Two brightly colored butterflies have just flown by. They seems to be exactly alike, but actually one is a little larger than the other. The larger insect has a wingspread (翼长) of up to four inches. The smaller one has a wingspread of less than three inches and also a black line on its back wings.
At first sight, it is hard to tell them apart. Would you guess from this that they are different-sized butterflies of the same species? Or that they are different species of butterflies but close relatives belonging to the same family? If you said yes to either question, you would be wrong, for these look-alikes belong to quite different families.
The larger insect is the monarch butterfly (黑脉金斑蝶). As a baby insect, the monarch feeds on milkweed, which seems to give the monarch a disagreeable taste and smell. The bright coloring of the monarch acts as a warning sign to its enemy. Birds that eat butterflies soon recognize the monarch and quickly learn to leave it alone.
The smaller insect is the viceroy (副王峡蝶), which feeds on the leaves of trees. Birds would find this insect tasty, but because it looks like the monarch, birds keep away from it. The viceroy’s similarity to the monarch gives it some protection from its enemies and helps it survive.
There are other pairs of look-alike butterflies, bees and moths. In each case, one either has a disagreeable taste or smell, or can give a painful sting (叮咬). The larger is called the model. The insect that imitates (模仿) this model for protection is called the mimic.The best title for the passage is ______.
| A．The taste and the smell |
| B．The model and the mimic |
| C．Look-alikes learn from each other |
| D．The similarities and the differences |
The bright coloring of the monarch butterflies is used to ______.
| A．catch other butterflies | B．warn small insects |
| C．express their ideas | D．scare away the enemy |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．There are few look-alikes among insects. |
| B．The monarch butterfly and the viceroy are not close relatives. |
| C．There are only a few species of butterflies in the wild. |
| D．A monarch butterfly rules the world of butterflies. |
The way we cook is important. In many countries, the two sources of heat used for cooking are natural gas or electric stoves. The World Health Organization(WHO) warns that millions of people are dying every year from indoor air pollution. The WHO finds that poor cooking, heating and lighting technologies are killing millions of people each year.
Indoor air pollution results from the use of dangerous fuels and cook stoves in the home. WHO officials say nearly three billion people are unable to use clean fuels and technologies for cooking, heating and lighting. And they say more than seven million people die from exposure to indoor or outdoor air pollution each year. Of that number, the WHO says about 4.3 million people die from household air pollution given off by simple biomass(生物燃料）and coal stoves.
These findings show that the home use of poisonous fuels is to blame for many of these deaths. These fuels include wood, coal, animal waste and so on. Carlos Dora is Coordinator in the WHO’ s Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health. He says people should not use unprocessed coal and kerosene(煤油）fuel indoors. He says opening a window or door to let out the harmful air will not correct the situation. It will only pollute the outdoors. “New technologies and clean fuels can rid people of this problem.”
The United Nations found that more than 95 percent of families in sub-Saharan Africa depend on solid fuels for cooking. It says huge populations in India, China and Latin American countries, such as Guatemala and Peru, are also at risk.
Nigel Bruce is a professor of Public Health at the University of Liverpool. He says researchers are developing good stoves and other equipment to burn fuels in a more efficient way.“There are already many technologies for clean fuels available now. An effective and reasonably low-cost ethanol(酒精）stove that is made by Dometic (a Sweden-based company)is now being tested out. Another interesting development is electric induction stoves.” In India, you can buy an induction stove for about $8. And in Africa you can buy a solar lamp for less than $1.
How is Paragraph 2 mainly developed?
| A．By making classifications. | B．By listing numbers. |
| C．By following time order. | D．By describing a process. |
According to Carlos Dora, what is the best solution to indoor air pollution?
| A．People should use an effective air cleaner. |
| B．People should use new technologies and clean fuels. |
| C．People should open a window or door to let out the harmful air. |
| D．People should prevent themselves from being exposed to harmful air.. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Most of the deaths from indoor pollution are in developing countries. |
| B．Burning solid fuels can help limit indoor air pollution . |
| C．People can buy ethanol stoves made by Dometic in India. |
| D．There are already two technologies for clean fuels available for use. |
Which would be the best title for the passage?
| A．The way we cook is changing. |
| B．Cause of indoor air pollution. |
| C．The development of electric stoves. |
| D．Indoor air pollution kills millions each year. |
That woman carried a new blanket over her arm. Wordlessly, she gave it to me.
