Washoe, a female chimpanzee (黑猩猩) believed to be the first non-human to acquire human language, has died of natural causes at the research institute where she was kept.
The chimp died on Tuesday night, according to Roger and Deborah Fouts, co-founders of The Chimpanzee and Human Communications Institute in Washington, where she lived.
Washoe was born in 1965 in Africa, where she was captured by the Air Force and taken to the US for research use in the space program. In 1966, she left the program and began living with two scientists, Allen and Beatrix Gardner, who led a project to teach the chimp American Sign Language (ASL) in Washoe, Nevada, for which it was named. Washoe had been living on Central Washington University’s Ellensburg Campus since 1980. She had a vocabulary of about 250 words. Also, Washoe taught sign language to three younger chimps: Tatu, 31, Loulis, 29, and Dar, 31.
Primate (灵长类) researcher Jane Goodall, in Fouts’ book Next of Kin, noted the importance of the work with Washoe. “Roger, through his ongoing conversations with Washoe and her extended family, has opened a window into a chimpanzee’s mind,” Goodall said.
Though previous efforts to teach chimps spoken languages had failed, the researchers believed there was a better chance using signs. But Washoe’s language skills were disputed by scientists who believed that language is unique to humans. Among those who doubted that chimps could use language were linguist (语言学家) Noam Chomsky and Harvard scientist Steven Pinker. They believed primates simply learn to perform certain acts in order to receive rewards, and do not acquire true language.
1. As for its first task, Washoe was involved with _______.
A. some space research B. a study on African animals
C. an ASL project D. the program of training the Air Force
2. In Goodall’s opinion, teaching Washoe ASL ______.
A. was not successful B. led to the book Next of Kin
C. won honor for Fouts D. made a difference
3. In the last paragraph, the underlined word “disputed” probably means “______”.
A. supported B. studied C. questioned D. discussed
4. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. The ASL project was first set up in Africa for the study on Washoe.
B. Washoe may communicate with other chimps by signing.
C. Washoe must have been able to speak 250 words or so.
D. The researchers will prove that most chimps could use language.
5. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Washoe was the first animal to be taught human language.
B. Washoe, the chimp, was named in honor of a place.
C. There were four chimps in total at Ellensburg Campus.
D. Chomsky believed primates only perform silent signs.
E
Does your older brother think he’s cleverer than you ? Well, he’s probably right． According to a new research published in the journal Intelligence, the oldest children in families are likely to have the highest IQs and the youngest the lowest ,
A number of studies have suggested that IQ scores decline with birth order． In the most recent study, at Vrije University, Amsterdam,researchers looked at men and women whose IQ had been tested at the ages of 5，12 ，and 18．
The results , which show a trend for the oldest to score better than the youngest in each test, involved about 200,000people． That showed that first-borns had a three-point IQ advantage over the second-born, who was a point ahead of the next in line．
The order of birth can also affect personality, achievement, and career, with first-borns being more academically successful and more likely to win Nobel prizes． However,eldset children are less likely to be radical and pioneering ． Charles Darwin, for example, was the fifth child of six．
Exactly why there should be such differences is not clear, and there are a number of theories on environmental influences on the child．
The so-called dilution(稀释法) theory suggests that as family resources, both emotional and physical, as well as economic, are limited, it follows that, as a result , as more children come along, the levels of parental attention and encouragement will drop． Another theory is that the intellectual(智力) environment in the family favors the first-born who has, at least for some time, the benefit of individual care and help．
The theory which enjoys the most support is that the extra time and patience that the earlier-borns get from their parents, compared with those arriving later, gives them an advantage．
1．What is the passage mainly about?
A．IQ scores have little to do with the order of birth．
B．Intellectual families favor the first-born
C．The order of birth can have an effect on IQ
D．The order of birth can affect personality, achievement, and carrer．
2．By using Charles Darwin as an example, the author wants to prove that
A．eldest children are the smartest in a family
B．youngest children will usually become experts
C．first-borns are more likely to win Nobel prizes
D．eldest children are less likely to try something new
3．What do we know about the dilution theory?
