At the beginning of the 20th century there were more than a million lions worldwide. Today there are less than 30,000 in the wild. The remaining lions are increasingly threatened by habitat loss, hunting and activities to protect farms and cattle.
For generations, Masai tribesmen on the large African plains in southeastern Kenya have hunted lions — to protect their farms and cattle. Today they celebrate the lions’ life.
Noah is an elder in the Masai community. “We have decided as a community of the Masai to lay down our spears, and there will be no more killing of lions in our community.” He is part of a group of Masai visiting the United States promoting (推广) the Predator Compensation Program.
Conservation International’s Frank Hawkins explains, “The Masai have been living with wildlife for many generations and it has been a conflicting ( 有冲突的) relationship in many ways. They compete with the animals for food as lions eat their cattle. We’re trying to find ways in which the wildlife will become something useful to them.” They had the Predator Compensation Fund founded in 2003. After much discussion, a group of Masai farmers agreed to protect lions. In turn, if lions or other predators kill their cattle, the Masai owner will be paid market value for the dead animals from the fund.
One man said that in the past, when a lion killed cattle, they killed it immediately. And now, after the start of the program, the Masai see the lion population growing. Since 2003, only four lions have been killed here.What is the aim of the Predator Compensation Program?
| A．To protect people in the wild. | B．To protect Masai’s farms. |
| C．To protect lions only. | D．To protect the wildlife. |
According to the passage, why haven’t Masai tribesmen killed many lions since 2003?
| A．Because lions don’t eat their cattle any more. |
| B．Because they will be fined if they kill lions there. |
| C．Because the fund will pay for dead animals killed by lions |
| D．Because there are less than 30,000 lions in the wild now. |
What do you think of the Masai ?
| A．Wise. | B．Mean. | C．Generous. | D．Stupid. |
Self-employed private physicians who charge a fee for each patient visit are the foundation of medical practice in the United States. Most physicians have a contract relationship with one or more hospitals in the community. They send their patients to this hospital, which usually charges patients according to the number of days they stay and the facilities (operating room, tests, medicines that they use). Some hospitals belong to a city, a state or, in the case of veteran's hospitals, a federal government agency. Others are operated by religious orders(教会) or other non-profit groups.
Some medical doctors are on salary. Salaried physicians may work as hospital staff members, or residents, who are often still in training. They may teach in medical schools, be hired by corporations to care for their workers or work for the federal government’s Public Health Service.
Physicians are among the best paid professionals in the United States. In the 1980s, it was not uncommon for medical doctors to earn incomes of more than $ 100,000 a year. Specialists, particularly surgeons, might earn several times that amount. Physicians list many reasons why they deserve to be so well rewarded for their work. One reason is the long and expensive preparation required to become a physician in the United States. Most would-be physicians first attend college for four years, which can cost nearly $ 20,000 a year at one of the best private institutions. Prospective physicians then attend medical school for four years. Tuition alone can exceed $ 10,000 a year. By the time they have obtained their medical degrees, many young physicians are deeply in debt. They still face three to five years of residency(实习阶段) in a hospital, the first year as an apprentice physician. The hours are long and the pay is relatively low.
Setting up a medical practice is expensive, too. Sometimes several physicians will decide to establish a group practice, so they can share the expense of maintaining an office and buying equipment. These physicians also take care of each other’s patients in emergencies.
Physicians work long hours and must accept a great deal of responsibility. Many medical procedures, even quite routine ones, involve risk. It is understandable that physicians want to be well rewarded for making decisions which can mean the difference between life and death.According to the passage, it is very unlikely that an American hospital is owned by ______.
| A．a church | B．a corporation | C．a city | D．a state |
The expenses for becoming a doctor are spent on _______.
| A．schooling and retraining | B．practice in a hospital |
| C．facilities he or she uses | D．education he or she receives |
According to the passage, how long does it take for a would-be physician to become an independent physician in the USA?
| A．About seven year. | B．Eight years. |
| C．Ten years. | D．About twelve years. |
Sometimes several physicians set up a group medical practice mainly because _______.
| A．there are so many patients that it is difficult for one physician to take care all of them |
| B．they can take turns to work long hours |
| C．facilities may be too much of a burden for one physician to shoulder |
| D．no one wants to assume too much responsibility |
Which of the following statements could fully express the author’s view towards physicians’ payment in the USA?
| A．For their expensive education and their responsibility, they deserve a handsome pay. |
| B．It is reasonable for physicians to have a large income because their work is very dangerous. |
| C．Physicians should be better paid because they work long hours under bad conditions. |
| D．Physicians have great responsibility, so it is understandable that they should be well rewarded. |
A butcher watching over his shop was really surprised when he saw a dog coming inside the shop. He went over to the dog and noticed it had a note in its mouth. He took the note and it read “Can I have 12 sausages and a leg of lamb, please. The dog has money in his mouth, as well.”
