It seems hard to watch someone yawn（打哈欠） and not to yawn ourselves. Even reading about yawning can make you do it. Now, a new study has found why yawning has such a powerful force.
Yawning when others yawn, the study suggests, is a sign of pity and a form of social connection. Kids don’t develop this deeply rooted behavior until around age four, the study found. Kids with autism (自闭症) are less likely to catch yawns. In the most serious cases, they never do. Yawning might help doctors to see whether the children are developing rightly. The work could also lead to a better understanding of the ways that people communicate and connect.
"Emotional infection seems to be a born thing that connects us together," said Molly Helt, a graduate student in psychology at the University of Connecticut. "Yawning may be part of that." Inspiration for her study came when she tried to get her own autistic son to clear his ears on an airplane. She repeatedly yawned at him, hoping he would yawn back. He never did.
"The fact that autistic kids don’t do it might mean they’re really missing out on that emotional connection with people around them," she said. "The biggest thing people try to figure out after birth is how we become humans and understand that humans have minds that are different from others’," she added. "Autistic people never seem to understand that."
Like infectious （有感染力的）laughter and crying, scientists have found that yawning is a shared experience that promotes social connection. Helt said it could fight stress after a period of being nervous and spread a feeling of calm through a group.What does the new study suggest, according to the first two paragraphs?
| A．Yawning is a form of communication. |
| B．It is easy to stop yawning when you see others yawn. |
| C．Children follow others in yawning just after they are born. |
| D．Yawning has some mysterious force which is related to God. |
According to Molly Helt, _________.
| A．humans differ from animals because they communicate with others |
| B．yawning is a kind of emotional connection among humans |
| C．emotions are infectious, but yawning is not |
| D．yawning helps clear ears on planes |
Which of the following is NOT true about yawning?
| A．It is natural to yawn back if people around you yawn. |
| B．Some kids are too young to yawn after others. |
| C．Yawning can be used to test children’s development. |
| D．Kids with autism yawn easily when others yawn. |
The author implies in the last paragraph that ________.
| A．yawning is different from infectious laughter and crying in theory |
| B．it is bad manners to yawn on some social occasions |
| C．the more you yawn, the happier you will be |
| D．yawning can make people feel relaxed |
(1)Paul Smith's College
The College of Nature
Experience a different kind of classroom: 14,200 acres of forests, lakes and streams, a hotel and a restaurant, 99% placement upon graduation. Two-and-four-year degree programs.
PO. Box 265
Paul Smiths, NY12970
1-800-421-2605
www.paulsmiths.edu
(2) SIMMONS
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES AND MODERN STUDIES
Simmons educates women to achieve their work and life goals. More than 40 majors.
Lie in the heart of Boston. U.S .News & World Report ranks Simmons among the top state universities in the North and among the best values.
617-521-2051
www.simmons.edu
(3) ST.MARYS UNTVERSITY
Personal Attention Powerful Programs
Experience the technology of today at our co-educational university
One Camino Santa Maria
Utah 78228-8503
800-FOR-SIMU
www.stmarytx.edu
(4) Northern University
A famous private university
with 3,200 students in Colleges of Arts & Sciences
●Business and Engineering
●Medicine and Law
Among the top ten by U.S. News and World Report
Old Union 232
CA 94305-3005
650-723-2091
www.stanford.edu
60. If a man is tired of working indoors and wouldn't like to be too far away from his girl friend who studies at Simmons, which college will be choose?
A. Simmons. B. ST. Mary's C. Paul Smith's D. Northern.
61. If a girl wanted to learn modern science and she prefers to stay by the ocean or in the northeast, which college will like best?
A．Simmons. B. ST. Mary's. C. Paul Smith's. D. Northern.
62. If a man wishes to study business and in a non-state-run university, which of the following is her favorite?
A. Simmons. B. ST. Mary's. C. Paul Smith's D. Northern.
第三部分：阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）
第一节：（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30 分）
阅读下面的短文，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。
She was known to millions as the "Queen of Crime" or the "Duchess (女公爵) of death". But surprisingly, she hated violence and blood, and knew nothing of the weapons most often used in murder. "I don't think I dare look at a really horrible and damaged body." Agatha Christie once said.
But her pen dared travel where her eyes would not. In a 50-year writing career, Christie's murder stories made her the world's best-known mystery writer. She is outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare.
Her works have been turned into films and TV series, and a line of computer games is to be released over the next six years.
"My grandmother liked to use new ways to reach people who wanted to enjoy her work," said Christie's grandson, Mathew Pritchard. "Turning her stories into PC games allows us to introduce classic mysteries to new audiences."
Born in 1890 in England, Christie was educated at home and began her writing career while working as a nurse during World War I. She went on to produce 79 novels and numerous short stories, dying at the age of 86.
"With her knowledge of murder, Christie could have been a teacher at police academies," said one fan.
56. By saying "her pen dared travel where her eyes would not", the writer means
A. she would like to make a trip with her pen rather than other things
B. she couldn't live without her pen
C. she could describe anything with her pen that she would not like to face
D. she made up stories with her pen
57. By which means can't we learn the works of Christie?
A. Watching TV. B. Going to the cinema. C. Reading novels. D. Playing computer games.
58. Mathew Prichard's words suggest that _
A. Christie had been trying to write different stories in different styles
B. Christie was fond of changing styles while writing
C. Christie's works are short of audiences
D. People began to lose interest in Christie's works
59. The fifth paragraph mainly
A. tells us Christie is a productive writer B. gives us a brief introduction of Christie
C. tells us when Christie took up writing D. tells us why Christie was popular
CANBERRA(Reuters)—Australia’s kangaroos are genetically similar to humans and may have first evolved in China, Australian researchers said Tuesday.
