A Koala Isn’t a Bear
Koalas remind people of teddy bears．They have thick fur and large ears．Their broad, flat nose makes them look cute, similar to teddy bears．In fact koalas aren’t cute．They have sharp teeth and very sharp claws! Koalas are marsupials．This means the mother carries her baby in a pocket while it develops, similar to a kangaroo．The baby koala lives in its mother’s pocket for the first six months of its life．
The name “koala” comes from a native Australian word that means “no drink”. The koalas get almost all their water from the eucalyptus(桉树) leaves they eat．That’s where they get their food too．Koalas eat only eucalyptus leaves, and only the leaves of certain eucalyptus trees．The eucalyptus trees are where the koalas live．It’s also where they sleep．Koalas sleep about nineteen hours a day!
Why do they sleep so much? Some people think it’s because they’re lazy．But koalas aren’t lazy．They sleep so much because there isn’t much nutrition in eucalyptus leaves．Koalas store hardly any fat, so they must save their energy．One way to do this is to move slowly and sleep a lot.
After a day of sleeping they like to move around and eat just after sunset．They live alone most of the time．Koalas are very protective of their trees．If a koala sees another koala eating in its favorite tree, it might tell the other koala to leave by “barking” at it．Koalas do “talk” to each other．Besides barks, the males make a deep grunting sound．The mothers and babies talk in soft clicking sounds．If they get scared they may scream like a baby.According to the article, how are koalas and kangaroos alike?
| A．They both have thick fur. |
| B．They both have sharp teeth. |
| C．They both eat eucalyptus leaves. |
| D． They both carry their young in a pocket. |
The word “koala”comes from a word that means _______.
| A．no drink | B．moving slowly |
| C．large ears | D．barking loudly |
Why do koalas sleep a lot?
| A．Their babies need to get much rest. |
| B．They get tired from playing so much. |
| C．Their food does not give them much energy. |
| D．They do not like to be awake when it is warm. |
If an adult koala screams like a baby, he may get ________.
| A．worried | B．scared | C．hungry | D．sleepy |
Over time, the custom of kissing developed as a way for adults to express their love and affection for one another. The roots of this form of affection can be traced back to primitive times, when mothers fondled their children, much as mothers do today.
Much later, in the sixth century, society apparently accepted the custom of kissing between adults as an expression of their affection. Not surprisingly, France first accepted kissing in courtship (求爱). There, figure dancing was popular, and each dance was sealed with a kiss.
The custom of kissing swept from France through Europe to Russia, where Russian nobility loved to imitate the French. Eventually, the kiss was incorporated into marriage ceremonies, and today lip locks couples into sweet matrimony.
The custom of kissing today, as well as in ancient times, serves to pay homage to another. Early Romans kissed each other on the mouth or on the eyes to greet one another in a manner they thought to be dignified. One Roman emperor even ranked a person's importance by the body part he was allowed to kiss. He allowed important nobles to kiss his lips, less important ones to kiss his hands, and the least important ones to kiss his feet.
In Russia, the highest sign of recognition from the Crown meant a kiss from the Tsar himself. Today, natives of many African tribes pay homage to their Chief by kissing the ground over which he has walked.What’s mainly talked about in the passage?
| A．The way to express love and respect. | B．The expression of affection. |
| C．The custom of kissing. | D．The function of kissing. |
Which of the following can best explain the underlined word “homage” in the 4th paragraph？
| A．recognition | B．respect | C．importance | D．loyalty |
It can be learned from the passage that ___________.
| A．kissing is a widely accepted way to show love and affection |
| B．kissing used to be a proper way to show love on the wedding ceremony |
| C．kissing is a widely accepted way of greeting in the world |
| D．kissing from the Tsar is only sign of being accepted from the Crown |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．It was France that made the custom of kissing go to the whole world. |
| B．Early Africans kissed each other on the mouth or on the eyes to greet one another. |
| C．One Roman emperor allowed important nobles to kiss his nose. |
| D．Russian nobility followed the custom of kissing from the French. |
We can infer from the passage that __________.
| A．mothers created the custom of kissing |
| B．kissing means differently on different occasions |
| C．figure dancing was usually sealed with a kiss in Russia |
| D．society found it hard to accept kissing in public in the sixth century |
Imagine a classroom missing the one thing that’s long been considered a necessary part to reading and writing?Paper,No notebooks,no test paper.Nor are there any pencils or pens,which always seem to run out of ink at the critical moment.
