Dogs already guide blind and disabled people and now they are to be trained to help people with dementia．The idea developed by some university students will now be put into practice by Scotland Medical Center．The research is meaningful, for there are 670, 000 people in Britain who have dementia and by 2021 this is expected to rise to one million．
Dementia can make people confuse night and day or forget basic things such as washing or drinking enough water．The dogs would be trained to help to guide them through the day．
Joyce Gray from Scotland Medical Center said, "People in the early stages of dementia are still able to live a relatively normal life, and dogs help them to maintain routine．M For example, people with memory loss will tend to forget to take medicine, "but if a dog presents them with a bag with pills in it, there's a greater chance of them taking it．"
Ms．Gray also said dogs were perfectly suited to remind their owners to eat．"Dogs have an ability to say 'it's my feeding time^, so there would be a note in the cupboard next to the dog's food reminding the dog's owner to eat too．"
The dog would also encourage the owner to take them out for walks．"It gives a reason for the owner to go out into the community," Ms．Gray said, "We did a test with an elderly person walking down the high street on his own．Then we gave him a dog on a lead and he did the exact same walk．That time people would come up to him, chatting or smiling and making eye contact．We hope we'd see this with people with dementia too．"
There is one more advantage of using the pets as companions．Since conversation can be increasingly confusing for people with dementia, dogs can give them a sense of silent support and companionship．Ms．Gray said, "We have found that people may forget familiar faces but not pets．People light up when they see animals．There is a speechless bond between the dog and its owner．wWhat's the common symptom of dementia?
| A．Going hungry． | B．Feeling lonely． |
| C．Forgetting things． | D．Waking up at night． |
According to Ms．Gray, after feeding the pet, the owner may ______．
| A．do some washing | B．take his medicine |
| C．have something to eat | D．go out to walk the dog |
For people with dementia, pets can ______．
| A．give them wordless help |
| B．contribute to their recovery |
| C．help them to recognize people's faces |
| D．ensure them to gain support from other people |
What's the best title for the passage?
| A．Guide Dogs for the Mind |
| B．Pets, Faithful Companions |
| C．Mental Support for the Disabled |
| D．Dementia, a Curable Disease |
Can dogs and cats live in perfect harmony in the same home? People who are thinking about adopting a dog as a friend for their cats are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found a new recipe of success. According to the study, if the cat is adopted before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young (less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get along well. Two-thirds of the homes interviewed reported a positive relationship between their cat and dog.
However, it wasn’t all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggression and fighting were observed in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body signals were just opposite. For example, when a cat turns its head away it signals aggression, while a dog doing the same signals means giving up.
In homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behaviour. They are learning how to talk each other’s language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk “dog”, and dogs can learn how to talk “cat”.
What’s interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence. They can learn to read each other’s body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than was preciously suspected. Once familiar with each other’s presence and body language, cats and dogs can play together, greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together in the sofa. They can easily share the same water bowl and in some cases groom(梳理) each other.
The significance of this research on cats and dogs maygo beyond pets----to people who don’t get along, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers. If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.Some cats and dogs may fight when_________.
| A．they are cold to each other |
| B．they look away from each other |
| C．they misunderstand each other’s signals |
| D．they are introduced at an early age |
What is found surprising about cats and dogs?
| A．They eat and sleep together |
| B．They observe each other’s behaviors |
| C．They learn to speak each other’s language |
| D．They know something from each other’s voice |
It is suggested in paragraph 4 that cats and dogs_______.
| A．have common interests |
| B．are less different than was thought |
| C．have a common body language |
| D．are less intelligent than was expected |
What can we human beings learn from cats and dogs?
| A．We should learn to live in harmony |
| B．We should knows more about animals |
| C．We should live in peace with animals |
| D．We should learn more body languages |
My grandfather lived only half a mile away from where I grew up in New York. Every day, he would walk down to our house and bring my dad newspapers. Along with the papers he would bring a small bag of treats (美食) for my two brothers and me.
