Spider webs are one of the most fascinating examples of animal architecture. The most
beautiful and structurally ordered are the round webs. The main function of the web is to stop
and hold flying insects, long enough for the spider to catch them. In order to do so,the threads
of the web have to stand the forces from large and heavy insects as well as environmental forces
from wind and rain for at least a day in most cases.
     The round web is found to have two main characteristics. The first is its geometry,which
consists of an outer frame and a central part from which threads radiate outward. Enclosed in
the frame are capture spirals winding round and round from the web center out to the frame.
The whole web is in tension and held in place by anchor threads,which connect the frame to the
surrounding plants or objects. The second and perhaps most important characteristic is the
material with which it is built. Spider silk is a kind of natural material that gives this lightweight
fiber a strength comparable to that of steel, while at the same time making it very elastic(有弹性的).
Two types of silk threads are used in the web. One is highly elastic and can stretch to almost twice
its original length before breaking and, for most types of spiders,is covered in glue. This type is
used in the capture spiral for catching and holding insects. The other is stiffer and stronger,and is
used for the radius,frames and anchor threads,which allows the web to stand forces and to keep
its structural strength through a wide range of environmental conditions.

l. What does the word"so"in the first paragraph refer to?

A. To catch and keep small creatures.
B. To find a good material for the web.
C. To make the webs beautiful and well ordered.
D. To make the threads long enough.

2. Which of the following is used for catching and holding insects?

A. The center of the web.
B. The capture spirals.
C. The anchor threads.
D. The radius.

3. Which of the following correctly gives the names of the numbered threads in the picture?

A. ①capture spiral ② radius
B. ①radius ② capture spiral
C. ①anchor thread ② frame thread
D. ①frame thread ② anchor thread

4. Which of the following best describes the threads used in the capture spiral?

A. Natural and lightweight.
B. Strong and stiff.
C. Smooth and elastic.
D. Strong,sticky and elastic.

5. What is this passage mainly about?

A. The wisdom of spiders.
B. The function of round spider webs.
C. The structure of round spider webs.
D. The challenges for spider webs.

     Squirrels often communicate with whistles, chirps and chucks, which sound like the word
"chuck". Whistles and chirps are like the sounds that many birds make. Now scientists have
translated some of their squirrel-speak.
     Hare, a professor of zoology at the University of Maniloha in Winnipeg, and his team
managed to record squirrels' alarm calls. The researchers studied the sounds and then played
them back to 60 wild squirrels, which the scientists approached individually with a video recorder
to capture(抓拍)their responses. Some squirrels lifted their heads up and became alert(警惕的).
Creatures that were more frightened simply ran for their lives and dived into caves.
     "In effect then, whistles that mix with chucks say 'there's an enemy of average threat that's here',
and whistles without chucks say 'there's an enemy of seemingly average threat around here
somewhere', while pure chirps say, 'I'm hiding here because there's an immediate danger.' " Hare
told Discovery News.
     Hare and some other researchers believe such sounds are part of an advanced language that
develops just as all other communication systems.
     Although squirrels risk their lives when they call out to warn others of threats, other squirrels
might admire this behavior, thus increasingly the caller's social status, like humans who look up to
heroes. Hare added that other animals, such as birds, probably understand at least some squirrel
language, since they also may benefit from the alarm calls.
     In fact, another Canadian study found that deep-voiced, black-capped chickadees have their
own language too. According to certain research, there are a lot of tidings in chickadees' calls, such
as directing fellows' activities, keeping in contact between mates, and raising alarms.
     While chickadees and other birds are often welcomed into gardens by homeowners, squirrels
are frequently viewed as pests(害兽). Hare wishes a greater understanding of the complex social
lives and communication systems of squirrels will provide "hope that humans will gain a greater
appreciation and stop doing harm to these animals".

1.The text mainly talks about       .

A. the study on the language of squirrels
B. the comparison between squirrels and chickadees
C. the calling for the protection of squirrels
D. the ways for squirrels to escape from their enemies

2.If a squirrel is in a very dangerous situation, it would probably make ____.

A. whistles with chucks  
B. pure chirps
C. whistles without chucks
D. repeated chucks

3.The underlined word "tidings" in paragraph 6 probably means ____.

A. difficulties    
B. poises    
C. messages  
D. languages

4.What can be learned from this text?

A. Squirrels communicate with each other as humans do.
B. Some squirrels understand the recorded alarm calls.
C. Other animals also well understand the language of squirrels.
D. Birds such as chickadees don't have their own language.

