Ants have a reputation for strength,organization and teamwork.But researchers have now discovered that a key secret to the success of ants is their ability to identify the importance of age in the work place.
A study of Gentral American leaf-cutter ants has shown that the younger and stronger members are give the toughest job of cutting therough the leaves they harvest.Their sharp youn teeth do this job effectively,but as they get older their teeth become relatively worn and blunt.
But rather than being retired or abandoned by the group,the ageing ants are given a new role more suyted to their physical abilities.They become carriers and teansport the leaves back to the kingdom where they are harvested for food.
The findings by researchers from the University of Oregon and the Oregong State University support previous research showin the survival of a leaf-cutter kingdom depends on the efficiency(效率）of is workers.
“Cuting leaves is hard work,”said Dr.Robert Schofield,who led the research team.“Much of the cutting is done with a V-shaped blade(刀片）between teeth on their jaws.This blade starts out as sharp as the sharpest razor blade that humans have developed.”But over rime the teeth become blunter and the cutting job slows down.The team estimated that,because of this age-related wear,a colony(蟻群)spent twice the energy cutting leaves than it would if all the ants had sharp blades.Its findings support the idea that wear and break can be significant problems for insects as well as largre animals.
Like humans,leaf-cuttre ant recognize that older members of the group can still make a worhwhile contribution to society.“This study shows an advantage of social living that we are familiar with,”said Dr.Schofield.
小題1:The younger and stronger ants do the toughest job because      .

A．they can teansport the leaves effectively

B．they have a sharp blade to cut leaves

C．other members are busy with other work

D．they can finish the job in a better organized way

小題2:The undrelined word“blunt”in the second paragraph can be replaced by      .

A．quite loose	B．less sharp
C．quite fragile	D．more dirty

小題3:What happens to the ants when they become old?

A．They no longer hve work to do.

B．They keep doing the same work.

C．They have to leave and live on themselves.

D．They are given a new worthwhile job.

小題4:It can be learned from the passage that       .

A．Dr.Schofield is the first to research leaf-cuttre ants

B．older ants are more powerful in carrying leaves

C．large animals can also suffer from some kind of wear

D．leaf-cutter ants are the most lever ants in the world

小題5:What can be the best title for the passage?

A．The key secret to the success of ants

B．The developed structure of ant colony

C．The most challenging job for leaf-cutter ants

D．No V-shaped blade,no success of ants

Grandparents might be known for spoiling grandchildren, but a new study says they might also be helping the kids improve their social skills and behavior.
Spending time with grandma and grandpa especially appears to help children from single-parent, divorced/separated or stepfamily households, according to the report, published in the February Journal of Family Psychology.
"Grandparents are a positive force for all families but play a significant role in families undergoing difficulties," the study's lead author, Shalhevet Attar-Schwartz, of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said in an American Psychological Association news release. "They can reduce the negative influence of parents separating and be a resource for children who are going through these family changes."
In interviewing 11- to 16-year olds from England and Wales, Attar-Schwartz and her team found that the more conversations the youths had with a grandparent, including asking for advice or even money, the better they got along with their peers and the fewer problems they had, such as hyperactivity and disruptive behavior.
"This was found across all three family structures," she said. "But adolescents in single-parent households and stepfamilies benefited the most. The effect of their grandparents' involvement was stronger compared to children from two biological parent families."
The study did not look at children who lived solely with their grandparents, though.
The findings have great implications for people in the United States, the authors said, because American grandparents are increasingly sharing living space with their grandchildren. A 2004 U.S. Census Bureau survey found that more than 5 million households include a grandparent and a grandchild under 18, up 30 percent since 1990, according to background information in the news release.
小題1:It is generally believed that a grandmother __________ .

A．can help a child through hard times

B．can help kids develop social skills

C．can spoil a child

D．is a positive force for all families

小題2: According to the passage, grandparents will be of least benefit to a child __________ .

