Japanese scientists have taken the first photographs of one of the most mysterious creatures in the deep ocean — the giant squid^①.

Until now the only information about the behavior of the creatures which measure up to 18 meters (59 feet) in length has been based on dead or dying squid washed up on shore or captured^② in commercial fishing nets.

But Tsunemi Kubodera, of the National Science Museum, and Kyoichi Mori of the Ogasawara Whale Watching Association, both in Tokyo have captured the first images of Architeuthis attacking bait^③ 900 meters below the surface in the cold, dark waters of the North Pacific. “We show the first wild images of a giant squid in its natural environment,” they said in a report in the journal Proceedings B of the Royal Society.

Little is known about the creatures because it has been so difficult to locate and study them alive. Large ships and specialist equipment, which is costly, are needed to study deep sea environments.

The Japanese scientists found the squid by following sperm whales, the most effective hunters of giant squid, as they gathered to feed between September and December in the deep waters off the coast of the Ogasawara Islands in the North Pacific. They used a remote long-line camera and depth logging system to capture the giant squid in the ocean depths.

The most dramatic character of giant squids is the pair of extremely long tentacles^④, distinct from the eight shorter arms. The long tentacles make up to two-thirds of the length of the dead specimens^⑤ to date. The giant squid appear to be a much more active meat-eating animals than researchers had thought.

Notes:

① squid  n. 鱿鱼

② capture  vt. 捕获

bait  n. 鱼饵

tentacle  n. 触角，触须

specimen  n. 标本，样本

The passage mainly tells us that ________.

      A. Scientists captured a giant squid alive

      B. Scientists captured a giant squid on camera

      C. giant squids are special meat-eating animals

      D. giant squids mainly live in the deep sea

According to the passage, we can infer that the word “Architeuthis” should refer to ________.

      A. a scientist        B. the sperm whale       C. a big ship      D. the giant squid

Which of the following about giant squids is TRUE?

      A. They like living the cold and deep waters.

      B. They mainly feed on the dead fish.

      C. They like playing, using their tentacles.

      D. They have only eight arms around the mouth.

According to the passage, the scientists located the giant squid ________.

      A. through a remote long-line camera

      B. by using depth logging system

      C. by following sperm whales

D. by using the bait to attract them

Islamabad, Pakistan, June 22^nd---Two mountain climbers surprisingly survived (幸免于) a fall of over 500 feet on the 25,530-foot mountain in Pakistan, Saturday. The two climbers were climbing an ice-covered wall of the mountain when they suddenly lost their footing and fell about 560 feet to a narrow snow-covered ledge(悬崖突出部分) below. “We were lucky that ledge was there,” said the climbers, “Otherwise, we would have fallen over 2,000 feet.” If the ledge had not been there, the two climbers almost certainly have met their death. “It’s a wonder,” the climbers said, “that we landed on the ledge, and the snow was loose enough to cushion(缓冲) our fall. We’re thankful that we survived.”

When a reporter asked them if they planned to give up mountain climbing after their narrow escape(九死一生), the two climbers replied, “Not at all. We’ll be going back up there just as soon as we get out of the hospital.”

The mountain climbers survived because _____.

A. they had fallen only 500 feet down     B. of the ledge and the loose snow on it

C. of their strong bodies                 D. they were very good climbers

If there had not been the snow-covered ledge, _____.

A. they wouldn’t have fallen down           B. they would have them wounded

C. they would have lost their lives           D. they would fall into the deep snow

How high was the ledge from the foot of the mountain?

