Scientists have noted that apes make characteristic sounds during play or while being tickled, especially to signal that they’re interested in playing. It’s been suggested before that human laughter grew out of primate（灵长类动物） roots. But ape laughter doesn’t sound like human laughter. It may be slower noisy breathing. So what does that have to do with the human ha-ha? To investigate that, Marina Davila Ross and her colleagues carried out a detailed analysis of the sounds made by tickling three human babies and 21 other primates, apes included.
After measuring 11 features in the sound from each species, they tried to find out how these sounds appeared to be related to each other. The result looked like a family tree. Significantly, that tree matched the way the species themselves are related, the scientists reported online in the journal Current Biology. They also concluded that while human laughter sounds much different from ape laughter, their typical features could have come from the same ancestor.
Panksepp, who studies laughter-like responses in animals but didn’t participate in the new work, called the paper exciting. Panksepp’s own work concludes that even rats produce laughter in response to playing and tickling, with sounds that can hardly be heard by people. Robert Provine, a scientist, who wrote the book, Laughter: A Scientific Investigation, said the new paper showed some important clues, like ape sounds that hadn’t been realized before.

  1. 1.

    Why did the scientists analyze the laughter made by tickling human babies and apes?

    1. A.
      To try to discover if they can make characteristic sounds.
    2. B.
      To see if they interested in playing.
    3. C.
      To find out if the laughter of apes and humans is related.
    4. D.
      To find out the differences between humans and apes.
  2. 2.

    Based on Paragraph 3 we can know that researchers measured the features in the sound to ________.

    1. A.
      find out ape sounds that hadn’t been realized before
    2. B.
      find out relations among primates’ laughter
    3. C.
      see what a family tree from each species looks like
    4. D.
      make a report online in the journal Current Biology
  3. 3.

    What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

    1. A.
      Panksepp spoke highly of the new research.
    2. B.
      Rat laughter is likely to be related to ape laughter.
    3. C.
      Robert Provine provided some new clues for the researchers.
    4. D.
      Humans don’t enjoy listening to ape laughter.
  4. 4.

    What would be the best title for the passage?

    1. A.
      Ape study explores evolution of laughter.
    2. B.
      Apes like to laugh when being tickled.
    3. C.
      Human laughter and ape laughter are different.
    4. D.
      Laughter: A Scientific Investigation.

For some people, the prospect of starting college, especially going away to school, is scary. It’s probably the first time that you’ll be totally responsible for your own schedule. What if you intend to go to college but just don’t feel ready to start yet-for whatever reason-and you don’t want to take on a full-time job after graduation? You might want to take a year off to pause and regroup. This practice is common in some countries, like the United Kingdom, where it’s called a “gapyear”.
Taking time off doesn’t mean you should ignore the idea of applying to college. In fact, you may want to consider making your college plans before you become involved in other things, especially if you’ll be travelling. Apply to schools and make your choice, then ask for a deferred admission. Rachel took a year off and worked in New York City between college and medical school. She says that she had to be extremely well organized about planning for medical school so she didn’t miss any of her deadlines. “Not only did I have to apply to schools and make plans to take my MCAT exams, I also had to make all my living arrangements and other plans for my year off!”
Even if you decide not to apply to college, it can be a great idea to take a year to do something you may not have an opportunity to do again. Lots of volunteer organizations would welcome your time and energy and would provide you with a wonderful learning experience. If you take a year off you will learn some great life skills-like living on a tight budget! If you take a year off you’ll pay your way while you are traveling or doing volunteer work.

  1. 1.

    What’s the best title of the passage?

    1. A.
      Taking Time Off
    2. B.
      Disadvantages of a “Gap Year”
    3. C.
      Plans after Graduation
    4. D.
      How to Apply to College
  2. 2.

    Going on a “gap year” means _____.

    1. A.
      asking for a year’s leave to rest at home
    2. B.
      taking a year off to pause and regroup
    3. C.
      ignoring the idea of applying to college
    4. D.
      travelling around the world before going to college
  3. 3.

    The author takes Rachel for example in the second paragraph in order to show _____.

