Blackbird (画眉)
★A good sign
★Paradise
★Magic
Seeing a blackbird for most is a good sign. It can also mean shyness and insecurity, which directly means a lack of self-confidence. The color black, as we know, is connected with supernatural power.
Bluebird (蓝知更鸟)
★The arrival of spring
★Hard work
★Joy
Bluebirds are connected with joy, and they most often mean a happy condition or good news coming your way. They may also refer to the hope of an individual for their inner child, which means innocence (单纯).
Bluejay (冠蓝鸦)
★Fearless
★Truthful
★Talkative
A bluejay can mean being faithful to others. Seeing a bluejay either in its natural habitat or in your dreams could also send across a message to develop an innate (先天的) talent.
Canary(金丝雀)
★Joy
★Freedom
★Intellectual development
Canaries are happy birds that spread joy and a sense of well-being. For some, a flying canary can be a sign of the spread of unwanted information. It can also mean that you are the cause of the gossip (闲话) as an individual. A canary is also a symbol of selflessness.
【小题1】Both the bluebird and the canary can be a sign of      .

A．innocence

B．joy

C．the coming of spring

D．shyness

【小题2】Which bird can be a sign that someone is not confident?

A．The blackbird.

B．The bluebird.

C．The bluejay.

D．The canary.

【小题3】What does it mean when you see a bluejay in your dream?

A．It means you spread unwanted information.

B．It means you man develop an innate talent.

C．It means you will have joy.

D．It means someone is missing you.

【小题4】Which bird can mean selfessness?

A．The blackbird.

B．The bluebird.

C．The bluejay.

D．The canary.

完型填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）

阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

A recent study shows that gossip（流言蜚语）is more powerful than truth. It suggests people believe what they hear through the grapevine(小道消息)  36  they have evidence to the contrary.

Researchers,  37  students using a computer game, also found gossip played an important role when people  38  decisions. “We show that gossip has a strong  39  , even when people have  40  to the original information as well as gossip about the same information. Thus, it is  41  that gossip has a strong controlling potential,” said Ralf Sommerfeld, who led the study.

In the study, the researchers  42  the students money and allowed them to give it to others in a series of rounds. The students also wrote  43  about how others played the game that everyone could review. Students tended to give  44  money to people described as “scrooges (吝啬鬼)” and more to those described as “ 45  players”. “People only believed the gossip, not the past decisions,” Sommerfeld said in a telephone interview.

The researchers then took the game a step  46  and showed the students the actual decisions people had made. But they also supplied false gossip that contradicted that  47  . In these cases, the students  48  their decisions to award money on the gossip,  49  the hard evidence.

“If you know what the people did, you should care, but they still  50  what others said,” Sommerfeld said. Researchers have  51  used similar games to study how people cooperate and the  52  of gossip in groups. Scientists define gossip  53  social information spread about a person who is not  54  . In evolutionary terms, gossip can be an important tool for people to  55  information about others' reputations or find the way through social networks at work and in their everyday lives.

1.A. in case          B. for fear that                         C. as if   D. even if

2. A. testing         B. checking             C. examining     D. experimenting

3. A. drew            B. made                 C. reached       D. concluded

4. A. impression      B. difference           C. influence     D. function

5.. A. access         B. entrance             C. charge        D. communication

6. A. curious         B. serious              C. obvious       D. worth

7. A. impressed       B. asked                C. showed        D. gave

8. A. articles        B. notes                C. dairies       D. letters

9. A. less            B. more                 C. fewer         D. much

10.A. general         B. mean                 C. generous      D. outgoing

11. A. away           B. forward              C. ahead         D. further

12. A. existence      B. evidence             C. confidence    D. dependence

13. A. based          B. put                  C. focused       D. passed

14. A. more than      B. less than            C. rather than   D. other than

15. A. referred to    B. listened to          C. turned to     D. stuck to

16. A. soon           B. presently            C. far           D. long

17.A. strength        B. energy               C. effect        D. force

18. A. as             B. for                  C. to            D. by

19. A. absent         B. present              C. gone          D. missing

20.A. achieve           B. earn                     C. acquire       D. win

 

第二节：完形填空（共20小题；每小题1．5分，满分30分）

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36—55各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

A recent study shows that gossip（流言蜚语）is more powerful than truth．It suggests people believe what they hear through the grapevine(小道消息)__36__they have evidence to the contrary．

Researchers, __37__students using a computer game, also found gossip played an important role when people __38__ decisions．"We show that gossip has a strong __39__, even when people have __40__ to the original information as well as gossip about the same information．Thus, it is __41__ that gossip has a strong controlling potential," said Ralf Sommerfeld, who led the study．

In the study, the researchers __42__ the students money and allowed them to give it to others in a series of rounds．The students also wrote __43__ about how others played the game that everyone could review．Students tended to give __44__ money to people described as “scrooges (吝啬鬼)” and more to those described as “__45__ players”．“People only believed the gossip, not the past decisions," Sommerfeld said in a telephone interview．

The researchers then took the game a step_46_and showed the students the actual decisions people had made．But they also supplied false gossip that contradicted that __47_．In these cases, the students_48_ their decisions to award money on the gossip, __49__ the hard evidence．

“If you know what the people did, you should care, but they still __50__ what others said,” Sommerfeld said．Researchers have __51__ used similar games to study how people cooperate and the __52__ of gossip in groups．Scientists define gossip __53__ social information spread about a person who is not __54__．In evolutionary terms, gossip can be an important tool for people to __55__ information about others' reputations or find the way through social networks at work and in their everyday lives．

