Wolves travel in groups, and they perform almost all the other activities of their lives in the company of fellow wolves. This is one of the most important facts that modern science have learned about wolves and one of the things that most clearly explain their way of life.
The pack is usually a family group. It is made up of animals related to each other by blood. The centre of a pack is a pair of wolves----an adult male and female that have produced young. The other members of the pack are their offspring (后代): young wolves ranging in age from pups to two- and three-year-olds. Most packs have 6 or 7 members, although some may include as many as 15 wolves.
Relationships among creatures that live close together in groups are often very complex, and this is true of the ties that connect the members of a wolf pack. Scientific studies of captive(被捕获的) wolves and wolf packs in the wild have shown that many complex rules of behavior seem to govern the way that the animals relate to each other.
When wolf pups are born into a pack, one of the most important things they must learn is the “language” of the group, the method by which pack members keep in touch with each other, sharing information and communicating their feelings. Scientists have discovered that wolves have a very complex system of communication.
The most famous wolf sound is, of course, the howl, and it is a very important part of wolf language.
When people think about howling, they usually imagine a sad, lonely sound made by a wolf sitting all alone on a hilltop in the moonlight. However, this picture in most human beings’ mind is not completely true. Wolves howl at any time, not just at night, and they often howl together, not alone.
Group or chorus howling is another means by which the members of a wolf reaffirm(重申) their ties with each other and their closeness as a group. One wolf----often the male leader----will point its nose at the sky, open its mouth, and start to howl. Immediately the other members of the pack rush to stand beside him, shoulder to shoulder, and join their voices to his. Each wolf howls on its own note so that a big chorus of slightly different sounds is produced.
Chorus howling often takes place before a wolf pack goes out to hunt. At the end of a successful hunt, the pack may also celebrate with a group howl. While wolves are on the track of prey(猎物)，they are usually silent.
There are occasions when a wolf will howl by itself. This may happen when an animal is separated from the pack. Pack members seem to recognize each other’s voices and will keep responding to the howl of their wandering relative until the group is reunited.
Because howling is a sound that carries over a considerable distance, it is very useful in communications among separated members of a pack. Howling is also used when members of different packs have to get in touch with each other to pass on information about their locations and their purposes.What makes communication the most important part of wolves’ lives?
| A．Living in packs | B．Hunting at night |
| C．Occupying a large area | D．Finding fellows |
What most likely happens to young wolves after the age of four?
| A．They leave the pack and live alone. |
| B．They leave the pack to form packs of their own. |
| C．They continue to live as part of the pack. |
| D．They take over the leadership from their parents. |
How many members do most wolf packs consist of?
| A．3—4 | B．4---5 | C．6---7 | D．10---15 |
To what human activity could wolves’ “chorus howling” best be compared?
| A．A baby crying from hunger |
| B．A family having an argument |
| C．A group of people singing at a concert |
| D．A sports team cheering before a game |
When will wolves howl according to the passage?
| A．Only during the night. | B．When separated from the pack |
| C．When there is moonlight | D．While on their way to tracking prey |
Rae Armantrout, who has been a poetry professor at the University of California San Diego(UCSD) for two decades, has won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in the poetry category for her most recent book, “Versed”.
“I’m delighted and amazed at how much media recognition that the Pulitzer brings, as compared to even the National Book Critics Award, which I was also surprised and delighted to win,” said Armantrout.
“For a long time, my writing has been just below the media radar, and to have this kind of attention, suddenly, with my 10th book, is really surprising.”
Armantrout, a native Californian, received her bachelor’s degree at UC Berkeley, where she studied with noted poet Denise Levertov, and her master’s in creative writing from San Francisco State University. She is a founding member of Language Poets, a group in American poetry that analyzes the way language is used and raises questions to make the reader think .
In March, she won the National Book Critics Circle Award for “Versed.”
“This book has gotten more attention,” Armantrout said, “but I don’t feel as if it’s better.”
The first half of “Versed” focuses on the dark forces taking hold of the United States as it fought the war against Iraq. The second half looks at the dark forces casting a shadow over her own life after Armantrout was diagnosed with cancer in 2006.
Armantrout was shocked to learn she had won the Pulitzer but many of her colleagues were not. “Rae Armantrout is a unique voice in American poetry,” said Seth Lerer, head of Arts and Humanities at UCSD.
