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 |
Traveling without a map in different countries, I find out about different “styles” of directions every time I ask “How can I get to the post office?”
Foreign tourists are often confused in Japan because most streets there don’t have name signs; in Japan, people use landmarks in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, “Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop.”
People in Los Angeles, the US, have no idea of distance on the map: they measure distance by time, not miles. “How far away is the post office?” you ask. “Oh,” they answer, “it’s about five minutes from here.” You don’t understand completely, “Yes, but how many miles away is it, please?” To this question you won’t get an answer, because most probably they don’t know it themselves.
People in Greece sometimes do not even try to give directions because tourists seldom understand the Greek language. Instead, a Greek will often say, “Follow me.” Then he’ll lead you through the streets of the city to the post office.
Sometimes a person doesn’t know the answer to your question. What happens in the situation? A New Yorker might say, “Sorry, I have no idea.” But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers “I don’t know.” People there believe that “I don’t” is impolite. They usually give an answer, but often a wrong one. So a tourist can get lost very easily in Yucatan!
However, one thing will help you everywhere in the world. It’s body language.Which one of the followings is probably an example of Japanese directions?
| A．“Go south two miles. Turn west and then go another mile.” |
| B．“Turn right at the hospital and go past a school. The library is right in front of you.” |
| C．“The post office is about five minutes from here” |
| D．“The post office is at Street Kamira.” |
People in Los Angeles don’t give directions in miles because _________.
| A．they use landmarks in their directions instead of distance |
B．t hey prefer to lead you the way |
| C．they often have no idea of distance measured by miles |
| D．they prefer to use body language |
Greeks give directions by __________.
| A．using street names | B．using landmarks |
| C．leading people the way | D．giving people a wrong direction |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．There are different ways to give directions in different parts of the world. |
| B．People in Yucatan give wrong directions on purpose. |
| C．People in some places give directions using landmarks. |
| D．People in some places give directions in time. |
What does the writer want to tell us?
| A．It's difficult to travel without a map. |
| B．It's important to use body language when you are travelling. |
| C．In different countries, there are different styles of directions. |
| D．You can't trust everyone when you are travelling. |
While IQ (Intelligence Quotient) tells you how smart you are. EQ (Emotional Quotient) tells you how well yo
u use your smartness. Professor Salovery, the psychologist who created the term, EQ, says that it is IQ that gets you hired but it is EQ that gets you p
romoted.
Supported by his research, he suggested that when predicting future successes, a person’s brainpower, as measured by IQ tests, might actually matter less than a person’s character, or EQ. Professor Salovery may be correct. For example, have you ever wondered why some of the best and smartest students in your class end up failing exams? Perhaps it is because of their EQ. People often make the mistake of thinking that EQ is the opposite of IQ. It is not. Although it is hoped that people have both high EQs and IQs, there is little doubt that those with low EQs have a hard time surviving in life.
For a long time, researchers disc
ussed if a person’s IQ could be raised. The geneticists said no, while the social scientists said yes. Furthermore, the social scientists said that it was possible to improve a person’s EQ, particularly in terms of “people skills”, such as understanding and communication.
Recently, a professor released the findings of a study on senior high school students. When some normal students were introduced to some disabled students, they found that afterwards they were more willing to help people in difficulties. At the same time, there was a marked change in the disabled students’ attitudes. They became more positive about their disabilities and were more eager to try new things. People with high EQs often have positive attitudes towards life and are open to different ideas, so they tend to be more creative in their thinking. Please remember that having a high IQ is helpful but having a high EQ might even be more helpful. The second paragraph tells us that .
| A．people who have a high IQ always have a high EQ |
| B．EQ is the opposite of IQ |
| C．people who have a low EQ tend to have a hard life |
| D．people who have a high EQ always have a high IQ |
What did the professor find from his study of normal students being introduced to some disabled
children?
A．Students with disabilities were not  open in trying new things. |
| B．There was no change in the normal students. |
| C．The disabled students became more positive and more eager to try new things. |
| D．The disabled students were more willing to help others. |
Which of the following is the writer’s attitude toward EQ and IQ?
| A．IQ is more helpful to people than EQ. |
| B．IQ can be raised by understanding and communication. |
| C．EQ can get people hired. |
| D．A high EQ is of great benefit in getting people promoted. |
Which of the following would be the best t
itle of this passage?
| A．A person’s brainpower. | B．IQ, EQ and success. |
| C．IQ and a person’s character. | D．A person’s IQ and EQ. |
Early this month, on the Egyptian-Israeli border not far from her hometown, a series of bombings killed 35 people and injured more than 160. Despite the attack, life quickly returned to normal. Living under the threat of attack i
s normal
here.
Israel teenagers’ interests are not very different from others’. “Low-cut jeans（低腰牛仔裤）and miniskirts are very in,”said Hinanit, an 18-year-old teenager.
