What’s on Your Pet’s Mind? In 1977, Irene Pepperberg of Harvard University began studying what was on another creature’s mind by talking to it．Her first experiments began with Alex．Alex was a one year old African grey parrot and Irene taught him to produce the sounds of the English language．“I thought if he learned to communicate, I could ask him questions about how he sees the world.”
At the time, most scientists didn’t believe animals had any thoughts．They thought animals were more like robots but didn’t have the ability to think or feel．Of course, if you own a pet you probably disagree．But it is the job of a scientist to prove this and nowadays more scientists accept that animals can think for themselves．
“That’s why I started my studies with Alex,” Irene said, “Some people actually called me crazy for trying this.”
Nowadays, we have more and more evidence that animals have all sorts of mental abilities．Sheep can recognize faces．Chimpanzees (黑猩猩) use a variety of tools and even use weapons to hunt．And Alex the parrot became a very good talker.
Thirty years after the Alex studies began．Irene was still giving him English lessons up until his recent death．For example, if Alex was hungry he could say “want grape”．Alex could count to six and was learning the sounds for seven and eight．“He has to hear the words over and over before he can correctly say them.” Irene said, after pronouncing “seven” for Alex a few times in a row．Alex could also tell the difference between colors, shapes, sizes, and materials (e.g．wood and metal)．Before he finally died, Alex managed to say “seven”.
Another famous pet that proved some animals have greater mental skills was a dog called Rico．He appeared on a German TV game show in 2011．Rico knew the names of 200 different toys and easily learned the names of new ones．When Rico became famous, many other dog owners wanted to show how clever their pets were．Another dog called Betsy could understand 300 words.
One theory for dogs’ ability to learn a language is that they have ben close companions to humans for many centuries and so their ability to understand us is constantly evolving (进化)．While animals can’t do what humans do yet, some scientists believe that examples like Alex and Rico prove that evolution develops intelligence, as well as physical appearance.
Irene wanted to find out __________.
| A．what a parrot thinks |
| B．why a parrot can speak |
| C．how parrots make sounds |
| D．if parrots speak English |
Alex learnt new words by __________.
| A．singing them |
| B．reading them |
| C．writing them |
| D．rehearing them |
The two dogs mentioned in the article could _______.
| A．understand some words |
| B．recognize strange voices |
| C．copy human gestures |
| D．tell different colors |
The article concludes that ___________.
| A．our pets understand what we say |
| B．dogs may speak to humans one day |
| C．humans are related to chimpanzees |
| D．mental ability can evolve in animals |
While considering the importance of education in the life of children, according to a recent survey on the net, most of the parents want to send their children to the best of the schools. There is no doubt that many schools must be located near to your neighborhood area that provides good education to your children.
However, you need to do a little research about the lessons of various schools so that you can be sure that your children are also following path as you have been since your childhood. Besides public and private schools, there are Christian schools that teach knowledge about Christianity along with the school lessons. A parent can compare between all the schools and their decision will depend entirely on their beliefs, thinking and neighborhood area.
The main focus of Christian schools is religion and you can send your children to such schools if you want to focus on religion in your child’s life. Every person has his own priority(优先考虑) and no one can force anyone with their own personal beliefs. If you feel that your child is not able to gain the right principles in other schools, then you can consider Christian schools for the right education of your children. There are Christian elementary schools that focus on reading, writing and arithmetic so as to strengthen the primary skills in children.
These schools take students from pre-school to high school to make them prepare for handling all types of situations in the future. So, use Internet to search a good school that help your child to have a better and brighter future.Parents who choose schools for their children mainly depend on the following factors EXCEPT_____.
| A．schools’ decision | B．their thinking |
| C．neighborhood area | D．their beliefs |
Christian schools differ from public and private schools in that _____.
| A．they offer free school lessons |
| B．they offer different school lessons |
| C．their main focus is religion |
| D．they offer a brighter future |
We can know Christian elementary schools _____.
| A．focus on religion only in students’ life |
| B．value the basic skills of children |
| C．allow students to have their own beliefs |
| D．are fit for all children |
The article is most likely to be taken from _____.
| A．a newspaper | B．a magazine |
| C．the Internet | D．a textbook |
So long as teachers fail to distinguish(区别) between teaching and learning, they will continue to try to do for children what only children can do for themselves. Teaching children to read is not passing reading on to them. It is certainly not endless hours spent in activities about reading. Douglas insists that “reading cannot be taught directly and schools should stop trying to do the impossible."
