Have you ever sat on a camel? Well, if you have, then you know how scary it is when the camel rises on its long wobbly(摆动的)legs. The rocking motion of a camel is a bit like a being tossed around in heaving seas. Small wonder then that the camel is often called the ship of the desert. Actually, the name owes its origins to the fact that camels were brought from the desert, to serve as beasts of burden in other countries.
We in India are only familiar with one species of camel, known as the Dromedary camel. This animal is singlehumped, has long legs and is found in the deserts of Asia and Africa. Another specie(the twohumped shortedlegged Bactrian camel)is found in parts of China and Central Asia.
Recently, scientists discovered what they think is a new species of wild camel that lives in a remote part of China. These mammals look very similar to the Bactrian camel but they have a unique feature—they survive by drinking salty water.
Strangely enough, scientists knew about the existence of the animal, but had no idea of their unique identity(特性). As a result, researchers now admit that these animals are not Bactrian camels as initially(最初)thought, but a new species. The only visible physical difference is that the saltwater drinking species has its humps further apart than the Bactrian camel.
Camels are most common in the African and Asian deserts, but fossil evidence shows that camels originated in North America about 45 million years ago. So how did they manage to come into Africa? Well, million of years ago, North America and Asia were connected by a land mass—the presentday Bering Strait.
Scientists think that the camels migrated into South America and across to Asia, disappearing almost entirely from the land of its origin. However, many researchers say that the South American llama(骆驼)is a direct descendant of the camel.The camel is called“the ship of the desert”because________.
| A．when you are on a camel, you feel like being on a ship at sea |
| B．its long legs swung when it is traveling in the desert |
| C．camels came from the desert and are used in other countries |
| D．camels can travel in the desert of many days without eating |
What's the difference between the Dromedary camel and the Bactrian camel?
| A．The Dromedary camel has two humps. |
| B．The Bactrian camel has long legs. |
| C．The Dromedary camel is only found in Asia. |
| D．The Dromedary camel has only one hump. |
What scientists don't know about the new species is________.
| A．their existence in China |
| B．their ability to survive on salty water |
| C．their similarity to the Bactrian water |
| D．how they survive in the remote part of China |
How can people tell the new species from the the Bactrian camel?
| A．By looking at the length of their legs. |
| B．By counting the number of humps. |
| C．By looking at the distance of the two humps. |
| D．By examining the kind of the two humps. |
From the passage we can infer that________.
| A．Very few camels exist in North America at present |
| B．Camels warm across the Bering Strait to Asia |
| C．Camels first originated from the African deserts |
| D．Camels are the most endangered animals in the world |
C
A person, like a commodity, needs packaging. But going too far is absolutely undesirable. A little exaggeration, however, does no harm when it shows the person's unique qualities to their advantage. To display personal charm in a casual and natural way, it is important for one to have a clear knowledge of oneself. A master packager knows how to combine art and nature without any traces of modification, so that the person so packaged is no commodity but a human being, lively and lovely.
A young person, especially a female, shining with beauty and full of life, has all the favor granted by God. Any attempt to make up would be self-defeating. Youth, however, comes and goes in a moment of doze. Packaging for the middle-aged is primarily to repair the furrows(磨损) ploughed by time. If you still enjoy life's enthusiasm enough to keep self-confidence and pursue pioneering work, you are unique in your natural qualities, and your charm and grace will remain. Elderly people are beautiful if their river of life has been, through plains, mountains and jungles, running its course as it should. You have really lived your life which now arrives at a complacent stage of serenity indifferent to fame or wealth. There is no need to resort to hair-dyeing-the snow-capped mountain is itself a beautiful scene of fairyland. Let your looks change from young to old synchronizing(同步) with the natural aging process so as to keep in harmony with nature, for harmony itself is beauty, while the other way round will only end in unpleasantness. To be in the elder's company is like reading a thick book of elegant edition that fascinates one so much as to be willing to part with.
