Dolphins(海豚) live in a dark underwater world. It’s often impossible to see each other or anything else around them, so sound plays an important role in their survival. To communicate with each other, dolphins produce all kinds of sounds.
Only other dolphins understand what the sounds mean. Scientists haven’t uncovered their secret communication, except for one kind of whistle. It might last less than a second, but this whistle is a big deal. Why? Because these whistles are actually names of dolphins - and every dolphin has one. Scientists call these sounds a “signature whistle.” When other dolphins hear the whistle, they know which dolphin is calling.
Dolphins often hunt by themselves but still need to stay connected to the group. Since they can’t always see each other, dolphins use their signature whistles to check in with other dolphins hundreds of yards away. “In coastal areas, dolphins exchange whistles even when they’re a third of a mile apart,” says Greg Campbell, who studies animals. That means dolphins shout out to group members that might be nearly five football fields away.
What’s amazing is who names the baby dolphin. Not the mother. Not an auntie dolphin or another group member. Scientists believe the baby dolphin itself comes up with the signature whistle. Like human babies, a baby dolphin plays with sounds throughout its first year. While testing its sound skills, a baby dolphin is doing something amazing. It’s creating or figuring out its signature whistle. How or why it chooses its signature whistle is not clear. Studies show that most of the time the signature whistle is nothing like its mother’s or group members’ whistles.
When the baby dolphin is about a year old, its signature whistle is set. It repeats it often so the other dolphins learn to recognize it.
Deciphering(破译) dolphin names is just the beginning of figuring out what dolphins communicate about. Do they chat about sharks? Discuss the tides? Maybe they even have a name for people. Someday scientists are to decipher the rest of dolphins’ communication.Sound is important for dolphins because of ______.
A.their poor sense of direction |
B.their living environment |
C.their strong enemies |
D.their big groups |
The dolphin’s signature whistle ______.
A.lasts along time |
B.can travel long distances |
C.is especially helpful in hunting |
D.can be recognized by other animals |
The author writes the text mainly to _____.
A.encourage readers to study dolphins |
B.tell readers how dolphins communicate |
C.show how lovely and clever dolphins are |
D.introduce a special sound made by dolphins |
A baby dolphin gets its name ______.
A.soon after it was born | B.according to its size |
C.all by itself | D.with the help of its group |
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 miserable and unfriendly. He comes in at all hours and his behavior---- 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’s 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 told him off. 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.
1. Mrs. Smith believes that David is not the cause of the quarrel but that the main cause is __________.
A. Mr. Smith B. too much homework
C. David’s behavior D. David’s friend
2. Mrs. Smith wants to make up the quarrel by _______.
A. cooking a meal B. inviting David and his friend out
C. running after David D. giving them drinks
3. David’s present attitude to Mrs. Smith is ________.
A. unfriendly B. cheerful C. very attentive D. incomprehensible
4. David is ________.
A. an American friend B. a singer C. a visiting student D. Mrs. Smith’s son
The use of cars is becoming more and more popular in the twentieth century. A large number of the world's population are now able to buy and use cars.
Having a car gives much mobility(活动余地), enabling the driver to move around freely. The owner of a car is no longer forced to depend on public transport(公共交通)and doesn't, therefore, have to work in a place near his home. Instead, he can choose from a greater variety of jobs and he could change his job frequently.
Travelling to work by car is also more comfortable than having to use public transport; the driver can use the heating in winter and the air conditioning in summer to meet his own need and preference. There is no discomfort caused by waiting for
buses, trains or underground trains etc. With the building of good fast motorways long distances can be covered rapidly and pleasantly. Also, for the first time in the century, many people are able to enjoy their free time to the full by making trips to the countryside or seaside at weekends. This feeling of independence and the freedom to go wherever you please is perhaps the greatest advantage(优势)of the car.
1. What does the writer think of the public transport?
A. It gives less mobility B. It is not comfortable at all
C. It enables a variety of jobs D. It is becoming more popular than before
2. Traveling by bus may be ______.
A. less comfortable than by underground train
B. more comfortable than by other transport
C. less comfortable than by other public transport
D. less comfortable than by car
3. What does the underlined word mean?
A. from time to timeB. with difficulty
C. against his own willD. never
4. What does the writer think of having a car of your own?
A. It offers lots of advantages. B. It has lots of independence.
C. It gives the feeling of freedom. D. It offers free trips.
Everyone has got two personalities—the one that is shown to the world and the other that is secret and real. You don’t show your secret personality when you are awake because you can control your behavior, but when you are asleep, your sleeping position shows the real you. In a normal night, of course, people frequently change their positions. The important position is the one that you go to sleep in.
If you go to sleep on your back, you’re a very open person. You normally trust people and you are easily influenced by fashion or new ideas. You don’t like to displease people. So you never express your real feelings. You’re quite shy and you aren’t quite sure of yourself.
If you sleep on your stomach, you are a rather secretive person. You worry a lot and you’re always easily upset. You always stick to your own opinions or judgment, but you don’t raise your hope too much. You usually live for today not tomorrow. This means that you enjoy having a good time.
