The fact that ants are fascinating insects has been known for some time. Now, scientists have discovered a large number of wood ants living in an abandoned underground storehouse in Templewo, Poland, despite having no obvious source of food.

Polish zoologist Wojciech Czechowski and his team began studying the underground colony in 2013. They found the ants built a 60-cm high nest in the soil directly over the storehouse vertical air pipe. As years passed, the metal covering on the pipe eroded, leaving behind a hole that thousands of worker ants accidentally slip into each day as they go about their daily chores. The scientists say that there are no sources of food in the storehouse. This means that the insects live in a state of near starvation.

In July 2015, the researchers disturbed part of the ant nest in search of larvae (幼虫), cocoons(茧), and queens. They found nothing, leading them to suspect that the lack of food and cold temperatures made reproduction impossible and that the group tending the nest is entirely made up of non-reproductive female workers. Their population is refilled every year, by a new rain of unfortunate ants that slide down the hole. The researchers say that when they returned in January 2016, the nest had been repaired. It appears that despite the terrible conditions, the worker ants do not stop constructing their nest.

Wood ants are known for their ability to adapt to bad living conditions. In this case, the millions of worker ants trapped in the storehouse have no choice. But instead of losing hope, they are making the best of the situation—a classic example of “when life gives you lesions make lemonade.”

1.How did the wood ants arrive in the storehouse?

A. They fell down there by accident.

B. The research team brought them there.

C. The storehouse builders left them there.

D. They were attracted by the environment.

2.What does the underlined word “eroded” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A. Expanded. B. Rotted. C. Exploded. D. Melted.

3.What did the researchers find in the nest?

A. Larvae. B. Cocoons. C. A queen. D. Worker ants.

4.Why did the population of wood ants remain steady?

A. They had enough food.

B. They were able to reproduce.

C. They adapted to the conditions.

D. They had new comers to join them.

Visitors to the grounds of New College at England’s Oxford University pass under an iron gate with the advice: Manners make the man. Even after an appropriate update to: Manners make the person, it’s thought-provoking(引人深思的)—especially to today’s Americans.

When we think about what makes the person—it’s more likely the degree, the job, the salary. Since when do we count manners as a measure of success?

We do know that these would make life nicer, if more tolerable. Nevertheless, we forget or overlook our manners. So it seems, does everyone else—including, unluckily, our children.

As a university president, one of my great joys is to visit our campuses and see our students though we’re separated by different generations, interests, and, of course dressing, each student tells me something within the first few minutes that we meet: whether he or she has been taught manners. I sense this in different ways: through her words or her gestures, in the way she listens or how he refers to friends and faculty, how she greets and says goodbye, how he responds when an elderly person enters the room.

In the absence of manners, however, I make some allowances. For instance, the many ethnic(种族的)groups that students represent often have different explanations of what makes up good manners. In other cases, some students may reject what they’ve learned to break from their parents and be accepted by other students. Whether students are being different or openly opposing, a recent experience I had with them tells me that there’s some hope for reviving and good manners.

Good manners don’t just guarantee acceptance. Good manners open doors to deeper connections and more meaningful roles in our society. Good manners are gentle signals that show we care about one another and allow us to relate to another person in a thoughtful way but at a respectable distance.

1.Which of the following is seldom a mark of success to people today?

A. Handsome income. B. Polite behavior.

C. An academic degree. D. High ranks in the office

2.The main idea of paragraph 4 is more likely that ________.

A. manners can be taught in different ways

B. how the president of New College cares about his students

C. generation gap does exist between students and faculty members

D. what students say and do can indicate if they have mannered behavior

3.From the last paragraph we can learn that the biggest benefit by good manners would be that ________.

A. good manners guarantee acceptance of others

B. good manners inspire students to study harder

C. good manners help deeper connections with others

D. good manners guarantee students to get whatever they want

Last week, Education Secretary Arne Duncan declared a war on paper textbooks. “Over the next few years,” he said in a speech at the National Press Club, “textbooks should be abandoned.” In their place would come a variety of digital-learning technologies, like e-readers and multi-media websites.

Such technologies certainly have their place. But Secretary Duncan is threatening to light a fire to a tried-and-true technology—good old paper—that has been the foundation for one of the great educational systems on the planet. And while e-readers and multi-media may seem appealing, the idea of replacing an effective learning platform with a widely hyped (炒作) but still unproven one is extremely dangerous.

An expert on reading, Maryanne Wolf, has recently begun studying the effects of digital reading on learning, and so far the results are mixed. She worries that Internet reading, in particular, could be such a source of distractions(分散注意力) for the student that they may cancel out most other potential benefits of a web-linked, e-learning environment, and while it’s true that the high-tech industry has sponsored substantial amounts of research on the potential benefits of Web-based learning, not enough time has passed for longitudinal(纵向的) studies to demonstrate the full effects.

In addition, digital-reading advocates claim that lightweight e-books benefit students’ backs and save schools money. But the rolling backpack seems to have solved the weight problem, and the astounding costs to outfit every student with an e-reader, provide technical support and pay for regular software updates promise to make the e-textbook a very pricey choice.