As long as one finds where one stands, one knows how to package oneself, just as a commodity establishes its brand by the right packaging.In writer’s opinion, to show one’s personal charm casually and naturally, one ought to _____.
| A．package himself exaggeratedly. |
| B．know well about himself. |
| C．find a master packager. |
| D．care nothing about others |
To make a packaged person lively and lovely instead of a mere commodity, a packager should know _____.
| A．how to use the latest package technology. |
| B．how to mix art and modification. |
| C．how to bring out unique qualities. |
| D．how to keep natural without decoration |
Which of the following is True according to the passage?
| A．It’s wise for a young person to do some make-up. |
| B．Packaging for the middle-aged is basically to repair the trace of time. |
| C．Accompanying the elder is like reading an old and simple book. |
| D．One knows how to package oneself wherever he stands. |
What’s the author’s real attitude toward packaging?
| A．Positive | B．Negative |
| C．Indifferent | D．Cautious |
B
The deadly stampede（踩踏）occurred just before midnight in Chen Yi square on the city's famous Bund waterfront district.
Some survivors say they were standing on the steps leading towards the platform overlooking the Huangpu River when the stampede started. "We were at the bottom of the steps, and we wanted to go up. At the same time, people at the top of the steps wanted to get down. We were pushed down by the people trying to go down, and then people started to fall down, row by row. "
Most of the deceased are young people and students aged from 16 to 36.
"At around 12:05, a large number of the injured arrived at the hospital. Some of them suffered severe asphyxia（窒息）, and some have already lost vital signs. There are others who suffered cervical damage and brainstem damage.” said Xia Shujie, who is the deputy director of Shanghai No.1 Hospital.
Police are still looking into the cause of the accident, but some witnesses say the stampede was trigged as coupons that looked like U.S. dollar were being thrown from a building to the crowd below. The coupons are printed with letters "M18", the name of a bar on the Bund.
"I had indeed picked up a bank note from the ground but had thrown it away. The bank note looked green. We didn't really pay much attention at first, after we picked up, I said to my friend it is a bank note. My friend said that is not possible, how come there is a bar code on it, then we just threw it away." a witness said.
Some web users say they found pictures on the bar owner's micro-blog showing off the coupons before the incident. But the blogger denied she threw away any coupons.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has asked authorities in Shanghai to do whatever it takes to treat the injured and get to the bottom of the incident as soon as possible.
Shanghai has cancelled all New Year celebration events including a laser show scheduled for tonight.Which of the following is True according to the passage?
| A．Some survivors at the bottom of the steps were pushed down by the people trying to go up. |
| B．Some injured people have already been dead when arriving at the hospital. |
| C．Police have almost identify the real cause of the accident. |
| D．Some web users say they found pictures on the bar owner's micro-blog showing off the coupons after the incident |
What does “the decreased” refer to in the second paragraph?
| A．the people who were alive |
| B．the people who were dead |
| C．the people who got injured |
| D．the people who participated in the incident. |
What’s the meaning of the underlined sentence in the 7th paragraph?
| A．forget the incident |
| B．find out the cause of the incident |
| C．avoid the incident happening again |
| D．inform the whole nation of the incident |
What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs?
| A．The leader of China has shown great concern about the incident. |
| B．All New Year celebration events have been put off in Shanghai. |
| C．The whole nation has stopped all New Year celebration events. |
| D．A laser show scheduled for New Year celebration would still be put on. |
A
Sit Up Straight: Tips for Improving Your Terrible Posture
The more time we spend sitting in front of our computers, the worse our posture gets. Modern technology is turning us into literally twisted creatures.
In addition to being detrimental to how your body functions, bad posture isn’t cute. It causes you to jut(突出) your hips forward, slump your shoulders, and even breathe inefficiently, according to Pat Davidson, a trainer with a PhD in Exercise Physiology who is the Director of Training Methodology and Continuing Education Coordinator at Peak Performance in NYC.
Davidson explained that bad posture compromises your diaphragm(隔离), the big muscle right below the ribs that helps you take deep breaths. So instead, you start using other muscles, like your shoulders, to help you breathe. It turns out that people with lousy posture don’t walk correctly, and they count on their lower back muscles to help propel themselves forward.
Here are a few quick fixes recommended for correcting your slump:
• If you sit at a desk all day, don’t perch on the edge of your chair at work trying to sit up straight. The best thing you can do is keep your hips against the back of the chair and use it for support—that’s what it’s there for.