“You cannot let the fighting control what you do and don’t do. Of course I am scared sometimes, but I still go out and have fun. Yon always have to be careful, and things are probably more dangerous now, but I still love Israel. It is my home, and I would not leave it for anything!” Cohen said.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian boy named Bilal lies in a hospital bed, with his friends round, praying for his life. He has been in a coma（昏迷）since Israeli soldiers shot him on his way to school last month. In this recent military action, Israeli soldiers have killed at least 83 Palestinians, including 24 children.
Palestinian children lead a dangerous life under the watchful eyes of Israeli soldiers. Israel presents them as terrorists（恐怖分子）and faceless stone throwers. Many Palestinian children have been driven away from homes into crowded and hungry refugee camps with their families. “Even if we are surrounded by Israeli soldiers and have no food, we will stand and defend our country,” said Fatima Al-Aidi，a 13-year-old teenager, who lost a friend in Israel’s recent attack. “I hope to carry a lot of weapons and take my revenge（报复）one day. I hope the day comes when the enemy leaves Palestine.”The underlined sentence “Despite the attack, life quickly returned to normal” means “”.
A．Life has returned to normal as a result of the a ttack |
| B．Life remains normal even if there was an attack |
| C．Life has returned to normal, although there was an attack |
| D．If there is not the attack, life will return to normal |
Cohen’s words suggests that she .
| A．is living in horror | B．is peace-loving |
| C．wants to join the army | D．doesn’t let fighting change her life |
How does Israel think of Palestinian children? They are______
| A．lovely | B．smart | C．friendly | D．dangerous |
What can we learn from what Fatima Al-Aidi said?
| A．He was in poor health. |
| B．he hated Israeli soldiers. |
| C．He was eager to invent some other weapons to attack Israel. |
D．He wishes more hel p to be given. |
Well, Mrs Evans, I’ve done my best to look after David. I’ve tidied his room up every day, got him a meal together whenever he needed one and made sure he’s always had a clean shirt to put on. It’s not been easy, with two of my own to worry about, as well. David had the best of attention, I must say. But now because I asked him to give up bringing that American friend to his home he has got quite and unfriendly. He comes in at all hours and his behaviour—well, it’s quite hard to put up with—and it’s all because of this friend. I’m sure he’s a bad influence. You see, David is a visitor and doesn’t fully understand our ways.
He used to study most evenings. He’s got through quite a bit of work. He did up his room quite nicely, with bookshelves and large posters. He’d ask Mr Smith and me up for a drink and cheer us up with songs from his country. He’s very good at the guitar, you know.
I don’t want to appear as if I’m running after him, but it’s about time we made it up. I’m sure he’s upset because I blame him for that. It might be a good idea to take him out for a meal, perhaps even with his friend. I don’t know whether it will do any good but we can try. I’m glad I’ve had this little chat with you, Mrs Evans, and I’ll let you know how I get on.David is .
| A．Mrs Smith’s pet | B．Mrs Smith’s son |
| C．a visiting student | D．a singer |
Mrs. Smith wants to make up(化解) the quarrel by _______.
| A．cooking a meal | B．inviting David and his friend out |
| C．running after David | D．giving them drinks |
David’s present attitude to Mrs Smith is .
| A．very attentive | B．unfriendly | C．cheerful | D．excited |
Everyone knows the smart black-and-white dog that sits on top of a red doghouse with his best friend---a bird called Woodstock.
Created by the American cartoonist Charles Schulz in 1950, the clever dog is loved by generations of kids and adults. He speaks more than 20 languages and appears daily in 26,000 newspapers around the world.
When Snoopy first appeared, he was not different form other pet dogs. But two years later, he had begun to speak with simple words and sounds. By 1957 he could walk on two legs and was going to school with his master, Charlie Brown, who failed in just about everything. Later he learned to use the typewriter.
Snoopy has done lots of jobs. He has been a bow-tie wearing lawyer, a tennis player, an Olympic figure skater, a world famous grocery checkout clerk, a pilot and even the first astronaut on the moon.
However, Snoopy has always dreamed of being a famous writer. The
beginning of his story is always, “It was a dark and stormy night…” Unfortunately for him no one has ever wanted to publish the story.
In love, Snoopy is as much of a failure as Charlie Brown is at baseball. He easily falls in love but always has his heart broken. He eats to forget, but it never works.
Snoopy is an insightful, feel-good and sometimes sad dog. If you think a little about words, you might find them full of life lessons. Among his most famous lines are “To live is to dance, to dance is to live.” And “Yesterday I was a dog. Today I’m a dog. Tomorrow I’ll probably still be a dog. Sigh! There’s so little hope for advancement”. Snoopy has done all the following jobs except ____________.
| A．a lawyer | B．a player | C．a clerk | D．a writer |
From the passage, we can learn that _________.
| A．Snoopy is always a sad dog | B．Snoopy can not speak in the beginning |
| C．Snoopy often dreams of true love | D．Snoopy is a real smart pet dog |
It can be inferred that Snoopy ____________.
| A．has many bird friends and relatives | B．is a well-known writer and clerk |
| C．has been unfortunate since it was born | D．is very popular in the whole world |
The word “advancement” in the last paragraph probably means__________.
| A．success | B．progress | C．growth | D．popularity |