How quickly can you count from one to ten? Do you use ten different words to do it? Can you do it in English, or do you have to use your first languages? Do you count on your fingers? Many people think tikat numbers and math are the same all over the world* But scientists have discovered that it is not true.
People in different parts of the world use different ways to count on their fingers. In theUnited States, people begin counting with their first fingers, which they extend or stick out.They then extend the rest of their fingers and finally the thumb(拇指) to count to five. Then they repeat this with the other hand to get to ten. In China, people count by using different finger positions. In this way, a Chinese person can easily count to ten on only one hand.
Besides ways of finger counting, scientists have found that cultures and languages are also different when it comes to numbers. Some languages have only a few words for numbers, and others have no words for numbers. A group of scientists studied aboriginal(土著的) people in Australia. These people don't have hand movements to stand for numbers. They don't even have words for numbers. However, they are still able to understand different ideas about numbers.
In a similar study, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology discovered that people of the Piranha tribe(部落) in northwestern Brazil don't have words for numbers such as "one" or 6'three". They are not able to say 66five trees" or "ten trees" but can say "some trees," "more trees," or 66many trees." Professor Edward Gibson said that most people believe that everyone knows how to count, t6but here is a group tbat does not count. They could learn, but it isn't not useful in their culture, so they've never picked it up."
Although ali[ humans are able to understand quantities(数量：) ,not alllanguages have numbers and not all people use counting. Number words in a certain language are a result of people needing numbers in their daily lives. Now we know that people have different ideas about numbers and math, too.The writer begins with the four questions in order to .
| A．make a survey | B．interest readers |
| C．tell a story | D．solve math problems |
What do we learn from the difference in finger counting between the U.S. and China?
| A．People from China count much faster than people from the U.S.. |
| B．People from China need two hands to count from one to ten. |
| C．People of different cultures may use different ways of finger counting. |
| D．People of different cultures use the same way of finger counting. |
Which of following is TRUE about aboriginal Australians?
| A．They have only a few words for numbers. |
| B．They have hand movements to stand for numbers. |
| C．They can only count to five on their fingers. |
| D．They can understand different ideas about numbers. |
The study of the Piranha tribe shows that .
| A．people all over the world know how to count |
| B．people of the tribe have words for number |
| C．some groups of people are not smart enough to count |
| D．counting is not usefulin the culture of the tribe |
What is the main idea of the passage?
A. People from different cultures have different ideas about numbers and math.
B. Chinese people can count more easily on their fingers than Americans.
C In some aboriginal culture, people don't even know how to count.
D. Some languages don't bave number words because people don't need numbers.
When I was about 12, I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings(缺点). Week by week her list grew: I was very thin, I wasn’t a good student, I talked too much, I was too proud, and so on. I tried to hear all this as long as I could. At last, I became very angry. I ran to my father with tears in my eyes.
He listened to me quietly, then he asked. “Are the things she says true or not? Janet, didn’t you ever wonder what you’re really like? Well, you now have that girl’s opinion. Go and make a list of everything she said and mark the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said.”
I did as he told me. To my great surprise, I discovered that about half the things were true. Some of them I couldn’t change (like being very thin), but a good number I could—and suddenly I wanted to change. For the first time I go to fairly clear picture of myself.
I brought the list back to Daddy. He refused to take it. “That’s just for you.” he said, “You know better than anyone else the truth about yourself. But you have to learn to listen, not just close your ears in anger and feeling hurt. When something said about you is true, you’ll find it will be of help to you. Our world is full of people who think they know your duty. Don’t shut your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you know is the right thing to do.”
Daddy’s advice has returned to me at many important moments. In my life, I’ve never had a better piece of advice.What does “Week by week her list grew” mean?
| A．Week by week she discovered more shortcomings of mine and pointed them out to me. |
| B．She had made a list of my shortcomings and she kept on adding new ones to it so that it was growing longer and longer. |
| C．I was having more and more shortcomings as time went on. |
| D．Week by week, my shortcomings grew more serious. |
Why did her father listen to her quietly?
| A．Because he believed that what her daughter’s “enemy” said was mostly true. |
| B．Because he had been so angry with his daughter’s shortcomings that he wanted to show this by keeping silent for a while. |
| C．Because he knew that his daughter would not listen to him at that moment. |
| D．Because he wasn’t quite sure which girl was telling the truth. |
Which do you think would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Not an Enemy, but the Best Friend |
| B．The Best Advice I’ve Ever Had |
| C．My Father |
| D．My Childhood |
| Winter is cold, with piles of snow, When rain falls and no trees grow. For kids it’s the snow they desire, And cups of cocoa before the fire. When winter is gone, the grass grows, Roses and trees, light wind blows The bees are buzzing, the birds are singing, Sheep are grazing and cow bells are ringing. And then the sun starts to shine too brightly, It is so hot that fans are put on nightly. And then it’s off to the beach or pool, Where people swim about just to keep cool. All the leaves on the trees turn golden-brown, And when on the ground make a big sound. In autumn a lot of money he spends, For clearing leaves on the backyards. Each season has its own goods and its bads, But since they are different I am glad. |
According to the poem, light wind starts to blow ________.
| A．before winter | B．during winter |
| C．after winter | D．all year round |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The writer doesn’t like the cold winter. |
| B．The writer enjoys the differences of the four seasons. |
| C．The writer feels worried about the bad weather. |
| D．The writer likes summer best because it’s a season for swimming. |
The title of the poem is most likely to be ________.
| A．Weather | B．Tree leaves |
| C．Goods and bads | D．Seasons |
News Review
APEC Blue People in Beijing got the saying after the APEC meeting in Beijing. It refers to(指) the clear blue sky during the meeting. To get such a blue sky, many factories in Beijing and nearby cities stopped work, and the number of cars on the road was cut.
