American researchers found females are the more talkative sex because of a special “language protein” in the brain.
The study, conducted by neuroscientists(神经学家) and psychologist from the University of Maryland, concluded that women talked more because they had more of the Foxp2 protein．The research, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, found that higher levels were found among humans that were women but in rats that were males．Their findings came after it was previously claimed that ladies speak about 20,000 words a day – over 13,000 more than men．“This study is one of the first to report a sex difference in the expression of a language-associated protein in humans or animals,” said Prof Margaret McCarthy, who led the study．In their study, the researchers attempted to determine what might make male rats more vocal than their female friends．
They separated four-day-old rats from their mothers and then counted the number of times they cried out in the “ultrasonic（超声波的） range”, the frequencies higher than humans can hear, over five minutes．While both sexes called out hundreds of cries, the males called out twice as often, they found．But when the pups were returned to their mother’s cage, she fussed over her sons first．Tests conducted on the parts of the brain known to be associated with vocal calls showed the male pups have up to twice as much Foxp2 protein as the females．The researchers then increased the production in the brains of female pups and reduced it in males．This led to the female rats crying out more often and their mothers showing more interest to them．In contrast, males became less “talkative”.
The researchers then tested samples from ten children, aged between three and five, which showed that females had up to 30 per cent more of the Foxp2 protein than males, in a brain area key to language in humans.
“Based on our observations, we assume higher levels of Foxp2 in girls and higher levels of Foxp2 in male rats is an indication that Foxp2 protein levels are associated with the more communicative sex,” said Prof McCarthy.
“Our results imply Foxp2 as a component (成分)of the neurobiological basis of sex differences in vocal communication in mammals.”From the second paragraph, we can learn that ________.
| A．women always speak more words than men |
| B．men and male rats have low levels of language protein |
| C．women and male rats have similar levels of Foxp2 |
| D．McCarthy isn’t the first to find females more talkative |
The underlined phrase “fussed over” in the third paragraph probably means______.
| A．paid attention to |
| B．related to |
| C．put pressure on |
| D．counted on |
The researchers carried out the experiments on rats in order to _______.
| A．test which part of the brain is key to language in rats and humans |
| B．prove the levels of Foxp2 protein in humans and rats are different |
| C．determine the reason why female rats are more talkative than male rats |
| D．discover the association between Foxp2 protein and vocal communication |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Tests on humans and rats |
| B．Why women are the talkative sex |
| C．Sex differences in Foxp2 protein |
| D．Foxp2 protein determines oral ability |
Planning your holiday? Whether you’re going to Yunnan or UK, it’s important to make sure you’re well-prepared. Here’s a handy checklist to help you.
Location
The first thing you have to decide is where you want to go. Of course a lot will depend on your time and budget. Do you want to relax on a beach, visit some famous landmarks, or hike through some beautiful scenery? All these things are available in China, but if your budget stretches, why not look at somewhere else in Asia, or even farther.
Packing
There can be such a thing as being over prepared when traveling, but you don’t want to forget something important. It can be a good idea to wear pants with zipped pockets. In certain countries local thieves will target unsuspecting tourists for their money. It can also be worth packing some basic medical supplies. If you are going to be moving around a lot, buy a good backpack. Finally, remember to pack clothes that are going to be suitable for the weather.
Accommodation
There are several things to consider when picking where you want to stay. Location is often the most important. When staying in hotels, it is often a good idea to book your first night in a new city. After all, you will not be familiar with the surroundings and will want somewhere to leave your luggage. However, don’t spend more than a couple of days at the same hotel. When you get to a new place, you might soon discover there’s somewhere better to stay.
