According to some predictions, human beings will die out in 2012. Nearly all people think it’s impossible, but there are some more earthquakes in recent years.
Animals can predict the weather or other natural events. It may sound strange, but farmers living in the countryside think so. For hundreds of years , they have observed animals.
“Animals ’ behavior can be connected to future weather conditions or events.” They say. For example, if cows lie down, a rainstorm is coming. There are many traditional stories connecting animals and natural events. Many people think that these stories don’t have scientific evidence( 根据 ) at all. Scientists, however, are beginning to take another look at some of these ideas.
A Japanese earthquake researcher named Kiyoshi Shimamura noticed an increase in dog bites a short time before earthquake hit. Then he did research on twelve public health centers in Kobe, Japan. These health centers treated people after the 1995 earthquake . He got some interesting information about the month before the big earthquake: treatment for animals’ bites had increased . In fact, aggressive(侵略的)behavior in dogs, such as biting and barking loudly , jumped 60 percent.
There are also other changes in animals’ behavior before the earthquake. For example, fish began swimming together in large groups , but only in the middle of the water and not near the edges. Birds flew away from their nests for many days, leaving their eggs unprotected . These animals’ behavior suggests that animals may be able to predict natural events better than people.
1.What would cows behave before a rainstorm?
A．Running B．Biting C．Lying down D．Sleeping
2.What do dogs begin to do just before an earthquake?
A．They leave their homes. B．They hurt people.
C．They lie down in grass. D．They stay together in large groups.
3.Which of the following animals behave strangely before an earthquake according to this passage?
A．Fish B．Cows C．Pigs D．All of the above.
4.In Kiyoshi Shimamura’s investigation(调查)，before the big earthquake, treatment for animals’ bites had _________.
A．disappeared B．increased C．been the same as before. D．never changed.
5.What is the main idea of the passage?
A．Natural events and animals’ actions.
B．What animals do during earthquakes
C．Many earthquakes of Japan.
D．Some stories about animals.
From age eight to eleven, I studied at a small school in Bath, England. It was a small school of four classes, with about twenty-five children in each class according to age. For the most part, one teacher had to teach all subjects. However, sometimes the headteacher , Mr. Ronald Broaches would come in and spend an hour or so.
He was a large man with a very happy nature. He had a sense of humor and would be glad in telling the children small stories which make us laugh.
I found that he took great interest in me and he quickly found that I enjoyed puzzles. He would stop me as I was going to class and take a piece of paper out of his pocket, often with a puzzle on it. As time went on, they slowly gave me an interest in math and problem –solving that stays with me to this day.
To this day, I can remember Mr. Broaches’ cheerful cry of “Well done!” whenever I got a problem right. I shall always be thankful that our paths crossed.
Mr. Bruoaches died just two weeks after I won the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine. Unfortunately, I had no chance to speak to him before he died. I learnt late that he had heard of my success and I will always hope that he knew the deep influence he had made on my life.
1.The writer spent ______study at the school in Bath, England.
A．three years B．six years C．one year D．two years
2.The writer’s success shows us ___________.
A．Mr. Broaches often gave him some puzzles only for fun .
B．they had the same interest
C．Mr. Broaches found and developed his interest
D．Mr. Broaches was his father’s friend.
3.From the story, we can guess the writer______.
A．liked language lessons very well.
B．was a good football player
C．was good at math
D．had a great dream
4.The writer felt sorry because________________.
A．Mr. Broaches passed away before he won the Nobel Prize
B．he didn’t express his thanks before Mr. Broaches died.
C．he couldn’t find Mr. Broaches after he grew up
D．Mr. Broaches didn’t know about his success.
5.The best title for the passage is ________.
A．The Story of Mr. Broaches
B．The History of Nobel Prize
C．My Early School Life
D．An Important Teacher in My Life
A saint (圣人) found a group of family members shouting angrily at each other on a river bank. He asked his disciples(信徒), “ 1 do people shout when they are angry with each other?” The disciples 2 for a while and one of them said, “Because they lose their calm.”
“But why should they shout when the other persons are just 3 them? They can tell them what they have to say in a 4 manner.” Asked the saint.
The disciples gave some other answers but 5 made the saint pleased. Finally the saint 6 , “When two people are angry with each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they must shout in order to 7 each other. The angrier they are, the 8 they will have to shout to cover that great distance. What happens when two people fall in love? They don’t shout at each other but talk softly, because their hearts are very close. The distance 9 them is very small or doesn’t exist(存在).”
The saint looked at his disciples and continued, “So when you argue with other people, do not say words that distance each other, or else there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not find the 10 to return.
1. A．What B．When C．Where D．Why
2. A．thought B．laughed C．cried D．rested
3. A．far from B．next to C．across from D．in the front of
4. A．hard B．lively C．soft D．bad
5. A．everyone B．anyone C．someone D．none
6. A．explained B．answered C．replied D．asked
7. A．see B．watch C．hear D．listen to
8. A．softer B．louder C．larger D．higher
9. A．by B．near C．among D．between
10. A．way B．answer C．home D．person
Could you please tell _____?
A．when will he be back B．that he will be back
C．where did he go D．where he went
–Do you still remember the city ____ we visited last year ?
--You mean Zhengzhou? I know there is a factory____ your mother worked.
A．that, which B．where, that C．which, where D．where, where
–I feel a little nervous ____ the exam .
--______. All of the students may feel nervous.
A．take, Don’t worry. B．taking, Take it easy
C．to take, Don’t be worried D．took, Come on.
