It's a common belief that over time, pet owners start to look like their animals. Now comes the terrifying news that cats look up to their owners as role models and copy their behaviour.

Next time you reach for your fridge, think twice. If your cat is watching, she will probably overeat as well.

In a new study from the University of Messina, it turns out that indoor cats who live closely to their owners “mirror” the lives of their caregivers. They sleep at the same time, eat at the same time, and can even become more or less social depending on the behaviour of their owners.

“Cats are clever animals with a long memory,” Jane Brunt, director of the Catalyst Council, told Discovery News. “They watch and learn from us, noting the patterns of our actions, knowing where their food is kept and what time to expect to be fed, how to open the cupboard door that's been improperly closed, and where their feeding and toileting areas are.” Because cats copy our habits, if you spend a lot of time raiding(搜刮)the fridge, your cat will return to its food bowl for that midnight snack, too. According to the study, this explains why “human and cat overweight rates often seem to match”.

There's no word if drinking green tea and making sure you go to yoga will benefit (使受益) your cat, but based on the study, it sounds like sticking to a healthy eating and sleeping habit is best for both of you.

There's a lot we can learn from our cats in return. “When they sit softly breathing , eyes half closed, the sense of peace and calm that comes over us is like a private less on in inner meditation(冥想),”Brunt said. They're probably pretty good at remaining calm.

So, according to science, though we think that cats are not close to us all these years, it turns out they are in fact learning from us and looking up to us. Scary, huh?

1.What does the word “terrifying” in paragraph 1 probably mean?

A.可怕的 B.高兴的 C.伤心的 D.无聊的

2.According to the passage, which of the following is WRONG?

A.Cats can copy humans' behaviours. B.Cats are smart and have a long memory.

C.Green tea and yoga can benefit cats. D.Humans can learn from cats in some way.

3.What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A.Humans' keeping searching the fridge. B.Humans' drinking green tea and going to yoga

C.Cats' copying humans' habit of looking for food. D.Cats' going to their owners for food.

4.What can we learn from our cats?

A.To remain peaceful. B.To be able to copy.

C.To stay hungry. D.To look up to friends.

5.The best title for the passage could be “________”.

A.Your cat can bring you pleasure B.You are copying your cat

C.You can make your cat social D.Your cat is copying your habit

I have a friend named Monty Roberts who owns a horse ranch (牧场).He has let me use his ranch to raise money for youth at risk programs.

The last time I was there he told me his story. When he was young, his family is too ___ to have a house to live in. When he was in high school, he was asked to write a paper about ____ he wanted to be and do when he grew up. That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of someday ____ a horse ranch. He wrote about his dream in great ___ and he even drew a picture to show a 4,000-square-foot house that would sit on a 200-acre dream ranch. The next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later he received his paper back. On the front page was a large red F with a note that read, "See me after class." Roberts went to see the teacher and asked, "Why did I receive an F?" His teacher said, "This is a(an) ____ dream for a young boy like you. Having a horse ranch requires a lot of money. There's no way you could ever do it." Then the teacher added, "If you will rewrite this paper with a more possible goal, I will reconsider your ____."

The boy went home and thought about it for a ____ and hard time. He asked his father what he should do. His father said, "Look, son, you have to ____ your own mind on this." Finally, after sitting with it for a week, the boy turned in the same paper, making no ____ at all. He told his teacher,"You could keep the F and I will ____ keep my dream."

Monty tells me this story because I am sitting in his 4,000-square-foot house in the middle of his 200-acre horse ranch. He said kids' dreams can be stolen. Don't let anyone steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what.

1.A.small B.busy C.poor D.lazy

2.A.what B.which C.whom D.why

3.A.renting B.donating C.owning D.raising

4.A.difficulty B.detail C.dialogue D.doubt

5.A.surprising B.wonderful C.terrible D.unrealistic

6.A.achievement B.grade C.family D.ability

7.A.happy B.long C.short D.hurry

8.A.take up B.open up C.make up D.give up

9.A.decisions B.reasons C.excuses D.changes

10.A.never B.still C.ever D.even

More than 50 music students of New Milford High School in New Jersey, US, got a letter from their headmaster. The letter said that the music department of the school was in big trouble. The students had to pass a test, or the department(系) would be shut down.

On a Saturday, two officials greeted the nervous students. They asked the students to play a piece by Richard Strauss. But they had to sing the words to the music – German words!

Other tasks were also difficult. One student had to sing Mary had a Little Lamb, a children’s song, in an operatic (歌剧的) voice.

After three hours of testing, students waited for the results. They met some students from the New Jersey Youth Orchestra (管弦乐团). The judges(裁判员) gave them only a passing grade.

The worried New Milford students started to realize they had no chance. “I thought it was over,” said Bryan Olsen-Santana, a junior. “The person next to me was crying. I felt bad for her. I felt bad for myself, too, because music is everything to me.”

But then the headmaster came and told them something very dramatic (戏剧性的): “Someone’s played a joke on you!”

What was going on?

The test was part of a reality TV show (电视真人秀) called “Schooled”. The students’ parents, the school and a TV network had made it together.

Everything was fake. The two “officials” were really comedians (喜剧演员). The “students from New Jersey Youth Orchestra” were from another school. There were hidden cameras. The students’ parents were hiding as they watched.

As a reward for putting up with the joke, the students got gifts: MP3 players, digital cameras and school supplies. They were all from the show’s sponsor (赞助商).

1.What is the letter about?

A.The headmaster would come back next term.

B.The school didn’t have money to run.

C.The music department was in big trouble.

D.The students had to give up music.

2.The students were nervous before the test, because _____.

A.they were not good at music

B.the judges were very strict

C.they thought they couldn’t pass

D.it would decide the future of the music department

3.According to Olsen-Santana, we learn that _____.

A.their school failed the test

B.he likes music very much

C.the test was just a joke

D.the girl next to him was sorry for herself

4.What does the underlined word “fake” mean in the passage?

A.顺利的 B.假扮的

C.受欢迎的 D.便捷的

5.The students didn’t get _____ as gifts.

A.money B.MP3 players

C.digital cameras D.school supplies

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