As you move around your home, take a good look at the things you have. It is likely that your living room will have a television set and a video, and your kitchen a washing machine and a microwave oven. Your bedroom drawers will be filled with almost three times as many clothes as you need. You almost certainly own a car and possibly a home computer, holiday abroad at least once a year and eat out at least once a week.
Now, perhaps, more than ever before, people are wondering what life is all about, and what it is for. Seeking material success is beginning to trouble large numbers of people around the world. They feel that the longhours work culture to make more money to buy more things is eating up their lives, leaving them very little time or energy for family or pastimes. Many are turning to other ways of l
iving and downshifting is one of them.
Six percent of workers in Britain took the decision to downshift last year. One couple who downshifted is Daniel and Liz. They used to work in central London. He was a newspaper reporter and she used to work for an international bank. They would go to work by train every day from their large house in the suburbs(郊区), leaving their two children with a nanny(保姆). Most evenings Daniel wouldn't get home until eight or nine o'clock, and nearly twice a month he would have to fly to New York for meetings. They both earned a large amount of money but began to feel that life was passing them by.
Nowadays, they run a farm in the mountains of Wales. “I always wanted to have a farm here,” says Daniel, “and we took almost a year to make the decision to downshift. It's taken some getting used to, but it's been worth it. We have to think twice now about spending money on car repairs and we no longer have any holidays. However, I think it's made us stronger as a family, and the children are a lot happier.”
Liz, however, is not quite sure. “I used to enjoy my job, even though it was hard work and long hours. I'm not really a country girl, but I suppose I'm gradually getting used to looking after the animals. One thing I do like, though, is being able to see more of my children. My advice for other people wanting to do the same is not to think about ittoo much or you might not do it at all.”
1.What do the first two paragraphs tell us?
A.People seldom work long hours to make money.
B.People hardly buy more things than necessary.
C.People are sure everything they own is in the right place.
D.People realise there is more to life than just making money.
2.When Daniel was a reporter he ________ .
A.lived in central London B.disliked his job
C.missed his children D.was well paid
3.Daniel and Liz both agree that the move to the farm ________.
A.was easy to organize B.has improved family life
C.was extremely expensive D.has been a total success
4.What does the underlined “it” in the last paragraph refer to?
A.Childcaring. B.Liz's advice. C.Downshifting. D.Liz's job.
5.The underlined word “_________downshifting” in the second paragraph means ________ .
A.repairing your car by yourself
B.spending money carefully
C.moving out to the countryside to live a simpler and better life
D.living in a big house in the suburbs and dining out once a week
As any homemaker who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows, there is far more to a family meal than food. Sociologist Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more.
Lewis and his co-workers carried out their study by videotaping (录像) the families while they ate ordinary meals in their own homes. They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and their children. But as the number of children gets larger, conversation gives way to the parents’ efforts to control the loud noise they make. That can have an important effect on the children. “In general the more question-asking the parents do, the higher the children’s IQ scores,” Lewis says. “And the more children there are, the less question-asking there is.”
The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in life than their siblings (兄弟姐妹). Lewis found that in families with three or four children, dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child, who has the most to talk about, and the youngest, who needs the most attention. “Middle children are invisible,” says Lewis. “When you see someone get up from the table and walk around during dinner, chances are it’s the middle child.” There is, however, one thing that stops all conversation and prevents anyone from having attention: “When the TV is on,” Lewis says, “dinner is a non-event.”
66.The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to _________.
A.show the relationship between parents and children
B.teach parents ways to keep order at the dinner table
C.report on the findings of a study
D.give information about family problems
67.Parents with large families ask fewer questions at dinner because ____________.
A.they are busy serving food to their children
B.they are busy keeping order at the dinner table
C.they have to pay more attention to younger children
D.they are tired out having prepared food for the whole family
68.By saying “Middle children are invisible” in Paragraph 3, Lewis means that middle children _________.
A.have to help their parents to serve dinner
B.get the least attention from the family
C.are often kept away from the dinner table
D.find it hard to keep up with other children
69.Lewis’ research provides an answer to the question _________.