The butcher looked carefully and was surprised to find that there was really a ten-dollar note there. So he took the money and put the sausages and lamb in a bag, placing it in the dog’s mouth. The butcher was so impressed, and since it was about closing time, he decided to shut up shop and follow the dog.
So off he went. He followed the dog to a bus stop. The dog stopped and started looking at the timetable. The dog checked out the time, and then sat on one of the seats provided. Along came a bus. The dog walked around to the front, looked at the number, and went back to its seat. Another bus came. Again the dog went around to the front, looked at the number and climbed on. The butcher, by now, open-mouthed, followed it onto the bus.
The bus traveled through the town and out into the suburbs. Eventually the dog got up, and moved to the front of the bus. It stood on two back paws and pushed the button to stop the bus. Then it got off with groceries still in its mouth.
Well, the dog and the butcher were walking along the road, and then the dog turned into a house. It walked up the path, and dropped the groceries on the step. Then it walked back down the path, took a big run, and threw itself against the door. Then again, it threw himself against it. There’s no answer at the house. so the dog waited at the door.
The butcher watched as a big guy opened the door, and started shouting at it. The butcher ran up, and stopped the guy. “Why do you shout at the dog? It is really a genius.” The guy responded, “You call this clever? This is the second time this week that this stupid dog’s forgotten its key.”Which may be the best title of the passage?
| A．A clever dog. | B．A curious butcher. |
| C．A cruel owner. | D．A second lost key. |
Why was the butcher surprised when he saw the dog?
| A．Because there was a note in the dog’s mouth. |
| B．Because a dog was not supposed to come into his shop alone. |
| C．Because the dog was not afraid of being butchered. |
| D．Because the dog could read. |
The passage implies that _________.
| A．dogs are cleverer than man |
| B．dogs are our best friend |
| C．the butcher is a cruel person |
| D．some people are never satisfied with what they have got |
The dog threw itself against the door, because _________.
| A．it wanted to force the door open |
| B．it wanted its owner to open the door |
| C．it wanted to punish itself for forgetting the key |
| D．it wanted to get the butcher’s help |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．The butcher was curious so he followed the dog. |
| B．The dog didn’t get on the first bus because it was the wrong number. |
| C．To get off the bus, you should let the driver know by pressing the button. |
| D．The dog would be driven away by the big guy. |
One is never too old to learn. Life learning (sometimes called un-schooling or self-directed learning) is one of those concepts that are almost easier to explain by saying what it isn’t than what it is. And that’s probably because our own schooled backgrounds have convinced us that learning happens only in a fine building on certain days, between certain hours, and managed by a specially trained professional.
Within that schooling framestudy, no matter how hard teachers try and no matter how good their textbooks, many bright students get bored, many slower students struggle and give up or lose their self-respect, and most of them reach the end of the process unprepared to enter into society. They have memorized a certain body of knowledge long enough to rush back the information on tests, but they haven’t really learnt much, at least of the official curriculum.
Life learners, on the other hand, know that learning is not difficult, that people learn things quite easily if they’re not compelled and forced, if they see a need to learn something, and if they are trusted and respected enough to learn it on their own timetable, at their own speed, in their own way—no matter what age and no matter whether we’re at school or at home.
Life learning is independent of time, location or the presence of teacher. It does not require mom or dad to teach, or kids to work in workbooks at the table from 9 to noon. Life learning is learner-driven. It involves living and learning—in and from the real world. It is about exploring, questioning, experimenting, making messes, taking risks without fear of making mistakes, being laughed at and trying again.
Furthermore, life learning is about trusting kids to learn what they need to know and about helping them to learn and grow in their own ways. It is about providing positive experiences that enable children to understand the world and their culture and to interact with it.It is implied in the text that it is hard to ______.
| A．tell the nature of life learning | B．carry life learning through |
| C．learn without going to school | D．find a specially trained teacher |
According to the author, the schooling framestudy often ______.
| A．produces slow students with poor memories |
| B．ignores some parts of the official curriculum |
| C．fails to provide enough knowledge about life |
| D．gives little care to the quality of teaching materials |
Life learners recognize that learning will not be difficult if they are ______.
| A．able to respect other people | B．careful to make a time table |
| C．clear about why to learn | D．cautious about any mistakes |
According to the author, life learning ______.
| A．could prevent one from running risks |
| B．teaches a kid how to avoid being laughed at |
| C．makes a kid independent of his parents |
| D．could be a road full of trials and errors |
Through life learning, children ______.
| A．will grow without the assistance from parents |
| B．will be seperated from the negative side of society |
| C．will be driven to learn necessary life knowledge |
| D．will learn to communicate with the real society |
Pupils remember more and behave better when 3D images are used in lessons, research suggests. They are quicker to learn and absorb new concepts, and display higher levels of concentration.
