People can often see a talking parrot on a TV show, in a movie, or even in someone’s home. The parrot has learned 1. (copy) sounds that people make. Dolphins, bats, and some apes also copy sounds. Now we can add elephants 2. this list of copycats (盲目的模仿者).
Dr. Joyce Poole is a zoologist, 3. studies the sounds of elephants. While she was in Kenya, she would hear strange noises 4. (make) by Mlaika after sunset. Mlaika was 5. 8-year-old African elephant 6. it lived near a highway.
Dr. Poole says that she couldn’t tell the difference between Mlaika’s call and the 7. (distance) truck noise. Why did 8. copy the sounds of the trucks driving by? Animals that are able to copy sounds may enjoy 9. (practice) new sounds. When they are kept outside of their natural environment, they may copy unusual sounds.
So far Dr. Poole 10. (spend) 18 years with two female Asian elephants. Asian elephants make sounds like birds to talk with one another.
Parrots, dolphins, humans, and elephants show that being a copycat is one way that animals and people make new friends and keep old ones.
Bobby Moresco grew up in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen, a tough working-class neighbourhood on Manhattan’s West Side. By tradition he have been a construction worker or a policeman, just like his father and most of his childhood pals. , he wanted out. Attracted by the bright lights from the time Bobby was a teen, he tried to . “I wasn’t a actor, but I had a driving need to do something with my life,” he said.
He moved to Hollywood, promising to find his . But he didn’t make it. For almost 10 years, he drove a taxi and worked as a waiter, volunteering at an actors’ workshop that he opened in Hollywood. But Moresco kept working at his career.
In 1983 his younger brother was murdered in a mob-linked killing. Moresco was forced to give up working and moved back to his neighbourhood. In 1988 he finally wrote a play that was to his life. Called Half-Deserted Streets, it was based on his brother’s and staged at a small theater. A Hollywood producer to see it and asked him to work on a screenplay.
His grew, and he got enough assignments to move back to Hollywood. However, it was never easy. By 2003, he was out of work and out of cash he got a call from Paul Haggis, a director who had befriended him. The two worked on the script and tried some famous studios, but their request was . Moresco believed so in the script that he borrowed money, and sold his house. At last the writers found an independent film producer who would take a chance.
The , slipped into the theatres in May 2005, and quietly became both a hit and an overnight success. It him two Academy Awards — Best Film Editing and Best Writing.
At the age of 54, Bobby Moresco became an success. “If you have something you want to do in life, don’t think about the problems,” he says, “think about the to get it done.”
1.A. must B. should C. can D. need
2.A. Then B. Therefore C. However D. Besides
3.A. study B. drive C. teach D. act
4.A. simple B. strict C. firm D. good
5.A. different B. impressive C. effective D. necessary
6.A. occasion B. treasure C. fortune D. possibility
7.A. afforded B. chosen C. respected D. offered
8.A. early B. worn C. old D. passed
9.A. turned B. pointed C. belonged D. related
10.A. arresting B. injuring C. killing D. shooting
11.A. advised B. happened C. intended D. planned
12.A. influence B. ambition C. success D. reputation
13.A. again B. even C. finally D. still
14.A. before B. when C. since D. while
15.A. let out B. looked down C. taken off D. turned down
16.A. strongly B. hardly C. deeply D. bravely
17.A. actor B. movie C. studio D. director
18.A. gave B. failed C. won D. allowed
19.A. effortless B. enjoyable C. overnight D. optimistic
20.A. ways B. lines C. manners D. actions
If you want to grow, one important thing you should do is keeping a journal. It may seem simple, but it can make a big difference in your life. I have been keeping journals for years. Writing all the lessons I learn and all the ideas I get has become a habit for me. And to be honest, I can’t imagine what my life would be like without it. 1.
◆ It prevents you from losing an idea. Have you ever gotten an idea only to lose it later because you didn’t write it down? 2. But then I developed the habit of writing down every idea that came into my mind as soon as possible. If I’m away from my computer, I usually write it down on a piece of paper that I bring wherever I go. I will then transfer the idea to the journal in my computer.
