Yawning is so contagious(具有传染性) that chimpanzees can “catch” it from cartoons, according to research.
Scientists from Emory University in Atlanta, US, have discovered that a cartoon of a yawning chimp will stimulate(刺激) real chimps to yawn. They describe in the Royal Society journal, Proceedings B, how this could assist in the future study of empathy(移情作用). The work could also help explain if and how computer games might cause children to imitate what they see on screen.
Previous studies have already shown contagious yawning in chimpanzees—stimulated by video-recorded footage of yawns.
“We wanted to expand on that, “explained Matthew Campbell, a researcher from Emory University’s Yerkes National Primate Research Center and lead author of the study. “We’re interested in using cartoon for presenting stimuli to animals, because we can control all the features of what we show them,” he continued.
Although Dr. Campbell doesn’t think the chips were “fooled” by the cartoons into thinking they were looking at real chimps, he explained that there was evidence that chimpanzees “process animated (动画的) faces the same way they process photographs of faces”.
He said: “It’s not a real chimpanzee, but it kind of looks like a chimpanzee, and they’re responding to that.”
He and his team, including Devyn Carter who designed the cartoons, showed the animals the yawning sequences.
“We also had the cartoons doing other movements with their mouths that the chimps often do,’’ he said. “The chimps showed a lot more yawning during the yawn video when the control videos were playing.”
He told BBC News that the only way he and his colleagues could explain the “very strong difference” they saw was that seeing the yawns was making the animals yawn. According to the passage, the scientists have found that________.
| A．yawning is a contagious facial expression among chimps |
| B．chimps will imitate a cartoon chimp who is yawning |
| C．chimps are able to understand cartoons very well |
| D．chimps like watching cartoons very much |
According to the passage we can learn that_______.
| A．yawning on both cartoon videos and pictures can make chimps yawn |
| B．Devyn Carte led the study about contagious yawning[ |
| C．children will also be stimulated to yawn by the videos of chimps |
| D．people can control all the features of animals through cartoon |
By studying the action of chimps, the scientists hope to ________.
| A．teach them more body language of human beings |
| B．learn how chimps use their brains to study |
| C．control the actions and behaviors of animals |
| D．create more charming cartoon characters |
The passage is mainly talking about________.
| A．a serious research about chimps’ body language |
| B．those contagious gestures of animals |
| C．why children imitate what they see on TV |
| D．a study about chimps’ ability of imitating |
Edinburgh Zoo makes plans to bring a pair of giant pandas from China to Scotland. Representatives from Edinburgh Zoo have recently returned from China, where they signed a letter of intent (意向书) making a promise to bring giant pandas to the zoo.
It has been suggested that the breeding pair should be rented to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) for 10 years and it is hoped they would give birth to babies during that time. Edinburgh Zoo would be the eighth zoo in the West to care for the species if the project goes ahead.
Zoo chiefs said that looking after the endangered animals could benefit conservation. David Windmill, chief of RZSS, said, “It is an opportunity to work on a global level with other conservationists to gain a better understanding of the giant panda, the threats they face, and what we can do to ensure their survival.”
At present, there are currently only around 1,500 giant pandas in the wild. RZSS has been working on the project for almost a year, and hopes to have giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo by 2011, the year of the society’s centenary.
Mr. Windmill said that the project has received strong support from the UK and Scottish Governments and that this must continue if the zoo is to reach an agreement with the Chinese. As part of the proposed agreement with the Chinese government, Edinburgh Zoo will cooperate on research projects benefiting conservation in the wild.
RZSS will also provide considerable money to support giant panda conservation projects in the wild. Giant pandas live in a few mountain ranges in central China and feed almost wholly on bamboo, which makes up 99% of the their diet.
