When an ant dies, other ants take it out of the nest, often within an hour after its death. This behavior interests scientists and they wonder how ants know for sure—and so soon—that another ant is dead.
One scientist recently came up with a way to explain this ant behaviour. Dong-Hwan Choe is a biologist, a scientist who studies animals and plants. He found that ants have a chemical on the outside of their bodies that signals to other ants, “I'm dead—take me away” when it is dead.
But there's a question to answer: As we know, if an ant is dead, it stops moving. But when an ant is sleeping or knocked unconscious, it is also not moving. However, other ants don't move the living ant out of the nest. How do they know this ant is not dead? Choe found that ants have another chemical on their bodies, which tells nearby ants something like, “Wait—I'm not dead yet” when it is not dead. Choe suspects that when an ant dies, the chemical that says, “Wait I'm not dead yet” quickly goes away. When other ants detect the “dead” chemical without the “not dead yet” chemical, they move away the body.
To test his theory , Choe and his team put different chemicals on ants. When the scientists used the “I'm dead” chemical, other ants quickly moved the treated ant away. When the scientists used the “Wait—I'm not dead yet” chemical, other ants left the treated ant alone. Choe believes this behavior shows that the “not dead yet” chemical overrides the “dead” chemical when picked up by other ants. And that when an ant dies, the “not dead yet” chemical fades away. Other nearby ants then detect the remaining “dead” chemical and remove the body from the nest.
Understanding this behavior can help scientists figure out how to stop ants from invading new places and causing problems.
1.What is the function of the first paragraph?
A. Leading the following paragraphs.
B. Showing the main idea of the passage.
C. Introducing the background of the passage.
D. Giving a summary of the passage.
2.Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined word “overrides” in the fourth paragraph?
A. is weaker than B. is stronger than C. is better than D. is worse than
3. What can we learn from the passage?
A. Living ants can also be taken away when they are not moving.
B. When an ant dies, it can tell others using a certain chemical.
C. A living ant can pretend to be dead using a special chemical.
D. Ants often use chemicals to communicate with each other.
4.Which of the following descriptions about Dong-Hwan Choe is right?
A. Choe did this study in order to stop ants from invading new places.
B. Choe is a biologist who is only interested in animals, especially in ants.
C. Choe first came up with an idea to explain this ant behavior，and then did some tests to prove his theory.
D. Choe did the research on this ant behavior on his own
For many parents, raising a teenager is like fighting a long war, but years go by without any clear winner. Like a border conflict between neighboring countries, the parent-teen war is about boundaries: Where is the line between what I control and what you do?
Both sides want peace, but neither feels it has any power to stop the conflict. In part, this is because neither is willing to admit any responsibility for starting it. From the parents’ point of view, the only cause of their fight is their adolescents’ complete unreasonableness. And of course, the teens see it in exactly the same way, except oppositely. Both feel trapped.
In this article. I’ll describe three no-win situations that commonly arise between teens and parents and then suggest some ways out of the trap. The first no-win situation is quarrels over unimportant things. Examples include the color of the teen’s hair, the cleanliness of the bedroom, the preferred style of clothing, the child’s failure to eat a good breakfast before school, or his tendency to sleep until noon on the weekends. Second, blaming. The goal of a blaming battle is to make the other admit that his bad attitude is the reason why everything goes wrong. Third, needing to be right, It doesn’t matter what the topic is –politics. The taws of physics, or the proper way to break an egg –the point of these arguments is to prove that you are right and the other person is wrong. for both wish to be considered an authority—someone who actually knows something — and therefore to command respect. Unfortunately, as long as long as parents and teens continue to assume that they know more than the other, they’ll continue to fight these battles forever and never make any real progress.
1.Why does the author compare the parent-teen war to a border conflict?
A. Both can continue for generations.
B. Both are about where to draw the line
C. Neither has any clear winner
D. Neither can be put to an end
2.What does the underlined part in Paragraph 2 mean?
A. The teens blame their parents for starting the conflict.
B. The teens agree with their parents on the cause of the conflict
C. The teens cause their parents of misleading them
D. The teens tend to have a full understanding of their parents
3.Parents and teens want to be right because they want to ________.
