Just like humans, birds too rely on sound to communicate.However, they do not have a "language" in
the true sense of the word and instead produce a variety of sounds to convey different emotions.
Often, birds recognize their mates (or young) by sound rather than sight.Hungry young birds use
begging calls to let their mothers know it is feeding time.Alarm calls, flight calls and warning calls are other sounds made frequently by adults.
A new study shows that songbirds rehearse (排演) their songs even in their sleep.The activity in the
brain of the birds when asleep is similar to the brain activity when the birds were awake and singing.The
team used tiny recording devices to measure the activity of individual brain cells in four songbirds both
when they were singing and when they were asleep.
Apparently the bird stores a song after hearing it, and then rehearses it later in its sleep.Scientists now
believe the birds "dream of songs and tunes" to help them master the fine art of singing and that sleep
plays a key role in the learning process!
Many songbirds learn to sing listening to adult birds of the same species.However, if separated from
the adults, the young birds develop sounds which are hard to understand instead of normal song patterns.
Researchers carried out an experiment in which a male bullfinch (灰雀) was raised by a female canary
(金丝雀). The bullfinch soon learned the canary"s song and when it was later mated to a female bullfinch, Mr.Bullfinch taught his children the canary"s songs.
Last year, a British survey of London"s songbirds showed that the city"s birds are losing their tunes.
Birds could hardly hear one another, over the traffic noise；as a result, instead of copying the sweet
notes of the adults, young birds were copying the sounds they heard most often, namely car horns and
beeping cellphones!
1. According to the passage, birds recognize their mates by ________.
A. using their own words
B. listening to their sounds
C. looking at their appearances
D. singing the same songs
2. What kind of calls might a young bird make most often according to the passage?
A. Flight calls.
B. Alarm calls.
C. Begging calls.
D. Warning calls.
3. The story of Mr.Bullfinch suggests that ________.
A. young birds learn to sing from whom they live together with
B. birds only learn how to sing from the same adult species
C. it"s not easy for adult birds to teach young birds songs
D. a canary"s song is more beautiful than a bullfinch"s
4. From the last paragraph we know that ________.
A. traffic noise makes young birds become deaf
B. birds in the city can sing as sweetly as those in the wild
C. birds in the city recognize their mates mainly by sight
D. noise pollution causes much trouble for birds in the city
5. What can we infer from the passage?
A. The eyesight of songbirds is very poor in most cases.
B. There"s no brain activity when a bird is sleeping.
C. Birds have something in common with humans in terms of communication.
D. Different songbirds usually develop the same song patterns.
| ( )1. A. headmaster ( )2. A. organized ( )3. A. heard ( )4. A. when ( )5. A. blown up ( )6. A. lived ( )7. A. smiled ( )8. A. make ( )9. A. when ( )10. A. decision ( )11. A. pulled up ( )12. A. was there ( )13. A. gone ( )14. A. get off ( )15. A. seat ( )16. A. looked at ( )17. A. cry ( )18. A. teachers ( )19. A. class ( )20. A. other | B. students B. ordered B. smelled B. as B. been closed B. worked B. frightened B. feel B. while B. attention B. pulled out B. was here B. come B. get over B. chair B. helped B. laugh B. relatives B. family B. others | C. workers C. made C. watched C. as if C. been opened C. studied C. froze C. push C. as C. feeling C. pulled in C. was gone C. left C. get through C. stool C. reached for C. excite C. friends C. school C. another | D. books D. asked D. felt D. although D. been on fire D. visited D. worried D. find D. for D. expression D. pulled off D. was alone D. stopped D. get in D. bag D. called on D. shout D. parents D. house D. the other |
| 阅读理解 | |||
| The practice of magic includes special words, actions, and objects. Most magic involves a person called a magician, who claims to have supernatural powers. Magic words. To work most magic, the magician sings or speaks special words in a certain order. These words are called incantations or spells. Some spells form prayers to demons(魔鬼), spirits, or other supernatural forces. Many societies believe the magic will not work unless the magician recites the spells perfectly. Other magic words have no meaning, though they supposedly possess power when spoken by a magician. Magic actions accompany the words spoken in performing much magic. Many of these movements act out the desired effect of the magic. For example, a magician trying to make rain fall may