Scientists at Harvard University and Bates College find female chimpanzees (黑猩猩) appear to treat sticks as dolls, carrying them around until they have children of their own. Young males engage in such behavior much less frequently.
The new work by Sonya M. Kahlenberg and Richard W. Wrangham, described this week in the journal Current Biology, provides the first evidence of a wild nonhuman species playing with dolls, as well as the first known sex difference in a wild animal’s choice of playthings.
The two researchers say their work adds to a growing body of evidence that human children are probably born with their own ideas of how they want to behave, rather than simply mirroring other girls who play with dolls and boys who play with trucks. Doll play among humans could have its origins in object—carrying by earlier apes (猿类), they say, suggesting that toy selection is probably not due entirely to socialization.
“In humans, there are obvious sex differences in children’s toy play, and these are remarkably similar across cultures,” says Kahlenberg. “While socialization by elders and peers has been the primary explanation, our work suggests that biology may also have an important role to play in activity preferences.”
In 14 years of data on chimpanzee behavior at the Kibale National Park in Uganda, Kahlenberg and Wrangham counted more than 100 examples of stickcarrying. Some young chimpanzees carried sticks into the nest to sleep with them and on one occasion built a separate nest for the stick. “We have seen juveniles occasionally carrying sticks for many years, and because they sometimes treated them rather like dolls, we wanted to know if in general this behavior tended to represent something like playing with dolls,” says Wrangham, a Professor at Harvard. “If the doll hypothesis (假设) was right, we thought that females should carry sticks more than males do, and that the chimpanzees should stop carrying sticks when they had their first child. We have now watched enough young chimpanzees to prove both points.”

1.
What does a female chimpanzee do with sticks?
1. A.
  She gives them to her child to play with.
2. B.
  She treats them as dolls.
3. C.
  She makes useful tools from them.
4. D.
  She treats them as weapons.
2.
What causes the different toy selection of chimpanzees, according to the passage?
1. A.
  Sex difference.
2. B.
  Socialization.
3. C.
  Environment.
4. D.
  Cultural difference.
3.
We can infer from the fourth paragraph that ________.
1. A.
  socialization has nothing to do with human’s choice of playthings
2. B.
  sex difference is the only factor in human’s choice of playthings
3. C.
  the biology factor may also influence toy choice
4. D.
  people choose different toys in different cultures
4.
It can be concluded from the passage that ________.
1. A.
  both humans and chimpanzees choose their playthings due to sex difference
2. B.
  different factors cause humans and chimpanzees to choose different playthings
3. C.
  only female chimpanzees have playthings
4. D.
  chimpanzees usually choose playthings for their children

I credit my typing skill to so many hours of chatting online. Unfortunately, as my typing speed increased on the Internet, all grammatical rules went out of the window. You see instant messages have their own shorthand language and grammar isn’t important, of which even a newbie (新手) is aware. They can leave out articles, subjects (主语), pronouns, etc. They can misspell or “respell” almost any word. They often ask “A/S/L” when they first chat. Abbreviations (缩写) and capitalizations (大写) are particularly important. English-speaking instant messengers also refuse to burden themselves with punctuation and capitalization.
After I came back China, I discovered not one but two instant messaging crazes. The first, which brought back memories of my previous addiction to the computer, was QQ. I can see evidence that the Chinese have the same kind of separate instant messaging language, even when they chat in English. My first word in this language, for example, was “ft”. This abbreviation for “faint” is used whenever there is a need to express surprise. I also discovered that Chinese use the same kind of abbreviation for a laugh. And there is an extraordinary number of smileys (表情符) to the “vomit” and “army soldier” smileys. There is even a SARA smiley.
After QQ, there is another, perhaps more widespread messaging trend. You guessed it --- cell phone text messaging. I now understand how useful text messaging is and why it is so common. I admit that I have been guilty of sending text messages while walking outside or sitting on the subway. Who hasn’t ? No matter where I go, I see people on their cell phones, messaging. In fact, it’s rare to see someone actually talking on their phone!
So it looks as if there is no escape from the instant messaging crazes, no matter where in the world I go. And that’s plainly not going to change. In the end, though, I can’t complain: instant messaging is quick, it’s cheap, it’s easy and it’s extremely fun too. And after all, everyone’s doing it.