    1. A.
      it’s not easy to take a year off
    2. B.
      it’s interesting to take a “gap year”
    3. C.
      what taking time off is like
    4. D.
      how to apply to schools
  4. 4.

    Which of the following is NOT the benefit of taking a year off?

    1. A.
      You’ll learn some great life skills.
    2. B.
      You’ll make full preparation for starting college.
    3. C.
      You’ll earn much money by taking on a full-time job.
    4. D.
      You’ll gain a wonderful learning experience by joining in a volunteer organization.

Onceupon a time there was a wise man that used to go to the sea to do his writing. Hehad a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.One day he waswalking along the shore. As he looked down at the beach, he saw a human figuremoving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought that someone woulddance on the beach. So he began to walk faster to catch up. As he got closer, hesaw that it was a young man and the young man wasn’t dancing, but instead he wasreaching down to the shore, picking up something and throwing itinto the ocean. As he got closer, he called out, “Good morning! What are youdoing?’’
Theyoung man paused, looked up and replied, “Throwingstarfishes(海星)in theocean.”
“I guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfishes in the ocean?”
“The sun is up and the tide is going out.And if I don’t throw them in, they’ll die”.
“But, young man, don’t you realize thatthere are miles and miles of beach and starfishes all along it. You can’tpossibly make a difference!”
Theyoung man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked another starfish andthrew it into the sea, and said, “It made a difference for that one.”Thereissomething very special in each and every one of us. We have all beengifted with the ability to make a difference. And if we can know that gift, wewill gain through the strength of our vision the power(力量)toshape the future.
We musteach find our starfish. And if we throw our starfish wisely and well, the worldwill be better. 

  1. 1.

    The underlined words “something very special” refers to _____. 

    1. A.
      the gifts from friends
    2. B.
      the strength of making decision
    3. C.
      our own starfish
    4. D.
      the ability to make a difference
  2. 2.

    From the last two paragraphs, we can learn that _____.

    1. A.
      the wise man realized something new and important
    2. B.
      the wise man thought it was foolish of the young man to throw starfishes in the ocean
    3. C.
      the young man had the ability to make a difference
    4. D.
      it is necessary for us to save starfish on the beach
  3. 3.

    The writer told this story to show us _____.   

    1. A.
      how and where we can write a good article
    2. B.
      everyone can do something for the future
    3. C.
      wise men are sometimes stupid
    4. D.
      young men are in fact wiser than old people

Bob was a clever college student, but his family was poor, so he had to work after class and during his holidays to get enough money for his studies.
One summer he got a job in a butcher's shop during the day time, and another in a hospital at night. In the shop, he learned to cut and sell meat. He did so well that the butcher went into a room behind the shop to do all the accounts. In the hospital, of course, Bob was told to do only the easiest jobs. He helped to lift people and carry them from one part of the hospital to another. Both in the butcher's shop and in the hospital, Bob had to wear white clothes.
One evening in the hospital, Bob had to help to carry a woman from her bed to the operating - room. The woman already felt frightened when she thought about the operation. When she saw Bob coming to get her, she felt even more frightened.
"No! No!" she cried. "Not a butcher! I won't let a butcher operate on me!" with these words ,she fainted away.

  1. 1.

    Bob had to work after class and during his holidays because_________.

    1. A.
      his father told him to make more friends
    2. B.
      he wanted to become a rich man
    3. C.
      he couldn't go on with his studies without enough money
    4. D.
      he had nothing to do at home.
  2. 2.

    One summer Bob_________.

    1. A.
      wanted to become not only a butcher but also a doctor.
    2. B.
      got two different jobs at two places
    3. C.
      was free only at night
    4. D.
      worked only during the daytime
  3. 3.

    In the hospital, Bob's job was_________.

