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    Penguins are flightless birds that spend half their time on land and half in the water.

1. They have dark and white feathers, and their wings have evolved into flippers (脚蹼). Most penguins feed on fish, squid and other forms of sea life caught while swimming.

2. They are mostly found in groups that include thousands of penguins. Penguins each have their own unique mating call, and they use that to locate their mate and chicks in such a large group.

Although almost all penguin species are native to the Southern Hemisphere, they are not found only in cold Antarctica.3. Several species are even found in the temperate zone, and one species, the Galátpagos penguin, lives near the equator (赤道).

Unfortunately, many penguin species worldwide are facing threats. The biggest is climate change and global warming. As the earth warms up, the sheets of ice have melted, and the algae (藻类)that grow under the ice decrease. The algae are eaten by tiny creatures called zooplankton. When there is a drop in zooplankton, it affects the fish that depend on it.4.

Another major threat is from oil spills. If coated with oil, penguins cannot float or swim in water. Also, if oil is swallowed, penguins will die from poison.5.

A.These birds are very social.

B.In fact, only a few of them live so far south.

C.Penguins are highly adapted for life in the water.

D.The biggest threat for penguins comes from humans.

E.They have a tendency to live in a community together.

F.As a result, penguins have less fish to eat and thus starve.

G.Others include overfishing, illegal egg harvesting, and natural enemies.

    Looking fashionable feels good. However, did you know that doing so could be extremely bad for the planet?

Making clothes requires lots of energy. For example, cotton fields have to be watered. Jeans must be dyed (染色) and then dried. According to scientists, making 1 kilogram of clothes produces 23 kilograms of greenhouse gases on average.

However, clothes are spending less time in shops and at homes than ever. Consumers (消费者) today keep almost every article of clothing only half as long as they did 15 years ago. That causes a large amount of waste.

Some clothing companies and designers have realized this problem. H & M, for example, was the world’s largest buyer of “better cotton” last year. The cotton needs less water to grow. It also requires fewer pesticides (农药). The Swedish brand has also stopped using a chemical that pollutes the environment when making waterproof (防水的) clothes. Nike, meanwhile, has invented a new method of making shoes. It reduces waste by 60 percent compared with traditional cutting and sewing.

More long lasting clothes could help, too. Tom Cridland is a British designer. The clothes that he designs all go through a special treatment. Cridland says they can last more than 30 years.

Unfortunately, not all clothing companies and designers, think they should be responsible for the environment. Some companies do not care about their carbon footprint at all.

What can we do? In some western schools, students are encouraged to fix their jackets and trousers. Clothing companies there send vans to campuses to help them do it. Another solution is to think twice the next time we buy new clothes. Some clothes may not look very fashionable, but they could be good for our planet.

1.According to the passage, making 50 kilograms of clothes produces about       kilograms of greenhouse gases.

A.23. B.115.

C.230. D.1,150.

2.What is the difference between “better cotton” and traditional cotton?

A.“Better cotton” can grow without water.

B.“Better cotton” grows faster than traditional cotton.

C.“Better cotton” is more environmentally friendly.

D.“Better cotton” is more productive than traditional cotton.

3.In order to protect the environment, what have some clothing companies and designers been doing?

① Using new material.

② Helping students mend clothes.

③ Measuring their carbon footprint.

④ Designing clothes that can last longer.

A.①②③ B.①②④

C.①③④ D.②③④

4.What does the author advise us to do in order to help protect the environment?

A.To stop buying clothes.

B.To wear fewer clothes at home.

C.To ask clothing companies for help when our clothes are torn.

D.To buy clothes made by companies that care about their carbon footprint.

While dog keepers realize their dogs can read their moods accurately, scientists have always been a little doubtful. Now thanks to some researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria, we finally have some convincing evidence.

For their study, biologist Corson Miller and his team exposed eleven selected dogs to digital images of women that were either angry or happy. Half the dogs were rewarded for touching the screen when shown a happy face, while the other half got their treat for selecting those that appeared angry.

Interestingly, the dogs were not provided with the entire face. Some dogs were shown only upper halves while the others observed lower halves. That’s because the scientists believe humans show their emotions on their entire face.

After some training like how to recognize small differences like the wrinkles between the eyes or the changes in their shape that accompany the happy or angry expressions, the dogs were mostly able to identify the correct expression not only on a familiar face but on a strange face. The researchers concluded the dogs were smart enough to read human emotions.

They also found those being trained to read angry expressions took a longer time to learn. They guess it may be because dogs find angry faces disgusting, causing them to withdraw quickly. However, once the smart dogs realized they were getting rewarded, the trepidation seemed to disappear. In fact, the dogs had such a good time playing the computer "game" that scientists had a hard time keeping them away from the touch screens after the study was completed.

The researchers also noticed only dogs with a male owner had a harder time understanding the expressions correctly. Since the touchscreen models were all females, this confirmed what has been observed in previous studies—dogs are more efficient at reading facial expressions of people that are the same gender as their owner.

1.How did the scientists conduct the experiment?

A. By mixing the selected dogs together.

B. By leaving dogs to women who are either happy or angry.

C. By showing digital pictures of women’s happy or angry faces.

D. By rewarding only half of the dogs touching the screen.

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE about the dogs in the study?