A.why TV is important in family life
B.why parents should keep good order
C.why children in small families seem to be quieter
D.why middle children seem to have more difficulties in life
70.Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?
A.It is important to have the right food for children.
B.It is a good idea to have the TV on during dinner.
C.Parents should talk to each of their children frequently.
D.Elder children should help the younger ones at dinner
Shopping is not as simple as you may think! There are all sorts of tricks at play each time we reach out for that particular brand (品牌) of product on the shelf.
Colouring, for example, varies according to what the producers are trying to sell. Health foods are packaged (包装)in greens, yellows or browns because we think of these as healthy colours. Ice cream packets are often blue and expensive goods, like chocolates, are gold or silver.
When some kind of pain killer was brought out recently, researchers found that the colours turned the customers off because they made the product look weak and ineffective. Eventually, it came on the market in a dark blue and white package—blue because we think of it as safe, and white as calm.
The size of a product can attract a shopper. But quite often a bottle doesn’t contain as much as it appears to.
It is believed that the better-known companies spend, on average, 70 per cent of the total cost of the product itself on packaging!
The most successful producers know that it’s not enough to have a good product. The founder of Pears soap, who for 25 years has used pretty little girls to promote (推销) their goods, came to the conclusion: “Any fool can make soap, but it takes a genius (天才) to sell it.”
64. Which of the following may trick a shopper into buying a product according to the text?
A. The cost of its package. B. The price of the product.
C. The colour of its package. D. The brand name of the product.
65. The underlined part “the colours turned the customers off”(in Para. 3 ) means that the colours _____.
A. attracted the customers strongly B. had weak effects on the customers
C. tricked the customers into shopping D. caused the customers to lose interest
66. Which of the following is the key to the success in product sales?
A. The way to promote goods. B. The discovery of a genius.
C. The team to produce a good product. D. The brand name used by successful producers.
67. Which of the following would be the best title for this text?
A. Choice of Good Products B. Disadvantages of Products
C. Effect of Packaging on Shopping D. Brand Names and Shopping Tricks
Since many of you are planning to study at a college or university in this country, you may be curious to know what you usually do in a typical week, how you can get along with your fellow students, and so on. These are the questions I want to discuss with you today.
First, let’s talk about what your weekly schedule will look like. No matter what your major may be, you can expect to spend between four and six hours a week for each class attending lectures. Lectures are usually in very large rooms because some courses such as introduction to sociology or economics often have as many as two or three hundred students, especially at large universities. In lectures, it’s very important for you to take notes on what the professor says because the information a lecture is often different from the information in your textbooks. Also, you can expect to have exam questions based on the lectures. So it isn’t enough to just read your textbooks; you have to attend lectures as well. In a typical week you will also have a couple of hours of discussion for every class you take. The discussion section is a small group meeting usually with fewer than thirty students where you can ask questions about the lectures, the reading, and the homework. In large universities, graduate students, called teaching assistants, usually direct discussion sections.
If your major is chemistry, or physics, or another science, you’ll also have to spend several hours a week in the lab, or laboratory, doing experiments. This means that science majors spend more time in the classroom than non science majors do. On the other hand, people who major in subjects like literature or history usually have to read and write more than science majors do.
59. The main purpose of this text is .
A. to help the students to learn about university life
B. to persuade the students to attend lectures
C. to encourage the students to take part in discussions
D. to advise the students to choose proper majors
60. We can learn from the passage that university professors .
A. spend about 5 hours on lectures each week
B. must join the students in the discussion sections
C. prefer to use textbooks in their lectures
D. require the students to read beyond the textbooks
61. A discussion section does NOT include .
A. working under the guidance of university professors
B. talking over what the students have read about the courses
C. discussing the problems related to the students’ homework
D. raising questions about what a professor has said in a lecture
62. According to the author, science majors .
A. have to work harder than non science majors
B. spend less time on their studies than non science majors
C. consider experiments more important than discussions
D. read and write less than non science majors
Geneva is situated between the Jura Range and the Alps on the western end of Lake Geneva. Capital of Peace is one of its names— the European headquarters of the United Nations lies here in Palais des Nations. Another worthy name for this city with a humanitarian tradition(人道主义传统)and international character is the World’s Smallest Metropolis. Parks, splendid stores and lively streets in the old part of town and its 2000-year history wait to be discovered.