Western New York had terrible winter weather: rain, sleet (雨夹雪), or even 3 feet of snow. Even when he was 81, he still walked the half mile every single day. As a child, I looked forward to the daily treats, but now I’m older and I realize he braved the rough weather each day just to see us smile; I now value that more than anything else.
My grandfather touched many lives. A woman who had been in hospital for five years told me her story. She said my grandfather would visit her twice a week at her home: to read to her, play bridge, or just chat. It lasted for years without stop. She had few visitors. Even a hitch-hiker who had traveled by getting free rides from passing cars told me of my grandfather’s influence on his life. My grandfather had picked him up for free and took the traveler to his home. After learning that the man was homeless, my grandfather gave him a place to stay. The man told me that no one had ever been so nice to him. He later found a job in a supermarket.
I was touched, but not surprised to know all of the touching stories from which I understood my grandfather’s selflessness. I have since tried to learn from him to help others. Although he died years ago, we still respect him.The writer’s grandfather walked to his grandson’s home each day in order to ________.
| A．bring his son newspapers |
| B．give his grandchildren some food |
| C．take exercise by walking |
| D．see his son and grandchildren |
All of the following can describe the writer’s grandfather EXCEPT ________.
| A．kind | B．selfless | C．strict | D．helpful |
The underlined word “hitch-hiker” in Paragraph 3 refers to ________.
| A．喜欢乘车旅行的人 | B．免费搭便车旅行的人 |
| C．被父母遗弃的人 | D．独自旅行并迷路的人 |
From the text we can infer that ________.
| A．the writer didn’t know his grandfather’s selflessness until years later |
| B．the writer’s grandfather went to his house except on snowy days |
| C．the writer’s grandfather ever looked after a woman in hospital for five years |
| D．the writer’s grandfather ever helped a stranger find a job in a supermarket |
After learning about his grandfather’s stories, the writer ________.
| A．felt a little surprised at first |
| B．followed the example of his grandfather |
| C．was much sad all the time |
| D．didn’t like his grandfather’s action |
Tayka Hotel de Sal
Where：Tahua，Bolivia
How much：About $95 a night
Why it’s cool：You’ve stayed at hotels made of brick or wood，but salt？That’s something few can claim．Tayka Hotel de Sal is made totally of salt—including the beds （though you’ll sleep on regular mattresses（床垫） and blankets）．The hotel sits on the Salar de Uyuni，a prehistoric driedup lake which is the world’s biggest salt flat．Builders use the salt from the 4,633squaremile flat to make the bricks，and glue them together with a paste （糊） of wet salt that hardens when it dries．When rain starts to dissolve the hotel，the owners just mix up more salt paste to strengthen the bricks．
Green Magic Nature Resort
Where：Vythiri，India
How much：About $240 a night
Why it’s cool：Taking a pulley（滑轮）operated lift 86 feet to your treetop room is just the start of your adventure．As you look out of your open window—there is no glass！—you watch monkeys and birds in the rain forest canopy（罩篷）．Later you might test your fear of heights by crossing the handmade rope bridge to the main part of the hotel，or just sit on your bamboo bed and read．You don’t even have to come down for breakfast—the hotel will send it up on the pulleydrawn “elevator”．
Dog Bark Park Inn B&B
Where：Cottonwood，Idaho
How much：$92 a night
Why it’s cool：This doghouse isn’t just for the family pet．Sweet_Willy is a 30foottall dog with guest rooms in his belly．Climb the wooden stairs beside his hind leg to enter the door in his side．You can relax in the main bedroom，go up a few steps of the loft（阁楼） in Willy’s head，or hang out inside his nose．Although you have a full private bathroom in your quarters，there is also a toilet in the 12foottall fire hydrant（消防栓） outside．
Gamirasu Cave Hotel
Where：Ayvali，Turkey
How much：Between $130 and $475 a night
Why it’s cool：This is caveman cool！Experience what it was like 5,000 years ago，when people lived in these mountain caves formed by volcanic ash．But your stay will be much more modern．Bathrooms and electricity provide what you expect from a modern hotel，and the white volcanic ash，called tufa，keeps the rooms cool，about 65in summer．（Don’t worry—there is heat in winter．）What do we know about Tayka Hotel de Sal?
| A．It is located on a prehistoric lake． |
| B．It should be protected against the rain． |
| C．Everything in the hotel is made of salt． |
| D．You have to cross a rope bridge to the hotel． |
What is the similarity of the four hotels?
| A．Being expensive． | B．Being comfortable． |
| C．Being natural． | D．Being unique． |
What does the underlined words “Sweet Willy” refer to?
