The most famous animal said to be capable of counting was a horse in Germany at the beginning of the 19th century called Clever Hans. The horse’s owner that animals could think and reason as we can and that this could come from training them. He trained Clever Hans to give the to arithmetic (算术的) problems; the horse gave the correct answer by the right number of times with its forefoot. The animal gave the correct answers not only to additions but to other arithmetic, too. It also gave the right answers when the questions were shown to it on a card.
This was talked about so much that scientists studied the horse’s . The committee, after a(n) study, found that Clever Hans’ owner and trainer was . He had not deliberately trained his horse to stop tapping by giving it a slight . Members of the committee got the right answers from Hans when the owner wasn’t there, that this type of trickery (诡计) hadn’t happened.
It looked as if the horse really could think and . But soon after this another scientist found that if the horse was asked questions to which none of the people there knew the answers, then the animal gave a correct answer. The questions were asked by showing the horse a card that the questioner himself had not .
This biologist soon discovered that the horse had actually to very slight unconscious (下意识的) movements of head or body made by a questioner who knew the number of taps. He counted the taps to himself, and when the horse got to the right number, the questioner’s tension (紧张感) was by a small, unconscious movement of his head or body. The horse then tapping. Questioners who didn’t know the answer didn’t do this. The horse had really itself to answer these very small during its training.
1.A. believed B.remembered C. expected D.doubted
2.A. chance B. knowledge C. method D. ability
3.A. explanations B. information C.answers D. facts
4.A. jumping B. tapping C. moving D.dropping
5.A. problem B.program C.case D. model
6.A. interests B.activities C.habits D. powers
7.A. careful B.simple C. general D. extra
8.A. honest B. creative C.independent D.patient
9.A. praise B. hint C.trust D. attention
10.A. still B.nearly C.even D. only
11.A. knowing B.considering C.pretending D. proving
12.A. work B.play C. count D.argue
13.A. never B. sometimes C. always D.ever
14.A. designed B. read C. improved D.answered
15.A. responded B. returned C. complained D.compared
16.A. various B. correct C. strange D. direct
17.A. ignored B. checked C.offered D. shown
18.A. Practiced B. continued C. stopped D.began
19.A. permitted B. taught C. regretted D. forced
20.A. suggestions B.instructions C. questions D. movements
Many people believe sharks are dangerous and will always try to hurt or even kill humans. 1. .A shark exhibition at the National Aquarium（水族馆）in Baltimore，USA.proves this．Visitors can touch young sharks，see their eggs develop and watch a dozen different species swim smoothly around a huge tank．
Most people fail to realize that shark attacks do not happen very often．Humans are more likely to be killed by lightning than by a shark. 2. .There kids can learn, from an early age, not to fear sharks．
“People fear what they don’t know，”said Nancy Hotchkiss，an organizer of the exhibition．“Sharks have been around for 400 million years and play an important role in the ocean’s food chain．We want people to discover that sharks are amazing animals that need our respect and protection．” 3. . A study，published in January in the US magazine，Science，found that almost all recorded shark species have fallen by half in the past 8 to 15 years．
Thousands of sharks are hunted in Asia for special foods，and many others get caught in nets，while fishermen are hunting other fish. 4.
“Some fishing methods are actually cleaning out the ocean for sharks，”said Dave Schofield，the manager of the aquarium’s ocean health program. 5.
A．They can watch them develop inside their eggs and feel the skin of the older swimmers
B．In fact，94 percent of the world’s 400 species are harmless to humans
D. About 100 million sharks are killed every year around the world by humans．
C．It is a worrying situation but some areas have put measures in place to protect these special fish．
E．And to make this point clear，the museum has set up a special touching pool for children．
F．Sharks can smell and taste blood,and trace it back to its source
G. More than half of the sharks caught are smaller than l meter long．
Its often interesting to take a look at some of the lists that arrive toward the end of the year such as top devices, best gadgets, most desirable high-tech gift and more. Apart from cell phones and tablets, and Apple and Samsung products, this year many other gadgets made it on the most wanted list from Yahoo Tech and the most searched list from Bing. com. Read on to find out what they are.
Wireless headphone
Portable Bluetooth headphones represent the next evolution in headphone technology. If you have a compatible smartphone with Bluetooth, the obvious benefit is that you can get rid of the wires snaking from your backpack or pocket. Many of the wireless headphones in the market also have a built-in microphone for taking calls hands-free.
Product to buy: Beats Studio Wireless
Features: Signature look, and powerful audio performance with intense bass and high-mid boosting, plus plenty of accessories.
Price: 1898 yuan
Smartwatch
The primary advantage of a smartwatch over traditional watches is that they reduce how often you have to pull your phone out of your pocket. With it, the information on your smartphone goes straight to your wrist, and you can decide first if they are worth dealing with.
Product to buy: Pebble smartwatch
Features: Understated design, with easy setup and instant information, and customizable watch faces, plus synes（同步）with Android or IOS.