• Get up frequently and walk around.
• If you carry a heavy shoulder bag, make sure to carry it on both your right and left shoulder, switching off as each gets tired. Even better: wear a cross-body bag so that the weight’s more evenly distributed.
• Work out your core muscles. You can try backwards jump-roping. If the rope hits you, you have the wrong posture. Hula hooping is also a good choice.
• Focus on the upper back and shoulder muscles. One of her favorite exercises is having clients stand up against a wall, with your hips touching the wall. Put a tennis ball between your shoulder blades and try to squeeze the ball. Boating is also excellent for improving posture, since it causes you to pull your shoulders up and back.According to the passage, a bad posture can_____.
a. stop us from taking deep breathes
b. functionally change our body
c. hurt our diaphragm
d. make our walking posture incorrect
| A．bcd | B．acd | C．abc | D．abcd |
What does the underlined word “detrimental” in the second paragraph probably mean?
| A．harmful | B．helpful |
| C．meaningless | D．vital |
Which of the following tips is true for a good sitting posture?
| A．Sitting on the edge of the chair. |
| B．Using the back of the chair to support your back. |
| C．Sitting up straight at a desk all day. |
| D．Keep your back against the chair. |
We may find the above introduction _____.
| A．in a travel booklet | B．in a fiction story |
| C．in a health magazine | D．in s science journal |
D
That evening Holmes and I drove across the moor until we could see the lights of the Stapletons' house in front of us. Then we got out and began to walk very quietly along the path towards the house. When we were very close, Holmes told me to stop. He took his revolver from his pocket, and I did the same.
''We shall hide behind these rocks, '' he whispered. '' Watson, you know the house, so I want you to go forward and look through the windows. I want to know where the Staple tons and Sir Henry are, and what they are doing. Take great care, because they must not know that somebody is watching them. ''
Very carefully and quietly I moved towards the house. I looked first into the dining room window. Statleton and Sir Henry were sitting and smoking their cigars, but there was no sign of Miss Stapleton. I moved round to the other windows, but I could not see her in any of the rooms.
I went back to the dining room window, and as I looked in again, Stapleton left the room and came out of the house. He went to a hut beside the house, and unlocked the door. I heard a strange sound coming from the hut, but I could not think what was making the noise. Then Stapleton locked the door, and went back into the house and into the dining room.
I went back to Holmes and told him what I had seen. He wanted to know where Miss Stapleton was, and I had to tell him twice that there was no sign of her in the house.
The moon was shining on the Great Grimpen Marsh, and a fog was rising from it Holmes watched the fog and began to look worried The fog was creeping up from the marsh towards the house. We were hidden near the path, which was on the far side of the house from the marsh.
''The fog is moving towards us, Watson, and that is very serious, '' said Holmes. '' It is the one thing that could make my plans go wrong. ''
As we watched, the fog, which had crept as far as the house, began to flow round it. Angrily Holmes hit the rock in front of us with his open hand.
''If Sir Henry doesn't come out in the next quarter of an hour, the path will be covered by the fog. In half an hour we shall not be able to see our hands in front of our faces. We must move back to higher ground above the fog.''
We moved away from the house and out of the fog, which was creeping slowly along the ground and hiding the path from our view.
''We must not go too far, '' said Holmes. ''If we do, Sir Henry may be caught before he reaches us. ''
Holmes went down on one knee, and put his ear to the ground. '' Thank heaven, I think I hear him coming. ''
Then we heard quick footsteps on the path. After a few moments, Sir Henry appeared out of the fog and walked on in the clear moon light. He came quickly along the path, passed close to where we were hidden, and began to walk up the hill behind us. As he walked, he looked over his shoulder again and again, like a man who is worried that something is following him.
''Listen! '' said Holmes sharply. ''Look out! It's coming!'
I heard him make his revolver ready to fire, and I did the same.