A Warning Ticket A 24-year-old woman in Nanjing was given a warning ticket for eating food on the subway. Eating is not allowed on Nanjing subway. Up to now, 2,698 people have been punished(惩罚) because of their eating, smoking or selling goods on the subway.
A Teacher-free Exam Recently, students at Ningbo Huamao Foreign Language School in Zhejiang took their mid-term exam –a teacher-free exam. After handing out the exam papers, the teachers left the classroom, leaving the students to take the exam without being watched. They only came back to collect the papers at the end.
A Tomato Fight Do you want a tomato shower? Come to the “tomato fight” in Spain! Once every year, people in the town of Bunol throw tomatoes at each other. Don’t worry. It’s not a real fight. People do this only for fun.
APEC Blue refers to _____ in Beijing during the APEC meeting.
| A．the factories | B．the clear blue sky |
| C．the people | D．the cars on the road |
A 24-year-old woman in Nanjing was given a warning ticket for _____ on the subway.
| A．drinking | B．smoking |
| C．eating food | D．selling goods |
In a teacher-free exam, students take their exam _____.
| A．at the end of the term | B．outside the classroom |
| C．without giving answers | D．without being watched |
In the town of Bunol, Spain, people throw tomatoes at each other _____.
| A．to have fun | B．to enjoy dinner |
| C．to take a shower | D．to start a fight |
Jessy
The flight was tiring, but here I am at last, in Sydney! look! Here we are at last! The Sydney Opera House! It looks like shells! It’s wonderful and amazing! And I’m taking the plane to New Zealand on Tuesday. I’ll post again from there.
Paris is beautiful! We went on a great city tour. We also took a boat ride on the River Seine. And it’s nicer to just sit at a street cafe and watch the world go by. But to tell you a secret. Frank’s disappointed because no one can understand his French!
We’re staying at a farm in Utah. There is nearly nothing! It’s too quiet. Every morning, we get up really early, and we ride the horses. Then it’s breakfast and more riding—not my idea of fun! So, today I walked to a little town near the farm where they actually have Internet! Next week, we’re shopping in New York. I can’t wait!Where is Jessy writing from?
| A．Sydney. | B．New Zealand. | C．Paris. | D．Utah. |
What did Donna and Frank do during their travelling?
| A．They visited museums. |
| B．They took a boat ride． |
| C．They sat at a street park. |
| D．They watched movies in the cinema. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to Anna's Moments（朋友圈）？
| A．It is too noisy around the farm. |
| B．Her idea of fun is horse riding. |
| C．She is going to London next week． |
| D．She cannot use Internet at the farm. |
There is good news for old people with Alzheimer’s disease （老年痴呆症）. As we know, people who have Alzheimer’s disease may get lost easily. Sometimes they can’t find the way to their home. All the family members must be worried about their safety. Now, some has invented GPS-enabled walking shoes. The shoes are very special and useful. They can help people find old people easily, wherever they go.
These walking shoes are especially important for people who are in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease. According to the research, such old people have the highest danger. Let’s see some terrible facts. About 60℅ of patients with Alzheimer’s disease get lost for days when they go for a walk. Up to half of those who are lost and not found within 24 hours can die outside. If old people wear such shoes , you needn’t worry about that. These shoes can help their families to find them easily if they are lost. So you see, the shoes can ensure old people’s safety.
These walking shoes are equipped with a GPS device (设备) in the heel. The shoes are very comfortable and they look like the shoes that many old people wear.
The GPS-enabled walking shoes have a great advantage. Of course, the shoes are suitable for children .Parents can ask them to wear such shoes. Then they can find their children easily. But some children have different ideas. Sometimes, they don’t want their parents to know where they are. What will they do? Well… some children say that they will take them off and put them at home.
Who are the GPS-enabled walking shoes suitable for?
| A．Old people with Alzheimer’s disease |
| B．Students in primary school. |
| C．Old people who are strong and healthy. |
| D．Anyone around the world |
What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 2 refer to ?
| A．GPS-enabled walking shoes | B．Their families. |
| C．Old people | D．Their children. |
Why don’t some children like to wear GPS-enabled walking shoes ?
| A．They think the GPS-enabled walking shoes are very ugly. |
| B．It is uncomfortable to wear GPS-enabled walking shoes. |
| C．The GPS-enabled walking shoes are suitable for them. |
| D．They don’t want their parents to find them easily. |
What does this passage mainly talk about?
| A．People who have Alzheimer’s disease can’t find the way to their home sometimes. |
| B．The GPS-enabled walking shoes can help us find the old or the children easily. |
| C．The GPS-enabled walking shoes look like the shoes that many old people wear. |
| D．We can see the GPS-enabled walking shoes easily wherever we go around the world. |
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