We cannot continue without gifts or money to pay for more nursting staff(职员). We also need story books and toys suitable for quiet games.
Please contact :The Seeretary, Little Children’s Hospice, Newly Road.
Street Food
In the winter weather, it’s not fun being homeless. It’s even worse if you’re hungry. We give hot food to at least fifty people every night. It’s hard work, but necessary. Can you come and help? If not, can you find a little money? We used a very old kitchen, and we need some new saucepans. Money for new ones would be most welcome indeed.
Contact Stree Food, c/o Mary’s House, Elming Way. Littleton Phone 55823.
Littleton Youth Club
Have you got an unwanted chair?record player? a pot of paint?
Because we use them!
We want to get to work on our meeting room!
Please phone 55231and we’ll be happy to collect anything you can give us!
Thank you !
The Night Shelter
We offer a warm bed for the night to anyone who has nowhere to go. We rent the former Commercial Hotel on Green Street. Although it is not expensive,we never seem to have enough money. Can you let us have a few pounds ? Any amount, however small, will be such help.
Send it to us 15, Greet St, Littleton. Please make check payable to Night Shelter.
58.Reading the passage, you might like to help these organizations while working for .
A.homeless and sick children
B.less fortunate members of our society
C.hungry people who have no beds to sleep in
D.friendly members of our society to help others
59.We can infer .
A.there are too many social problems in this country
B.people are very poor during the time for giving
C.warm-hearted people like to give away money
D.this passage is taken from a local newspaper
60.If your children have grown up, you my take the children’s things to.
A.Children’s Home and Children’s Hospice
B.Youth Club and Children’s Home
C.Children’s Hospice and Night Shelter
D.Youth Club and Night Shelter
C
Centuries ago, man discovered that removing moisture(湿气) from food helps to store it, and that the easiest way to do this is to expose the food to sun and wind.
All foods including water — cabbage and other leaf vegetables contains as much as 93% water, potatoes and other root vegetables 80%, lean (瘦的) meat 75% and fish, anything from 80% to 60%, depending on how fatty it is. If this water is removed, the activity of the bacteria which cause food to go bad is controlled.
Nowadays most foods are dried mechanically. The conventional method of such dehydration (脱水) is to put food in chambers (室) through which hot air is blown at temperature of about ll0'C at entry to about 43'C at exit. This is the usual method for drying such things as vegetables, minced meat, and fish.
Liquids such as milk, coffee, tea, soups and eggs may be dried by pouring them over a heated steel cylinder (圆筒), then put them into a chamber through which a current of hot air passes. In the first process, the dried material comes off the roller (滚筒) as a thin film which is then broken up into small, though still relatively flakes (薄片). In the second process it falls to the bottom of the chamber as small powder. Where recognizable pieces of meat and vegetables are required, as in soup, the ingredients (成分) are dried separately and then mixed.
Dried foods take up less room and weigh less than the same food packed in cans orfrozen, and they do not need to be stored in special conditions. For these reasons theyare invaluable to the climbers, explorers and soldiers in battle, who have little storagespace. They are also popular with housewives because it takes so little time to cook them.
54.It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
A.the fattier fish contain as much water as the lean one
B.the fattier the fish is, the more water it may contain
C.a fatty fish holds less water than a lean one
D.the water content of fish has nothing to do with the content of their fat
55.The underlined word "conventional" in Paragraph 3 can most probably be replaced by ______.
A.traditional B.scientific C.particular D.special
56.Which of the following statements is NOT true about drying food?
A.The removal of water in food helps prevent it from going rotten.
B.The open-air method of drying food has been known for hundreds of years.
C.In the course of dehydration, the temperature of hot current coming from entry to exit is
gradually going up.
D.The process of drying liquids is much more complex than that of drying solid food.
57.The last paragraph mainly talks about __________.
A.the reason why housewives like dried food
B.the general convenience of dried food
C.the methods of storing food
D.the advantages of dried, canned and frozen food