A“paperless classroom”is what more and more schools are trying to achieve.Students don't do any handwriting in this class. Instead, they use palm (手掌) size, or specially-designed computers. The teacher downloads texts from Internet libraries and sends them to every student's personal computer.
Having computers also means that students can use the Web. They can look up information on any subject they're studying from math to social science.
High school teacher Judy Herrell in Florida, US, described how her class used the Web to learn about the war in Afghanistan (阿富汗) over one year ago.
"We could touch every side of the country through different sites? from the forest to refugee camps (难民营)," she said. "Using a book that's three or four years old is impossible."
And exams can go online too. At a high school in Tennessee, US, students take tests on their own computers. The teacher records the grades on the network for everyone to see and then copies them to his own electronic grade book.
A paperless classroom is a big step towards reducing the waste of paper. High school teacher Stephanie Sorrell in Kentucky, US, said she used to give about 900 pieces of paper each week to each student.
"Think about the money and trees we could save with the computers," she said.
But, with all this technology, there's always the risk that the machines will break down. So, in case of a power failure or technical problems, paper textbooks are still widely available for these hi-tech students.What does the part of the last sentence in the first paragraph, “run out of ink at the critical moment”, mean?
| A．Pens may not write well at the critical moment. |
| B．Pens get lost easily, so you may not find them at the critical moment. |
| C．Pens may have little or no ink at the critical moment. |
| D．Pens use ink, while pencils don't. |
In a paperless classroom, what is a must?
| A．Pens. | B．Computers. | C．Information. | D．Texts. |
The high school teacher, Judy Herrell, used the example of her class to show that _______.
| A．the Web could take them everywhere |
| B．the Web taught them a lot |
| C．the Web is a good tool for information |
| D．the Web better than the textbooks, can give the latest and comprehensive (全面的) information |
The paperless classrooms will benefit _____ the most.
| A．students | B．teachers | C．trees | D．computers |
What does the phrase in the last paragraph, “break down”, mean?
| A．Break into pieces. | B．Stop working |
| C．Fall down. | D．Lose control. |
Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict.” he jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled.” Today David wears casual clothes—khaki pants and a sports shirt—to the office. He hardly ever wears a necktie. “I am working harder than ever.” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work. In the United States, the change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday（but only on Friday）.This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday”. “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing.” said business consultant Maisly Jones.
Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code.” “A lot of young people don’t want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative（保守的）dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study conducted by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale（心境，士气）. Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative influence on productivity. Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict,” because.
| A．he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt |
| B．he couldn’t stand a clean appearance |
| C．he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time |
| D．he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes |
David Smith wears casual clothes now, because.
| A．they make him feel at ease when working |
| B．he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes |
| C．he looks handsome in casual clothes |
| D．he no longer works for any company |
According to this passage, which of the following statements is FALSE?
| A．Many employees don’t like a conservative dress code. |
| B．Comfortable clothes make employees more productive. |
| C．A casual clothes code is welcomed by young employees. |
| D．All the employers in the U. S. are for casual office wear. |
According to this passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Company workers started to dress down about fifty years ago. |
| B．Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 90s. |
| C．“Dress-down Friday” was first given as a favor from employers. |
| D．Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people. |
In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned EXCEPT.
| A．saving employees’ money |
| B．making employees more attractive |
| C．improving employees’ motivation |
| D．making employees happier |
One night recently , I was driving down a two-lane highway at about 60 miles an hour . A car approached from the opposite direction at about the same speed . As we passed each other , I caught the other driver’s eye for only a second . I wondered whether he might be thinking , as I was , how dependent we were on each other at that moment . I was relying on him not to fall asleep , not to be put off by a phone conversation, not to cross over into my lane and bring my life to a sudden end . Though we had never spoken a word to each other , he relied on me in just the same way .
