The baby is just one day old and has not yet left hospital. She is quiet but alert (警觉). Twenty centimeters from her face researchers have placed a white card with two black spots on it. She stares at it carefully. A researcher removes the card and replaces it by another, this time with the spots differently spaced. As the cards change from one to the other, her gaze(凝视) starts to lose its focus — until a third, with three black spots, is presented. Her gaze returns: she looks at it for twice as long as she did at the previous card. Can she tell that the number two is different from three, just 24 hours after coming into the world?

Or do newborns simply prefer more to fewer? The same experiment, but with three spots shown before two, shows the same return of interest when the number of spots changes. Perhaps it is just the newness? When slightly older babies were shown cards with pictures of objects (a comb, a key, an orange and so on), changing the number of objects had an effect separate from changing the objects themselves. Could it be the pattern that two things make, as opposed to three? No again. Babies paid more attention to squares moving randomly on a screen when their number changed from two to three, or three to two. The effect even crosses between senses. Babies who were repeatedly shown two spots became more excited when they then heard three drumbeats than when they heard just two; likewise (同样地) when the researchers started with drumbeats and moved to spots.

1.The experiment described in Paragraph 1 is related to the baby’s__.

A. sense of hearing B. sense of sight

C. sense of touch D. sense of smell

2.Babies are sensitive to the change in______.

A. the size of cards B. the colour of pictures

C. the shape of patterns D. the number of objects

3.Why did the researchers test the babies with drumbeats?

A. To reduce the difficulty of the experiment.

B. To see how babies recognize sounds.

C. To carry their experiment further.

D. To keep the babies’ interest.

4.Where does this text probably come from?

A. Science fiction. B. Children’s literature.

C. An advertisement. D. A science report.

Tired of all the pushing in supermarkets? Fed up with waiting in endless lines to pay for what you have bought? Angry at wasting time in traffic jams only to find no parking spaces when you eventually arrive at the store? If this is you, then online shopping is the answer to your dreams of trouble-free shopping. Or is it?

Online shopping brings its own challenges. Here are a few things to bear in mind when browsing (浏览) various websites. The claim made by online sites is that shopping online is a safe and secure way to make purchases. The evidence challenges this. In any case, you only have to be the victim of fraud (诈骗) once to experience all the problems that come with this form of stealing. Use only sites that have a trusted history and an excellent reputation.

Another problem is the appearance of items in reality is often quite different from what you see on your computer screen. This might not be a problem if you are buying washing up powder but could be a major disappointment when that beautiful blue dress you ordered turns up in green. Also, product descriptions are sometimes simply untrue. Perhaps the wisest plan is to purchase items where design and color are not essential to customer satisfaction.

Some even argue that online shopping indirectly contributes to global warming. Yes, your car can stay parked but how are online goods delivered? Often by some large vans pouring out carbon monoxide and adding to our already desperate traffic problems. You are also by now becoming increasingly irritated (使烦恼) by the fact that the delivery is late and you have wasted the leave from work you have taken to receive it!

Without question, online shopping is here to stay and it has its benefits. However, perhaps it is not as wonderful as some of its supporters claim it to be.

1.The author lists several questions in Para. 1 to .

A. support online shopping

B. collect answers from readers

C. show his dislike of going shopping

D. introduce the topic of the passage

2. By what can online shoppers avoid fraud?

A. Using only trusted websites.

B. Choosing big websites.

C. Collecting shopping evidence.

D. Seeking advice from the police.

3.The author agrees with the fact that ______.

A. customers are never satisfied with products

B. online shopping is a safe way to make purchases

C. online shopping has nothing to do with global warming

D. delivery delay often makes online shoppers unhappy

4.What is the author’s attitude towards online shopping?

A. Very popular. B. A wise choice.

C. Not trouble free. D. A waste of time.

Many people like the feeling of the gentle wind in spring . Many like to see the falling leaves dancing in the wind in autumn. But sometimes, when the wind becomes a storm, it can be very destructive.

A series of such storms struck the US last month and caused very serious damage and human pain.

Every year, major storms cause many problems around the world. There is nothing people can do to stop these powerful forces of nature. But new techniques are helping scientists to predict how, when, and where big storms will happen. The more exact scientists’ warnings are, the better people can prepare for the storms.

