As pet ownership booms, a troubling question raises its head: who owns whom?
There is a range of theories about how human came to rule the planet. Opposable thumbs, brain size, altruism(利他主义) and cooking all played a part, but central to the man's success was its ability to dominate other species.
As humanity has got richer, animals' roles have changed. People need their services less than before. Fewer wolves and burglars meant less demand for dogs for protection; the gasoline engine made horses redundant; modern health systems kept rats in check and made cats less useful. No longer necessities, domestic animals became luxuries. Pet-keeping seems to become common when household incomes rise above roughly ﹩5, 000. It is booming.
The pet business is growing even faster than pet numbers, because people are spending more and more money on them. No longer are they food-waste-recyclers, fed with the leftovers that fall from their masters' tables. Pet-food shelves are filled with delicacies, including ice cream for dogs and foods for pets that are old, diabetic or suffer from sensitive digestion.
In the business this is called “pet humanization(人类化)”—the tendency of pet owners to treat their pets as part of the family. This is evident in the names given to dogs, which have evolved from Fido, Rex and Spot to﹣in America﹣Bella, Lucy and Max. It is evident in the growing market for pet clothing, pet grooming(美容) and pet hotels.
People still assume that pets must be working for humanity in some way, perhaps making people healthier or less anxious. But the evidence for that is weak. Rather, new research suggests that dogs have evolved those irresistible “puppy-dog eyes” precisely to dominate human emotions. It has worked. Sentimental Americans often refer to themselves not as cat﹣owners but as the cat's “mommy” or “daddy”. South Koreans go one further, describing themselves as cat “housekeeper”, catering to every cute action. Watch a dog-walker trailing “his” dog, plastic bag in hand to pick up its mess, and you have to wonder: who's in charge now?
1.What is the main cause for human being to become the ruler of the planet?
A.having opposable thumbs B.getting wealthier
C.possessing altruism and cooking skills D.taking hold of other species
2.What does the underlined word “redundant” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
A.unnecessary B.unavailable C.uncertain D.unfavorable
3.What might pet owners do in the past?
A.feed ice cream to their dogs B.prepare foods for pets that are diabetic
C.feed the pets on what remained D.spend much money on pets
4.What can we learn from the passage?
A.Wolves used to be in great demand. B.Pets can be beneficial to people's health.
C.Pet owners tend to give their pets new names. D.People become subject to pets emotionally.
Chicago's Open Books ﹣ a 13﹣year﹣old organization ﹣ tries to put books into every child's hands citywide, starting at birth. The group, which sells donated books online to raise money for its programs, has teamed with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to expand its reach to children who most need libraries of their own. In just a few months, Open Books has accepted nearly 1, 000 children into the program. The process behind the Imagination Library is simple. Parents fill out a form to sign up their children to have a free book mailed to each child every month, from birth to age 5.
This means a child can receive up to 60 books, chosen by a group of early education experts, before he or she enters kindergarten. "Our job is to get children served, and to raise money so that we're paying the cost of the books and they remain free to parents, " said Eric Johnson, Open Books' director. That's one reason Open Books chose to team up with the Imagination Library ﹣ because Parton has the ability to get high﹣quality books at the lowest cost, Johnson said.
The imagination Library has started in the underserved and low﹣income neighborhoods of Austin, Garfield Park, Little Village and North Lawndale. Parents in those neighborhoods can sign up their children now. Open Books will continue to expand the Imagination Library to other neighborhoods soon, so other Chicagoans should be patient.
Studies show that a home﹣based library can lead to a child's school success ﹣ and on average a middle﹣class family has about 13 books for each child, Johnson said. Yet, in Chicago and nationwide, more than 60 percent of low﹣income households have no children's books. "That's an important difference, since a child's greatest brain growth takes place from birth to age 5, and by age 3, almost 85 percent of a child's brain is already formed, " Johnson said. "The possibility to get kids 'kindergarten ready' is endless. "
1.What does Open Books do for children under 5？
A.It encourages them to visit libraries.
B.It builds some kindergartens for them.
C.It mails them each a free book monthly.
D.It gives them money for books monthly.
2.Who decide on the books given to children？
A.The director of Open Books.
B.Experts in early education.
C.Children themselves.
D.Children's parents.
3.What conclusion can be drawn from the last paragraph？
A.Every family should have a home﹣based library.
B.Each child should finish 13 books before kindergarten.
C.More attention should be paid to early children's mental development.
D.Children should be well prepared for kindergarten as early as possible.
4.What is the author's purpose in writing the text？
A.To show his love of children's books.
B.To introduce an Open Books program.
C.To share his childhood reading experience.
D.To advertise Parton's Imagination Library.
For Matt and Dani Fontanesi, everything was going according to plan. The American newlyweds had just been married in February and were preparing for their honeymoon. They would leave their home in New Zealand to set off on a tour of the United States.