“Is it finished?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No. It is ready,” she replied. I handed her the money and took the blanket.
“It is beautiful, so skillfully woven(编织），” I said to my mother. “But what did she mean when she said it was not finished? How can it be ready if it is not finished?”
“I will tell you later,” my mother said, “but first I will take you to the Navajo village.”
We went down to the village. A group of young men were making sand pictures. We walked through the whole village, watching the different things the people were doing.
It was not until that evening that my mother finally explained the Navajo woman’s words.
“Did you notice anything about the things the people were making?” my mother asked.
“What should I have noticed?” I looked at her and asked.
“Each thing the Navajo make has one small part that is not complete. The designs in their sand pictures are often not perfectly done, for example---the line of a circle may not quite close. If you look carefully at your blanket, you will probably find a stitch(一针）missing.”
I took the blanket off, but it looked as perfect as any design could be. Then suddenly, I noticed that sure enough a stitch was missing!
“But why do the Navajo intentionally leave some tiny part unfinished?” I asked.
“They believe that when anything is completed or finished, it means the end has come--it will not be perfect until then. Then too, with a circle, they believe that they must leave a pathway for the bad spirits to run away and the good spirits to come in. So, often, they do not make the line close.”The blanket the author received_____ .
| A．was poorly woven. |
| B．made her think a lot. |
| C．cost her a lot of money. |
| D．was finished, but not ready. |
Why was the author shown around the village?
| A．To buy more things made by the Navajo. |
| B．To make friends with some of the Navajo. |
| C．To have a deeper understanding of the Navajo. |
| D．To look for the woman who sold her the blanket. |
Which of the following may the Navajo believe?
| A．A stitch in time is very important. |
| B．Life only becomes perfect when you die. |
| C．He who makes no mistake is a perfect man. |
| D．You must always try to make your life complete. |
What’s the main idea of the text?
| A．The Navajo are good at making things. |
| B．The Navajo are brave and hard-working. |
| C．A blanket tells a lot about the Navajo culture. |
| D．Skills are needed to do business with the Navajo. |
In the last 30 years, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has granted nearly 300,000 wishes worldwide to children battling life-threatening illnesses, throwing light on worlds darkened by diseases and bringing hope to children and their families.
With a foreword（序）by Make-A-Wish cofounder Frank Shankwitz, Once Upon A wish shares the wishes and stories of eight children. These families generously invite us into their worlds, allowing us to become part of their darkest moments, their unimaginable realities, their greatest hopes, deepest fears, and unbelievable successes.
Experience the story of Katelyn, a little girl, becoming a medical marvel（奇迹）after lighting all the odds stacked against her and making it her life-long goal to raise $3 million for St. Jude Hospital; read about a wheelchair-bound boy, Garrett, giving the gift of mobility to disabled Cambodian men and women; cheer for a little boy, Dakota, who collects millions of pennies each year to help others fight the disease he once fought. Become inspired and forever-changed by the generosity, hope, courage, and optimism of these children and their families and experience the power of two words - I wish.
Once Upon A Wish is a celebration of hope, revealing how wishes-come-true can become motivators and cherished gifts that will last a lifetime.
Price: $9.99
Where to download: Available on the iPhone , iPad , iPod touch, and Mac.
Category: Biographies & Memoirs
Published: Mar 05, 2013
Publisher: BenBella Books, Inc.
Seller: The Perseus Books Group, LLC
Print Length: 352 Pages
Language: EnglishWe can learn that the Make-A-Wish Foundation____.
| A．was set up in the early 1990s. |
| B．was set up to help poor people all over the world. |
| C．aims at helping severely sick children fulfill their wishes. |
| D．mainly offers free treatment to severely sick children. |
What is Once Upon A Wish mainly about?
| A．The history of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. |
| B．Wishes and stories of eight children. |
| C．Some children's experiences of helping others. |
| D．Frank Shankwitz's personal experiences with some children. |
Dakota spends the money he collects in helping____.
| A．to set up St. Jude Hospital . |
| B．people infected with AIDS. |
| C．disabled Cambodians move around . |
| D．those who are fighting the same disease as he once had. |
Dear Jorge,
Are you enjoying your break from school? My family are now in Sacramento, California. We are here paying a visit to visit to my aunt Gloria. We have been to the California State Capital Building, the nature center, and the zoo. I have seen many interesting things, but one stands out above the rest. This morning we drove from my aunt’s home to Calistoga to see California’s Old Faithful Geyser(老忠实泉). I had read about it in my book, Sightseeing in California; Where You Should Go.You have probably heard of Old Faithful, the geyser father north in Yellowstone National Park. This California geyser is sometimes called“ Little Old Faithful.”