A．from two biological parent families

B．from a single—parent household

C．from a divorced household

D．from a stepfamily household

小題3:A child who asks his grandmother for money will __________ .

A．have difficulty in getting along with his peers

B．still get along well with his peers

C．be easier to be spoiled than his peers

D．not be popular with peers

小題4: We can learn from the last paragraph that ___________ .

A．there are more families in America undergoing difficulties

B．American parents are much busier than those from other countries

C．American grandparents are much better at bringing up their grandchildren

D．American kids like to share more living space with their grandparents

小題5: The passage implies that __________ .

A．children who live solely with their grandparents may benefit the most

B．grandparents are a source of comfort to children from families undergoing difficulties

C．grandparents play a more positive role than parents in children’s growth

D．a(chǎn)ll families should leave their children to be brought up by grandparents

Dublin has the benefit of being a home to unequaled beaches．They can be especially attractive during the summer season．Experience this scenery for yourself and see what these beaches have to offer you．
Finding yourself at Dollymont makes you a fortunate tourist especially if you find beaches irresistible． Here you can swim away your worries through the Dollymont Blue Flag Beach．The beach provides a wonderful view which is perfect for some relaxing moments．Its shoreline is well recommended for a few quiet and unworried walks along the beach．
For some beach adventure, you can drive your way down the M50 and M 1 motorways to Donabate． This village in North County Dublin offers an attractive Blue Flag beach which is perfect for your swimming addictions．Lifeguards are on call during bathing period．The water is as overpowering as the surrounding．
For a double purpose beach, check out Killiney．This beach is a top off destination for a swimming adventure and it is equally grand for relaxing walks. The shoreline is covered with pebbles and rocks．This may seem averred with ordinary stony beach for some but for those who have strong interest in geological processes, Killiney is a best spot to discover part of．Dublin's history and Killiney's formation．
Another accessible Blue Flag Beach lies on Malahide in Fingal．You can enjoy the distinctive attraction of the water while still getting yourself amazed with the wonderful sights around Malahide．Beach is sandy and holds a harbor designed for pleasure boats at the Northern end．
For a bit of challenge and thrill, consider a swim at Seapoint Beach in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown．You can have the pleasure of an exciting surf adventure here apart from the usual swimming activity．This is often visited by tourists due to its various appeals: swimming on the north part of the beach while surfing, boating and jet skiing at the south．
Need to beat the heat off your summer vacation? There is nothing as satisfying as a visit to some of these outstanding beaches.
小題1:How many beaches are mentioned in this article?

A．Five

B．Four

C．Three

D．Two

小題2:If you are visiting Killiney, which of the following activities can't you do?

A．Having a swimming adventure．	B．Having some relaxing walks．
C．Discovering some Dublin's history．	D．Practising operating boats for pleasure．

小題3:Some tourists choose a swim at Seapoint Beach probably because they can _____．

A．get themselves interested in the sights around

B．have a wonderful surf on the north of the beach

C．enjoy several unusual and exciting activities

D．call the lifeguards during bathing period

小題4:If you want to be quiet and have same relaxing walks, you may pay a visit to _____．

A．Dollymont and Donabate	B．Donabate and Malahide
C．Dollymont and Killiney	D．Killinev and Malahide

小題5:The best title of this article should be _____．

A．Where to go swimming in summer	B．Beating off the heat in Dublin
C．Benifits of staying at beaches	D．Geological researches in vacation