A. The dogs were not all provided with the entire face.

B. The dogs couldn’t read strangers facial emotions.

C. According to their size, the dogs were given either upper or lower halves.

D. The dogs could make out small changes accompanying facial expressions.

3.The underlined word "trepidation" in Paragraph 5 probably means ________.

A. curiosity    B. horror    C. excitement    D. doubt

4.How might the results change if the dogs with female owners are shown pictures of male faces?

A. They would be scared away at the sight of the pictures.

B. They found it easy to tell the emotions on the entire face.

C. They could only tell emotions on partial faces rather than on entire faces.

D. They found it hard to tell the moods on the faces of a different gender.

    When I was about 4 years old, I decided to go to Disney World. For most young kids, it’s a normal request, but I had cerebral palsy (脑瘫). Walking into anywhere, let alone a crowded place like Disney World was, to put it lightly, a tall order. Luckily, I had people in my corner to help me. Over the next three years, I worked with physical doctors, acquired a walker, and practiced walking, standing, and balance — all skills that I would need to turn my goal into a reality.

I remember the feeling when my legs would protest doing any more work. Despite this, everyone else told me I could do it, so I kept it up. It was all because of people like my parents, brothers, teachers, and doctors that I was able to grow so much, both physically and mentally. Constantly pushing me to “walk on,” yet encouraging me whenever I needed it.

On June 9, 2008, as I stood in the tunnel leading into Main Street, my dad asked me if I wanted any help. I instantly replied, “No!” and situated myself facing the end of the tunnel, feet planted firmly, heart most likely beating out of my chest. Then I went, walking ever so slowly at first, then gradually speeding up. Step, step, step, step, bump. Holding fast onto the handlebars, I gathered up all my strength, picked up my walker and straightened out, picking up my pace once again. It wasn’t too long before the cheering increased because I had made it to the end, where my mom was waiting with tears in her eyes and arms open wide ready to hug her son and tell him how proud she was.

Looking back on that experience, I realize something pretty thoughtful. Every once in a while, life will throw a few bumps in the road. Though it may set you back for a bit, don’t let it stop you. Pick yourself back up and finish. It’s worth it. Besides, there just might be someone there cheering you on along the way.

1.Which of the following best explains “a tall order” underlined in paragraph 1?

A.An easy decision. B.An available action.

C.A reasonable order. D.A challenging task.

2.Why does the author say he’s lucky?

A.He eventually has his brain disease well cured.

B.He constantly gets courage and support from others.

C.He is likely to do any kind of work in his later life.

D.He is naturally gifted in keeping balance on his own.

3.The author gives a vivid picture of himself in paragraph 3 to______.

A.explain he was terrified to take the first step

B.describe he took pride in his mother and friends

C.show how he managed to walk by himself

D.prove how he understood to respect others

4.What can be the best title of the text?

A.Where Dreams Come True B.When Bad Fortune Falls

C.How I Value Friendship D.Why I Look Back My Life

    Every week in China, millions of people will sit in front of their TVs watching teenagers compete for the title Character Hero, which is a Chinese­style spelling bee (拼写大赛). In this challenge, young competitors must write Chinese characters by hand. To prepare for the competition, the competitors usually spend months studying dictionaries.

Perhaps the show’s popularity should not be a surprise. Along with gunpowder and paper, many Chinese people consider the creation of Chinese calligraphy(书法) to be one of their primary contributions. Unfortunately, all over the country, Chinese people are forgetting how to write their own language without computerized help. Software on smart phones and computers allows users to type in the basic sound of the word using the Latin alphabet (字母). The correct character is chosen from a list. The result? It’s possible to recognize characters without remembering how to write them.

But there’s still hope for the paint brush. China’s Education Ministry wants children to spend more time learning how to write.

In one Beijing primary school we visited, students practice calligraphy every day inside a specially decorated classroom with traditional Chinese paintings hanging on the walls. Soft music plays as a group of six­year­olds dip brush pens into black ink. They look up at the blackboard often to study their teacher’s examples before carefully trying to reproduce those characters on thin rice paper. “If adults can survive without using handwriting, why bother to teach it now?” we ask the calligraphy teacher, Shen Bin. “The ability to write characters is part of Chinese tradition and culture,” she reasons. “Students must learn now so they don’t forget when they grow up.” says the teacher.

1.What can we learn about the Character Hero?

A.It draws great public attention across the country.

B.It’s the most­viewed TV programs in the world.

C.It means to spread Chinese culture to the world.

D.It’s open to people of all ages and all walks.

2.Why are Chinese people forgetting how to write the characters?

A.Chinese people don’t refer to dictionaries very often.

B.Chinese people no longer use brush pens or practice calligraphy.

C.Chinese people are using the Latin alphabet instead of the characters.

D.Chinese people needn’t write by hand as often with the help of technology.

3.According to Shen Bin, being able to write characters by hand is ________.

A.necessary for adults to survive in China

B.a requirement made by the Education Ministry

C.helpful to keep Chinese tradition and culture alive

D.an ability to be developed only when you are students