The rat is named Lola and she’s at the top of her class of risk-running animals being trained to smell out landmines (地雷) in Colombia, home to the world’s highest number of mine-related deaths and injuries last year. Of the victims, many are children who died in the accidents while walking to school or playing in the countryside.
The smartest rat among the first six that the government is teaching to locate landmines equipment planted by rebels(叛乱者) has a 90 percent success rate in locating landmines material in her lab training.
Police animal trainers, tired of seeing their landmines-smelling dogs blown up by stepping on mines, hope the white-furred, pink-eyed creature will lead her classmates through coming open field tests and then into the country mine fields before the end of the year. It takes about 400 grams of pressure to detonate (引爆) a mine while Lola only weighs about 220 grams. “The dogs can easily set off the landmines, sometimes killing people nearby,” they said.
Police animal trainer Jose Pineda says that rats have more sensitive noses than dogs, which should allow them to better smell out mines in difficult terrain (地形).
Plus, it takes the police about six months to train mine-smelling dogs. Training the rats is expected to take about half that time once the program is established.
Trainers think that they are much smarter than the dogs. The second-best scorer in the laboratory is Lucrecia, with an 83 percent success rate. Males, such as one named Runcho, have fallen behind until now but may do better in the coming field tests. Pineda said that the next step of training will present new challenges to the rats as they are sure to meet distractions (分心的事) in the open.
1.What do the underlined words “the accidents” in the first paragraph mean?
A. Children were shot while playing outside.
B. A buried landmine was walked on and set off.
C. A rebel blew up a landmine and killed children.
D. Children got hurt in traffic accidents on the way to school.
2.Which of the following is NOT a reason why rats are chosen to find buried landmines?
A. They have a good sense of smell.
B. They are too light to set off buried landmines.
C. They can smell all kinds of explosive materials.
D. They cost people less time in terms of training
3.What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A. Rats will perform as well in the open air as in the lab.
B. Until now, female rats are better than the male ones.
C. Trainers should have chosen only female rats for the program.
D. Because they are foolish, dogs are not preferred for the program.
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Dogs Bring Peace to the People in Colombia
B. Colombia Develops a New Way to Reduce Deaths
C. Buried Landmines are a Great Danger to Colombians
D. Colombian Police Train Rats to Sniff Out Landmines
The question this week comes from our listener Herve Acard, who asks about the American word “OK”, which means “all right” or “acceptable”. It expresses agreement or approval. The word is used more often than any other word in the world.
Language expert Allen Walker Read said the word began as a short way of writing a different spelling of the words “all correct”. Old stories say some foreign-born people would write “all correct” as o-l-l k-o-r-r-e-c-t and spoke it as “OK”. Some people say it came from the Native American Indian tribe known as the Choctaws. The Choctaw word “okeh” means the same as the American word “OK”. Experts say early explorers in the Western America spoke the Choctaw language in the nineteenth century. The language spread across the country.
According to some people, “OK” was a way to shorten Greek words that mean everything is fine. It is also said that a railroad worker named Obadiah Kelly invented the word. He is said to have put the first letters of his names — O and K — on each object people gave him to place on the train.
Another explanation is that “OK” was invented by a political organization that supported Martin Van Buren for president in the 1800s. They called their organization the OK Club. The letters O and K were taken from the name of the town where Martin Van Buren was born — Old Kinderhook, New York.
Not everyone agrees with these explanations, but experts do agree that the word is purely American and has spread to almost every country on Earth. Yet in the United States, it is used mostly in speech. Serious writers prefer using words, such as “agree”, “approve” or “confirm” instead.
1.Where does the passage probably come from?
A. A newspaper. B. A textbook.
C. A radio program. D. A language magazine.
2.Of the following origins, which one has the same meaning as the American word “OK”?
A. The OK Club
B. The Choctaw word “okeh”
C. The word invented by Martin Van Buren
D. The short form of “all correct”
3.According to the passage, which statement is NOT true?
A. People disagree about the origin of “OK”.
B. “OK” is often used in formal writing in the USA.
C. The word “OK” is widely used all over the world.
D. Native American language once influenced American English.
Not too long ago, a story that happened at Walt Disney touched me greatly. A guest 46 out of our Polynesian Village resort(度假胜地) at Walt Disney was asked how she 47 her visit. She told the front-desk clerk she had had a(n) 48 vacation, but was heartbroken about 49 several rolls of Kodak color film(胶卷) she had not yet 50 . At that moment she was particularly 51 over the loss of the pictures she had shot at our Polynesian Luau, 52 this was a memory she especially treasured.
Now, please understand that we have no written service rules 53 lost photos in the park. 54 , the clerk at the front desk 55 Disney’s idea of caring for our 56 . She asked the woman to leave her a couple rolls of 57 film, promising she would take care of the rest of our show at Polynesian Luau.
Two weeks later the guest received a 58 at her home. In it were photos of all the actors of our show, 59 signed by each performer. There were also 60 of the public procession(游行队伍) and fireworks in the park, taken by the front-desk clerk in her own
61 after work. I happened to know this 62 because this guest wrote us a letter. She said that 63 in her life had she received such good service from any business.
Excellent 64 does not come from policy(政策性的) handbooks. It comes from people who 65 —and from a culture that encourages and shapes that attitude.
1.A.working B. checking C. trying D. staying
2.A.expected B. realized C. paid D. enjoyed
3.A.disappointingB. wonderful C. uncomfortableD. important
4.A.taking B. dropping C. losing D. breaking
5.A.developed B. taken C. washed D. loaded
6.A.silly B. nervous C. calm D. sad
7.A.when B. where C. as D. which
8.A.covering B. finding C. making D. keeping
9.A.Excitedly B. Fortunately C. Therefore D. Quietly
10.A.understood B. reminded C. created D. discovered
11.A.workers B. guests C. managers D. clerks
12.A.printed B. shot C. unused D. recorded
13.A.film B. card C. camera D. packet
14.A.frequently B. personally C. alone D. actually
15.A.rules B. pictures C. handbooks D. performances
16.A.case B. work C. time D. position
17.A.story B. place C. photo D. show
18.A.only B. almost C. never D. nearly
19.A.advice B. experience C. quality D. service
20.A.care B. explain C. like D. know
George couldn't remember when he first met Mr.Anderson,but he was sure it was______Sunday because everybody was at______ church.
A./; the B.the; / C.a; / D./; a
Many of them turned a deaf ear to his advice, _______ they knew it to be valuable.
A. as if B. now that C. even though D. so that
—Look, where are you going!
—Sorry, I _______.
A. wasn’t noticing B. didn’t notice
C. haven’t noticed D. am not noticing
