Wild animals seem to have escaped the Indian Ocean tsunami (海嘯), adding weight to
ideas they possess a "sixth sense" for disasters, experts said on Thursday.
    Sri Lanka wildlife officials have said the giant waves that killed over 24,000 people
along the Indian Ocean island's coast seemingly missed wild beasts, with no dead animals
found.
    "No elephants are dead, not even a dead hare or rabbit. I think animals can sense
disaster. They have a sixth sense. They know when things are happening," H.D. Ratnayake,
deputy director of Sri Lanka's Wildlife Department, said on Wednesday.
    The waves washed floodwaters up to 3 km (2 miles) inland at Yala National Park in the
southeast, Sri Lanka's biggest wildlife reserve and home to hundreds of wild elephants.
"There has been a lot of evidence about dogs barking or birds migrating before volcanic
eruptions or earthquakes. But it has not been proven," said Matthew van Lierop, an animal
behaviour specialist at Johannesburg Zoo.
    "There have been no specific studies because you can't really test it in a lab or
field setting," he said.
    Other authorities agreed with this conclusion.
    "Wildlife seem to be able to pick up certain phenomenon, especially birds. There are
many reports of birds detecting coming disasters," said Clive Walker, who has written
several books on African wildlife.
    Animals certainly rely on the known senses such as smell or hearing to avoid danger
such as predators (食肉動(dòng)物).
    The idea of an animal "sixth sense" is a lasting one that the evidence on Sri Lanka's
damaged coast is likely to add to.

1. This passage is mainly about ______.

A. the damage that was caused in the Indian Ocean tsunami
B. why animals can save them from natural disasters
C. how to protect the wildlife when disaster happens
D. the different opinions about animals' natural power

2. Which of the following is true according to the text?

A. It has been proved that animals have a "sixth sense".
B. Research has been made on the special movements of animals before disasters.
C. It's generally considered that animals can sense the coming of disasters.
D. Animals have depended on the known senses to escape the Indian Ocean tsunami.

3. What does the term "sixth sense" in the text means?

A. It is the natural ability of animals that can save them from danger.
B. It is the animal's imagination in the brain.
C. It is some hidden power to say in advance that something will happen.
D. It is a kind of sense that is the same as smell or hearing.

4. Which section does the text most probably appear in a newspaper?

A. News Report.
B. Discovery.
C. Science Fiction.
D. Culture.

    We often hear people say, "I have a good memory for things like that" or "I can remember
names". But do you know memory is the single most important thing and it has played a very
important part?
    For early men, there were dangerous all around them-bad weather, wild animals. The keys
to keep on living lay in man's ability to remember these dangers and the ways he had dealt with
them in the past. In order for memories to be stored, the human brain became more complex.
And as man learned how to deal with them, he became civilized (文明).Surprisingly, scientists
today understand little about memory and how it works. They havenot yet found a way to open
up the brain and observe its function without destroying it. Perhaps there are two types of
memory: short-term and long-term. Short-term refers to those facts that stay with us for a few
seconds to a few hours. For instance, when you stay at a hotel, you remember the room number
and forget as soon as you leave. Long-term memory, on the other hand, means you remember
things for a long period of time. If you spend your honeymoon in a particular hotel, it's likely that
you'll remember your stay quite clearly.
    Scientists also believe that a short-term memory can become a long-term memory through
consolidation (鞏固). A lot of chemical and physical changes take place in the part of the brain.
Although the human brain weighs three pounds, it contains 30 billion nerve cells (神經(jīng)細(xì)胞) acting
like a computer. When those changes strengthen the links (聯(lián)系) in certain nerve cells, a though
becomes a part of the long-term memory.

