Etymology, the study of words and word roots, may sound like the kind of thing done by boring librarians in small, dusty rooms．Yet etymologists actually have a uniquely interesting job．They are in many ways just like archaeologists (考古学家) digging up the physical history of people and events．The special aspect of etymology is that it digs up history, so to speak, through the words and phrases that are left behind．
The English language, in particular, is a great field to explore history through words. As a language, English has an extraordinary number of words．This is partly due to its ability to adapt foreign words so readily．For example, "English" words such as kindergarten (from German), croissant (from French), and cheetah (from Hindi) have become part of the language with little or no change from their original sounds and spellings. So English-language etymologists have a vast world of words to explore．
Another enjoyable thing about etymology for most word experts is solving word mysteries(谜)．No, etymologists do not go around solving murders, like the great detective Sherlock Holmes．What these word experts solve are mysterious origins of some of our most common words
One of the biggest questions English language experts have pursued is how English came to have the phrase OK．Though it is one of the most commonly used expressions, its exact beginning is a puzzle even to this day．Even its spelling is not entirely consistent-unless you spell it Okay, it is hard even to call it a word．
Etymologists have been able to narrow OK’s origin down to a likely, although not certain, source(来源)．It became widely used around the time of Martin Van Buren's run for president in 1840. His nickname was Old Kinderhook. What troubles word experts about this explanation is that the phrase appeared in some newspapers before Van Buren became well known．It is likely that Van Buren could be called its primary source Etymologists will doubtlessly keep searching for the initial source．However, it is clear that OK’s popularity and reputation have topped those of the American president to whom it has been most clearly linked．The author mentions the words like "croissant" in Paragraph 2 to indicate________．
| A．words have changed a lot in the two languages |
| B．what English-language etymologists are exploring now |
| C．English has absorbed many words from other foreign languages |
| D．the English vocabulary is difficult to the non-English-speaking people |
The underlined word "pursued" in Paragraph 4 means___________．
| A．looked upon | B．dug up | C．put in | D．set down |
We can learn from the passage that etymologists_______．
| A．discover the possible origin of words |
| B．help detectives to solve mysterious murders |
| C．write interesting stories for some newspapers |
| D．explore the English language as well as the recent events |
What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To present the history of English words. |
| B．To explain the procedure of an etymologist's job. |
| C．To introduce the pleasure of the study of words and word roots． |
| D．To teach readers how to distinguish English and non-English words |
An ichthyologist is a scientist who studies fish. Most people who do this job say they love their work because it is very rewarding and varied. They work not only inside a laboratory, but also out in the field. Fieldwork includes traveling to rivers, oceans and lakes in order to collect information and specimens（样本）, Reading, writing and speaking are also very important to the job. Fish scientists need to read the research of other scientists. They must he able to write up their own research clearly so that others can follow it. They also need to be able to give lectures about their findings, so that they can spread knowledge.
Ichthyologists who wish to specialize can choose any one of three areas of study. The first area is aquaculture (水产养殖). This involves the study and practice of fish farming and management. Because it is a rather new study, there are very few job opportunities available. However, as there is so much to discover, many see it as an exciting area for a new ichthyologist to enter. The second area is fisheries science, which means working with a team of scientists to find out more about different fish species. The third area is about the protection of natural fish populations. This is very important today, given that many fish species are in danger of dying out because of the actions of humans.
To become a successful fish scientist, you need to have a curious mind and be able to work on your own. You also need to be able to handle equipment and perform experiments; but most importantly, you must love fish. To become an ichthyologist, you will need to train at a university to pass a Bachelor of Science degree. For this, you will need to be good at mathematics, physical science and biology. Then, you will need to study for another year to complete an honours degree in ichthyology. This honours degree contains coursework about all aspects of fish. You also need to complete a research paper.
68. What makes the jobs of ichthyologists so varied?
A. They study fish habits and collect information.
B. They have to study science and mathematics.
C. They work in fields as well as in laboratories.
D. They read research papers written by others.
69. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A. An ichthyologist has an interesting and varied profession.