    1. A.
      to take care of the wounded soldiers
    2. B.
      to give the doctor's advice
    3. C.
      to find out what was wrong with the sick people
    4. D.
      to carry the sick people from one place to another

In terms of history, Australian cuisine（烹饪）was on the basis of traditional British cooking brought to the country by the first settlers.Modern Australian cuisine，however.has been heavily influenced by Australia’ s Asian and Southeast Asian neighbors.The trend，encouraged by long-term government health programs，is towards low-fat healthy cookery including low-fat meat and lightly cooked，colorful，steamed or fried vegetables.Besides，1ike many English families，in many Australian homes，a widespread tradition of having roast turkey，chicken，and ham for Christmas 1unch or dinner still remains.
Generally breakfast is light in most parts of Australia.but in the colder regions porridge or meals similar to the full English breakfast may be consumed.In recent years，however，most Australian people prefer light breakfast in order to control their weight.The 1ight breakfast commonly consists of cereals（谷类），toast and fruit.A heavier breakfast will frequently include fried bacon，eggs，mushrooms，etc.Drinks taken at breakfast include tea，coffee，milk or juice.
The evening meal is the main meal of the day for most Australians，and when consumed at home，it is often eaten with members of the immediate family.The dishes served will vary widely according to the tastes and background of the family.A typical Australian restaurant might offer sandwiches，chicken or other meat-based dishes and cakes.
In recent years，take—away food is becoming popular in Australia.American-style chain restaurants are common including Subway，KFC，and Mcdonald’s.They a11 come from America.Most of these restaurants sell high quality food at reasonable prices.
With the high 1evels of immigration（移民）from the Middle East.South and Southeast Asia.Korea.China and other countries from a11 over the world to Australia.many authentic（正宗的）and high-quality restaurants are run by first-and second-generation immigrants from these areas.

  1. 1.

    According to the first paragraph，what does the Australian government encourage its people to do?

    1. A.
      To try to eat 10w—fat healthy foods.
    2. B.
      To have roast turkey for Christmas dinner.
    3. C.
      To use traditional British cooking methods.
    4. D.
      To 1earn from Asian neighbors to cook foods.
  2. 2.

    The main idea of the second paragraph is         .

    1. A.
      what breakfast is 1ike in Australia
    2. B.
      w hat Australian people drink at breakfast
    3. C.
      that Australians often have a heavy breakfast
    4. D.
      that most Australian people don’ t have breakfast to lose weight
  3. 3.

    The underlined part the immediate family in Paragraph 3 probably mean people who      .

    1. A.
      have the same family names
    2. B.
      do some cooking together at times
    3. C.
      live next to one another in the same area
    4. D.
      are very directly – related members of a family
  4. 4.

    From the passage, we learn that        .

    1. A.
      fewer and fewer immigrants enter Australia every year
    2. B.
      Subway is a chain restaurant and it is from the USA
    3. C.
      home cooking is becoming more and more popular in Australia
    4. D.
      a typical restaurant mainly offers porridge and noodles for supper

When Christina Brouder was five years old, a drunk driver ran over her as she and her father were crossing the street in front of their home.Hurt badly, the young girl was forced to spend a long time in a full-body cast（石膏） to recover from her injuries.Mostly, she traveled between the hospital and her home.Once out of the cast, Brouder sat in a wheelchair for almost a year.
In spite of the horrible accident, Christina was grateful for her recovery.She was so grateful, in fact, that she and her four talented siblings（兄弟姐妹）（ three sisters and a brother） started a music group, Gilbride.The group performed at local hospitals and nursing homes, performing for the patients.Among them, the children could sing, dance and play about 20 different musical instruments.At their first show in 1988, held at Montefiore Hospital, the kids were 2,3,6,8 and 9 years old.That year alone, the group made over a hundred appearances.
From the local public entertainment places, the group expanded to charity performances.They also entertained people at Disney World, Radio City Music Hall, and even the White House.
Christina balanced her happy and successful musical career with academics.First graduating from New York City’s High School of Music and Art，and then from Fordham.In 2000，as t he youngest graduate from Fordham，1 8一year—old Christina and her siblings went on tour for a year.Not pleased with the applause she received from the audience, she entered Pace University Law School.On May 19，Christina Brouder realized part of her dream when at only 22，she received Health Law Certificate（文凭）.

  1. 1.

    What happened to Christina when she was five years old?