Europe's first major university department to promote research into government and public policy will open in Oxford under new plans．
In a hugely significant move, Oxford University will create a new school of government in 2012 following a￡75 million donation by Leonard Blavatnik, the American industrialist and philanthropist（慈善家）．The school is intended to train outstanding graduates from across the world in the skills and responsibilities of government．The move is being backed by world leaders including Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton and Kofi Annan．
Andrew Hamilton, Oxford's vice - chancellor, said: "The school represents a huge milestone in Oxford's history．It will give tomorrow leaders the best of Oxford's traditional strengths alongside new and practical ways of understanding and meeting the challenges of good governance．
"The university has educated 26 British Prime Ministers and over 30 other world leaders, yet until how the major international schools of government have all been outside Europe, principally in the United States．"
Under plans, the Blavatnik School of Government will provide a series of practical courses leading to a Master's degree．It will cover a range of subjects including the humanities, social sciences, law, science, technology, health, finance, energy and security policy．
Oxford said Mr Blavatnik's donation was one of the most generous in the university' s 900 year history The university itself will be investing an additional￡26m in the school, as well as land in the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, where the school will be located．
Lord Patten, Oxford's chancellor, said: "This is a once - in - a - century opportunity for Oxford through the Blavatnik donation, Oxford will now become the world's leading centre for the training of future leaders in government and public policy - and in ways that take proper account of the very different additions, institutions and cultures that those leaders will serve．It is an important moment for the future good government throughout the world．"
小題1:What is the text mainly about?

A．Political leaders from Oxford．

B．Traditions and strengths of Oxford．

C．Oxford ways to train future leaders．

D．Oxford school of government under plans．

小題2:The move is meant to _____．

A．provide varieties of courses

B．promote popularity of Oxford

C．find talented graduates in Europe

D．educate tomorrow’s political leaders

小題3:What can students learn in the new school?

A．Politics and economics．

B．Philosophy and humanities．

C．Traditional and practical courses．

D．Modern science and technology．

小題4:Which of the following is true of the school?

A．It is named after Leonard Blavatnik．

B．It will not provide traditional courses．

C．It is wholly financed by Leonard Blavatnik．

D．It is the first international school of government.

小題5:What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Public policy is the present focus．

B．More world leaders will rise from Oxford．

C．World leaders need to respect each other．

D．Lord Patten has different opinions of the plan．

Britain's most popular lie has been disclosed, with one in four people admitting using "sorry I had no signal" when returning a missed mobile phone call, a survey found．
Researchers found the average Briton tells on average four lies every day or almost 1500 every year． Almost one in six men admitted they were most likely to lie to their wife or girlfriend, on average at least twice a day．The most popular lie was saying you had no mobile phone signal．with one in four people admitting regularly using the little white He．It usually came after they hit the "ignore" button when their mobile rang．
Three quarters of people think women are better Hare．The research found 46 per cent of girls have been caught lying, compared to 58 of men．
The second most common fib（無(wú)關(guān)緊要的謊言） is “I haven't got any cash on me" when asked for money by tramps （流浪者）．beggars and Big Issue sellers．"Nothing's wrong - I'm fine" came third followed by "You look lovely" and "Nice to see you"．
Modern technology turned out to have contributed to many lies with "I didn't get your text" in 18th．"Our server was down" in 20th and "My battery died" in 26th place．
Other lies to make the top ten included "I'll give you a ring", "We're just good friends" and "We'll have to meet up soon"．"I'm on my way" and "No, your bum doesn't look big in that" completed the top ten．
Men tell the most fibs, coming out with five every day compared to women who lie just three times． In many cases perhaps it is better to flatter with a fib than destroy someone with the truth, according to a spokesman for OnePoll, which carried out the research of 4．300 adults．
小題1:Whether the person being called has pushed the "ignore" button or _____．the caller at the other end hears the same tone．

A．really has no signal	B．can't get the text
C．has a battery failure	D．a(chǎn)nswers the call

小題2:Most people think women are better liars because _____．

A．there're more women liars	B．fewer women liars are found out
C．women tell less harmful lies	D．women are harder to convince

小題3:"Our server was down" is perhaps a lie told as an excuse for not _____．

A．inviting a friend to dinner	B．responding to an e - mail
C．coming to a party on time	D．cleaning one's room

