Pierre is a 25-year-old penguin at the California Academy of Sciences. Due to his old age, he was going bald, which made him feel too cold to swim in the pool. Therefore, biologists at the academy had a wetsuit created for this penguin to help him get back in the swimming pool.
Unlike marine mammals, which have a layer of fat to keep them warm, penguins depend on their waterproof feathers. Without them, Pierre was unwilling to jump into the swimming pool and ended up trembling on the side of the pool while his 19 peers played in the water.
"He was cold; he would shake," said Pam Schaller, a senior biologist. Schaller first tried a heat lamp to keep Pierre warm. Then she got another idea: if wetsuits keep humans warm in the cold Pacific, why not make one for Pierre?
Schaller designed the suit, which covered Pierre’s body and had small openings for his flippers.
“I would walk behind him and look at where there were any gaps, and cut and refit and cut and refit until it looked like it was extremely suitable,” she said.
One concern was that the other penguins would reject Pierre in his new suit, but in fact, they accepted his new look. He swam freely and got along with others well, although he was the only penguin with a black stomach.
Schaller couldn’t say for sure whether the wetsuit allowed Pierre to recover his fine feathers, but “certainly we were able to keep him comfortable during a period of time that would have been very difficult for him to stay comfortable”.
Pierre will take off his suit after his new feathers grow back.
1.Pierre felt too cold to swim in the pool because of _____.
A. not having a layer of blubber B. having few feathers due to old age
C. having no wetsuit D. others penguins rejecting him
2.The idea of making a wetsuit for Pierre came from _____.
A. total invention B. waterproof feathers
C. the use of wetsuit on humans D. the use of heat lamp
3.Schaller followed Pierre in order to see _____.
A. whether other penguins would reject him
B. if anywhere of wetsuit needed to be cut and refit
C. if the wetsuit kept warm
D. whether the wetsuit would keep the feathers from recovering
4.The best title of the passage is _____.
A. Wetsuit for An Old Penguin B. Old Penguin Getting Bald
C. Unwilling to Swim D. Strange Look of Pierre
A couple of years ago, I went to a lady’s house to buy some vitamins. Upon entering the house, I 36 that there was an electronic keyboard on a stand, leaning 37 the wall. Being a piano music lover and 38 , I asked, if the woman played. She nodded and added that she had been
39 lessons
at age 54! I told her that it was very 40 that
she was pursuing （追求） her passion（热情）to play the piano.
. .
Then she asked me 41 question. “I have been playing for 8 years now,” I answered.
“Then you must play a song for me before you leave,” she 42 .I thought she was joking and I simply smiled. At the end of the deal of the vitamins, she 43 me of our musical “ 44 _”. She then showed me to an old upright piano in the living room, 45 asked me to play a song for her. I thought 46 and decided to play David Lantz’s “Return to the Heart”, since she had so much passion for 47 ,and it was my soul-searching song.
I played the song to the best of my ability, and with my emotions 48 into it as possible. She loved it. 49 I was about to step out of the door, I heard a weak voice calling out, “Young man!”
I turned around. And there was an old lady 50 one little step at a time with the help of another woman. “I wanted to come out to 51 you for the beautiful song that you played. I have been very sick, and it’s very hard for me to 52 my bed, but your music made me feel good ”she said. With that, she turned around and walked 53 back to her room.
I was deeply 54 by her appreciation and felt a deeper understanding for the song. It served its purpose beautifully, returning to one’s 55 for peace and joy.
1. A. observed B. watched C. noticed D. caught
2.A. on B. at C. over D. against
3. A. player B. teacher C. composer D. starter
4. A. giving B. attending C. teaching D. reviewing
5. A. interesting B. wonderful C. moved D. impressive
6. A. another B. a different C. the same D. other
7.A. advised B. ordered C. demanded D. requested
8.A. warned B. reminded C. asked D. required
9. A. course B. task C. discussion D. deal
10.A. and B. but C. as a result D. what’s more
11. A. for the moment B. at the moment C. for a moment D. at a moment
12. A. music B. songs C. the piano D. vitamins
13.A. dropping B. falling C. pouring D. running
14.A. Since B. As C. While D. Because
15.A. taking B. making C. having D. giving
16.A. thank B. praise C. admire D. owe
17.A. get on B. get up C. get off D. get down
18. A. quietly B. calmly C. happily D. slowly
19.A. shocked B. touched C. delighted D. disturbed
20.A. world B. heart C. brains D. dreams
To be successful, you must be smart, confident, and, ______ honest.
A. therefore B. above all C. however D. after all
I get the bicycle for _____.My friend gave it to me when she bought a new one.
A. everything B. something C. nothing D. anything
It’s really difficult to ______ what he is trying to express.
A. leave out B. break out C. put out D. make out
We all felt a sense of ______ when we saw so many overseas Chinese coming back safe and sound from Libya.
A. security B. relief C. emergency D. achievement
