GUATEMALA CITY(Reuters)— A fish that lives in mangrove swamps(红树沼泽)across the Americas can live out of water for months at a time, similar to how animals adapted(适应)to land millions of years ago, a new study shows.
The Mangrove Rivulus, a type of small killifish, lives in small pools of water in a certain type of empty nut or even old beer cans in the mangrove swamps of Belize, the United States and Brazil. When their living place dries up, they live on the land in logs(圆木), said Scott Taylor, a researcher at the Brevard Endangered Lands Program in Florida.
The fish, whose scientific name is Rivulus marmoratus, can grow as large as three inches. They group together in logs and breathe air through their skin until they can find water again.
The new scientific discovery came after a trip to Belize.
“We kicked over a log and the fish just came crowding out.” Taylor told Reuters in neighboring Guatemala by telephone. He said he will make his study on the fish known to the public in an American magazine early next year.
In lab tests, Taylor said he found the fish can live up to 66 days out of water without eating.
Some other fish can live out of water for a short period of time. The walking catfish found in Southeast Asia can stay on land for hours at a time, while lungfish found in Australia, Africa and South America can live out of water, but only in an inactive state. But no other known fish can be out of water as long as the Mangrove Rivulus and remain active, according to Patricia Wright, a biologist at Canada’s University of Guelph.
Further studies of the fish may tell how animals changed over time.
“These animals live in conditions similar to those that existed millions of years ago, when animals began making the transition(过渡)from water onto land,” Wright said.The Mangrove Rivulus is a type of fish that__________.
| A．like eating nuts |
| B．prefers living in dry places |
| C．is the longest living fish on earth |
| D．can stay alive for two months out of water |
Who will write up a report on Mangrove Rivulus?
| A．Patricia Wright | B．Researchers in Guatemala |
| C．Scientists from Belize | D．Scott Taylor |
According to the text, lungfish can__________.
| A．breathe through its skin |
| B．move freely on dry land |
| C．remain alive out of water |
| D．be as active on land as in waster |
What can we say about the discovery of Mangrove Rivulus?
| A．It was made quite by accident |
| B．It was based on a lab test of sea life |
| C．It was supported by an American magazine |
| D．It was helped by Patricia Wright |
It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.
The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries, saving us from having to walk a long distance from where we live.
I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had an amazing effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity(人性)as a whole. And it has influenced us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.
| A．The man’s job was bike racing. |
| B．It was their only possession(财产). |
| C．It was a nice Kona 18 speed. |
| D．They used it for work and daily life. |
| A．the couple worked 60 hours a week |
| B．people were busy before Christmas |
| C．life was hard for the young family |
| D．the stranger brought over the bike |
| A．From radio broadcasts | B．From a newspaper. |
| C．From TV news. | D．From a stranger. |
| A．Strangers are usually of little help. |
| B．One should take care of his bike. |
| C．News reports make people famous. |
| D．An act of kindness can mean a lot. |
Deserts are found where there is little rainfall or where rain for a whole year falls in only a few weeks' time. Ten inches of rain may be enough for many plants to survive if the rain is spread throughout the year. If it falls, within one or two months and the rest of the year is dry, those plants may die and a desert may form.
Sand begins as tiny pieces of rock that get smaller and smaller as wind and weather wear them down. Sand dunes (沙丘) are formed as winds move the sand across the desert. Bit by bit, the dunes grow over the years, always moving with the winds and changing the shape. Most of them are only a few feet tall, but they can grow to be several hundred feet high.
There is, however, much more to a desert than sand. In the deserts of the southwestern United States, cliffs (悬崖) and deep valleys were formed from thick mud that once lay beneath a sea more than millions of years ago. Over the centuries, the water dried up. Wind, sand, rain, heat and cold all wore away at the remaining rocks. The faces of the desert, mountains are always changing—very, very slowly —as these forces of nature continue to
work on the rock.
Most deserts have a surprising variety of life. There are plants, animals and insects that have adapted to life in the desert. During the heat of the day, a visitor may see very few signs of living things, but as the air begins to cool in the evening, the desert comes to life. As the sun begins to rise again in the sky, the desert once again becomes quiet and lonely.Many plants may survive in deserts when___________.
| A．the rain is spread out in a year |
| B．the rain falls only in a few weeks |
| C．there is little rain in a year |
| D．it is dry all the year round |
Sand dunes are formed when___________.
| A．sand piles up gradually |
| B．there is plenty of rain in a year |
| C．the sea has dried up over the years |
| D．pieces of rock get smaller |
The underlined sentence in the third paragraph probably means that in a desert there is .
| A．too much sand |
| B．more sand than before |
| C．nothing except sand |
| D．something else besides sand |
It can be learned from the text that in a desert____________.
| A．there is no rainfall throughout the year |
| B．life exists in rough conditions |
| C．all sand dunes are a few feet high |
| D．rocks are worn away only by wind and heat |
Many people keep the stamps in a drawer at home because they’ll never know when they might need them! The trouble is that they have no idea of how many stamps they have left. When they want to send something by post, it’s very annoying to find out that they have run out of stamps!
