Can dogs and cats live in perfect harmony in the same home? People who are thinking about adopting
a dog as a friend for their cats are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found a new recipe
of success. According to the study, if the cat is adopted before the dog, and if they are introduced when
still young (less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get
along swimmingly. Two-thirds of the homes interviewed reported a positive relationship between their
cat and dog.
     However, it wasn't all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in
25% of the homes, while aggression and fighting were observed in 10% of the homes. One reason for this
is probably that some of their body signals were just opposite. For example, when a cat turns its head away
it signals aggression, while a dog doing the same signals submission.
     In homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behaviour. They are
learning how to talk each other's language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk 'dog', and dogs
can learn how to talk 'Cat'.
     What's interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence. They can learn
how to read each other's body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than we previously
suspected. Once familiar with each other's presence and body language, cats and dogs can play together,
greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together on the sofa. They can easily share the same water
bowl and in some cases groom (梳理) each other.
     The significance of the research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets─to people who don't get along,
including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers. If cats and dogs can learn to get along,
surely people have a good chance.

1. The underlined word swimmingly in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to _____.

A. early
B. sweetly
C. quickly
D. smoothly

2. Some cats and dogs may fight when _____.

A. they are cold to each other
B. they look away from each other
C. they misunderstood each other's signals
D. they are introduced at an early age

3. What is found surprising about cats and dogs?

A. They eat and sleep each other.
B. They observe each other's behaviors.
C. They learn to speak each other's language.
D. They know something from each other's voices.

4. It is suggested in Paragraph 4 that cats and dogs _____.

A. have common interests
B. are less different than was thought
C. have a common body language
D. are less intelligent than was expected

5. What can we human beings learn from cats and dogs?

A. We should learn to live in harmony.
B. We should know more about animals.
C. We should live in peace with animals.
D. We should learn more body languages.

     For years we have been told that encouraging a child's self-respect in important to his or her success in
life. But child experts are now learning that too much praise can lead to the opposite effect, praise-aholic kids
who expect it at every turn may become teens who seek the same kind of approval from their friends when
asked if they want to go in the backseat of the car.
     The implication (含义) of saying "You are the prettiest girl in class," or talking about the goals she scored
but not her overall effort, is that you love her only when she looks the best, scores the highest, achieves the
most. And this carries over to the classroom.
     Social psychologist Carol Dweck, PhD, tested the effects of overpraise on 400 fifth graders while she was
at Columbia University. She found that kids praised for "trying hard" did better on tests and were more likely
to take on difficult assignments than those praised for being "smart".
     "Praising attributes (品质) or abilities makes a false promise that success will come to you because you
have that quality, and it devalues effort, so children are afraid to take on challenges," says Dweck, now at
Stanford University. "They figure they'd better quit while they're ahead."

1. The underlined words "Praise -aholic kids" refer to kids who are _____.

A. tired of being praised
B. worthy of being praised
C. very proud of being praised
D. extremely fond of being praised

2. The author quoted (引用) Dr. Dweck's words in the last paragraph in order to make the article _____.

A. better-known
B. better-organized
C. more persuasive
D. more interesting

3. We can infer from the passage that _____.

A. praise for efforts should be more encouraged
B. praise for results works better than praise for efforts
C. praising a child's achievements benefits his or her success in life
D. praising a child's abilities him or her to take on challenges

     Sometimes, the simplest ideas are the best. For example, to absorb heat from the sun to heat water, you
need large, flat, black surfaces. One way to do that is to build those surfaces specially, on the roofs of
buildings. But why go to all that trouble when cities are rub of black surfaces already, in the form of asphalt
(柏油) roads?
     Ten years ago, this thought came into the mind of Arian de Bondt, a Dutch engineer. He finally persuaded
his boss to follow it up. The result is that their building is now heated in winter and cooled in summer by a
system that relies on the surface of the road outside.
     The heat-collector is a system of connected water pipes. Most of them ran from one side of the street to
the other, just under the asphalt road. Some, however, dive deep into the ground.
     When the street surface gets hot in summer, water pumped through the pipes picks up this heat and takes
it underground through one of the diving pipes. At a depth of 100 metres lies a natural aquifer (蓄水层) into
which several heat exchangers (交换器) have been built. The hot water from the street runs through these
exchangers, warning the ground-water, before returning to the surface through another pipe. The aquifer is
thus used as a heat store.
     In winter, the working system is changed slightly. Water is pumped through the heat exchangers to pick
up the heat stored during summer. This water goes into the building and is used to warm the place up. After
performing that task, it is pumped under the asphalt and its remaining heat keeps the road free of snow and
ice.