Teaching and learning are two entirely different processes. They differ in kind and function. The function of teaching is to create the conditions and the climate that will make it possible for children to devise the most efficient system for teaching themselves to read. Teaching is also public activity: It can be seen and observed.
Learning to read involves all that each individual does to make sense of the world of printed language. Almost all of it is private, for learning is an occupation of the mind, and that process is not open to public scrutiny(审查).
If teacher and learner roles are not interchangeable, what then can be done through teaching that will aid the child in the quest(探索) for knowledge? Smith has one principal rule for all teaching instructions. "Make learning to read easy, which means making reading a meaningful, enjoyable and frequent experience for children."
When the roles of teacher and learner are seen for what they are, and when both teacher and learner fulfill them correctly, then much of the pressure and feeling of failure for both is eliminated(消除). Learning to read is made easier when teachers create an environment where children are given the opportunity to solve the problem of learning to read by reading. The problem with the reading course as mentioned in the first paragraph is that____.
| A．it is one of the most difficult school courses |
| B．students spend endless hours in reading |
| C．reading tasks are assigned with little guidance |
| D．too much time is spent in teaching of reading |
The teaching of reading will be successful if ____.
| A．teachers can improve conditions at school for the students |
| B．teachers can enable students to develop their own way of reading |
| C．teachers can devise the most efficient system for reading |
| D．teachers can make their teaching activities observably |
According to the passage, learning to read will no longer be a difficult task when ____.
| A．children become highly motivated |
| B．teacher and learner roles are interchangeable |
| C．teaching helps children in the search for knowledge |
| D．reading enriches children’s experience |
The main idea of the passage is that ____.
| A．teachers should do as little as possible in helping students learn to read |
| B．teachers should encourage students to read as widely as possible |
| C．reading ability is something acquired rather than taught |
| D．reading is more complicated than generally believed |
OUR KIDS ARE AMAZING－especially compared with everybody else’s (who seem to cry all the time). How do you show your love for your kids this holiday season? With toys that are smooth and colorful, interactive and exciting. And with ones that have educational value－because you are the boss.
1. FLAX ART HOSPITAL PUZZLE AND PLAY SET
Here is a toy that doesn’t need power－and the bike have to put it together themselves. This 50 piece puzzle set is made of soft edged hardwood and makes a complete hospital, with an X ray room. It also includes eight patients, a car and a driver. $135; flaxart.com.
2. TINY LOVE ACTIVITY BALL
Sure, it’s cool, but this colorful baby toy also develops problem solving and motor skills. It has a head and legs, a magnetic(磁性的) hand and a tail. Suitable for little ones from 6 to 36 months. $19.95; tinylove.com.
3. ROBOSAPIEN
This small, remote control robot is really powerful. It performs 67 preprogrammed functions(功能), including throwing, kicking, picking up and dancing. You can even program your own function which, sadly, does not include doing windows. $99; robosapienonline.com.
4. MINI PEDAL CAR
Want a Mini Cooper but can’t fit the family inside? Get one for the kids. They can jump into this Mini car, which comes in hot orange with a single adjustable(可调的) seat, and ride away. But it could spoil them for that used car they’ll be driving when they turn 16．For ages 3 to 5．$189; minus A. com (click on “gear up,” then “Mini motoring gear”).Which toy is said to have the special design for children’s safety?
| A．ROBOSAPIEN |
| B．MINI PEDAL CAR |
| C．FLAX ART HOSPITAL PUZZLE AND PLAY SET |
| D．TINY LOVE ACTIVITY BALL |
Which toy are fit for three year old kids?
| A．1 and 3． | B．2 and 4． | C．I and 2． | D．3 and 4． |
Educational value is mentioned in all the toys EXCETP _________.
| A．FLAX ART HOSPITAL PUZZLE AND PLAY SET |
| B．TINY LVE ACTIVITY BALL |
| C．ROBOSAPIEN |
| D．MINI PEDAL CAR |
Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experience? Strangely enough, the answer to these questions is yes. To some extent our intelligence is given to us at birth, and no amount of education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus the limits of person's intelligence are fixed at birth, whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, now held by most experts, can be supported in a number of ways.
