Along the river banks of the Amazon and the Orinoco there lives a bird that swims before it can fly, flies like a fat chicken, eats green leaves, has the stomach of a cow and has claws (爪) on its wings when young. They build their homes about 4.6m above the river, an important feature (特征) for the safety of the young. It is called the hoatzin.
In appearance, the birds of both sexes look very much alike with brown on the back and cream and red on the underside. The head is small, with a large set of feathers on the top, bright red eyes, and blue skin. Its nearest relatives are the common birds, cuckoos. Its most striking feature, though, is only found in the young.
Baby hoatzins have a claw on the leading edge of each wing and another at the end of each wing tip. Using these four claws, together with the beak (喙), they can climb about in the bushes, looking very much like primitive（远古的） birds must have done. When the young hoatzins have learned to fly, they lose their claws.
During the drier months between December and March hoatzins fly about the forest in groups of 20 to 30 birds, but in April, when the rainy season begins, they collect together in smaller living units of two to seven birds for producing purposes.What is the text mainly about?
| A．Hoatzins in dry and rainy seasons. |
| B．The relatives and enemies of hoatzins. |
| C．Primitive birds and hoatzins of the Amazon. |
| D．The appearance and living habits of hoatzins. |
Young hoatzins are different from their parents in that____ ．
| A．they look like young cuckoos |
| B．they have claws on the wings |
| C．they eat a lot like a cow |
| D．they live on river banks |
What can we infer about primitive birds from the text?
| A．They had claws to help them climb. |
| B．They could fly long distances. |
| C．They had four wings like hoatzins. |
| D．They had a head with long feathers on the top. |
Why do hoatzins collect together in smaller groups when the rainy season comes?
| A．To find more food. |
| B．To protect themselves better. |
| C．To keep themselves warm. |
| D．To produce their young. |
Some people make you feel comfortable when they are around. You spend an hour with them and feel as if you have known them half your life. These people have something in common. And once we know what it is, we can try to do it ourselves.
How is it done? Here are several skills that good talkers have. If you follow the skills, they’ll help you put people at their ease, and make friends with them quickly.
First of all, good talkers ask questions. Almost anyone, no matter how shy he is, will answer a question. One well-known businesswoman says, “At business lunches, I always ask people what they did that morning. It’s a common question, but it will get things going.” From there you can move on to other matters—sometimes to really personal questions. And how he answers will let you know how far you can go.
Second, once good talkers have asked questions, they listen to the answers. This point seems clear, but it isn’t. Your questions should have a point and help to tell what sort of person you are talking to. And to find out, you really have to listen carefully and attentively.
Real listening at least means some things. First it means not to change the subject of conversation. If someone sticks to one topic, you can take it as a fact that he’s really interested in it. Real listening also means not just listening to words, but to tones of voice. If the voice sounds dull, then, it’s time for you to change the subject.
Finally, good talkers know well how to deal with the occasion of parting. If you’re saying good-bye, you may give him a firm handshake and say, “I’ve really enjoyed meeting you.” If you want to see that person again, don’t keep it a secret. Let people know what you feel, and they may walk away feeling as if they’ve known you half their life.
36. Asking questions might be a quite good and suitable way _______.
A. for you to make more and more new friends
B. to begin your business talks
C. to get the conversation going smoothly
D. for you to make a deep and lasting impression on others
37. After having asked somebody a question, it’ll be polite of you to _______.
A. make clear what kind of person he is
B. listen to his reply attentively
C. wait quietly and patiently for his answer
D. go on asking him more questions
38. Generally speaking, good talkers are persons who _______.
A. are good at making any topic interesting
B. never talk too much or too little
C. always speak in a gentle way
D. know how and when they should change the topic of the talk
39. If you really take delight in meeting someone again, _______.
A. you may take him as your lifelong trustworthy friend
B. it seems necessary for you to let him know it
C. it’s proper for you to give him a second handshake
D. it’ll be helpful for you to have further understanding of him
When I was a child ,I often dreamed of the time when I could leave home and escape to the city. We lived on a farm and, in the winter especially, we were quite cut off from the outside world. As soon as I left school, I packed my bags and moved to the capital . However, I soon discovered that city life has its problems too.
