When an ant dies, other ants move the dead insect out. Sometimes, the dead ant g

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When an ant dies, other ants move the dead insect out. Sometimes, the dead ant get moved away very soon—within an hour of dying. This behavior is interesting to scientists, who wonder how ants know for sure—and so soon—that another ant is dead.
One scientist recently came up with a way to explain this ant behavior. Dong-Hwan Choe is a biologist. Choe found that Argentine ants have a chemical on the outside of their bodies that signals to other ants, “I’m dead—take me away.”
But there’s a twist to Choe’s discovery. Choe says that the living ants—not just the dead ones —have this death chemical. In other words, while an ant crawls around, perhaps in a picnic or home, it’s telling other ants that it’s dead.
What keeps ants from dragging away the living ants? Choe found that Argentine ants have two additional chemicals on their bodies, and these tell nearby ants something like, “Wait—I’m not dead yet.” So Choe’s research turned up two sets of chemical signals in ants: one says, “I’m dead,” and the other set says, “I’m not dead yet.”
Other scientists have tried to figure out how ants know when another ant is dead. If an ant is knocked unconscious, for example, other ants leave it alone until it wakes up. That means ants know that unmoving ants can still be alive.
Choe suspects that when an Argentine ant dies, the chemical that says “Wait- I’m not dead yet” quickly goes away. Once that chemical is gone, only the one that says “I’m dead” is left. “It’s because the dead ant no longer smells like a living ant that it gets carried to the graveyard, not because its body releases new unique chemicals after death,” said Choe. When other ants detect the “dead” chemical without the “not dead yet” chemical, they drag away the body.

Understanding this behavior may help scientists figure out how to stop Argentine ants from invading new places and causing problems. Choe would like to find a way to use the newly discovered chemicals to spread ant killer to Argentine ant nests.
The ants’ removal behavior is important to the overall health of the nest. “Being able to quickly remove dead individuals and other possible sources of disease is extremely important to all animals living in societies, including us,” says Choe. “Think about all the effort and money that we invest daily in waste management.”
51. The underlined word “twist” in Paragraph 3 means _____.
A. an unexpected change                              B. a clear mistake
C. an important key                                        D. a shocking conclusion
52. Ants judge whether another one is dead or not depending on ______.
A. the sense of taste                                      B. the sense of smell
C. the sense of touch                                               D. the sense of sight
53. The result of the research can be used to ______.
A. kill troublesome pests
B. solve the problem of endangered species
C. prevent further expansion of the ants’ territory
D. keep the balance of nature
54. Why is it important to remove dead individuals?
A. Because it is easier to manage the living.
B. Because it can save money to deal with the waste.
C. Because it can provide more space for the living.
D. Because it can keep the living from suffering disease.
55. What might be the best title of the text?
A. Dead or living? It is easy to judge
B. Pulling away the dead ants is a difficult task
C. Ant nests have great undertaking capacity
D. Leaving it alone or taking it away? Ants feel puzzled

答案

51-55 ABCDA

解析

略

举一反三

It doesn"t matter when or how much a person sleeps, but everyone needs some rest to stay alive. That"s what all doctors thought, until they heard about Al Herpin. Al Herpin, it was said, never slept. Could this be true? The doctors decided to see this strange man themselves.
Al Herpin was 90 years old when the doctors came to his home in New Jersey. They thought for sure that he got some sleep of some kind. So they stayed with him and watched every movement he made. But they were surprised. Though they watched him hour after hour and day after day, they never saw Herpin sleeping. In fact, he did not even own a bed. He never needed one.
The only rest that Herpin sometimes got was sitting in a comfortable chair and reading newspapers. The doctors were puzzled by this strange continuous sleeplessness. They asked him many questions, hoping to find an answer. They found only one answer that might explain his condition. Herpin remembered some talk about his mother having been injured several days before he was born. But that was all. Was this the real reason? No one could be sure.
Al Herpin died at the age of 95.
41.The main idea of this passage is that _______
A. everyone needs some sleep to stay alive
B. people can live longer by trying not to sleep
C. large numbers of people do not need sleep
D. a person was found who actually didn"t need any sleep
42.The doctors came to visit Herpin, expecting ______
A. to find out whether his sleeplessness was really true
B. to find out why some old people didn"t need any sleep
C. to find a way to free people from the need of sleeping
D. to cure him of his sleeplessness
43. After watching him closely, the doctors came to believe that Al Herpin ____
A. needed no sleep at all B. needed some kind of sleep
C . was too old to need any sleep D .often slept in a chair
44.One reason that might explain Herpin" s sleeplessness was ______