1.
The underlined phrase “went out of the window” in Paragraph 1 probably means .
1. A.
  increased
2. B.
  occurred
3. C.
  disappeared
4. D.
  changed
2.
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
1. A.
  Grammar and correct spelling are very important while chatting online.
2. B.
  There are enough smileys and icons to express yourselves while chatting on line.
3. C.
  The writer is skilled at typing and once was addicted to online games.
4. D.
  It is impolite to leave out some unimportant words or letters while chatting online.
3.
The writer believes that instant messaging is .
1. A.
  full of fun but time-consuming
2. B.
  widespread but unnecessary
3. C.
  quick but difficult to do
4. D.
  common, used and cheap
4.
Which might be the main idea of the passage?
1. A.
  Who can escape QQ and cell phone text messaging?
2. B.
  Why is instant messaging so popular?
3. C.
  Chatting online is good for your typing skill.
4. D.
  Chatting on QQ is natural for people.

What’s On Stage
An acrobatic show: To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the China Acrobatic Troupe (剧团) will present “The Soul of China”, where the seemingly impossible is made real. Chills will run down your spine(脊柱) as you watch breathlessly as performers take their art and their bodies to the edge.
Time: 7:30 p.m., September 13-19
Place: Capital Theatre, 22 Wangfujing Dajie, Dongcheng District
Exhibitions
Joint Show: A group ink painting exhibition is running at the Huangshicheng Art Gallery in Beijing. About 50 works by 25 young artists including Ge Yun and Yu Yang are on display.
Time: 9:00 a. m.-5:00 p.m. until September 10
Place: Huangshicheng Art Gallery, 136 Nanchizi Dajie, Dongcheng District
Oil paintings: The Wanfung Art Gallery will host a joint show of oil painting by 10 young and middle-aged artists. On display are more than 30 of their latest works, which capture the wondrous variety of life in unique styles.
Time: 9:00 a.m. -4:00 p.m. until September 15
Place: 136 Nanchizi Street, Dongcheng District
Literature museum: The National Museum of Modern Chinese Literature offers an in-depth study of the evolution of Chinese contemporary literature from 1919 to 1949.
Time: 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., daily
Place: 45 Anyuan Donglu, Chaoyang District (Shaoyaoju area)
Concerts
Beijing rocks: “The Fashion Night of Chinese Rock” is set to bring rock fans out by the thousands next month. Nine Chinese rock bands will perform at the concert, including older generation bands, middle generation and some recent arrivals. The audience will be given a chance to decide what songs they want to hear, which is sure to bring a storm.
Time: September 16
Place: The Olympic Center
Belgium orchestra：La Petite Bande, the Baroque Orehestra of Belgium, will perform in Beijing at the Grand Theatre of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities as part of activities across the world in memory of the 250th anniversary of Bach’s death.
Time: 7:30 p.m. September 11-14
Place: Grand Theatre of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities

1.
What do you think of the acrobatic show mentioned above?
1. A.
  When you watch it, you will certainly feel cold.
2. B.
  Unexpected things will make you excited and surprised.
3. C.
  Something strange will puzzle everyone, including scientists.
4. D.
  Even the bravest ones will be too frightened to go on watching.
2.
The most characteristic thing about the Fashion Night of Chinese Rock is that ______.
1. A.
  it will certainly cause a rock storm throughout China
2. B.
  it is to bring thousands of rock fans out of their homes
3. C.
  it is to be held in memory of one of the greatest musicians
4. D.
  it will let the audience choose the performers and the music
3.
Suppose it is September 14 today, how many activities can people choose to attend?
1. A.
  2.
2. B.
  3.
3. C.
  4.
4. D.
  5.
4.
On the whole, we can conclude ______.
1. A.
  we can enjoy a large variety of cultural activities in Beijing
2. B.
  people in Beijing prefer modern culture to something traditional
3. C.
  most of the cultural activities in Beijing are for foreign visitors only
4. D.
  there are usually more cultural activities in September than in any other month

Positive thinkers admit when they feel frustrated（受挫折的） or depressed, they don't ignore it.But they don't blame themselves either.Instead, they try to understand the negative thoughts and feelings and counter（反击） them with more positive ones.
So how do you stay positive, maintain motivated and sustain(保持) healthy behaviors? Here are some tips:
Look for a good role model.There is always someone who seems to be doing just what you want to be doing.Maybe they've scheduled exercise into their workday and switched from coffee to green tea.Learn from a successful friend, family member or colleague.Ask them how they keep healthy and follow in their footsteps.
Try some positive self-talk and avoid negative-talk.Take a minute to give yourself an ego boost.Repeat some motivational words out loud to yourself.Negative talk such as "I can't do it," "I'm fat," is dangerous for your well-being and healthy goals.Try to avoid the negative self-talk before it harms you.Remind yourself that you deserve happiness and can make positive changes.
Get support.Tell your friends and family about your healthy habits.It helps to have an encouraging network.
Reward yourself.Treat yourself to something for your healthy efforts.Take a nice bath, get a massage, and enjoy a new DVD or CD.
Have a plan.Making a plan to exercise or eat healthy lunches with a friend can mean the difference of sticking with your goals or falling off track.If you've planned for an activity, you'll likely stick with it.You may even find that writing down your goals and steps to achieve them can help you stay on track.Take it day by day or week by week.The process of writing down your personal action plan is a good way to keep you honest and watch your progress or failures.