    1. A.
      She was coldly deserted by her father.
    2. B.
      She got a strange and serious disease.
    3. C.
      She had to give performances to make a living.
    4. D.
      She was seriously injured in a traffic accident.
  2. 2.

    According to the text，Christina was        .

    1. A.
      thankful and hardworking
    2. B.
      a little shy but gentle
    3. C.
      a 1ittle stupid and 1azy
    4. D.
      sad and bored with her 1ife
  3. 3.

    According to the passage，the siblings          .

    1. A.
      were talented in music
    2. B.
      were interested in sports
    3. C.
      were enthusiastic about writing
    4. D.
      had the ability to draw very well
  4. 4.

    In terms of time，what is the correct order of the things Christina did?
    a.She graduated from Fordham.
    b.Christina received Health Law Certificate.
    c.Their first show was held at Montefiore Hospital.
    d.She and her siblings entertained at the White House.

    1. A.
      d，a，b，c
    2. B.
      d，c，b，a
    3. C.
      c，d，a，b
    4. D.
      c，b，d，a

Although Thomas Edison created the technologies behind three major 21st century industries  electrical power，recorded music and movies—his greatest invention may have been the modern method of inventing.He basically came up with the modern system of research and development.Edison was not the only scientist doing research in his garage but someone who gathered around him a team of creative scientific minds.Edison’s 1aboratories were the forerunners（先驱）of Apple，Google and Microsoft.
Yet for a11 his scientific gifts，he was no Steve Jobs or Bill Gates.He once said，“Anything that won’ t sell，I don’ t want to invent.” But Edison，unlike Jobs or Gates，had no real sense of what the public wanted or how to change his discoveries into products that might sell.It took him years to understand that the phonograph（留声机）was not a business tool but an entertainment invention.He helped create movies but resisted the idea that people might want to go into a theater to watch one.
We chose Edison this year because we need his example now more than ever.Though we live in a time of great reformation，the U.S.is in danger of losing its advantage in science and technology.American investment（投资）in research and development has not increased as a percentage of GDP since the mid一1980s，while the government’ s share has been dropping.And this is at a time when China is rapidly increasing its money on research and development.The U.S.was once among the 1eading nations.Now it ranks near the bottom of the 23 nations that collect such data.We hope that Edison’ s story might not only encourage reformation but also inspire more
young Americans to study science and engineering.

  1. 1.

    The first paragraph is mainly about        .

    1. A.
      the number of Edison’ s great inventions
    2. B.
      Edison’ s special personal characters
    3. C.
      Edi son’ s modern system of research
    4. D.
      Apple.Google and Microsoft and their forerunners
  2. 2.

    Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

    1. A.
      A11 the things Edison invented sold well.
    2. B.
      Edison wanted to invent things that sold well.
    3. C.
      Edison’ s inventions were not valuable for being unpopular.
    4. D.
      Edison had a gift for changing his discoveries into best sellers.
  3. 3.

    The author’ s main purpose is to   .

    1. A.
      inform US of the danger the USA is in
    2. B.
      get young Americans to study science
    3. C.
      be in honor of Edison for his contributions
    4. D.
      tell US how important Edison’ s inventions are
  4. 4.

    We can infer from the text that   .

    1. A.
      the USA is no 10nger advanced in science and technology
    2. B.
      the USA falls behind China in research and inventions
    3. C.
      more and more young Americans will be interested in science
    4. D.
      China is spending more and more money on research and development