A. 2,560 feet high          B. 2,000 feet high  

C. 25,530 feet high         D. More than 1,400 feet high 

Choose the right order which shows what happened to the two climbers.

a. talked with a reporter           b. lost their footing 

c. was sent to a hospital           d. fell to a ledge     

e. started to climb an ice-covered wall

A. b-d-c-e-a          B. e-d-b-c-a        C. e-b-d-c-a       D. a-c-b-d-e

Try this little test. A man dressed completely in black is sitting at a bar in a country pub. He is drinking one whisky after another. After three hours, the man in black leaves the pub and walks drunkenly down a small country road. There are no lights, and there is no moon. A car without headlights approaches. The driver notices the man, however, and is able to brake in time to avoid an accident. How could the driver see the man in black? Think about this.
The reason we can get stuck with this – and other problems in life—is that we make assumptions. If we assume that the man in black is out for an evening drink, then the problem is a hard one to solve.
The dictionary describes an assumption as something we take for granted or suppose to be true. Assumptions are essential to logical thinking and decision-making, but what happens if they are false?
Sometimes false assumptions can lead to disaster. On 8 January 1989, a British Midland Airways Boeing took off from Heathrow for Belfast. The number-two (right) engine, which had caused trouble on the previous flight, had been cleared. Twenty minutes after take-off, the plane began to shake violently. The flight recorder later showed what had happened. The captain asked the co-pilot what the problem was. “It’s the f-ing right engine again!” he replied. The captain ordered no.2 engine to be shut down, and the lefthand (no.1) engine to be turned on for an emergency landing. The 737 crashed on the edge of the M1 motorway. The cause of the crash? The captain and copilot made a false assumption and shut down the wrong engine. Of the 118 passengers, 39 died and 74 suffered serious injury.
The more risky or the more expensive the decision, the more important it is to check assumptions. There is a nice way to remember the importance of assumption checking. Look at the letters in the word ASSUME, and note that taking things for granted can make an ASS（傻瓜） of U and ME.
1. What purpose does Paragraph 1 serve in the passage?
A. To provide background information of the topic.
B. To attract readers attention to the topic.
C. To use an example to support the topic.
D. To offer basic knowledge of the topic.
2. The main purpose of the passage is to remind the readers _________.
A. of the importance of making assumptions
B. of the danger of making assumptions
C. to make assumptions before dealing with problems
D. to check assumptions before dealing with problems
3. The best title for this passage may probably be __________.
A. Assumptions Lead To Disaster
B. Ways of Avoiding False Assumption
C. When Things Are Not as They First Seem
D. Assumptions and Decision-making
4. The most probable reason that the driver can see the man in black is that       .
A. there were bright stars in the sky when the accident happened.
B. the driver had very good eyesight.
C. the accident happened where the lights were bright.
D. the accident happened during the afternoon, in daylight.

To protect you and your fellow passengers, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is required by law to inspect all checked baggage. As part of this process, some bags are opened and inspected. Your bag was among those selected for inspection.

During the inspection, your bag and its contents may have been searched for items forbidden by law such as fireworks, fuels, gunpowder, etc. At the completion of the inspection, the contents were returned to your bag, which was resealed (重新封口) with a “special” lock.

If the TSA screener was unable to open your bag for inspection because it was locked, the screener may have been forced to break the locks on your bag. TSA sincerely regrets having to do this, and has taken care to reseal your bag upon completion of inspection. However, TSA is not liable for damage to your locks resulting from necessary precaution.

For packing tips and other suggestions that may assist you during your next trip, visit: www.tsatraveltips.us.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation .If you have questions, comment,or concerns , please feel free to contact the Transportation Security Administration Consumer Response Centre:

Phone: toll-free at (866)289-9673

Email:telltsa@tas.dot.gov

Section 110(b)of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001,49

USC&44901(c)-(e)

1.The leaflet(宣传单) is trying to __________.

A. introduce one of the security acts

B. persuade people to contact TSA

C. warn against the damage of locking the baggage

D. inform people of baggage inspection

2.The leaflet is most probably provided by TSA to those who __________.

A. had their baggage selected for inspection

B. refused to have their baggage checked

C. kept some damaged items in their baggage

D. left their baggage unlocked

3.The underlined word “liable” means ___________.

A. suitable by law               B. permitted by law

C. responsible by law            D. prepared by law

4.For packing tips and other suggestions, visit __________.

A. telltsa@tas.dot.gov           B. www.tsatraveltips.us

C. toll-free at (866)289-9673      D. TSA Consumer Response Centre

They did it all____ friendship.

A.by the name of　　　　　　　　B.of the name of

C.under the name of　　　　　　　D.in the name of