Birds that are half-asleep — with one brain hemisphere (半球) alert(警觉) and the other sleeping — control which side of the brain remains awake, according to a new study of sleeping ducks.

    Earlier studies have recorded half-brain sleep in a wide range of birds. The brain hemispheres take turns sinking into the sleep stage characterized by slow brain waves. The eye controlled by the sleeping hemisphere keeps shut, while the wakeful hemisphere’s eye stays open and alert. Birds also can sleep with both hemispheres resting at once.

    Decades of studies of bird groups led researchers to predict extra alertness in the end-of-the-row sleepers which tend to be attacked more easily. Sure enough, the end birds tended to watch carefully on the side away from their companions. Ducks in the inner spots showed no preference for gaze(注视) direction.

    Also, birds napping (打盹) at the end of the line depend on single-hemisphere sleep, rather than total relaxation, more often than inner ducks did. Turning 16 birds through the positions in a four-duck row, the researchers found that compared with 12 percent for birds in inner spots, outer birds half-asleep during some 32 percent of napping time.

    “We believe this is the first evidence for an animal behaviorally controlling sleep and wakefulness at the same time in different regions of the brain,” the researchers say.

    The results provide the best evidence for a long-standing assumption that single-hemisphere sleep developed over time as creatures scanned for enemies. The preference for opening an eye on the lookout side could be widespread, he predicts. He’s seen it in a pair of birds napping side-by-side in the zoo and in a single pet bird sleeping by a mirror. The mirror-side eye closed as if the reflection were a companion and the other eye stayed open.

    Useful as half-sleeping might be, it’s only been found in birds and such water animals as dolphins, whales, and seals. Perhaps keeping one side of the brain awake allows a sleeping animal to surface occasionally to avoid drowning.

    Studies of birds may offer unique insights into sleep. Jerome M. Siegel of the UCLA says he wonders if birds’ half-brain sleep “is just the tip of the iceberg.” He supposes that more examples may turn up when we take a closer look at other species.

1.According to the passage, birds often half sleep because ______.

    A. they have to watch out for possible attacks

    B. their brain hemispheres take turns to rest

    C. the two halves of their brain are differently organized

    D. they have to constantly keep an eye on their companions

2.What is implied about the example of a bird’s sleeping in front of a mirror?

    A. An imagined companion gives the bird a sense of security.

    B. Birds prefer to sleep in pairs for the sake of their security.

    C. The phenomenon of birds napping in pairs is widespread.

D. A single pet bird enjoys seeing its own reflection in the mirror.

3.It can be inferred that _______.

A. Birds never sleep with both hemispheres resting at once.

B. Inner ducks depend on single-hemisphere sleep, rather than total relaxation, as often as birds napping at the end of the line do

C. It is not the first time for scientists to research on birds’ half-brain sleep 

D. Birds hardly sleep without a companion

4.By saying “just the tip of the iceberg”, Siegel suggests that _______.

    A. half-brain sleep has something to do with icy weather

    B. the mystery of half-brain sleep is close to being solved

    C. most birds living in cold regions tend to be half sleepers

    D. half-brain sleep may exist among other species

I was a single parent of four small children, working at a low-paid job. Money was always not enough, but we had a   36  over our heads, food on the table, clothes on our backs, and if not a lot, always   37 . Not knowing we were poor, my kids (孩子们) just thought I was   38 . I’ve always been glad about that.

It was Christmas time, and although there wasn’t enough   39  for a lot of gifts, we planned to hold a family party. And the big   40  for the kids was the fun of Christmas   41 .

They planned weeks ahead of time, asking   42  what they wanted for Christmas. Luckily, I had saved $120 for them to buy   43 .

The big   44  arrived. I gave each kid a twenty-dollar bill and   45  them to look for gifts of about four dollars each. Then everyone scattered(散开). We had two hours to shop; then we would   46  again at the “Santa’s Workshop”.

Driving home, everyone was in high Christmas spirits,   47  my younger daughter, Ginger, who was unusually   48 . She had only one small, flat bag with a few candies　— fifty-cent candies! I was so angry, but I didn’t say anything   49  we got home. I called her into my bedroom and closed the door, ready to be   50  again. This is what she told me.

“I was looking   51 , thinking of what to buy, and I   52  to read the little cards on the ‘Giving Trees.’ One was for a little girl, four years old, and all she   53  for Christmas was a doll(玩具娃娃). So I took the card off the tree and   54  the doll for her. We have so much and she doesn’t have anything.”

I never felt so   55  as I did that day.