The young boy saw me, or rather, he saw the car and quickly ran up to me, eager to sell his Hunches (串) of bananas and bags of peanuts．Though he appeared to be about twelve, he seemed to have already known the bitterness of life．“Banana 300 naira．Peanuts 200 naira.” He said in a low voice．I bargained him down to 200 total for the fruit and nuts．When he agreed, I handed him a 500 naira bill．He didn’t have change, so I told him not to worry．He said thanks and smiled a row of perfect teeth.
When, two weeks later, I saw the boy again, I was more aware of my position in a society where it’s not that uncommon to see a little boy who should be in school standing on the corner selling fruit in the burning sun．My parents had raised me to be aware of the advantage we had been afforded and the responsibility it brought to us. I pulled over and rolled down my window．He had a bunch of bananas and a bag of peanuts ready．I waved them away．“What’s up?” I asked him．“I … I don’t have money to buy books for school.” I reached into my pocket and handed him two fresh 500 naira bills．
“Will this help?” I asked．He looked around nervously before taking the money．One thousand naira was a lot of money to someone whose family probably made about 5,000 naira or less each year．
“Thank you, sir,” he said．“Thank you very much!”
When driving home, I wondered if my little friend actually used the money for schoolbooks.
What  if he’s a swindler (骗子)? And then I wondered why I did it．Did I do it to make myself feel better? Was I using him? Later, I realized that I didn’t know his name or the least bit about him, nor did I think to ask.
Over the next six months, I was busy working in a news agency in northern Nigeria. Sometime after I returned, I went out for a drive．When I was about to pull over, the boy suddenly appeared by my window with a big smile ready on his face. “Oh, gosh! Long time.”  “Are you in school now?” I asked. He nodded. “That’s good,” I said．A silence fell as we looked at each other, and then I realized what he wanted．“Here,” I held out a 500 naira bill．“Take this.” He shook his head and stepped back as if hurt．“What’s wrong?” I asked．“It’s a gift.” He shook his head again and brought his hand from behind his back．His face shone with sweat．He dropped a bunch of bananas and a bag of peanuts in the front seat before he said, “I’ve been waiting to give these to you.”

  1. 1.

    What was the author’s first impression of the boy?

    1. A.
      He seemed to be poor and greedy．
    2. B.
      He seemed to have suffered a lot
    3. C.
      He seemed younger than his age
    4. D.
      He seemed good at bargaining
  2. 2.

    The second time the author met the boy, the boy ______.

    1. A.
      told him his purpose of selling fruit and nuts
    2. B.
      wanted to express his thanks
    3. C.
      asked him for money for his schoolbooks
    4. D.
      tried to take advantage of him
  3. 3.

    Why did the author give his money to the boy?

    1. A.
      Because he had enough money to do that
    2. B.
      Because he had learnt to help others since childhood
    3. C.
      Because he held a higher position in the society
    4. D.
      Because he had been asked by the news agency to do so
  4. 4.

    Which of the following best describes the boy?

    1. A.
      Brave and polite．
    2. B.
      Kind and smart
    3. C.
      Honest and thankful．
    4. D.
      Shy and nervous

Combining families with kids can be tough and offers even more unexpected problems. You just don’t know how things will shake out until everyone is under one roof, trying on new roles with name that start with “step”. This is what happened to Sheila and Will, and Sheila’s 8-year-old daughter Ashley. After the couple got married, and Will became the member of the new family, things got worse than expected. How did they make it work? Read the full version of the story here.
Shelia’s Turn: When Shelia and Will were dating, he seemed like kids, especially Ashley. He’d bring her presents, play games with her. But after the wedding, things took a turn. Will suddenly became a super strict stepfather, scolding Ashley for watching too much cartoons, constantly picking fights and punishing her for offenses as small as spilling milk. Shelia’s thought about leaving Will, but soon after they married, they had a son, Billy. Will adores his well-behaved boy, but Ashley hates him. Shelia doesn’t know what to do--- her daughter is miserable, but leaving her husband might mean losing her son.
Will’s turn: Will was so excited to be a male role model in Ashley’s life. He didn’t just want to be a guy living in her house; he wanted to treat her like his own daughter, which, to Will, meant giving Ashley more rules and help her learn responsibility. He’d always felt that Shelia let Ashley loose on everything. But after the wedding, Will was surprised that Shelia didn’t want him to do that. If Will takes away Ashley’s TV privileges or tells her to clean up her room, Shelia just lets Ashley do what she likes and does it herself. Will was tired of this and he’d rather take his son and go.
The advisor’s turn: The counselor(顾问) quickly recognized their conflict as a classic case of unspoken, hidden expectations. Before the wedding, when it was just Shelia and Will, everything was easy. But now, everyone in their big family is competing for attention, and the couple never sat down and discussed the biggest issue---their child-upbringing philosophies(育儿经). The counselor suggested Shelia allow Will to give some rules on Ashley but Will’s punishments couldn’t be extreme. Once Ashley saw that her mom and stepdad had become a united front, she cooperated more.