The Jet d’Eau together with the Flower Watch are the main attractions every year for the tourists visiting Geneva. The Jet d’Eau has become the symbol(象征)of Geneva for a long time. This is a 140 meters high water monument with a rich history. Eight 13,500-watt projectors light the grand column(圆柱)of the fountain in the evening, from early March until the second Sunday of October. The Flower Watch, which was created at the edge of the English Garden in 1955, reminds us about that Geneva is the birthplace of the Swiss clock and watch making, and that this industry has become internationally famous, as well through the quality of the watches as through their beautiful appearance.
Sails on Lake Geneva are also enjoyable. The Lake of Geneva, lying among the Alps, is a true inland sea, making possible a wide range of pleasant boat trips, you can relax and watch the beautiful scenes pass by.
56. Which of the following is NOT suitable for describing Geneva?
A. Capital of Peace. B. Palais des Nations.
C. The World’s Smallest Metropolis.
D. The birthplace of the Swiss clock and watch making.
57. The Jet d’Eau in the second paragraph refers to .
A. the water fountain B. the English Garden
C. a new scene with electric lighting D. the name of a famous watchmaker
58. What do we learn about the Lake of Geneva from the text?
A. It is the symbol of Geneva.
B. It lies among the Jura Range.
C. It has a direct passage to the ocean.
D. It is a large body of water of tourist interest.
Since we are social beings, the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships .One strength of the human condition is our possibility to give and receive support from one another under stressful conditions .Social support makes up of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties .Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to cope with major life changes and daily hassles(困难). People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties. Studies over types of illnesses, from depression to heart disease, show that the presence of social support helps people fend off(挡开) illness, and the absence of such support makes poor health more likely.
Social support cushions stress in a number of ways .First, friends, relatives and co-workers may let us know that they value us .Our self-respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others in spite of our faults and difficulties. Second, other people often provide us with informational support .They help us to define and understand our problems and find solutions to them. Third, we typically find social companionship supportive. Taking part in free-time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distracting (转移注意力)us from our worries and troubles. Finally, other people may give us instrumental support—money aid ,material resources, and needed services—that reduces stress by helping us resolve and cope with our problems.
Interpersonal relationships are important because _______.
A.they are indispensable to people’s social well-being |
B.they awaken people’s desire to exchange resources |
C.they help people to cope with life in the information era |
D.they can cure a range of illnesses such as heart disease, etc |
Research shows that people's physical and mental health _______.
A.relies on the social medical care systems which support them |
B.has much to do with the amount of support they get from others |
C.depends on their ability to deal with daily worries and troubles |
D.is closely related to their strength for coping with major changes in their lives |
Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “cushions”?
(Line 1, Para 2)
A.adds up to | B.does away with |
C.lessens the effect of | D.lays the foundation for |
Helping a sick neighbor with some repair work is an example of _______.
A.instrumental support | B.informational support |
C.social companionship | D.the strengthening of self-respect |
Social companionship is beneficial in that__________.
A.it helps strengthen our ties with relatives |
B.it enables us to eliminate our faults and mistakes |
C.it makes our leisure-time activities more enjoyable |
D.it draws our attention away from our worries and troubles |
When you want to see if a library has the book you want, you can use the catalogue(目录) in the Library. Most catalogues of books in a library take the form of small cards kept in boxes. One way of arranging (排列) the cards is in ABC order by the family names of the writers.
Catalogue cards usually give the following important information: (1 )the name of the writer, (2)the shelf-n k(架号) ,that is ,the Dewev number which helps people to find where the books are, (3) the title of the book, (4)the year of publication and the publisher, and (5)the number of pages in the book.
1.if you know the title of a book and want to find out if it is in the catalogue, what else do you need to know?
