You may have seen a talking parrot on a TV show, in a movie, or even in someone’s home. The parrot has learned to copy sounds that people make. Birds are not the only animals that can copy the noises they hear. Dolphins, bats, and some apes also copy sounds. Now we can add elephants to this list of copycats.
Dr. Joyce Poole is a zoologist. She studies the sounds of elephants. While she was in Kenya, she would hear strange noises made by Mlaika after sunset. Mlaika was a 10-year-old African elephant.
Mlaika lived near a highway. Dr. Poole says, “I could not tell the difference between Mlaika’s call and the distant truck noise.” She and other scientists studied Mlaika’s sounds. It turned out that Mlaika was copying the sounds of the trucks driving by. Why would Mlaika copy trucks that she heard going by on the highway? Animals that are able to copy sounds may enjoy practicing new sounds. When they are kept outside of their natural environment, they may copy unusual sounds. That may be why an elephant would copy the sound of a truck.
“Mlaika was not the only copycat elephant,” Dr. Poole says. Calimero is a 23-year-old male African elephant. He spent 18 years with two female Asian elephants. Asian elephants make chirping sounds (sounds made by birds) to talk with one another. African elephants usually do not make chirping sounds. But Calimero now does. He is copying his Asian elephant friends. Dr. Poole says that elephants need to form bonds with their family and friends. She says, “They make sounds to communicate with each other. When they are separated, they use sounds to keep in contact.”
Parrots, dolphins, humans, and elephants show that being a copycat is one way that animals and people make new friends and keep old ones.According to the passage, what does Mlaika copy?
| A．The sound of people. | B．The sound of trucks. |
| C．The sound of Calimero. | D．The sound of birds. |
Why is Calimero mentioned in the passage?
| A．To clarify the meaning of copycat elephants. |
| B．To show the cleverness of African elephants. |
| C．To add another example of copycat elephants. |
| D．To introduce a special life skill of Asian elephants. |
From paragraph 4, we can know________.
| A．how long it takes for an elephant to learn a new sound |
| B．why the African elephant can make chirping sounds |
| C．why the Asian elephants make noises after sunset |
| D．how Asian and African elephants are alike |
According to the passage, why do some animals like to be copycats?
| A．To keep in touch with nature. |
| B．To please people and other animals. |
| C．To make new friends and keep old ones. |
| D．To avoid the danger from the outside world. |
The British people are among the world’s greatest readers of newspapers．It’s been the custom ever since most people could read．
But why do people want to do nothing but read while traveling to work in a train? Perhaps they are tired, or else they sit behind a newspaper to shut themselves off from the world．All the same, most men would notice a woman struggling with a heavy case and jump up to help her and a pretty girl sitting opposite wouldn’t escape their attention either．In this case a paper is useful because they can have a good look at her from behind it without her knowing．Perhaps they do nothing but read．There are stories of girls and young men who met in the rush hours, got married, and went on traveling in the same train hand in hand．The main idea of this passage is that______．
| A．people in Britain are great newspaper readers |
| B．why people read newspaper when they travel by train |
| C．people do nothing but read in a train |
| D．when people go to work in a train, they do different things |
According to this passage, reading newspaper______．
| A．is a custom just among men who can read | B．is something the British do only traveling in a train |
| C．is a daily activity most people enjoy | D．can help people in many ways |
A man might be reading a newspaper in a train for the following reasons except that ______．
| A．he is trying to get some business news |
| B．he wants to have a rest |
| C．he hopes to escape the attention of a pretty girl |
| D．he doesn’t want to talk with other people around him |
The writer said that most men in the train would help a woman struggling with a heavy thing．The implication(含义) is that ______．
| A．It is interesting for a man to help a woman in trouble |
| B．it is considered a man’s duty to offer help to a woman in need |
| C．the woman is too weak to carry a heavy case |
| D．men are often more interested in other things than reading newspapers, especially when women are in trouble |
After years of hearing drivers complain about scratches (划痕) on their cars, Japan’s Nissan Motor Company has officially announced the next big thing--a paint that not only resists scratches and scrapes, but actually repairs itself within a few days.
The new material, developed by Nippon Paint Company, contains an elastic rubbery-like resin (弹性树脂) that is able to heal minor (较小的) marks caused by car wash equipment, parking lot encounters, road debris (石头碎片) or even on-purpose destruction.
The automaker admits its results vary depending on the temperature and the depth of the damage, but adds “this is the only paint like it in the world, and tests prove it works.”
Minor scratches, the most common type, are said to slowly fade over about a week. And once they’re gone, there is no trace (痕迹) that they were ever there.
The special paint is said to last for at least three years after it is first applied, but there is no word yet on whether more can be added after that period.