◆ It helps you review all the lessons you’ve learned. By reviewing your journal, you can quickly see the lessons you’ve learned and the ideas you’ve gotten. 3. You can use the ideas to propel (鞭策) yourself forward.
◆ 4. After keeping a journal for years, you can look back at it and see how far you’ve gone. Things that were big problems in the past might seem small today. The raw ideas you had in the past might have been realized today.
◆ It helps you expand your ideas. When you try to come up with a sentence to express an idea, you are thinking actively about it. 5. In the end, you will expand your ideas.
A. I often experienced that myself.
B. It trains you to express your thoughts.
C. It allows you to see your progress over time.
D. Just use whatever tool you feel comfortable with.
E. Here are some benefits you will get by keeping a journal.
F. Thinking actively helps you connect your idea to another idea.
G. Then you can do whatever necessary to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
Unlike chemists and physicists, who usually do their experiments using machines, biologists and medical researchers have to use living things like rats. But there are three Nobel prize-winning scientists who actually chose to experiment on themselves – all in the name of science, reported The Telegraph.
1. Werner Forssmann (Nobel prize winner in 1956)
Forssmann was a German scientist. He studied how to put a pipe inside the heart to measure the pressure inside and decide whether a patient needs surgery.
Experiments had been done on horses before, so he wanted to try with human patients. But it was not permitted because the experiment was considered too dangerous.
Not giving up, Forssmann decided to experiment on himself. He anaesthetized (麻醉) his own arm and made a cut, putting the pipe 30 centimeters into his vein (静脉). He then climbed two floors to the X-ray room before pushing the pipe all the way into his heart.
2. Barry Marshall (Nobel prize winner in 2005)
Most doctors in the mid-20th century believed that gastritis was down to stress, spicy food or an unusually large amount of stomach acid. But in 1979 an Australian scientist named Robin Warren found that the disease might be related to a bacteria (细菌) called Helicobacter pylori.
So he teamed up with his colleague, Barry Marshall, to continue the study. When their request to experiment on patients was denied, Marshall bravely drank some of the bacteria. Five days later, he lost his appetite and soon was vomiting each morning – he indeed had gastritis.
3. Ralph Steinman (Nobel prize winner in 2011)
This Canadian scientist discovered a new type of immune system cell called the dendritic cell. He believed that it had the ability to fight against cancer.
Steinman knew he couldn’t yet use his method to treat patients. So in 2007, when doctors told him that he had cancer and that it was unlikely for him to live longer than a year, he saw an opportunity.
With the help of his colleagues, he gave himself three different vaccines based on his research and a total of eight experimental therapies (疗法). Even though Steinman eventually died from his cancer, he lived four and a half years, much longer than doctors had said he would.
1.The passage is mainly about _________.
A. some dangerous experiments that Nobel prize winners did on themselves
B. difficulties that scientists went through in order to make important discoveries
C. the reasons why some scientists chose to experiment on themselves
D. three Nobel prize winners who did experiments on themselves
2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the article?
A. Forssmann’s experiment ended in failure.
B. Forssmann managed to do his experiment on different kinds of animals.
C. Barry Marshall succeeded by drinking some Helicobacter pylori.
D. Barry Marshall’s experiment on himself confirmed that most doctors’ belief about gastritis was correct.
3.From the text, we can conclude that Ralph Steinman _________.
A. discovered a new type of cancer cell called the dendritic cell
B. tried different therapies containing the dendritic cell on himself
C. knew that he himself would have cancer and die from it
D. believed that he was better than doctors at treating cancer
When you put down your pens at the end of the college entrance exam, 12 hard years of study will have come to an end. Forget your studies for a while. It’s time to enjoy yourselves!
There are many ways to celebrate this special month of graduation. You can have photos taken with your classmates and teachers, or dine out together and exchange gifts.
High school students in Western countries such as the United States and Canada usually have a prom to mark their graduation. It’s to mark the time kids turn into young men and women. After the prom, teenagers either go to college or find a job. It means they are no longer as dependent on their parents as they were before.
