Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.
Most people know this joke. But recently, some people have been much more worried about how the grizzly bear and mountain lion can cross the road.
“Millions of animals die each year on U.S. roads,” the Federal Highway Administration reports. In fact, only about 80 ocelots, an endangered wild cat, exist in the U.S. today. The main reason? Roadkill.
“Eco-passages” may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars. They are paths both over and under roads. “These eco-passages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid road accidents,” said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Protection Society.
But do animals actually use the eco-passages?  The answer is yes. Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an eco-passage that went under a highway.  This showed that the lions used the passage.
Builders of eco-passages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and around them. Animals seem to be catching on. Animals as different as salamanders（火蜥蜴）and grizzly bears are using the bridges and underpasses.
The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around.  You might see an animal overpass!
【小题1】 The writer uses the example of “ocelots” to show that __________.

Five years ago, I was sent to a better middle school. For me, everything there was new and strange. After I had been there for two months, there was an important test in the middle of the term. It covered all my courses. In that test, I didn’t get a good grade, but most of my classmates got an A or A’.
It made me upset for a long time. I felt everything in the world was changing. I thought my classmates were all better than me. During those days I was very unhappy.
One day, my aunt, after talking with my teachers, talked to me. She told me to think about what I had done in the past and what I should do in the future. I was shocked by her words. I thought about what I had done during the past months, and I found I had done nothing to improve my grades. I thought I should work harder.
After that, I paid more attention to the teachers’ talking in the classes, and I asked my teachers or my classmates when I didn’t understand something. I studied very late at night when I met with difficult problems. Most of all, I came to understand the importance of taking notes in class. As a result, I did better in some tests.
About three months later, the most important test came at the end of the term. This time, I stood out not only in my class but also in the grade. From then on, I have tried to do my best when I do something because I know if I want something, I should work hard for it.
【小题1】Why did the writer fall behind in the new middle school?

SECTION B
Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.
I remember my dad teaching me the power of language at a very young age. Not only did he understand that specific  36  can affect our mental pictures, but he understood that words are a  37  programming factor in lifelong success.
One particularly unforgettable event occurred when I was eight. As a child, I was always climbing trees, poles and  38  around upside down from the rafters(屋椽) of our lake house.  39 , it came to no surprise for my dad to find me at the top of a 30-foot tree, swinging back and forth. My little eight-year-old  40  didn’t realize that the tree could break or I could get hurt. I just thought it was enjoyable to be up so high. My older cousin, Tammy, was also hanging in the same tree. Her mother also  41  us at exactly the same time as my dad did. About that time, a huge gust(一阵) of wind blew through the tree. I could hear the leaves rustle(嘎嘎地响) and feel the tree begin to sway. I remember my dad’s  42  over the wind, “Bart, Hold on tightly!”So I did.
The next thing I heard was Tammy’s mother yelling, “Tammy, don’t fall!” Tammy did  43  . My dad later explained to me that the mind has a very  44 time processing a negative image. It takes seventeen positive statements to offset(抵消) one negative statement. That means it might  45  seventeen compliments(贺词/道贺) to offset the emotional  46  of one criticism.
These are concepts that are especially useful in developing yourself. How many compliments do you give yourself daily and how often do you criticize yourself? Try to  47  yourself a lifetime of positive programming by complimenting yourself, or at least think about the kind of programming you are doing to yourself on a daily basis. Remember: try to make positive self-talk a daily practice and you will succeed some day.
36. A. reactions             B. behaviors                 C. words                  D. expressions
37. A. doubtful                B. sensible                    C. strange                     D. powerful
38. A. sitting                 B. hanging                    C. standing                   D. lying
39. A. However             B. Furthermore             C. Moreover                 D. Therefore
40. A. brain                  B. memory                   C. experience                D. knowledge
41. A. believed                 B. noticed                     C. protected                  D. persuaded
42. A. voice                  B. figure                      C. image                      D. anger
43. A. hold                   B. think                       C. fall                          D. regret
44. A. surprising           B. relaxing                   C. difficult                   D. short
45. A. offer                  B. take                         C. give                         D. Keep
46. A. damage               B. danger                            C. award                      D. relief
47. A. stop                    B. consult                     C. imagine                    D. give

In a six-week study, experts found people who played online games designed to improve their cognitive(认知的) skills didn't get any smarter.
More than 8,600 people aged 18 to 60 were asked to play online brain games designed by the researchers to improve their memory, reasoning and other skills for at least 10 minutes a day, three times a week. They were compared to more than 2,700 people who didn't play any brain games, but spent a similar amount of time surfing the Internet and answering general knowledge questions. All participants were given a sort of I.Q test before and after the experiment.
Researchers said the people who did the brain training didn't do any better on the test after six weeks than people who had simply been on the Internet. On some sections of the test, the people who surfed the Net scored higher than those playing the games.
"If you're (playing these games) because they're fun, that's absolutely fine," said Adrian Owen, the study's lead author. "But if you're expecting (these games) to improve your I.Q., our data suggests this isn't the case," he said during a press briefing on Tuesday.
One maker of brain games said the company's games have been proven to boost brain power.
"Their conclusion would be like saying, 'I cannot run a mile in under 4 minutes and therefore it is impossible to do so," Aldrich said in a statement.
"There is precious little evidence to suggest the skills used in these games transfer to the real world," said Art Kramer, who was not linked to the study and has no ties to any companies that make brain training games.
Instead of playing brain games, Kramer said people would be better off getting some exercise. He said physical activity can spark(激发) new connections between nerves and produce new brain cells. "Fitness changes the building blocks of the brain's structure," he said.
【小题1】. It can be inferred that the online brain games mentioned in the text are_____________.

Mr. Harris used to work in Dover, but then he changed his work, and he and his wife moved to another town. They did not have many friends there, but they soon met a lot of interesting people, and after a few weeks, they often went to dinner or to parties at other people’s houses.
Then Mrs. Harris said to her husband, “We’ve been to a lot of other people’s houses, and now we must invite them to our house, mustn’t we?”
“Yes, certainly,” answered her husband, “A big party will be the easiest thing, won’t it? Then we can start to invite people to dinner in small numbers next month.”
So Mrs. Harris said, “Yes, I’ll invite all our friends here to a big party on 5th December.”
“How many will that be?” Mr. Harris asked. “Don’t invite too many.”
Mrs. Harris was beginning to write the invitations when her husband saw that she was writing, “Party. 6.30 to 8.30 p.m.”
“That isn’t very nice, is it?” he said. “You’re telling our guests that they must go at 8.30.” So Mrs. Harris just wrote “Party. 6.30 p.m.”
A lot of guests came, and they all had a good time, so they did not go home at 8.30. In fact they were still there at mid-night when the door bell rang and a policeman arrived. He said, “You must stop making a noise, because someone has complained.”
Mr. Harris said he did not want to quarrel with the policeman, so everyone went home. They were sorry to have to go.
When Mr. and Mrs. Harris were alone again, she said to him. “That was a surprise, wasn’t it? Who complained about the noise?”
“I did,” Mr Harris answered in a tired voice.
【小题1】Why did Mr. Harris and his wife move to another town?