One big disadvantage is money----it costs so much to go out ,not to mention basics like food and housing. Another disadvantage is pollution. I suffer from asthma（哮喘）,and at times the air is so bad that I am afraid to go outside. Then there is the problem of traveling round. Although I have a car, I seldom use it because of the traffic jams. One choice is to go by bicycle, but that can be quite dangerous.
Of course there are advantages. First, there is so much to do in the city, whatever your tastes in culture or entertainment. Besides,there are wonderful jobs and greater chances of moving to a more important job or position. Finally,if you like shopping, the variety of goods is very surprising----and, what is more ,shops are often only a short walk away.
Is life better then, in the city? Perhaps it is, when you are in your teens or twenties, However,as you get older, and especially if you have small children, the peace of the countryside may seem preferable. I certainly hope to move back there soon.
1. What was the writer always thinking about when he was a child?
A. Staying on the farm B. Moving to the countryside
C. Leaving home for the city D. Running away from the school
2. Which of the following is true about the writer?
A. He is very old now B. He is in good health
C. He prefers driving a car D. He lives in the city now
3. In the passage ,the writer tries to ___________.
A. express his opinions about way of life
B. describe his life in the countryside
C. show an interest in the outside world
D. persuade the reader to live in the city
4. How is the passage mainly developed?
A. By inferringB. By comparing
C. By listing examples D. By giving explanations
| Part-time Front Desk Position Kirchoff, Inc, a book development company, is looking for a part-time front desk office worker. This position is perfect for a person who is cheerful, dependable, and pleasant to work with. Also , you should be able to welcome guests, redirect phone calls, and take messages. More importantly ,you call stay cool under pressure. You are expected to work 5:00—6:00 p.m. weekdays .You need to fill in some forms if you are interested. Forms can be collected at Kirchoff, Inc. 866 United Nations Plaza,#525 New York, NY 10017 |
| Important Points to Remember When Swimming Wait at least an hour after meals. Follow the advice of lifeguards. Don’t dive into unknown waters. Always swim in line with the shore Find out at the seaside when and where it is safe to swim Don’t use floating toys on the water. Wind can easily sweep them out to sea. Get out of the water if you feel tired or cold. Cold can kill even strong swimmers. Help Telephone :212—543—5902 Atlantic City Beach Office |
| _____________________________ Arrive on tine Introduce yourself in a polite manner Read company materials while you wait Listen Use body language to show interest Smile and nod to the interviewer Ask about the next thing you should do Thank the interviewer Write a thank-you letter to anyone you have spoken to . For more information, please visit jobweb. Com 368 Cooper Square, New York NY 10008 |
1. If you want to work in an office, where can you get the forms to fill in?
A. Website: jobweb. com.
B. Atlantic City Beach Office
C. 368 Cooper Square, New York, NY10008
D. 866 United Nations Plaza,#525,New York, Ny10017
2. What does a person need most to be fit for the one-hour weekday job?
A. He should be cheerful, dependable, and easy-going
B. He has to work from Monday to Friday
C. He can remain calm in a difficult situation
D. He can welcome guests and deal with phone calls
3. According to the above information, what is the right thing to do when you swim?
A. To keep close to the beach
B. To dive into unknown waters
C. To use floating toys on the water
D. To swim soon after lunch
4. The best title for the last piece of information would be _______________.
A. Tips on Showing Interest in a Job
B. Steps to a Successful Interview
C. Advice on Introducing Yourself Politely
D. Rules of Body Language in an Interview
The meaning of the word “volunteer” may be a little different in different countries, but it usually means “one who offers his or her services,” There are many different ways in which people can volunteer, such as taking care of sick people ,working in homes for homeless children, and picking up garbage(垃圾) from beaches and parks. Volunteers may work within their own countries or in other countries. They are often people with a strong wish to help those who are less fortunate than themselves. Volunteers don’t expect any kind of pay.