It is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence. Thus if we take two unrelated people at random from population, it is likely that their degree of intelligence will be completely different. If, on the other hand, we take two identical twins, they will very likely be as intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters, parents and children, usually have similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that intelligence depends on birth.
Imagine now that we take two identical twins and put them in different environments. We might send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory where the work is boring. We would soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates that environment as well as birth plays a part. This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who live in close contact with each other, but who are not related at all are likely to have similar degree of intelligence.Which of these sentences best describes the writer’s point in Paragraph 1?
| A．To some extent, intelligence is given at birth. |
| B．Intelligence is developed by the environment. |
| C．Some people are born clever and others born stupid. |
| D．Intelligence is fixed at birth, but is developed by the environment. |
It is suggested in this passage that_______.
| A．close relation usually have similar intelligence |
| B．unrelated people are not likely to have different intelligence |
| C．the closer the blood relationship between people, the more different they are likely to be in intelligence |
| D．people who live in close contact with each other are not likely to have similar degrees of intelligence |
The phrase “at random”(Line3, para.2) means _______ .
| A．purposely | B．frequently |
| C．aimlessly | D．independently |
The best title for this article would be_______.
| A．What Dose Intelligence Mean ? |
| B．On Intelligence |
| C．We Are Born with Intelligence |
| D．Environment Plays a Part in Developing Intelligence |
The new high speed railway line between Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur self-governing region, and Lanzhou, capital of Gansu province, has cut train travel time by half to less than 12 hours.
The dramatic improvement will benefit many families planning reunions for Spring Festival.
"For the first time, I feel home is not that far away after all," said Liang shaofu as he boarded a high speed train in Urumqi with six members of his family.
The 35 year old left Lanzhou to set up a dry fruit business in Xinjiang eight years ago, and he has now settled in Urumqi.
The 1,776 km line, which passes through Qinghai province and is the country's first high speed railway built in a high altitude region, came into service on Dec 26.
"We normally drive home for Spring Festival to avoid the difficulties of buying seven train tickets for the whole family during the peak season," Liang said. "Driving can be very tiring and dangerous sometimes, so one year we even decided not to go back to Lanzhou simply to avoid the trip.
More than 600,000 passengers traveled on the line during its first month, and the Urumqi Railway Bureau said the introduction of high speed services will ease transport pressure during the Spring Festival peak season.
The existing usual railway line could no longer support Xinjiang's development. All passenger trains will gradually shift to the new link, leaving the old one to be used for goods. As a result, Xinjiang's annual goods ability could reach 200 million metric tons from the current 70 million.
The line passes through areas that experience high winds, and it also crosses parts of the deserted Qinghai Tibet Plateau and the bone dry sands of the Gobi Desert.
The project could help China to promote its high speed railway technology abroad, said Ma Xizhang, director of the Lanzhou Xinjiang railway project's management department in Xinjiang. How long did it take to go from Urumqi to Lanzhou by the usual train before?
| A．about 12 hours. | B．About 6 hours. |
| C．About 18 hours. | D．About 24 hours. |
What’s the main advantage of the new high speed railway?
| A．It takes more time to go to Urumqi to Lanzhou. |
| B．It will be more convenient for people all over the country to Xinjiang. |
| C．All the people in Lanzhou can return home on festivals. |
| D．It helps to improve Xinjiang’s development. |
From the passage we can learn _______.
| A．Xinjiang’s annual goods ability can increase nearly four times |
| B．the new railway technology may help more railway lines to be built abroad |
| C．the high speed railway lines can’t be built across the bone dry sands |
| D．the old railway lines can only carry goods now |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．The new high speed railway line is good for all people to go home. |
| B．The new high speed railway line benefits businessmen to carry goods. |
| C．Taking the new train is safer than driving home from Urumqi to Lanzhou. |
| D．Businessmen seldom went home for Spring Festival before. |