sprinkle (洒) water on the ground. The magician"s combined words and actions form a ceremony. Magic objects include certain plants, stones, and other things with supposed supernatural powers. Any such object may be called a fetish(物神). But this term often refers to an object-for example, a carving or a dried snake-honored by a tribe for its magic powers. Many tribes believe fetishes have magic power because spirits live in these objects. Many people carry magic objects called amulets(护身符)to protect themselves from harm. Many amulets are stones or rings engraved(雕刻) with magic symbols. The magician. In some societies, nearly everyone knows how to work some magic. In other societies, only experts practice magic. Magicians may be called medicine men, medicine women, shamans, sorcerers, or witch doctors. In many societies, magicians must inherit their powers. In others, any person may become a magician by studying the magical arts. Many societies believe magicians must observe certain rules and taboos (forbidden actions) for their spells to work. For example, they may be required not to eat various foods or to avoid sexual activity for a certain period before the ceremony. | |||
| 1. What do magic words mean to people in some society? | |||
| A. They have the power to kill devils. B. They have power if magician recites the right spells. C. They have no effect at all. D. They can be used whenever they want. | |||
| 2. People believe magic actions will have an effect if they are accompanied by________. | |||
| A. the spells B. magic objects C. stones or rings engraved with magic symbols D. medicine | |||
| 3. Why do many people believe in a fetish? | |||
| A. Because it is often a ring which is worth a lot of money. B. Because it is carved with magic symbols. C. Because people think spirits live in it. D. Because it can help them with many things. | |||
| 4. What"s the best title of the passage? | |||
| A. How Magic Works B. The Power of Magic C. How to Practice Magic D. The Choice of Magicians | |||
| Japanese high school students either walk or ride bicycles if the distance is not too great. In other cases, students must take public buses and trains. After junior high school, students attend schools based on their high school entrance examination scores. So some students travel a great distance to attend the school. ________ The school day begins at 8: 30. Then students assemble in their homeroom classes for the day"s studies. Each homeroom has an average of 40-45 students. Students stay in their homeroom classrooms for most of the school day. Only for physical education, laboratory classes, or other subjects requiring special facilities(设备) do students move to different parts of the school. Between classes and at lunchtime, classrooms can be noisy, lively places. Some schools may have a cafeteria (自助餐厅), but most do not. In most schools, students bring a box lunch from home, prepared by the mother in the early morning hours. Japanese students spend 240 days a year at school, 60 days more than American students. Students in high schools take three years" each of the following subjects mathematics, social studies, Japanese, science, and English. Other subjects include physical education, music, art, and moral (道德的) studies. All the students in one grade level study the same subjects. Given the number of required subjects, electives(选修科目) are few. Afterschool Activities Club activities take place after school every day. Students can join only one club, and they rarely change clubs from year to year, so the clubs are relatively stable. Clubs are made up of sports clubs (baseball, soccer, judo, kendo, etc. ) and culture clubs(English, broadcasting, science, etc. ). New students usually are encouraged to select a club shortly after the school year begins in April. Clubs meet for two hours after school each day and many clubs continue to meet during school vacations. | |||
| 1. Most Japanese high school students often have their lunch________. | |||
| A. in restaurants B. in school cafeterias C. at home D. in homeroom classrooms | |||
| 2. Students in the USA go to school________days a year. | |||
| A. 180 B. 200 C. 240 D. 300 | |||
| 3. The underlined word "rarely" in the fourth paragraph means "________". | |||
| A. always B. never C. seldom D. often | |||
| 4. From the passage we know that________. | |||
| A. there are less than 40 students in each class in Japanese high schools B. students must stay in homeroom classrooms for physical education C. there are few subjects for students to choose except the required ones D. there will not be any club activities during school vacations | |||
| 5. The best subtitle for the second and third paragraphs may be "________". | |||
| A. At school B. In class C. Subjects D. Homerooms |