1.                A．roof           B．hat            C．sky  D．star

2.                A．little           B．less            C．enough   D．more

3.                A．busy           B．serious         C．strict D．kind

4.                A．effort          B．room           C．time D．money

5.                A．improvement    B．problem        C．surprise  D．excitement

6.                A．shopping       B．travelling        C．parties   D．greetings

7.                A．the other       B．each other      C．one by one    D．every other one

8.                A．toys           B．clothes         C．presents  D．bills

9.                A．day            B．chance         C．cheque   D．tree

10.               A．forced         B．reminded       C．invited    D．begged

11.               A．draw          B．stay           C．move D．meet

12.               A．including       B．besides         C．except    D．regarding

13.               A．quiet          B．excited         C．happy D．ashamed

14.               A．since          B．after           C．while D．until

15.               A．happy          B．angry          C．joyful     D．glad

16.               A．out            B．over           C．forward   D．around

17.               A．forgot          B．stopped        C．failed D．hated

18.               A．wanted         B．did            C．got   D．played

19.               A．made          B．searched       C．bought    D．fetched

20.               A．painful         B．rich           C．disappointed   D．angry

I was a single parent of four small children, working at a low-paid job. Money was always not enough, but we had a   36  over our heads, food on the table, clothes on our backs, and if not a lot, always   37 . Not knowing we were poor, my kids (孩子们) just thought I was   38 . I’ve always been glad about that.
It was Christmas time, and although there wasn’t enough   39  for a lot of gifts, we planned to hold a family party. And the big   40  for the kids was the fun of Christmas   41 .
They planned weeks ahead of time, asking   42  what they wanted for Christmas. Luckily, I had saved $120 for them to buy   43 .
The big   44  arrived. I gave each kid a twenty-dollar bill and   45  them to look for gifts of about four dollars each. Then everyone scattered(散开). We had two hours to shop; then we would   46  again at the “Santa’s Workshop”.
Driving home, everyone was in high Christmas spirits,   47  my younger daughter, Ginger, who was unusually   48 . She had only one small, flat bag with a few candies　— fifty-cent candies! I was so angry, but I didn’t say anything   49  we got home. I called her into my bedroom and closed the door, ready to be   50  again. This is what she told me.
“I was looking   51 , thinking of what to buy, and I   52  to read the little cards on the ‘Giving Trees.’ One was for a little girl, four years old, and all she   53  for Christmas was a doll(玩具娃娃). So I took the card off the tree and   54  the doll for her. We have so much and she doesn’t have anything.”
I never felt so   55  as I did that day.

This is news on the Hour, Ed Wilson reporting. The president and First Lady will visit Africa on a goodwill tour in May. They plan to visit eight African countries.

 Reports from Chinese want close ties between China and the US and Western Europe. A group of top Chinese scientists start in ten-nation tour next month.

Here in Miami, the mayor is still meeting with the leaders of the Teachers’ Union to try to find a way to end the strike. City schools are still closed after two weeks.

In news about health, scientists in California report findings of a relationship between the drinking of coffee and the increase of heart disease among women.  According to the report in the American Medical Journal (杂志), the five-year study shows this: Women who drink more than two cups of coffee a day have a greater chance of having heart disease than women who do not.

In sports, the Chargers lost again last night. The BBS beat them 1 to nothing. The Wingers had better results. They beat the Rifles 7 to 3. It was their first win of their last five matches. That’s the news of the Hour. And now back to more easy listening with Jan Singer.

To improve the ties between China and the US and Western Europe, China ______.

A. will send a group of Chinese scientists to visit the US and. Western Europe

B. has expressed its strong wishes

C. will send some scientists to visit the US only

D. has given many reports to improve the ties

From the news in Miami we know ______.

    A. a peaceful way will soon be found

    B. students can’t go into the school because the classrooms are locked

    C. students haven’t been to school for two weeks

    D. the teachers’ strike will last long

The news about health tells us that ______.

    A. no heart disease will be found if people don’t drink coffee

    B. no one should drink more than two cups of coffee a day

    C. the more coffee people drink, the more chance they’ll get to have heart disease

    D. women’s heart disease has something to do with their drinking coffee

From the last news we do not know ______.

A. the results of the two matches      

B. the number of the teams which played last night

C. how many wins the BBS has had altogether

D. the Wingers played against the Rifles

“Hey, Jenna, do you think we’ ll still be friends when we’re eighty-two?” I asked my friend.

    Losing Jenna would be like losing a very close sister.

 “Of course, we’ll still be friends when we’re eighty-two,” Jenna announced loudly

The next year, in Grade Four, we met Jamie. The three of us soon became close friends. We played together almost every day. I thought even time couldn’t pull us apart, but I was sadly mistaken.

The three of us started fighting a lot. Before Christmas, We had a really big fight, and Jamie and Jenna were against me, both saying I was bossy (专横的). I felt helpless and lonely. I thought Christmas would be horrible!

I was surprised when Jenna came to my house and gave me a terrible Christmas card she had made for me. I was so sure that she was still disappointed with me.

 “Wow,” I said, breaking the silence as we stood on either side of my front door. “Thanks.”

 “Okay…well… I have to go,” she said softly.

 “Okay. See you later then…” and I closed the door.

 “Who was that at the door?” my mom asked.

“It was Jenna, my classmate.” I said.

The card started off with “Merry Christmas”, but then it said, “I am so glad we’re friends. I am sorry about what I said when we were fighting. A fight won’t stop us from being friends. Besides, we said we were going to be friends even when we’re eighty-two.”

I stopped reading and started laughing. I couldn’t believe I had forgotten what she said that day in the backyard. I couldn’t believe I had been so selfish in trying to make my friends feel sorry for me.

The best title for this passage would be______________.

A. Jenna and I

B. Friends Forever

C. Friendship is very important.

D. Friendship is very necessary.

How would the author and Jenna get along with each other after Christmas?

A. They would be close friends again.

B. They would not speak to each other.

C. They would lose touch with each other.

D. They would go on fighting with each other.

What can we learn from the underlined sentences?

A. The author was sure Jenna felt sorry for her.

B. The author didn’t think Jenna was still angry with her.

C. The author hadn’t thought Jenna would send her a Christmas card.

D. The author knew Jenna would come to see her and said sorry to her.

Which of the following is the right time order according to the passage?

a. Jamie became the author’s friend.

b. The author felt lonely and unhappy.

c. Jenna, Jamie and the author fought.

d. Jenna brought the author a Christmas card.

e. The author was sorry for what she did.

f. Jenna and the author promised to be lifelong friends.

A. f-a-b-c-e-d                      B. a-c-f-b-d-e

C. a-b-c-f-e-d                      D. f-a-c-b-d-e