A．Intellectual parents love the first –born better
B．Parents’ attention will drop with more children coming
C．Family resources,both emotional and physical are endless．
D．First-born get less care and help from their parents．
4．The passage is developed mainly by
A．offering opinion with further explanation
B．pointing out similarities and difference
C．comparing opinions from different fields
D．providing typical examples
D
Chocolate which hepls you lose weight by actually burning calories as you eat it ? It sounds wonderful．
But unfortunately , for anyone who spent ￡ 37 on a 40-day supply of Slim Choc, the idea is nothing more than daydream．
The product was one of a lot of “miracle cures” marketed to Britons which had no evidence to back up their grandiose(夸大的) claims, according to the Office of Fair Trading．
The OFT said that such tricks affect 200,000 of us a year, at a cost ￡ 20 million ． Some 78 per cent of the victims(受害人)are female, but a large number of men are also taken in by “cures”for hair loss．
OFT Director of Consumer Protection Mike Haley said,“Miracle health tricks target people who are eager to lose weight or find a cure． The products are often worthless and can even be dangerous with untested and possibly harmful ingredients（成分）。”
The OFT yesterday warned consumers about the adverts for Slim-Choc, which were contained in junk mail sent to thousands of homes acorss Britain．
The company chaimed that eating the “slimming chocolate”could help users lose 20lbs in just 20 days, without exercising or cutting back on food．
The tricks claimed this was a “brand new revolutionary cure for the overweight”,and it was “the first and only cholcolate that burns off fat”． Thousands were persuaded to pay ￡ 37 for a 40-day supply．
Alice Tuff, of the Sense About Science charity, said :“The emotional and financial costs for the people who get drawn in can be huge and it is very important that we keep promoting public vigilance（警惕）in dealing with this serious problem．”
1．Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A．Chocolate And Health B．Dangerous Chocolate
C．Too Good To Be True D．Weight-loss Chocolate
2．Which of the following best states Mike’s idea?
A．The emotional and financial costs for victims can be great
B．Eating the “slimming chocolate” could help users lose weight．
C．We should deal with this weight-loss chocolate problem seriously．
D．Weight-loss chocolate may contain dangerous ingredients．
3．The company promises if you pay ￡ 37 for the product, you will
A．turn to normal in 40 days, B．loss weight without exercising
C．lose 40lbs in 20 days D．lose weight anywhere anytime
4．The passage is written mainly for
A．doctors B．experts C．consumers D．advertisers
I am trying to muster(鼓起)the courage to toss away my mobile phone to enjoy a more peaceful and ring –free life．
Can you imagine not having your mobile phone? In our high-tech, in-a-hurry age, a cell-free life is a hard concept to swallow． Our mobile phones can now access the Internet, and many people feel the need to express their every thought on their blog pages． If I gave up my cellphone, people would think I was mad．
I wish I had the strength to toss away my technology ． I have an office phone, a home phone, e-mail and if people want to contact me． they can． If I’m out, people can leave a message． Do they really need to find me 24/7 ? However, I’m a bit like Frodo in the movie Lord of the Rings． The power of the ring is too strong and I can’t let it go．
Mobile phones have become necessary tools in our busy life． For most people , they hold all contacts and many of us don't write up address books any more． The latest phones carry our music, pictures, movies and everything else． We feel lost without this device and when we do misplace it , we feel cut off from our fellow,
“Where have you been?” said a friend, who saw me a week after I lost my cell, “I tried calling you , but you disappeared． You disappeared off the face of the Earth。” See, when you don’t have a mobile phone, you don’t exist．
I’m not really going to toss my mobile phone away, in fact． We humans are such social animals and mobile phones serve us well． So in 2009, I’ve dicided not to serve my mobile phone． Like all machine, I can always turn it off．
1．What does the underslined phrase“toss away”mean?
A．give away B．get away C．break away D．throw away
2．The writer mentions Frodo to
A．show it is difficult to get rid of the mobile phone
B．show how much he likes Frodo
C．suggest a cell-free life is what he wants
D．introduce a film character to us
3．What do we know about mobile phones in the 4 th paragraph?
A．Mobile phones can do anything for us ．
B．Mobile phones have become very important in our life
C．We could not live without mobile phones
D．We would be cut off by our fellow without mobile phones
4．What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A．The writer is not really going to toss his mobile phone away．
B．When you don't have a mobile phone, you don’t exist．
C．The writer decides not to serve his mobile phone
D．We humans can control ourselves and machines will．
How to Save on Sightseeing New York City Attractions
With so many unique attractions, world-famous museums, theaters, and skyscrapers there is always plenty to do in New York． However, sightseeing, in New York City might not be the easiest or the cheapest experience．
This is why our team of real, life-long New Yorkers has created the New York Pass． If you want to discover the best of what this amazing city offers while still saving some time and money on your visit, the New York Pass is something you should be interested in．
How You Benefit from The New York Pass?