A．The name of the hotel．
B．The name of the hotel owner．
C．The building of Dog Bark Park Inn B&B．
D．The name of a pet dog of the hotel owner．Which of the hotels makes you have a feeling of living in the far past?
A．Tayka Hotel de Sal．
B．Green Magic Nature Resort．
C．Dog Bark Park Inn B&B．
D．Gamirasu Cave Hotel．
On a freezing cold day, a couple had to move into a small apartment because of their failure in business．The husband worked day and night to support the family but with no care of his wife．So she thought, “He doesn't love me any more, he just cares about his business ．．．not me”．
One day, she was about to take a shower when he stopped her at the door, “Let me take it first, okay？”“Why not me first？” she asked．“I am tired, honey, you take it later, okay？”She was entirely unhappy．
One day, she found nothing to do and turned on his computer．A few words came into her sight．Reading them, she burst into tears．It was his diary：
Today, I was quite sad．She asked me why I was always taking the shower first, and I said to her, I was exhausted．She was unhappy．In her mind, I treated her not as well as usual, but what could I do? I was not as rich as before! We moved to the small apartment, and there was only one shower in the bathroom．It was so cold to take a shower in such a cold winter．But I found that if one person took the shower first, the room could get a little warmer．So every day I rushed to the bathroom first．I was thinking that, when she took the shower, the room would get warmer, even if it was only 1℃．
Now I cannot give her a comfortable life, take her to good restaurants, or buy expensive dresses for her, but at least, I can give her 1℃love．Why did the couple move to the small apartment?
| A．Both of them were out of work． |
| B．They wanted to live a better life． |
| C．The man could take better care of his business． |
| D．They were too poor to live in the former house． |
Which of the following can replace the underlined word “exhausted”？
| A．Devoted． | B．Worried． | C．Tired． | D．Injured． |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．They would live a richer life soon． |
| B．The woman misunderstood her husband． |
| C．The man would care less about his business． |
| D．The woman would get angry after reading the diary． |
What's the best title of the passage?
| A．A Love Story | B．1℃Love |
| C．A Suffering Couple | D．Fight for the Bathroom |
In Europe, many people make friends across the borders between their countries through town twinning. Town or city twinning means two towns in different countries agree and decide to become “twins” with sister city relationship.
Their citizens find pen friends in the twin town. They exchange newspapers and stamps. The school teachers discuss teaching methods with the teachers in the twin town. Officials visit the twin town for celebrations. Ordinary citizens travel to the twin town, too, but not very often if it is far away.
Sometimes, schools even exchange their classes for two or three weeks! For example, German middle school students study for a while at the school in their twin town in Britain, staying with British families. A few months later, their British friends come to study in Germany.
Some towns even arrange exchange visits for theatre groups, choirs（合唱团）and orchestras （ 管弦乐队）. Others send lecturers to the twin town who tell the people there all about their own town , and show photos and slides.
Town twining can help make friends and motivate（促进） people to learn from each other. It helps students to improve their language skills, and it contributes to （有助于）strengthening peace and understanding between different nations.Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．Town Twinning |
| B．Friendly Towns |
| C．Exchange Teachers and Students |
| D．Peace and Understanding |
Twin towns develop ________.
| A．between European countries and China |
| B．in the English-speaking countries only |
| C．in the same country |
| D．between different countries in Europe |
One of the advantages of town twinning is __________.
| A．to earn more money |
| B．to set up schools |
| C．to improve students language skills |
| D．to develop industry and agriculture |
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