When 18th-century scientists first came across Australia’s platypus(鸭嘴兽), they thought it was a trick. It is not surprising that the platypus made people confused. This funny-looking animal has feet and is a kind of warm-blooded mammal.
While other mammals usually keep their blood at around 37 degrees, the platypus has a lower body temperature of 32 degrees. As to its appearance, the platypus’mouth is not really like ducks’at all; its mouth actually looks a bit soft. The platypus closes its eyes when swimming. It uses its mouth to pick up outside information made by the creatures underwater.
Strangest of all, the platypus is a mammal that can lay eggs. And there is only one other kind of mammal that can lay eggs, the echidna (针鼹鼠) of Australia. Both the platy-pus and the echidna lay soft-shelled eggs, and both feed their young with their own milk that comes out of their skin. These animals also walk in a way that is similar to crocodiles(鳄鱼), with legs on the sides of their bodies rather than under them.
Though pretty, in a special way, the platypus is actually one of the few mammals that are poisonous. A male platypus has knife-like bones on its back legs which have enough poison to kill a dog.
The platypus has the honor of being one of the oldest mammals in the world. Until the early 20th century, it was hunted for its fur, but the situation has changed. Although the platypus is easily affected by pollution, it is not under any immediate threat. What can we learn about the platypus according to the text?
| A．It has a lower body temperature than other mammals. |
| B．It only closes its eyes when underwater. |
| C．It’s the only poisonous mammal in the world. |
| D．It feeds its young on wild animal meat. |
Which of the following is NOT used as a comparison with the platypus in the text?
| A．The crocodile. | B．The echidna. | C．The duck. | D．The dog. |
The following characteristics of the platypus have been described in the text EXCEPT ________.
| A．its natural enemy | B．its appearance |
| C．its walking pose | D．its daily diet |
We can infer from the last paragraph that the platypus _______.
| A．is hunted for its meat | B．is in danger of extinction |
| C．is endangered by air pollution | D．is well-protected now |
Which of the following would be the best title for this text?
| A．Platypus, a Trick? |
| B．Platypus, the Only Warm-Blooded Mammal |
| C．The Characteristics of Platypus |
| D．The Strange Mammal —Platypus。 |
While income worry is a rather common problem of the aged, loneliness is another problem that aged parents may face. Of all the reasons that explain their loneliness, a large geographical distance between parents and their children is the major one. This phenomenon(现象) is commonly known as "Empty Nest Syndrome”（空巢综合症）．
In order to find better chances outside their countries, many young people have gone abroad, leaving their parents behind with no clear idea of when they will return home. Their parents spend countless lonely days and nights, taking care of themselves, in the hope that someday their children will come back to stay with them. The fact that most of these young people have gone to Europeanized or Americanized societies makes it unlikely that they will hold as tightly to the value of duty as they would have if they had not left their countries. Whatever the case, it has been noted that the values they hold do not necessarily match what they actually do. This geographical and cultural distance also prevents the grown-up children from providing response in time for their aged parents living by themselves.
The situation in which grown-up children live far away from their aged parents has been described as "distant parent phenomenon", which is common both in developed countries and in developing countries. Our society has not yet been well prepared for "Empty Nest Syndrome".According to the passage, the loneliness of aged parents is mainly caused by ________.
| A．their earlier experience of living alone |
| B．the poor living conditions in their native countries |
| C．the common worry that they have not saved much money |
| D．the distance between where parents live and where their children live |
Many young people have gone abroad, leaving their aged parents behind, to ______.
| A．realize their dreams in foreign countries |
| B．seek a better place for their aged parents |
| C．live in the countries with more money |
| D．continue their studies abroad |
If young people go abroad, __________.
| A．they do not hold to the value of duty at all |
| B．they can give some help to their parents back home |
| C．they cannot do what they should for their parents |
| D．they believe what they actually do is right |
From the last paragraph, we can infer that __________.
| A．the situations in the developed and developing countries are different |
| B．"Empty Nest Syndrome" has arrived unexpectedly in our society |
| C．children will become independent as soon as they go abroad |
| D．the aged parents are not fully prepared for "Empty Nest Syndrome" |
The society discussed in the passage is most probably __________.
| A．France | B．America | C．China | D．Britain |
Ten years ago I used to be very fit (健康的). I rode a bike to work and I got a lot of exercise at weekends. I used to play tennis a lot and go for long walks. In those days I didn’t earn very much. I had a job in an office. It wasn’t a very good job but I had a lot of time to do the things I enjoyed doing.
Then, about eight years ago, I got a much better job. The pay was better, but the hours were a lot longer. I bought a car and drove to work every day. I began to take people out to lunch. And I began to put on weight, too. I stopped playing tennis and going for long walks at weekends because I just didn’t have any time for things like that any more.