1. Which of the following is true according to the first two paragraphs?

 A. Arian de Bondt got his idea from his boss.
B. Large, flat, black surfaces need to be built in cities.
C. The Dutch engineer's system has been widely used.
D. Heat can also be collected from asphalt roads.

2. For what purpose are the diving pipes used?

A. To absorb heat from the sun.
B. To store heat for future use.
C. To turn solar energy into heat energy.
D. To carry heat down below the surface.

3. From the last paragraph we can learn that _____.

A. some pipes have to be re-arranged in winter
B. the system can do more than warming up the building
C. the exchangers will pick up heat from the street surface
D. less heat may be collected in winter than in summer

4. What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph that follows?

A. What we shall do if the system goes wrong.
B. What we shall do if there are no asphalt roads.
C. How the system cools the building in summer.
D. How the system collects heat in spring and autumn.

                                           How Room Designs Affect Our Work and Feelings
     Architects have long had the feeling that the places we live in can affect our thoughts, feelings and
behaviors, But now scientists are giving this feelings an empirical (经验的, 实证的) basis. They are
discovering how to design spaces that promote creativity, keep people focused, and lead to relaxation.
     Researches show that aspects of the physical environment can influence creativity. In 2007, Joan
Meyers-Levy at the University of Minnesota, reported that the height of a room's ceiling affects how
people to think. Her research indicates that the higher callings encourage people to think more freely,
which may lead them to make more abstract connections. Low ceilings, on the other hand, may inspire
a more detailed outlook.
     In addition to ceiling height, the view afforded by a building may influence an occupant's ability to
concentrate. Nancy Wells and her colleagues at Cornell University found in their study that kids who
experienced the greatest increase in greenness as a result of a family move made the most gains on a
standard test of attention.
     Using nature to improve focus of attention ought to pay off academically, and it seems to, according
to a study led by C. Kenneth Tanner, head of the School Design ＆Planning Laboratory at University
of Georgia. Tanner and his team found that students in classrooms with unblocked views of at least 50
feet outside the window had higher scores on tests of vocabulary, language arts and maths than did
students whose classrooms primarily overlooked roads and parking lots. 
     Recent study on room lighting design suggests that dim (暗淡的) light helps people to loosen up. If
that is true generally, keeping the light low during dinner or at parties could increase relaxation. Researchers
of Harvard Medical School also discovered that furniture with rounded edges could help visitors relax.
     So far scientists have focused mainly on public buildings. "We have a very limited number of studies,
so we're almost looking at the problem through a straw (吸管)," architect David Allison says. "How do
you take answers to very specific questions and make broad, generalized use of them? That's what we're
all struggling with."

1. What does Joan Meyers-Levy focus on in her research?

A. Light
B. Ceilings
C. Windows
D. Furniture.

2. The passage tells us that _____.

A. the shape of furniture may affect people, s feelings
B. lower ceilings may help improve students' creativity
C. children in a dim classroom may improve their grades
D. Students in rooms with unblocked views may feel relaxed

3. The underlined sentence in the last paragraph probably means that _____.

A. the problem is not approached step by step
B. the researches so far have faults in themselves
C. the problem is too difficult for researchers to detect
D. research in this area is not enough to make generalized patterns

4. Which of the following shows the organization of the passage?

A.  B.  C.  D.
CP: Central Point P: point Sp: Sub-point (次要点) C: Conclusion

     Only three local students won Chinese Blog (博客) Competition. And 15 of the 18 awards want to
students from China.
     170 students' task: to get a fully-designed blog up and running, complete with many posting based
on a theme of choice-all written in Chinese.
     Themes ranged from local opinions－such as the usage of Singlish, education and whether Singapore
can be a cultural centre－to food blogs.
     The entries were judged on Language proficiency (熟练程度) and the quality of writing, as well as
the design and level of exchanging ideas with readers.
     Academics from the National University of Singapore and the SIM University IT experts, and a journalist
from Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao in Singapore made up the judges.
     In the end, only three Singaporean students made it to the award list-the rest of the awards were swept
up by students from China.
     "No surprise." said Mr. Chow Yaw Long, 37, teachers in charge from Ianova Junior College, which
organized the event. "Although the topics were local subjects, the foreign students were generally better in
terms of the content of the posts and their grasp of the Chinese language."
     One of the three local students winning the first prize in the Best Language Award was blogger Christina
Gao 19, from the Saint Andrew's Junior College, who spared no effort in researching for and writing her
blog. Each entry took her between five and seven days to produce, complete with pictures and even podcasts
(播客).
     Her advice for bloggers is: Be responsible
     "Some bloggers out there only seek to blame the authorities and other bloggers." Said Miss Gao. "I think
they lack responsibilities and there is no value to their posts."