The Internet is possible to solve the problem. The United States Postal Service has come up with a system which allows people to print their own postage stamps at their own home! This is the perfect solution for those people that have busy lives!
Whenever you go to the post office to buy a stamp, you are buying a boring and standard postage stamp. They are red in color, and you can easily buy them on the Internet as well. For example, you can just order a regular 1st class stamp and then print it off using your own printer (打印机).
These days, you can have much more fun with your stamps. You can buy them online instead of going to the post office. You can decorate, preview (预览) and print your stamps all at your own home. You are able to use any of your own photos as part of your postage stamp as well.
These stamps aren’t just allowed to be used in the United States; they can be used to send your mail throughout the world. They are perfect to use for many special occasions, such as weddings, festivals and even birthdays! They are fantastic!The problem of keeping stamps at home is that ______.
| A．the stamps may lose color |
| B．you may not find them anywhere |
| C．the stamps may be out of date |
| D．you do not know how many are left |
With the system of the United States Postal Service, people can ______.
| A．buy photo stamps at a very low price |
| B．send their international mails for free |
| C．design their own photo stamps |
| D．have their letters delivered faster than before |
What’s the writer’s attitude toward the new type of stamps?
| A．He thinks they are a great idea. |
| B．He is afraid they may cause trouble. |
| C．He thinks they save a lot of money. |
| D．He thinks they are as good as the traditional ones. |
No one is glad to hear that his body has to be cut open by a surgeon（外科医生） and part of it taken out． Today， however， we needn't worry about feeling pain during the operation． The sick person falls into a kind of sleep， and when he awakes， the operation is finished． But these happy conditions are fairly new． It is not many years since a man who had to have operation felt all its pain．
Long ago， operation had usually to be done while the sick man could feel everything． The sick man had to be held down on a table by force while the doctors did their best for him． He could feel all the pain if his leg or arm was being cut off， and his fearful cries filled the room and the hearts of those who watched．
Soon after 1770， Josept Priestley discovered a gas which is now called “laughing gas”．Laughing gas became known in America．Young men and women went to parties to try it． Most of them spent their time laughing，but one man at a party，Horace Wells，noticed that people didn't seem to feel pain when they were using this gas．He decided to make an experiment on himself．He asked a friend to help him．
Wells took some of the gas，and his friend pulled out one of Well’s teeth．Wells felt no pain at all．
As he didn't know enough about laughing gas， he gave a man less gas than he should have． The man cried out with pain when his tooth was being pulled out．
Wells tried again，but this time he gave too much of the gas，and the man died．Wells never forgot this terrible event．It is ___________since a man being operated felt all the pain.
| A．a few more years | B．not long |
| C．few years | D．two thousand years |
Long ago, when the sick man was operated on, he___________.
| A．could feel nothing | B．could not want anything |
| C．could feel all the pain | D．could do anything |
Using the laughing gas, the people did not seem to___________.
| A．be afraid of anything | B．feel pain |
| C．want to go to the parties | D．be ill |
If a man took less laughing gas than he should have when an operation went on he___________.
| A．felt nothing | B．felt very comfortable |
| C．still felt pain | D．would die |
When Christopher Columbus landed on the then unnamed Costa Rica in 1502, he saw many Indians wearing gold earrings. So he thought the land must be rich in gold. He named the place Costa Rica, which means “rich coast” in Spanish.
Though little gold was found, Costa Rica today is indeed rich with coffee and bananas. Coffee is the most important product in Costa Rica and most of it is exported (出口) to other countries like America and West Germany. Bananas are the country’s second most important export.
Costa Ricans also grow many other crops such as fruits, corn and beans for their own use. Costa Ricans love colors and their houses are painted in bright colors.
Education is very important to the Costa Ricans. Almost every village has a school and education is a must for children between seven and fourteen years of age. Boys and girls go to separate (单独的) schools. Classes begin in March and end in November. The other three months of the year are harvest time and the children have to help their parents to pick coffee beans. What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?
| A．How Columbus found Costa Rica. |
| B．How Costa Rica got its name. |
| C．What the Costa Ricans wore. |
| D．What language the Costa Ricans spoke. |
The Costa Ricans may NOT paint their houses ______.
| A．pink and red | B．grey and black |
| C．blue and green | D．yellow and orange |
In Costa Rica, boys and girls between seven and fourteen ______.
| A．must go to school |
| B．study in the same school |
| C．do not have to go to school at all |
| D．can choose to stop schooling at any time |
From December to February, school children in Costa Rica ______.
| A．have lessons every day |
| B．have their examinations |
| C．help their parents pick coffee beans |
| D．help their parents decorate their houses |
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