1.
By writing the text the author intends to _______.
1. A.
  offer some advice on how to stay positive
2. B.
  persuade readers to learn from a role model
3. C.
  provide some solutions to personal problems
4. D.
  inform readers of some tips on physical health
2.
What does the phrase “to give yourself an ego boost” in Paragraph 4 mean?
1. A.
  to get lost in deep thought.
2. B.
  to think about the hardships.
3. C.
  to check what mistake you made.
4. D.
  to make you feel better about yourself.
3.
Which of the following would the author Not agree to?
1. A.
  Saying some positive words to yourself helps you to feel good.
2. B.
  By staying with your companion you can avoid the negative-talk.
3. C.
  A successful friend, relative or colleague can be your role model.
4. D.
  Creating a helpful network is a good way to keep you motivated.
4.
To make sure that you always stay on track, what should you do?
1. A.
  Eat out with your best friends.
2. B.
  Relax yourself after a hard day.
3. C.
  Write down what you want to achieve
4. D.
  Modify your plans as often as you can.

British potato farmers were taking to the streets to call for the expression "couch potato" to be taken away from the dictionary on the grounds that it harms the vegetable's image.
The British Potato Council wants the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) to replace the expression with the term "couch slouch", with protests planned outside parliament in London and the offices of Oxford University Press. Kathryn Race, head of marketing at the Council, which represents some 4,000 growers and processors, said the group had complained in writing to the OED but had yet to receive a response.
"We are trying to get rid of the image that potatoes are bad to you," she said Monday.
"The potato has had its knocks in the past. Of course it is not the Oxford English Dictionary's fault but we want to use another term than couch potato because potatoes are naturally healthy."
The OED says "couch potato" originated as American slang, meaning "a person who spends leisure time passively or idly sitting around, especially watching television or video tapes."
John Simpson, chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, said the dictionary first included the term “couch potato” in 1993 and said "dictionaries just reflect the words that society uses."
Simpson said words were never taken out of the full-length dictionary, which includes some 650,000 words contained in 20 volumes. But little-used words can be removed from the smaller dictionaries to make way for newer ones.
“If society stops using words, then they are taken out of the smaller dictionaries”, he added. “The first known recorded use of the expression ‘couch potato’ was in a 1979 Log Angeles Times article,” Simpson said.
Nigel Evans, a member of parliament for the Ribble Valley in Lancashire, has made a motion in support of the campaign, highlighting the nutritional value of the British potato.

1.
British potato farmers were taking to the streets _____.
1. A.
  to advertise their production
2. B.
  to call for a higher price for t heir potatoes
3. C.
  to remove the expression “couch potato” from the dictionary
4. D.
  to let people know how important the potato is in people’s lives
2.
The farmers think that_________.
1. A.
  potatoes have had a bad imagine
2. B.
  potatoes are good for people by nature
3. C.
  potatoes sometimes do harm to people
4. D.
  it's the dictionary's fault to use the expression "couch potato"
3.
John Simpson thinks that _________.
1. A.
  the expression can be taken out of every kind of dictionary
2. B.
  dictionaries do not necessarily reflect the words the society uses
3. C.
  little used words can remain in the smaller dictionaries
4. D.
  it is impossible to take the word out of the dictionary
4.
What is wrong with the expression "couch potato"?
1. A.
  It is connected with unfavorable meaning.
2. B.
  Potato should be used in the expression.
3. C.
  It is borrowed from American English.
4. D.
  It refers to a kind of person.

Language is always changing. In a society where life continues year after year with few changes, the language does not change either. The earliest known languages had difficult grammar but a small, limited vocabulary. Over the century, the grammar changed, and the vocabulary grew. For example, the English and Spanish people who came to America during the sixteenth century gave names to all the new plants and animals they found. In this way, hundreds of new words were introduced into English and Spanish vocabularies. Today life is changing very fast, and language is changing fast too.
There are several major(主要) language families in the world. Some scientists say there are nine main families, but other scientists divide them differently. The languages in each family are connected, and scientists think that they came from the same parent language. About 3 percent of the people in the world speak languages that are not in these major families.

