Is your family interested in buying a dog? A dog can be a pleasant companion（伙伴） to your family, but if you choose the wrong kind of dog，you will have a lot of troubles.
Families should sit down and thoroughly discuss the possible problems before buying a dog. Even if the children in your family are the ones who want the dog, the parents are the ones who are really responsible for seeing that the animal is properly cared for. If you don’t know much about dogs, it is a good idea to go to the library for books about different kinds of dogs, as well as books about how to train a young dog. In reading about the different breeds(种类)you should know that a dog described(描述)as very alert(机敏灵活的)may be too active. When a book describes a dog as an excellent hunting dog, it probably means that the dog won’t be happy living in a small house. Dog breeds vary(变化)in popularity as the years go by. One of the most popular dogs these days is the German shepherd（牧羊犬）. This is because it provides protection as well as companionship（陪伴）. The family should be warned that these dogs grow up to be very big, and may be too powerful for children to control. If space is limited, a toy dog may be a good choice. These dogs are very small and easy to train. They don’t need to be walked daily, since they can exercise in the home.
【小题1】According to the passage, one can get information about different kinds of dogs      .

A．by going to the library

B．by asking someone who has enough experience about different kinds of dogs

C．by buying a dog and training it

D．by reading books about dogs

【小题2】The German shepherd is a popular dog      .

A．because it is easy to train

B．because it is big and strong

C．because it is powerful and friendly

D．because it is alert and active

【小题3】Which is the best topic of the passage?

A．The care and proper selection of dogs for families.

B．Different breeds of dogs.

C．Responsibility for seeing that dogs are properly cared for.

D．Different kinds of books about dogs.

Dogs wag(摇摆) their tails in different directions depending on whether they are excited and wanting to move forward or threatened and thinking of moving back, a study has found.
Researchers in Italy examined the tail wagging behaviour of 30 dogs, catching their responses to a range of stimuli(刺激物) with video cameras. To conduct the study they chose 15 male dogs and 15 female ones aged between one and six years. The dogs were all family pets whose owners had allowed them to take part in the experiment at Ban University. The dogs were placed in a large wooden box with an opening at the front to allow for them to view various stimuli. They were tested one at a time.       
The researchers led by Professor Giorgio Vallortigara of the University of Trieste found that when the dogs were shown their owners—a positive experience—their tails wagged energetically to the right side. When they were shown an unfamiliar human they wagged to the right, but with somewhat less enthusiasm. The appearance of a cat again caused a right-hand side wag, although with less intensity again. The appearance of a large unfamiliar dog, similar to a German shepherd, changed the direction of tail wagging to the left. Researchers supposed the dog was thinking of moving back. When the dogs were not shown any stimuli they tended to wag their tails to the left, suggesting they preferred company. While the changes in the tail wagging were not easily noticed without the aid of video, it was thought that the findings could help people judge the mood of dogs. Computer and video systems, for example, could be used by professional dog trainers to determine the mood of dogs that they were required to approach.
【小题1】.The video cameras were used to catch the dogs’ responses because ___________ .   

A．it was easier to catch the dogs’response changes in the tail wagging

B．the dogs were put in the wooden boxes and tested one at a time.

C．they enabled the dogs’owners to know about their dogs’habit

D．the dogs wagged their tails in different directions when they were in different moods

【小题2】The underlined word “intensity” in the passage means        .

A．surprise

B．worry

C．excitement

D．interest

【小题3】When there are no stimuli, a dog will ___________         .

A．wag to the left	B．wag to the right
C．not wag at all	D．wag to the left and then to the right

【小题4】The underlined word “they” refers to _____.

A．the dogs

B．the trainers

C．the systems

D．the rescarchers

【小题5】The purpose of doing the experiment is _____________ .

A．to train dogs for their owners	B．to help people judge the mood of dogs
C．to help dogs find company	D．to help people choose their pet dogs