     Baby girls make their way directly for dolls as soon as they can crawl,while boys will head for cars,a
study has shown.The findings,the first to show differences in very young babies,suggest there is a
biological basis to their preferences.
     Psychologists Dr Brenda Todd from City University London carried out an experiment involving 90
babies aged 9 months to 36 months.The babies were allowed to choose from seven toys.Some were
typically boys' toys-a car,a digger,a ball and a blue teddy.The rest were girls' toys: a pink teddy,a doll
and a cooking set.They were placed a meter away from the toys;and could pick whichever toy they liked
their choice and the amount of time they spent playing with each toy were recorded.
     Of the youngest children (9 to 14 months),girls spent significantly longer playing with the doll than
boys,and boys spent much more time with the car and ball than the girls did.Among the two and
three-year-olds,girls spent 50 percent of the time playing with the doll while only two boys briefly touched
it.The boys spent almost 90 percent of their time playing with cars,which the girls barely touched.There
was no link between the parents' view on which toys were more appropriate for boys or girls,and the
children's choice.
     Dr Brenda Todd said,"Children of this age are already exposed to much socialization.Boys may be
given'toys that go'while girls get toys they can care for,which may help shape their preference . But these
findings agree with the former idea that children show natural interests in particular kinds of toys.There
could be a biological basis for their choices.Males through evolution have been adapted to prefer:
moving objects,probably through hunting instincts(本能),while girls prefer warmer colors such as pink,
the colour of a newborn baby."                                

1.Baby boys and girls have different toy preferences probably because____

A. baby boys are much more active
B. baby girls like bright colours more  
C. their parents treat them differently
D. there is a natural difference between them

2. Both baby boys and baby girls like to play with____ according to the study.

A. a ball    
B. a teddy    
C. a car      
D. a doll   

3.What can we infer from Paragraph 3?

A. Nine-month-old baby boys don't play with dolls at all.
B. Two-year-old baby girls sometimes play with cars and balls.
C. The older the babies are,the more obvious their preference is.
D. Parents should teach their babies to share each other's toys.

4.What conclusion did Dr.Brenda Todd draw from the results of the study?

A. Adults purposely influence their babies' preference.
B. Babies' preference isn't affected by social surroundings.
C. Baby boys preferring to moving toys will be good at hunting.
D. Baby girls preferring warmer colors will be warm-hearted.

5.We may read this article in a______section of a newspaper.

A. science      
B. health        
C. education    
D. entertainment.

     Children don't come with an instruction manual (手册),but now their grades in school do! Finally,
parents can stop worrying about what their child's next school year will bring and get a glimpse of what's
coming.
     Education.com,an easy-to-use,one-stop online destination with over 4,000 articles,that helps parents
and educators take an ever more active role in their children's education,unveiled Grade Specific Cheat
Sheets for grades pre-school through grade 5.From academic expectations,developmental milestones,and
typical social issues,to fun learning activities that literally bring it all home,parents can now find it all in one
place.
     "As the school year approaches,parents struggle to find time to adequately prepare themselves and
their children for what's ahead," said Ron Fortune,CEO of Education.com."Every grade is different.
Whether it's helping parents understand what their third grader should be reading or how they should be
talking to their teen about peer pressure,our goal is to provide parents with a grade and developmental
stage-specific user manual that helps parents find authoritative information as quickly as possible."
     The start of a new grade means many new questions.Now,a parent with a child about to embark
(开始) on a new school year can go to Education.com's new Grade Specific Cheat Sheets and find
age-specific information and content including what their child should be learning in math,reading,writing,
and science,as well as physical and language milestones.Parents can find over forty articles per grade,on
everything from peer relationships to self-esteem,how gender affects development,to ideas for using
goldfish crackers for math practice or making a homemade fossil.
     Education.com's new Grade Specific Cheat Sheets provide parents with articles and content from
trusted sources such as teachers,child psychologists,parents,and guidance counselors.  

1.The passage wants to tell us __________.

A. something about Education.com
B. how to cheat in the exam
C. new studying method for children
D. cheating is a good thing in the school

2.The goals of Education.com are the following except __________.

A. helping parents and educators educate children
B. providing parents with authoritative information
C. providing children with some cheating skills
D. giving parents some useful articles

3.The role of Education.com is __________.

A. passive          
B. big          
C. small        
D. active

4.From the passage,we can know __________.

A. the content includes what should be learned in many subjects
B. the content does not come from trusted sources
C. the content is intended mainly for the children
D. the content is not related with pre-school students

5.The words "unveil" in the second paragraph is closest to __________ in meaning.