Professor Anne Bamford, of the University of the Arts, London, studied the effectiveness of 3D content in 15 schools across seven countries, including the UK. Pupils in 3D classes could remember more than those in the 2D classes after four weeks, improving test scores by an average 17 percent compared with eight percent for 2D lessons. They gave more detailed answers to the tasks and were more likely to think in 3D, using hand gestures and mime (模仿动作) to answer the test questions successfully.
The teachers commented that the pupils in the 3D groups had deeper understanding, increased attention span, more motivation and higher engagement in the lessons
Children are used to 3D with the rise of computer games that use the technology—90 percent of those in the study had seen a 3D film. Schools would need 3D-enabled projectors（投影仪）, laptops with good picture capabilities, 3D software and glasses for children to introduce animations (动作) into classrooms.
But Danny Nicholson, an educationist, said the technology would be impractical to use in schools and could be too expensive. He said,“While I think the idea of 3D technology is very interesting, I worry that 3D is a bit of an expensive gimmick (小玩意儿). There are a few cases where a true 3D image might help, but most of the time, good 2D models that can be moved , would be just so effective.”
In Colorado, the US, one school district is already in the process of having 1,000 3D projectors fixed in classrooms. And the University of Caledonia, which carries out scientific research into the Lake Tabon Basin, has used 3D presentations with Grade Six pupils. Those who watched the 3D presentations were more engaged and reported a general increase in their interest in science compared with students who watched the 2D version.Teachers think pupils in 3D classes .
| A．are naughtier than those in 2D classes | B．have less motivation |
| C．find it hard to concentrate | D．have deeper understanding |
Danny Nicholson tends to think that .
| A．many pupils prefer 2D models |
| B．3D is a bit expensive for some schools |
| C．true 3D images would not help in classes |
| D．3D technology has a bright future in classes |
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．3D classes will soon be given in one school district in Colorado. |
| B．Teachers will use the 3D technology through specific training. |
| C．Many pupils are now more interested in science than before. |
| D．3D technology will replace 2D models in the future. |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．2D models are always more effective than 3D images. |
| B．The differences between 3D and 2D images. |
| C．How schools can make full use of 3D technology. |
| D．Pupils behave better when 3D images are used in classes. |
Where is the text most probably taken from?
| A．A history book. | B．A news story |
| C．A science magazine. | D．A school report. |
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."
You probably heard those lines in grammar school, but do you really agree that harsh (严厉的) or negative words do not harm us? Words have power. Surely we all have had our feelings hurt by something someone said.
We may not say words to hurt others, but the way we interpret (解释) them and how we say them may cause great harm. Here’s an example:
An ancient king dreamed all his teeth had fallen out. He sent for a wise man to explain his dream to him: the dream means that all your relatives will die and you will be left alone!
The king was very angry and threw the interpreter into prison. He then sent for another interpreter who said, "Congratulations! King! You will live many more years. In fact, you will survive all your relatives. Long Live the King!"
Both interpreters gave the same interpretation, but there was a huge difference in the way they said it.
Our speech must be understood by those who hear our words, but the way we say things and the intention behind them have as much power as the words themselves. Words can cause anger or appreciation. Which would you rather receive?
People who say harsh and negative things may not mean to harm, but have you ever known anyone who is a naysayer? They often look at the dark sides of things. They always see the glass as half empty rather than half full. How do you feel when you are around this type of person? Remember words have power. Use them wisely.The author mentions the story of the ancient king to show that _____.
| A．one dream sometimes has different explanations |
| B．good words can bring good luck to people |
| C．people should be careful when talking to a king |
| D．different ways of saying things have different effects |
The underlined word "naysayer" in the last paragraph refers to a person who always _____.
| A．has a negative attitude | B．likes to be praised |
| C．talks big | D．likes to repeat what others say |
According to the text, how can people understand each other better?
| A．By sharing different life experiences |
| B．By accepting different habits. |
| C．By properly using words |
| D．By recognizing different values. |
The author wrote the last paragraph to ______.
| A．show how the dark sides of things affect people |
| B．advise people to see and say things positively |
| C．show how harsh and negative words hurt people |
| D．advise people to stay away from negative people |
The passage mainly talks about ______.
| A．the power of words | B．the cruelty of the king |
| C．how to understand others | D．how to build good relationships |
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