Thousands of hungry birds left the countryside of Britain in the bitter winter to find food and warmth in urban gardens. The move included species such as the redwing and the fieldfare, almost unknown outside rural areas
The hard situation of farmland birds has been revealed in the latest survey of bird populations from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds released today.
The redwing has an obvious stripe over the eye and a red flash on the flanks (侧翼), while the fieldfare has a grey head, a peach underbelly, and a distinctive dark band on the tail.
Graham Madge, the society's spokesman, says, “For many urban birdwatchers the sight of these striking species is a real treat. Many people have never imagined there being such an amazing chance.”
“Frozen ground prevented them from getting food in the countryside and they have been saved from starvation in towns,” he added.
He says the unusual sight this year somewhat tempered the frustration felt at the suffering of small garden birds such as robins and wrens. These birds are sensitive to cold and must eat almost continuously to stay alive. Data from people who took part in the society's Big Garden Birdwatch recorded sightings in 280,000 gardens during the last weekend of January, with the goldcrest down 75 percent, the longtailed tit down 27 percent, and the coal tit down 20 percent. The study highlighted the need for food to be left out for birds during winter.
The redwing and the fieldfare are relatively unknown outside the eastern part of the country. The research shows, however, that they moved to the other side of the country where the climate is generally mild in winter and that many for the first time have reached Cornwall and Isles of Scilly. The number of redwing sightings was up 185 percent, those of the fieldfare 73, and of the yellowhammer 68.
Another surprise garden “guest” this year was the blackcap. This robinsized, silvergrey bird was rare in Britain 50 years ago, but increasing numbers now arrive each year from Germany and Austria.
How did the urban birdwatchers probably feel when seeing the hungry birds?
A.Excited. | B.Worried. |
C.Annoyed. | D.Motivated. |
Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “tempered”?
A.Prevented. | B.Relieved. |
C.Explained. | D.Increased. |
According to the passage, Cornwall is perhaps ________.
A.a village in eastern Britain |
B.a city in western Britain |
C.a village in western Britain |
D.a city in eastern Britain |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
A.The tough living conditions of some British birds. |
B.The various species of Britain's garden birds. |
C.The changes of some bird's population in Britain. |
D.Unusual bird visitors in Britain's urban gardens. |
Good health is the most valuable thing a person can have, but one cannot take good health for granted. It is important to remember that the body needs proper care in order to be healthy. There are three things that a person can do to help stay in good shape: eat right food, get enough sleep, and exercise regularly.
Proper nutrition (营养) is important for good health. Your body cannot work well unless it receives the proper kind of “fuel”(燃料). Don't eat too much food with lots of sugar and fat. Eat plenty of foods high in protein (蛋白质), like meat, fish, eggs and nuts. Vegetables and fruits are very important because they provide necessary vitamins (维他命) and minerals. However, don't overeat. It is not helpful to be overweight.
Getting the proper amount of sleep is also important. If you don't get enough sleep, you feel tired and easily get angry. You have no energy. Over a long period of time a little a amount of sleep may even result in a change of personality (人的个性). Be sure to allow yourself from seven to nine hours of sleep each night. If you do, your body will feel strong and refreshed, and your mind will be sharp.
Finally, get plenty of exercise. Exercise firms the body, strengthens the muscles, and prevents you from gaining weight. It also improves your heart and lungs. If you follow a regular exercise program, you will probably increase your life-span (寿命). Any kind of exercise is good. Most sports are excellent for keeping the body in good shapes: basketball, swimming, bicycling, running and so on are good examples. Sports are not only good for your body, but they are enjoyable and interesting, too.
If everybody, were to eat the right foods, get plenty of sleep and exercise regularly, the world would be a happier and healthier place. We would all live to be much older and wiser.In order to keep good health, ___________.
A.we should eat a lot of sweets |
B.one needs a large amount of fat |
C.people should eat according to the foods nutrition |
D.we must try to sleep now and then |
Eating more and sleeping less________.
A.can keep healthy |
B.is no good for you |
C.gets you more energy |
D.will keep your personality |
The title of the article should be___________.
A.Eating and Exercising |
B.How Vitamins Work in Man's Body |
C.Staying Healthy |
D.Sleeping Well |
Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just happy. After all, you probably sing or whistle when you are happy.
Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of the time just because they are happy. However they sing most of the time for a very different reason. Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory.
Do you know what a “territory” is? A territory is an area that an animal, usually the male, claims as its own. Only he and his family are welcome there. No other families of the same species are welcome. Your yard and house are your territory where only your family and friends are welcome. If a stranger should enter your territory and threaten you, you might shout. Probably this would be enough to frighten him away.
If so, you have actually scared the stranger away without having to fight him. A bird does the same thing. But he expects an outsider almost any time, especially at nesting(筑巢)season. So he is screaming all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not. This screaming is what we call a bird’s song, and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away.
Birds sing loudest in the spring when they are trying to attract a mate and warn others not to enter the territory of theirs.
You can see that birds have a language of their own. Most of it has to do with attracting mates and setting up territories.Some scientists believe that most of the time bird’s singing is actually________.
A.an expression of happiness | B.a way of warning |
C.an expression of anger | D.a way of greeting |
What does the underlined word “territory” mean?
A.A place where families of other species are not accepted |
B.A place where a bird may shout at the top of its voice |
C.An area for which birds fight against each other |
D.An area which a bird considers to be its own |
Why do birds keep on singing at nesting season?
A.Because they want to invite more friends |
B.Because their singing helps frighten outsiders away |
C.Because they want to find outsiders around |
D.Because their singing helps get rid of their fears |
How does the writer explain bird’s singing?