Predictions are improving. “We’ve gotten better over the years, especially the last few years,” says Phil Klotzback, a scientist at an American university. How is a storm formed? Even if scientists know where a storm will happen, winds can suddenly change, carrying the storm to a new direction. “For a hurricane to happen, conditions have to be just right,” Klotzback says.

First, the ocean water needs to be warm enough so that it evaporates and rises into the air. As it rises, the vapor(水蒸气)cools and turns back into liquid. This process gives off heat. This produces energy like an engine that causes winds to increase. It drives the formation(形成)of a hurricane.

If wind speeds reach 40 miles per hour, the system is called a “tropical storm”, and it gets a name. At 75 miles per hour, it becomes a hurricane.

Hurricanes that hit the US start when a thunderstorm forms off the coast of Africa. Storms also develop over tropical waters in other parts of the world.

On average, 60 or 70 storms form off Africa every year. About 10 of them get names. There are usually about six hurricanes. Two tend to be very big, with winds of 115 miles per hour or higher.

The hurricane season lasts from June to November. Ninety percent of all hurricanes hit in August, September, and October.

1.vAccording to the passage, hurricanes usually ___________.

A. form off the coast of Africa and America

C. hit parts of the world in summer and autumn

B. travel at 40 miles per hour and get its name

D. cause sea winds to rise and blow over the sea

2.The underlined word “evaporates” (in Paragraph 5) probably means “___________”.

A. begins to move B. changes into a gas

C. becomes hot D. gets lost

3.Which of the following about the information of a hurricane is in the correct order?

a. The ocean water evaporates and goes into the air.

b. Heat creates energy and causes winds to increase.

c. The vapor cools.

d. The ocean water is warm enough.

e. The vapor changes back into liquid.

f. This course gives out heat.

A. a, d, e, b, c, f B. a, b, c, f, d, e

C. d, a, b, c, e, f D. d, a, c, e, f, b

4.Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. One out of six or seven storms get names.

B. Every year at least 60 storms form off Africa.

C. The speed of the biggest two hurricanes reaches 115miles per hour.

D. About one third of the hurricanes tend to be very big.

Every year, the fascinating tourist destinations below are attracting travelers from home and abroad to St. Louis, which, founded in 1764 by French traders, today is the fifteenth largest urban area in the United States.

★American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog

Dog lovers who visit St. Louis won’t want to miss this 14,000-square-foot museum. Inside are over 500 paintings, prints, watercolors, and a variety of other dog art objects. The Museum is open year round, Tuesday through Saturday 10 AM to 4 PM, and Sunday 1 PM to 5 PM. Admission is $5 for adults,$2.50 for seniors, and $1 for children up to 14.

★Anheuser Busch Brewery

The Anheuser Buxch Brewery tour is not just for beer lovers. The tour includes the historic Brew House. Then the tour continues to the modern Bevo Packaging Plant. The best will be the Budweiser Clydesdale stables. The tours are always free.

★Gateway Arch

Designed by Eero Sarinen and Hannskari Bandel, it took over two years and 900 tons of stainless steel to build. It is the tallest of the country’s National Monuments. The Arch is part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. About one million people per year come to the top of the Arch, where there is an observation platform providing a great view of the city.

★The St. Louis Zoo

First version of the St. Louis Zoo opened in 1904 at the St. Louis World’s Fair, but now it has grown into one of the chief zoos in the world. The passenger train takes visitors around the Zoo, which contains over 9,000 animals of over 800 species.

The Zoo is open every day but Christmas and New Year, with summer hours of 8 AM to 7 PM, and hours the rest of the year of 9 AM to 5 PM. Admission to the Zoo is free.

1.If you are interested in how to make beer, you can visit __________.

A. Gateway Arch

B. The St. Louis Zoo

C. Anheuser Busch Brewery

D. American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog

2.Which of the following statements about Gateway Arch is TRUE?

A. It was designed by two famous Italian architects.

B. People can see the city clearly on the top of the arch.

C. It took 900 tons of stainless steel and cement to build.

D. It is the largest of the country’s National Monuments.

3.If you plan to visit the St. Louis Zoo, you can go there _____.

A. at 9:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day

B. at 5:30 p.m. in winter

C. at 8:30 a.m. in summer

D. at 5:00 p.m. on Christmas Day

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