A. cover          
B. uncover        
C. discover    
D. invent

[1]Pupils at schools in the UK are being given lessons on how to sleep.The project,run by the charity
Sleep Scotland,aims to teach pupils tips,such as the importance of a bedtime routine and avoiding
late-night television.
[2]Experts say teenagers who seem bad-tempered could actually lack sleep because they go to bed
after midnight.The advice for pupils is that they should sleep for more than nine hours a night.Researchers
found that after going to bed after midnight,teenagers still _____________for watching television or
browsing the Internet.Some pupils were getting as little as four or five hours of sleep a night.
[3]One of the schools taking part in the project is Bellahouston Academy in Glasgow.Fiona Patterson,
head of the school's Health and Well-being Department,said the survey results were absolutely shocking.
"They can't function on so little sleep," she said.
[4]Sleep Scotland says getting enough sleep helps with academic performance and sporting skills.
However,going without enough sleep can be linked to obesity (肥胖) and a greater risk of depression.
Jane Ansell,director of Sleep Scotland,said,"You wouldn't send somebody to school without having the
right amount of food,so why would you send them without enough sleep?"
[5]A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said,"We are determined to provide guidance for young
people,so they can get the right amount of sleep and make the best of their learning potential."

1.What's the text mainly about? (Please answer within 10 words)
_________________________________________________________________________
2.Which sentence in the text is the closest in meaning to the following one?
People who lack sleep can easily gain weight and feel depressed,though.
_________________________________________________________________________
3.Fill in the blank in Paragraph 2 with proper words.(Please answer within 6 words)
__________________________________________________________________________
4.What are the benefits of getting enough sleep? (Please answer within 10 words)
__________________________________________________________________________
5.Translate the underlined sentence in Paragraph 5 into Chinese.
____________________________________________________________________

     Have you ever heard of Florida pompano? It's a flat, silvery fish and very delicious! In fact,
people who know a lot about fish say it's one of the best-tasting kinds of fish in the world to
eat. Maybe that's one reason why it costs so much to buy pompano (鲳参鱼) at the fish market
or at a restaurant.
     Agricultural Research Service scientists in Florida are discovering many new and important
secrets about this tasty fish. It lives in the warm waters off the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
     The scientists are studying pompano. Because they want fish farmers to be able to grow
them in big tanks, somewhat the same way trout and catfish are grown in big outdoor ponds.
     Raising pompano in big tanks inland could help everyone be sure that there will always be
lots of wild pompano in the sea. People could buy them from the fish farm instead of mostly only
being able to buy pompano caught from the sea.
     Sometimes, if a fish is too popular, a problem called "overfishing" can happen. The fish could
become harder and harder to find in the ocean. The fish might even disappear completely.
     The trouble with pompano is that no one really knows very much about how to grow big,
healthy pompano in big tanks at a fish farm.
     That's why scientists are trying to learn as much as they can about pompano. Maybe someday
soon it will be easy to buy and eat pompano raised at fish farms, instead of pompano fished from
the sea. When that happens, you may remember this story about these scientists who helped find
out how to raise delicious pompano in a new, Earth-friendly way.

1. Pompano costs so much to buy maybe because______.

A. it remains a secret for the scientists.
B. it cannot be raised in big tanks inland.
C. it's the best-tasting kinds of fish in the world.
D. it lives warmly off the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

2. Paragraph 4 mainly tell us raising pompano at fish farms ______.

A. makes it easier to buy and eat the pompano
B. prevents people catching pompano from the sea
C. stops people buying pompano caught from the sea
D. helps make sure wild pompano will remain in the sea

3. The word "overfishing" in paragraph 5 means ______.

A. 过度捕捞  
B. 太受欢迎    
C. 完全消失    
D. 难以搜寻

4. What's the trouble of raising the big fish?

A. Scientists are still working on it.
B. It's almost a secret to farm the fish.
C. it's impossible to keep the fish healthy.
D. no one knows the way of raising the fish.

5. The best title of the passage may be ______.

A. Pompano: the tasty fish      
B. secrets of the big fish
C. A challenge: growing the big fish
D. the way of raising the big fish

1. The underlined phrase "keep parents apprised of" (Line 1, Para.2) probably means to let parents ____.

A. judge
B. know
C. design
D. develop

2. What is the purpose of the schools' informal tea and interviews?

A. To improve the relationship between teacher and parents.
B. To explain to parents the change of the school curriculum.
C. To report students’ misdoings and suggestions for punishments.
D. To help develop good communication between school and home.

3. Why does the author provide all example in Paragraph 4?

A. To help parents to know the importance of home activities.
B. To show how the teacher can guide in home training. 
C. To prove parents all non professional advisors. 
D. To advice parents to teach kids math at home.