A.By comparing birds with human beings |
B.By reporting experiment results |
C.By describing birds daily life |
D.By telling a birds story |
When to go:The Magic Kingdom,which was opened in 1971,was the first theme park at Walt Disney World. All Disney World theme parks are open 365 days a year,although opening and closing time for each park changes from day to day.
If you plan to make a trip to the Magic Kingdom without kids,try to visit on a school day to avoid the largest crowds. If you need to visit during a school vacation,try at least to avoid the week between Christmas and New Year and the Fourth of July.
If you are not staying at a Disney World hotel,avoid visiting the Magic Kingdom on its Extra Magic Hours days,as Disney’s hotel guests get into the park early on those days,and visitors who arrive at the Magic Kingdom’s normal opening time have to wait for a long time.
Before you go:Buy your Walt Disney World tickets online at Disney World’s website. For advice on picking the right ticket,see our guide to Disney World tickets.
You will also need to call in advance to make lunch and/or dinner reservations(预定). Disney accepts reservations up to 180 days in advance,but you need contact 1-407-WDW-DINE.
When you get there:Plan to arrive at the Magic Kingdom’s front gate before the park opens in the morning. Keep in mind that to reach the Magic Kingdom,you must park at Disney World’s Transportation and Ticket Center parking lot,ride at tram to the TTC,then take a ferry boat across the Seven Seas Lagoon to the Magic Kingdom. It makes for a fantastic approach,but takes extra time. Give yourself an extra hour in the summer and half an hour during the school year.For an adult,the best time to visit the Magic Kingdom is ________.
A.on the weekend |
B.on a school day |
C.during a school holiday |
D.around Christmas |
Through 1-407-WDW-DINE,you can ________.
A.buy your Walt Disney World tickets |
B.get advice on ticket buying |
C.get in touch with the guide to the park |
D.make reservations for meals in the park |
The main idea of the passage is to ________.
A.introduce the history of the Magic Kingdom |
B.introduce the attractions in the Magic Kingdom |
C.give advice on making a trip to the Magic Kingdom |
D.attract more visitors to the Magic Kingdom |
Mr.Bean is an internationally recognized comedy character on TV and in films.He constantly gets into awkward and absurd situations,which greatly amuses audiences regardless of their nationalities or culture.The humour is always made clear through a series of simple and funny acts that rely purely on body language,which is universal.
One of my favourite shows is that Mr.Bean has a meal in a fancy restaurant.After being seated at his table,Mr.Bean takes out a card,writes a few words on it,seals(密封) it in an envelope and places it on the table.After a moment,he looks back at the envelope but this time he looks surprised,as if he did not know it was there.He opens it to find a birthday card and delightedly puts it on the table for everyone to see.
When he looks at the menu,an astonished look swiftly appears on his face.He takes all the money out of his wallet,counts it and puts it in a saucer(茶托).He then looks from the menu to the money with concern until he finds one thing that makes him smile.Then he orders a dish called “steak tartare”.When the dish arrives,he is shocked to discover that “steak tartare” is actually raw hamburger.He makes an attempt to eat it,but it is clear from the look on his face that he finds the taste truly disgusting.He cannot hide his feelings,except when the waiter asks if everything is all right.When this happens,he smiles and nods,indicating that everything is fine.When the waiter is not looking,however,he busies himself hiding the raw meat anywhere he can reach—the sugar bowl,the tiny flower vase,inside a bun(小圆面包) and under a plate.He becomes so desperate in the end that he even hides some inside the purse of a woman sitting near him and throws some down the trousers of the restaurant’s violinist!
I like to watch Mr.Bean on TV,but I wouldn’t like to meet someone like him in real life and I certainly wouldn’t like to have dinner with him!From the passage we know Mr.Bean is ________.
A.famous for directing films |
B.famous for his spoken English |
C.well known for making films |
D.known for his body language and amusement in his comedies |
Why is Mr.Bean famous all over the world?
A.He often eats in special restaurants. |
B.He entertains the audience from different countries. |
C.He only acts on TV. |
D.He acts on body language and spoken language. |
What does the underlined word “disgusting” in the third paragraph mean?
A.tasting delicious | B.smelling good |
C.feeling sick | D.looking fine |
Which of the following is the best title of this passage?
A.Mr.Bean—A Top Humour Actor |
B.Raw Hamburger Tastes Disgusting |
C.Being Mannered in a Restaurant |
D.How to Pretend to Like Something Boring |
According to one story the idea for making the first teddy bear came from a newspaper cartoon drawn in 1904. This cartoon showed President Teddy Roosevelt on a hunting trip refusing to shoot (射杀)a young bear. The young bear became a symbol for Teddy Roosevelt.
Morris Michtom owned a small candy and toy store in New York City. He and his wife made many of the toys they sold. When he saw the cartoon,he had a wonderful idea. He decided to make a toy bear with eyes and legs and arms that moved. The bear was put in the store window next to a copy of the cartoon. Mr . Michtom called it “Teddy’s Bear”.
Many of these bears were sold. The bears became so popular that Mr . Michtom thought he might need President Roosevelt' permission to use his name. He wrote to the president and sent him a “Teddy Bear”. The president answered,saying that Mr. Michtom could use his name.
Mr . Michtom borrowed money so that he could make thousands of toy bears. His company became the Ideal Toy Corporation. Today this is one of the biggest toy companies in the United States.People will remember Morris Michtom because he was_______
A.a candy store owner |
B.a toy store owner |
C.the inventor of the teddy bear |
D.Teddy Roosevelt' friend |
The idea for making the first teddy bear came from________
A.a movie |
B.a magazine story |
C.a TV advertisement |
D.a newspaper cartoon |
From this passage we can see that________
A.many people liked Teddy Roosevelt |
B.many people did not like Teddy Roosevelt |
C.President Roosevelt cared only about important people |
D.President Roosevelt did not like young bears |