Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just ha

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Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just happy. After all ,you probably sing or whistle when you are happy.
Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of the time just because they are happy. However ,they sing most of the time for a very different reason .Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory.
Do you know what a “territory” is? A territory is an area that an animal ,usually the male, claims（声称）as its own .Only he and his family are welcome there .No other families of the same species（物种）are welcome. Your yard and house are your territory where only your family and friends are welcome. If a stranger should enter your territory and threaten you, you might shout. Probably this would be enough to frighten him away.
If so, you have actually scared the stranger away without having to fight him .A bird does the same thing. But he expects an outsider almost any time ,especially at nesting（筑巢）season. So he is screaming all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not .This screaming is what we call a bird’s song, and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away.
Birds sing loudest in the spring when they are trying to attract a mate and warn others not to enter the territory of theirs.
You can see that birds have a language all their own. Most of it has to do with attracting mates and setting up territories.
56．Some scientists believe that most of the time birds’ singing is actually       .
A．an expression of happiness                   B．a way of warning
C．an expression of anger                         D．a way of greeting
57．What is a bird’s “territory”?
A．A place where families of other species are not accepted.
B．A place where a bird may shout at the top of its voice.
C．An area for which birds fight against each other.
D．An area which a bird considers to be its own.
58．Why do birds keep on singing at nesting season?
A．Because they want to invite more friends.
B．Because their singing helps frighten outsiders away.
C．Because they want to find outsiders around.
D．Because their singing helps get rid of their fears.
59．How does the writer explain birds’ singing?
A．By comparing birds with human beings.
B．By reporting experiment results.
C．By describing birds’ daily life.
D．By telling a bird’s story.

答案

56---59 BDBA

解析

56.解析：这是一道细节题。第二段说“更多情况下，它们的歌唱实际是对其他鸟类置身于它们领域之外的警告”。而A项是some of the time的原因。注意命题中写的是most of the time。
57.解析：这是一道细节推测题。第三段第一行说“领域就是动物，特别是雄性，声称属于自己的区域”。
58.解析：第四段最后一句“这种尖叫就是我们说的鸟的歌唱，它通常足以防范外来者”。
59.解析：第一段就举了“你高兴的时候也会唱歌和吹口哨”的例子；第三、四段也讲了陌生人进入你的地域（家）你也会喊叫的例子。因此作者是用人来和鸟比较。

举一反三

At Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, the lights are controlled by sensors that measure sunlight. They dim immediately when it"s sunny and brighten when a passing cloud blocks the sun.
A wall of windows at a University of Pennsylvania engineering building has built-in blinds (百叶窗) controlled by a computer program that follows the sun"s path.
Buildings are getting smarter -- and the next generation of building materials is expected to do even more.
Windows could catch the sun"s energy to heat water. Sensors that measure the carbon dioxide breathed out by people in a room could determine whether the air conditioning needs to be turned up.
Many new materials and technology have been designed in the last 15 years. They now being used in a wave of buildings designed to save as much energy as possible. They include old ideas, like "green roofs," where a belt of plants on a roof helps the building keep heat in winter and stay cool in summer, and new ideas, like special coating for windows that lets light in, but keeps heat out.
As technologies such as sensors become cheaper, their uses spread.
The elevators (电梯) at Seven World Trade Center, which is under construction in New York, use a system that groups people traveling to nearby floor into the same elevator, thus saving elevator stops. People who work in the building will enter it by swiping (刷) ID cards that will tell the elevators their floor; readouts will then tell them which elevator to use. The building also has windows with a coating that blocks heat while letting in light.
More new building materials and technology are in development. A Philadelphia building firm is now working on "smart wrap" that uses tiny solar collectors to catch the sun"s energy and transmitters (传输器) the width of a human hair to move it. They are expected to change the face of the construction industry in the next ten years or so.
72. ______ will be developed and used in the construction industry.
A. "Green roofs" that cool or heat buildings
B. "Smart wrap" that catches the sun"s energy
C. Sunlight-measuring sensors that control lights
D. Window coating that lets light in, but keeps heat out
73. The elevators at Seven World Trade Center are special because they can ___
A. send people to floors with fewer stops
B. teach people how to use their ID cards
C. make people stay very cool in summer
D. help people go traveling in the building
74. The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refers to _____.
A. a human hair                  B. smart wrap
C. the sun"s energy             D. a transmitter
75. What might be the most suitable title for the text?
A. Buildings Are Becoming Smarter
B. Buildings Are Getting More Sunlight
C. Buildings Are Lacking in Much Energy
D. Buildings Are Using Cheaper Materials