1.
The early language had ________.
1. A.
  a lot of problems
2. B.
  words and easy grammar
3. C.
  words but no grammar
4. D.
  grammar but not many words
2.
In the next few hundred years we can expect language to _____.
1. A.
  stay exactly the same
2. B.
  change a great deal
3. C.
  change only a little
4. D.
  ask more words and drop some grammar
3.
What this article shows is that _____.
1. A.
  languages change fast
2. B.
  languages really don't want to change
3. C.
  language really with changes in society
4. D.
  Spanish and English change

PLAYA GRANDE, COSTA RICA----This resort town was long known for Leatherback Sea Turtle（棱皮龟）National Park, nightly turtle beach tours and even a sea turtle museum. However, on a beach where dozens of turtles used to nest on a given night, scientists spied only 32 leatherbacks all of last year.
With leatherbacks threatened with extinction, Playa Grande’s turtle museum was abandoned （抛弃）three years ago and now sits among a sea of weeds. And the beachside ticket office for turtle tours was washed away by a high tide in September. “We do not promote that as a turtle tourism destination any more because we realize there are far too few turtles to please,” said Alvaro Fonseca, a park ranger.（管理员）
Even before scientists found temperatures going up over the past decade, sea turtles were threatened by beach development, drift net fishing and Costa Ricans’ interest in eating turtle eggs. But climate change may cause the most serious harm to an animal that has lived in the Pacific for 150 million years.
Sea turtles are sensitive to numerous effects of warming. They feed on reefs, which are dying in hotter seas. They lay eggs on beaches that are being covered by rising seas and more violent waves.
More uniquely（独特地）, their gender is determined not by genes but by the egg’s temperature during development. Small rises in beach temperatures can result in all-female populations, obviously problematic for survival. If the sand around the eggs hits 30 degrees Celsius, the gender balance shifts to female; at about 32 degrees they are all female. Above 34, you get boiled eggs.
On some nesting beaches, scientists are artificially cooling nests with shade or irrigation and trying to protect broader areas of coastal property from development to ensure that turtles have a place to nest as the seas rise.

1.
Why does the resort town stop promoting its turtle tourism?
1. A.
  It decides not to disturb the turtles’ normal life.
2. B.
  Tourists have lost interest in watching turtles.
3. C.
  There are only very few turtles now.
4. D.
  The turtle museum was destroyed by a high tide.
2.
Which of the following is the major factor in the turtles’ endangerment?
1. A.
  The locals’ eating habit.
2. B.
  Drift net fishing.
3. C.
  Beach development.
4. D.
  Global warming.
3.
The underlined word “gender” in Paragraph 5 means ____.
1. A.
  the sex of turtles
2. B.
  the habit of turtles
3. C.
  the weight of turtles
4. D.
  the kind of turtles
4.
We learn from the last paragraph that scientists ____.
1. A.
  are doing research on the sea rise
2. B.
  are moving turtles to new homes
3. C.
  are protecting turtles’ nests
4. D.
  are going rid of sea weeds
5.
The passage intends to ____.
1. A.
  introduce a special kind of sea turtle
2. B.
  explain the mystery of turtles’ eggs
3. C.
  show the dangers a certain kind of sea turtle is facing
4. D.
  attract more visitors to a sea turtle museum

Some people are pessimistic(悲观的)when they think about the future. They say that, a hundred years from now, we will have used up most of the earths resources. We will have made our seas so dirty that we will not be able to eat fish from them. There will be so many people in the world that we will have to use all the countryside for housing; there will be no farmland left.
Other people have a different idea about the future. In their view, the city of the future will be a huge pyramid-shaped(金字塔形的) building, which will be floating on the surface of the sea. About 5,000 families will live there, and there will also be schools, shops in it.
In a hundred years’ time, people will not need to use oil. They will heat their homes with power from the sun.
Think of space. Perhaps a station will be set up on the moon; people will be able to visit the moon as tourists. They may even spend their holidays in space, travelling from planet to planet.
What an interesting picture!
Many people don't think about the future. “I don't care. I’ll be dead. ”they say. But it is our duty to care because the world of a hundred years’ time will be the world of our children’s and their children after them.

