Sheep, like turkeys and ostriches, are not considered the cleverest animals. Bri
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Sheep, like turkeys and ostriches, are not considered the cleverest animals. British scientists said last Wednesday human may have underestimated(低估) the woolly creatures. They could be much smarter than we think.
Researchers at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge, southern. England, have shown that animals have a good memory system and are extremely good at recognizing faces--which they think is a sure sign of intelligence.
Behavioral scientist Keith Kendrick and his friends trained 20 sheep to recognize and distinguish(区别) 25 pairs of sheep faces and used electrodes(电极) to measure their brain activity, which showed they could remember 50 faces for up to two years.
"If they can do that with faces, the fact is that they have to have reasonable intelligence, otherwise, what is the point of having a system for remembering anything else," Kendrick said in an interview.
So hours of seemingly mindless eating grass may not be so mindless after all.
Kendrick believes sheep got their reputation as dumb animals because they live in large groups and do not appear to have much ind
ividuality and are frightened of just about everything.
All animals, including humans, once they are frightened don"t tend to show signs of intelligent action," he explained.
In research reported in the science journal Nature, Kendrick and his team showed that sheep, like humans, have a specialized system in the brain, which allows them to distinguish between many different faces that look extremely similar.
"The most important findings of the study is that they are able, both from a behavioral point of view and from looking at the way the brain is organized, to remember a large number of faces of individuals for a very long time," said Kendrick. "It is a very strange system. They are showing similar abilities in many ways to humans. "
小题1: From the first paragraph we can find that ______.| A．people used to think sheep are smarter than the other animals | | B．people used to raise sheep in a wrong way | | C．people don"t consider sheep as clever animals | | D．people have done a lot of research on sheep |
小题2: From what Kendrick said in the interview we learn that ________.| A．scientists have learned a lot about sheep"s intelligence | | B．scientists have learned little about sheep"s intelligence | | C．scientists can"t do anything more about sheep"s memory | | D．scientists don"t have to research animals" memory |
小题3: As is shown in the passage _________.| A．sheep are among the weak animals | | B．it is not right for people to raise sheep in groups | | C．when sheep eat grass in the fields their minds may be active | | D．if people feel frightened, they may become more brave |
小题4: When scientists found that sheep show similar abilities in many ways to humans they may think it _____.| A．worrying | B．moving | C．frightening | D．interesting |
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答案
小题1:C
小题2:B
小题3:C
小题4:D |
解析
小题1:细节理解题。从文章第一段的三句话可以明显看出。
小题2:细节理解题。Kendrick在采访中的几句话都带有推测和不肯定的语气，这表明目前人们对于绵羊的智力的研究还很少，没有肯定性的结论。
小题3:细节理解题。从文章第五段So hours of seemingly mindless eating grass may not be SO mindless after a11．一句可以看出。
小题4:推理判断题。根据常理推断，科学家们通过研究发现绵羊的智力在许多方面与人相似之后，会对这种现象非常感兴趣。其余三项根据不合常理，可以排除。 |
举一反三
The Baima is a minority group of about 1,400 people. They have lived in Northern Sichuan and Southern Gansu Provinces for centuries. They have long depended on the forests as their main source of income. But since a ban on cutting down forests was introduced in the late 1990s to fight yearly flooding, the villagers have had to look for other means of earning a living.
Several are now in the process of developing a small tourism industry as their lands are rich in forests and natural scenery and are the home of the giant pandas. Xiangshujia, in particular, is becoming a popular bed and breakfast centre for tourists heading to Wanglang to see the giant pandas. Visitors are also starting to take notice of the Baima people themselves.
As our jeep stopped in the courtyard of a house, we were greeted by the village leader Li Qin and young Baima girls dressed in traditional costumes with white feathers in their hair. As we took our places on wooden benches near an open fire, the girls began to sing traditional songs as they served us.
“The number of tourists is growing,” said Li Qin. “We realize that to attract visitors we have to show our culture by offering more traditional singing and dancing and ensuring our houses are built in the traditional way.”
Relations between the Baima people and the reserve were once tense following the ban on cutting down forests. Villagers had to make a new living. They entered the Wanglang Nature Reserve to collect wild mushrooms and herbs (药草), often at the expense of disturbing the pandas’ habitat. But things greatly improved as villagers started receiving training in how to sell things to tourists.