A. The shelf-mark. B. The name of the writer.
C. The Dewey number. D. The year of publication.
2. Which of the following is the kind of catalogue card described in the text?
A. 428.65 Brooks,J.and Grundy,P.Writing for Study PurposesCambridge University I ‘ns~(1954) 78pp
B. 783.25 The best bookfor writing practicePractical Writing (1965) 213pp
C.315.08 Reading Skills Beijing University Press (1990) 160pp
D.921 .87 Smith, J Practical ReachingThe People’s Publishing House (1989)
In the 19th century England people liked to go to the seaside. In those days, ladies wore long bathing dresses, and men wore bathing suits. Women did not walk about on the beach in their bathing dresses. They hired a bathing machine. A bathing machine was used for changing in, and for taking the bather down to the sea. It cost 2 pence to hire a machine and an attendant (f~ ~). When she had paid, the bather climbed up the back steps and got into the bathing machine. Then she changed into her bathing dress. When she had changed , the machine was pulled down to the sea. The bathing machine stopped in the water and the bather went down the front steps into the water. If she did not want to get into the sea, the attendant pulled her in.
1. Who used the bathing machine?
A. Women bathers.
B. Both men and women bathers.
C. Bathers who couldn’t swim.
D. Bathers who couldn’t walk.
2. A bathing machine was mainly used for
A. giving the bather a pleasure ride on the beach
B. giving the bather some exercise before getting into the water
C. protecting the bather from catching cold from the sea wind
D. protecting the bather from being seen in bathing dress out of water
3. In the 19th century people who used the bathing machine usually did the following things. Which is the right order for doing them?
a. Changing into bathing clothes
b. Getting out of the bathing machine
c. Paying 2 pence
d. Getting into the bathing machine
e. Being taken down the beach
f. Getting into the water
A. e,d,a,b,f,c B. c,d,a,e,b,f
C. c,d,e,a,b,f D. d,a,e,b,f,c
Imagine being able to recall just about anything, your mind functioning as a nearly endless encyclopedic(百科全书的)book of names, pictures, dates and events.
Brad Williams’ excellent memory recall makes him a personified version(个人版)of Google. His wide memory allows him to recall almost any news event and anything he has experienced, including specific dates and even the weather. “I was sort of a human Google for my family. I’ve always been able to recall things,” the 51-yearold said on Good Morning America in his first television interview.
Williams’ type of detailed, complete memory is called hyperthymesia and few known cases exist. Brad’s brain scan are now being studied by scientists at the Center for Neurobiology(神经生物学)of Learning and Memory, at the University of California.
At first, the drive-time radio broadcaster didn’t think his ability to recall so much was anything special. Gradually, over the years, other people noticed how much he was able to remember in detail about events. Then in 2006, he read an article about a wman whom scietists called AJ, which prompted Williams to come forward. AJ is a writwer of a medical journal, and the only scientifically-documented case of superior memory.
“When I read about AJ, my immediate thought was : Oh my God. That’s Brad!” said williams’ brother, Eric Williams.
Eric Williams is eager to learn about the inner working of his brother’s mind. He is in the process of making documentary(纪录片)about Brad, appropriately titled: “Unforgettable.” In the film, which hasn’t been finished yet, Williams takes on a person who is Googling answers to 20 questions. He answers 18 of them correctly and is 11 minutes faster than the Google user.
“All of us have the ability to store this information, but the difference with Brad is that he can recall it,” Eric Williams said.
According to the passage, which of the following is true about Brad Williams?
A.He has worked for Google, so he recall any news events. |
B.He may be one of the rare cases of people with a superior memory. |
C.He is now the host of Good Morning America. |
D.He is working as a teacher in California. |
Why does Brad Williams have such a good memory?
A.Because he was born with a rare ability. |
B.Because his work requires a good memory. |
C.Because he has to answer others’ questions. |
D.Because he was specially trained in his chilhood. |
The underlined word “prompted” most probably means _______.
A.helped | B.wanted | C.warned | D.encouraged |
The best title for this passage might be ___________.