Price: $99 (about 612 yuan)
Portable Bluetooth speaker
Bluetooth speakers are steadily growing in popularity because they let you take the party anywhere. They can be paired with your music device, and they are able to withstand incidental bumps. Though small in size, Bluetooth speakers provide a steady soundtrack for even the lengthiest bacchanalia (狂欢)。
Product to buy: Logitech UE Boom
Features: Water and stain resistant, 360-degree sound, 15 hour battery life, with a variety of color patterns.
Price: 1499 yuan
Fitness band
Basically, fitness bands are smartwatches without the watch. They keep track of your exercise progress and, at the same time, allow you to monitor vitals such as your heart rate, calories burned and amount of time spent exercising. Some even monitor your sleep patterns.
Product to buy: Fitbit Flex
Features: Long battery life (five days), with silent vibrating alarm, and wireless syncing to smartphones.
Price: 898 yuan
1.According to the first paragraph, a smartphone that __________ is a compatible one.
A. goes with other devices
B.has a large capacity
C. represents technological evolution
D. has signature look
2. How much money is he likely to spend on some of the products if a man is an enthusiastic musical fan?
A. 3397 yuan B.1510 yuan C. 2397 yuan D. 2510 yuan
3.Which of the following words can best summarize the common feature of the above products?
A. Wearable B. Cheap C. Android D. Wireless
4.Which of the following statements is Not True according to the passage?
A. Smartwatch and Fitness band are similar products to some extent.
B. Beats Studio Wireless features plenty of accessories.
C. All the products can sync with Android or iOS
D. Tablets are on the most wanted list of high-tech products of this year
This afternoon, my office sent out over 34,000 e-mail notifications to high school seniors who were waiting to learn whether they would be invited to spend the next four years at Stanford. Even though I have been in the admission field for over 30 years, I still feel the pain of the many exceptional youths who were not offered places.
Given that todays teens already have enough pressure in their lives, I wish to impart (告知) three messages to any particularly disappointed parents.
First, it’s all relative. While the number admitted into the undergraduate (本科的) class has remained unchanged for years, Stanford, like many of its peer (同类的) schools, has had a record number of total applicants more than 42,000. Regardless of arguments over whether too much preference is given to one category over another, thousands of students are going to be turned away, and there is no doubt that the vast majority of them could have met the demands of a Stanford education.
I wish there were a formula (公式) to explain who is accepted and who isn’t, but the decision-making is as much art as it is science. Each class is a symphony with its own distinct composition (乐曲)and sound. The final roster (花名册) is an effort to create harmony (和谐), and that means that some extraordinary bass players don’t get a chair. What’s more, even among my staff (员工) there are legitimate (合理的) differences about applicants.
Second, celebrate the bigger picture. Most of the applications I reviewed are truly remarkable. The transition from high school to college is a turning point, and it’s more important to focus on how a young adult is moving on to a new stage than where that stage happens to be. You should mark the success of your children and rejoice (喜悦) in the excitement that the next four years will bring.
And that leads to my final point: education is what a student makes of it. Of course, certain schools have resources (资源) that others don’t, but they all offer opportunities to learn and to grow. Thousands of applicants who arent accepted to Stanford go on to have fulfilling lives. What parents and college applicants across the country need to remember is that the news they receive, whether good or bad, is but a single step on a much longer journey.
1. Which of the following statements might the author agree with?
A. Bass players, even some extraordinary ones, have little chance of being accepted by Stanford.
B. Those who fail to get admitted into Stanford don’t necessarily do worse than those who make it.
C. Those who fail to get admitted by Stanford probably wouldn’t meet the demands of a Stanford education.
D.There are more students applying to study at Stanford than its peer schools in the US.
2. In the last two paragraphs, the author intends to convey the message that ______.
A. most colleges offer students the same resources as Stanford does
B. Stanford offers the best opportunities for young adults to learn and grow
C. parents should tell their children that this rejection will only make them stronger
D. its not which college that students enter but what they do there that counts
3. What is the main purpose of the article?
A. To congratulate those who have been admitted into Stanford.
B. To tell parents that there is no need to feel down if their children werent admitted to Stanford.
C. To inform us what kinds of applicants are more likely to be accepted by Stanford.
D. To inform us of the characteristics of a Stanford education.
ON a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain?
Baymax, the plus-sized white robot, asks the question each time he detects (探测到) his patient’s pain. Considering that he is hardly like a typical Marvel superhero, how could this robotic caregiver from Big Hero 6 have stolen viewers’ hearts and taken home this year’s best animation Oscar?
Set in fictional San Fransokyo, the film follows Hiro, a 14-year-old robotics genius (天才). After his brother dies, he goes on a journey to save his city from an evil masked man with his brother’s invention, Baymax.
Baymax was named “Disney’s most straightforwardly adorable (萌的) character” in years by The Telegraph. He has a pure white pear-shaped body and stumpy elephant legs. And his eyes –just two black dots with a line through them – can blink (眨眼) quickly or slowly. Baymax’s physical appearance “works with his personality because he’s purely good and naive (天真的),” co-director Don Hall told The Hollywood Reporter.