At the prom, boys usually dress in dinner jackets and bow ties, though many different types of formal clothes are worn. Traditionally, girls give boys matching boutonnieres (a small collection of flowers they pin to their jackets). Girls traditionally wear formal dresses, or dress to shock or be noticed, in shiny or brightly colored materials.
Common prom activities include dining, dancing, the crowning (加冠) of a prom king and queen, and just talking to friends. In some cases, high school students collect funds for their class prom through the four years of their high school.
High schools in or near large cities may rent ballrooms at expensive hotels or, to be unusual, on a pleasure cruise boat.
But often costs are cut by simply using the school gym. Students make a lot of effort to decorate the gym to make the event special. The music played at the prom will be the most popular kinds, like rock and hip-hop.
The students elect the Prom Queen. She is partnered with a Prom King who is elected similarly. These are great honors that the pair take very seriously. The two dance with each other to celebrate their election.
Sometimes teachers and parents also go to the prom. But others like to go with friends, to whom they are soon going to be saying goodbye.
If you like the idea of a prom, why don’t you and your classmates organize one for your graduation?
1.Which of the following indicates that prom is very important to students?
A. They take pictures at the prom.
B. They wear formal clothes or special clothes.
C. Music is played at the prom.
D. Teachers and parents attend it.
2.Which of the following is an economical way to hold the prom?
A. Renting a ballroom.
B. Taking a cruise boat.
C. Holding it in the school gym.
D. Wearing formal dresses.
3.Why do some students attend the prom with their friends?
A. They will part with their friends in a short time.
B. They don’t like to be accompanied by their parents.
C. They don’t want to depend on their parents.
D. They want to be elected by their friends as the Prom King or Queen.
4.What is the writer’s purpose to write this passage?
A. To tell an interesting experience of high school students.
B. To tell how the western students spend the last days of high school.
C. To introduce several ways of western students’ killing time.
D. To tell how western high school students usually celebrate graduation.
The Calgary Public Library has some great resources to beat boredom and keep your children busy over the summer, whether at home or on the road．
During the school year children are busy with homework and required reading, so summer is a great time for them to relax and read what they choose. Not only is reading a pleasurable way to pass the time, it will also help children keep their skills up over the summer, so they are prepared to go back to school in the fall．
If you are taking a trip this summer, why not let the kids help out with the planning? Borrow a children’s atlas (地图集) to choose your way together and check out some books about your destination before departure. The All about Provinces and Territories series is full of interesting facts about each Canadian province．
Going camping? How about taking along some scary stories to tell around the campfire? Alvin Schwarz’s collections of Scary Tales to Tell in the Dark are sure to make your spine tingle and your teeth chatter. For something a little less horrible, try Velcome: a Very Scary Book, by Kevin O’Malley, which includes such horrors as a plate of mixed vegetables!
Remember to lead by example and pack a book in your own beach bag. If children see you reading, they will understand that books are an important and valuable part of summer and they will begin to copy your habits!
The staff at the Calgary Public Library are always happy to help find that perfect summer read, so stop by your nearest branch, call us at 260-2600, or visit our website at calgarypubliclibrary. com today．
1.What can we infer from the second paragraph of the passage?
A. Summer is the only time for children to relax themselves．
B. Children have little time to read what they choose at school．
C. Children usually get bored of reading during the school year.
D. Required reading prepares children to go back to school in the fall．
2.If you want your children to have a good knowledge of Canada before a trip, you had better refer to _________.
A. All about Provinces and Territories
B. Scary Tales to Tell in the Dark
C. Velcome: a Very Scary Book
D. A Children’s Atlas
3.What’s the probable meaning of the underlined part “to make your spine tingle and your teeth chatter” in Paragraph 4?
A. To interest you and impress you.
B. To excite you and frighten you.
C. To embarrass you and annoy you.
D. To discourage you and disgust you.
4.You should take a book with you to _________.
A. save your own time
B. enjoy your summer holiday
C. set a good example to your children
D. follow your children’s good habits