A.The Ability to Store All Information |
B.A Documentary called Unforgettable |
C.“Google Man” Recalls Nearly Every Thing |
D.Brad Williams and Google User |
Active vacations are often the most relaxing of all. But Wait! It's all in defining what an active vacation is. We don't expect you to take up jogging, backpacking, or hang gliding. we ask the sedentary(爱坐的)vacationers to spend two to four hours a day doing things, such as walking the city streets, exploring a nature preserve, or taking a leisurely rowboat ride.
These kinds of activities aren't just good for your physical health. They improve your mental health, even your spiritual health. And they make vacations memorable and worthwhile. Here are some fresh ideas for active and healthy vacation.
Make the morning your activity time. At that time it is most likely that the weather will be friendlier, your energy level higher, and your schedule emptier than later in the day.
Have a walk at dawn or dusk. Such activity is called rejuvenation(恢复活力). Try to make this a daily routine of life away from home, and you will guarantee yourself both physical and spiritual youth.
Get into the water as much as you can. Don't allow yourself to spend your entire time sitting in front of the water. Whether it is the ocean, a swimming pool, or a tree-lined lake, make sure you get into the water for swimming or games or even walking. Merely standing in waist-high water is a good workout, thanks to the action of the water. And you'll feel so much more alive!
Choose a cruise for your trip. It's amazing how active you can be being stuck on a boat in the middle of the Atlantic. Most cruise ships offer numerous options for seaworthy exercise. During your sea and land trips you can burn calories as you swim, hike, dive, and horseback ride.
Get out of the car every two hours. Many of us spend a large part of our vacations on the road, either getting to and from our destinations, or using the car for sightseeing. But no matter how beautiful the scenery is, great and memorable vacations don't happen in a car seat. Don't wait for tiredness or nature's call to get you to pull over. Frequently get out and stretch, walk, picnic, shop, visit, and have fun. It's important for your health and energy, and it makes traveling a lot more active and interesting.
The first paragraph mainly tells us ____________.
A.that active vacations are very relaxing |
B.the activities we should join in |
C.how many hours we should exercise every day |
D.what an active vacations is |
How many tips does the writer give in the passage?
A.Three | B.Four | C.Five | D.Six |
Which of the following is WRONG according to the passage?
A.Usually the weather in the morning is better. |
B.You can have a memorable vacation in a car. |
C.Swimming can make you feel much more alive. |
D.Don’t drive your car very often to go sightseeing. |
Which of the following is probably the best title for this passage?
A.Driving Tips | B.How to Relax Without cars |
C.Give up Your Car and Walk | D.Make your Vacation Healthy |
Hey there,
So you’re about to spend four years of your life and tens of dollars of your parents’ money, and all you really know about college is that all of your friends are going. Do you ever stop to wonder why you’re going?
Relax. You’re making the right decision. First of all, you’ll discover what interests you by taking courses in many subjects. For example, it’s hard to decide if you want to be a painter if you’ve never painted any pictures; once you’re in a drawing-room on campus, you’ll know one way or the other. College is also a lot of fun — after you graduate, you’ll be working every weekday for 50 or so years. And remember that college graduate earn about twice the income of those who never attended college.
Finding the right college can be difficult. Fortunately, Johnson Review is here to help you every step of the way.
* Researching Schools. To us. the most important decision you’ll make is to choose the school that really fits you best — not the once that is the most competitive(有竞争力的)or has the best-equipped rooms.
* Applying to School. On JohnsonReview.com. you’ll find hundreds of actual college application(申请)and links to many more.
* Raising Your Scores. American College Test is one of the most difficult parts of the admission(录取)course. It’s not the most important, though, and not everyone needs to prepare for the best. But, if you can do better, find the right course for better scores.
*Paying for School. Most families need financial aid for the high cost of college. The problem is that financial aid seems difficult to get and many families get caught up in the price of college rather than learning the ways to get financial aid. If you really do your research, you’ll learn that you can afford to attend any college, no matter the cost.
For more information, call 600-3681 or visit JohnsonReview.com. Wherever you go. have a nice trip !
Johnson Smith
Founder and CEO
Johnson Review
1.How many reasons for going to college does the author mention in the text?