A farm planted levels or floors is called a vertical(垂直的)farm. A skyscraper type building can house a vertical farm. Since the garden is built upwards，rather than outwards，it requires much less space than a conventional farm.
The world is quickly running out of room for conventional farming. Vertical farms could be a key to this situation. An 18­story vertical farm could feed as many as 50,000 people，all in an area which is the size of the average city block. Vertical farms in the city could cut down on transportation costs as well. Think about the amount of fuel it takes to transport food from farmland to city. The resources saved would be surprising. Besides saving travel time，food would be delivered in fresher condition and with less damage.
There is a growing concern about the use of pesticides(杀虫剂) in agriculture today. But the vertical farm would be a greenhouse type environment, avoiding the need for a large number of pesticides. Vertical farms can be built in a contained space，therefore they are an excellent solution for living well in an environment far different from our own. Hydroponics(水耕法) could be a big part of vertical gardening. This would reduce the amount of soil needed to grow food. Of course，not all food does well with this type of planting，but there are many crops that actually seem to do better.
In some climates，a lack of sunlight creates a short growing season. The solar power option may not work as well here. The addition of grow lights would make it possible to grow crops in vertical gardens in these areas .In other words，we could grow crops in areas where we never could before.
Vertical farms may just be a concept for now，but they are a concept that will solve many of our problems in the future.
【小题1】According to the passage, a vertical farm ________.

A．is mainly built outwards

B．is dependent on solar power

C．is planted on levels upwards

D．is only an environmental friendly farm

【小题2】Compared to the conventional farm, the vertical farm can ________.

A．depend far less on sunlight

B．greatly increase the use of soil

C．help to protect the limited gardens

D．reduce the harmful effect of pesticides

【小题3】 It can be learned from the passage that vertical farms ________.

A．have already been put into use

B．only use hydroponics to grow food

C．need less room than conventional farms

D．may increase the transportation costs

【小题4】What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Vertical farms for our future

B．Ways to deal with future problems

C．Vertical farms and green skyscrapers

D．Making full use of our limited land

The common cold is the world's most widespread illness, which is plagues(疫病) that flesh receives.
The most widespread mistake of all is that colds are caused by cold. They are not. They are caused by viruses(病毒) passing on from person to person. You catch a cold by coming into contact, directly or indirectly, with someone who already has one. If cold causes colds, it would be reasonable to expect the Eskimos to suffer from them forever. But they do not. And in isolated Arctic regions explorers have reported being free from colds until coming into contact again with infected people from the outside world by way of packages and mail dropped from airplanes.?
During the First World War soldiers who spent long periods in the trenches(战壕), cold and wet, showed no increased tendency to catch colds.?
In the Second World War prisoners at the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp(奥斯维辛集中营), naked and starving, were astonished to find that they seldom had colds.?
At the Common Cold Research Unit in England, volunteers took part in Experiments in which they gave themselves to the discomforts of being cold and wet for long stretches of time. After taking hot baths, they put on bathing suits, allowed themselves to be with cold water, and then stood about dripping wet in drafty room. Some wore wet socks all day while others exercised in the rain until close to exhaustion. Not one of the volunteers came down with a cold unless a cold virus was actually dropped in his nose.?
If, then, cold and wet have nothing to do with catching colds, why are they more frequent in the winter? Despite the most pains—taking research, no one has yet found the answer. One explanation offered by scientists is that people tend to stay together indoors more in cold weather than at other times, and this makes it easier for cold viruses to be passed on.?
No one has yet found a cure for the cold. There are drugs and pain suppressors(止痛片) such as aspirin, but all they do is to relieve the symptoms(症状).
【小题1】The writer offered _______ examples to support his argument.

A．4

B．5

C．6

D．3

【小题2】Which of the following does not agree with the chosen passage?

A．The Eskimos do not suffer from colds all the time.

B．Colds are not caused by cold.

C．People suffer from colds just because they like to stay indoors.

D．A person may catch a cold by touching someone who already had one.

【小题3】Arctic explorers may catch colds when ________.

A．they are working in the isolated Arctic regions

B．they are writing reports in terribly cold weather

C．they are free from work in the isolated Arctic regions

D．they are coming into touch again with the outside world

【小题4】The passage mainly discusses ________.