1. The competition was organized by _____.

A. the National University of Singapore
B. Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao
C. Innova Junior College
D. the Saint Andrew's Junior College

2. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Chinese students won most of the awards.
B. Not all the themes were about local subjects.
C. The blogs could be written in Chinese or Singlish.
D. The judges were from university in Singapore and China.

3. What Miss Gao said suggests that _____.

A. she likes to blame the authorities
B. she has a sense of responsibility
C. she thinks highly of the others' blogs
D. she loves to read valuable posts

4. The passage in mainly about _____.

A. how Chinese students won the awards in the competition
B. why bloggers should take responsibility for their blogs
C. how Miss Gao won the first prize in the competition
D. what the result of the competition was

    While reading a book in English, every few lines of text, you run across a word or two that you don't know.
You look up every new word in the dictionary. Bad move. All that does slow you down. Even electric or CD-
ROM dictionaries can get in the way of your reading progress. A dictionary is like a road map. It can help you
if you get lost and point you in the right direction. But if you stop to look at the"map" each time you take a step,
you'll get nowhere fast.
    On your English learning "journey", a dictionary can be a helpful "travel companion"-if it is not overused. To
help you start thinking in English, use an English-to-English dictionary. Otherwise, you will always depend on
your native language and end up translating in your head. 
    A good dictionary can help you do more than just find the meaning of a word. It can help you verify spelling,
check word forms and grammar usage, find example sentence and learn pronunciation. Some dictionaries even
provide exercises to teach you how to use their resources.
    Take time to get to know your dictionary. Learn the pronunciation symbols. Understand what the
abbreviations (缩写字) mean. Try to master the important grammar rules. Look for charts, diagrams and lists
that might be useful in the future. You will discover how helpful it can be to make friends with your dictionary.
And as they say, "A friend in need is a friend indeed."

1. Why do we need a good English-to-English dictionary?

A. Because it is a good friend.
B. Because it can help us to find the right direction if we get lost.
C. Without it we'll always depend on our native language and end up translating in our head.
D. Because it can help us to start thinking in English and in Chinese.

2. The underlined word "that" in the last paragraph refers to _____.

A. pronunciation symbols and grammar rules
B. abbreviations and usage for grammar rules
C. the meaning of a word, spelling and grammar usage
D. charts, diagrams and lists

3. According to the passage, which statement can lead you to believe?

A. The more you use a dictionary, the better you can understand the article.
B. The more you use a dictionary, the faster you may read.
C. The more you use the resources in a dictionary, the more you can benefit from it.
D. The better a dictionary is, the more expensive it is.

     Andrew Ritchie, inventor of the Brompton folding bicycle, once said that the perfect portable bike would
be "like a magic carpet…You could fold it up and put it into your pocket or handbag". Then he paused:"But
you'll always be limited by the size of the wheels. And so far no one has invented a folding wheel."
     It was a rare-indeed unique-occasion when I was able to put Ritchie right. A 19th-century inventor,
William Henry James Grout, did in fact design a folding wheel. His bike, predictably named the Grout Portable,
had a frame that split into two and a larger wheel that could be separated into four pieces. All the bits fitted
into Grout's Wonderful Bag, a leather case.
     Grout's aim: to solve the problems of carrying a bike on a train. Now doesn't that sound familiar? Grout
intended to find a way of making a bike small enough for train travel: his bike was a huge beast. And importantly,
the design of early bicycles gave him an advantage: in Grout's day, tyres were solid, which made the business
of splitting a wheel into four separate parts relatively simple. You couldn't do the same with a wheel fitted with
a one-piece inflated (充气的) tyre.
     So, in a 21st-century context, is the idea of the folding wheel dead? It is not. A British design engineer,
Duncan Fitzsimons, has developed a wheel that can be squashed into something like a slender ellipse (椭圆).
Throughout, the tyre remains inflated.
     Will the young Fitzsimons's folding wheel make it into production? I haven't the foggiest idea. But his
inventiveness shows two things. First, people have been saying for more than a century that bike design has
reached its limit, except for gradual advances. It's as silly a concept now as it was 100 years ago: there's plenty
still to go for. Second, it is in the field of folding bikes that we are seeing the most interesting inventions. You
can buy a folding bike for less than ￡1,000 that can be knocked down so small that it can be carried on a
plane-minus wheels, of course-as hand baggage.
     Folding wheels would make all manner of things possible. Have we yet got the magic carpet of Andrew
Ritchie's imagination? No. But it's progress.