1. According to the author, without the development of man's memory there would be _____.

A. no modern world
B. no recorded history
C. no animals
D. no dangers

2. Scientists' knowledge about the function of brain is _____.

A. interesting
B. not enough
C. great
D. encouraging

3. Short-term memory can change into long-term memory on condition that _____.

A. memory is good
B. it acts like a computer
C. people do more exercise
D. the links in nerve cells are strengthened by certain changes

4. So far the great discovery scientists have made about the function of brain is _____.

A. the weight of brain
B. two types of memory
C. 30 billion nerve cells
D. chemical and physical changes

    When we hear the words "college students", we usually think of a young person between
18 and 22 years old. But in the U.S.A today, a college student often is much older. In fact,
educators say in the next few years colleges and universities may have more older part-time
students than traditional (傳統(tǒng)的) full-time younger students.
    Educators report a big increase in the number of Americans who attend college and university
classes in the evening or at night or weekends. Most of them are older than 25 years old and
more have full-time or part-time jobs. Many are in their thirties or forties.
    Why are so many people deciding to spend their time and money in order to continue their
education? Most are doing it because they believe more education will help them to get a better job.
Some are industrial workers whose factories have closed. They are learning new skills to prepare
for other kinds of work. Some of the part-time students are not pleased with the jobs they have.
They are studying for new ones. Some have retired (退休) and are looking for new kinds of work.
Two of every three of the students older than 35 are women. Many of them are returning to school
after years of staying at home to care for children.
    Are older students good students? Most teachers say yes. They say older students really want to
learn. They ask difficult questions and are not pleased with simple answers. They often get high grades.

1. It's said that in the next few years _____.

A. students in colleges and universities will be much older
B. full-time students in colleges and universities will be even younger
C. American colleges and universities will take in part-time students equally
D. The number of older students will be greater than that of the younger ones

2. Judge which of the following is FALSE according to the above passage.

A. It's reported that a large number of Americans attend college or universities classes
   in their spare time.
B. Most of them are over 25.
C. Most of them are without jobs.
D. The number of students in colleges and universities is reported to have gone up greatly.

3. Why are so many people deciding to go on with their education? Because _____.

A. Most of the Americans enjoy learning something new
B. Most of them believe: more education, better jobs
C. They have lost their jobs
D. They are tired of their jobs they have

4. "They often get high grades" means _____.

A. they rise to high grades easily
B. they often get very good marks (分?jǐn)?shù))
C. they are more likely to receive a master's or a doctor's degree upon graduation
D. they often win high prize

    On October 12, 1987, some Chinese scientists were working at the computers to look for
information they needed. Suddenly they saw a lot of very bright spots (點(diǎn)) crossing the
computers' screens. At the same time the computers were working much slower. To find out
what was happening they stopped their work to check some parts of the computers. To their
horror (恐懼), they found out that most of their stored information was got rid of (除掉)
by computer viruses! Obviously all these computers had been infected (感染) by computer
viruses.
    It is said that the computer viruses were made by a group of young man fond of playing
tricks. They all had excellent education. They created the viruses just to show their
intelligence. (才智) These kinds of computer viruses are named Jerusalem (耶路撒冷)
Viruses. These viruses can stay in computers for a long time. When the time comes they
will attack the computers by lowering the function (功能), damaging their normal programs
or even getting rid of all the information.
    We now come to know that Jerusalem Viruses often attack computers on Fridays and that
they are spreading (傳播) to a list of computers. Among the countries that suffering
computer viruses are Britain, Australia, Switzerland and the U.S. But till now, how to
get rid of the terrible remains a problem.

1. The group of young men created the viruses to ______.

A. damage the computers
B. test their ability
C. tell the world that they were intelligent
D. play a trick on operators of the computers

2. According to the passage, computer viruses seem to ______.

A. have been in nature for years
B. exist (存在) in any computers
C. be difficult to get rid of at present
D. be able to be got rid of in the near future

3. The most serious damage caused by the viruses is that ______.

A. the computer's functions are lowered
B. the normal programs are damaged
C. all the information stored in the computers is gone
D. the computers infected by the viruses can no longer be used

4. According to the passage, which of the following is true?

A. Four countries found their computers were infected by viruses.
B. The viruses will come to a new computer after staying in the old one for some time.
C. Scientists are trying to find a way to get rid of the viruses.
D. The Jerusalem Viruses are a great harm to human health.