There was a sound of quick, light footsteps from inside the curtain of fog. The thick cloud had crept to within fifty metres of where we were hidden. We tried to see into it, and wondered what horrible thing would appear. I looked at Holmes. His eyes were fixed on the place where the path disappeared into the fog. He was pale, but his eyes were bright. He looked like a man who was going to win the most important game of his life. Then suddenly his eyes nearly jumped out of his head, and his mouth opened in frightened surprise. I looked away from him to see what his eyes were fixed on. When I saw the awful shape that was coming towards us out of the fog, my blood turned cold. The revolver nearly fell from my hands, .
The huge, black, burning hound ran quickly and silently after Sir Henry, who was near to death, and we were helpless with fear.
It can be concluded that Sir Henry .
| A．was the master of the hound |
| B．sensed he was in danger when escaping. |
| C．was clear where Miss Stapleton was |
| D．was finally killed by the fierce hound |
The strange sound coming from the hut was most probably made by .
| A．Mr. Stapleton | B．Miss Stapleton |
| C．Sir Henry | D．the hound |
Why did Holmes hit the rock angrily?
| A．Because Watson failed to find any sign of Miss Stapleton. |
| B．Because something was wrong with their plans. |
| C．Because the fog might well ruin their plans. |
| D．Because Sir Henry hadn’t appeared so far. |
Which of the following is the correct order according to the passage?
a. The fog was rising and moving towards Holmes and Watson.
b. Holmes saw a burning hound coming.
c. Mr. Stapleton went to a hut beside the house and unlocked the door.
d. Holmes and Watson hid behind the rocks.
e. Sir Henry appeared out of the fog.
| A．a, d, c, b, e | B．d, c, a, e, b |
| C．c, b, e, a, d | D．d, c, e, a, b |
Which of the following is the most suitable for the blank in the last paragraph but one?
| A．and I could hardly stand it |
| B．and I was ready to fire |
| C．and inside I was filled with anger |
| D．and my whole body froze with fear |
C
When people reunite with their loved ones, it’s usually a wildly happy moment. But what is their most common response to seeing them again? It may seem strange, but most of the time they break down in tears.
Now a group of psychologists from Yale University in the US say they have found the reason why, and that crying tears of joy may well be the body’s way of restoring emotional balance.
“They seem to take place when people are unable to tolerate strong positive emotions, and people who do this seem to recover better from those strong emotions,” Oriana Aragon, the lead researcher, told The Telegraph.
Aragon and her fellow psychologists looked at hundreds of participants’ emotional responses to different things, including happy reunions（重逢）and cute babies.
Many participants said they would react in a negative or aggressive way to the positive things — to cry at happy moments and want to pinch（捏）a cute baby’s face or even tell them“I want to eat you up!”
But then researchers found that these people were able to calm down from strong emotions more quickly.
“We want a happy, middle spot. Extreme is not good. It’s hard on our bodies,” Aragon told The Washington Post.
There are many other examples of times when people respond to a positive experience with a negative emotional reaction.
At an exciting concert, fans scream in horror at their idols. People who have just had a big lottery win are often in floods of tears.
“These findings advance our understanding of how people express and control their emotions, which is importantly related to mental and physical health, the quality of relationship with others, and even how well people work together,” said Aragon.
The psychologists then went further and claimed that the reverse（颠倒）was also true. Strong negative feelings may also bring out positive expressions.
For example, people often laugh when they are nervous or they are in a difficult or frightening situation.
Also, have you ever seen a character smiling at a time of extreme sadness in a movie? Their acting is not over the top, as reacting with this type of expression is just human nature, said researchers.
What does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 3 mean?
| A．A group of psychologists. | B．People’s loved ones. |
| C．Strong positive emotions. | D．Crying tears of joy. |
Which of the following words best describes the language style of the passage?
| A．Academic and formal. | B．Cheerful and friendly. |
| C．Humorous and concerned. | D．Serious and boring. |
We can conclude from the first two paragraphs that .
| A．crying in the happy moment can also do good |
| B．a character’s smile in a movie makes no sense |
| C．people reveal their emotions by either crying or laughing |
| D．negative emotional reaction is always harmful |
What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To argue that crying is no worse than laughing. |
| B．To inform readers about the effect of crying and laughing. |
| C．To entertain readers by relating some happy occasions. |
| D．To instruct readers how to cry and laugh. |
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