Cuba's former leader, Fidel Castro,died at the age of 90,according to a November 25 announcement on Cuban state television. The death marks the passing of a controversial figure who made a major impact on international affairs during his long rule.

The Cuban government declared nine days of official mourning. On Monday, thousands of Cubans lined up near Havana’s Plaza of the Revolution to pay their final respects to their leader. On Wednesday,Castro’s ashes will begin a three-day journey across Cuba to Santa Ifigenia cemetery in Santiago de Cuba.

Castro was born into a middle-class family on August 13 1926. He spent his childhood alongside the laborers on his father’s plantation (种植园). In 1945, Castro entered the University of Havana as a law student. He later joined groups that sought to end dictatorships in Latin-American countries.

On July 26. 1953,Castro staged an unsuccessful revolt(叛乱) against Batista’s government. He and his brother Raul were captured and imprisoned for two years. After they were freed, the brothers went into exile in Mexico, On November 25, 1956,Castro set out once again to overthrow Batista. His revolution grew in strength. On New Year s Day 1959, Batista fled from Cuba. Castro took absolute power on January 8.

The U.S. viewed Castro's relationship with the Soviet Union as a threat. In 1961,President John F. Kennedy approved the invasion of Cuba by 1,500 Cuban exiles. They landed on April 17 at the Bay of Pigs, but with little U. S. military support. Cuban troops smashed the attack within a few days.

In October 1962,Castro confronted Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis, during which he allowed the Soviet Union to place nuclear-capable missiles in Cuba. By that time, the U. S. had cut all relations with Cuba.

After the Soviet Union collapsed(崩溃)in 1991,Cuba lost its economic support. To fuel the economy, the Cuban government allowed outside investment in hotels and resorts, but that created inequality. Meanwhile, Castro continued to crack down on any opposition. After undergoing intestinal surgery in 2006,Castro handed Cuba's presidency to Raul. The transition of power became official in 2008.

1.Where did many Cubans line up to pay their final respects to Fidel Castro on Monday?

A. In Cuban Television Station.

B. Near Havana’s Plaza of the Revolution.

C. In Santa Ifigenia cemetery.

D. Along the streets of Santiago de Cuba.

2.When did Fidel Castro control the power of Cuba completely?

A.In 1956.B. In 1959.C. In 1991.D. In 2008.

3.What did the Cuban Missile Crisis result in directly?

A. Batista fled from Cuba.

B. The U. S. cut all relations with Cuba.

C. The U. S. viewed the Soviet Union as a threat.

D. President John F. Kennedy approved an invasion of Cuba.

4.What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A. The end of Fidel Castro’s Era.

B. The transition of power in Cuba.

C. Fidel Castro’s economic policies.

D. The collapse of the Soviet Union.

This week at the British Science Festival, Prof Rory Wilson of Swansea University has been revealing (揭示) the secrets of the animal kingdom, including penguins’diving habits and the emotional(情感的) states of elephants.

“The problem with animals is that we often want to know things about them that they don’t want to tell us or that aren’t easy to find out. The only way to do it is to put something on the animal that will accompany it,” Prof Wilson said. Addressing a crowd of journalists, Prof Wilson said his work was all made possible by a small electronic chip (芯片) his team developed specifically to monitor animals in their private hours.

This chip contains pressure, temperature and light sensors—offering an extraordinary view of an animal’s life. The chip, Prof Wilson explained, does exactly what our smartphones or fitness monitors do, continually tracking and recording the wearer’s position and movements. “This is a novel written by an animal. It’s very exciting to be the first person to open that novel.” This earlier chip was about five times larger than the current version, 27mm across and 4mm thick—and weighing 1.2g.

So far the group at Swansea has recorded the lives of more than 1,000 animals and 100 different species. Prof Wilson said the whole enterprise was a team effort. His group consists of academics, postdocs and students, who spend months searching through all the data collected by the chips.

Presenting results from a chip on a penguin in Argentina, he said the penguin was a personal favorite; he still analyzes these birds’ data himself. Looking at the huge screen in Prof Wilson’s lab, we could see the penguin’s individual steps. A change in movement and a drop in temperature indicate the exact moment of a dive into the water. The sensors within the chip are so accurate that they can easily detect behaviors that humans might not notice—even offering deep understanding into some animals’ emotional state.

Think of the way we humans walk. If someone is happy, this can be reflected in our physical behavior—it is often said that they “have a spring in their step”. To observe if this sort of phenomenon also occurs in animals, Prof Wilson’s team analyzed the walking movement of elephants in a zoo. They realized that an elephant walking towards something it liked would walk in a particular way. When that same elephant though was made to go away from the thing it liked, it would walk in a different manner. “How well you can predict the behavior of animals and protect them is dependent on how well you understand the rules by which they’re working.” Prof Wilson said.

1.According to Prof Wilson, what contributes most to his team’s discovery?

A. The cooperation of experts from different fields.

B. The use of a special electronic chip.

C. The personal interest in penguins.

D. The special way of data analysis.

2.It can be learned from the passage that the sensors can ________.