B. Aquaculture is the study of fish protection.
C. The life of an ichthyologist can involve lots of travel.
D. A fish scientist needs to be independent and curious about things.
70. Who is most likely to become an ichthyologist?
A. Tom, because he likes fishing and outdoor sports.
B. Jack, because he likes to travel and read adventure books.
C. Jenny, because she likes science, mathematics and reading about dinosaurs.
D. Jane, because she likes mathematics, science, biology and searching rock-pools.
71. The passage is probably written for .
A. university students B. science researchers
C. fisheries experts D. fish farmers
The discovery of a dwarfed (矮个的)”human being” who lived in Flores .Indonesia, up to 18,000 years ago is changing the way we think about the human family .This “Flores Human”was three foot tall and her brain was smaller than that of the average chimp (黑猩猩),yet she and her relatives apparently lived fully human lives.They seem to have made tools ,worked together to find food and cook it,and perhaps even buried their dead with ceremony.
It was a major surprise to find tools associated with the new human family member .The tools are like those formerly seen only with European fossils (化石)from our own species;Homo sapiens (智人)；and the oldest of them were made 94,000 years ago .Homo sapiens is thought to have arrived in the island about 40,000 years ago ,much too late to be responsible for the tools .If this tiny human made the tools ,them the inside structure (结构)of its brain must have been more like our own than a chimp’s ,despite being just a third the size of ours.
This “new human” was suspected to be a dwarfed branch of Homo erectus (直立人).When creatures are separated in regions with rare resources but few enemies,being big is a disadvantage, and evolution tends to shrink them, a process known as island dwarfing.Could natural selection make a human smaller while keeping — even improving — mental ability ?Quite possibly, believes Christopher Wills of the University of California.
Has the “Flores Human” even shown the ability of language? “I find it difficult to imagine that people could make tools，use fire ,and kill large animals without fairly advanced communication.” Wills says .Did “Flores Human” possess the basic components of human culture — such as the burying of the dead with ceremony ? Emiliano Bruner of the Italian Institute points out that Indonesia’s hot, wet environment is bad for fossilization.It is reasonable to assume , he says ,that the 18,000-year-old bones of the most complete Flores woman were well-preserved because she was buried with special care.
67.According to the passage , “Flores Human”______.
A.lived a partly human life B.was a branch of Homo sapiens
C.used tools before Homo sapiens arrived D.had a brain as a common chimp’s
68.The underlined part “this tiny human”in Paragraph 2 refers to _______.
A.a chimp . B.Flores Human C.Homo sapiens D.Homo erectus
69.This passage mainly talks about______.
A.the tools made by “Flores Human” B.the language used by “Flores Human”
C.the evolution of “Flores Human” D. the major surprising findings about “Flores Human”
70.According to the passage ,it is believed that “Flores Human”_______.
A.was dwarfed by its enemies B.could use language
C.left a lot of fossils in hot and wet enviroment D.reached Flores 40,000 years ago
The coyote(丛林狼)that clever animal of wide-open spaces,has come to the nation’s captial.In fact ,coyotes have spread to every corner of the United States,changing their behaviors to fit new environments and causing researchers to deal with a troublesome new kind of creature:the city coyote.
The coyote originally lived in the middle of the continent.One of its most obvious characters is its smartness, which has made the animal a notorious（臭名昭著的）pest.Hunters trapped,shot and poisoned more than a million coyotes in the 1900s.It’s still one of America’s most hunted animals. Yet the coyote has survived.How has the coyote shown this extraordinary ability? “I guess if you wanted to use one word,it’d be ‘plasticity’. ”says Erie Gese,an expert at Utah State University. Coyotes can live alone, in pairs, or in large packs like wolves,hunt at night or during the day , occupy a small region or an area up to 40 square miles;and live on all sorts of food,from lizards（蜥蜴）and shoes, to ants and melons.
Unbelievably people helped coyotes increase when they killed most of the wolves in the United States. The spreading of coyotes into city areas,though.is recent.They travel at night,crossing sidewalks and bridges.running along roads and ducking into culverts （钻入涵洞）and underpassces .No one knows why coyotes are moving into cities, but experts explain that cleverer, more human-tolerant（不怕人的）coyotes are teaching urban survival skills to new generations.
Occasionally. coyotes might attack human beings. There have been about 160 attacks on people in recent years Therefore, people have been consistently told not to feed coyotes or leave pet food unsecured. That ,plus a large trapping program in the neighborhood, has cut down on the coyote population.
63.The underlined word “plasticity”in Paragraph 2 refers to____________.
A.the ability to fit the environment B.notorious smartness
C.hunting ability D.being human-tolerant
64.The aim of the passage is to_____________.
