Winter begins in the north on December 22nd. People and animals have been doing what they always do to prepare for the colder months. Squirrels (松鼠), for example, have been busy gathering nuts from trees. Well, scientists have been busy gathering information about what the squirrels do with the food they collect.
They examined differences between red squirrels and gray squirrels in the American state of Indiana. The scientists wanted to know how these differences could affect the growth of black walnut (黑胡桃) trees. The black walnut is the nut of choice for both kinds of squirrels. The black walnut tree is also a central part of some hardwood forests.
Rob Swihart of Purdue University did the study with Jake Goheen, a former Purdue student now at the University of New Mexico. The two researchers estimate that several times as many walnuts grow when gathered by gray squirrels as compared to red squirrels. Gray squirrels and red squirrels do not store nuts and seeds in the same way. Gray squirrels bury nuts one at a time in a number of places. But they seldom remember where they buried every nut. So some nuts remain in the ground. Conditions are right for them to develop and grow the following spring. Red squirrels, however, store large groups of nuts above ground. Professor Swihart calls “death traps for seeds”.
Gray squirrels are native to Indiana. But Professor Swihart says their numbers began to decrease as more forests were cut for agriculture. Red squirrels began to spread through the state during the past century.
The researchers say red squirrels are native to forests that stay green all year, unlike walnut trees. They say the cleaning of forest land for agriculture has helped red squirrels invade Indiana. Jake Goheen calls them a sign of an environmental problem more than a cause.The study done by Rob Swihart and Jake Goheen is to ________.
| A．find out the living conditions for squirrels |
| B．learn squirrels’ influence on black walnut trees |
| C．do something to get rid of squirrels |
| D．save the forests in the American state of Indiana |
The difference between gray squirrels and red squirrels mainly lies in ________.
| A．the way they gather the walnut |
| B．the time they have winter sleep |
| C．the place they have winter sleep |
| D．the place they store the walnuts |
When Professor Swihart says “death traps for seeds”, he actually means that ________.
| A．red squirrels eat more nuts than gray squirrels |
| B．gray squirrels and red squirrels will have severe fights |
| C．nuts above the ground will not develop into plants |
| D．seeds can be traps for other animals in the forest |
According to the passage, which of the following is true?
| A．The black walnut is equally attractive to both gray and red squirrels. |
| B．Gray squirrels do more harm to the forest than red squirrels. |
| C．Red squirrels and gray squirrels have helped the spread of walnut trees. |
| D．The cleaning of forest land benefits red squirrels directly. |
More and more people are taking their iPads to bed with them to surf the web, check facebook or send e-mails before switching off the light. But researchers are warning that the blue light their screens give off can stop users getting a good night’s sleep. That is because this type of light is similar to daylight, convincing the brain that it is still daytime. Blue light prevents the production of a brain chemical called melatonin, which helps us fall asleep. By contrast, light which is more orange or red does not prevent melatonin production, perhaps because our brains recognize it as a cue that the day ends.
Scientists have known for years that staring at screens late in the evening can affect sleep ---- they are television screens, computer screens or mobile phone screens. However, because mobiles and iPads are by nature portable ---- not to say addictive ---- more people are taking them into the bedroom. Users also tend to hold them much closer to their eyes than a computer or television screen.
Researchers are warning that looking at iPad displays for more than two hours leads to lower natural melatonin levels as the devices give off blue light. They say, “Turning off the devices at night is the final solution. But if you have to use these devices at night, dim the display to cut down irritation of the eyes and limit the time you spend on them before bed.”
They wrote in the journal Applied Ergonomics(应用人类工程学) that iPad makers should adjust the spectral power distribution(光谱功率分布) of the devices so that they affect the sleep patterns of users less.