“Versed”, published by the Wesleyan University Press, did appear in a larger printing than her earlier works, which is about 2,700 copies. The new edition is scheduled to appear in May. According to Rae Armantrout, ____________.
| A．her 10th book is much better |
| B．her winning the Pulitzer is unexpected |
| C．the media is surprised at her works |
| D．she likes being recognized by her readers |
Which of the following is true of Rae Armantrout?
| A．She published a poetry textbook. |
| B．She used to teach Denise Levertov. |
| C．She started a poets‟ group with others. |
| D．She taught creative writing at UC Berkeley. |
What can we learn about “Versed”?
| A．It consists of three parts. |
| B．It is mainly about the American army. |
| C．It is a book published two decades ago. |
| D．It partly concerns the poet’s own life. |
Rae Armantrout’s colleagues think that she ____________.
| A．should write more | B．has a sweet voice |
| C．deserves the prize | D．is a strange professor |
What can we learn from the text?
A. About 2,700 copies of “Versed” will be printed.
B. Cancer made Armantrout stop writing.
C. Armantrout got her degrees at UCSD.
D. “Versed” has been awarded twice
Ask someone what they have done to help the environment recently and they will almost certainly mention recycling. Recycling in the home is very important of course. However, being forced to recycle often means we already have more material than we need. We are dealing with the results of that over-consumption in the greenest way possible, but it would be far better if we did not need to bring so much material home in the first place. The total amount of packaging increased by 12% between 1999 and 2005. It now makes up a third of a typical household’s waste in the UK. In many supermarkets nowadays food items are packaged twice with plastic and cardboard. Too much packaging is doing serious damage to the environment. The UK, for example, is running out of it for carrying this unnecessary waste. If such packaging is burnt, it gives off greenhouse gases which go on to cause the greenhouse effect. Recycling helps, but the process itself uses energy. The solution is not to produce such items in the first place. Food waste is a serious problem, too. Too many supermarkets encourage customers to buy more than they need. However, a few of them are coming round to the idea that this cannot continue, encouraging customers to reuse their plastic bags, for example. But this is not just about supermarkets. It is about all of us. We have learned to associate packaging with quality. We have learned to think that something unpackaged is of poor quality. This is especially true of food. But is also applies to a wide range of consumer products, which often have far more packaging than necessary.
There are signs of hope. As more of us recycle, we are beginning to realize just how much unnecessary material are collecting. We need to face the wastefulness of our consumer culture, but we have a mountain to climb.What does the underlined phrase “over-consumption” refer to?
| A．Using too much packaging. |
| B．Recycling too many wastes. |
| C．Making more products than necessary. |
| D．Having more material than is needed. |
The author uses figures in Paragraph 2 to show _______.
| A．the tendency of cutting household waste |
| B．the increase of packaging recycling |
| C．the rapid growth of super markets |
| D．the fact of packaging overuse |
According to the text, recycling ______.
| A．helps control the greenhouse effect |
| B．means burning packaging for energy |
| C．is the solution to gas shortage |
| D．leads to a waste of land |
What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?
| A．Unpackaged products are of bad quality. |
| B．Supermarkets care more about packaging. |
| C．It is improper to judge quality by packaging. |
| D．Other products are better packaged than food. |
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．Fighting wastefulness is difficult. |
| B．Needless material is mostly recycled. |
| C．People like collecting recyclable waste. |
| D．The author is proud of their consumer culture. |
Christopher Thomas, 27, was a writer by night and a teacher by day when he noticed he was always tired and was losing weight fast. Diagnosed with diabetes(糖尿病), Thomas would need to inject himself with insulin(胰岛素) three times a day for the rest of his life or risk nerve damage, blindness, and even death. And if that weren't bad enough, he had no health insurance. After a month of feeling upset, Thomas decided he'd better find a way to fight back. He left Canton, Michigan for New York, got a job waiting tables, nicknamed himself the Diabetic Rockstar , and created diabeticrockstar.com, a free online community for diabetics and their loved ones—a place where over 1,100 people share personal stories, information, and resources.
Jason Swencki‟s son, Kody, was diagnosed with type diabetes at six. Father and son visit the online children's forums(论坛) together most evenings. "Kody gets so excited, writing to kids from all over," says Swencki, one of the site's volunteers. "They know what he's going through, so he doesn't feel alone." Kody is anything but alone: Diabetes is now the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, with 24 million diagnosed cases. And more people are being diagnosed at younger ages.
These days, Thomas's main focus is his charity慈善机构, Fight It, which provides medicines and supplies to people—225 to date—who can't afford a diabetic's huge expenses. Fight-it.org has raised about $23,000—in products and in cash. In May, Thomas will hold the first annual Diabetic Rockstar Festival in the Caribbean.
