American researchers found females are the more talkative sex because of a special “language protein(蛋白质)” in the brain.

    The study, conducted by neuroscientists （神经学家）and psychologist from the University of Maryland, concluded that women talked more because they had more of the Foxp2 protein. The research, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, found that higher levels were found among humans that were women but in rats that were males. Their findings came after it was previously claimed that ladies speak about 20,000 words a day – over 13,000 more than men. “This study is one of the first to report a sex difference in the expression of a language-associated protein in humans or animals,” said Prof Margaret McCarthy, who led the study. In their study, the researchers attempted to determine what might make male rats more vocal than their female friends. 

They separated four-day-old rats from their mothers and then counted the number of times they cried out in the “ultrasonic range”, the frequencies higher than humans can hear, over five minutes. While both sexes called out hundreds of cries, the males called out twice as often, they found. But when the pups were returned to their mother’s cage, she fussed over her sons first. Tests conducted on the parts of the brain known to be associated with vocalcalls showed the male pups have up to twice as much Foxp2 protein as the females. The researchers then increased the production in the brains of female pups and reduced it in males. This led to the female rats crying out more often and their mothers showing more interest to them. In contrast, males became less “talkative”.

The researchers then tested samples from ten children, aged between three and five, which showed that females had up to 30 per cent more of the Foxp2 protein than males, in a brain area key to language in humans.

“Based on our observations, we assume higher levels of Foxp2 in girls and higher levels of Foxp2 in male rats is an indication that Foxp2 protein levels are associated with the more communicative sex,” said Prof McCarthy.

“Our results imply Foxp2 as a component of the neurobiological basis of sex differences in vocal communication in mammals. ”

1.From the second paragraph, we can learn that ________.

A．women always speak more words than men

B．men and male rats have low levels of language protein

C．women and male rats have similar levels of Foxp2

D．McCarthy isn’t the first to find females more talkative

2.The underlined phrase “fussed over” in the third paragraph probably means______.

A．paid attention to B．related to    C．put pressure on  D．counted on

3.The researchers carried out the experiments on rats in order to _______.

A．test which part of the brain is key to language in rats and humans

B．prove the levels of Foxp2 protein in humans and rats are different

C．determine the reason why female rats are more talkative than male rats

D．discover the association between Foxp2protein and vocal communication

4.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage ?

A．Tests on humans and rats

B．Why women are the talkative sex

C．Sex differences in Foxp2 protein

D．Foxp2 protein determines oral ability

         I once heard someone say, “We don’t remember days; we remember moments.” However, in today’s busy life we often forget to enjoy small pleasures while we make big plans.

         In the race to be better or best, we sometimes lose sight of “just being”. And just being and enjoying a beautiful moment can provide some of life’s greatest pleasures. A fire on a cold winter night, a good book, an impressive sunset, a great meal, or a timeless moment with your child or a friend ．．． these moments, if we stop long enough to enjoy, are the essence (本质) of life.

         I love to fish, especially for large-mouth bass (鲈鱼). About three years ago I was watching television late at night and got this crazy idea to go fishing in the lake behind my house. Of course, my wife thought I was nuts. It was almost midnight! I told her I was fine and took off.

         I walked out to a warm summer breeze and looked up at the starry sky and breathtaking full moon. I allowed my senses to soak (浸泡) in every second — the sweet smell of flowers, the sound of every cricket (蟋蟀), the moon’s reflection dancing off the water — it was a perfect night.

         After walking across a small field, I took out a flashlight, and selected a lure (饵). On my first cast I got a bass weighing over five pounds, one of the largest I had ever caught. I gently put it back into the water and continued my midnight adventure. During the next two hours I caught seventeen bass, all between two and five pounds. Although I’ve fished for almost fifty years, no fishing memory can top that night.

         But that night provided far more than a fishing memory. It was a life memory. It provided me a picture of what life could be like if I just slowed down enough to enjoy the moments. On my way back to the house, as I walked through the tall grass, I took one last look at the sky and stopped to say, “Thank you, God, for giving me this night.”

64. The purpose of the passage is to ______.

A. suggest people should make big plans                                   

B. tell people to do what they like

C. advise people to enjoy beautiful moments

D. encourage people to follow their dreams

65. What does the underlined word “nuts” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A. Determined.                       B. Ill.         C. Tired.                           D. Crazy.

66. The fourth paragraph is mainly about ______.

A. the description of the night

B. the author’s fishing experience

C. the author’s attitude towards life

D. what the author did that night

67. We can learn from the passage that night the author ______.

A. caught fewer fish than before

B. enjoyed real small pleasures

C. went to bed around 1:00 am

D. went fishing with his wife

Little did I know that I was about to see something I would never forget at the Kentucky Association of School Administrators.

They introduced the young musician---Mr Patrick Henry Hughes. He was rolled onto the stage in his wheelchair and began to play the piano. His fingers danced across the keys as he made beautiful music.

