Elephants don’t forget—at least,female elephants don’t.Elephant families are matriarchal. And the social knowledge gained by the oldest females is the key to a family group’s survival, according to a study published in April by Karen McComb,a biologist at Sussex University in England.
Elephants announce their presence by making a deep,long sound,a practice referred to as contact calling.An unfamiliar call may mean that an elephant from outside the family group is nearby.A stranger can cause trouble,interrupting feeding or disturbing the young.So an elephant matriarch signals the family to gather around her;then they all lift their trunks in the air to smell the unfamiliar caller.False alarms can disturb the group and take time and energy away from feeding,so survival may depend in part on getting it right. Working with Cynthia Moss,who founded the Amboseli Elephant Research Project in Kenya 30 years ago,McComb tested the social knowledge of 21 Amboseli elephant families with matriarchs 27 to 67 years old.She played recordings of contact calls to each family and found that the oldest matriarchs were much better at picking out unfamiliar calls.In fact,a group with a matriarch in her fifties was several thousand times more likely to form into a group upon hearing an unfamiliar contact call than when hearing a familiar call.However,families with younger matriarchs were less than twice as likely to gather together upon hearing an unfamiliar contact call as compared with a familiar call.And they gathered together a lot.Moreover,the social knowledge of older matriarchs translated into favourable results:Families with older matriarchs produced more baby elephants in each female-reproductive year.
This finding shows how difficult it is to protect the oldest members of elephant families. As elephants age,they continue to grow larger,as do their much wanted tusks .So the older—and wiser—a matriarch is,the greater the chance she will be killed.About 800 000 elephants have been killed by people in the past 20 years.
53.What does the underlined word “matriarch” mean?
A.An old member of an elephant family.
B.A female head of an elephant family.
C.A wise elephant.
D.A large elephant.
54.The research with recordings of contact calls shows _________.
A.how fast elephants form into groups
B.how important the age of a leading elephant is
C.how frightened elephants are when hearing a strange call
D.how frequently old elephants call other members of the family
55.The older a female elephant is,_________.
A.the stronger she will be
B.the poorer memory she will have
C.the more useless her tusks will be
D.the more likely she will be killed
56.We can infer from the passage that elephants may _________.
A.run into other elephant families
B.give wrong warnings to their mothers
C.run away upon hearing a strange sound
D.produce more babies by gathering together more often
Teamwork is all about working together to achieve a common goal or purpose. Is teamwork out of date? Why is it so hard to effectively conduct teamwork in those things?
One way we employ teamwork in everyday lives is by becoming a parent. It is a parent's job to teach their children and the basic skills and give them the knowledge they need to be successful in life. For example, the mother teaches her children manners and good health skills, while the father teaches them how to catch a ball or drive a car. However, in today's society, we find that more and more parents are experiencing that the teamwork is a one-sided thing. According to a report, there are 13.7 million single parents raising their children in the US and this could be due to the fact that parents don't take responsibility for their children, so they leave one parent to do it alone. This is a sad fact, but it reflects that effective teamwork is losing ground in the parenting aspect of our everyday lives.
Another place where teamwork affects us greatly is in our jobs. It doesn't matter if you are a small or large company; if you have at least one employee and yourself, then teamwork will be present. I have noticed that with the current economic recession（衰退期）, people are racing to grab jobs but the quality of people's work has gone down greatly. It just appears to me that people do not take pride in their work any more. They want to get to work as fast as they can, just to receive the paycheck, but their quality standards fly right out the window. So I think teamwork is losing its ground in the workforce. There are too many people who want to work independently and forget they are a part of a team.
As you can see, we run into the aspects of teamwork in just about everything we do. Do you believe teamwork is really losing ground in today's society? I think it is.
Why does teamwork disappear in the parenting aspect of our daily life?
| A．Parents have no time to spare with their children. |
| B．Parents have no chances to teach their children about it. |
| C．Many children are often brought up by a single parent. |
| D．Many children are independent to deal with their matters. |
Teamwork is losing ground in workforce mainly because -
| A．workers don't like to work together with others |
| B．workers' sense is affected by economic recession |
| C．workers want to prove they are more capable |
| D．fewer workers are employed to save money |
The author wants us to believe his opinion by_ _．
| A．listing some data |
| B．giving some examples |
| C．asking some questions |
| D．analyzing some cases |
The underlined phrase "fly right out the window" in Paragraph 3 means_______ .
| A．disappear | B．improve |
| C．increase | D．matter |
The weather predictions for Asia in 2050 read like a script from a doomsday movie, which has aroused more experts' concern about this serious problem.