When we arrived California’s Old Faithful was only a calm pool of water. The geyser didn’t look very deep. “ What’s the big deal?” I wondered. As I turned, I saw some steam rising from the water. Before I knew it, there was hot water shooting up about 60 feet into the air. We could not believe our eyes! It continued for almost three minutes.
Aunt Gloria told me that the water came from an underground river. She also said that the water temperature was about 95℃. This water can sometimes shoot 170 feet into the air.
My aunt said that other geysers around the world reach hotter temperatures and shoot water even higher than California’s Old Faithful Geyser. I’d love to learn more about this geyser and other geysers in different countries when I get home. I’ll see you soon!
Your friend,
BennettoAccording to the text, Bennetto ___________.
| A．visited his aunt Gloria by himself. |
| B．had never heard of Old Faithful Geyser. |
| C．thought nothing of Old Faithful Geyser at first. |
| D．flew all the way from Sacramento to Calistoga. |
The water Bennetto saw high in the sky _____________.
| A．disappeared at once. | B．was too hot to touch. |
| C．came from a deep sea. | D．was 170 feet in height. |
What was expressed in Bennetto's letter?
| A．Anger | B．Doubt | C．Courage | D．Excitement |
Bennetto wrote the letter mainly to_____________.
| A．talk about his holiday experiences. |
| B．ask Jorge to visit Old Faithful Geyser. |
| C．express his thankfulness to Aunt Gloria. |
| D．give Yellowstone National Park some advice. |
Humans have been keeping animals as pets for tens of thousands of years, but Dr Jean-Loup Rault, an animal scientist at the University of Melbourne in Australia, believes new companions are coming: robot pets.
“Technology is moving very fast,” Rault told ABC News, “The Tamagotchi in the early 1990s was really the first robotic pet, and now Sony and other big companies have improved them a lot.”
This may not sit well with pet lovers. After all, who would choose a plastic toy over a lovely puppy? But Rault argues that the robotic kind has a lot going for it: “You don’t have to feed it, you don’t have to walk it, it won’t make a mess in your house, and you can go on a holiday without feeling guilty.” The technology also benefits those who are allergic to pets, short on space, or fearful of real animals.
It’s not clear whether robot pets can replace real ones. But studies do suggest that we can bond with these smart machines. People give their cars names and kids give their toy animals life stories. It’s the same with robots. When Sony stopped its repair service for its robot dog Aibo in March 2014, owners in Japan held funerals.
As an animal welfare researcher, Rault is concerned about how robotic pets could affect our attitudes towards live animals. “If we become used to a robotic companion that doesn’t need food, water or exercises, perhaps it will change how humans care about other living beings,” he said.
So are dogs and cats a thing of the past, as Rault predicts? For those who grew up with living and breathing pets, the mechanical kind might not do. But for our next generation who are in constant touch with smart technology, a future in which lovely pets needn’t have a heartbeat might not be a far-fetched dream.What does the underlined phrase “sit well with” means?
| A．be refused by | B．be beneficial to |
| C．make a difference to | D．receive support from |
What are the advantages of robot pets?
a. They are plastic and feel smooth.
b. Owners needn’t worry about them when going out.
c. They can help cure allergies（过敏）.
d. They save space and costs.
| A．ab | B．bc | C．bd | D．cd |
We can learn from the passage that___________.
| A．Sony is the first company to produce robot pets Aibo. |
| B．People can develop strong bond（联系、关系） with their robot pets. |
| C．Rault thinks robot pets still have a long way to go. |
| D．Robot toys may help people care more about living beings. |
The passage mainly tells us___________.
| A．the advantages of robot toys |
| B．the popularity of robot pets |
| C．living pets are dying out |
| D．robot pets are coming |
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