Nissan claims car washes are the worst offenders for this type of damage, accounting for at least 80 percent of all incidents.
But the complete auto-healing won’t come without scratching your wallet. The vehicle maker notes the special paint adds about $ 100 US to the price of a car.
It plans to use its new chemical mixture only on its X-Trail SUVs in Japan for now, as it looks for a more widespread presentation. And while plans to offer the feature overseas haven’t been made yet, if it’s a hit there, you can be almost sure market forces will drive it to these shores as well. From the article, we can find that_______.
| A．the paint has already been used on cars by now |
| B．the paint beats other products of its kind in its lengthy effect |
| C．car damage is mainly caused by scratches and scrapes |
| D．marketing this paint in Europe is not under way |
The paint used on cars can_________.
| A．last 3 years before it is re-applied again |
| B．fade only in a few days |
| C．help cars recover from minor paint damage |
| D．reduce car scrape incidents to 20 percent |
What does the underlined part refer to?
| A．Certain models of Nissan. | B．Name for one kind of paint. |
| C．Somewhere in Japan. | D．A word standing for a car-dealer store. |
What can be inferred from the article?
| A．The paint was developed by Nissan Motor Company. |
| B．The paint might work better in summer than in winter. |
| C．The mark on the car could disappear as soon as the paint is applied. |
| D．The paint is very popular in Japan. |
It was a hot summer day． My dad and I were getting ready to go out for a ride on the boat with my friend Katie and the dog when the phone call came, the call that made that bright, beautiful day a cold, dark, gloomy one．
I had just put on my suit, shorts, and tank top, and packed my bag with sunscreen and everything else I would need for the day． I ran into my parents’ room to find Dad． When I saw him on the phone, he was crying． I’d never seen my dad cry before． My heart sank． What possibly could have happened?
"Max, I’m so sorry," I heard him say． That’s when it hit me． I knew that Suzie had died． Max has been my dad’s best friend for years． Suzie, his daughter, had a rare disease that mainly affected her body． Her brain was OK． She knew what was going on; she knew that she had problems and was different from other kids． Once she told her dad that she wished she could die and be born in a different body． Yet although she couldn’t live a normal life ，she was still happy．
When Suzie and I were little, we spent quite a bit of time together． As we grew up, we grew apart． She lived in New York, and I lived in the Midwest． When Suzie was ten she had to live in a hospital in Virginia． About eight months before she died, Max gave us her number at the hospital and we talked at least twice a week until the end． Suzie was always so excited to talk to us and wanted to know every detail about my life． She wanted to know everything I did and every thing I ate． In a way, she lived through me．
After we found out about her death, we made our plans to go to New York for the funeral． When she was alive, I sent her a Beanie Baby and she sent one back to me． I had bought her another one but never had the chance to send it to her, so I took it to put in her casket（棺材）．
Her funeral was very different from any funeral I’d ever been to． After they lowered her casket, each one of us put a shovelful of dirt over her． I remember crying so hard, I felt weak． My cheeks burned from the tears． My whole body was shaking as I picked up the shovel, but I’m glad I did it．
When Suzie and I first started calling one another, I thought it would be more of a burden on me, but I was completely wrong． I learned so much from her． She gave me more than I could ever give to her． I will never forget her or the talks we had． I now know that I must never take anything for granted especially my health and the gift of life．What does the underlined part “In a way, she lived through me．” mean?
| A．Suzie got to know what life outside hospital was like by sharing my experience． |
| B．Suzie was financially dependent of me． |
| C．Suzie managed to pull through her illness with the help of my family． |
| D．Suzie was too weak to live her own life． |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
| A．Suzie was the only person helping the author with difficulties． |
| B．The author feared that she might also get the same disease as Suzie． |
| C．The author benefited a lot from talking on the phone with Suzie． |
| D．The author didn’t understand Suzie was her true friend until Suzie’s death． |
What is the most important lesson the author learned from Suzie’s death?
| A．Never let go of a friend even if you are apart． |
| B．Be thankful for what we have in our life． |
| C．Talking with a friend can cure your illness． |
| D．We can learn more from our friends than they do from us． |
In November of 2007, NBC Universal launched its first official Green Week． Throughout the week, NBC Universal presented over 150 hours of environmentally themed content across multiple platforms．
Now, NBC Universal is proud to present Green Week 2009． With a new theme and message of "Green Your Routine," Here at NBC and NB C．com we celebrate our talent in the "The More You Know" PSA campaign, presenting green-themed tips in several of our daytime life, among several other features here on the "Green Your Routine" site．
Fashion & Beauty
Throw a clothes swap party! Dying for that sweater your friend wore the other day? Well, maybe she’ll trade for that old T-shirt you have． Here’s a website that helps you organize a swap party （www．swapstyle．com）, or just plan your own!