At the root of volunteering is the idea that one person may have the ability to offer services that can help other people. Tracy, a good friend of mine, however ,recently came back from India with a new idea of what being a volunteer means, She worked for two and a half weeks in one of Mother Teresa’s homes in Calcutta. The following is her story.
“I first heard about Mother Teresa in my high school . We watched a video about her work in India and all over the world. I was so moved by her spirit to help others and her endless love for every human being that after I graduated from high school , I too wanted to try her kind of work . So with two friends I flew to Calcutta for a few weeks”
“I was asked to work in a home for sick people . I helped wash clothes and sheets and pass out lunch. I also fed the people who were too weak to feed themselves and tried to cheer them up, I felt it was better to share with them than to think that I have helped them. To be honest, I don’t think I was helping very much . It was then that I realized that I had not really come to help, but to learn about and experience another culture that helped improve my own understanding of life and the world.”
1. According to the text, a volunteer refers to a person who __________.
A. is willing to help those in need without pay
B. can afford to travel to different places
C. has a strong wish to be successful
D. has made a big fortune in life
2. Tracy started her work as a volunteer___________.
A. after she met Mother Teresa B. after she finished high school
C. when she was touring Calcutta D. when she was working in a hospital
3. Why did Tracy choose to be a volunteer?
A. She liked to work with Mother Teresa
B. She had already had some experience
C. She was asked by Mother Teresa to do so
D. She wanted to follow Mother Teresa’s example
4. What is Tracy’s “new idea”(Paragraph2) of being a volunteer?
A. Going abroad to help the sick,
B. Working in Mother Teresa’s home
C. Doing simple things to help the poor
D. Improving oneself through helping others.
Domestic(驯养的) horses now pull ploughs, race in the Kentucky Derby, and carry police, But early horses weren’t tame(驯服的)enough to perform these kinds of tasks. Scientists think the first interactions ( 相互影响 interact交流。合作)humans had with horses were far different from those today.
Thousands of years ago, people killed the wild horses that lived around them for food. Over time ,people began to catch the animals and raise them. This was the first step in domestivation.
As people began to tame and ride horses, they chose to keep those animals that had more desirable（可取的） characteristics（特征）. For example, people may have chosen to keep horses that had a gentle personality so they could be ridden more easily. People who used horses to pull heavy loads would have chosen to keep stronger animals . Characteristics like strength are partly controlled by the animals’ genes（基因）。So as the domesticated horses reproduced, they passed the characteristics on to their young. Each new generation of horses would show more of these chosen characteristics.
Modern-day horse breeds（品种） come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. This variety didn’t exist in the horse population before domestication.The Shetland horse is one of the smallest breeds-----typically reaching only one meter tall. With short, strong legs, the animals were bred（繁殖） to pull coal out of mine shafts(矿井)with low ceilings. Huge horses like the Clydesdale came on the scene around 1700. People bred these heavy, tall horses to pull large vehicles used for carrying heavy loads.
The domestication of horses has had great effects on societies. For example , horses were important tools in the advancement of modern agriculture. Using them to pull ploughs and carry heavy loads allowed people to farm efficiently. Before they were able to ride horses, humans had to cross land on foot . Riding horses allowed people to travel far greater distances in much less time. That encouraged populations living in different areas to interact with one another. The new form of rapid transportation helped cultures spread around the world.
1. Before domestication horses were ______________.
A. caught for sports B. hunted for food
C. made to pull ploughs D. used to carry people
2. The author uses the Shetland horse as an example to show_____________.
A. it is smaller than the Clydesdale horse
B. horses used to have gentle personalities
C. some horses have better shapes than others
D. horses were of less variety before domestication
3. Horses contributed to the spread of culture by__________.
A. carrying heavy loads
B. changing farming methods
C. serving as a means of transport
D. advancing agriculture in different areas
4. The passage is mainly about____________.
A. why humans domesticated horses
B. how humans and horses needed each other
C. why horses came in different shapes and sizes
D. how human societies and horses influenced each other