There’s a lot of stress in my job. Perhaps that’s why I started drinking more than I used to. For example, I used to have only half a glass of whisky when I got home, but then I started filling my glass to the top, and instead of having one glass, I would have several. I started smoking a lot, too. I never used to smoke at all.
Two months ago I had a heart attack. At first I just couldn’t believe it. Luckily it wasn’t very serious. The doctor advised me to stop smoking and to eat less. He also advised me to work less and get more exercise. But I just haven’t any time! My job takes everything out of me!
Sometimes I wonder if I should get another job. Perhaps I could do something like I used to do. But if I do that, I won’t earn as much. I have a family to support. I have to think of them, too. I just don’t know what I should do. What do you think? The author used to go to work ________
| A．on foot | B．by bike | C．by car | D．by train |
Compared with ten years ago, what is worse for the author now? d
| A．His job. | B．His pay. | C．His means of transport. | D．His health. |
According to the passage, when the author got the better job, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．He got higher pay. | B．His working hours weren’t long. |
| C．He found it very stressful. | D．He had little free time at weekends. |
After the author had a heart attack, the doctor advised him _____.
| A．not to work any longer | B．to take a long vacation abroad |
| C．to work less and take exercise | D．not to eat out any more |
What can we learn about the author?
| A．The author is not sure what he should do now. |
| B．The author has taken the doctor’s advice. |
| C．The author has got another new job. |
| D．The author feels much better now. |
Frank Woolworth was born in Rodman, New York., in 1852. His family were very poor farmers, and there was never enough to eat. Frank decided he did not want to be farmer. He took a short business course, and went to work as a salesman in a large city.
Woolworth realized he had a natural skill for showing goods to attract people’s interest, but he soon learned something more important. One day his boss told him to sell some odds and ends (小商品 ) for as much as he could get. Frank put all these things on one table with a sign which said FIVE CENTS EACH. People fought and pushed to buy the things and the table was soon cleared.
Soon afterwards, Woolworth opened his own store, selling goods at five and ten cents. But he had another lesson to learn before he became successful. That is, if you want to make money by selling low-price goods, you have to buy them in large quantities directly form the factories. Once, for example, Woolworth went to Germany and placed an order for knives. The order was so large that the factory had to keep running 24 hours a day for a whole year. In this way, the price of the knives was cut down by half.
By 1919, Woolworth had over 1000 stores in the US and Canada, and opened his first store in London. He made many millions and his name became famous throughout the world. He always run his business according to strict rules, of which the most important was: “ THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT.”Frank took a short business course in order to ____________.
| A．earn more money for his family |
| B．learn something from a salesman |
| C．get away from the farm |
| D．get enough to eat. |
Frank sold the odds and ends quickly because _____________.
| A．he knew how to get people to buy his goods. |
| B．he cut down the price by half |
| C．he had put the goods on a table in a very nice way. |
| D．the sign he put on the table was well designed. |
The price of the knives was cut down by half because ______________.
| A．the factory workers worked 24 hours a day. |
| B．knives were ordered in large quantities directly from the factory. |
| C．the knives were made in Germany, where labour (劳动力) was cheap. |
| D．the knives were produced in one factory. |
_____________ make Woolworth a world-famous man.
| A．His business skills and his wealth. |
| B．The low price of the goods he sold. |
| C．His trip to Germany and his huge order of knives. |
| D．His natural skill for showing things. |
The belief that: “The customer is always right” suggests that _______________.
| A．whenever there is a quarrel between the customer and shop assistant, the customers are always right. |
| B．If you want to succeed, the rule is the only way. |
| C．stores must always follow the customer’s orders if they want to make more money. |
| D．stores should do their best to meet the customer’s needs if they want to be successful. |
Anger at the practice of demanding dowries, which can lead to violence against brides, has caused a takeoff of "Angry Birds" called "Angry Brides" that aims to highlight the illegal practice still common in many South Asian countries.
Dowries -- such as jewelry, clothes, cars and money -- are traditionally given by the bride's family to the groom and his parents to ensure she is taken care of in her new home.
The custom was outlawed more than five decades ago. But it is still widely practiced, with the groom's family demanding even more money after marriage, leading to mental and physical abuse that can drive the woman to suicide.
"The Angry Brides game is our way of throwing a spotlight on the nuisance (陋习) of dowry," said Ram Bhamidi, senior vice president and head of online marketing for Shaadi.com, a matrimonial (婚姻的) website with two million members.
"According to a 2007 study, there is a dowry-related death every four hours in India. We condemn this and have consistently run campaigns on social media to help create awareness of the issue."