Go natural with organic make-up． Applying unnatural products directly on your skin wasn’t exactly what nature intended． Try switching to a line of organic make-up and cosmetics for a different way to bring out your natural beauty．
Home
Drop a brick in your toilet tank! Literally! According to the EPA, flushing（冲洗）makes up 30 percent of a household’s water use （about three to six gallons per flush）． By placing a brick in your toilet tank, you can help to conserve the amount of water used during each flush．
Work
Print smarter． Printing and copying can be one of the most costly operations in any office． To save on ink and paper costs, print double-sided and try to fit more than one page on a sheet． More printing tips can be found here: lifehacker．com
Turn off your computer． Do you leave your computer on overnight? If so, you’re using up a good amount of electricity． When you can, try turning off your computer and the power strip it’s connected to． If you can’t, at least shut off your monitor．
Transportation
Organize a carpool． There are many benefits to carpooling（拼车）． You save on gas, reduce wear and tear on your car, and you get to ride in the HOV lanes． Get connected with your neighbors and co-workers to start sharing rides and check out this website for more tips: www．erideshare．com．
Lose the car, get a bike． If you live close to where you work, try taking a bike instead of driving． You’ll keep in shape and save on gas!
Every small step and effort makes a difference! Be sure to GREEN YOUR ROUTINE! NBC Universal holds Green Week activities ___________．
| A．in a university | B．in a park |
| C．in an office | D．on the internet |
This year, Green Week welcomes ____________．
| A．advice on how to improve the website |
| B．suggestions about how to make their activities more interesting |
| C．tips on what to do to make our life greener |
| D．opinions on whether we should have campaigns |
If you want to carpool with somebody, you can find more advice and information at______．
A． www．swapstyle．com
B． www．erideshare．com
C． www． lifehacker．com
D． www． NBC．comWhich is NOT recommended by Green Week this year?
| A．Using things like cucumbers to beautify your skin． |
| B．Reducing the room of your toilet tank to save water when flushing． |
| C．Giving away your old clothes to those in need of them． |
| D．Printing and using computers in an economical way． |
Motorists over the age of 75 face compulsory tests of their eyesight and ability to drive under proposals being considered by ministers．
The biggest overhaul of motoring law in a generation could also lead to all drivers having to give assurances（保证） of their fitness to get behind the wheel every 10 years．
Other changes under consideration include issuing（发放） daylight driving licenses for motorists with night blindness, together with stricter checks on all drivers whose medical condition brought a threat to other road users．
It is understood that the proposals will be part of a review of the law governing the medical fitness of drivers that will be announced publicly by the summer．
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is dealing with a rising number of motorists who are concerned that they have conditions---from failing eyesight to epilepsy---that could affect their driving．
In 2006, the DVLA dealt with 600,000 motorists whose physical ability to drive needed to be recertified（重新认证）, a 20 per cent rise on the previous year． With an ageing population, the biggest challenge is dealing with the rising number of elderly motorists． By 2021, there will be an estimated three million drivers over the age of 70 on Britain’s roads．
Drivers must renew their licenses at the age of 70 and every three years thereafter． The applicant is legally required to tell the DVLA of any conditions that could weaken their ability behind the wheel．
Ministers have ruled out a compulsory maximum age for driving but will instead rely on tightening up the checks on motorists over the age of 75． The most likely option would be tests to ensure motorists were fit to drive． They would include an eyesight test and a cognitive（认知） test that would prove a driver’s ability to react to road signs, driving conditions, pedestrians and vehicles．
However, checks are likely to be tightened at all ages． The strictest controls are expected to be imposed（强制） on motorists of any age who have had a heart attack or stroke． They could have to produce a doctor’s approval to resume（重新得到） driving． Anyone making a false declaration would be guilty of a criminal offence． Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The new motoring law will come into effect by the summer． |
| B．Drivers over the age of 75 must renew their licenses every three years． |
| C．Doctors will decide whether one can get their driving licenses． |
| D．Drivers at all ages will be expected to provide their medical condition． |
What is the biggest challenge to the traffic safety in Britain according to the writer?
| A．Ageing population． |
| B．Increasing number of cars． |
| C．Increasing number of elderly motorists． |
| D．Driving conditions． |
The underlined word “overhaul” in Paragraph 2 means _______．
| A．change | B．consideration | C．concern | D．challenge |
What can be learned from the passage?
| A．There will be more and more aged drivers in Britain． |
| B．Anyone can get a driving license as long as he/she is in good health． |
| C．Health tends to decline as one gets old． |
| D．It will be guilty to make a false declaration． |