61. What result did zoo representatives get from China?
A. A breeding pair is on loan to RZSS for ten years.
B. China promised to sell two giant pandas before 2011.
C. They signed a letter of intent about giant pandas to be loaned to Edinburgh Zoo.
D. China promised to offer the money but not the experts for research into giant pandas.
62. If Edinburgh Zoo can borrow giant pandas, what will happen?
A. RZSS will celebrate its centenary in 2011.
B. Scotland will be the eighth country to have giant pandas.
C. RZSS will have a better understanding of living habits of giant pandas.
D. Edinburgh Zoo will be the eighth zoo to have Chinese pandas in the world.
63. The underlined part “the project” in Paragraph 4 refers to “__________”.
A. the celebration of RZSS’s centenary
B. introducing giant pandas to RZSS’s collection
C. the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland itself
D. borrowing giant pandas from China for conservation
64. At present what seems to be the key factor for giant pandas to successfully go to Edinburgh Zoo?
A. RZSS’s attitude. B. The Chinese government’s attitude.
C. Edinburgh Zoo’s support. D. The Scottish government’ attitude.
65. The best title for this passage would be “___________”.
A. Edinburgh Zoo expects giant pandas from China
B. Edinburgh Zoo does research into giant pandas
C. Scotland supports giant panda conservation
D. Giant pandas live happily at Edinburgh Zoo
Women might have a higher position at work, but at home their careers tend to give way to their husband’s job, with women most likely to quit when both are working long hours, according to a U．S．study．
Researcher Youngjoo Cha, from Cornell University, found that working women with a husband who worked 50 hours or more a week found themselves still doing most of the housework and the care giving and were more likely to end up quitting their jobs．
An analysis of 8,484 professional workers and 17,648 nonprofessionals from dual-earner （双职工） families showed that if women had a husband who worked 60 hours or more per week it increased the woman’s possibility of quitting her paid job by 42 percent．Cha said the possibility of quitting increased to 51 percent for professional women whose husbands work 60 hours or more per week, and for professional mothers the possibility they would quit their jobs jumped 112 percent．
However, it did not significantly affect a man’s possibility of quitting his job if his wife worked 60 hours or more per week, according to the study published in the American Sociological Review in April．For professional men, both parents and non-parents, the effects of a wife working long hours were negligible, according to the study．
“As long work-hours introduce conflict between work and family into many dual-earner families, couples often solve conflict in ways that prioritize husbands’ careers,” Cha, who used data from the U．S．Census Bureau, said in a statement．“This effect is magnified （突出） among workers in professional and managing occupations, where the criterion of overwork and the culture of looking after children tend to be strongest．The findings suggest that the popularity of overwork may lead many dual-earner couples to return to a traditional family pattern — breadwinning men and homemaking women．”
66．According to the text, we know that ______．
A．men prefer work long hours B．women prefer to work outside
C．men’s careers are unimportant D．women are more likely to quit jobs
67．The underlined word “negligible” in Paragraph 4 most probably means ______．
A．unimportant B．limited C．different D．obvious
68．Which statement is true according to the text?
A．When there’s conflict between work and family, a husband will give up his work．
B．Women may still do most of the housework and care for babies or children．
C．Professional women are more likely to quit the job than professional mothers．
D．A man’s chance of quitting jobs was influenced if his wife works long hours．
69．We can infer from the last sentence that ______．
A．all the workers pay more attention to looking after children
B．overwork may have no influence on dual-earner couples
C．traditionally, men usually worked to support the family
D．most dual-earner couples will return to a traditional family pattern
70．In which column of China Daily can you find this passage?
A．Health B．Life C．Sport D．Entertainment
①It’s “laughably absurd” on one blog and a “magical revolution” on another．Bloggers are talking about the same device—the Apple iPad, which hit store shelves last week．
②Tech-heads hate the iPad because it has many functions—you can e-mail, browse the Web, read books—but it has no specialty．There are other devices on the market that do all its functions faster, cheaper and more efficiently．Get a Blackberry to scan e-mails or any old laptop to access the Internet．
③This first version of the iPad lacks many basic features．Tech-heads dislike the device not because of what it offers, but because of what it doesn’t offer．It doesn’t have Flash, and it doesn’t have a camera．It can’t access many of the world’s mobile applications, and it has a very restricted apple store．Based on purely technological grounds, the iPad is said to lack more than it gives．
④But if you are not a crazy tech-head, and you love the iPod and iPhone, “this device is for you,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO．The iPad will take online activities truly mobile．It will allow you to read the news in bed, check a recipe in a busy kitchen or view a large-scale Google map．
⑤Perhaps most important to the masses, it is a traditional computer without trouble．There are wireless, but it’s totally mobile．You press a button and it comes on in seconds．To add a program, you just download it from the Internet．Since almost everyone uses a computer in the office or at school, the need for the traditional desktop model at home is disappearing．Slate Magazine’s Farhad Manjoo calls the iPad the perfect alternative to the home computer system．
⑥But no matter how you feel about the iPad, as a tech-head or an everyman, there’s no arguing with its appeal．Love it or hate it, the iPad sold over 600,000 units on its opening weekend, surpassing the iPhone’s record sales in 2007．
61．What can be the best title for the text?
A．Loving and hating the iPad B．An exciting invention
C．A home computer substitute D．The iPad—a wise choice
62．According to the text, which of the following is Not true of the iPad?
A．It can access the Internet． B．It is wireless but portable．
C．It can play any online video． D．It can help you scan e-mail．
63．Which of the following best shows the structure of the text?