Scientists said they had for the first time mapped the genetic code of the Australian marsupials(有袋类)and found much of it was similar to the genome for humans, the government backed Center of Excellence for Kangaroo Genomics said.
“There are a few differences, we have a few more of this, a few less of that, but they are the same genes and a lot of them are in the same order,”center Director Jenny Graves told reporters in Melbourne.
“We thought they’d be completely scrambled, but they’re not. There is great chunks of the human genome which is sitting right there in the kangaroo genome,” Graves said, according to AAP.
Humans and knagaroos last shared an ancestor at least 150 million years ago, the researchers found, while mice and humans separated and went in different ways from one another only 70 million years ago.
Kangaroos first evolved in China, but migrated across the America to Australia and Antarctica, they said.
“Kangaroos are hugely informative about what we were like 150 million years ago,” Graves said.
68.Where does the kangaroo first develop according the scientists?
A.In China. B.In America. C.In Australia. D.In Antarctica.
69.What does the passage mainly tell us?
A.How the Kangaroo first evolved. B.Kangaroo’ genetic code have been mapped.
C.Kangaroos’genes are close to humans’. D.Scientists did much research into Kangaroos.
70.What does the underlined word “scrambled” probably mean in the fourth paragraph?
A.Funny. B.Wrong. C.Curious. D.Right.
About a year ago, I went to stay at a Detroit hotel. I didn’t want to carry too much money with me, so I asked the desk clerk(职员) to put a hundred dollar bill in the safe for me.
The next morning, however, the clerk said that he knew nothing about my money. I didn’t have any proof(证据) that I had given the man the money. There was clearly nothing left to do but to go to the nearest lawyer.
The lawyer advised me to return to the hotel with him and give another hundred-dollar bill to the desk. So we did. An hour later, I went back to the desk and asked for my money. Since I had the lawyer as an eyewitness to the second hundred-dollar bill, the clerk could not say he knew nothing about it.
Another hour later, I put the second part of the lawyer’s plan into action. This time both the lawyer and I went to the hotel to ask for the hundred-dollar bill once again. And when the clerk insisted that he had given it to me, I said it was not true. The lawyer said to him, “ I saw this gentleman give you a hundred-dollar bill. If you don’t hand it in immediately, I will be forced to call the policeman.” The clerk realized he had been cheated, so he gave me back the first hundred-dollar bill.
“I don’t know how to thank you enough for getting my money back.” I said to the lawyer. And what do you suppose he answered? He said, “oh, don’t thank me. That will be one hundred dollars, please.”
64.What do you think a “safe” is?
A.a box to put money or other valuables in B.a desk at the checking counter
C.a drawer in which guests’ money is kept D.a public purse to put money in
65.The clerk finally returned my money to me because________.
A.the lawyer had seen everything B.he was afraid of going to prison
C.the bill was not real money D.I had called the police
66.Which of the following would be the best title for the story?
A.How I lost my money! B.Cheated by a clerk
C.Don’t believe in lawyers! D.At a Detroit hotel
67.How much did the author lose in all?
A.100 dollars. B.200 dollars. C.300 dollars. D.400 dollars.
My grandmother was from a town in Michigan. Summer after summer, I enjoyed staying with my grandparents as a young child. I was from the city and loved the small town they lived in. People knew everyone, their kids, their pets, their ancestors. The bond with them continued to grow as I grew and they got older. Grandma was always using her hands for something exciting. She would make little sandwiches and we’d have tea parties. She’d make beautiful quilts for each one. I remember the small thimble(顶针) she would use while doing her needle work.
A few years ago, when Grandma left this earth, I bid farewell to a loving grandmother. How quickly our lives can change. We had just had tea together a couple of months earlier, on her 91st birthday.
I missed her very much. On one particular birthday, when I was feeling a little low, something happened to make me feel like she was sharing that special day with me. I was arranging some colorful pillows that she had made, and suddenly I felt something inside one pillow. It was small and hard. I moved the object to a seam(接缝) that I carefully opened, and to my delight out came a tiny silver thimble! How happy I was to find something that had been a part of her. Not realizing it had fallen off her finger, I pictured her sewing it in that little pillow that I just happened to place on my bedspead that day. I carefully laid the thimble alongside the others I’ve collected over the years, where I could continue to see the gift God chose to reveal to me. What a precious memory of a very special lady who somehow, I knew, was laughing in delight at sewing her thimble inside my pillow.
I made some tea, using my best china, as Grandma always did, and enjoyed my tea and Grandma’s thimble. What a wonderful birthday that was!
60.The author liked staying with her grandparents because________.
A.they often bought her some gifts
B.she was curious about people and things there
C.she could have tea parties and eat sandwiches
D.she could learn to sew quilts
61.How did the author feel when she found the silver thimble?
A.Sad B.Proud C.Lucky D.Cheerful
62.It can be inferred from the passage that the silver thimble________.
A.was the item the author had been trying to find
B.was the most treasured possession of Grandma
C.was very precious to the author
D.was a birthday gift Grandma had given the author
63.What is the best title for the passage?
A.A little pillow B.Grandma’s silver thimble
C.My grandparents D.My childhood