3.The discovery of an ancient giant panda skull has confirmed its bamboo diet dates back more than 2 million years and may have played a key part in its survival.
A  Chinese-US research team reports its results today following studies on a fossil skull found in south China's Cuangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in 2001.
The six fossils unearthed in Jinyin Cave are dated between 2.4 and 2 million years ago,according to the report in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,an influential US journal.
Jin Changzhu,of the chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and lead author of the paper,said the smaller fossil skull indicates the giant pandas were about a third smaller than today's pandas.
Researchers knew the panda reached its maximum size about 500,000 years ago,when it peaked,and then gradually became smaller.
Jin,a paleontologist (古生物学者) at the Institute of Vertebrate paleontology and Paleoanthropology (古人类学) attached to the CAS,said the size variation was a basic rule of evolution.
"A species tends to grow bigger when it reaches the peak of its population,but becomes smaller when numbers decline,"he said.
The dental remains of the skull,which is the oldest giant panda skull ever found,are similar to today's pandas,indicating the type of teeth that could munch (津津有味地嚼)mountains of bamboo.A panda can eat up to 40kg of bamboo per day.
Paleoanthropologist Russell Ciochon,the US co-author at the University of lowa,said the panda's focus on bamboo could have helped it survive all these years.
"Once an animal begins to rely on a common and stable food source,such as bamboo,it tends to evolve a larger body size,"he said."As individuals of the evolving species grow bigger,they have a better chance not to be eaten by predators (肉食动物) due to their larger body size."
33.According to the research of the CAS,there were most pandas in the worldC.
A.2 million years ago
B.between 2.4 and 2 million years ago
C.500,000 years ago
D.Nowadays
34.The underlined word"variation"in para 6 meansB.
A.fall           B.change       C.increase       D.decrease
35.From the passage,we can learnB.
A.pandas began to eat bamboo 2 million years ago
B.a species tends to grow smaller when numbers decline
C.the giant pandas were about a third the size of today's pandas
D.pandas'bamboo has played an important role in its development.
2.Taking exams in a large group setting can be stressful for students and for the staff members who are watching over them.
  When classrooms are crowded and desks are close together,cheating might be tempting.
  One university in Thailand came up with an anti-cheating hat that makes it almost impossible for students to see other students'papers. A photo of the students wearing the anti-cheating hats made its way to the Internet,and the university was criticized for making students wear those ridiculous looking homemade hats. The hats were made by stapling pieces of paper onto a headband,one to each side of the head.
After being criticized,senior academic staff at Kasetsart University in Bangkok,Thailand,released a statement saying that the hats idea came from students. They said that in a bid to prevent cheating they asked the students for ideas on how to prevent cheating in the upcoming exam,which was being taken by almost one hundred students. Students came up with different ideas,then the paper hat idea was selected by them as the most suitable.
  The university claimed that no one was forced to use the hat,but they all chose to do so."When wearing the hat during the exam,students felt more relaxed,"Nattadon Rungruangkitkrai,a lecturer at the university said."It was not meant to indicate that Kasetsart students often cheat on exams. I apologize if the photo makes other people look at my students in a negative way,"Rungruangkitkrai added.
25.According to the text,in which case cheating will become easy?C
A. When desks are crowded into a classroom.
B. When students are too stressful.
C. When too many students are sitting in a classroom.
D. When the staff members who are watching over them are not responsible.
26.Why was the university criticized?B
A. The university was too strict.
B. The university made students wear strange looking hats.
C. The university prevented students cheating.
D. The students chose to use the hats.
27.What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?A
A. The students are not forced to wear the hats when taking the exam.
B. The senior academic staff at the university made the paper hat idea.
C. The students felt more stressful when wearing the hat during the exam.
D. The students don't like wearing the hats when taking the exam.
28.What's the best title of the text?B
A. How to make the anti-cheating hat
B. Anti-cheating hat was criticized
C. Anti-cheating hat was considered the most suitable choice
D. Anti-cheating hat.
1.Gabby Logan was a gymnast when she was young.She is now the 39-year-old mother of seven-year-old twins,Reuben and Lois.The other day on TV she was dressed in a new swimsuit,which was designed to show off her nice figure,which was admired by a great number of television viewers.
Gabby,who won high praise for her television show of the Olympics,has asked the woman of the whole nation to go to the swimming pool,saying the secret of her figure is regular swimming.She is also making advertisements for the new Sculpture Swimwear of Speedo,an international swimsuit company,to help women find the perfect swimsuit.
Gabby said,"We all felt uneasy about getting into our swimwear at first.But we should be excited by the sporting achievements we have seen at the Olympics this summer.To get ourselves a little healthier,have a try and go to the swimming pool."Then she said,"Swimming is the perfect exercise if you want to feel healthy or simply relax.I find that going for a swim always clears my mind and also gives me some valuable 6 my time'.I like the calm of swimming which I can't experience when I am not in the pool."
A study by Speedo,an International company,which sells swimsuits,reported the biggest reason why women were put off going to the pool was the way they looked in swimwear.More than half of the l,000 women surveyed have been reduced to tears when trying on swimwear.And 48 percent said they felt too self-conscious to go swimming with their children.Sally Polak,from Speedo,said,"We're hoping to give women the courage and confidence to get back into the water."