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The tea gardens in Sri Lanka are actually large estates(种植园). The best tea usually comes from plants grown on high grounds, the cool hilltops with rows and rows of tea plants. The plants are about one metre apart. The plant is often pruned so that it remains only 60 to 90 centimetres high. Pruning is important because it encourages the growth of tender shoots, or young leaves. It is from these shoots that the best tea is got.
Practically all the tea pickers are women. The estates prefer to employ women pickers because they are more careful. Their thin fingers can easily remove the twin leaves and new shoots from the plant, which are the parts used for processing(加工) tea. The pickers carry large baskets into which they throw their pickings. A skilled worker can harvest between 9 to 14 kilogrammes of tea leaves a day. Usually new shoots can be picked from the plants about every ten or fifteen days.
Processing tea shoots into the familiar dry tea leaves requires great care and skill .There are various methods of processing depending on the type of tea required .For black tea ,the young green leaves are first spread out o shelves to dry. This process removes much of its water and the leaves become soft. After this ,the leaves are passed through heavy rollers .This operation will press the leaves for juices which give the tea both its colour and taste .Then the leaves are spread out on floors and left to ferment （发酵）under wet conditions. Fermentation develops the rich taste of black tea .The fermented leaves are then dried with a hot-air blower until they become rolled-up black leaves .The final step is to sort and grade them before the black tea is ready for sale to countries all over the world.
68.In the first paragraph ,the word “pruning” means       .
A.regular cutting of the plants   B.frequent watering
C.regular use of chemicals        D.growing the plants high in the mountain
69.One of the reasons why women are employed to do the picking is that        .
A.they work harder than men do in the picking
B.they can throw their pickings more easily into the baskets
C.their fingers fit them better for the job.
D.they can more easily find the twin leaves.
70.How many processing steps are mentioned in the last paragraph?
A.Three.    B.Four.    C.Five.    D.Six.
71.What is the writer’s purpose in writing the passage?
A.To introduce various methods of tea processing.
B.To persuade readers to buy tea from Sri Lanka.
C.To tell a story that had happened in the tea gardens.
D.To inform readers of tea growing ,picking and processing.

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There are warm tropical regions all over the globe, but only the Indians of the South American rain forests have formed the habit of sleeping in the open air. Long before they made painful acquaintance (相识) with Europeans, they had invented something that was unique on earth: the hammock.
Nobody really knows who first had the bright idea of making sleeping in the air the symbol of untroubled rest. The Indians see the hammock as a “gift of heaven (上天)”, something given to them a very long time ago.
In it the Indians pass away hot noon hours, napping or chatting. Swinging it to and fro (来回摆动) creates a cooling breath of air and keeps away insects. They work and play in hammocks, are born and die there.
Hung like a suspension bridge between heaven and earth, a hammock is dry while the soil is damp and is safe from most wild animals.
Hammocks have the advantage over beds in that they are easy to transport and take up very little space when they have been rolled up(卷起) . Indians never go on a journey without their hammocks, not even to their plantations.
76.The word hammock in this passage means _______.
A. a suspension cage which can be swung to and fro in the air
B. a seat hanging by two ropes from the branch of a tree
C. a suspension bridge in the South American rain forests.
D. a net hung between two supports and used as a bed.
77. When was the hammock invented and by whom?
A. The Indians had invented the hammock long before they came to South America.
B. The Indians had invented the hammock long before the Europeans came to South America.
C. The Europeans invented the hammock after they made acquaintance with the Indians.
D. The Europeans had invented the hammock before they went to South America.
78. Indians swing the hammock to_______.
A. pray to heaven for a gift       B. keep away flies, mosquitoes and other insects
C. keep away wild animals        D. all asleep quickly
79. According to the passage, hammocks _______.
A. cannot be rolled up                B. are difficult to transport
C. are never brought to the plantations   D. can be kept dry while the ground is wet
80. The passage is about _______.
A. the Indian way of living                      B. tropical regions
C. Indians" gift for the Europeans           D. a portable bed