About ten minutes into Patrick’s performance, someone came on the stage and said, “I’d like to share a seven-minute video about Patrick Hughes.” Then the lights were turned down.

Patrick Henry Hughes was born with no eyes and a tightening of the joints(关节), which left him disabled for life. However, he was fitted with artificial eyes and placed in a wheelchair. Before his first birthday, he discovered the piano. His mom said, “I could hit any note on the piano, and within one or two tries, he’d get it.” By his second birthday, he was playing records people asked for. His father was ecstatic. “We might not play baseball, but we can play music together.”

Today, Patrick is a junior. His father attends classes with him and he’s made nearly all A’s. He’s also a part of a 214-member marching band(游乐乐队). He’s a blind, wheelchair-bound trumpet player; he and his father do it together. In order to attend Patrick’s classes and every band practice, his father works the night shift(夜班) at United Parcel Service. Patrick says, “My dad’s my hero.”

On stage, between songs, Patrick talked to the audience about his life and about how blessed he was, “God made me blind and unable to walk. BIG DEAL! He gave me musical gifts and the great opportunity to meet new people.”

When his performance was over, the crowd rose to their feet and cheered for over five minutes.

1.The underlined word “ecstatic” could be replaced by “_________”.

A. relaxed    B. disappointed    C. anxious    D. delighted

2.What do we know about Patrick’s father?

A. He taught Patrick to play the piano.

B. He does part-time jobs in the daytime.

C. He accompanies Patrick in class and practice.

D. He expects Patrick to become a famous musician.

3.We know from the text that Patrick Henry Hughes ______________.

A. began to play the piano at age two

B. is in charge of a marching band

C. is now a high school student

D. admires his father greatly.

4.The story of Patrick Henry Hughes mainly teaches us to _______________.

A. develop an interest in music

B. be grateful for what we have

C. be ready to help people in trouble

D. work hard to achieve great success

It's the end of class. When the bell rings, students of Luohu Foreign Languages School in Shenzhen quickly take out their cell phones. They want to log on to their micro blogs（微博） to check the interesting things that have happened in the last hour.
Since last year, thetrend of micro blogging has swept the country. Recent surveys shows that most students in middle schools have a micro blog and some even update their blogs over five times per day.
"We learn many fresh and interesting things on micro blogs and they have become popular topics in class," said Andy Liang, 14. "If you do not know about them, you are out."
It is also a great place for students to let out stress. "My parents always ask me to study hard, and encourage me before exams, but it really adds pressure," said Simon Zhang, 15. "When I share these feelings on my micro blog, I get many replies from friends in the same situation, which makes me feel better."
But parents are worried that micro blogging could be a waste of time. Some misleading messages may even cause danger to kids, they said.
Mr. Shen, a professor at the China Education Association, suggests parents not worry too much as long as kids are not crazy about micro blogging. Maybe it can become a window for parents to understand their children. "If parents can read their children's micro blogs, they'll know their thoughts, thus leading to better communication and solutions to problems," he said. He also gives some tips for kids.
-Don't micro blog for more than one hour a day.
-Never micro blog in class.
-Try to talk face to face with people from time to time.
-Be critical(批判性的). Don't trust all the messages on a micro blog.
【小题1】Students log on to their micro blogs to           .

It's the end of class. When the bell rings, students of Luohu Foreign Languages School in Shenzhen quickly take out their cell phones. They want to log on to their micro blogs（微博） to check the interesting things that have happened in the last hour.

Since last year, thetrend of micro blogging has swept the country. Recent surveys shows that most students in middle schools have a micro blog and some even update their blogs over five times per day.

"We learn many fresh and interesting things on micro blogs and they have become popular topics in class," said Andy Liang, 14. "If you do not know about them, you are out."

It is also a great place for students to let out stress. "My parents always ask me to study hard, and encourage me before exams, but it really adds pressure," said Simon Zhang, 15. "When I share these feelings on my micro blog, I get many replies from friends in the same situation, which makes me feel better."

But parents are worried that micro blogging could be a waste of time. Some misleading messages may even cause danger to kids, they said.

Mr. Shen, a professor at the China Education Association, suggests parents not worry too much as long as kids are not crazy about micro blogging. Maybe it can become a window for parents to understand their children. "If parents can read their children's micro blogs, they'll know their thoughts, thus leading to better communication and solutions to problems," he said. He also gives some tips for kids.

-Don't micro blog for more than one hour a day.

-Never micro blog in class.

-Try to talk face to face with people from time to time.

-Be critical(批判性的). Don't trust all the messages on a micro blog.

1.Students log on to their micro blogs to           .

2.Micro blog made Simon      when he shared his feelings and got replies on his micro blog.

3.We can know from Mr. Shen that micro blogging can           .

4.Don't micro blog for           a day.

A more than one hour    B. less than one hour   C. one hour   D. more than two hours

5.Which is Wrong ?