A. give orders to the other
B. know more than the other
C. gain respect from the other
D. get the other to behave properly
4.What will the author most probably discuss in the paragraph that follows?
A. Causes for the parent –teen conflicts
B. Examples of the parent –teen war.
C. Solutions for the parent –teen problems
D. Future of the parent-teen relationship
“Image is everything．” An entire industry has been built upon the assumption that image is everything, but when it comes down to it, an appealing image is not enough．If there is no substance（事实） behind the image, the product, service or person will fail eventually．
First of all, one should consider how important image is in the selling of products and services．Advertising agencies have raised the art of creating an image to a state of near perfection．Public concept of that product or service is certainly managed by the images created by the advertising agencies．But if the product or service does not live up to the image that was created, the customer will be very dissatisfied and possibly ask for their money back．For example, the Arthur Andersen accounting firm had spent decades building up an image of trustworthiness．But the recent scandal （丑闻） showed that behind that image, it cheated in business practices．Despite the previous positive image, the firm is being accused of criminal actions and it will probably not survive as a business unit．Although the image had been nearly perfect, the reality behind the image has led to the downfall of the world famous accounting firm．
Similarly, personal advisers can build up a public image for politicians and movie stars．Putting out positive news releases, making sure that only the best photographs are published, and ensuring that the person is seen in all the right places can build up a very positive image in the view of the general commons．But once again, history is filled with examples of both politicians and movie stars that fell from grace like the story of the Hollywood actor giving in to the pressures of fame and fortune．With people, just as with products and services, image is certainly important, but without positive substance behind the image, failure is close．
To summarize, it is clear that an appealing image is extremely important to success, whether that image is related to selling a product or service or to the “selling” of a person．But image is only half of the equation．What lies behind that image is every bit as important as the image itself —— the person or product must deliver on that image or there is little chance for long-term success．
1.The downfall of the Arthur Andersen accounting firm is due to ________．
A. its dishonesty in business B. its previous images
C. its bad management D. its poor service
2.Why did some famous people fall from grace?
A. Their images were not well built up
B. They failed to live up to their images．
C. They felt much pressure from the public
D. They paid little attention to fame and fortune．
3.The structure of the passage is ________．
A: Argument P: Point C: Conclusion
4.The author tries to argue that _________．
A. image creates everything B. image is the key to success
C. truth is unlikely ever to be equaled D. truth and image are equally important
In the next few years, battery technology is going to grow rapidly.
No more charging your smart phone every day...
No more “range anxiety” for electric cars, as new lithium batteries （锂电池）allow them to drive hundreds of miles on a single charge, just like a tank of gas.
And a tiny Chinese company is to be the leader of it all.
It already counts Motorola, Nokia, and Samsung as customers for its advanced batteries.
But the real money is going to come when it starts selling electric cars.
Right now, the stock is trading at an extreme discount, offering in-the-know investors a chance to get in and make a killing.
You need to know all the details about this opportunity today — and not a day later.
To do that, and to gain access to all the information you'll need to invest confidently, simply sign up for the free e-Letter from Energy & Capital by entering your email address below...
Once you do, we'll rush you our latest report, China's $2.00 Lithium Linchpin.
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1.What does the underlined part “make a killing” in Paragraph 7 mean?
A. Beat all other businesses.
B. Make a lot of money in a short time.
C. Force other batteries to withdraw from market.
D. Be the business leader in battery making.
2.What is the possible problem with online subscribing?
A. The giving-away of privacy.
B. Getting lots of junk emails.
C. Becoming a member of some organization unwillingly.
D. Not being able to unsubscribe.
3.Where is this material probably from?
A. A magazine. B. A newspaper. C. A website. D. A booklet.
4.This passage is mainly to ______.
A. advertise new batteries B. find potential investors
C. promote Energy & Capital D. sell new technology
Two men, Alan and Henry, both seriously ill, shared a hospital room. Alan was allowed to sit up in his bed and his bed was next to the room’s only window. Henry had to spend all his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours, of their wives, families, their homes and their jobs. And every afternoon when Alan, in the bed next to the window, could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm among flowers. Trees and skyline could be seen in the distance. As he described all this, Henry, on the other side of the room, would close his eyes and imagine the scene.