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It was the final examination. The class was very   36 . I was checking my paper   37   I saw my best friend, Samy,   38   to cheat at the exam.
Samy scribbled（潦草地写） the   39   to some questions on his answer sheet   40   looking at a piece of paper. I was   41   and did not know what to do. My heart was beating   42   by each second. Suddenly, Samy noticed me staring at him.
He made a hand gesture, asking me not to   43   the teacher. I was deep in thoughts when the teacher said, “Time’s up! Please put down your pens! Stop   44 ! I will collect your papers.” I was waken out of my   45   upon hearing the loud voice of the teacher. I went home feeling very   46 . I was so frustrated   47   I even talked to my toys!
The next day, I went straight to the   48   office for I decided to tell the teacher that Samy   49   yesterday. I plucked up（鼓起） my   50   and walked into the office. I told the teacher that Samy had cheated. She was very angry. During break, she   51       Samy and Samy cried. He   52   his face as he ran out of the teachers’ office after he was scolded. After that incident, Samy always ignored me whenever I approached him. I was very sad. I thought my   53   with him must be over.
A few more days later, I was at the bus stop   54   for my bus when Samy came to me with a guilty look on his face. He said, “I’m sorry, I have now   55   cheating at the exam. Will you forgive me?” “Sure,” I replied with a smile. “But promise me never to cheat again.” “I promise!” he replied. Then we walked home happily.
36. A. silent             B. noisy                   C. crowded

D. dirty
37. A. while             B. when                    C. as                         D. whenever
38. A. wanting                     B. searching                  C. attempting                D. Wishing
39. A. sentences          B. words                  C. notes                    D. answers
40. A. before            B. after                    C. until                     D. once
41. A. glad                       B. anxious                 C. afraid                   D. sad
42. A. quicker and quicker                            B. harder and harder
C. slower and slower                              D. heavier and heavier
43. A. inform            B. phone                   C. tell                              D. ask
44. A. talking            B. writing                 C. looking                 D. thinking
45. A. thoughts          B. room                    C. soul                      D. seat
46. A. bad                B. worried                C. calm                    D. miserable
47. A. as                   B. which                  C. but                      D. that
48. A. school’s                 B. headmaster’s                C. teachers’               D. parents’
49. A. cheated        B. had cheated           C. was cheating          D. had been cheating
50. A. spirit              B. courage                 C. feet                      D. strength
51. A. hit                  B. beat                      C. told                      D. scolded
52. A. covered           B. washed                 C. lowered                D. raised
53. A. happiness      B. friendship             C. incident                       D. business
54. A. waited             B. to wait                        C. waiting                D. wait
55. A. appreciated      B. minded                 C. regretted              D. frightened

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The middle school Foreign Language Program begins with a program at 5th level. All students take twelve weeks each of French, German and Spanish. Students continue with the language of their choice at 6th, 7th and 8th levels to complete the two semesters of high school work.
Foreign Language classes are 23 minutes long and meet four times per week. The classes actively involve the students in listening exercises, vocabulary building, reading, writing, grammar and the development of oral proficiency in specific topic of conversation.
The program is also designed to give students cultural insight into the beliefs and behaviors of the people and cultures represented by each language. Art, history, music, dance, food and the customs of each society are examined through filmstrips , games, cultural event projects and activities. The high school student exchange programs are involved with the middle school to allow personal contact with students from other countries where the languages are spoken.
Each year the advancements in technology help to bring the students even closer to the people of the world they are studying. Computer programs are used to practise and increase vocabulary and various language skills. The resource programs provide facts and figures instantly to supplement their knowledge of history and geography. The Internet offers opportunities to tap information on a number of topics in English and in other foreign languages. The faculty makes every effort to be aware of new technology and to make it accessible to the students whenever possible.
The middle school program hopes to help each student to do the study of foreign language throughout their life with education, travel and a continued awareness of the world and its peoples.
1. The first paragraph tells us that ________.
A. there are about 5 levels in language program
B. students have to learn French, German and Spanish for 12 months in all at first
C. high school students will be at the 6 levels in the language at least
D. you can choose three languages at three levels
2. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Students have more than 90 minutes of foreign language learning each week.
B. Students are trained in four-skill language learning.
C. Students will learn about foreign culture and customs.
D. Learning foreign languages throughout one’s life is the aim of the program.
3. The purpose of the passage is to introduce _________.
A. a foreign language program
B. the foreign language classes
C. what students will learn through the program
D. how the technology has an effect on the language learning
4. Which of the following does not belong to the program?
A. Kinds of foreign languages. B. Classes activities.
C. Students exchange program. D. Technology development.

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