A．the fallacy about the common cold

B．the experiments on the common cold

C．the reason and the way people catch colds

D．the continued spread of common colds

Imagine going to sleep then waking up speaking another language. It may sound impossible， but it's actually happened.
The phenomenon(现象)of being able to suddenly speak another language is known as“Xenoglossia”， from the Greek words“xenos”(foreigner)and “glossa”(language)．
It once happened to a 13­year­old girl from Croatia. After being unconscious(不省人事的)because of a disease for 24 hours in 2010，she woke up speaking fluent German. The girl， who came from the town of Knin in the south of Croatia，was studying German at school but she'd only started recently. Her parents said that she'd been reading German books and watching German TV at home， but that she wasn't fluent in the language.However ，since waking up， she's been able to communicate “perfectly”in German.What's really strange is that she's now unable to speak Croat，her mother language.Doctors at Split's KB Hospital have asked some experts to examine the girl as they try to find out what caused the change.Dr Mijo Milas said，“In earlier times this would have been considered as a miracle(奇迹)；we prefer to think that there must be an explanation—it's just that we haven't found it yet.”
In 2007，Matej Kus from Czech became unconscious after a motorbike accident. On waking up 45 minutes later，he could speak fluent English.Matej was only 18 years old at the time， and had just started studying the language and so was at a low level.Peter Waite，Kus's teammate said，“I couldn't believe what I was hearing.It was really clear English.It was unbelievable to hear him talk in unbroken English.”Unluckily，Matej's new language skills didn't last.Two days later， when he recovered fully from the accident， he'd completely forgotten his English.
We still don't know exactly what happened to the two people. Perhaps scientists will discover something new and exciting. But until then， keep studying!
【小题1】According to the passage，what is“Xenoglossia”？

A．That someone becomes unconscious.

B．That someone speaks a new language in a sudden.

C．That someone doesn't like his mother language.

D．That someone is able to speak Greek suddenly.

【小题2】What does the underlined word “It” in Para.3 probably refer to?

A．Having accidents.

B．Speaking fluent German.

C．The phenomenon of Xenoglossia.

D．Being unable to speak.

【小题3】We can learn from Paragraph 3 that the girl from Croatia ______.

A．wanted to know what caused her change

B．believed she had a talent for language

C．didn't study German for a long time

D．didn't like learning German

【小题4】Which of the following is TURE according to the test?

A．Matej Kus is now afraid of motorbike racing.

B．The girl from Croatia lost consciousness for several days.

C．The girl from Croatia was knocked unconscious in an accident.

D．Matej Kus could only speak a little English before the accident .

Food prices have risen sharply over the past few years. The good news is that the rate of increase has slowed. The bad news is that prices will not go down anytime soon.
Also，the rate of global agricultural production is slowing. Yet it needs to increase 60% over the next 40 years to feed a growing world population.
These are among the findings from the OECDFAO(the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development & the Food and Agriculture Organization)Agricultural Outlook(展望)2012－2021.
FAO Director­General Jose Graziano da Silva spoke at a news conference in Rome when the report was released. Mr.Da Silva said that，not surprisingly，the world's poorest people will feel the greatest effects of higher prices.
“For the millions and millions of extremely poor people， the effects of high food prices are clear—they might have to change their diets，usually to ones with poorer nutrition quality， ”he said.
In middle­income countries， people are gaining weight as they eat fewer fruits and vegetables and more of the cheaper but less nutritious foods.
The report also shows that farmers in poorer countries will be leading efforts to feed an expected 9,000,000,000 people by 2050.The outlook predicts that farmers in Latin America，the Caribbean and sub­Saharan Africa will drive agricultural production in the future.
Angel Gurria，Secretary­General of the OECD，said：“We can feed 9,000,000,000 people by 2050 on this planet. But we have to organize ourselves better.” But there are plenty of challenges.One­fourth of all agricultural land is damaged. Many countries face water shortages(短缺)．And experts believe climate change is driving increasingly unusual weather patterns.
The report says farmers need to use more growing methods that can't cause damage to the environment.At the same time，it says governments should end economically harmful supports and spend more money to increase agricultural production.Mr.Gurria says rich and poor nations need to treat agriculture more like a business.
“In many cases，agriculture is related in people's minds to the poorest. It's related to aid. It's related to very poor living conditions，etc. We have got to shake that image away，”he said.
【小题1】Why are people gaining weight in countries with average incomes?

A．They eat more food.	B．They eat less nutritious foods.
C．They eat cheaper fruits.	D．They eat cheaper vegetables.

【小题2】It can be inferred from the text that poorer countries ______.

A．are damaging a great part of their agricultural land

B．will play a great role in feeding the growing world population

C．are spending lots of money increasing agricultural production

D．will not be so seriously affected by food prices as rich nations

【小题3】What can be done to deal with the slow agricultural production?

A．Improving the growing methods.

B．Finding more agricultural land.

C．Preventing governments' involvement.

D．Improving farmers' living conditions.

【小题4】Which of the following might Angel Gurria agree with?

A．Agriculture means difficulty and sadness.

B．Food prices will go down in the near future.

C．It's almost impossible to feed 9,000,000,000 people by 2050.

D．Both rich and poor countries should take agriculture seriously.