A. his mother"s injury before he was born
B. his magnificent physical condition
C. that he had gradually got rid of the sleeping habit
D. that he hadn"t got a bed
45.Al Herpin" s condition could be regarded as ______
A. a common one B. very healthy C. one that could be cured D. a rare one

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Have you experienced the 2009’s Oscar best movie called Slum-dog Millionaire (《贫民富翁》)?
This film is about a poor Indian boy from the slums (贫民窟), Jamal, who ends up winning the grand prize in a show— “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” The night before he answers the prize-winning questions, Jamal is arrested by the police and hurt severely. They don"t believe a slumdog like Jamal can answer seven questions correctly and possibly win 20 million rupees. But, as the movie unfolds, Jamal let out the secret how he found the answers to each of the questions. Viewers also learn about Jamal"s childhood, his selfish older brother Salim, and his childhood love, Latika.
The movie"s point, however, is not just to tell a typical story of an underdog (弱者) who becomes a hero. The director also uses Slum-Dog Millionaire to give viewers a taste of India. The movie begins in Jamal"s childhood home in the slums of India. The place where he and his family lived reminds one of the hutong that used to make up a large part of old Beijing. Jamal and his brother grow and travel across India, meanwhile surviving as slum-dogs and cheats, and India ages with them. By the time Jamal is 17 or 18, his old home has been replaced by a giant financial center. Jamal and Salim take a moment to recall about their old lives, as they stand high up in a tall building that is still under construction. That view from above reminded me of a similar view I had just two years ago in China: I was standing there in the living room of a family friend"s modern apartment, looking out through a window, down to some shacks (简陋的房屋) below, just next to the building complex. It was amazing how riches and poverty could live so close together.
The thing that was most appealing about the movie, to me and my Indian friends, was how we could understand the story presented in the movie. More important than the story was the window on the social and economic situations in Asia that it provided.
60．Viewers can learn from the movie EXCEPT __________.
A．Jamal’s childhood and his bitter experience of wandering across the country
B．the rapid social changes and economic development in India
C．the poor life of people in the slums against the development of cities in India
D．the secret of becoming a millionaire through personal struggle
61．Why does the movie appeal to the writer?
A．It’s a typical story of the underdog who becomes a hero, which she admires most.
B．It’s an Oscar best movie that helps her understand the human nature.
C．It has an exciting and complicated plot that attracts her very much.
D．It reminds her of her experience in China and helps know about other Asian countries.
62．The writer wrote the passage to____________.
A．introduce a movie to readers and share her views about it.
B．persuade more viewers to go to the cinema to see the movie.
C．express her enthusiasm towards Asia and its culture.
D．reveal the true social reality in most developing countries.

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For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.
To advertise effectively today, you must abandon the old-school idea of “reaching the masses”. All advertising is local and personal. The key to effective advertising today is to focus on the   50 .
Some are the   51   ways every advertiser could work out. You can print a specific offer of your goods or service on door-hangers and place them on doorknobs in your area. Door-hangers on doorknobs will produce results in direct   52   about the strength of your offer. If you need to reach the drivers, flyer (宣传单) under windshield (挡风玻璃) wipers may have better effect than door-hangers. Imagine, how   53   if you hire someone to be a walking ad or launch a T-shirt advertising,   54 , you can print your products on T-shirts of your   55 . In the early 1970s “Hamp Baker says Drive with Care” was spray-painted on cars, which was a public service ad. Ever since, spray-painted sign has become more and more   56 .
More grand ways are as follows: virtual showroom. Build a website to   57   a virtual showroom. Use it when people call to ask   58   about your company, your products or your services. Also you can even use an old slide projector to put on a nighttime show. They’re   59   effective, and in the long run, cheap. Nothing is quite as powerful as a public   60   that seizes the public’s attention. You can invite a band to give a performance.
61   , you can hire famous models to show it vividly.
Nothing screams “expert” quite as loudly as a book written about a subject. You simply can’t   62   the power of your name on the cover of a book. You might only sell a few copies online, but the copies you give away in your town will make you a fortune. You won’t make money on the book. You’ll make it because of the book.
Of course, word-of-mouth is the best way to promote your   63 . Friends and past customers recommend your products to their family, friends and colleagues. Word-of-mouth works because the   64  is based on previous positive experiences.
50.   A. content                  B. product                           C. individual               D. style
51.   A. strange                  B. common                         C. amusing                D. perfect
52.   A. description           B. decision                          C. discussion             D. permission
53.   A. stupid                     B. funny                               C. impressive            D. ridiculous
54.   A. that is                   B. first of all                        C. as a result             D. generally speaking
55.   A. customers            B. employers                      C. consumers            D. employees
56.   A. expensive              B. valueless                        C. popular                  D. meaningless
57.   A. refer to                  B. serve as                          C. stand for               D. keep off
58.   A. location                 B. business-hours             C. salary                     D. details
59.A. unbelievably         B. consequently                 C. accidentally          D. occasionally
60.   A. speech                            B. sport                                C. debate                            D. performance
61.   A. For example         B. Moreover                       C. However               D. To be exact
62.   A. create                    B. change                                     C. imagine                 D. overuse
63.   A. production            B. friendship                       C. management       D. business
64.   A. information          B. relationship                   C. pronunciation     D. achievement

