___1____ Maybe you thought that they were just happy. After all, you probably sing or whistle when you are happy.
However, they sing most of the time for a very different reason. ____2___ Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of the time just because they are happy.
Do you know what a “territory” is? A territory is an area that an animal, usually the male, claims(声称)as its own. ____3___ No other families of the same species are welcome. Your yard and house are your territory where only your family and friends are welcome. If a stranger should enter your territory and threaten you, you might shout. Probably this would be enough to frighten him away. If so, you have actually scared the stranger away without having to fight him. A bird does the same thing. But he expects an outsider almost any time, especially at nesting(筑巢)season. So he is screaming all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not.__4__.
Birds sing loudest in the spring when they are trying to attract a mate and warn others not to enter the territory of theirs. You can see that birds have a language all their own. ___5__
A．Only he and his family are welcome there.
B．Most of it has to do with attracting mates and setting up territories.
C．Have you ever wondered why birds sing?
D．Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory.
E. Have you ever wondered why birds sing?
F. Most of the language is widely used.
G. This screaming is what we call a bird’s song, and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away.
“Write All About It”
Centerville High School Essay（论文）Contest
Rules
1. Students are asked to submit essays of 500 to 700 words of their own work. Any essay containing material plagiarized(剽窃) from another source will be disqualified.
2. Manuscripts should be typed double-spaced, with the student’s name, address, and grade level on a separate sheet of paper.
3. Essays must be turned in by 4:00 p.m. on November 30. They can be brought to Mrs. Elton in Room 104 or to Mr. Markham in the school library.
Essay-Writing Tips
1. Catch your readers’ interest－Your opening should immediately pull your readers into your essay. Asking a question or starting with an anecdote, quotation, or surprising statement are some good ways to do this.
2. Create a picture－Use active words that show your readers what is happening. Instead of telling your readers vaguely that “the room was disordered,” paint a picture using active verbs and lively adjectives.
3. Have a purpose－Well-written essays do more than just describe an incident or express a viewpoint, they also communicate a message.
4.Check for mistakes－Read your paper over to check for mistakes. Ask another student to read your paper and make suggestions. Another pair of eyes will often spot a mistake you’ve overlooked.
5. Format your essay－Neatly type your essay on white paper. Choose an attractive cover for submission. The computer lab will be open after school from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. each day this month so that students can use the computers.
Prizes
Winning essays will be published in the Centerville Times. Everyone who takes part in it will also receive a free pass to enter one school activity this year.
First Prize: $ 50 savings bond
Second Prize: Dictionary and reference book
Third Prize: Pen set and journal
1.Which of the following rules is set for the essay contest?
A．Students can write something exactly as it is written in other books.
B．Students’ personal information should be listed on another piece of paper.
C．Essays must be brought to Mr. Markham in the computer lab on November 30.
D．The students winning second prize will be awarded a dictionary and a book.
2.Which of the following writing tips is given in the passage?
A．Drawing a picture to go with the essay.
B．Trying to communicate an important idea to readers.
C．Asking a teacher to find the mistakes you haven’t found.
D．Making the essay short enough to hold the readers’ interest.
3.The article is written to ____.
A．convince the students of the prizes available
B．explain how to write a good essay
C．inform the students of the essay contest
D．show how to organize an essay contest
Researchers at San Diego Zoo have been studying what has been described as the “secret language” of elephants. They have been monitoring（监测） communications between animals that cannot be heard by human ears.
The elephant’s call will be familiar to most people, but the animals also give out growls (低吼). Their growls, however, are only partly audible (听得见的); two-thirds of the call is at frequencies that are too low to be picked up by our hearing. To learn more about the inaudible part of the growl, the team attached (附在……上面) a microphone sensitive to these low frequencies and a GPS tracking system to eight of the zoo’s female elephants. The researchers could then relate the noises the animals were making to what they were doing. Matt Anderson, who led the project, told BBC News, “We’re excited to learn how they interact and contact with one another.”
The team has already learned that pregnant females use this low frequency communication to announce to the rest of their long gestation (妊娠期) of over two years, in the last 12 days we see the low part of the growl, which we can’t hear. This we believe is to announce to the rest of the herd that the baby is upcoming,” said Dr Anderson.
The researchers believe that this also warns the elephants to look out for coming danger. “You may think that a baby calf of about 300 pounds would not be as open to predation (捕食) as other species,” he says. “But packs of hyenas (袋狼) are a big threat in the wild.”
Female elephants are only in season for around four days every four years and these calls can be heard by males more than two miles away.
1.Why some elephants’ call is called “secret language”?
A．Because it can’t be heard by human ears.
B．Because it can only be heard by female elephants.
C．Because people don’t know its meanings.
D．Because people haven’t studied it completely.
2.By using a sensitive microphone and a GPS tracking system, the researchers wanted to find out .
A．where the elephants usually go
B．what the elephants’ growls really mean
C．how mother elephants raise baby calves
D．how elephants protect their babies.
3.A pregnant elephant uses inaudible growls to .
A．show the location where she is staying
B．ask for help when she losses her way
C．scare away the enemy
D．let others know she will have a baby
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A．The elephants can speak like people.
B．The wild elephants’ ways to fight against enemies.
C．The “secret language” between elephants.
D．The special life of female elephants.
Kataria is the founder of the worldwide laughter movement. The celebration of world Laughter Day is a positive activity for world peace and is intended to build up a global sense of brotherhood and friendship through laughter. The first “World Laughter Day” gathering took place in Mumbai, India, on 11th January 1998. 12,000 members from India and international Laughter Clubs attended it. Now there are over 5,000 Laughter Clubs worldwide on all 5 continents.