Matt developed a bit of a cold before leaving but didn't think much of it. During the first 14-hour leg of their flight, though, Matt's simple cold developed into a high fever. When they got to Idaho, he felt even worse. As three days passed and Matt stayed in bed, Dani took him to the hospital. When the doctor came back with the blood test results, his lighthearted attitude from earlier had noticeably changed. The patient's white blood cells were dangerously low. It was either AIDS or cancer.
Three days later, the news came: acute myeloid leukemia(急性骨髓性白血病). About 90 percent of Matt's blood was cancerous, so he'd have to start chemotherapy(化疗) right away. There was a catch—treatment would mean Matt could never have kids. Even knowing their chances of starting a family were gone, they had no choice but to continue.
Chemotherapy clearly was not enough, so Matt needed a bone marrow transplant(骨髓移植). His sister was the perfect match, and they flew to San Diego for the treatment. The bone marrow transplant destroyed what was left of Matt's immune system and got rid of the cancer.
In the middle of Matt's fight against cancer, they received all ﹩80, 000 they needed within about a week, much of it from complete strangers.
The treatment went better than expected, and a year later, Matt was already back at work in San Diego. But he and his wife have never stopped thinking about the unexpected generosity that came their way. “How do we responsibly accept this?” says Matt. “We recognized we needed to pay this forward and to help fight against leukemia.” The two have been volunteering with the Leukemia &Lymphoma Society, supporting other families going through similar struggles.
“We have a new appreciation for life. Our lives are richer now because of it,” says Dani.
1.What can we learn about Matt after he arrived at Idaho？
A.He started his honeymoon happily. B.He prepared to go back home.
C.He was terribly weak. D.He caught a cold.
2.Which of the following can replace the underlined word "catch" in Paragraph 3？
A.Failure. B.Chance. C.Solution. D.Disadvantage.
3.What can we infer about Matt's treatment？
A.It was successful. B.It was impractical.
C.It was kept secret from his families. D.It was mostly supported by an organization.
4.How did Matt' s experience influence him？
A.He managed to become a doctor.
B.He decided to help others in return.
C.He started to found a charity for poor patients.
D.He promised to give the money back to the strangers.
The Top 4 Beaches on the East Coast
Nantucket, Massachusetts
Great point, at the easternmost end of the island of Nantucket, is one of the most secret beaches in the world. That's because you need a four﹣wheel drive vehicle and a beach permit to get there. Once you do, you'll find miles of beachfront and a historic lighthouse.
Block Island, Rhode Island
Accessible by ferry, Block Island oozes New England charm. It's worth the effort to get to Mohegan Bluffs, where you can experience a set of 141 wooden steps leading down to the sand. With clay cliffs and a view that reaches Montauk at the eastern tip of Long Island, this beach is especially unique.
East Hampton, New York
Named the best beach in the county in 2013, Main Beach in East Hampton is known for its wide stretch of sand plus a snack bar, bathrooms, and lockers. On﹣site parking is only available to village residents but there are free beach shuttles available.
Jekyll Island, Georgia
Located off the coast of Georgia, this 5, 700﹣acre barrier island is famous for its nesting sea turtles and hermit crabs. Glory Beach got its name because producers of the 1989 movie Glory, featuring Matthew Broderick, Morgan Freeman, and Denzel Washington, built a long boardwalk to the beach that remains in place.
1.Which has one of the most private beaches in the world？
A.Jekyll Island, Georgia.
B.Block Island, Rhode Island.
C.Nantucket, Massachusetts.
D.East Hampton, New York.
2.What may attract the visitors to go to Mohegan Bluffs？
A.Climbing the clay cliffs.
B.Experiencing the warm sand.
C.Admiring the scenery of Montauk.
D.Walking along a set of 141 wooden steps.
3.What can we learn about Jekyll Island according to the passage？
A.Jekyll Island is famous for its nesting sea fishes and hermit crabs.
B.Jekyll Island is located on the east coast of the United States.
C.There is a wide boardwalk to Glory Beach on Jekyll Island.
D.Glory Beach is named after the producers of the movie Glory.
假定你是李华，你校将举办一场英语演讲比赛，与你一起搭档的主持人因病退出，请你写一封电子邮件邀请你校外教John做你的搭档。内容包括：
1.时间：7月10日上午9点；
2.地点：学校会议室；
3.注意事项：提前到场；穿正装。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处，每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词。
2.只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
To improve our English website, I' m writing to offer the follow suggestions. The website is main intended for us students. It is advised that larger number of photos about our school life can be provided to make it more attractive. Beside, I hope the online news are updated more often to keep us inform of what's going on in the world. Furthermore, a new section Reading Salon will be welcomed. We all love reading but we lack of a platform which we can publish reviews of the books we have read. I sincerely hope the advices above can be of some help.
