There are many places to go on safari（观赏野生动物）in Africa, but riding a horse through the flooded waters of Botswana's Okavango Delta must rank as one of the world's most exciting wildlife journeys.
Several safari camps operate as the base for this adventure, providing unique rides twice a day to explore deep into the delta. The camps have excellent horses, professional guides and lots of support workers. They have a reputation for providing a great riding experience.
The morning ride, when the guides take you to beautiful, shallow lakes full of water lilies, tends to be more active. It is unlike any other riding experience. With rainbows forming in the splashing water around you and the sound of huge drops of water bouncing off your body and face，it is truly exciting. You are very likely to come across large wild animals, too. On horseback it is possible to get quite close to elephants, giraffes and many other animals. The sense of excitement and tension levels rise suddenly though, as does your heart rate, as you move closer to them.
In the evening, rides are usually at a more relaxed and unhurried pace, with golden light streaming across the grassy delta and the animals coming out to eat and drink. Sedate though they are, rides at this time of day are still very impressive. As the sun's rays pass through the dust kicked up by the horses, the romance of Africa comes to life.
Back at the camp you can kick off your boots and enjoy excellent food and wine. Looking back on your day, you will find it hard to deny that a horseback Safari is as close as you will ever come to answering the call of the wild.What does the underlined word "They" refer to?
| A．Flooded waters | B．Wildlife journeys |
| C．Safari camps | D．Unique rides |
What does the author find most exciting about a horseback safari?
| A．Seeing and feeling the real African life. |
| B．Enjoying good food and wine at the camp. |
| C．Hunting large animals just as our ancestors did. |
| D．Being part of the scene and getting close to animals. |
What does the underlined word "Sedate" probably mean?
| A．Wild and romantic | B．Slow and peaceful |
| C．Hungry and thirsty | D．Active and excited |
The author introduces the riding experience in the OKavango Delta mainly by________.
| A．following space order | B．following time order |
| C．making classifications | D．Giving examples |
The idea for a science experiment can come from an unusual place. After watching a YouTube video of a dancing bird named Snowball, a scientist in California decided to study the ability of animals to keep the beat.
Bird lovers have long claimed that their pets have rhythm, and there are many videos of dancing birds online. Until now, scientists have suspected that humans are the only animals that can accurately keep rhythm with music.
Thanks to Snowball, that scientific opinion is changing. Snowball is a cockatoo, a kind of parrot, and his favorite song is "Everybody" by the Backstreet Boys. When he hears the song, he moves his feet and rocks his body with the tempo, or pace of the music, as though he is the only bird member of the boy band.
Aniruddh Patel is a neuroscientist, or a scientist who studies how the brain and the nervous system contribute to learning, seeing and other mental abilities. He works at the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego. After seeing Snowball's dance online, Patel visited the cockatoo at the bird rescue facility he's called home for two years. The scientist played "Everybody" for Snowball and also played versions of the song that were sped up or slowed down. Sometimes, Snowball danced too fast or too slowly. Often, when there was a change in tempo, Snowball adjusted his dancing to match the rhythm. In other experiments, scientists have observed the same abilities in preschool children.
Patel isn't the only scientist who has studied Snowball's moves. Adena Schachner, who studies psychology at Harvard University, also wanted to know more abo
ut the dancing bird. Schachner's team played different musical pieces for Snowball and a parrot named Alex, as well as eight human volunteers. The scientists observed that the birds and the humans kept time to the music with about the same accuracy.
Schachner and her team watched thousands of YouTube videos of different animals moving to music. Not all the animals could dance, however. From watching the videos, the scientists observed that only animals that imitate sounds, including 14 parrot species and Asian elephants, accurately moved in time to music.
68. The underlined words “that scientific opinion” in the third paragraph refer to the theory that _____.
A. birds like Snowball have the ability to keep the beat
B. humans are the only animals that can accurately keep rhythm with music
C. the brain and the nervous system contribute to some mental abilities
D. bird pets can have their special rhythm under human’s instruction
69. From the fourth paragraph we may know that _________.
A. Patel is the only scientist who has studied Snowball’s moves.
B. Snowball is able to adjust his dancing to match the rhythm.
C. Snowball cannot dance to the versions of the song Everybody.
D. it is the brain and the nervous system that control the mental abilities.
70. The idea of studying animals’ ability to keep the beat comes from _________.
A. bird lovers’ discovery B. humans musical sense
C. the same abilities in children D. videos of dancing birds
71. According to the scientists, Snowball’s ability to dance to music is probably related to the fact that _________.
A. it is the only bird member of the Backstreet Boys band
B. it has the ability to imitate sounds
C. it is a kind of dancing parrot
D. it has the same abilities as preschool children
Disposing （处理）of waste has been a problem since humans started producing it. As more and more people choose to live close together in cities, the waste disposal problem becomes increasingly difficult.
