Annie slept in the front of the seat with her father drove through the darkness. ”We’re almost there!” Dad announced cheerfully. “Soon well be observing and counting owls at the state park.” Yawning, Annie nodded and smiled. The time was 4:30 a.m. Looking out into the darkness, Annie remembered learning in school that most owls are active at night, when they hunt for food. During the day they sleep in hard-to-find spots.
“Dad, why do you need to count owls?” she asked. “It’s important for the scientists to have current information about bird populations,” he explained. “We want to know which birds have decreased in number and whether any new kinds of birds are coming into a certain area. You and I will write down the kinds of birds that we see today and keep a record of how many times we see each kind. The we’ll send out a report to a scientific organization that is collecting about birds from people all over the county.”
Dad pulled into the parking lot of the state park. Then, with flashing in hand, they began their hike into the woods. Annie zipped up her coat and tried to keep from trembling. She had not expected the morning to be so frigid. Luckily her gloves were in her pocket.
Suddenly Annie’s father stooped and gestured for her to be still. Obeying, Annie did not take another step. She thought she heard a low crying up head. “That’s certainly a screech owl,” her father whispered. “Let’s get a look at it.” After looking more closely, Annie could see that it was a small owl. Sensing danger, the owl narrowed its eyes and pulled its feathers tightly against its body. Annie carefully wrote down in her notebook that they had seen a screech owl.
Walking a little farther, they came to a tall oak tree. “This looks like a perfect spot to attract owls,” Dad said. “I’m going to play a recording of common call of the barred owl. Maybe we can get one to answer.’ Annie could hardly believe her ear. The recorded all sounded as if the bird were asking, “who cooks for you?” Moments later Annie thought she heard a return call in distance. She held her breath and waited. Suddenly a huge bird landed very quietly on a branch above them.
Annie had long forgotten how cold it was. She stood in wonder, shining her flashlight on the bird and studying it carefully. The barred owl was nearly tow feet tall. Gray feathers surrounded its dark eyes. The bird did not matter. Annie would never forge the image of the powerful barred owl.
1.Annie and her father went to the state park to _________.
A. catch owls
B. collect information about owls
C. record the call of owls
D. carry out an experiment on owls
2.With the help of ________, Annie could study the barren owl carefully.
A. scientists
B. moonlight
C. flashlight
D. a recorder
3.How did Annie feel when she saw the barren owl?
A. Bored
B. Relaxed
C. Frightened
D. Amazed
4.What would be the best title?
A. The Owl Count
B. A Study on Owls
C. Observation of Birds
D. A Cheerful Early Morning
World’s Wonderful Libraries
How cool can libraries be in an era of iPads and Kindles More than you think．Only if you know where to go.
Central Library
The Central Library in Seattle,United States is modern and sophisticated. The building is an impressive work of art, which has has tourists from around the world paying visits and taking tours. The library offers free self-guided cell phone tours, along with group tours.
The library holds various art exhibitions, book signings and other events throughout the year.
Open: Monday-Thursday 10 a.m-8 p.m, Friday-Saturday 10 a.m-6 p.m, Sunday noon-6 p.m
Trinity College Library
The Trinity College Library in Dublin is the oldest library in Ireland, founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I.
Not only is the exterior impressive, it boasts the largest single chamber library in the world, also known as the Long Room, which contains more than 200,000 of the library's oldest books.
Various exhibitions and tour are available; admission 9(US 12)
Open: Monday-Wednesday 9:30 a.m -5 p.m, Tuesday 9:30 a.m -9 p.m, Saturday 9:30 a.m -1 p.m, Sunday closed.
Bibliotheca Alexamdrina
The Bibliotheca Alexamdrina is the revival(复兴) of the ancient Royal Library of Alexandria, which was the largest and most influential library in the Greek world. It was built by Alexander the Great some 2, 300 years ago.
The new library was reborn in 2002 on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea after 10 years of designing, planning and construction.
Along with the standard libraries, there are four museums covering science, Arabic Calligraphy, the history of printing and the Greek art.
Open: Saturday-Thursday 9 a.m- 4 p.m.
Stuttgart City Library
The Stuttgart City Library is controversial. Some say it’s innovative, while others say it doesn’t match its environment.
Nevertheless, the library is one of the most interesting buildings in Germany. The design of the cubic facility was influenced by the ancient Pantheon in Rome. It serves as a multi-story meeting space that draws natural sunlight through the roof.
Open: Monday-Saturday 9 a.m--9 p.m
1.Which of the following libraries are open on Friday?
A.Central Library and Bibliotheca Alexandrina
B.Stuttgart City Library and Central Library
C.Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Trinity College Library
D.Trinity College Library and Stuttgart City Library
2.Suppose you are visiting Trinity College Library, you can enjoy ________ there.
A. free exhibitions
B. the oldest Greek art
C. reading the worl’s oldest books
D. reading in the Long Room
3.What is special about the Bibliotheca Alexandrina?