A.tell people how to fight against coyotes
B.tell us why the coyote is the most hunted animal
C.supply the reason why the coyote is a kind of motorious pest
D.explain how the coyote has spread to and survived in cities
65.According to the passage, coyotes__________.
A.originally lived in the west of the continent
B.sleep during the day but look for food at night
C.are teaching survival skills to their younger generations
D.suffered a population decrease because people killed wolves
66.According to the passage,to cut down on the coyote population, people are advised to_______.
A.leave pet food secured B.keep coyotes in small regions
C.force coyotes to live alone D.avoid using trapping programs
As skies are filled with millions of migrating(迁徙)birds, European scientists say the seasonal wonder appears to be strange: The fatter the bird, the better it flies.
The results of their study led to a theory opposite to a central one of aerodynamics(空气动力学), which says that the power needed to fly increases with weight.
For birds, obviously, the cost of flying with heavy fat is much smaller than we used to think. Researchers found that red knot wading birds double their normal body weight of 100 grams before making their twice-a-year nonstop flight between the British Isles and the Russian Arctic. Distance: 5, 000 kilometers.
Another study in the magazine Nature measured the advantage of flying in an aerodynamic group which allows birds to save energy by flying smoothly and quietly in the lead bird’s air stream.
Flying in groups, their heart rates were 14.5 percent lower than flying alone, according to Henri, a French scientist. The findings help explain how birds complete difficult migrations. Researchers had thought that thinner, stronger birds would have the best chance to survive.
The first study suggests that building up fat to be burnt as fuel during the migration is worth more than the energy it takes to carry the additional weight.
In the study, researchers said their team studied the birds flown at different body weights during 28 simulated(模拟的)flights. They forced a small amount of special water into the birds’ bodies so that they could measure the amount of energy burnt during the flight.
60.A red knot wading bird of 100 grams will probably weigh_____before making its nonstop migrating flight.
A.50 grams B.100 grams C.150 grams D.200 grams
61.During their migrating flight, red knot wading birds can save energy by flying_______.
A.separately B.alone C.in groups D.in pairs
62.A_______red not wading bird has a better chance to survive during its migrating flight.
A.stronger B.weaker C.thinnerD.fatter
63.The best title for this passage may probably be________.
A.Birds Thin Down For Journey B.Birds Fatten Up For Journey
C.How Birds Build Up Fat For Journey D.How Birds Burn Energy For Journey
A new eight-kilometer road is under construction that links the port area with motorway system. It is expected to carry 20,000 trucks and cars a day, which greatly reduces the overcrowded traffic in the center of the city. As part of the project, two four-kilometer road tunnels are being built below the central area of the city, one for traffic to the north and the other for the traffic to the south. The two tunnels are about 20 meters below the surface and are 12 meters wide, providing for two lanes of traffic in each direction.
In the upper part of the tunnel two air-conditioning pipes remove the waste gas of trucks and cars and keep the quality of air inside the tunnel. The lighting is at the top of the tunnel, practically at its highest point. There will also be electric signs at frequent intervals. They show traffic conditions ahead and can be seen clearly by drivers. The wall is made up of four main elements, which include a waterproofing covering and, on the inside of the tunnel, a concrete lining（混凝土衬砌）.
Each tunnel is roughly round and the lower part of the tunnel is somewhat flat. The surface of the road lies on the base, which is made of concrete and steel. The drainage system, just below the road surface on one side, removes any extra liquid, particularly water. In the event of fire, the fire main, which is made of steel, pipes water to many fire hydrant stations at regular intervals along the length of the tunnel. The fire main is at the side of the tunnel and at the level of the road surface. Other systems in the tunnel will include emergency phones.
72. Each of the tunnels under construction is _____.
A. eight kilometers long and twenty meters wide B. eight kilometers long and six meters wide
C. four kilometers long and twenty meters wide D. four kilometers long and six meters wide
73. Which part of the tunnel in the diagram is used to pipe out extra water?
A. 1B. 3 C. 5D 6
74. Driving in the tunnel, one can know the traffic conditions ahead through______.
A. the lightsB. the electric signs
C. the trucks and the carsD. the emergency phones
75. The passage is mainly about _____.
A. the construction of a road B. the design of a road
C. the construction of two tunnels D.the design of two tunnels