If you sleep curled up, you are probably a very nervous person. You have a low opinion of yourself and so you’re often defensive. You’re shy and you don’t normally like meeting people. You prefer to on your own. You’re easily hurt.
If you sleep on your side, you have usually got a well—balanced personality. You know your strengths and weakness. You’re usually careful. You believe in yourself. You sometimes feel anxious, but you don’t often get sad. You always say what you think even if it makes people rather angry.
1. According to the passage, a person, who is not willing to change his mind and hard to
deal with, probably sleeps ______.
A. on his side B. on his back C. curled up D. on his stomach
2. If a person prefers to sleep curled up rather than on his back, he may be well content to _________.
A. do things personally. B. stay alone
C. keep things secret D. trust others easily
3. Which of the following people, in the author’s opinion, most likely have personalities
opposite to each other ?
A. The people sleeping on their stomach and those sleeping on his backs.
B. The people sleeping on their sides and those sleeping curled up.
C. The people sleeping on their backs and those sleeping on their sides.
D. The people sleeping curled up and those sleeping on their stomach.
4. What the author mainly intends to tell us is that _______.
A. one’s sleeping position has something to do with one’s character.
B. everyone has got both real and secret personalities.
C. the position in which one goes to sleep is the most important one.
D. when awake, one does not show one’s secret personality.
第三部分阅读理解(共20小题,计分40分,每小题2分)
阅读下列短文,并做每篇后的题目,从四个选项中选出能回答所提问题或所给句子的最佳答案。
HONG KONG-Nine out of ten Singapore citizens returned dropped wallets with
money in them, but in Hong Kong only three out of 10 wallets were returned in an
honesty test carried out in Asian cities by Readers Digest.
Larger cities did worse while in general people in smaller places returned secretly planted wallets, results from the experiment showed. Readers Digest secretly
scattered 140 wallets allover Asia, each with a name, address and phone number, family pictures, notes and money in it.
The magazine workers then watched to see what happened. South Koreans in Seoul returned six out of the ten dropped wallets, while those in Inchon returned eight. 50 per cent of the dropped wallets were returned in Bombay, Bangkok, Taipei and Kajang in
Malaysia, with most people saying they would not keep what was not rightfully
theirs. Honesty had little relation to wealth or status(地位), as several well-dressed people in a number of cities were observed to walk away without doing anything to get in touch with the rightful owners.
About 57 per cent of the wallets were returned, compared with 28 per cent in
Europe in a similar experiment and 67 per cent in the United States.
1. The newspaper report is mainly about_________.
A. how the honesty test was carried out
B. where the honesty test was carried out
C. the results of the honesty test in Asia
D. the results of the honesty tests in the world
2. It can be learned from the newspaper report that Bombay is a city in _________.
A. Europe B. Asia C. the United States D. Africa
3. How many of the wallets dropped in Asian cities were taken away without being returned?
A. About 60. B. About 80. C. About 56. D. About 42.
4. Which people did best in the honesty tests?
A. People in Hong Kong. B. People in the United States.
C. People in Inchon.D. People in Singapore.
Happy birthday
The China Nation Opera (CNO)will give a concert to celebrate its 50th birthday.
Different generations of CNO vocalists(歌手), like Li Guangxi, Yao Hong and Ma Mei, will present the concert which will feature both songs from famous Chinese operas like “The White-haired GM “and “The Hundredth Bride”, as well as, arias (咏叹调) of such Western opera classics as “Madame Butterfly”, “La Traviata” and “Rigoletto”.
Time/date : 7:30 pm, September 7, 8
Location : Tianqiao Theatre
Tel : 6551-4787, 8315-6170
Tickets : 60—50 yuan (US $7.2-60.2)
Folk music
A concert will be held to feature some recently-composed traditional Chinese music works.
The concert, given by the Folk Orchestra of the China Opera and Ballet Theatre, will include such pieces as “Memory of Childhood”, “Memorial Ceremony for God” and “Wine Song”.
Time/date : 7:30 pm, September 13
Location: Concert hall at the National Library of China
Tel: 6848-5462, 6841-9220
Tickets : 30-200 yuan (US $ 3.6—24.1)
Moon music
A concert of traditional Chinese music will be given on the eve of the Moon Festival which falls on September 21st this year.
The concert will feature a number of famous pieces centered on this theme of the moon, such as “Moonlight”, “Spring Night on a Moonlit River” and “Lofty Mountain and Flowing River.”
A number of established traditional Chinese music performers, like Zhou Yaokun and Fan Weiqing, will play solos(独奏)as well as collaborate(合奏)with the folk music orchestra.
Time/ date: 7:30 pm, September 21st
Location: Grand Theatre of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities
Tel: 6606-8888, 6606-9999
1. If you want to buy tickets for listening to the music “Memory of Childhood”, you will dial .
A. 6551-4787 |
B. 6848-5462 |
C. 8315-6170 |
D. 6606-9999 |
2. “Madame Butterfly” is .
A. a Chinese opera |
B. a song |
C. a piece of music |
D. a Western opera |
3. The passage will most probably appear in the column “ ”of a newspaper.
A. Animals |
B. People |
C. Entertainment |
D. Sports |