Humans and elephants don’t always get along. In Africa and Asia, elephants damage equipment, farmers’ crops, and natural habitat for other species. If an elephant becomes a problem, humans may kill it. So local people and animal protectionists are trying to find better ways to keep elephants away from sensitive places. Now, researchers think they have a good tool to prevent elephants: honeybee pheromones (信息素).
“Elephants dislike being stung(叮咬) in the trunk, because it’s an extremely sensitive organ. Imagine being stung in your nose by a bee, and multiply that a few thousand times.” said Mark Wright, a professor at the University of Hawaii.
Kenyan farmers have long known that if they hang live beehives (蜂箱) around their farms, they will drive elephants away. The problem is how to manage hundreds of thousands of hives, if you have a huge area to protect. And then the idea came up to look at the alarm pheromones, which are chemicals that the bees release to launch an attack on something that’s damaging the hive.
So the researchers tested out an artificial mixture of chemicals that imitates (模仿) honey bees’ alarm pheromones. The researchers hung white socks treated with the artificial mixture as well as untreated control socks around an elephant watering hole, and then observed the animals’ behavior. “Elephants are really curious creatures. They’ll walk along and see something like a sock hanging on a branch. If it’s not treated with the alarm pheromones, they’ll pick it up, throw it around, and try to taste it, things like that. And in the case of the treated ones, they would show immediate signs of unease or uncertainty, and they’d eventually back off from them.”
In order to avoid the elephants more effectively, the researchers plan to make the pheromone mixture purer. That way, elephants will stay far away from wherever they should not be going-and both elephants and humans can coexist a bit more peacefully.
1.What can we infer from the underlined sentence in paragraph 2?
A.Bees enjoy stinging elephants.
B.Elephants’ trunk is a sensitive organ.
C.Being stung in the trunk is unbearable to elephants.
D.Honeybee pheromones make elephants suffer great pain.
2.Why didn’t the researchers hang live beehives to keep elephants away from crops?
A.Because it’s not practical.
B.Because it doesn’t work to elephants.
C.Because elephants like the taste of honey.
D.Because researchers prefer to invent new chemicals.
3.Paragraph 4 mainly tells us_________.
A.how the experiment was carried out
B.elephants’ reaction to the white socks
C.how to imitate honeybee alarm pheromones
D.why the team hung two different white socks
4.What’s the purpose of the research?
A.To cut down the number of elephants.
B.To keep elephants away with bees’ stings.
C.To prevent elephants from damaging crops.
D.To better the relation between humans and elephants.
I was ever bullied badly when I was in high school. One kid in particular would try to make me feel worse in every way he knew. For example, he would throw stuff at me constantly, hit me on the head, punch me, call me ugly and stupid, make fun of me and, of course tell me he would beat me up if I ever fought back. It was like his daily mission. And it was my daily mission to just get through the day. What could I say? It made my world very small because that was my main focus---just surviving. Everything else fell by the wayside. Unfortunately, that included any form of social life. So not only was my world tiny, but it was very lonely.
Looking back to that time, which was about 11 years ago, my biggest mistake was not bringing anyone into that world of mine. I was too proud and embarrassed to get help. I would rather not face the fact that I needed help because in my mind, that would mean that the bully had won. It would also mean that I was weak.
Let me just say this----bullying someone is a weak choice. The only reason why they come after you is that they don’t think you will do anything about it. Does that make anyone strong? Absolutely not. Be stronger. Reach out to a parent, a teacher or a friend for help. Simply admit that you are struggling and need help.
You can put it like this: Somebody who is weak and trying to build himself or herself up has chosen to do that by putting me down. The only reason why they are doing it is that I am nice and I haven't done anything about it yet. Well, I am through putting up with this. I have basic human rights that they are trying to take away to feel better and that is just not OK. How do I handle this the right way? I don't want the pain cycle to continue and I don't want to become someone I don't want to be.
I will close by saying this----I am not just surviving. I am just enjoying my life. I graduated from college with honors, by the way. You don’t have to wait to live. Do something today.
1.What did the author do when he was bullied? ________
A.He suffered but put up with it all alone.
B.He fell by the wayside.
C.He reached out for help immediately.
D.He fought back bravely.
2.The author suggests fighting bullies by ________.
A.getting used to the pain as soon as possible
B.keeping it a secret inside and reducing your social life
C.looking for help from parents, teachers or friends
D.promoting the understanding of basic human rights
3.The author probably wrote this article to ________.
A.admit that he had been treated badly at school
B.describe the harmful effects of bullying
C.show how grateful he was to those who helped him
D.share his experience and ideas on dealing with bullies
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas This book takes you through waves of emotion as you start to undcrstdad the main character, the 9-year-old son Bruno of the Auschwitz commandant(（司令官）. The plot taking place during the Holocaust（大屠杀）,we witness the horror from the boys viewpoint . who just wants friends. You 11 be shocked by some of the more surprising aspects of the book as the boy befriends one of the boys on the other side of the fence. | The Book Thief The story is about a young girl named Liesel who has to live with foster parents(养父母）during World WarⅡ. On the way to her new home. her bother dies, setting the sad tone for the story. There is hope, however, when Liesel discovers her love for reading and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing at tacks as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement. |
The Fault in Our Stars This is probably the most likely book to make you cry, as it records the experiences of teens who arc dying from cancer and living their last days in love. Their life is tragic and jarring at the same time as we watch their health deteriorate （恶化）. The real tragedy is the love between the main characters, who know that it is certain to "die". | A Child Called " It" Easily one of the saddest stories of abuse in recent decades. A hild Called " It" is based on the true story of Dave Pelzer, a boy from C alifornia who suffered at the hands of his sadistic(施虐癖的)family, the tears will conic from both sadness and the inspiration lied to Dave's fight for survival in an environment where he is considered worthless. |
1.Which book is basically a romance?
A.The Book Thief. B.A Child Called “it”
C.The Fault in Our Stars. D.The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
2.Who is considered to have no good qualities or useful skills in the family?
A.Liesel's brother B.The 9-year-old son Bruno.
C.A young girl named Liesel. D.Have Pelzer, a boy from California.
3.What do the four novels have in common?
A.They all expose the dark side of society. B.They are all emotionally powerful.
C.They are all connected with wars. D.They all have a sad ending.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.How long have Earth Boxes been in market?
A.About 15 years. B.About 25 years. C.About 30 years.
2.What can Earth Boxes be used to do in poor countries?
A.Solve hunger problems.
B.Improve soil conditions.
C.Teach students science.
3.What is the advantage of Earth Boxes?
A.Saving much space.
B.Purifying much water.
C.Making crops grow fast.
4.Why are Earth Boxes used in middle school?
A.To learn math well.
B.To grow vegetables.
C.To do some experiments.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Why are the speakers excited in the beginning?
A.They park near the shopping mall.
B.They are lucky to take the umbrella.
C.They find the shopping mall easily.
2.What would the man like to have for lunch?
A.Fries. B.Chicken sandwiches. C.The lamb burger.
3.What will the speakers do right after lunch?
A.Learn Spanish. B.Do some shopping. C.Go to the museum.
4.How will the speakers go to the museum probably?
A.By car. B.By bike. C.On foot.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Where are the speakers?
A.In Sydney. B.In Toronto. C.In Los Angeles.
2.What does Simon plan to do after graduation?
A.Study further. B.Run a hotel. C.Work in a company.
3.What does Lucy major in?
A.Law. B.Business. C.Management.