21. What can we learn about Gabby Logan?A
A.She has two children of the same age.
B.She appeared on TV to show off her nice figure.
C.She was a swimmer when she was young.
D.She took part in the Olympic Games when she was young.
22.What is the main reason why Gabby has a nice figure?B
A.She is a gymnast.
B.She often swims.
C.She has a peaceful mind     
D.She wears Sculpture Swimwear.
23. The biggest reason why most women were stopped from swimming isA.
A.their shy mind of wearing the swimsuit
B.their being too busy with their housework
C.their not being comfortable in the swimsuit
D.their being afraid of their child seeing them wear less
24.What is the author's purpose of writing the text?D
A.To introduce a famous woman.
B.To discuss a TV show of the Olympics.
C.To report a way of keeping a good figure.
D.To encourage women to go swimming.
18.If you see a group of people dancing and singing on the street or in the railway station,you don't need to feel surprised.They are a flash mob(暴民).Who are they?Are they mobs?Don't be confused by their name.Actually,a flash mob is a group of people who gather suddenly in a public place,do something unusual for a brief period of time,and then quickly disappear.
They are usually organized with the help of the Internet or other digital communications networks.The messages may be sent to friends,who send to more people.At a predetermined time,they gather and perform some activities such as exchanging books,coming together to look at the sky,waving their hands and yelling something at the top of their voice for 30 seconds.Then,they quickly disappear before the police can arrive.Using mobile phones,the flash mob can change its place if the first one has been cancelled for any reason.
Bill Lasik,senior editor of Harper's Magazine,organized the first flash mob in Manhattan in May 2003 and the first successful flash mob came together on June 3,2003.Wasik claimed that the he created the flash mob as a social experiment designed to laugh at fashion seekers and stress the cultural atmosphere of wanting to be an insider or part of"the next big thing".
Flash mob gatherings can sometimes shock people.Such an activity might seem amusing and magical,but it also might frighten people who are not aware of what is taking place.Undoubtedly,flash mob can serve as good political tools and have great potential,such as using flash mobs to advertise a product.
    The flash mob is now becoming more and more popular.People use it to do many things.For example,in 2009,Michael Jackson's fans took part in a flash mob to remember him.Hundreds of his fans gathered singing and dancing Michael's famous song"Beat It"together.Flash mobs give people from all walks of life an opportunity to come together to create a memory.
28.What is NOT the feature of the flash mob?D
A.It can get together quickly                 
B.It can change its place freely
C.It can do activities suddenly               
D.It can injure people seriously
29.How do flash mobs inform one another?B
①By using the Internet         ②By writing letters        ③By yelling
④By waving hands            ⑤By using mobile phones  ⑥By holding a meeting
A.③④B.①⑤C.②⑥D.①⑥
30.Why did Bill Wasik create the flash mob?C
A.To advertise some products             
B.To help people make friends
C.To make fun of fashion seekers          
D.To create some memories
31.What can we learn about the flash mob from the passage?B
A.Bill Wasik organized the first successful flash mob in May,2003
B.People are encouraged to take a more active part in an activity
C.Flash mobs tend to do something illegal for a short time
D.Flash mob gathering can frighten all the people present.
17.Your house may have an effect on your figure.Experts say the way you design your home could play a role in whether you pack on the pounds or keep them off.You can make your environment work for you instead of against you.Here are some ways to turn your home into part of your diet plan.
Open the curtains and turn up the lights.Dark environments are more likely to encourage overeating,for people are often less self-conscious(难为情) when they're in poorly lit places-and so more likely to eat lots of food.If your home doesn't have enough window light,get more lamps and flood the place with brightness.
Mind the colors.Research suggests warm colors fuel our appetites.In one study,people who ate meals in a blue room consumed 33 percent less than those in a yellow or red room.Warm colors like yellow make food appear more appetizing,while cold colors make us less hungry.So when it's time to repaint,go blue.
Don't forget the clock-or the radio.People who eat slowly tend to consume about 70 fewer calories(卡路里) per meal than those who rush through their meals.Begin keeping track of the time,and try to make dinner last at 30 minutes.And while you're at it,actually sit down to eat.If you need some help slowing down,turning on relaxing music.It makes you less likely to rush through a meal.
Downsize the dishes.Big serving bowls and plants can easily makes us fat.We eat about 22 percent more when using a 12-inch plate instead of a 10-inch plate.When we choose a large spoon over a smaller one,total intake(摄入) jumps by 14 percent.And we'll pour about 30 percent more liquid into a short,wide glass than a tall,skinny glass.
24.The text is especially helpful for those who care aboutB.
A.their home comforts  
B.their body shape   
C.house buying    
D.healthy diets
25.A home environment in blue can help peopleB.
A.digest food better  
B.reduce food intake   
C.burn more calories   
D.regain their appetites
26.What are people advised to do at mealtimes?C
A.Eat quickly.
B.Play fast music     
C.Use smaller spoons   
D.Turn down the lights
27.What can be a suitable title for the text?A
A.Is Your House Making You Fat?
B.Ways of Serving Dinner
C.Effects of Self-Consciousness           
D.Is Your Home Environment Relaxing?
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