A. evaluate stress resulting from animals’ fighting

B. examine penguins’ unusual behavior while diving

C. distinguish different walking manners of elephants

D. provide information about the animals’ inner feelings

3.Monitoring animals’ behavior helps ________.

A. set rules for them

B. control their behavior

C. change their habits

D. understand and protect them

4.Which is the best title of the passage?

A. Inspiring ‘Novels’ Written by a Group from Swansea University

B. Pioneering ‘Diaries’ Uncover the Secret Lives of Animals

C. Penguins and Elephants Tracked for Emotional State

D. Scientists Made a Breakthrough in Animal Study

Chinese Emoji (表情符号) Circles Globe

“Funny”, a made-in-China emoji, seems to have recently moved beyond China. Now, it is more than an emoji, but a cultural expansion.

Reaching Global Markets

A series of “funny” emoji-based bolsters (抱枕) have attracted the attention of Japanese customers. Even if one bolster is more than three times as expensive as in China, it doesn’t kill their desires to buy it. One Japanese customer Miki said, “They are just so cute and I bought three bolsters at one time for my family. And every time I see them, my mood just brightens suddenly.”

A Japanese netizen Kiro Kara said, “I think the emoji implies very complicated meanings. My dad will send it when he doesn’t agree with someone but he has to say something and behave politely.”

Addition to Domestic Social Media

Compared with Japanese impressions of the “funny” emoji, Chinese netizens prefer to use the emoji to tease one another on social media.

One commonly seen online comment is, “We strongly suggest stopping the usage of the emoji. Because every time other people send me the emoji, I feel very uncomfortable and consider myself as a fool.”

Regarded as the most popular emoji, the “funny” emoji has received much attention since its release in 2013. In fact, the “funny” emoji is the updated version of its original one; “funny” has a smiley mouth, two eyebrows and a naughty look. All these characteristics present users a sense of satire (讽刺).

In Everyday Use Abroad

It’s not the first time the Chinese emoji takes the world stage. Earlier this year, one emoji from the Chinese basketball celebrity Yao Ming has been spread through the Middle East region. In a city in southern Egypt, Yao’s smiling emoji has appeared frequently in local traffic signs to remind people the road ahead is one-way. Many locals do not know Yao Ming but are familiar with his emoji and nickname “Chinese Funny Face”.

As a new online language, emojis have become a necessary part of people’s daily life, helping people express their views in a more vivid and precise way. Also, it can help foreigners learn about Chinese culture. But how to properly use “the fifth innovation in China” without hurting others and turn them into commercial advantages still need answers.

1.Why do the bolsters attract Miki’s attention?

A. They are inexpensive.

B. They help reach an agreement.

C. They help brighten the mood.

D. They are helpful to express desire.

2.According to the passage, which of the following is the latest “funny” emoji?

3.Emojis are so popular worldwide mainly because people use them to ______.

A. express their views more vividly

B. present their sense of satire directly

C. imply very complicated meanings properly

D. tease one another on social media purposely

4.The main purpose of the text is to ______.

A. promote the emoji worldwide

B. teach us how to use the emoji

C. explain the meaning the emoji

D. show us the popularity of the emoji

In the United States and several other countries, 2.5 million children play baseball in an organization called Little League. They play on teams in their hometowns. Their parents and other adults in the community coach or instruct them and serve as umpires to make sure that everyone follows the rules. Local businesses give money for the ball fields and the uniforms. Local teams compete against each other and the winners get to play teams that are more distant. Eventually, the top teams go to the Little League World Series.

One hundred years after Abner Doubleday invented baseball in Cooperstown, New York, in 1839, Little League got started in Pennsylvania. Three men started the game for neighborhood boys with a smaller playing field and fewer innings than adult baseball. Little League became popular after World War Ⅱ when the game spread across the United States. By 1955 it was played throughout North America and within five years it had spread to Europe. Children's baseball really caught on in Japan and Taiwan of China and teams from those areas won the World Series seven out of eight years. After this, the organization tried banning foreign teams from the World Series, but the ban came to an end after one year.

At first, Little League was only for boys aged nine to twelve. However, in 1974, the parents of girl baseball players brought a law suit. The courts ruled that Little League had to include both boys and girls. Later Little League added on softball and other games for teenagers up to age eighteen. Occasionally, a Little Leaguer becomes a professional player. For example, Gary Carter went from Little League to play nineteen seasons in the Major Leagues, ten of them as an All-Star player. By and large, youngsters play baseball for fun, but their parents are proud of them.

1.The mothers and fathers of Little League players ________.

A.play in the World Series

B.travel with coaches

C.give the teams money

D.help run the games

2.In what year did baseball come into being?

A.1739.B.1939.C.1955.D.1839.

3.Why do most players take part in Little League?

A.To play in the Major League.

B.To have fun.

C.They expect a profit from All-Star games.

D.They want to learn how to serve as umpires.

4.What is TRUE about players today?

A.Little League is only for neighborhood boys.

B.Girl players have to buy their suits.

C.Girls and boys can participate up to age eighteen.

D.Children can only play until age twelve.

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