1. We can infer from Paragraph 1 that the Brompton folding bike _____.

A. was portable
B. had a folding wheel
C. could be put in a pocket
D. looked like a magic carpet

2. We can learn from the text that the wheels of the Grout Portable _____.

A. were difficult to separate
B. could be split into 6 pieces
C. were fitted with solid tyres
D. were hard to carry on a train

3. We can learn from the text that Fitzsimons's invention _____.

A. kept the tyre as a whole piece
B. was made into production soon
C. left little room for improvement
D. changed our views on bag design

4. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A. Three folding bike inventors
B. The making of a folding bike
C. Progress in folding bike design
D. Ways of separating a bike wheel

     Have you ever noticed the colour of the water in a river or stream after a heavy rainfall? What do
you think caused this change in colour? It is soil that has been washed into the river from the riverbank
or from the nearby fields.
     Components of Soil
     Soil is made up of a number of layers (层), each having its own distinctive colour and texture. The
upper layer is known as the litter. It acts like a blanket, limiting temperature changes and reducing water
loss. The topsoil layer is made up of small particles of rock mixed with rotten plant and animal matter
called humus (腐殖质), which is black and gives the topsoil its dark colour. This layer is usually rich in
nutrients, oxygen, and water. Below the topsoil is the subsoil, a layer that contains more stones mixed
with only small amounts of organic matter. This layer is lighter in colour because of the lack of humus.
Beneath the soil lies a layer of bedrock.
     Soil forms from the bottom up. Over time bedrock is attacked by rain, wind, frost, and snow. It is
gradually broken down into smaller particles in a process called weathering. Plants begin to grow, and
rotten materials enrich the topsoil. Most of the soil in Eastern Canada, for example, was formed from
weathered rock that was exposed when the ice disappeared l2,000 years ago.
     Water Beneath the Soil
     Surface water collects and flows above the ground in lakes, ponds and rivers. Once in the soil or rock,
it is called groundwater. Gravity pulls groundwater through the soil in a process called percolation (渗透).
Eventually the water reaches a layer called the water table. Under this is bedrock through which water
cannot percolate.
     As water percolates downward, it dissolves organic matter and minerals from the soil and carries them
to deeper layers. This causes a serious problem because plants require these nutrients for growth.
     Soil pH
     Soil can be acidic neutral or basic. The pH of the soil is determined by the nature of the rock from
which it was formed and by the nature of the plants that grow and rot in it.
     The acidity of rain and snow can lower the pH of the groundwater that enters the soil. By burning fossil
fuels such as coal,oil and gasoline, humans have been contributing to higher levels of acidity in many soils.
When fossil fuels are burned, gases are released into the air and then fall back to earth as acid rain. Acid soil
increase the problem of carrying nutrients to lower soil levels. As nutrients are removed, soil is less fertile.
Plants grow more slowly in acidic soil, and also become easily attacked by diseases.

1. The layer of soil that provides necessary nutrients for plant growth is called _____.

A. 1itter
B. topsoil
C. humus
D. subsoil

2. According to the text, which of the following is NOT true?

A. Soil forms from weathered rock on the earth surface.
B. The deeper layer of soil is darker in colour than the surface soil.
C. Air pollution is partially responsible for acid soil.
D. Groundwater tends to carry away nutrients for plant growth.

3. We can infer from the passage that the water table lies _____.

A. between the topsoil layer and the subsoil layer
B. in the subsoil layer above bedrock
C. between the subsoil layer and bedrock
D. in the bedrock layer beneath the subsoil

4. The underlined word "dissolve" is used to express the idea that organic matter and minerals from soil
    are _____.

A. rushed away into the river
B. cleaned and purified by water
C. destroyed and carried away by water
D. mixed with water and become part of it