Sometimes Baymax is awkward. Moving in tight spaces gets challenging with his potbelly (大肚子). And when his batteries run low, he behaves like an amusing drunk. “This means that he is not at all intimidating (令人生畏的) and is easy to like,” commented The Straits Times in Singapore.
Baymax is a comforting friend, the kind that perhaps everyone needs.
After he diagnoses (诊断) Hiro with feeling sorrow, he says: “Physical comfort helps too,” and pulls Hiro into a hug. He pats his head, saying: “There, there.”
The team’s car crashes into the water at one point, and they have to walk shivering (颤抖) back home. Baymax notices that everyone’s body temperatures are low, so he turns on his internal heaters. Everyone cuddles (依偎) up with him. “This is like spooning (拥抱) with a warm marshmallow (棉花糖),” says Fred, one of the characters.
One minute, he is used as a bouncy castle (充气城堡), and the next he transforms into a superhero.
To fight against the villain, Hiro upgrades Baymax so that the robot can attack and fly. The robot has a hard time figuring out these new skills, but after he realizes that Hiro is happy with his improvement, he immediately becomes an expert. “The treatment is working,” he says.
Tencent Entertainment calls the amazing Baymax a “perfect companion”. “He is quiet, clumsy, and adorable. But at important times, he steps up and stops at nothing to protect his friends from harm, even if it means that he has to sacrifice his life. This is an idealized (理想化的) relationship in harsh reality,” the site commented.
1.What does Baymax do when he discovers Hiro is sad?
A. He tries to amuse him by behaving awkwardly.
B. He leaves him alone.
C. He comforts him with a hug.
D. He advises him to go for a walk.
2.Which of the following adjectives best describe Baymax?
A. Considerate and selfless. B. Adorable and humorous.
C. Clumsy and cautious. D. Brave and proud.
3.What is the article mainly about?
A. The plot and background of the movie Big Hero 6.
B. The friendship between Hiro and Baymax in Big Hero 6.
C. The reasons for the popularity of Baymax from Big Hero 6.
D. What sets Big Hero 6 apart from other animation movies.
4.Which of the following is TRUE about Baymax?
A. Baymaxs awkwardness actually makes him more adorable and popular.
B. Baymax was invented by Hiro, a robotics genius.
C. Baymaxs physical appearance doesnt quite match his personality.
D. Baymax looks like a typical Marvel superhero.
Yes, it’s still 2015, but as USA Today says, “it’s never too early to plan your 2016 travels”. With so many hot destinations (目的地) around the globe, “where should I go?” can be difficult to answer. According to Lonely Planet, though, Brazil is a fine choice – on April 29, the travel guide named that country the top one to visit in 2016.
“As if endless strands of coast and mountains splashed with rainforest didn’t already add up to an unfair share of heaven (天堂), Brazil held one of the greatest sporting events in the world, the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and the 2016 Summer Olympics, another greatest one, will be followed ,” explained Lonely Planet.
Brazil is the largest and most populous country in South America. It boasts (自豪拥有) the Amazon, the world’s largest jungle (丛林), which is home to a variety of plants and animals. But the great landscape (景色) is not the only thing Brazilians take pride in.
The colors green and yellow might make most people think of Brazil’s soccer team even more than its national flag. Soccer is more than a sport in Brazil; it’s a way of life. In fact, the World Cup brings Brazilians together. It is interesting to note that the general elections (大选) in Brazil are usually held during the same year as the World Cup. Political parties try to take advantage of the patriotic enthusiasm (爱国热情) created by soccer to inspire political energy.
Alongside soccer, samba is another emblem (象征) of Brazil. The country’s most traditional dance is highlighted every February at the Rio Carnival, which is one of the world’s biggest.
“Brazil has left its second-class nation status (地位),” said former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in 2009 after Rio de Janeiro was awarded the 2016 Olympics.
Brazil’s growing economy, fueled (刺激) by oil and aircraft factories, has made it more than just a nation of samba, soccer and beaches. These days, it might just be the best tourist destination in the world.
1.Which of the following aspects are mentioned about Brazil in the article?
a. military b. Economy c. language and culture d. geography and population
A. bc B. bcd C. acd D. bd
2.We can tell Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is ______ his country from his words.
A. honest about B. ashamed of
C.modest about D. proud of
3. Which is TRUE about Brazil?
A. It is the largest country with the longest history in South America.
B. It will hold the FIFA World Cup and the Summer Olympics in 2014.
C. Soccer and samba are two symbols of the country.
D. Its Amazon is the worlds largest jungle with the most beautiful landscape.
4.The authors purpose in writing the article is to ______.
A. explain why Brazil will be holding the two sporting events
B. give an introduction of Brazil as a tourist destination
C. give an objective review of Brazil as a nation
D. prove that Lonely Planets recommendation is right