It is not just a good night’s sleep that could be harmed by too much late night screen time. Researchers know that long-term harm to sleep patterns can lead to an increased risk of obesity and even cancers.Blue light prevents iPad users from sleeping well because ____.
| A．it is the same as daylight which keeps people awake |
| B．it makes the brain more active |
| C．it is brighter than light that is more orange or red |
| D．it can help decrease the production of melatonin |
The underlined phrase “dim the display” means ____.
| A．keep away from the display |
| B．make the display less bright |
| C．clean the display carefully |
| D．turn off the display |
In the last paragraph, the author intends to ____.
| A．warn of the seriousness of long-term poor sleep |
| B．call on researchers to study sleep patterns |
| C．show the danger of obesity and cancers |
| D．show how sleep is harmed by using iPads too much |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Scientists are warning that blue light is bad for our health. |
| B．People should limit the use of electronic devices |
| C．Using iPads before bed can cause a poor night’s sleep. |
| D．Looking at screens of iPads increase chances of sleeplessness. |
When it comes to problem solving, many of us have heard of the skills of the crow (乌鸦) in Aesop’s Fables (《伊索寓言》).
In the story, a thirsty crow comes across a bottle of water, but the water level (水平面) is out of its reach. The bird then drops small stones into it until the water level rises enough for the bird to drink.
“Oh, it’s just a fable,” you may think. After all, it’s hard to imagine birds knowing about “problem solving”.
But new research has found that crows’ brains may sometimes be better than those of 6-year-old children.
In a recent experiment, US scientist Corina Logan and her team caught six crows to test them. There were two tubes (试管) of water, one wide and the other narrow (窄的). Each crow was given four stones, enough to help them get the water in the narrow tube, but not the wide one.
Surprisingly, the crows dropped all or most of the stones into the narrower tube and got the food reward! They had found out the cause-and-effect relationship.Using such brains, crows are making their lives easier. For example, some crows in cities have learned to use road traffic for breaking nuts, National Geographic News reported.
But how are their wits (智力) compared to humans’? Logan’s team did another experiment, this time on both crows and children.
Here, the crows and children had to choose between two sets of tubes.
With the red set, when they dropped a stone into a wide tube, the water level raised in a connected narrow tube that contained food.
The blue set of tubes, however, had no connection between them. So dropping a stone in the wide tube did not cause the water level to rise in the narrow tube.
Children aged 7 to 10 were able to learn the rule. Children aged 4 to 6, however, failed.
Five of the six crows failed the test. But Kitty, a 6-month-old crow, passed it. She put all or most of the stones into the red tube.
So, could a bird be more clever than a kindergartner? Don’t be too quick to say no.Why is Aesop’s Fables mentioned in the beginning of the article?
| A．To introduce the idea that crows are smart. |
| B．To show that fables about crows are wrong. |
| C．To explain why crows can solve problems. |
| D．To prove that crows can be better than babies at problem solving. |
What have Logan’s team found out from their recent experiments?
| A．Crows prefer to get their food reward from wider tubes. |
| B．Crows are able to understand or learn cause and effect relationships. |
| C．Crows can easily recognize the tubes with a food reward inside. |
| D．Some crows even make use of road traffic to help them break nuts. |
What can we learn from the experiment on crows and children?
| A．Five of the six crows threw stones into the red tube. |
| B．Children aged 6 did better than children aged 4. |
| C．One crow passed the test while the younger children didn’t. |
| D．Some crows proved to be more clever than children aged 10. |
Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson. And I learned it in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here’s what happened.
I got in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane (车道) when all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver used his brakes (车闸), the tires made a loud noise, and at the very last moment our car stopped just one inch (英寸) from the back of the other car.
I couldn’t believe it. But then I couldn’t believe what happened next. The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, turned his head around and he started yelling bad words at us. I couldn’t believe it!
And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call: “The Law of the Garbage Truck (垃圾车).” He said: But then here’s what really blew me away. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. So, I said: “Why did you just do that? This guy could have killed us!
“Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and
full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they look for a place to dump (倾倒) it. And if you let them, they’ll dump it on you.“So one day when someone wants to dump on you, don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Believe me. You’ll be happier.”
So I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the street? It was then that I said: “I don’t want their garbage and I’m not going to spread it anymore.”
