The idea of being able to walk on water has long interested humans greatly. Sadly, biological facts prevent us ever accomplishing such a thing without artificial aid---we simply weigh too much, and all our mass pushes down through our relatively small feet, resulting in a lot of pressure that makes us sink.

However, several types of animals can walk on water. One of the most interesting is the common basilisk Basilicus basilicus, a lizard (蜥蜴)native to Central and South America. It can run across water for a distance of several meters, avoiding getting wet by rapidly hitting the water’s surface with its feet. The lizard will take as many as 20 steps per second to keep moving forward. For humans to do this, we，d need huge feet that we could bring up to our ears in order to create adequate w hitting. ’’

But fortunately there is an alternative : cornflour. By adding enough of this common thickening agent to water (and it does take a lot), you can create a “non-Newtonian” liquid that doesn’t behave like normal water. Now, if the surface of the water is hit hard enough, particles(粒子）in the water group together for a moment to make the surface hard. Move quickly enough and put enough force into each step, and you really can walk across the surface of an adequately thick Liquid of cornflour.

Fun though all this may sound, it’s still rather messy and better read about in theory than carried out in practice. If you must do it, then keep the water wings handy in case you start to sink--and take a shower afterward!

【小题1】Walking on water hasn’t become a reality mainly because humans______.

A．are not interested in it

B．have biological limitations

C．have not invented proper tools

D．are afraid to make an attempt

【小题2】What do we know about Basilicus basilicus from the passage?

A．It is light enough to walk on water.

B．Its huge feet enable it to stay above water.

C．It can run across water at a certain speed.

D．Its unique skin keeps it from getting wet in water.

【小题3】What is the function of the cornflour according to the passage?

A．To create a thick liquid.

B．To turn the water into solid.

C．To help the liquid behave normally.

D．To enable the water to move rapidly.

【小题4】What is the author’s attitude toward the idea of humans’ walking on water?

A．It is risky but beneficial.

B．It is interesting and worth trying.

C．It is crazy and cannot become a reality.

D．It is impractical though theoretically possible.

_【小题1】___ .Being angry doesn’t really solve much, but what people do when they feel angry is important. The goal is to calm down and try to solve what is bothering you. This is hard for some kids and adults, too. Instead of calming down, some kids might keep getting more and more upset until they explode like a volcano!【小题2】___ .Their anger might be so strong that they lose control of their temper. They may act in ways unacceptable and hurtful. People may say that someone has trouble controlling their temper.【小题3】Some kids might get so angry that they scream at their parents, break something , or even worse , hit their brothers or sisters.【小题4】.However, it’s not OK for a kid to do any of those things .Kids don’t want to act in this way , but sometimes angry feelings can be hard to manage. So what to do?Well, the good news is that kids don’t just have to keep making the same mistakes over and over again.【小题5】.Imagine your temper as a puppy inside you that needs some training. The puppy is not bad ---- it will probably turn out a great dog. It just needs to learn some rules because, right now, that puppy is causing some problems to you.

A．In fact, they usually mean that a kid behaves badly when feeling angry. B．You don’t want to cause trouble. C．Kids should be allowed to express their feelings, even angry ones. D．Some kids get angry more often or more easily than some other kids. E．You can train you temper. F．Instead of thinking of the person you’re angry with, think of something else. G．Everybody gets angry sometimes.

 

   For some people,music is no fun at all. About four percent of the population is what scientists call “amusic.” People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes(音调). Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. Amusics can only hear the difference between two notes if they are very far apart on the musical scale.

As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. Their inability to enjoy music sets them apart from others. It can be difficult for other people to identify with their condition. In fact, most people cannot begin to grasp what it feels like to be amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping mall can be uncomfortable or even painful. That is why many amusics intentionally stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in withdrawal and social isolation. “I used to hate parties,” says Margaret,a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify this unusual condition.

Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from the brains of people who can appreciate music. The difference is complex, and it doesn't involve defective hearing. Amusics can understand other nonmusical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding ordinary speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can't see. certain colors.

Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally diagnosed(诊断). For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem with music. Now she knows that she is not alone. There is a name for her condition. That makes it easier for her to explain. “When people invite me to a concert, I just say,” No thanks, I'm amusic,'“says Margaret. “I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy.”

【小题1】Which of the following is true of amusic?

A．Listening to music is far from enjoyable for them.

B．They love places where they are likely to hear music.

C．They can easily tell two different songs apart.

D．Their situation is well understood by musicians.

【小题2】According to Paragraph 3, a person with “defective hearing” is probably one who ___________.

A．dislikes listening to speeches

B．can hear anything nonmusical

C．has a hearing problem

D．lacks a complex hearing system

【小题3】In the last paragraph, Margaret expressed her wish that __________.