One warm afternoon Alan described a parade (游行) passing by. Although Henry could not hear the band, he could see it in his mind. Unexpectedly, an alien though: entered his head: why should he have all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never got to see anything? It doesn’t seem fair. Henry felt ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sight, his envy grew and soon let him down. He began to find himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window ---- and that thought now controlled his life.
Late one night, as he lay staring at the ceiling. Alan began to cough. He was choking. Henry watched in the dim room as the struggling man tried hard to reach for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running. In less than five minutes, the coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now, there was only silence ---- deathly silence.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, Henry asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he struggled to take his first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He looked out, but faced a black wall.
1.Judging from the passenger, the meaning of the underlined word “alien” in Paragraph 3 is ______.
A. disappointing B. sudden C. new D. strange
2.What finally happened to Alan?
A. He was moved to another room. B. He died.
C. He switched his bed with Henry. D. He was very sick.
3.Henry, who had his bed switched, had expected _____.
A. to see the blank wall
B. to feel the joy of seeing the outside world
C. to feel the joy of breathing fresh air
D. to see more than Alan
4.Which of following words could be used to describe Alan?
A. Kind-hearted and imaginative B. Well-informed and humorous
C. Talkative and funny D. Cold-hearted and indifferent
The New York Times published an article recently that shows great regret for the "death of conversation"．It suggests that while technology such as cell phones, e-mails, and Internet posting makes us feel more 36 than ever, they’re also driving us 37 from people around us．
Users get final connectivity 38 the price of 39 face-to-face conversation. Sherry Turkle, author of the article in The New York Times says people are 40 to a different way of being “alone together”．
Actually , 41 text messages or writing micro-blogs allows us to 42 thoughts.
43 bits and pieces of online cannot 44 a “real conversation．” Lan Guo, 19, a freshman English major from Changsha University , said that she would like to hear people’s tone of voice and see their faces in a (n) 45 . “The give and take of ideas in a conversation sharpens our minds.” she said. She also mentions that 46 ourselves in mobile technology reduces our chance of starting conversations with strangers and 47 people．
Turkle mentioned the popular 48 of “I share, therefore I am ”among this generation. Liu Xuan, a young writer from Taiwan and psychology graduate from Harvard University, thinks it’s a mindset adopted by most young people. They are so busy creating or polishing their online persona (网络人格)that they forget how to live a (n) 49 life. For example, They may 50 more about blogging about attending a party rather than enjoying being 51 .
52 , experts remind us that it’s unfair to blame mobile technology . Chen Chen, a sociology expert at China Youth &Children Research Center, points out that it is still owners of gadgets , such as cell phones and tablets , who’re avoiding personal 53 . We take advantage of these devices to hide ourselves 54 others. Texting messages or calling may be a (n) 55 to avoid contact with others, such as having eye contact. “Only by strengthening conversation can we understand each other. Simply throwing away the mobile gadgets is not a solution.” she said．
1.A．received B．shared C．connected D．respected
2.A．off B．back C．away D．down
3.A．beyond B．at C．for D．above
4.A．having B．risking C．sacrificing D．sharing
5.A．related B．committed C．devoted D．accustomed
6.A．sending B．getting C．reading D．taking
7.A．change B．exchange C．deliver D．raise
8.A．So B．And C．Or D．But
9.A．indicate B．replace C．cover D．involve
10.A．conversation B．computer C．party D．Internet
11.A．abandoning B．joining C．burying D．attaching
12.A．interviewing B．introducing C．knowing D．meeting
13.A．feeling B．concept C．fact D．truth
14.A．colorful B．interesting C．real D．meaningful
15.A．worry B．care C．ask D．debate
16.A．there B．out C．down D．in
17.A．Therefore B．Altogether C．Instead D．However
18.A．information B．space C．contact D．management
19.A．from B．of C．behind D．under
20.A．approach B．source C．result D．excuse