I began to see Garbage Trucks. I see the load people are carrying. I see them coming to dump it. And like my taxi driver, I don’t take it personally. I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.What happened to the author on his way to Grand Central Station?
| A．He was caught in a traffic jam. |
| B．He had a fight with his taxi driver. |
| C．His taxi almost ran into another car. |
| D．His taxi suddenly got a flat tire (爆胎). |
When the author saw his taxi driver smile and wave at the driver of the black car, he _____.
| A．was deeply impressed |
| B．got very angry |
| C．felt quite disappointed |
| D．complimented him on his good manners |
What can we infer from Paragraph 6？
| A．The author used to have a lot of garbage trucks． |
| B．The author used to be a good manager． |
| C．The author used to have a lot of money． |
| D．The author used to complain a lot． |
How did the author learn to deal with Garbage Trucks?
| A．Fight back immediately. |
| B．Smile and move on. |
| C．Call the police for help. |
| D．Dump it on someone else |
One day a few years ago, a very funny thing happened to a neighbor of mine. He is a teacher at one of London’s medical schools. He had finished his teaching for the summer term and was at the airport on his way to Russia to give a lecture. He had put a few clothes and his lecture notes in his shoulder bag, but he had put Rupert, the skeleton(人体骨骼) to be used in his lecture, in a large brown suitcase(箱子). At the airport desk, he suddenly thought that he had forgotten to buy a newspaper. He left his suitcase near the desk and went over to the shop.
When he got back he discovered that someone had taken his suitcase by mistake. He often wonders what they said when they got home and found Rupert.Who wrote the story?
| A．The teacher’s neighbor |
| B．The neighbor’s teacher |
| C．A medical school teacher |
| D．Rupert’s teacher |
Why did the teacher put a skeleton in his suitcase?
| A．he needed it for the summer term in London |
| B．he wanted to take it home as he had finished his teaching |
| C．he wanted to take it to Russia for medical research |
| D．he needed it for the lecture he was going to give |
What happened at the airport?
| A．the teacher forgot his suitcase |
| B．The skeleton was stolen |
| C．the skeleton went missing |
| D．the teacher took the wrong suitcase |
Which of the following might have happened afterwards?
| A．the teacher got back Rupert but not the suitcase |
| B．the teacher got back neither the suitcase nor Rupert |
| C．the teacher got back the suitcase but not Rupert |
| D．the teacher got back both the suitcase and Rupert |
Teenagers are often a difficult group. With all those hormones（荷尔蒙） flooding their bodies, they can be moody, unpredictable, and tend to make uncertain choices. But however confusing their teenage years are, kids can still be generally happy, depending on their lifestyle choices. According to a new research by British scientists, teens who don’t smoke, drink only moderately or not at all, and who don’t eat much junk food are likely to be happier than other teens.
The study looked at 40,000 British families and came up with some interesting findings. For example, kids who never drank alcohol were up to six times more likely to report higher levels of happiness than kids who drank. And teens who smoked were five times less likely to rate high on happiness charts compared to kids who don’t smoke. Same goes for diet and physical activity. The more fruits and vegetables kids eat, and the more hours they spend playing sports, the happier they are.
Now, of course this doesn’t mean that not smoking or drinking, and playing sports guarantees happiness. It could be that kids who have happy character tend to be more active and less addicted to drinking or smoking. And it could equally be the case that kids who are unhappy are more related to drinking and smoking and eating junk food.
Other studies have shown that exercise is a proven way to treat anxiety and depression. Future studies may support the idea that other healthful behaviors, including refraining(克制) from smoking, drinking, and eating too much junk, can avoid sadness and increase happiness, too.What can we learn from the text?
| A．Not smoking or drinking guarantees happiness. |
| B．Teens with flooding hormones can not be happy. |
| C．Playing sports can decrease teen’s unhappiness. |
| D．Unhappiness can certainly result in smoking and drinking. |
Which of the following might help teens quit anxiety?
| A．Smoking and drinking. |
| B．Taking exercise. |
| C．Eating junk food. |
| D．Going on a diet. |
Which can be the best title for the text?
| A．Ways to treat anxiety and depression. |
| B．Exercise and teenagers’ health. |
| C．Teenagers shouldn’t drink or smoke. |
| D．Teenagers’ lifestyle and their happiness. |