During the eighteenth century, it was usual for several neighboring towns to get together to select a faraway spot as a dump site. Residents or trash haulers （垃圾拖运者） would transport household rubbish, rotted wood, and old possessions to the site. Periodically some of the trash was burned and the rest was buried. The unpleasant sights and smells caused no problem because nobody lived close by. Factories, mills, and other industrial sites also had waste to be disposed of. Those located on rivers often
just dumped the unwanted remains into the water. Others built huge burners with chimneys to deal with the problem.
Several facts make these choices unacceptable to modern society. The first problem is space. Dumps, which are now called landfills, are most needed in heavily populated areas. Such areas rarely have empty land suitable for this purpose. Property is either too expensive or too close to residential neighborhoods. Long distance trash hauling has been a common practice, but once farm areas are refusing to accept rubbish from elsewhere, cheap land within trucking distance of major city areas is nonexistent. Awareness of pollution dangers has resulted in more strict rules of waste disposal. Pollution of rivers, ground water, land and air is a price people cannot longer pay to get rid of waste. The amount of waste, however, continues to grow.
Recycling efforts have become commonplace, and many towns require their people to take part. Even the most efficient recyclin
g programs, however, can hope to deal with only about 50 percent of a city's reusable waste.
64. The most suitable title for this passage would be _________.
A. Places for Disposing Waste B. Waste Pollution Dangers
C. Ways of Getting Rid of Waste D. Waste Disposal Problem
65. During the 18th century, people disposed their waste in many ways except for ________.
A. burying it B. recycling it C. burning it D. throwing it into rivers
66. What can be inferred from the third paragraph?
A. Farm areas will continue accepting waste from the city in modern society.
B. There is cheap land to bury waste in modern society.
C. It is difficult to find space to bury waste in modern society.
D. Ways to deal with waste in modern society stay the same.
67. The main purpose of writing this article is to _________.
A. draw people's attention to waste management
B. warn people of the pollution dangers we are facing
C. call on people to take part in recycling programs
D. tell people a better way to get rid of the waste
This tour takes you back in history to a moment that “will live in infamy （声名狼藉）. ” Explore the historic artifacts at the Arizona Memorial Visitor Center commemorating（纪念） the attack on Pearl Harbor, then travel around beautiful Oahu on a Circle Island guided
bus tour.
The Arizona Memorial Visitor Center is Hawaii’s number one visitor attraction. View the film of the attack on Pearl Harbor and browse the historic artifacts on display. Then ride the Navy launch across Pearl Harbor to visit the Arizona Memorial. Then, board a tour bus for a scenic trip around the island of Oahu. Get your cameras ready for the beautiful view over Windward Oahu at Nu’uanu Pali Lookout. Visit Byodo－In Temple, which is set against a picturesque mountain backdrop.
You’ll also see the famous North Shore surfing beaches of Sunset, Banzai Pipeline, and Waimea Bay and drive through rustic Haleiwa Town. Visit Dole Plantation and discover the history of Hawaii’s pineapple industry before enjoying a no host lunch at the Polynesian Cultural Center (lunch is not included in the listed-price).
Inclusions:
Scenic bus tour of Oahu island
Film viewing at Arizona Memorial Visitor Center. Pearl Harbor
Visit of Byodo－In Temple and Dole Plantation
Available:
Mon. —Fri.
Hours of operation:
7 AM to 5 PM
Note:
Strict security measures forbid purses, handbags, fanny packs, backpacks, camera bags, diaper bags, luggage and／or other items. Visitors may bring a camera and cam-recorder. A storage facility, operated by a private vendor, is available for visitors coming to the USS Arizona Memorial, USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park, the Battleship Missouri and the Pacific Aviation Museum.
60. What is the purpose of the passage above?
A. To introduce the beautiful scene in Oahu. B. To tell the writer attractions in Hawaii.
C. To attract more tourists. D. To describe a wonderful tour in Oahu.
61. Which of the following is the right order
of the tour?
A. The Arizona Memorial, Byodo-In Temple, Nu’uanu Pali Lookout, Polynesian Cultural Center
B. Pearl Habor, Dole Plantation, Nu’uanu Pali Lookout, Sunset Beach
C. Pearl Habor, North Shore, Byodo-In Temple, Dole Plantation
D. The Arizona Memorial, Nu’uanu Pali Lookout, Dole Plantation, Polynesian Cultural Center
62. A tourist will see everything below at Pearl Harbor except _________.
A. the Arizona Memorial B. some historic artifacts C. a film D. Windward Oahu
63. Which of the persons below will not be allowed to enter the attractions in Pearl Harbor?
A. Alice, a student from L
A, comes with her parents, with a Sony digital camera in her hand.
