Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just happy. After all ,you probably sing or whistle when you are happy.

       Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of the time just because they are happy. However ,they sing most of the time for a very different reason .Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory.

       Do you know what a “territory” is? A territory is an area that an animal ,usually the male, claims（声称）as its own .Only he and his family are welcome there .No other families of the same species（物种）are welcome. Your yard and house are your territory where only your family and friends are welcome. If a stranger should enter your territory and threaten you, you might shout. Probably this would be enough to frighten him away.

       If so, you have actually scared the stranger away without having to fight him .A bird does the same thing. But he expects an outsider almost any time ,especially at nesting（筑巢）season. So he is screaming all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not .This screaming is what we call a bird’s song, and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away.

       Birds sing loudest in the spring when they are trying to attract a mate and warn others not to enter the territory of theirs.

       You can see that birds have a language all their own. Most of it has to do with attracting mates and setting up territories.

56．Some scientists believe that most of the time birds’ singing is actually       .

       A．an expression of happiness                   B．a way of warning

       C．an expression of anger                         D．a way of greeting

57．What is a bird’s “territory”?

       A．A place where families of other species are not accepted.

       B．A place where a bird may shout at the top of its voice.

       C．An area for which birds fight against each other.

       D．An area which a bird considers to be its own.

58．Why do birds keep on singing at nesting season?

       A．Because they want to invite more friends.

       B．Because their singing helps frighten outsiders away.

       C．Because they want to find outsiders around.

       D．Because their singing helps get rid of their fears.

59．How does the writer explain birds’ singing?

       A．By comparing birds with human beings.

       B．By reporting experiment results.

       C．By describing birds’ daily life.

       D．By telling a bird’s story.

When did you last see a polar bear? On a trip to a zoo, perhaps? If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago, you would have seen a whole polar bear club. These "Polar Bears" are people who meet frequently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water. That day, the air temperature was 3℃, and the water temperature was a bit higher. The members of the Polar Bear Club at Coney Island, New York are usually about the age of 60. Members must satisfy two requirements. First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group. This is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club. Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February.

　　Doctors do not agree about the medical effects of cold-water swimming. Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body's temperature drops so low that finally the heart stops. Other doctors, however, point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and water temperature is much greater in summer than in winter.

The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits (or advantages) of cold-water swimming. They say that their favorite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system（循环系统）because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm. Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water. A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and should not try cold-water swimming.

　　The main benefits (or advantages) of cold-water swimming are probably mental. The Polar Bears love to swim year-round; they find it fun and relaxing. As one 70-year-old woman says. "When I go into the water, I pour my troubles into the ocean and let them float away."

The members of the Polar Bear Club must meet the following requirements except that

__________.

A. they must reach the age of 60

B. they should be easy to make friends with

C. they must swim outdoors at least 8 times in the four cold months

　 D. they must agree to swim outdoors from November through February

Doctors __________.

A. encourage people to take part in cold-water swimming actively

　 B. point out the possible danger of blood illness during cold-water swimming

　 C. believe swimming is helpful both in winter and in summer

　 D. have different ideas about the medical effects of cold-water swimming

According to the passage, some doctors believe it is true that __________.

　 A. you are healthy if cold-water swimming turns your skin color blue

　 B. cold-water swimming causes more heart attacks in summer than in winter

　 C. cold-water swimming can make the body temperature dangerously high

　 D. Polar Bears are bears swimming in freezing water

The Polar Bears like to swim all the year round, for __________.

　 A. they can remain young                         B. it is an easy way to keep the body warm in winter

　 C. they find it enjoyable and interesting        D. they might meet fewer troubles in life

The passage is mainly about __________.

A. a group of cold-water swimming lovers              

B. the polar bears' life 

　 C. doctors' ideas about cold-water swimming              

D. the requirements of the Polar Bear Club

The seven Cs of a good letter

What is the secret of writing a good letter? Here are two main ones. Don’t try to be complicted(复杂的). Don’t try to impress（留下深刻印象）your reader. You will be successful if you follow these seven Cs.

Clear. Use short, direct sentences.       Just imagine that the reader is right there with you .Above all, don’t use an introduction.

Correct.          Don’t guess, even for spelling. Refer to your dictionary. If you need to , check a reference(参考) book too. Use them as much as you need to.

Complete(完整的). Don’t scatter(使分散) our points.       This is good organization too.

Courteous（礼貌的）. Be friendly rather than overly casual. Present your information nicely even if you are complaining about something . In all letters, treat others as you want them to treat you.

Concise(简洁的). Make each point as clearly and briefly as you can.

Conversational(会话的). This is really the secret of good writing.     .  Such a letter has a natural, friendly tone(语气). Let your personality come through naturally.