小題4:"You look lovely" and "I'm on my way" rank _____ on the popular - lie list．

A．3rd and 8th	B．5th and 10th
C．4th and 9th	D．5th and 12th

小題5:The OnePoll spokesman seems to think it's _____ for the British to lie so much．

A．puzzling

B．disgusting

C．impossible

D．reasonable

The hole in the Earth’s ozone layer(臭氧層) has until now protected Antarctic from the worst effects of global warming, but scientists have warned that as the hole closes up in the next few decades, temperatures on the continent could rise by around 3℃ on average, with melting ice contributing to a global sea level increase of up to 1.4 meters.
In the past decades the western Antarctic has seen rapid ice loss as the world has warmed, but the other parts of the continent have, paradoxically, been cooling, resulting in a 10% increase in ice in the seas around the region. This is because the hole in the ozone layer has increased cold winds in Antarctic, making much of the continent surface colder than usual.
But now that the gases that cause the ozone hole have been banned, scientists expect the hole to repair itself within the next 50 to 60 years. By then the cooling effect will have faded out and the Antarctic will face the full impact of global warming. This means an increase in average air temperatures of around 3℃ and a reduction in sea ice by around a third.
The biggest threat to the continent comes from warming seas. Robert Johnson, a scientist who monitors Antarctic ice sheets, said, “The ice sheets in Antarctic are hundreds of meters thick. But once warm ocean waters start flowing underneath, the ice will begin thinning and could break up very quickly.” Thinning ice sheets cause ice to break away from the continent and to melt even faster. Escaping ice from western Antarctic has already resulted in a 10% rise in global sea level in recent decades.
Johnson believes that international action to reduce global warming is required immediately or it may be too late. “Everything is connected——Antarctic may be a long way away but it is an important part of the Earth’s system,” said Johnson. “It contains 90% of the world’s ice, 70% of the world’s fresh water and that is enough, if it melts completely, to raise sea levels by 63 meters.”
Even in a worse-case situation scientists don’t expect the ice to entirely disappear, but predict that, because of the melting ice sheets, average sea level rise will be around 1.4 meters higher by the end of the century.
小題1:
The underlined word “paradoxically” (in paragraph 2) most probably means “     ”.

A．rapidly

B．generally

C．contradictorily

D．a(chǎn)pparently

小題2:
What is the effect of the hole in the ozone layer on Antarctic?

A．It is causing the ice to melt faster.

B．It is making much of the continent colder.

C．It is making the effects of global warming in the region worse.

D．It is reducing the amount of water in Antarctic.

小題3:
What do scientists think is the biggest danger facing Antarctic?

A．Rising sea levels.	B．Warming sea water temperature.
C．Water pollution.	D．Growing ice sheets.

小題4:
Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Antarctic is currently experiencing the full effects of global warming.

B．The average temperature has increased by 3℃ in recent decades.

C．Antarctic contains most of the world’s fresh water.

D．Ten percent of Antarctic’s ice has already been lost.

For a writer, there is hardly any greater honor than winning the Nobel Prize for literature.
And for a woman writer, claiming the prize is even harder, for only eight women once won it. Austria’s Elfriede Jelinek is the ninth and the first since 1996.
The Stockholm-based Swedish Academy announced last Thursday that Jelinek won this year’s Nobel Prize in literature. She is recognized for her socially critical(批判的) novels and plays.
Jelinek, 57, made her literary debut (初次露面) in 1967. She has written plays, novels and poetry. She is best known for her autobiographical 1983 novel “The Piano Teacher”, made into a movie in 2001.
The basic theme of her work is the inability of women to live as people beyond the roles and personalities traditionally expected of them. Her characters struggle to lead lives not normally acceptable in society. “The nature of Jelinek’s texts is often hard to define. They shift between prose(散文) and poetry and songs, they contain theatrical scenes and film script,” said the academy.
The Nobel Prize was founded by Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. Nobel died in 1896 and left his fortune of about US $920 million to a fund to honor people who have helped other human beings. This year each prize is worth US $13 million.
小題1: The underlined word “them” in the last second paragraph refers to _______.