Many climatologists and green groups fear they will come true unless there is a concerted global effort to rein in greenhouse gas emission 排放).
In the decades to come, Asia --- home to more than half the world's 6.3 billion people – will lurch (突然倾斜) from one climate extreme to another, with poor farmers battling droughts, floods, disease, food shortages and rising sea levels.
"It's not a pretty picture:' said Steve Sawyer, climate policy adviser with Greenpeace in Amsterdam. Global warming and changes to weather patterns are already occurring and there is enough excess carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to drive climate change for decades to come.
Already, changes are being felt in Asia but worse is likely to come, Sawyer and top climate bodies say, and could lead to mass migration (移民)and widespread humanitarian crises.
According to predictions, glaciers will melt faster, some Pacific and Indian Ocean islands will have to be abandoned or build sea defenses, storms will become more violent and insect and water-borne diseases will move into new areas as the world warms.
All this comes on top of rising populations and increasing demand for food, water and other resources. Experts say environmental degradation(退化)such as deforestation and pollution will likely increase the influences of climate change.
In what could be a foretaste of the future, Japan was hit by a record 10 typhoons and tropical storms in this year, while two-thirds of Bangladesh, parts of Nepal and large areas of northeastern India were flooded, affecting 50 million people, destroying livelihoods and making tens of thousands ill. The year before, a winter cold snap and a summer heat wave killed more than 2,000 people in India.
In the passage, the author indicates that the weather predictions for Asia are _ _
| A．frightening | B．exciting |
| C．surprising | D．satisfying |
Which of the following is NOT included in the weather prediction?
| A．Some Pacific islands will have to build sea defenses. |
| B．Storms will become stronger. |
| C．The diseases spread by water will move into new areas. |
| D．Two-third of Bangladesh will be flooded. |
The passage is intended to_ _ .
| A．tell people not to believe in the weather prediction for Asia |
| B．inform people of natural disasters that happened in Asia |
| C．increase people's awareness of the severe consequence of gas emissions |
| D．introduce a movie to environmental experts |
The passage is probably taken from__ _ .
| A．a newspaper | B．a trade journal |
| C．a biology book | D．a fashion magazine |
◆Walking tall, and safely
Some women simply refuse to give up high heels, despite slush ( 雪泥) , ice and snow. Now there's Winter Trax for them, designed to fit over high-heel boots and make their walk on the wild side a little more safe. Metal coils (圈 ) wrap around rubber at the front end of the shoe, with the heel end open.
◆Snow skirt steps up into fashion
Down with snow pants. Up with snow skirts! Montreal's Fantasy Wolrd Heroes has created these skirts to layer over minis and jeans as the snow season sets in. In a range of colors and available in wool, lends and quiltings, they come in four sizes and adjustable.
◆
Doc Martens, those army-inspired leather boots, are back. They were last popular when Kurt Cobain was all the rage(风靡一时 ). So far, just a few teens and fashion people have been spotted wearing the slight fat boots, but they have already appeared on stylish models like Irina Lazareanu and Agyness Deyn.
Neon stores sold Doc Martens 15 years ago and its owner Irving Tajfel wasn't sure at first if he was ready to relive the trend.
"I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Doc Martens at a fashion fair in Barcelona last year. Then I saw all the cool fashion kids wearing them in Paris. That got me thinking that it was about time Doc Martens came back in style here." Tajfel said.
We can know from the passage that WinterTrax .
| A．makes women like Doc Martens more |
| B．protects the back end of high-heel boots |
| C．makes women enjoy high-heel:boots in winter |
| D．protects women from being robbed |
When in Barcelona last year, Irving Tajfel probably_ .
| A．wore a pair of Doc Martens |
| B．found Doc Martens was put on show |
| C．placed an order for Doc Martens |
| D．saw fashion kids wearing Doc Martens |
Which of the following can be used to fill in the blank?
| A．Leather boots are popular again |
| B．Kurt Cobain and its music |
| C．How to choose high-quality boots |
| D．Doc Martens make a brave return |
What is this passage mainly about?
| A．High-heel boots. | B．Seasons. |
| C．Clothes fashion. | D．Weather. |
If you are trying to achieve big goals in your life and work, the chances are that, from time to time, you hit rock bottom. Nothing works, nothing goes right, and nothing succeeds. At times like these, you may feel like throwing in the towel. But before you do, read the following story. It might just change your mind.