36．A．in case     B．for fear that     C．as if  D．even if    

37．A．testing     B．checking C．examining       D．experimenting

38．A．draw       B．make       C．reach       D．conclude

39．A．impression      B．difference       C．influence D．function

40．A．access      B．entrance   C．charge     D．communication

41．A．curious    B．serious     C．obvious    D．worth

42．A．impressed      B．asked       C．showed    D．gave

43．A．articles    B．notes       C．dairies     D．letters

44．A．less B．more       C．fewer       D．much

45．A．general    B．mean       C．generous D．outgoing

46．A．away       B．forward   C．ahead       D．further

47．A．existence B．evidence C．confidence      D．dependence

48．A．based       B．put   C．focused    D．passed

49．A．more than       B．less than   C．rather than      D．other than

50．A．referred to      B．listened to       C．turned to D．stuck to

51．A．soon        B．presently C．far    D．long

52．A．strength   B．energy     C．effect     D．force

53．A．as     B．for   C．to     D．by

54．A．absent      B．present     C．gone  D．missing

55．A．achieve    B．earn C．acquire    D．win

 

Researchers found that women are overcome by a burning desire to share gossip（流言蜚语）as soon as they hear it. They will typically tell the secret to at least one other person in 47 hours. Depending on who the gossip is about, their boyfriend, husband, best friend or mother is most likely to be the recipients（接受者）of the information.

    The study of 3,000 women aged between 18 and 65 also found that. four out of ten admitted they were unable to keep a secret—no matter how personal or secret the news was. It was also found that alcohol usually gives us a helping hand to let out secrets—with more than half admitting a glass or two of wine could get them to dish the dirt.

Michael Cox, UK Director of Wines of Chile, said, “It’s official that women can’t keep secrets. We are really eager to find out with this survey how many secrets people are told. What we don’t count on（指望）is how quickly these are passed on by those we trust. No matter how precious the piece of information is, it often comes out within 48 hours.”

    Three quarters say they are able to keep quiet about a secret, and 83 percent consider themselves 100 percent reliable within each group of friends. Yet, four in ten admit to gossiping to a close friend from another friendship group. Nearly half（45 percent）disclose secrets just for the weight to be lifted from their shoulders. More than four in ten think it is acceptable to share a friend’s secret with someone who doesn’t know him or her.

    Private issues, true cost of purchases and affairs emerged top of the secret-keeping list, with girls most likely to share a secret chatting face-to-face, on the phone or via a text message. Fortunately, over a quarter（27 percent）said they forgot what they were told the following day.

1.Please explain the underlined words “dish the dirt” in English. （No more than 5 words.）

2.What makes women more likely pass on gossip? （No more than 3 word.）

3.What kinds of secrets are women most interested in? （No more than 10 words.）

4.Why do about half women tell secrets to others? （No more than 10 words.）

5.Should women tell secrets to others or keep secrets? Please give your reasons. （No more than 30 words.）

 

   A recent study shows that gossip（流言蜚语）is more powerful than truth．It suggests people believe what they hear through the grapevine(小道消息)__36__they have evidence to the contrary．

   Researchers, __37__students using a computer game, also found gossip played an important role when people __38__ decisions．"We show that gossip has a strong __39__, even when people have __40__ to the original information as well as gossip about the same information．Thus, it is __41__ that gossip has a strong controlling potential," said Ralf Sommerfeld, who led the study．

   In the study, the researchers __42__ the students money and allowed them to give it to others in a series of rounds．The students also wrote __43__ about how others played the game that everyone could review．Students tended to give __44__ money to people described as “scrooges (吝啬鬼)” and more to those described as “__45__ players”．“People only believed the gossip, not the past decisions," Sommerfeld said in a telephone interview．

   The researchers then took the game a step_46_and showed the students the actual decisions people had made．But they also supplied false gossip that contradicted that __47_．In these cases, the students_48_ their decisions to award money on the gossip, __49__ the hard evidence．

   “If you know what the people did, you should care, but they still __50__ what others said,” Sommerfeld said．Researchers have __51__ used similar games to study how people cooperate and the __52__ of gossip in groups．Scientists define gossip __53__ social information spread about a person who is not __54__．In evolutionary terms, gossip can be an important tool for people to __55__ information about others' reputations or find the way through social networks at work and in their everyday lives．

36．A．in case     B．for fear that     C．as if  D．even if    

37．A．testing     B．checking C．examining       D．experimenting

38．A．draw       B．make       C．reach       D．conclude

39．A．impression      B．difference       C．influence D．function

40．A．access      B．entrance   C．charge     D．communication

41．A．curious    B．serious     C．obvious    D．worth

42．A．impressed       B．asked       C．showed    D．gave

43．A．articles    B．notes       C．dairies     D．letters

44．A．less B．more       C．fewer       D．much

45．A．general    B．mean       C．generous D．outgoing

46．A．away       B．forward   C．ahead       D．further

47．A．existence B．evidence C．confidence      D．dependence

48．A．based       B．put   C．focused    D．passed

49．A．more than       B．less than   C．rather than      D．other than

50．A．referred to      B．listened to       C．turned to D．stuck to

51．A．soon        B．presently C．far    D．long

52．A．strength   B．energy     C．effect      D．force

53．A．as     B．for   C．to     D．by

54．A．absent      B．present     C．gone  D．missing

55．A．achieve    B．earn C．acquire    D．win