The name of the app, available on the group's home page, is a spinoff from the globally popular "Angry Birds" game. Its home page shows a red-clad, eight-armed woman resembling a powerful female Hindu goddess. Underneath, there is a caption: "A woman will give you strength, care and all the love you need ... NOT dowry!"
To play the game, users have to try and hit three dodging grooms -- a pilot, builder and doctor. There is a wide array of weapons to choose from, including a stiletto shoe, a frying pan, broomstick, tomato and loafer.
Each groom has a price tag, starting at 1.5 million rupees ($29,165). Every time the player hits a groom, his value decreases and money is added to the player's Anti-Dowry Fund, which is saved posted on their Facebook page.
"Since we launched the game last week, more than 270,000 people have liked the app. Both men and women seem to be playing it," said Bhamidi.What caused "Angry Brides" to appear online?
| A．Women's rights' being seriously abused． |
| B．Anger at the practice of demanding dowries． |
| C．The bride's giving a great many dowries． |
| D．The popularity of Angry Birds online． |
Which of the following is True about "Dowries"?
| A．The custom of giving dowries has been in practice for five decades． |
| B．Lack of abundant dowries may lead to the bride's being in violence． |
| C．The illegal practice of dowries is still popular in many African countries． |
| D．More dowries the bride gives mean a high social status of her family． |
The underlined word "spinoff” probably means_____________．
| A．relation | B．connection | C．copy | D．fake |
Which of the following is NOT TRUE about the game "Angry Brides"?
| A．There are a variety of weapons to choose from． |
| B．Ram Bhamidi thinks highly of the game． |
| C．Men players don't find the game enjoyable． |
| D．The game character looks like a Hindu goddess． |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．Women's unfair treatment in the marriage． |
| B．The popularity of the game "Angry Brides"． |
| C．The groom's demanding too many dowries． |
| D．How to build an equal relation in the marriage． |
It takes more than just practice to become an Olympian. Gold medal performances require some serious nutrition. Have you ever wondered what these successful athletes eat to stay in peak shape?
Keri Glassman, a registered dietitian and founder of Nutritious Life Meals, appeared on "Good Morning America" today to give you a glimpse into the diets of some top athletes. Some of their meals could surprise you.
Crazy Calorie Count
Glassman said Olympians eat a lot of food---quantities that for ordinary people would constitute pigging out. One secret of swimmer Michael Phelps' astonishing performance in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing was consuming as many as 12,000 calories in one day.
Athletes can eat like this and not gain any weight because their workouts are intense. According to Glassman, Phelps' workouts can burn 4,000 to 6,000 calories in a day, and those calories must be replenished (补充) in order to train the following day.
Snacking Secrets
Some athletes eat wacky (strange, unusual) foods that they swear improve their performance. Yohan Blake, the Jamaica sprinter and 100-meter world champion, has been making waves for stealing champion sprinter Usain Bolt's thunder on the track during the Olympic trials. Asked about how he gets his stamina, Blake answered that he eats 16 bananas per day, Glassman said.
Jonathan Horton, the lead gymnast on the US team, has a blood sugar problem. His solution is honey. When he starts to feel shaky at the gym, he takes swigs of honey to boost his energy, Glassman said.
Foods for Recovery
What are the best foods to help the body recover after rigorous (strict) competition?
For Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte, the recovery meal is grilled chicken breasts with Alfredo sauce, whole-grain spaghetti and a salad with lemon juice and olive oil. Lochte, who recently cut out junk food, candy and soda, has undertaken a rigorous strength-training regimen(养生法) that involves flipping tractor tires, dragging shipyard chains and tossing beer kegs, Glassman said.What’s the best title of this passage?
| A．Good Diet Makes a True Olympian. |
| B．Olympians Have Olympic-size Appetites. |
| C．Olympians’ Strange Eating Habits. |
| D．The Diets of some Top Olympic Athletes. |
What does the underlined sentence probably means?
| A．Ordinary people eat few pigs compared with Olympians. |
| B．Olympians eat a lot more food than ordinary people. |
| C．Olympians tend to eat a lot of high-quality food. |
| D．Olympians eat a large amount of food, just like pigs. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Ryan Lochte quit eating junk food, candy and soda for his recovery. |
| B．Usain Bolt beat Yohan Blake on the track in the Olympic trials. |
| C．Michael Pheleps astonishing performance was due to his eating lots of food. |
| D．Jonathan Horton has a blood sugar problem because of taking too much honey. |
Which of the following is not the best food to help the body recover?
| A．Soda. | B．Olive oil. |
| C．Whole-grain spaghetti. | D．A salad with lemon juice. |
The passage is most likely to be found in __________ .
| A．a technical report | B．a fashion magazine |
| C．an education column | D．a sports newspaper |
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