“Our aim was to deter the villagers, because they often disturbed the pandas’ habitat, and to ensure they could have a long-lasting means of earning a living,” emphasized Chen Youping, director of the Wanglang Nature Reserve. “All the money from the reserve goes back into the community and conservation projects,” said Chen. “We take into consideration first the animals and then tourism.”
小题1:From Paragraph 1 we learn that ________.| A．the Baima has the longest history among all the minority groups in China | | B．the Baima people live in most areas of Sichuan and Gansu Provinces | | C．forests are the main source of firewood for the Baima people | | D．in order to fight floods, the Baima people are forbidden to cut down forests |
小题2: We can infer that the Baima girls wore their traditional costumes to greet visitors mainly because _______.| A．they wanted to look more beautiful | | B．their leader Li Qin asked them to do so | | C．it was a way to show their culture to attract visitors | | D．it was necessary before they sang traditional songs |
小题3:Which of the following was NOT an effect of the ban on cutting down forests?| A．The Baima people had a tense relationship with the reserve. | | B．Villagers had to look for other means of making a living. | | C．The pandas’ habitat was often disturbed by villagers. | | D．Villagers stopped selling things to tourists. |
小题4:The underlined word “deter” in the last paragraph can be replaced by “________”.| A．punish | B．stop | C．encourage | D．threaten |
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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 dumpsite. Residents or trash haulers(垃圾托运者) would transport household rubbish, rotted wood, and old possessions to the site. Periodically(定期的) 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(住宅区的)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 almost 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 can no 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 recycling programs, however, can hope to deal with only about 50 percent of a city"s reusable waste.
小题1: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 |
小题2: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 |
小题3:What can be inferred from the fourth paragraph?| A．Farm areas accept waste from the city in modern society. | | B．There is cheap land to bury waste in modem society. | | C．It is difficult to find space to bury waste in modem society. | | D．Ways to deal with waste in modem society stay the same. |
小题4: 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 |
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Listening to music can help me focus better. Since I discovered it two years ago, I’ve used music to get through boring work or to focus creatively. I’ve found that it can make even the dullest jobs enjoyable and help clear mental blocks to creativity.
I first noticed the good effects of music while playing video games. It was a few days before Christmas in 2005 and I was playing online video games. My parents had just given me a new MP3, so I decided to listen to music through the headphones while I played. After a few minutes I noticed a great change in my style of play. I was playing more naturally. The music relaxed me, and, to a certain extent, distracted me from the game, allowing my subconscious (潜意识的) talent to come through. The music also helped me block out the outside world. With those headphones on I was like a machine, moving from one task to the next without unnecessary thoughts or actions.
Music can also have a great effect on mood. If I’m in a bad mood at work, I’ll listen to some of Bob Marley’s and get down to business. It always takes my mind off what I’m doing and makes me a happier person. The same is true for classic rock. One summer, I did a boring job collecting bottle openers by hand. Without a radio playing classic rock in the background, I would have hated life.
Listening to music with relaxing rhythms and a positive message helps you forget your work and think happy thoughts. But the results you see will depend heavily on your personal tastes. Experiment with the types of music you listen to during certain tasks. By trial and error you’ll finally discover your best choice. I’m always looking for new concentration aids, so I’d love to know what type of music works best for me.
小题1: We can infer that the passage was written in __________.小题2:The author first discovered the effects of music __________.| A．from his parents | B．by chance | | C．at work | D．when he was a child |
小题3:Which of the following statements is NOT an effect of music for the author?| A．It helps him block out the outside world. | | B．It arouses his subconscious talent. | | C．It helps his mind relax. | | D．It makes him work without any thought. |
小题4:The author mentions the experience of collecting bottle openers in Paragraph 3 to ________.| A．tell us that life is dull | | B．prove that music affects mood | | C．tell us how to seek happiness | | D．tell us bad mood can affect work |
小题5:In order to get the greatest effect of music, you are advised to ________.| A．listen to some of Bob Marley’s | | B．only choose relaxing music | | C．test all kinds of music | | D．listen to classic rock |
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Imagine a training course that helps you in your specific job. Imagine tools and techniques that are so closely connected with your work that you can apply them directly to it. Imagine receiving an Open University (OU) certificate (证书) in a course which states what you have studied and achieved.