A．roles

B．people

C．texts

D．women

小題2:Elfrede Jelinek won the Nobel Prize just because _______.

A．she was an Austrian woman writer

B．she wrote socially critical novels and plays

C．her novel “The Piano Teacher” was made into a movie

D．the nature of her texts is hard to define.

小題3: Which of the following about the Nobel Prize is TRUE?

A．It is harder for a woman writer to win than a man writer.

B．The total prize every year was $920 million.

C．Women writers were not awarded until 1996.

D．Only eight women writers won the prize since 1996.

小題4:This passage is most likely taken from _______.

A．a(chǎn) travel magazine

B．a(chǎn) history book

C．a(chǎn) newspaper

D．a(chǎn)n advertisement

The pupils of the remote Beau-Roc primary school in Haiti are chanting (singing the same words again and again)．One of them plays a guitar made from an empty oil tin．Their headmistress, Emile Jean-Noel, is one of the few women school headteachers in the country．
Today, over 70% of Haitian population live without proper food, water, schools, or housing． To reduce the hunger that prevents learning and to encourage parents to send their children to school, meals are provided by the World Food Programme．
"We are so cut off that we have many difficulties," comments Emile, adding that finding chalk, school books and other materials is practically impossible．Emile tries to encourage people around her to make use of available resources．Her efforts are bearing fruit．One of her successes was convincing local women to contribute to their children' s schooling and increase their income by selling embroidery（刺繡） and other handicrafts．
Recent political instability（不穩(wěn)定）has meant that the country has not invested （投資） in education for ten years．Only 44% of children go to school and less than half of them finish primary school. Less than a third of these children go on to secondary school．In rural areas it is not rare to find 17 and 18 year olds in primary school- Beau-Roc has only 4 teachers for 260 pupils．Emile works constantly to improve her pupils' environment．Under her direction, a local worker is now constructing a store house for the food delivered regularly by the WFP．
Not only is Emile' s salary small, but she receives it irregularly．For her, transport is a real headache．She lives five kilometers away and has to take the tap tap, a privately-owned bus, costing more than she can afford．
"The decision to be a rural teacher in Haiti should not be taken lightly" , Emile comments． "With all the sacrifices and risks it requires, only those who are really cut out for teaching should do it．" However, Emile loves her job．"I always feel at home with the children and, because the parents understand what I'm doing, I try to give my best．"
小題1:Which of the following is extremely difficult for Beau-Roc primary school?

A．Teaching the women how to make embroidery and other handicrafts．

B．Persuading local women to care about their children' s education．

C．Encouraging people around to use those available resources．

D．Finding chalk, school books and other materials．

小題2:In the last paragraph, "those who are really cut out for teaching" refer to people who are _____．

A．dismissed from teaching	B．unfamiliar with teaching
C．qualified for teaching	D．cautious about teaching

小題3:What topic is presented in this passage?

A．Hardship for teachers．	B．Devotion to education．
C．Politics and children．	D．Love and beauty．

閱讀下列短文，從每小題所給的四個(gè)選項(xiàng)（A、B、C和 D）中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)，并在答題卡上將該項(xiàng)涂黑。