“HAPPY-DEMIC” was the first World Laughter Day gathering outside India. It took place on 9th January 2000. In Copenhagen, Denmark , more than 10,000 people gathered at Town Hall Square. The event went into Guinness Book of World records. “World Laughter Day” is now organized on the first Sunday of May every year. Hundreds of people gather worldwide on that day to laugh together.
Today, many people fear widespread international terrorism（恐怖主义）. The world has never faced so much unrest before. People are at war within themselves. Laughter is a universal language, which has the ability to unite humanity without religion（宗教）. Laughter can build a common connection between various religions and create a new world order. The idea may sound over-ambitious (野心太大的), and maybe it is. But maybe it is not. It is our deep belief that laughter and only laughter can unite the world, building up a global sense of brotherhood and friendship.
Studies also say that laughter helps your body do the following: lower blood pressure; lighten depression; reduce stress; work out the heart, especially for those who are unable to perform physical exercise. So in life, when you can laugh, you should laugh loudly and with your entire body—because it’s good for you.
1.The purpose of celebrating World Laughter Day is ____.
A．to build up a global sense of brotherhood and friendship through laughter
B．to build a common connection between various religions
C．to reduce stress and lighten depression
D．to lower blood pressure
2.The first World Laughter Day gathering outside India took place ____.
A．on 11th. January, 1998
B．on the first Sunday of May
C．on 9th. January, 1996
D．on 9th. January, 2000
3.The author’s attitude towards laughter movement is ____.
A．positive B．negative C．uninterested D．objective
4.The passage is mainly about _______.
A．World Laughter Day and its significance
B．the worldwide laughter movement
C．a universal language
D．laughter
It is easier to float in the ocean than it is to float in a swimming pool. Do you know why?
Ocean water is full of salt— and salt water can hold up more weigh than fresh water. See for yourself!
You Will Need:
● 3 cups of warm water
● Measuring cup (量杯)
● Wide-mouthed jar
● Salt
● Spoon
● Raw (生的)potato
You Will Do:
1. Pour 1.5 cups of warm water into the jar.
2. Add 1/3 cup of salt.
3. Stir(搅拌) until the salt is completely dissolved.
4. Add another 1.5 cups of water. Pour it slowly over the back of the spoon into the jar so that the two liquid will not mix together.
5. Gently place the potato into the jar. Do not drop it.
What Will Happen:
The potato will sink— but only halfway!
Why?
Salt water is heavier than fresh water, so it will stay on the bottom. The fresh water will remain on top.
The potato is heavier than the fresh water, but it is lighter than the salt water. That is why the potato will sink halfway down.
1.In the experiment, what should you do right after you pour the water over the spoon?
A．Add the salt to the water. B．Stir the salt into the water.
C．Place the potato in the jar. D．Pour warm water into thejar.
2.In Step 4 of the experiment, why do you pour the water over the spoon “slowly”?
A．It is easier to see what you are doing.
B．It pushes the fresh water to the bottom.
C．It will keep the water from coming out.
D．It will keep the liquids from mixing together.
3.In which step of the experiment do you add the salt?
A．Step 1 B．Step 2 C．Step 3 D．Step 4
4.What does the underlined word “gently” mean?
A．Carefully B．Quickly C．Secretly D．Silently
Tuesday the twelfth was my birthday. I 16 a day of cake and presents 17__ it turned into a day of mystery(神秘). Someone sent a bottle with a letter and a treasure map 18 . It said there was a treasure of over 20 million dollars. I didn’t know if it was a trick(恶作剧) or if I should 19 it. If it was 20 , it would be the best present I had ever got. I decided to 21 . Two of my friends came and we rented a truck. 22 , I thought about turning back twice during this trip, but I didn’t think it was a 23 decision for me to make. I 24 to give this trip twice the effort(努力) I had been putting in. This would take all my trust in order for me to find the 25 .
“The map says you have to turn when you see a large stone with a red circle,” said one of them.
“What do we do after the turn?” I asked 26 .
“It says we should see a tree. We are 27 to turn 20 meters north of it and dig.
We got there and dug. We had 28 at first digging but we got better and worked very 29 . My trousers were dirty but I kept digging 30 I hit something. It was a large metal box. We 31 the lock and looked inside. There was a letter. It read:
“The lesson you have learned will be very 32 . If you put as much 33 in anything you do as you did in finding the 34 , you will have found the key to making over 20 million dollars.”
This was a trick from my parents. I thought I would never forget this 35 birthday present.
1. A．expected B．accepted C．passed D．planned
2. A．or B．but C．and D．so
3. A．above B．away C．inside D．nearby
4. A．trust B．forget C．refuse D．share
5. A．common B．easy C．interesting D．real
6. A．choose B．try C．ask D．think
7. A．Luckily B．Finally C．Probably D．Actually
8. A．wise B．big C．different D．quick
9. A．hated B．failed C．needed D．remembered
10. A．pleasure B．truth C．help D．aim
11. A．gratefully B．sadly C．angrily D．seriously
12. A．allowed B．required C．forced D．encouraged
13. A．training B．experience C．trouble D．fun
14. A．quickly B．badly C．tiredly D．carefully
15. A．since B．if C．because D．until
16. A．repaired B．opened C．changed D．cleaned
17. A．valuable B．necessary C．satisfying D．painful
18. A．time B．money C．health D．energy
19. A．bottle B．map C．letter D．tree
20. A．pretty B．perfect C．special D．expensive