1.
How many viewpoints are discussed here about the future?
1. A.
  Two
2. B.
  Three
3. C.
  Four
4. D.
  Five
2.
In the pessimistic view, people will in a hundred years ’time.
1. A.
  have to use power from the sea
2. B.
  have to live on the moon
3. C.
  be able to grow food on the sea
4. D.
  find it difficult to live on the earth
3.
Where will people live in the future in the optimistic view?
1. A.
  On the moon
2. B.
  On the sea
3. C.
  In pyramids
4. D.
  On other planets
4.
The writer of the article seems to agree .
1. A.
  with those who look at the bright side of the future
2. B.
  with those who take a pessimistic view about the future
3. C.
  with those who won’t trouble their heads about the future
4. D.
  to none of these viewpoints

I'd like to listen to VOA program but sometimes I can't ________ on my radio.

A.
pick up it
B.
pick it out
C.
pick it up
D.
look for it

Going to the beach is many American’s favorite activity. They went swimming in the ocean without giving a thought to what was underwater. But those days are long gone. In the summer of 1988, many of the beaches had to be closed because garbage（废料）from hospitals was found in the water. The garbage included glass bottles with samples of blood, and people were afraid they might get AIDS from the blood. At some beaches, sewage（下水道）was found in the water. Americans were shocked by this state of affairs. People didn’t think of the underwater garbage because it was out of sight.
Some of the most polluted waters still look beautiful. San Francisco Bay is a good example of a beautiful bay that’s full of chemicals. Scientists discovered pollution in some lakes and rivers when they found fish with rotting skin. People are told not to eat too much fish because of pollution. Most American cities put their garbage in the ground. But New York and a few other cities put their garbage in the ocean. Boston Harbor is so polluted that scientists say it won’t recover until the next century. The government has ordered the city to build a sewage treatment plant, Cleaning up oceans won’t be easy, but people can no longer ignore（忽视）this challenge.

1.
The main idea of the article is that _____.
1. A.
  ocean waters around America have become polluted.
2. B.
  Americans are bringing too much garbage to the beach.
3. C.
  beaches were closed because Americans were shocked.
4. D.
  going to the beach is many American’s favorite activity.
2.
The oceans are polluted by _____.
1. A.
  swimmers, AIDS patients and fish.
2. B.
  Boston, San Francisco and New York only.
3. C.
  garbage, sewage and medical waste and so on.
4. D.
  swimmers and fishes
3.
Many polluted waters are beautiful because _____.
1. A.
  chemicals can be beautiful.
2. B.
  they have been cleaned up.
3. C.
  pollution is underwater or hard to see.
4. D.
  there are still many fish in them
4.
More people can go to the beaches near Boston if _____.
1. A.
  the city puts its garbage in the ground
2. B.
  a sewage plant is built
3. C.
  they don’t eat too much fish
4. D.
  they stop polluting the water

0 4596 4604 4610 4614 4620 4622 4626 4632 4634 4640 4646 4650 4652 4656 4662 4664 4670 4674 4676 4680 4682 4686 4688 4690 4691 4692 4694 4695 4696 4698 4700 4704 4706 4710 4712 4716 4722 4724 4730 4734 4736 4740 4746 4752 4754 4760 4764 4766 4772 4776 4782 4790 151629

What does a female chimpanzee do with sticks?

What causes the different toy selection of chimpanzees, according to the passage?

We can infer from the fourth paragraph that ________.

It can be concluded from the passage that ________.

The underlined phrase “went out of the window” in Paragraph 1 probably means .

Which of the following is true according to the passage?

The writer believes that instant messaging is .

Which might be the main idea of the passage?

What do you think of the acrobatic show mentioned above?

The most characteristic thing about the Fashion Night of Chinese Rock is that ______.

Suppose it is September 14 today, how many activities can people choose to attend?

On the whole, we can conclude ______.

By writing the text the author intends to _______.

What does the phrase “to give yourself an ego boost” in Paragraph 4 mean?

Which of the following would the author Not agree to?

To make sure that you always stay on track, what should you do?

British potato farmers were taking to the streets _____.

The farmers think that_________.

John Simpson thinks that _________.

What is wrong with the expression "couch potato"?

The early language had ________.

In the next few hundred years we can expect language to _____.

What this article shows is that _____.

Why does the resort town stop promoting its turtle tourism?

Which of the following is the major factor in the turtles’ endangerment?

The underlined word “gender” in Paragraph 5 means ____.

We learn from the last paragraph that scientists ____.

The passage intends to ____.

How many viewpoints are discussed here about the future?

In the pessimistic view, people will in a hundred years ’time.

Where will people live in the future in the optimistic view?

The writer of the article seems to agree .

I'd like to listen to VOA program but sometimes I can't ________ on my radio.

The main idea of the article is that _____.

The oceans are polluted by _____.

Many polluted waters are beautiful because _____.

More people can go to the beaches near Boston if _____.

试题分类