Even with a staff of 22 volunteers, Thomas often devotes up to 50 hours a week to his cause, while still doing his full-time job waiting tables. "Of the diabetes charities out there, most are putting money into finding a cure," says Bentley Gubar one of Rockstar's original members. "But Christopher is the only person I know saying people need help now." Which of the following is true of Christopher Thomas?
| A．He needs to go to the doctor every day. |
| B．He studies the leading cause of diabetes |
| C．He has a positive attitude to this disease. |
| D．He encourages diabetics by writing articles. |
Diabeitcrockstar.com was created for _________.
| A．diabetics to communicate | B．volunteers to find jobs |
| C．children to amuse themselves | D．rock stars to share resources. |
According to the text, Kody ______.
| A．feel lonely because of his illness |
| B．benefits from diabeticrockstar.com |
| C．helps create the online kid’s forums |
| D．writes children’s stories online |
What can we learn about Fight It?
| A．It helps the diabetics in financial difficulties. |
| B．It organizes parties for volunteer once a year. |
| C．It offers less expensive medicine to diabetics. |
| D．It owns a well-known medical website. |
The last paragraph suggests that Thomas ______.
| A．works full-time in a diabetes charity |
| B．employs 22 people for his website |
| C．helps diabetics in his own way |
| D．ties to find a cure for diabetes |
I have a friend who lives by a three-word philosophy: Seize the moment. Just possibly, she may be the wisest woman on this planet. Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too strict to depart from their routine.
I can't count the times I called my sister and said,“How about going to lunch in half an hour?” She would gasp and stammer(结结巴巴地说), “I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday. I had a late breakfast. It looks like rain.”And my personal favorite response:“It's just Monday.”She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.
Life has a way of going faster as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises made to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all have to show for our lives is repetition of “I'm going to”,“I plan on” and “Someday, when things are settled down a bit.”
When anyone calls my“seize the moment” friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.
My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.
Now go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to, not something on your SHOULD DO list.The example of the writer's sister serves as__________.
| A．an argument | B．an introduction | C．a support | D．a conclusion |
The writer thinks that the underlined excuse “It's just Monday.”is acceptable, because __________.
| A．it is still likely that they can have lunch together some time later |
| B．it sounds most reasonable of all the excuses. |
| C．it shows respect for the writer's suggestion |
| D．it indicates the time when they can have lunch together |
The underlined word “contagious” in the fourth paragraph means “_________”.
| A．appropriate | B．influential | C．practical | D．evident |
What is the purpose of the writer by writing this passage?
| A．To suggest how time flies. |
| B．To persuade busy people to relax. |
| C．To advise people to keep their promise. |
| D．To convince readers to be flexible on their schedule for practical joy. |
Every spring scores of people flock to the Buzzard Festival at Hinckley, Ohio. They come to watch for buzzards. Most would be glad just to take a look at a buzzard. If they do see one of these" flying garbage cans", it will probably be circling high in the sky. From there it can watch the ground for signs of the waste and the dead animals on which it feeds.
The buzzard is the ugliest bird in the United States. In fact, it may well be the ugliest bird in the world. It has a small, bare, pink head. Its thick body is covered with dark, rough feathers.
In spite of its looks, the buzzard is important to the people of Hinckley. It is their first sign of spring. After a winter in the south, buzzards return to their homes in the north. In the Hinckley area, they always return on March 15. No one knows why. But they have come back to Hinckley Ridge on that day, sure as clocks work, for at least forty years.
The excitement starts in February. By the middle of March it has reached a high peak. Bets are placed. Prizes go to the person who sees the first buzzard. Radio stations and newspapers tell of the coming festival. And on the weekend after March 15 the people of Hinckley hold their Buzzard Festival.
The people come and look around. They chat. They eat their fill of pancakes and sausages. Then they drive past Buzzard's Roost on Hinckley Ridge.
A lot of them stop near the road at the stand set up to give information to visitors. There they can hear, from a recording, the main facts about the buzzard. They can see a stuffed buzzard. They can look at some pictures taken of buzzards in other years. With good luck and a strong pair of field glasses, they may sight one or two live buzzards high in the sky.
Buzzards may be ugly. They may be "flying garbage cans". But in Hinckley they are just as welcome as the swallows in Capistrano, California. It would be a sad spring indeed if the buzzards ever failed to come back to Hinckley Ridge. A good title for this story would be __________.
| A．The Hinckley Buzzard Festival |
| B．Buzzard, the Ugliest Bird |
| C．Why the Buzzard Has a Pink Head |
| D．The Return of“The Garbage Can" |
The buzzard is called the "flying garbage can" because it __________.
| A．is ugly | B．eats waste and dead animals |
| C．looks like a garbage can | D．collect rubbish on the ground |
The surprising thing about Hinckley's buzzards is that＿.
| A．they spend the winter in the south |
| B．they come very close to the town |
| C．they return on the same day each year |
| D．both buzzards and swallows return to Capistrano on March 15 |
At the information stand, visitors to Hinckley's Buzzard Festival can _________.
| A．learn some facts about the buzzard |
| B．easily see a live buzzard |
| C．take some pictures with the background of live buzzards |
| D．feed their fill of pancakes and sausages to buzzards |