4. From the passage we learn that the author _____.

A. thinks teachers should do better as professionals
B. is worried about children’s performance at home
C. is satisfied with the present state of school education
D. believes time spent out of the classroom has been wasted

     New findings from Queen's University biologists show that in the plant world, bigger isn't
necessarily better.
     "Until now most of the thinking has suggested that to be a good competitor in the forest,
you have to be a big plant," says Queen's Biology professor Lonnie Aarssen. "But our research
shows it's virtually the other way around."
     Previous studies showed that larger plant species monopolize(垄断) sunlight, water and
Other resources, limiting the number of smaller plant species that can exist around them. But
the research has proved that this is not generally the case in natural vegetation.
     In the Queen's project, PhD student Laura Keating targeted the largest "host plants" of 16
woody plant species growing in the Okanogan Valley, British Columbia. The research team
calculated the number and variety of plants that neighbored each large host plant. They then
randomly selected plots without host plants and calculated the plant species there as well. The
research showed that the massive trees have no effect on the number of species with which they
coexist.
     Smaller plants have many advantages over their overbearing neighbors, Professor Aarssen
notes. Larger species generate physical space niches(生态位)under their shelters where smaller
species grow well. Smaller plants are much more effective than large trees at using available
resources. They also produce seeds at a much younger age and higher rate than their bigger
counterparts, and settle down much more quickly-thus competing with the newly-born plants
of larger species.

1. What's the main idea of the text?

A. Smaller plants may have many advantages over their neighbors.
B. In the plant world, the bigger is better than the smaller one.
C. To be a good competitor in the forest, you have to be a small plant.
D. Queen's University's students made a new research.

2. The underlined word "this" in Para.3 refers to the view that ____.

A. large and small plants can grow together in harmony  
B. larger plant species limit their smaller neighbors' growth
C. small plant species have their own advantages
D. large and small plant species can never coexist.  

3. What does the underlined word coexist mean in paragraph 4?

A. cooperate together  
B. surround together  
C. evolve together  
D. live together

4. Which is the CORRECT order in the Queen's project?
a. Randomly selected plots without host plants and-calculated the plant species.
b. Calculated the number and variety of plants that neighbored each large host plant.
c. Selected the largest individuals or "host plants" of 16 woody plant species.

A. a, b, c          
B. c, b, a        
C. b, c, a        
D. a, c, b

5. What can we learn according to the text?

A. Larger plant species limit the number of smaller ones around them.  
B. Smaller plants can limit the number of plant species around them.
C. Smaller plants produce seeds at a higher rate than their bigger counterparts.
D. Larger trees are more effective than small plants at using available resources.

A. Section One: Education- Has a huge range of textbooks and supplementary material
covering all the major high school and university subjects. Buyers showing their student cards receive a
15% discount on all purchases from this section.
B. Section Three: Humor Section -A great selection of joke books, funny stories and wonderful real life
adventures that are sure to keep the reader laughing for days.
C. Section Five: Biography -Find out about the lives of your favorite sports stars, singers, actors and
other famous people from today and the past. Learn what they had to go through to become successful
and the effect it had on their lives.
D. Section Six: Do-It-Yourself Section -On these shelves customers can find the latest manuals on how
to do everything from building a computer to constructing your own home.
E. Section Two: Sports & Leisure Section -Stocks a large range of the latest books on your favorite
sporting teams and events. Pick up the perfect Father's Day present here.
F. Section Four: Business & Finance -Students, business people or anyone interested in the world of
commerce are certain to find the book they are after here. We have special subsection for international
trade and e-commerce.
阅读下列关于各书籍的信息,匹配书籍与其所应放置的书架:
1. The Smartest Guys in the Room:   The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron- by Bethany
McLean and Peter Elkind -As the title suggests the authors cover the rise of the American electricity
company to become one of the 10 richest companies in the world and its spectacular fall into dishonour
and bankruptcy. A perfect guide on what not to do in business.
2. The Delighted Eye -by Prof. John Nash -The 1994 Nobel Prize Winner for Economics, whose ideas
have influenced a generation of the world's greatest economic minds, tells his life story: growing up in a
small town in America, becoming one of America's most influential mathematicians and his battles with
mental illness.
3. Ready Made- How to Make (Almost) Everything -by Shoshanna Berger and Grace
Hawthorne-beautifully written with great factual information. The theme behind this book is re-use,
re-claim, re-cycle and there are many detailed easy-to-do projects for the reader to try such as making
a photo frame from a book cover or a pot for your plants from plastic shopping bags.
4. Mother Tongue: The English Language - by Bill Bryson - Bryson's book is a journey through the
history and different aspects of the English language, one that is both informative and hugely entertaining.
As with most of Bryson's books, fun comes before facts and readers will be left with a smile on their faces.
5. Into Thin Air - by John Krakauer - is a riveting first-hand account of a disastrous race to the top of
Mount Everest. In March 1996, outside magazine sent veteran journalist and experienced climber John
Krakauer to join the team led by the famous Everest guide Rob Hall. Despite the expertise of Hall and the other leaders, by the end of the race eight people were dead.