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Whenever human populations have lived in forest areas, they have always cut down trees which they used for a number of purposes, for housing and ships and served as a source of heating fuel and timber. Growth of cities often meant expansion into forest areas, while even more trees were removed to provide space for agriculture. With the growing demand for paper, vast quantities of trees have also been cut down for paper production. These factors, along with many others, have been contributing to a dangerous phenomenon known as deforestation.
In the last 5,000 years, humans have reduced forest from roughly 50 percent of the earth’s land surface to less than 20 percent. Most of this original, or old growth, forest cover is concentrated in three large areas: the Canadian and Alaskan boreal forest, the boreal forest of Russia, and the tropical forest of the northwestern Amazon Basin and the Guyana Shield. These areas comprise almost 70 percent of the world’s remaining original forest cover. In most places, the rate of deforestation is increasing, with the alarming result of 16 million hectares disappearing worldwide every year.
Loss of forest does not just mean the decline of natural resources. There are several other factors that make deforestation seriously harmful to both the human and natural worlds. One of them is changes in the global climate. For example, forest clearance is releasing substantial volumes of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere as vegetation is burnt or decays. It has been suggested that this is a significant factor in global warming. Moreover, about 10 percent of the world’s tree species are in danger of extinction as a result of deforestation. Deforestation also threatens biological diversity through the destruction of wildlife habitats, which endangers a number of animal species and leads to their potential disappearance. Species are particularly easy to extinction in tropical rainforests because many species have few individuals per unit area, which makes reproduction more difficult. Finally, since forests play an important role in storing water and stabilizing soil, deforestation and the resulting change in land use cause soil erosion (腐蚀) and other forms of land degradation.
72.   The passage discusses all of the following EXCEPT the ________.
A. causes of deforestation                                   B. consequences of deforestation
C. management of deforestation                      D. rate of deforestation
73.   The word “diversity” in the last paragraph probably means “________”.
A. variety                                                                  B. expansion
C. development                                                      D. advantage
74.   Why does the author mention fuel and timber in Paragraph 1?
A. To explain the rate of deforestation.
B. To compare them with housing and ships.
C. To show the dangers of deforestation.
D. To illustrate the causes of deforestation.
75.   Which of the following sentences summarizes Paragraph 3 best?
A. Deforestation threatens biological diversity.
B. Deforestation has many harmful consequences.
C. Deforestation causes changes in global climate.
D. Deforestation should be stopped.

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Dear Daughter,

As we drove off from Columbia, I wanted to write a letter to you to tell you all that is on my mind.
First, I want to tell you how proud we are. Getting into Columbia is a real proof of what a great well-rounded student you are. You should be as proud of yourself as we are.
It is in college that you will discover what learning is about. This will be the period where you go from teacher-taught to master-inspired, after which you must become self-learner. So do take each subject seriously, and even if what you learn isn’t critical for your life, the learning skills you acquire will be something you will treasure forever.
Follow your passion in college. Take courses you think you will enjoy. Don’t be trapped by what others think or say, but make up your own mind.
Most importantly, make friends and be happy. Pick a few friends and become really close to them – pick the ones who are genuine to you. Don’t worry about their grades, looks, or even personalities.
Start planning early. I think your plan to study fashion is good, and you should decide where you want to be, and get onto the right courses.
Whether it is coursework planning or picking a major, you should take control of your life. I will always be there for you, but the time has come for you to be in the driver’s seat – this is your life, and you need to be in control. Being in control feels great.
So please treasure your college years – make the best of your free time, become an independent thinker in control of your destiny fate, learn and grow through your successes and challenges.
May your years at Columbia be the happiest of your life, and may you blossom into just what you dream to be.
Love,
Dad (& Mom)
65. According to the letter the author’s daughter is ______.
A. scared to be leaving home                                      B. a well-rounded student
C. the pride of her university                                       D. learning to drive a car
66. Which advice below is given to his daughter by the author?
A. Party with friends in her free time.
B. Ignore what others think or say.
C. choose friends with similar personalities.
D. Treasure and make the best of her college years.
67. From the passage, we can conclude the father is ______.
A. worried about his daughter                                    B. strict with his daughter
C. positive about his daughter’s future            D. sad about his daughter’s leaving home

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