A
Book 1 : Brack Obama
Grades: 3-5
Our Price: $ 8.95
His mother came from Kansas. His father came from Kenya. He grew up in Hawaii and Indonesia, far from the center of American politics. Few people had even heard of Brack Obama before 2004. Bt one powerful speech in Boston changed all that for the Illinois senator(參議員). In 2008, this inspiring leader ran for the country’s top job, President.
Book 2: Danica Patrick
Grades:  3-5
Our Price: $ 8.95
Growing up, Danica Patrick dreamed of racing in the Indianapolis 500. In 2005, her dream came true. Danica finished the race in fourth place, the best ever result by a woman. Three years later, she became the first female to win an IndyCar race. As a woman competing in a sport dominated by men, Danica faced many obstacles. But she never stopped believing in herself, no matter what the difficulties.
Book 3: Ellen Ochoa
Grades: 3-5
Our Price: $ 8.95
Some people dream of becoming stars. Ellen Ochoa dreamed of living among them! She worked hard to make her dream of becoming an astronaut come true. On April 8, 1993, she strapped (用帶子系好)herself in for the ride of her life aboard the space shuttle Discovery. Ochoa aimed high and boldly went where no Hispanic woman had gone before. Find out about Ochoa’s amazing journey in her own words and photos from her personal collection!
Book 4: LeBron James
Grades:  3-5
Our Price: $ 8.95
Fans, teammates, and opponents know him as King James. Many people consider LeBron James to be the most talented basketball Player of his generation. But there is much more to his story. He overcame hard times as a kid and rose to national fame as a teenager. He then jumped right from high school to the pros.  Along the way, LeBron never lost sight of where he came from or who he is.
小題1:.
What do the four books have in common according to the passage?

A．Their prices are the same and they are all about famous leaders.

B．They are all about Africans and their contributions to society.

C．They are written for the same grades and their prices are the same.

D．They are for the same readers and printed by the same publisher.

小題2:.
Emma is dreaming of being a car racer. Who can be an example to her?

A．Brack Obama

B． Danica Patrick

C．Ellen Ochoa

D．LeBron James

小題3:.
If John wants to learn something about becoming a basketball player, which book should he read?

A．Brack Obama

B． Danica Patrick

C．Ellen Ochoa

D．LeBron James

小題4:.
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Obama was popular with most of the people in America before he ran for president.

B．In 2005, Danica Patrick became the first woman to win an IndyCar race.

C．Ochoa is the first Hispanic woman to have gone aboard the space shuttle Discovery for the ride.

D．LeBron James is the most talented basketball player.

In only two decades Asian Americans have become the fastest-growing US minority. As their children began moving up through the nation’s schools, it became clear that a new class of academic achievers was forming. Their achievements are reflected in the nation’s best universities, where mathematics, science and engineering departments have taken on a decidedly Asian character. This special liking for mathematics and science is partly explained by the fact that Asian-American students who began their educations abroad arrived in the US with a solid grounding in mathematics but little or no knowledge of English.They are also influenced by the promises of a good job after college. Asians feel there will be less unfair treatment in areas like mathematics and science because they will be judged more objectively. And the return on the investment in education is more immediate in something like engineering than with an arts degree.
Most Asian-American students owe their success to the influence of parents who are determined that their children take full advantage of what the American educational system has to offer. An effective measure of parental attention is homework. Asian parents spend more time with their children than American parents do, and it helps. Many researchers also believe there is something in Asian culture that causes success, such as ideals that stress family values and emphasize education.
Both explanations for academic success worry Asian Americans because of fears that they feed a typical racial image. Many can remember when Chinese, Japanese and Filipino immigrants were the victims of social separation. Indeed, it was not until 1952 that laws were laid down giving all Asian immigrants the right to citizenship.
小題1:. While making great achievements at college, Asian-American students ________.

A．feel they are mistreated because of limited knowledge of English

B．a(chǎn)re afraid that their academic successes bear a strong Asian character

C．still worry about unfair treatment in academic areas

D．generally feel it a shame to have to depend on their parents

小題2:. What are the major factors that determine the success of Asian Americans?

A．Solid foundation in basic mathematics and Asian culture.

B．Hard work and intelligence.

C．Hard work and a limited knowledge of English.

D．Asian culture and the American educational system.

小題3:.Few Asian-American students major in human sciences mainly because_________.

A．their English is not good enough

B．they are afraid they might meet with unfair judgment in these areas

C．there is a wide difference between Asian and Western cultures

D．they know little about American culture and society

小題4:. The author’s tone in this passage is __________.

A．sympathetic

B．doubtful

C．critical

D．objective