Don’t forget
The key to a good holiday is detail. When you’re traveling, especially in a foreign country, don’t forget to change some money before you leave. If you’re traveling somewhere tropical, you might need some injections or pills to avoid disease. And it’s always worth taking out travel insurance, just in case you find yourself in a spot of bother during the trip. Don’t forget to check the exchange rates. The strong yuan has made traveling abroad cheaper recently. It can also be a good idea to write down the phone number of the closest Chinese embassy, in case you need help while abroad.You have to take all the following into consideration EXCEPT _______ when deciding where to spend your holiday.
| A．culture | B．purpose | C．money | D．time |
Pants with zipped pockets are recommended mainly because _______.
| A．it’s a good measure in case of emergencies |
| B．you’ll be expected to buy a lot of souvenirs |
| C．you’ll carry many small things with you |
| D．it will help you guard against local theft |
As for accommodation, the writer’s tip is _______.
| A．to stay away from the downtown areas to get cheap places |
| B．to book one or two nights in the same hotel in case you don’t like it |
| C．to choose your location after you arrive at your destination |
| D．better not to leave your luggage in unfamiliar hotels |
It can be inferred from the last part that we should _______.
| A．choose the most suitable kind of travel insurance |
| B．use RMB in all foreign countries since the yuan is strong |
| C．check the exchange rates so as to decide what currency (货币) to buy |
| D．get in touch with Chinese embassy if we need help when abroad |
What’s the purpose of the passage?
| A．To attract the tourists to travel abroad. |
| B．To tell some travel information to tourists. |
| C．To help the tourists make good preparations for their holidays. |
| D．To remind tourists of the safety during their journey. |
When something goes wrong, it can be very satisfying to say, “Well, it’s so-and-so’s fault.” or “I know I’m late, but it’s not my fault; the car broke down.” It is probably not your fault, but once you form the habit of blaming somebody or something else for a bad situation, you are a loser. You have no power and could do nothing that helps change the situation. However, you can have great power over what happens to you if you stop focusing on whom to blame and start focusing on how to remedy the situation. This is the winner’s key to success.
Winners are great at overcoming problems. For example, if you were late because your car broke down, maybe you need to have your car examined more regularly. Or, you might start to carry along with you the useful phone numbers, so you could call for help when in need. For another example, if your colleague causes you problems on the job for lack of responsibility or ability, find ways of dealing with his irresponsibility or inability rather than simply blame the person. Ask to work with a different person, or don’t rely on this person. You should accept that the person is not reliable and find creative ways to work successfully regardless of how your colleague fails to do his job well.
Being a winner is all about creatively using your skills and talents so that you are successful no matter what happens. Winners don’t have fewer problems in their lives; they have just as many difficult situations to face as anybody else. They are just better at seeing those problems as challenges and opportunities to develop their own talents. So, stop focusing on “whose fault it is.” Once you are confident about your power over bad situations, problems are just stepping stones for success.According to the passage, winners .
| A．deal with problems rather than blame others |
| B．meet with fewer difficulties in their lives |
| C．have responsible and able colleagues |
| D．blame themselves rather than others |
The underlined word remedy in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to .
| A．avoid | B．accept | C．improve | D．consider |
When your colleague brings about a problem, you should .
| A．blame him for his lack of responsibility |
| B．find a better way to handle the problem |
| C．tell him to find the cause of the problem |
| D．ask a more able colleague for help |
When problems occur, winners take them as .
| A．excuses for their failures |
| B．barriers to greater power |
| C．challenges to their colleagues |
| D．chances for self-development |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．A Winner’s Secret | B．A Winner’s Problem |
| C．A Winner’s Opportunity | D．A Winner’s Achievement |
Homesick is a compound word made up of HOME and SICK. You know what each word means on its own, of course. But think about what the words mean when they are used together. Homesick means SICK FOR HOME.
Now think for a minute about SEASICK. If you change the word home in the definition(释义)to the word sea, would the definition fit SEASICK? Seasick means SICK BY THE MOVEMENT ON THE SEA. When you are homesick ,the only place you want to be is at home. When you are seasick, the last place you want to be is at sea.
Have you ever heard of a person being heartsick? Heartsick doesn’t mean that something is wrong with a person’s heart. people are heartsick when they are hurt deep inside and when they feel as if their hearts are broken.