A. 2 B. 3 C. 4 D. 5
2.The author thinks you should choose the college that is .
A. well-equipped B. competitive C. suitable D. famous
3.What does the author advise you to do to pay the high cost of college ?
A. To ask the family for help. B. To make a study of financial courses.
C. To do research on the price of college D. To get to know how to ask for financial aid.
4.What’s the author’s purpose of writing this text.?
A. To suggest ways to prepare for college learning.
B. To help readers find the right college.
C. To make Johnson Review popular.
D. To introduce college life.
5.Where may the article be taken from?
A. A Journalist Book B. A Travel Book C. A Grammar Book D. An Advice Book
Federal regulators Wednesday approved a plan to create a nationwide emergency alert (警报) system using text messages delivered to cell phones.
Text messages have exploded in popularity in recent years, particularly among young people. The wireless industry's trade association, CTIA, estimates (估计) more than 48 billions text messages are sent each month.
The plan comes from the Warning Alter and Response Network Act, a 2006 federal law that requires improvement to the nation's emergency alter system. The act tasked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with coming up with new ways to alter the public about emergencies.
"The ability to deliver accurate and timely warning and alters through cell phone and other mobile services is an important next step in our efforts to help ensure that the American public has the information they need to take action to protect themselves and their families before, and during, disasters and other emergencies," FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said following approval of the plan.
Participation in the alter system by carriers - telecommunication companies - is voluntary, but it has received solid support from the wireless industry.
The program would be optional for cell phone users. They also may not be charged for receiving alters.
There would be three types of messages, according to the rules.
The first would be a national alter from the president, likely involving a terrorists attack or natural disaster. The second would involve "approaching threats," which could include natural disasters like hurricanes or storms or even university shootings. The third would be reserved for child abduction (绑架)emergencies, or so-called Amber Alerts.
The service could be in place by 2010.
1. |
What is the purpose of the approval plan?
|
2. |
The improvement to the present system is in the charge of.
|
3. |
The carriers' participation in the system is determined by.
|
4. |
Which of the following is true of cell phone users?
|
5. |
An alert message will NOT be sent if.
|
6. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the test?
|
I began working in journalism(新闻工作) when I was eight.It was my mother’s idea.She wanted me to“make something”of myself,and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition.
With my load of magazines I headed toward Belleville Avenue.The crowds were there.There were two gas stations on the corner of Belleville and Union.For several hours I made myself highly visible,making sure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THE SATURDAY EVENING POST.When it was suppertime,I walked back home.
“How many did you sell,my boy?”my mother asked.
“None.”
“Where did you go?”
“The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues.”
“What did you do?”
“Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post.”
“You just stood there?”
“Didn’t sell a single one.”
“My God,Russell!”
Uncle Allen put in,“Well,I’ve decided to take the Post.”I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickel(五分镍币).It was the first nickel I earned.
Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman.I would have to ring doorbells,address adults with self-confidence(自信),and persuade them by saying that no one,no matter how poor,could afford to be without the Saturday Evening Post in the home.
One day,I told my mother I’d changed my mind.I didn’t want to make a success in the magazine business.
“If you think you can change your mind like this,”she replied,“you’ll become a good-for-nothing.”She insisted that,as soon as school was over,I should start ringing doorbells,selling magazines.Whenever I said no,she would scold me.
My mother and I had fought this battle almost as long as I could remember.My mother,dissatisfied with my father’s plain workman’s life,determined that I would not grow up like him and his people.But never did she expect that,forty years later,such a successful journalist as me would go back to her husband’s people for true life and love.
Why did the boy start his job young?
A.He wanted to be famous in the future. |
B.The job was quite easy for him. |
C.His mother had high hopes for him. |
D.The competition for the job was fierce. |
From the dialogue between the boy and his mother,we learn that the mother was _______.
A.excited | B.interested |
C.ashamed | D.disappointed |
What did the mother do when the boy wanted to give up?
A.She forced him to continue. |
B.She punished him. |
C.She gave him some money. |
D.She changed her plan. |
What does the underlined phrase “this battle”(last paragraph) refer to?