  1. 1.

    The text is most likely to be found in a book about______.

    1. A.
      popular science
    2. B.
      historical events
    3. C.
      social problems
    4. D.
      political systems
  2. 2.

    The reasons for Ashley’s dislike of Will are as follows except_____?

    1. A.
      Will often picked fights with Ashley.
    2. B.
      Ashley often spilled milk on the floor.
    3. C.
      Will always punished her for bad behaviors.
    4. D.
      Ashley was stopped watching too many cartoons.
  3. 3.

    What can we know about Will?

    1. A.
      Will has a good intention.
    2. B.
      Will does not love children
    3. C.
      Will does not love Shelia any more
    4. D.
      Will’s way of parenting is very perfect.
  4. 4.

    It can be inferred from the passage that the advisor’s attitude to their problem?

    1. A.
      Negative
    2. B.
      Objective
    3. C.
      Critical
    4. D.
      . Subjective

Charles Blackman: Alice in Wonderland
An Exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria （NGV）, Australia
10 June—12 August 2009
Venue（地点）   The Ian Potter Centre
Admission     Free entry
Charles Blackman is famous for his beautiful painting of dreams. In 1956, he heard for the first time Lewis Carroll’s extraordinary tale of Alice in Wonderland — the story of a Victorian girl who falls down a rabbit hole, meets a lot of funny characters and experience all kinds of things .At that time, Blackman’s wife was suffering form progressive blindness. The story of Alice moving through the strange situations, often disheartened by various events, was similar to his wife’s experiences. It also reflected so much of his own life. All this contributed to the completion of the Alice in Wonderland paintings.
Illustrator Workshop
Go straight to the experts for an introductory course in book illustration. The course includes an introduction to the process of illustration and its techniques, workshop exercise and group projects.
Dates Sunday 17 June &Sunday 5Aug.10am—1pm
Venue Gas Works Arts Park
Wonderful World
Celebrate the exhibition and Children’s Book Week with special activities just for the day, including a special visit from Alice and the White Rabbit.
Date  Sunday 24 June, 11am—4pm
Venue Exhibition Space, Level 3
Topsy- Turvy
Visit the exhibition or discover wonderful curiosities in artworks in the NGV Collection and make a magic world in a box. Alice and the White Rabbit will be with you. Walt Disney’s Alice in Wonderland will be screened.
Dates Sunday 8,15,22,29 July ,and Tuesday 24—Friday 27 July ,12noon—3pm
Venue Theatre, NGV Australia
Drawing Workshop
Distortions of scale (比例失真) can make artworks strange but interesting.Find out how Charles Blackman distorted scale in his paintings to create a curious world, then experiment with scale in your own drawings. More information upon booking.
Date Friday 27 July, 10:30am—3pm
Venue Foyer, Level 3

  1. 1.

    Charles Blackman’s paintings come from _______.

    1. A.
      his admiration for Lewis Carroll
    2. B.
      his dream of becoming a famous artist
    3. C.
      his wish to express his own feelings
    4. D.
      his eagerness to cure his wife’s illness
  2. 2.

    Which two activities can you participate in on the same day?

    1. A.
      Illustrator Workshop and Wonderful World
    2. B.
      Illustrator Workshop and Drawing Workshop.
    3. C.
      Wonderful World and Topsy –Turvy.
    4. D.
      Topsy-Turvy and Drawing Workshop.
  3. 3.

    To understand the Alice in Wonderland paintings, you should go to _______.

    1. A.
      Exhibition Space. Level 3
    2. B.
      Gas Works Arts Park
    3. C.
      Theatre, NGV Australia
    4. D.
      Foyer, Level 3
  4. 4.

    Activities concerning children’s books are to be held _______.

    1. A.
      on June 24, 2009
    2. B.
      on July15, 2009
    3. C.
      on July 27, 2009
    4. D.
      on August 5, 2009
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