Some birds are masters of crime. That means these species steal food from other birds and get away with it. Scientists have long wondered what these birds have in common. A new study suggests that big body size does not predict bad behavior. Instead, it is the size of the birds' brains that matters most.
To learn more about what makes some birds tend towards a life of crime and how they steal food from other birds, scientists analyzed 856 published reports of thieves. Researcher Julie says she started the project after watching birds steal dry dog food out of unattended bowls. She read about some dramatic examples of thieves, including birds that steal food from others flying in midair or bending through the sky. She learned that members of some species disturb other birds until they spit up food in their mouth.
Families that steal also tend to eat fish, mice, and other vertebrates （脊椎动物） instead of just insects. These meatier （多肉的）meals are hard to catch, and they deliver lots of valuable calories, so they are attempting to steal.
Finally, birds that steal tend to have big brains in relation to their bodies. That may seem surprising, since human bullies （欺凌弱小者）are often thought to be stronger in size. But for birds, stealing isn't about strength. It takes a clever brain to get food out of another hungry bird's claws, especially if that bird is bigger than you are.
1.What is the key factor of the birds' stealing food?
A.Body size. B.Living environment.
C.Brain size. D.Strength.
2.What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A.Stealing birds are often stronger.
B.For birds, stealing is about cleverness and tricks.
C.Birds steal food only from those that are smaller in size.
D.Birds that steal have small brains for their bodies.
3.The best title for the passage can be .
A.Diet Habits of a Feather
B.Hunting Skills of a Feather
C.Brains of a Feather
D.Thieves of a Feather
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
Sara Savick remembers one special Easter when she was nine years old. Her parents gave her a baby duckling in a yellow basket.
“Mom said later that she bought the little duck because she felt sorry for it,” recalled Sara. The people at the pet store colored the feathers pink for Easter. Sara named the duck Pinky.
Sara’s mother really didn’t think the baby duck would survive very long. But to her surprise, Pinky grew and got stronger and stronger. Soon, the little duckling was a healthy, hungry duck with white feathers.
“We fed Pinky oatmeal, cooked and uncooked, and small pieces of vegetables,” said Sara. Pinky lived inside the house with Sara and her family. She specially fancied taking baths with Sara. Everyone treated Pinky as a family member.
But just when everything appeared to be perfect, the night of the “talk” came. Sara’s Mom and Dad sat her down, explaining that the best thing for Pinky was to live a normal duck life, with other ducks. It was not natural for ducks to live indoors with a family, her father told her. He added Pinky needed to swim in ponds and do all the same things that ducks in the wild do.
Sara started to cry, knowing what was going to happen. Sara’s parents decided to take Pinky to a park, which was two miles away. There was a pond with a lot of other ducks. Pinky would have the chance to live a natural life and Sara could still visit her.
The big day came, Sara and her parents put Pinky in a box and drove to the park. Sara said that Pinky did not look happy; maybe Pinky was convinced that she was a human, not a duck.
注意:
1. 所续写短文的词数应为l50左右；
2. 至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1
Everyone was sad when they left Pinky at the pond, even Sara’s father.
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Paragraph 2
The next morning, when looking out of the kitchen window, Sara couldn’t believe her eyes!
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假定你是李华，即将参加下个月在北京举行的“致经典－出彩少年”(To Classic — Brilliant Youth)英语诵读大赛，已经写好所选古诗词的英文翻译稿，请给外教Alex写一封电子邮件。内容包括:
1. 简单介绍诵读大赛(内容、目的等)；
2. 请外教润色翻译稿；
3. 希望Alex提供建议。
注意:
1. 词数80左右；
2、可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3、开头语和结束语已为你写好，不计入总词数。
Dear Alex,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
The Creator of Middle Earth
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, better known as J. R. R. Tolkien, was born in 1892 in South Africa. His parents had moved there looking for 1. better job for his father. Three years 2.(late), his mother took him on a trip to England to visit family. While they were away, they received terrible news that his father had died.