A. It took 10 years to rebuid
B. It is the most influential library in the world
C. It has four museums covering all sorts of art
D. It used to be an ancient royal British library
书面表达
假设你是红星中学高三学生李华，请根据以下四幅图的先后顺序，介绍你在寒假期间参加“丝绸之路文化行”敦煌站的活动过程，并以“Silk Road Travel”为题，给校刊“英语角”写一篇英文稿件。
注意：1. 词数不少于60；
2. 开头已给出，不计入总词数。
提示词：莫高窟the Mogao Caves
Silk Road Travel
This winter vacation I went to Dunhuang to explore the Silk Road with my classmates.
书面表达
假设你是红星中学高三学生李华，请给你的美国同学Jim 写一封电子邮件，告知周末你不能参加他的生日聚会，希望他谅解。邮件的内容包括：
1. 表达歉意；
2. 说明理由；
3. 告知已准备了生日礼物。
注意： 1.词数不少于50；
2.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Jim,
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Best wishes,
Li Hua
根据短文内容，从短文后的七个选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
They Just Can't Help It
My theory is that the female brain is mainly built for empathy — the ability to understand other people — and that the male brain is mainly built for building systems. _1._ For example, women are more likely to read magazines on fashion and parenting, while men will choose magazines that feature computers and sport.
You may think that these preferences are influenced by the way people are taught to behave when they are growing up. However, this is not the case.
A new study carried out at Cambridge University shows that newborn girls look longer at a face, and newborn boys look longer at a mobile. _2.__ It has also been observed (that girls are better at noticing signs of changes in other people's feelings. Boys, however, seem to enjoy building toy towers and playing with toys which have clear functions. __3.__ People whose jobs are in the construction industries are almost male. Math and engineering, which require high levels of systems-thinking, are also male-chosen disciplines.
Why do men and women have the difference? Actually women have four times as many brain neurons (神经) that connect the right and left part of their brains. Because of it, women have a better ability to multitask than men.
__4.__ Men tend to focus on a limited number of problems at a time. They will separate themselves from problems and view tasks as independent from one another.
Some people may worry that I am suggesting one gender (性别) is better than the other, but this is not the case. My theory says that males and females differ in the kinds of things that they find easy, but that both genders have their strengths and weaknesses. __5.__ It is not true. The study simply looks at males and females as two groups, and asks what differences exist, and why they are there.
A. Generally speaking, there are clear differences.
B. Their preference for building systems may change over time.
C. You can see the same kind of pattern in the adult workplace.
D. They will consider many sources of information at the same time.
E. It is important to stress that the female brain may be built more for empathy.
F. That suggests certain differences between male and female brains are biological.
G. Others may think the theory creates a belief of what a particular type of person is like.
Is It Worth Buying Organic Food?
Organic food, grown without artificial chemicals, is increasingly popular nowadays. Consumers have been willing to pay up to twice as much for goods with organic labels (商标). However, if you think paying a little more for organic food gets you a more nutritious and safer product, you might want to save your money. A study led by researchers at Stanford University says that organic products aren't necessarily more nutritious, and they're no less likely to suffer from disease-causing bacteria, either.
The latest results, published in the Annuals of Internal Medicine, suggest that buyers may be wasting their money. "We did not find strong evidence that organic food is more nutritious or healthier," says Dr. Crystal Smith-Spangler from Stanford. "So consumers shouldn't assume that one type of food has a lower risk or is safer."
For their new study, Smith-Spangler and her colleagues conducted a review of two categories of research, including 17 studies that compared health outcomes between consumers of organic against traditional food products, and 223 studies that analyzed the nutritional content of the foods, including key vitamins, minerals and fats.
While the researchers found little difference in nutritional content, they did find that organic fruit and vegetables were 20% less likely to have chemicals remaining on the surfaces. Neither organic nor traditional foods showed levels of chemicals high enough to go beyond food safety standards. And both
organic and traditional meats, such as chicken and pork, were equally likely to be harmed by bacteria at very low rates. The researchers did find that organic milk and chicken contained higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, a healthy fat also found in fish that can reduce the risk of heart disease. However, these nutritional differences were too small, and the researchers were unwilling to make much of them until further studies confirm the trends.
Organic food is produced with fewer chemicals and more natural-growing practices, but that doesn't always translate into a more nutritious or healthier product. The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that "whether you buy organic or not, finding the freshest foods available may have the biggest effect on taste." Fresh food is at least as good as anything marketed as organic.
1.The new research questions whether organic food __________.
A. should replace traditional food
B. has been overpriced by farmers
C. is grown with less harmful chemicals
D. is really more nutritious and healthier
2.Smith-Spangler and her colleagues found that __________.
A. organic food could reduce the risk of heart disease
B. traditional food was grown with more natural methods
C. both organic and traditional food they examined were safe
D. there was not a presence of any forms of bacteria in organic food
3. Which of the following is relatively healthier according to the passage?
A. Organic chicken and pork.
B. Organic milk and chicken.
C. Traditional chicken and pork.
D. Traditional fruit and vegetables.
4.What is the author's attitude toward organic food?
A. Sceptical. B. Neutral. C. Unconcerned. D. Approving.