A．her problem with music had been diagnosed earlier

B．she were seventeen years old rather than seventy

C．her problem could be easily explained

D．she were able to meet other amusics

【小题4】What is the passage mainly concerned with?

A．Amusics' strange behaviours.

B．Some people's inability to enjoy music.

C．Musical talent and brain structure.

D．Identification and treatment of amusics.

   In the United States alone,over 100 million cell-phones are thrown away each year.Cell-phones are part of a growing mountain of electronic waste like computers and personal digital assistants.The electronic waste stream is increasing three times taster than traditional garbage as a whole.

Electronic devices contain valuable metals such as gold and silver.A Swiss study reported that while the weight of electronic goods represented by precious metals was relatively small in comparison to total waste,the concentration（含量）of gold and other precious metals was higher in So-called e-waste than in naturally occurring minerals.

Electronic wastes also contain many poisonous metals.Even when the machines are recycled and the harmful metals removed,the recycling process often is carried out in poor countries,in practically uncontrolled ways which allow many poisonous substances to escape into the environment.

Creating products out of raw materials creates much more waste material,up to 100 times more,than the material contained in the finished products.Consider again the cell-phone,and imagine the mines that produced those metals,the factories needed to make the box and packaging（包装）it came in.Many wastes produced in the producing process are harmful as well.

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency notes that most waste is dangerous in that"the production, distribution,and use of products-as well as management of the resulting waste-all result in greenhouse gas release." Individuals can reduce their contribution by creating less waste at the start-for instance,buying reusable products and recycling.

In many countries the concept of extended producer responsibility is being considered or has been put in place as an incentive（动机）for reducing waste.If producers are required to take back packaging they use to sell their products,would they reduce the packaging in the first place?

Governments' incentive to require producers to take responsibility for the packaging they produce is usually based on money.Why,they ask,should cities or towns be responsible for paying to deal with the bubble wrap（气泡垫）that encased your television?

From the governments' point of view,a primary goal of laws requiring extended producer responsibility is to transfer both the costs and the physical responsibility of waste management from the government and tax-payers back to the producers.

【小题1】By mentioning the Swiss study,the author intends to tell us that .

A．the weight of e-goods is rather small

B．natural minerals contain more precious metals

C．E-waste deserves to be made good use of

D．the percentage of precious metals is heavy in e-waste

【小题2】The responsibility of c-waste treatment should be extended .

A．from producers to governments

B．from governments to producers

C．from individuals to distributors

D．from distributors to governments

【小题3】What docs the passage mainly talk about?

A．The increase in e-waste.	B．The creation of e-waste.
C．The seriousness of e-waste.	D．The management of e-waste.

   Storing food is common in members of the crow family. A new study tested the birds outside for this naturally occurring behavior, which may have evolved（进化）specifically because it gives crows a survival advantage. Some crow species are known to naturally use tools to recover food. So the researchers tested whether the birds could store and recover a tool so they could use it to find their food after a gap of 17 hours — something we wouldn’t expect them to do naturally. But they were able to instantly select the tool out of a number of unnecessary items.

In another experiment, the researchers taught crows to select a token（礼品券）from a number of items so that they could then exchange it for food. Again, the birds then showed that they could plan for the future using this new behaviour. This is different from all of the previous studies in future planning, which have focused on naturally occurring behaviour. For example, we know that chimpanzees select, transport and save appropriate tools for future needs.

These studies have shown that animals can plan for the future — but they leave an important question open for debate. Are animals only able to plan to use abilities that have evolved to give them a specific advantage, or can they flexibly and intelligently apply planning behaviour across various actions? Most critics would say the former, as the animals were tested in naturally occurring behaviour.

But the new research provides the first evidence that animal species can plan for the future using behaviour that doesn’t typically occur in nature. This supports the view that at least some recognitive（认知的）abilities in animals don’t evolve just in response to specific problems. Instead, it suggests that animals can apply these behaviour flexibly across problems in a similar way to humans. We need to study how flexible behaviour evolved. Then we might be able to see how crows’ ability to plan for the future fits in with their broader cognitive powers.

【小题1】What’s the new finding about some crows according to Paragraph 1?

A．They can store food.	B．They can use tools to recover food.
C．They can store and recover tools.	D．They can select and store food.

【小题2】What are crows trained by researchers to do when given a token?

A．Reject it casually.	B．Exchange it for food.
C．Save it as their food.	D．Build a nest with it.

【小题3】What can we infer about the studies that animals can plan for the future?

A．They are debatable.	B．They are disappointing.
C．They are logical.	D．They are convincing.

【小题4】What can be learned about flexible behaviour in animals?

A．It develops only with age.	B．It is unclear how it evolved.
C．No animals but crows benefit from it.	D．It helps plan for the future.