Free entry to over 50 attractions – Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Museum of Modern Art, Madison Square Garden Tour,． NBC Studio Tours, New York Aquarium．& many others．
Free 140-page guidebook in English, German & Spanish, containing hours of operation, maps and directions to every tourist attraction , shop and restaurant．
Line skipping privileges（特权）－As a New York Pass holder you are entitled (享有权利)to fast track entry to the New York City ‘s busiest attractions．
Over 650 worth of entrance fees－that’s how much it would cost if you visited all the attractions that New York Pass grants entrance to –wihtout using the New York Pass． That doesn’t even include the additional discounts you receive for having a NY Pass．
100% Risk Free, Money Back Guarantee－New York Pass insurance gives you extra comfort in case your travel plans change, offering refund on non-used Passes．
Plese Note:
You can visit as many attractions as you want－even more with the time saved with fast track entry ． You don't need to carry too much cash and the New York Pass keeps control on your spending．
New York Pass Prices;
Offer Ends : Fri 13 Feb 2009
| Product |
Price |
| 1 Day Adult Pass |
$75 |
| 1 Day Child Pass |
$55 |
| 2 Day Adult Pass |
$110 |
| 2 Day Child Pass |
$90 |
| 3 Day Adult Pass |
$140 $112 |
| 3 Day Child Pass |
$120 $96 |
| 7 Day Adult Pass |
$180 $144 |
| 7 Day Child Pass |
$140 $ 112 |
1．What is the main purpose of this passage?
A．To attract tourists to New York．
B．To describe how to use the New York Pass．
C．To introduc the New York Pass．
D．To explain why the New York Pass is created
2．What benefit can you get from the New York Pass
A．You can change your travel plans as you like,
B．You can get the free guidebook in four languages．
C．You don’t have to carry cash with you
D．You can visit the Statue of Liberty for free．
3．Jack and his two kids will visit New York for three days in January in 2009,how much should he pay for the New York Pass?
A． 304 B． 380 C．420 D．520
4．If the Empire State Building is too crowded, you can
A．get the refund from the New York Pass immediately
B．enter it before others by using the New York Pass
C．get more discounts and save more money
D．visit many other attractions as long as you want
第三部分:阅读理解（共20小题；每题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项的标号涂黑。
It happened to me recently that I was telling someone how much I had enjoyed reading Barack Obama’s Dreams From My Father and how it had changed my views of the current US President． The person I was talking to agreed with me that it was, in his words,“a wonderfully written book ．”However, he then proceeded to talk about Mr Obama in a way that suggested he had no idea of his background at all． I sensed that I was talking to a book liar．
And it seems that he is not the only one． Clearly two thirds of people have lied about reading a book which they haven’t ． In The World Book Day survey, Dreams From My Father is at number 9． The survey lists top ten books, and various authors, which people have lied about reading． As I’m not one to lie too often, I’ll admit here and now that I haven’t read the entire ten books． But I am pleased to say that I have read the book at number one, George Orwell’s 1984． I think it’s absolutely outstanding．
Asked why they lied, the most common reason was to impress someone they were speaking to ． This could be difficult if the conversation became more in-depth !
The World Book Day survey also has some other interesting information in it． It shows that many people lie about having read classical works by Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Charles Dickens and so on. But when asked which authors they actually enjoy, they named JK Rowling, Jilly Cooper, and Stephen King (ah, the big sellers, in other words)． Forty-one percent of people asked admitted they turned to the back of the book to read the end before finishing the story．
So which books have you lied about reading—if any—and which is your favourite?
1．The main reason why people lie about reading is to
A．make fun of the listener B．impress the listener
C．please the listener D．interest the listener
2．The underlined word“proceeded”in the passage probably means“ ”
A．wanted B．happened C．continued D．stopped
3．What does The World Book Day survey show?
A．Nearly half of the people surveryed didn’t read through a whole classical book．
B．People don’t like Dreams From My Father and George Orwell’s 1984
C．Few people lie about having read classical works by Jane Austen．
D．People usually enjoy reading books by Charles Dickens．
4．What is the best title for the passage?
A．Are You A Book Liar? B．Readers Are All Liars
C．World Book Day D．Dreams From My Father,
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