A.The war between the boy’s parents. |
B.The arguing between the boy and his mother. |
C.The quarrel between the boy and his customers. |
D.The fight between the boy and his father. |
What is the text mainly about?
A.The early life of a journalist. |
B.The early success of a journalist. |
C.The happy childhood of the writer. |
D.The important role of the writer in his family. |
If you were to walk up to Arthur Bonner and say,"Hey,Butterfly Man,"his face would break into a smile.The title suits him.And he loves it.
Arthur Bonner works with the Palos Verdes blue butterfly(蝴蝶),once thought to have died out.Today the butterfly is coming back-thanks to him.But years ago if you'd told him this was what he'd be doing someday,he would have laughed,"You're crazy."As a boy,he used to be "a little tough guy on the streets".At age thirteen,he was caught by police for stealing.At eighteen,he landed in prison for shooting a man.
"I knew it had hurt my mom,"Bonner said after he got out of prison."So I told myself I would not put my mom through that pain again."
One day he met Professor Mattoni,who was working to rebuild the habitat(栖息地) for an endangered butterfly called EI Segundo blue.
"I saw the sign'Butterfly Habitat'and asked,'How can you have a habitat when the butterflies can just fly away?'"Bonner recalls,"Dr.Mattoni laughed and handed me a magnifying glass(放大镜),'Look at the leaves.'I could see all these caterpillars(蝴蝶的幼虫) on the plant.Dr.Mattoni explained,'Without the plant,there are no butterflies.'"
Weeks later,Bonner received a call from Dr.Mattoni,who told him there was a butterfly that needed help.That was how he met the Palos Verdes blue.Since then he's been working for four years to help bring the butterfly back.He grows astragalus,the only plant the butterfly eats.He collects butterflies and brings them into a lab to lay eggs.Then he puts new butterflies into the habitat.
The butterfly's population,once almost zero,is now up to 900.For their work,Bonner and Dr.Mattoni received lots of awards.But for Bonner,he earned something more:he turned his life around.
For six years now Bonner has kept his promise to stay out of prison.While he's bringing back the Palos Verdes blue,the butterfly has helped bring him back,too.
1. |
When he was young,Arthur Bonner.
|
2. |
Bonner came to know the Palos Verdes blue after he.
|
3. |
From the last sentence of the text,we learn that raising butterflies has.
|
4. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
|
When people want to know about the weather,they usually go to their radios,TVs, newspapers,or to the Internet.However,you can also find many weather signs among wildlife, because of their highly developed senses.Drops in air pressure(压力) produce an effect on small animals in many ways.Mice and deer are good weather indicators.People who spend a lot of time outdoors have observed that,before a storm,field mice come out of their holes and run around.Deer leave high ground and come down from the mountains.
Birds are especially good weather indicators because they also show the effect of a pressure drop in many ways.For example,some birds become irritable(急躁的) and quarrelsome and will fight over a piece of bread.Other birds chirp(叽叽喳喳) and sing just before a storm.It seems they know they won’t get another chance for an hour or two.Birds also seek safe places before a storm.You will sometimes see birds settling in trees or gathering together on a wire close to a building.Pre-storm low pressure makes the air so thin that birds have difficulty flying.
It is unusual to see many birds flying overhead in the summertime,rather than during the periods in the spring or autumn.Watch for other weather signs if you see this.If they fly in the wrong direction,they may be flying ahead of a storm.
By paying closer attention to some important signs in nature,we can become better prepared for any kind of weather.
The word “indicators” in Paragraph 1 probably means______.
A.maps | B.services |
C.signs | D.stations |
There will be a storm if birds______.
A.make more noise than usual |
B.fly in different directions |
C.come down from tall trees |
D.share a piece of bread |
How can birds sense the coming of a storm?
A.By feeling a drop in air temperature. |
B.By noticing the change of wind directions. |
C.By feeling a drop in air pressure. |
D.By noticing the movements of other animals. |
The best title for the text would be______.
A.Signs of a Storm |
B.Drops in Air Pressure |
C.Animals’ Sharp Senses |
D.Nature’s Weather Signs |
试题篮
()