But, on the other hand, we have such compound words as handshake, handstand, and handbag. Perhaps you may write definitions for them.The word SEASICK means“______”.
| A．to be eager to go to the sea | B．what has nothing to do with the sea |
| C．to be sick because of the sea | D．that the sea is terrible |
When we say a person is heartsick, we mean that________.
| A．his heart is sick | B．his heart needs testing |
| C．he’s sorry at heart | D．he’s terribly disappointed and sad |
“The last place you want to be” is_________.
| A．where you want to be most | B．where you want to be least |
| C．where you go the last | D．the last place you go to |
The definitions of handshake, handstand and handbag are_______.
| A．easy to know | B．difficult to know |
| C．impossible to learn | D．unnecessary to learn |
French lessons in France
Whatever your level is, choosing to take French lessons in France is the best way to learn French. Place yourself in the local culture and practice your newly found skills in your free time.
You will be taught by native (本地的) French speakers who have a love for teaching and use excellent teaching techniques. Lessons are interesting and you will speak French on the first day both inside and outside the classroom.
Learners
● Suitable for all levels from beginners to advanced (高级的)
● Over 18 years old
Class Schedule (课表)
● Classes start on Mondays and run throughout the summer.
● Please arrive at the school by 815 am on your first day for a short level test. It will help to place you in the right class.
● Classes run from Monday to Friday each week.
● Classes start at 845 am each day depending on your level.
● You will have 3 classes per day lasting 55 minutes each.
● You will have a short break between classes.
Free Time and Tours
● The school offers a lot of cultural activities throughout the week. These activities can include cooking lessons, wine and cheese tasting, visits to Paris, cycling, movies and much more.
● You will have plenty of free time to explore (探索) the local area and practice your newly found language skills or just relax on this learning holiday with a difference.
Other Information
● You should bring a small dictionary, pens and paper with you.
Get more from your holiday, have fun, meet new people and take home a new language skill that will stay with you forever.What is special about the French courses?
| A．They are taught in small groups. |
| B．The teachers are young French speakers. |
| C．People learn French in and out of class. |
| D．They will offer a wine tasting license. |
On the first day, the students should ______.
| A．take a language test | B．pay for their study |
| C．do a survey | D．introduce themselves to the class |
How many lessons are there in a week?
| A．21. | B．30. | C．15. | D．12. |
friends come to visit us in the evening, they spend their time telling us they are in a hurry and looking at their watches. It isn’t that our friends are all very busy, it is just that When we haven’t got a television. People think that we are very strange. “But what do you do in the evening?”，they are always asking. The answer is very simple. Both my wife and I have hobbies. We certainly don’t spend our evenings staring at the walls. My wife enjoys cooking and painting and often attends evening classes in foreign languages. This is particularly useful as we often go abroad for our holidays. I collect stamps and I’m always busy with my collection. Both of us enjoy listening to the music and playing chess together.
Sometimes there are power cuts and we have no electricity in the house. This does not worry us, we just light candles and carry on with what we were doing before. Our friends, however, are lost---no television!---So they don’t know what to do. On such evenings our house is very full ---they all come to us. They all have a good time. Instead of sitting in silence in front of the television, everybody talks and plays games. The couple have not got a television, because .
| A．they are not rich enough |
| B．they are strange people |
| C．they enjoy spending evenings in their own ways |
| D．they don’t know what to do when there are power cuts |
Both of them are interested in.
| A．learning languages | B．traveling |
| C．staying home alone | D．watching people play games |
At night when there is no electricity, the couple.
| A．have to stare at the walls | B．can do nothing but sit in silence |
| C．will have many visitors | D．have to go out for candles |
The best title for this passage is _____.
| A．Why Do We Need a Television? |
| B．Candle! But No Electricity! |
| C．Different Friends, Different Hobbies. |
| D．We Go Without Televisions! |