One day, a small business owner decided he'd had enough. Enough of the endless work, enough of the lack of response, enough of the disturbing loneliness.
He went into the woods to have one last talk to the wise man. "Mr. wise man," he said. "Can you give me one good reason why I shouldn't give up?"
The answer took him by surprise. "Look around you," the wise man said. "Do you see the fern f蕨类植物）and the bamboo?"
“Yes:' the man replied.
“When I planted the fern and the bamboo, I took very good care of them. I gave them both equal amounts of food and water. I gave them sunlight in spring and protected them from the storms in autumn. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not give up on the bamboo. In the, second year, the fern grew even better than before but nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not give up on the bamboo. In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But l would not give up. In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. Still would not give up."
Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout(芽)came out from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small. But day by day the sprout grew. Within six months, the sprout had risen to a height of 100 feet. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive." "Did you know, young man, that all this time you have been struggling, you have been growing? Grow the roots that you need to produce your fruit."
"Don't compare yourself to others. All things have different purposes, and different journeys. The bamboo has a different purpose from the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful. Your time will come. You will rise high."
The small business owner left the forest. And never went back.
If nothing seems like it is happening in your life, despite all the work you're putting in, remember that you're probably growing roots not fruit. Stick with it. One day not far from now, there'll be a great harvest.
The underlined phrase "throwing in the towel" in Paragraph l probably means .
| A．crying out | B．showing off |
| C．giving up | D．running away |
After the wise man planted the fern and the bamboo,
| A．he cared for the fern only |
| B．they didn't receive any care from him |
| C．he gave up the bamboo in the fifth year |
| D．the bamboo seed never stopped growing |
From the passage we can conclude that the small business owner will
| A．not turn to the wise man for help again |
| B．not give up in face of difficulties |
| C．give up his business later |
| D．grow some bamboo later |
Which of the following best describes the story in the passage?
| A．Never give up hope. |
| B．Practice makes perfect. |
| C．Time and tide wait for nobody. |
| D．One should try and achieve bigger goals in life. |
To Friend or Not To Friend
We all love our parents and turn to them when we’re in need, but would you like them to hear the conversations you have with your friends on the school playground or lunch queue? Social networking sites have become extensions of the school hallways, so would you add your parents as “friends” and allow them to view your online activities and conversations with friends?
In the past the generation gap included a technology gap, where children were up to date with latest technology and parents were left behind, content to continue their day to day lives as they always had because they had no need to know more about technology. However, more and more parents are beginning to realize just how important social networks are in their lives. This realization has given many parents the motivation to education themselves about social networking sites.
These days many people are attracted to social networking sites because they can choose who they have around them; there’s also a certain amount of control over privacy that we don’t get in real life. Sometimes we feel that privacy is violated when we must accept a “friend” request from a parent or family member.
It’s a difficult choice whether or not to allow a parent to become a part of our online lives. On the one hand we don’t want to “reject” their request because that might hurt their feelings or make them feel you have something to hide. On the other hand if you do accept, then you could have a sense of being watched and no longer feel free to comment or communicate the way you did before.
A recent survey suggested that parents shouldn’t take it personally if their child ignores their request, “When a teen ignores a parent’s friend request, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are hiding something, but it could mean that this is one part of their life where they want to be independent.”
Perhaps talking with parents and giving explanations would help soften the blow if you do choose not to add them to your friends list. From Paragraph 2, we learn that _______.
| A．parents feel secure about their privacy online |
| B．social networks successfully fill the generation gap |
| C．parents have realized the importance of social networks |
| D．social networks offer a platform for parents to communicate |
Teenagers may refuse a parent’s friend request because _______.
| A．they hide something from their parents |
| B．they are unwilling to be watched by parents |
| C．their parents tend to fall behind in technology |
| D．their parents make negative comments on them |
The passage is mainly about _______.
| A．privacy online |
| B．social networks |
| C．the generation gap |
| D．parents’ friend requests |
The passage is written mainly for _______.
| A．parents | B．teenagers |
| C．teachers | D．researchers |
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