One reaction to all the concern about tropical deforestation（毁林） is a blank stare that asks the question, "Since I don't live there, what does it have to do with me?"
The answer is that your way of life, wherever you live in the world, is tied to the tropics in many ways. If you live in a house, wash your hair, eat fruits and vegetables, drink soda, or drive a car, you can be certain that you are affected by the loss of tropical forests.
Biologically, we are losing the richest regions on earth when, each minute, a piece of tropical forest, the size of ten city blocks, disappears. As many as five million species of plants, animals, and insects (40 to 50 percent of all living things) live there, and are being lost faster than they can be found and described. Their loss is immeasurable.
Take rubber for example. For many uses, only natural rubber from trees will do. Synthetics are not good enough. Today over half the world's commercial rubber is produced in Malaysia and Indonesia, while the Amazon's rubber industry produces much of the world's four million tons. And rubber is an important material in making gloves, balloons, footwear and many sporting goods. Thousands of other tropical plants are valuable for their industrial use.
Many scientists strongly believe that deforestation contributes to the greenhouse effect -- or heating of the earth from increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As we destroy forests, we lose their ability to change carbon dioxide into oxygen.
Carbon dioxide levels could double within the next half-century, warming the earth by as much as 4.5 degrees. The result? A partial melt-down of polar ice caps, raising sea levels as much as 24 feet; even 15 feet could threaten anyone living within 35 miles of the coast. Unbelievable? Maybe. But scientists warn that by the time we realise the severe effects of tropical deforestation, it will be 20 years too late.
Can tropical deforestation affect our everyday lives? Now, you should have got the answer.
【小题1】The underlined word "synthetics" probably means_________.

A．natural rubber	B．tropical materials
C．man-made material	D．commercial rubber

【小题2】According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A．The forests are losing their function in turning carbon dioxide into oxygen.

B．Many of our daily uses are related to the tropical forests.

C．Tropical plants can be used to make industrial products.

D．High carbon dioxide levels will make the earth warmer.

【小题3】The author's attitude towards the tropical deforestation is _________ .

A．puzzling

B．cold

C．supporting

D．opposed

【小题4】Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

A．Tropical Forests	B．The Value of Tropical Forests
C．Tropical Forests and Our Life	D．The Greenhouse Effects

“Choo, Choo!” Here comes the Chunnel train. Get aboard if you want to learn more about this underground transportation system. This is an unusual form of transportation, because it is a tunnel that trains travel through and not an actual form of transportation.
The Chunnel is actually the English nickname for the Channel Tunnel. In French, it is called le tunnel sous la Manche. It is a rail tunnel beneath the English Channel at the Straits of Dover. It connects Cheriton in Kent, England with Sangatte in northern France. It is the second longest rail tunnel in the world.
Did you know that the British and the French had a race whi1e they were building the Chunnel? The race was to see who could get to the middle of the tunnel first. The British won by a little bit. It took 15,000 workers over seven years to dig the tunnel. The tunnel was finished in 1994.
The completed Chunnel cost about $ 21 billion. But it all paid off, because it became very popular, very quick. Millions of people use it. Now it is getting even more popular.
There are three complete tunnels in the Chunnel. The two outside ones are the passenger trains. The small inner one is a guidance train. The guidance train is not used for transportation. Each track is exactly parallel to each other.
There are four different train systems in the Chunnel. The Eurostar is a high speed passenger service that connects London, Paris, Brussels, and Lille. The Eurotunnel shuttle is a rail ferry service. These shuttles carry cars. These are railcars that allow drivers to drive their vehicles on and off. There are also two Eurotunnel goods service trains.
Now you know more about the Chunnel. Everybody off, this is the last stop.
【小题1】The Channel Tunnel links ______ with _______.

A．Dover; Kent

B．London; Paris

C．Lille; Brussels

D．Cheriton; Sangatte

【小题2】Which of the following shows the structure of the tunnels in the Chunnel?

【小题3】The Eurotunnel shuttle is intended to carry _________.

A．passengers	B．drivers and their vehicles
C．goods	D．staff members of the Chunnel

【小题4】The text can most probably be __________.