B. Geogre Zhang, from Shanghai, leaves his backpack in a locker outside the entrance.
C. Billy, from Italy, with small bag in hand and inside the bag is a cam-recorder.
D. Hose, from Spain, who has left his luggage in the hotel.
I don’t like getting up too early unless I have to. When you’re filming, you’ve got ma
ke-up on, which doesn’t happen often. As I’m not filming at present I’ll get up at 8:30.
Work normally means Matt coming over to my house about 10 am. We’re writing at the moment. We’ll chat for a bit before going to my study. One of us will have an idea for a sketch （梗概）, we’ll talk about the characters and when we feel we have enough we’ll start writing.
Matt and I met at the National Youth Theatre in 1990 and started doing shows together in ’95, at the Edinburgh Fringe festival. We know we’re onto something if we’ve made each other laugh, and that’s a really special moment. It’s not always like that, but we’re comfortable enough with each other that we can be honest and go. Some days you’re not in the mood to be funny—like writing when my dad was dying of cancer, or when Matt was separating from his partner.
We stop for lunch and sometimes go to Wagamama in Camden, but last time we were followed by paparazzi （狗仔队）, which gets you down—who wants to be pictured eating noodles?
When I’m not writing with Matt I work on other projects. My second children’s book comes out later in the year. It’s called Mr. Stink. The first one I dedicated to my three-year-old nephew, Eddie. Both books have been illustrated by Quentin Blake; it’s been a thrill to work with him—like 20 years ago reading a Roald Dahl book and looking at those drawings, then one day that person illustrates your work… magical.
At 5 I go swimming in Soho. My trainer makes me do horrible exercises, but I always feel better after.
Being in all day, I like to go out in the evening and look smart, but not like I’ve come out of the City. I’m a tall, broad guy and well-dressed.
For dinner I’ll meet friends. When you’re a single guy it’s great to have some good female friends. Or I might take my mum to 
the theatre, as I know she really appreciates it. I like watching TV comedy shows to see what everyone’s doing. When you see something impressive it makes you work harder. I also love Larkin’s poems: they don’t try to transcend （超越） the commonplace; they’re muc
h more straightforward.
Poetry is great to dip into before going to bed, rather than falling asleep reading a novel and being confused over what you’ve read or not. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in seven years; unfortunately, I rely on pills. I’ve tried everything. If I could wish anything for myself, I’d wish I could sleep better.
56. It can be inferred from the passage that _________.
A. the author spends much time with his friends
B. the author and Matt are both famous in the district
C. the author doesn’t care much about what to wear
D. the author works at home and seldom goes out every day
57. Where does the passage most likely appear?
A. In a travel diary. B. In a news column.
C. In an online diary. D. In a research paper.
58. Why does the author read some poetry before going to bed?
A. Because poetry can often bring him some funny ideas.
B. Because poetry is much easier to understand than novels.
C. Because poetry is very abstract and reflects unusual things.
D. Because poetry can be of some help for him to kill time.
59. What might be the best title for the passage?
A. A day’s work with Matt B. A new life-style
C. A life in the day D. A good way to write
I have a friend who lives by a three-word philosophy: seize the moment. Just possibly, she may be the wisest woman on this planet. Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven’t thought about it, don’t have it on their schedule, didn’t know it was coming or are too strict to depart from their routine.
I can’t count the times I called my sister and said, “How about going to lunch in half an hour?” She would gasp and stammer (结结巴巴地说), “ I can’t . I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday. I had a late breakfast. It looks like rain.” And my personal favorite response: “It’s just Monday.” She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together. From then on, I’ve tried to be a little more flexible.
Life has a way of going faster as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises made to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awake, and all have to show for our lives is repetition of “I’m going to”, “I plan on” and “someday”, when things are settled down bit.
When anyone calls my “seize the moment” friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you’re ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungle cord.
My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.
Now…go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to…not something on your SHOULD DO list.
72. The example of the writer’s sister serves as ____.
A. an argument B. an introduction C. a support D. a conclusion
73. The writer thinks that the underlined excuse “It’s just Monday.” is acceptable, because ____.
A.it is still likely that they can have lunch together some time later
B.it sounds most reasonable of all the excuses
C.it shows respect for the writer’s suggestion
D.it indicates the time when they can have lunch together
74. The underlined word “contagious” in the fourth paragraph means “______”.
A. appropriate B. influential C. practical D. evident
75. What did the purpose of the writer by writing this passage?
A. To suggest how time flies. B. To persuade busy people to relax.
C. to advise people to keep their promise.
D. To convince readers to be flexible on their schedule for practical joy.
粤公网安备 44130202000953号