64．Farhad Manjoo’s attitude towards the iPad might be that of ______．
A．doubt B．unconcern C．sympathy D．support
65．Tech-heads dislike the iPad because of ______．
A．its after-sale services B．its high price
C．its function shortagesD．its slow speed
Archaeologists believe they are on the turning point of throwing light on the life of William Shakespeare — by excavating （发掘） what may have been the playwright’s dust hole．
Experts have begun excavating the ruins of New Place, Shakespeare’s former home in Stratford-upon-Avon, which was destroyed 250 years ago．Although little remains of the property, the team, led by Birmingham Archaeology, believes it has identified a dust hole used by the 16th century poet．
Small pieces of pottery （陶瓷） and broken clay pipe have already been found from a muddy hole on the site, which they claim could yield some of the most significant discoveries about Shakespeare in decades．The dig focuses on three areas of the property, which Shakespeare bought in 1597 when he returned to his home town from London having achieved fame — including the so-called knot garden at the back of the building．
Dr Diana Owen, Director of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, which owns the site, said, “We do not know if the knot garden was an area used by Shakespeare — it may have been a yard simply used by his servants．But this could actually yield some fantastic results, especially if it was an area where rubbish was thrown or the dust hole was located．”
Kevin Colls, from Birmingham Archaeology, added, “Through documentary evidence we know Shakespeare lived at New Place but we have very little information regarding the layout （布局） of the house and gardens at this time．Through archaeological fieldwork, in particular the dig of structural remains and the recovery of artefacts, we hope to fill in the blanks．”
Until October, visitors will be able to watch archaeologists and volunteers at work as they excavate the remains of the house, which was knocked down in 1759．Experts hope to unearth evidence to support theories that Shakespeare wrote many of his most famous works at the property．
71．This excavation intends to ______．
A．know something about the playwright’s dust hole
B．search for some treasure in the dust hole
C．explore the life of William Shakespeare
D．find something that Shakespeare lost
72．New Place was destroyed in the ______ century．
A．15th B．16th C．17th D．18th
73．Small pieces of pottery and broken clay pipe on the site ______．
A．could show Shakespeare’s luxurious life
B．could lead to important discoveries about Shakespeare
C．could show us that Shakespeare lived at New Place
D．could prove when New Place was knocked down
74．The underlined phrase “the blanks” in Paragraph 5 refers to ______．
A．the ruins of New Place
B．the smallest pieces of broken pottery
C．three areas of the property
D．the layout of the house and gardens of New Place
75．What can we learn from the text?
A．Shakespeare used to live at New Place．
B．Shakespeare became famous after 1597．
C．Only his servants used the knot garden．
D．Dr Diana Owen owns Shakespeare’s property．
第三部分阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分, 满分40分）
阅读下列短文, 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。
Making greener choices and encouraging healthy lifestyles can promote your health and benefit the environment．Here are some guidelines to follow:
Choose foods thoughtfully
Americans have never had such a variety or abundance of food to choose from．Besides so many choices, we now hear about our “food print”, the amount of land needed to supply one person’s nutritional needs for a year．Do we buy cherry tomatoes from Mexico or tomatoes grown locally in a hothouse? Do we get the Granny Smiths from the farmers’ market or the supermarket? Is organic produce healthier for us and the planet?
These are very complex issues that require analysis of many criteria, including the energy used in producing and transporting the food, as well as the type of soil and methods of raising the food．
Despite the complexities, there are some general guidelines you can follow．For instance, eat less meat or eat low on the food chain．Your doctor may have recommended you to restrict your consumption of red meat because of its too much fat content．Beyond that, there are environmental reasons, too．Raising food animals contributes substantially to climate change because a meat-based diet requires more land, energy and water than a plant-based one．
Drinking plenty of fluids is significant during hot weather or when exercising．But is bottled water the way to go? You may not think so when seeing the true costs．Based on a survey, manufacturing the 30-plus billion plastic water bottles can produce more than 2．5 million tons of carbon dioxide and use three times the amount of water in the bottle．Adding in transportation, the energy used comes to over 50 million barrels of oil equivalent （等价物）．Consequently, skip the bottled water and drink tap water, both at home and at restaurants．Additionally, bottled water is not necessarily cleaner than tap．
56．In Paragraph 2 the author puts forward three questions mainly ______．
A．to prove Americans have less food to choose from
B．to show us the shopping habits of most Americans
C．to indicate Americans tend to buy food from abroad
D．to remind people to reconsider their food purchase
57．The doctor recommends eating less red meat partly because ______．
A．it contains too much fat
B．it costs a lot in transportation
C．it is too low on the food chain
D．it isn’t related to climate change
58．According to the text, which of the following is true?
A．Americans all prefer to buy cherry tomatoes from Mexico．
B．The plant-based diet is responsible for the climate change．
C．Americans have a variety of food to choose from．
D．Organic produce is the only choice for Americans．
59．Based on the last paragraph, we know that ______．
A．bottled water is cleaner than tap water
B．tap water is economical as well as eco-friendly
C．bottled water is more available than tap water
D．tap water uses one-third the cost of bottled water
60．What is the best subtitle for the last paragraph?
A．Skip bottled water, carry tap B．Drink bottled water
C．Produce plastic water bottles D．Save water resources