A．found in a textbook	B．read in a magazine
C．broadcast on a train	D．heard in a railway station

Koala bears as pets might be appealing to many of us. However, there are quite a few points to consider even before thinking of adopting one.
Koala bears are one of the most lovely Australian animals. In certain cases where the koala has been raised by hand, they have turned out to be quite affectionate pets. These people tied a piece of fur to a pillow and placed it beside a joey (a baby kola) as a substitute (替代物) for the mother koala. This trick seemed to work well with the baby koala. However, it is a known fact that human handling causes stress to koalas. In my personal opinion, this aspect clouds the fact that koala bears can be tamed (驯服).
In Australia the koala is a priority animal as far as conservation status assessment is concerned. It was hunted to near extinction (灭绝) for its fur. In fact the koala had been wiped out from South Australia in the 1920s. However, rehabilitation efforts have brought the animal back in the state. As for the Australia government, the koala is not a threatened animal, but the US government does list the koala as one.
Although they may live in 40 to 60 kinds of eucalyptus trees, they prefer only 10 to 14 specific kinds. Koalas sleep for most part of the day, which is about 16 to 18 hours, and for most of their waking hours all they do is eat. Koala bears eat the leaves of eucalyptus trees. A full-grown koala can eat almost 2 to 3 pounds of leaves in a day. Despite their slow movements and sweet look, koala bears can be vicious when hungry. Other than this, there are the stress caused to koalas due to human handling and the fights that start in koalas.
Almost everyone finds koalas lovely in the zoo. However, as far as having koala bears as pets is concerned, there are legal issues to consider. Other than that, being able to provide for its diet and habitat is another point that needs some attention before any law legalizing their adoption as pets is passed.
【小题1】What’s the author’s attitude towards people raising the koala?

A．Optimistic.

B．Grateful.

C．Cautious.

D．Enthusiastic.

【小题2】Why did Australians hunt the koala?

A．To get its fur.

B．To eat its meat.

C．To wipe it out.

D．To have it for fun.

【小题3】The underlined word “vicious” in Paragraph 4 probably means __________.

A．fierce and dangerous	B．patient and friendly
C．afraid and defensive	D．lovely and interesting

【小题4】It can be inferred from the passage that __________.

A．koala bears tend to live in groups

B．koala bear care can be very demanding

C．koala bears are not particular about their food

D．koala bears are the No. 1 threatened animal in the US

Astronomers have captured(捕获) the first direct image of a planet being born.
Adam Kraus, of the University of Hawaii’s Institute for Astronomy, said the planet is being formed out of dust and gas circling a 2-million-yea-old star about 450 light years from Earth.
The planet itself, based on scientific models of how planets form, is believed to have started taking shape about 50,000 to 100,000 years ago.
Called LkCa 15b, it’s the youngest planet ever observed. The previous record holder was about five times older.
Kraus and his colleague, Michael Ireland from Macquarie University and the Australian Astronomical Observatory, used Keck telescopes on Mauna Kea(a volcano on the island of Hawaii, US) to find the planet. Kraus presented the discovery Wednesday at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.
Observing planets while they’re forming can help scientists answer questions like weather planets form early in the life of a star or later, and whether they form relatively close to stars or father away.
Planets can change orbits(轨道) after forming, so it’s difficult to answer such questions by studying older planets.
“These very basic questions of when and where are best answered when you can actually see the planet forming, as the process is happening right now,” Kraus said.
Scientists hadn’t been able to see such young planets before because the stars they’re circling around outshine(光亮强过) them. Kraus and Ireland used two techniques to overcome this problem.[来源:学+科+网]
One method, which is also used by other astronomers, was to change the shape of the telescope mirrors to remove light distortion(扭曲) created by the Earth’s atmosphere. The other method they used, which was unique, was to put masks with several holes over most of the telescope mirrors. The combination of these techniques allowed the astronomers to obtain high-quality images that let them see the planet next to the bright star.
The star LkCa 15—the planet is named after its star—was the team’s second target. They immediately knew they were seeing something new, so they plan to gather more data on the star.
【小题1】The research on younger planets helps scientists _____________.

A．study why planets change orbits after forming

B．understand how planets move around their stars

C．answer questions about the age of stars and planets

D．know the relationship between planets and their stars

【小题2】Why are young planets like LkCa 15b hard to discover?

A．Their stars are brighter than them..	B．They are very far from the earth.
C．They are generally too small.	D．They rarely form.

【小题3】According to the text, Kraus and Ireland _____________.

A．have been working in the same university

B．observed the planet on a volcano in Hawaii

C．used two new methods in the observation

D．cut holes in the mirrors when observing

【小题4】Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A．Youngest planet seen as it’s forming.

B．Planet 450 light years away discovered.

C．World’s first direct image of a planet taken.

D．New technique helps discover young planets.