    Why don't birds get lost on their long migratory (遷居的) flights? Scientists have
puzzled over this question for many years. Now they're beginning to fill in the blanks.
    Not long ago, experiments showed that birds rely on the sun to guide them during
daylight hours. But what about birds that fly mainly by night? Tests with artificial (人
造的) stars have proved conclusively that certain night-flying birds are able to follow
the stars in their long-distance flights.
    One such bird-a warbler (鳴禽)-had spent its lifetime in a cage and had never flown
under a natural sky. Yet it showed an inborn ability to use the stars for guidance. The
bird's cage was placed under an artificial star-filled sky at migration time. The bird
tried to fly in the same direction as that taken by his outdoor cousins. Any change in
the direction of the make-be-live stars caused a change in the direction of his flight.
    Scientists think that warblers, when flying in daylight, use the sun for guidance.
But the stars are apparently their principal means of navigation (導(dǎo)航). What do they do
when the stars are hidden by clouds? Apparently, they find their way by such landmarks as
mountain ranges, coast lines, and river courses. But when it's too dark to see these, the
warblers circle helplessly, unable to get their direction.

1. The reasons why birds don't get lost on migratory flights _____.

A. have been known to scientists for many years
B. have only recently been discovered
C. are known by everyone
D. will probably remain a mystery

2. Warblers migrate _____.

A. from North America to South America
B. only once during their lifetime
C. using what is apparently an inborn navigational ability
D. when they are freed from their cages

3. When the stars are hidden by clouds, warblers find their way by _____.

A. an artificial star
B. their inborn ability
C. some landmarks
D. wind

4. This article is a good example of the way scientists _____.

A. jump to conclusions
B. discover workable (可行的) answers to general questions by studying particular cases
C. find a law and then investigate (調(diào)查)
D. are disappointed by the habits of animals

    Animals like the lion are known as carnivorous (meat-eating) animals. They feed on
smaller animals. But many other animals eat grass or plants. They are called herbivorous
(plant-eating) animals.
    You may be surprised to learn that there are carnivorous plants as well as carnivorous
animals. Plants that grow in poor soil need other food. They trap (catch by a trick) small
insects (昆蟲(chóng)) and take their bodies as food.
    The pitcher plant (豬籠草) is a common carnivorous plant. This plant has a clever trap
like a pitcher or jar. It even has a lid to keep out of the rain. The mouth of the pitcher
is covered with something sweet like honeydew (蜜露). Insects come to the plant to feed on
the honeydew. When they have eaten all that is round the mouth, they go into the pitcher
to look for more. There is more honeydew deep in the pitcher and they go down to feed on
it. The inner (里面的) wall of the pitcher is covered with fine hairs. These hairs point
downwards so that the insects cannot climb out of the pitcher. They are trapped in it.
They die there, and their bodies are taken as food by the plant.

1. Animals are divided into two kinds _____.

A. carnivorous animals and meat-eating animals
B. herbivorous animals and plant-eating animals
C. carnivorous animals and herbivorous animals
D. meat animals and plant animals

2. The pitcher plant uses _____ to catch insects.

A. a trap like a pitcher or jar
B. something sweet like honeydew
C. downward-pointing hairs in the inner wall
D. all of the above

3. Which of the following is NOT true?

A. Tigers, lions and other meat-eating animals are called carnivorous animals.
B. Zebras, elephants and common farm animals are known as herbivorous animals.
C. All plants get food only from the soil.
D. It is something like honeydew in the pitcher that insects come to food on.

4. From this passage, we can mainly learn that _____.

A. Not all plants are carnivorous
B. All plants are herbivorous
C. Not all animals are carnivorous
D. Carnivorous plants can also be found

    The new iPhone 3G should please everyone. Its look and feel are only slightly improved,
but a faster network loads Web pages more quickly, true GPS functionality allows it to easily
find places nearby, and the new $199 price (down from $400) makes it an affordable luxury.
    Before deciding whether to buy, however, make sure you can actually take advantage of
the iPhone 3G's high-speed data network. 3G stands for third-generation, which in non-geek
speak translates to Web pages and mail messages that, ideally, load about three times faster
than on the original iPhone. Even better, 3G coverage enables you to make a phone call and surf
the Web at the same time. That's great, if you live or work in a place where the 3G network of
AT&T (美國(guó)電話(huà)電報(bào)公司) (the sole wireless carrier of the iPhone) is active. That's not so
great in cities like New York where AT&T's cellular coverage is awful. As one of my colleagues
in New York City, who bought the original iPhone, commented, "It's just a toy. You can't make
phone calls on it, so I carry my Verizon phone with me all the time."
    The real fun begins when you tap on the icon called "App Store" and start browsing the hundreds
of add-on applications that have been developed just for the iPhone. You'll find tons of games (I like
JirboBreak, a free game inspired by the Atari classic Breakout) and mobile versions of popular
websites like Pandora, Facebook, MySpace and the New York Times. Most apps will cost you,
but the vast majority are $9.99 or less. The apps work on the old iPhones too, but you'll enjoy them
a lot more on the iPhone 3G because many of the programs, including Yelp (local business reviews),
Whrrl (mobile social networking) and UrbanSpoon (restaurant reviews), use your exact location-
provided by the iPhone 3G's GPS chip-to make recommendations. The apps also load much faster
over the 3G network.