3.(grow ) up without a father must have been difficult for Tolkien. Worse still, when he was only twelve years old, his mother also passed away. As a child, he had a great passion for language and in 1908, he went to Oxford University 4.(study) languages and literature. In 1915, he joined the army and fought in the battle against the Germans. But soon, he became too ill to fight and returned 5. England the following year. He didn’t have a 6.(satisfy) childhood himself, so around in 1933, he spent much time telling his children fantasy 7.(story) of a hobbit (霍比特人) called Bilbo. He first put it in writing in 1936, 8. turned out to be a surprising hit. The publisher asked him to write another. He did so and in 1948 published The Lord of the Rings, which 9.(publish) in three volumes between 1954 and 1955.
Tolkien, 10.(age) eighty-one, died in 1973.
Hunter Shamatt lost his wallet while he was on a flight from Omaha to Denver earlier this month. Upon realizing that his wallet was lost, he ______ the airline to see if anyone had turned it in — but fruitlessly. _______the wallet contained his ID, a signed paycheck, $60 in cash , etc, he feared the worst.
Two days after the flight, however, Hunter was ______ to receive a package in the mail from an anonymous (匿名的) sender. Inside was his wallet — ______ an additional $40 in cash. “I rounded your cash up to an even $100 so you could celebrate the ______ of your wallet.”, read a letter that was enclosed with the package.
Hunter’s mother, Jeannie, posted a photo of the ______ to social media in hopes that they would be able to track down the sender. All they had to go on was that the letter was ______ from Applied Underwriters in Omaha and the sender’s initials were signed “T.B”. The sender was later ______ as Todd Brown, who was delighted to “have a little fun” with helping out a hard-working stranger.
“I saw he was just a kid, 20 years old. He had a paycheck in there, so I _______, ‘Well, he’s doing his best to make ends meet.’ ” said Brown. “Hunter was very ______. He told me he has some student loans to pay within two days so the ______ was right,” Brown added, “He ______ it was gone forever. So when he opened it, he just started screaming, ‘No way! No way!’”
Brown says that he often tries to do good things without any recognition; that’s why he didn’t sign his _______on the letter, but Jeannie later insisted on ______ him on social media. Jeannie wrote on Facebook, “This story is more about rebuilding ______ in people than anything.”
1.A.ordered B.contacted C.caught D.checked
2.A.Though B.While C.Since D.Unless
3.A.shocked B.amused C.anxious D.frightened
4.A.apart from B.except for C.along with D.instead of
5.A.search B.completeness C.valuable D.return
6.A.sender B.letter C.wallet D.package
7.A.accepted B.sent C.taken D.collected
8.A.known B.considered C.identified D.introduced
9.A.noticed B.replied C.doubted D.figured.
10.A.thankful B.stressful C.thoughtful D.regretful
11.A.behavior B.number C.timing D.paycheck
12.A.remembered B.assumed C.admitted D.imagined
13.A.address B.mark C.phone number D.full name
14.A.questioning B.praising C.disturbing D.surprising
15.A.faith B.ambition C.appreciation D.strength
Four Tips for High School Graduates
Over three-million high school students are graduating this spring in the United States. Many of them will head to university in the fall. The transition (过渡) from high school to college is a major one, and successful adjustment to college has lifelong influences.
Maybe you are about to make this transition yourself or have children who are about to leave the nest. 1. If you know someone who is making this transition or know parents guiding their soon-to-be adult kids through this time, please take a moment to share this collection of research-based tips with them.
Be open to making new friends as soon as you set foot on campus. Even during orientation (迎新会)! 2. Your success in college depends, in part, on surrounding yourself with others who can support you and help you have fun.
3. Successful adjustment is about reaching out for help when you need it. This means trying to find the answers on your own first, but then contacting those who can help you when you can’t. That is what they are there for!
Lean on your family. Family support can give you comfort when classes get hard or you are stressed about finals. 4. Strong support from family is linked to lower loneliness and depression during the first year of college and higher academic adjustment including motivation and concentration.
Be confident. Feeling anxiety about communicating with fellows, professors, and speaking up in class is associated with lower adaptation during the transition to college. One of the best ways to increase your communication confidence is to practice! 5.
A. This list is for you.
B. The more you speak up in class, the easier it becomes.
C. Don’t be afraid to talk to your professors or teaching assistants.
D. Joining clubs is also linked to feelings of belonging at college.
E. Your professors and teaching assistants want to see you succeed in their classes.
F. Almost everyone is in the same boat as you are, hoping to make friends quickly.
G. Family members can give you advice and help you solve problems if you need help.