It may sound fantastic, but it’s a reality at the Open University’s CCPD, which is making learning while you work more flexible (灵活的) than ever before.
The courses are starting to change workplace learning completely. Paige, who took CCPD’s courses, said the study had changed her whole way of thinking. “It was excellent for so many reasons,” she said. “It developed me as a person and as an employee and taught me particular techniques. I was always able to bring what I’d learned into the office the next day and apply it to my job.”
Even better news for Paige was that her employer paid the full cost of her study. She became one of thousands of OU students whose fees were paid by employers who recognized the value of an OU education.
“These courses are designed for CCPD rather than as part of a formal certificate,” said Kathy, an OU teacher. “We pay more attention to development rather than assessment (评估). Our role is to give them personal developmental advice, not a mark.”
Paige is just one of 200,000 students who are learning at OU. CCPD itself is just a part of an organization that offers courses and qualifications in 360 subjects and has so far helped to develop the skills and knowledge of more than two million people.
“Education does not stop with getting a degree,” said Charles Edwards, CCPD’s director. “In a fast-moving economy you cannot afford to rely on the degree you got some time ago. You must keep updating your knowledge.”
For details on CCPD’s courses and to register with the 10% discount available to members, visit www.open.ac.uk.
小题1:According to the passage, CCPD’s courses are ________.| A．required courses for formal academic qualifications | | B．training courses for professional development | | C．special courses for a master’s degree | | D．elective courses for university students |
小题2:The example of Paige is given to show ________.| A．the benefits of lifelong learning | | B．how completely learning has changed | | C．the value of CCPD’s courses of the OU | | D．the importance of hard work |
小题3:It can be inferred from Paragraph 4 that ________.| A．Paige has got promoted after learning CCPD’s courses | | B．an OU education has been accepted by many employers | | C．Paige is the best employee in her company | | D．most employers care for their employees |
小题4:According to the passage, CCPD’s courses focus on ________.| A．assessment of learners | | B．learners’ personal development | | C．the academic knowledge of learners | | D．classroom learning |
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The storage of classified (分类的) research at all 24 labs run by the US Department of Energy was shut down this week after officials decided that the security (安全) problems recently found at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico might also exist elsewhere.
Several computer disks went missing at Los Alamos earlier this month, forcing Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham to stop all work at the lab until the problems are found out. As of 26 July, two missing disks had still not been found, and 15 employees had been suspended in connection with the disappearance.
Now all energy labs will stop doing classified research that involves(需要) removable storage devices --- such as computer disks --- until all the devices are given explanation for and new procedures are in place for monitoring their handling by laboratory employees.
"While we have no evidence that the problems being investigated are present elsewhere, we have a responsibility to take all necessary action to prevent such problems, "Abraham said on 23 July.
The shut-down isn"t quite as dramatic（惊人的）as it sounds, experts say. Only two labs will be seriously affected: Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. Together with Los Alamos, these two labs conduct the most part of the country"s nuclear weapon programmes. At Livermore, 876 employees will be suspended during the storage of some 12,000 items of classified removable material.
At other labs, far fewer people will be affected. "The impact (影响) should be the smallest," says Martha Krebs, former director of the energy department"s science office.
小题1:Why was the storage of classified research at all 24 labs shut down?| A．Because the security problems might be present elsewhere. | | B．Because the security problems existed elsewhere. | | C．Because two missing computer disks had still not be found. | | D．Because officials decided to stop doing such research. |
小题2:How many labs conduct the country"s nuclear weapon programmes according to the text?| A．About 24. | B．Only 2. | C．More than 2. | D．Over 15. |
小题3:The underlined word "suspended"in the second paragraph probably means "______”.| A．hung from above | B．stopped from holding a position | C．doubted | D．fired |
小题4: It can be inferred from the text that _____.| A．the computer disks must have been stolen by terrorists | | B．the people living in the United States have little security | | C．the United States is a country whose security is very bad | | D．the missing of the computer disks caused great fear among Americans |
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