1. The new iPhone 3G has following features except that _____.

A. It looks and feels better
B. It has a faster network
C. It is easy to locate a place
D. It is too expensive for people to buy

2. Why do one of my colleagues carry Verizon phone with him all the time?

A. Because iPhone 3G is just a toy.
B. ecause he prefers Verizon phone better.
C. Because AT&T's cellular coverage is terrible there.
D. Because Verizon phone enables him make a phone call and surf the Web at the same time.

3. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage.

A. App Store will offer you great fun.
B. many apps have been developed for the iPhone.
C. Most apps are very expensive.
D. Pandora, Facebook, MySpace and the New York Times are popular websites.

4. From the passage we know that the attitude of the author toward iPhone 3G is _____.

A. doubtful
B. appreciative
C. optimistic
D. pessimistic

    Birds that are half-asleep-with one brain hemisphere (半球) alert and the other
sleeping-control which side of the brain remains awake, according to a new study of
sleeping ducks.
    Earlier studies have documented half-brain sleep in a wide range of birds. The brain
hemispheres take turns sinking into the sleep stage characterized by slow brain waves.
The eye controlled by the sleeping hemisphere keeps shut, while the wakeful hemisphere's
eye stays open and alert. Birds also can sleep with both hemispheres resting at once.
    Decades of studies of bird groups led researchers to predict extra alertness in the
end-of-the-row sleepers which tend to be attacked more easily. Sure enough, the end birds
tended to watch carefully on the side away from their companions. Ducks in the inner spots
showed no preference for gaze direction.
    Also, birds napping at the end of the line depend on single-hemisphere sleep, rather
than total relaxation, more often than inner ducks did. Turning 16 birds through the
positions in a four-duck row, the researchers found that compared with 12 percent for
birds in internal spots, outer birds half-asleep during some 32 percent of napping time.
    "We believe this is the first evidence for an animal behaviorally controlling sleep
and wakefulness at the same time in different regions of the brain," the researchers say.
    The results provide the best evidence for a long-standing assumption that single-
hemisphere sleep evolved as creatures scanned for enemies. The preference for opening an
eye on the lookout side could be widespread, he predicts. He's seen it in a pair of birds
napping side-by-side in the zoo and in a single pet bird sleeping by a mirror. The mirror
-side eye closed as if the reflection were a companion and the other eye stayed open.
    Useful as half-sleeping might be, it's only been found in birds and such water animals
as dolphins, whales, and seals. Perhaps keeping one side of the brain awake allows a
sleeping animal to surface occasionally to avoid drowning.
    Studies of birds may offer unique insights into sleep. Jerome M. Siegel of the UCLA
says he wonders if birds' half-brain sleep "is just the tip of the iceberg." He
supposes that more examples may turn up when we take a closer look at other species.

1. According to the passage, birds often half sleep because _____.

A. they have to watch out for possible attacks
B. their brain hemispheres take turns to rest
C. the two halves of their brain are differently structured
D. they have to constantly keep an eye on their companions

2. What is implied about the example of a bird's sleeping in front of a mirror?

A. An imagined companion gives the bird a sense of security.
B. Birds prefer to sleep in pairs for the sake of their security.
C. The phenomenon of birds napping in pairs is widespread.
D. A single pet bird enjoys seeing its own reflection in the mirror.

3. While sleeping, some water animals tend to keep half awake in order to _____.

A. alert themselves to the approaching enemy
B. emerge from water now and then to breathe
C. be sensitive to the ever-changing environment
D. avoid being swept away by rapid currents

4. By saying "just the tip of the iceberg", Siegel suggests that _____.

A. half-brain sleep has something to do with icy weather
B. the mystery of half-brain sleep is close to being solved
C. most birds living in cold regions tend to be half sleepers
D. half-brain sleep may exist among other species