Multiplied a million times over, I believe that is the way the world works . At some level , we all depend upon one another . Sometimes that dependence requires us simply not to do something like crossing over the double yellow line . And sometimes it requires us to act cooperatively , with friends or even with strangers .
As technology shrinks our world , the need increases for cooperative action among nations . In 2003, doctors in five nations were quickly organized to identify the SARS virus , which saved thousands of lives . The threat of international terrorism has shown itself to be a similar problem, one requiring coordinated action by police and intelligence forces across the world . We must recognize that our fates (命运) are not ours alone to control .
In my own life , I’ve put great stock in personal responsibility . But , as the years have passed, I’ve also come to believe that there are moments when one must rely upon the good faith and judgment of others . so , while each of us faces the case of driving alone down a dark road , what we must learn is that the approaching light may not be a threat , but a shared moment of trust .The author considers very important .
| A．driving alone on a dark road | B．independence of people |
| C．cooperation to identify SARS virus | D．shared trust and cooperation |
The author said that they depended on each other in the same way because .
| A．the approaching car was very dangerous |
| B．they both drove their car at a terrific speed |
| C．he might be killed out of the other’s careless driving |
| D．it was dark and the road was not wide enough |
From the second paragraph ,we know the author drew the important lesson from .
| A．only one experience | B．many similar experiences |
| C．a driver on a dark road | D．many friends and strangers |
The need for cooperation increases because .
| A．peoples’ fates can’t be controlled by themselves |
| B．the SARS virus spread quickly |
| C．terrorism can happen everywhere |
| D．the world has become smaller |
We can infer from the last paragraph that the author has .
| A．believed in one’s own personal responsibility |
| B．counted upon himself alone in everything |
| C．had no trust in others’ good faith and judgment |
| D．had a change on his viewpoint of life |
The octopus’s（章鱼）reputation as a human-killer isn’t simply an exaggeration（夸张）—it is a total myth. The octopus can indeed be a deadly hunter, but only of its natural victims. Some shellfish（壳类动物）and an occasional sick or incautious fish have reason to be frightened of this multi-armed hunter, but a person is much too large to interest even the biggest octopus. Even the largest among octopi is much smaller than most people imagine. Far from being large enough to swallow a ship, as monster octopi in movies have been known to do, the largest octopus, found on the Pacific coast, weighs around 110 pounds and grows to no more than ten feet in width.
The hard, parrot-like beak（喙）of an octopus is not used for attacking deep-sea divers, but for cutting open shellfish. Indeed, the octopus possesses such a tiny throat that it cannot swallow large pieces of meat. Instead, it feeds by pouring digestive juices into its victims, and then sucking up the soupy remains. A shellfish that finds itself in the grasp of an octopus has only a short time to live. But human beings are perfectly safe. Still, people rarely care to go close enough to these careful creatures to get a good look at them.This passage is mainly about.
| A．the horrors of the octopus |
| B．the largest octopus in the world |
| C．octopi and their behavior |
| D．the octopus’s deadly hunting method |
It is implied but not stated in the passage that.
| A．people have unreasonable fears about the octopus |
| B．the octopus is not interested in human beings |
| C．the octopus is afraid of human beings |
| D．the octopus is a very cruel sea animal |
What does the underlined part “careful creatures” refer to in the last paragraph?
| A．Octopi. | B．Shellfish. | C．Fish. | D．The victims. |
The hard beak of the octopus is used for.
| A．attacking deep-sea divers | B．cutting up large pieces of meat |
| C．cutting open its victims | D．defending itself |
From the passage, we can conclude that.
| A．the octopus is not dangerous to man |
| B．people often fear creatures that are not dangerous to them |
| C．the octopus only hunts its natural victims |
| D．things described in movies are not to be believed |