Considerate(体贴的;考虑周到的).      Write about what you believe the reader needs or wants to know. Try to be helpful. This will build good feeling towards you.

The seven Cs are about writing letters. But how about school papers? Use the seven Cs. Write as if you are talking to your teacher or professor. You’ll be surprised. You’ll almost instantly become a good writer. And you might even enjoy writing from now on.

Just “talk”to the person

Think of the readers’point of view as you write.

Make them easy to understand.

Include long sentences in your letter.

Make sure what you say is correct.

Writing should not be taken too seriously.

G. Finish one point completely before going on to the next.

                                                    

As the pace of life continues to increase, we are fast losing the art of relaxation. Once you are in the habit of rushing through life, being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down. But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body.   

Stress is a natural part of everyday life and there is no way to avoid it. In fact, it is not the bad thing it is often supposed to be. A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation and give purpose to life. It is only when the stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health.

The amount of stress a person can withstand depends very much on the individual. Some people are not afraid of stress, and such characters are obviously prime material for managerial responsibilities, others lose heart at the first sign of unusual difficulties. When exposed to stress, in whatever form, we react both chemically and physically. In fact we make choice between "flight or fight" and in more primitive days the choices made the difference between life or death. The crises we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme, but however little the stress, it involves the same response. It is when such a reaction lasts long, through continued exposure to stress, that health becomes endangered. Since we can't remove stress from our lives (it would be unwise to do so even if we could), we need to find ways to deal with it.

60．People are finding less and less time for relaxing themselves because _____.

       A．they regard working as their greatest enjoyment

       B．they believe that work is superior to relaxation

       C．they are traveling fast all the time

       D．they are becoming busier with their work than ever before

61．According to the author, the most important character for a good manager is his _____.

       A．strong will to hold out stress

       B．knowing the art of relaxation

       C．high sense of responsibility

       D．having control over performance

62．Which of the following statements is TRUE, according to the passage?

       A．We can find quite a few ways to avoid stress.

       B．Stress is always harmful to people's health

       C．It's easy to change the habit of keeping oneself busy with work.

       D．Different people can bear different amount of stress.

63．In the last sentence of the passage, "do so" refers to _____.

       A．"expose ourselves to stress"

       B．"find ways to deal with stress"

       C．"remove stress from our lives"

       D．"establish links between diseases and stress"

The passengers on the bus watched sympathetically as the attractive young woman with the white cane made her way carefully up the steps. She   1    the driver and, using her hands to feel the   2    of the seats, walked down and found the   3    which the driver had told her was empty. Then she settled in.

It had been a year since Susan, 34,   4    a medical misdiagnosis (误诊), was suddenly thrown into a world of   5   . Mark, her husband, was an Air Force officer and he loved Susan with all his heart. He   6    her how to rely on her other   7   , specifically her hearing, to determine where she was and   8    to adapt herself to the new environment. He helped her befriend the bus drivers who could   9    for her, and save her a seat.

  10   , Susan decided that she was ready to try the   11    on her own. Monday morning, she said good-bye and for the first time, they went their   12    ways.

On Friday morning, Susan took the bus to work as usual. As she was   13    the bus, the driver said, “Boy, I   14    envy you.” Susan had no   15   what the driver was talking about, and asked, “What do you   16   ?”

The driver answered, “You know, every morning for the   17    week, a fine-looking gentleman   18    a military uniform has been standing across the corner   19    you as you get off the bus. He   20    you cross the street safely and he watches until you enter your office building. You are one lucky lady.”           

Tears of gratitude poured down Susan’s cheeks.     

1. A. thanked      B. asked       C. discovered               D. paid

2. A. location      B. shape       C. size               D. cost

3. A. ticket          B. bus          C. seat               D. bag

4. A. according to   B. instead of   C. thanks to          D. due to

5. A. anger           B. darkness     C. happiness            D. light

6. A. asked         B. encouraged   C. taught              D. praised

7. A. feelings       B. sights         C. senses          D. abilities

8. A. how          B. when        C. where           D. who

9. A. make out            B. watch out    C. find out         D. work out

10. A. Finally       B. Luckily         C. However        D. Besides

11. A. visit           B. trip            C. bus             D. work

12. A. opposite       B. separate        C. difficult         D. usual

13. A. getting on       B. getting in     C. getting off     D. getting up

14. A. must           B. may         C. will            D. do

15. A. idea            B. opinion       C. way          D. thought

16. A. want          B. mean         C. say            D. suggest

17. A. next           B. old             C. past         D. following

18. A. by          B. on              C. with         D. in

19. A. searching     B. watching       C. calling        D. noticing

20. A. looks out      B. takes up        C. believes in    D. makes sure