As both a teacher who uses paper textbooks and a student of urban history, I can’t help but wonder what parallels exist between my own field and this sudden, wholesale abandonment of the technology of paper.

1.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A. A tried and true technology is paper, long used in educational system.

B. Digital learning technologies will replace the paper textbooks sooner or later.

C. E-readers and multimedia websites are learning methods that are proved effective.

D. Multi-media websites and a good old paper are kinds of digital-learning technologies.

2.What are drawbacks of textbooks according to the passage?

A. Its price. B. Its weight. C. Its content. D. Its appearance.

3.What worries Maryanne Wolf is that ________.

A. paper learning can provide more potential benefits

B. the results of digital reading effects are understandable

C. students may not focus on learning by digital reading

D. digital reading can’t provide potential benefits for users

4.What is the author’s attitude towards digital-learning?

A. disapproving. B. supportive. C. positive. D. objective.

What’s on?

Electric Underground 7.30pm-1.00am Free at the Cyclops Theatre

Do you know who’s playing in your area? We’re bringing you an evening of live rock and pop music from the best local bands. Are you interested in becoming a musician and getting a recording contract(合同)? If so, come early to the talk at 7.30pm by Jules Skye, a successful record producer.

He’s going to talk about how you can find the right person to produce you music.

Gee Whizz 8.30pm-10.30pm Comedy at Kaleidoscope

Come and see Gee Whizz perform. He’s the funniest stand-up comedian on the comedy scene. This joyful show will please everyone, from the youngest to the oldest. Gee Whizz really knows how to make you laugh! Our bar is open from 7.00pm for drinks and snacks(快餐).

Simon’s Workshop 5.00pm-7.30pm Wednesdays at Victoria Stage

This is a good chance for anyone who wants to learn how to do comedy. The workshop looks at every kind of comedy, and practices many different ways of making people laugh. Simon is a comedian and actor who has 10 years’ experience of teaching comedy(喜剧). His workshops are exciting and fun. An evening with Simon will give you the confidence to be funny.

Charlotte Stone 8. 00pm-11.00pm Pizza World

Fine food with beautiful jazz music; this is a great evening out. Charlotte Stone will perform songs from her new best-selling CD, with James Pickering on the piano. The menu is Italian, with excellent meat and fresh fish, pizzas and pasta(面食). Book early to get a table. Our bar is open all day, and serves cocktails, coffee, beer, and white wine.

1.Who can help you if you want to have your music produced?

A. Jules Skye. B. Gee Whizz. C. Charlotte Stone. D. James Pickering.

2.At which place can people of different ages enjoy a good laugh?

A. The Cyclops Theatre B. Kaleidoscope C. Victoria Stage D. Pizza World

3.What do we know about Simon’s Workshop?

A. It requires membership status. B. It lasts three hours each time.

C. It is run by a comedy club. D. It is held every Wednesday.

4.When will Charlotte Stone perform her songs?

A. 5.00pm-7.30pm. B. 7.30pm-1.00am.

C. 8.00pm-11.00pm. D. 8.30pm-10.30pm.

I arrived in the United States on February 6, 1997, but I remember my first day there very clearly. My friend was waiting for me when my plane _______at Kennedy Airport at three o’clock in the afternoon. The weather was very cold and it was snowing, but I was ______ excited to mind. From the airport, my friend and I ______a taxi to my hotel. On the way, I saw the skyline of Manhattan for the first time and I stared ______astonishment at the famous skyscrapers(摩天大楼) and their ______beauty. My friend helped me unpack at the hotel and then ______me because he ______go back to work. He ______to return the next day.

______my friend had left, I went to a restaurant near the hotel to get something to eat. Because I _______speak a word of English, I couldn’t _______the waiter what I wanted. I was very upset and ________to make some gestures, _______the waiter didn’t understand me. Finally, I _______the same thing the man________the next table was eating. After dinner, I started to walk along Broadway________I came to Time Square with its movie theatre, and huge ______people. I didn’t feel tired so I continued to walk _______the city.

When I returned to the hotel, I couldn’t sleep because I _______hearing the fire and police sirens(汽笛) during the night. I _______awake and thought about New York. I decided that I had to learn to speak English.

1.A. took off B. landed C. got out D. took down

2.A. too B. so C. very D. much

3.A. got B. took up C. got on D. took

4.A. in B. at C. for D. to

5.A. old-made B. man-made C. newly-made D. natural

6.A. had left B. would leave C. left D. was leaving

7.A. must B. had to C. should D. ought

8.A. agreed B. said C. told D. promised

9.A. Shortly after B. Long before C. Shortly D. soon

10.A. couldn’t B. could C. didn’t D. did

11.A. ask B. say C. tell D. order

12.A. begun B. started C. must D. started to

13.A. and B. so C. then D. but

14.A. ordered B. booked C. asked D. got

15.A. on B. for C. at D. to

16.A. when B. until C. after D. before

17.A. crowds of B. groups of C. crowd of D. group of

18.A. around B. in C. by D. near

19.A. was B. went C. kept D. started

20.A. lain B. lay C. laid D. was

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