Elephants are famous for their supposedly excellent memory. Now it seems that they are good at simple math too.

   Researchers at the University of Tokyo have found an Asian elephant named Ashya can add small quantities together and correctly identify(識別）which is larger.

   For example ,when researcher Naoko dropped three apples into one bucket and one apple into a second, then four more apples into the first and five into the second, Ashya correctly identified that the first bucket contained more apples and began munching(嚼）on her tasty prize.

Ashya chose the correct bucket 74% of the time "I even get confused when "I'm dropping the apple," Naoko told New Scientist magazine.

Elephants' counting abilities are far from unique. Chimps, pigeons(鴿子)and dolphins have shown the same abilities in lab tests, but what is more impressive for Elephants is that their ability to tell between two figures does not get worse when those numbers are more similar.

The elephants that Naoko tested were as good at telling the difference between five and six as they were at telling between five and one.

Naoko presented her findings last week at the International Society annual meeting in New York.

It is not obvious why elephants should need this mathematical ability in the wild." It is really tough to figure out why elephants would need to count," said Mya, a professor at Cornell University who studies elephants.

One possibility is that they use it to keep track of other members of their herd(獸群）so that no one is left behind. Asian elephants live in groups of six to eight." You really don't want to lose your group members," said Mya.

Another possibility is that the ability for simple math might be a by-product(副產(chǎn)品）of natural selection for a larger brain.

 68.The experiments researchers have done recently show that elephants can____.

    A. memorize things correctly      B. munch on apples

    C. do some simple math          D. change small quantities into larger ones

 69.What does the underlined word" tough" in Paragraph 8 mean?

    A. Difficult        B. Impossible     C. Easy      D. Useful

 70.The reason why elephants need to count is possibly that_____.

    A. they want to exercise their brains

    B .they often count the members of their herd

    C. they hope to stay in groups

    D. they have taken regular training

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：單選題

Elephants would die _______ if men were allowed to shoot as many as they wished．


  1. A.
    off
  2. B.
    away
  3. C.
    out
  4. D.
    down

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

How could we possibly think that keeping animals in cages in unnatural environments－mostly for entertainment purposes－is fair and respectful?

Zoo officials say they are concerned about animals. How ever, most zoos remain “collections” of interesting “things” rather than protective habitats (棲息地). Zoos teach people that it is acceptable to keep animals bored, lonely, and far from their natural bones.

Zoos claim (聲稱) to educate people and save endangered species(物種), but visitors leave zoos without having learned anything meaningful about the animals’ natural behavior, intelligence, or beauty. Zoos keep animals in small spaces or cages, and most signs only mention the species’ name, diet, and natural range(分布區(qū)). The animals’ normal behavior is seldom noticed because zoos don’t usually take care of the animals’ natural needs.

The animals are kept together in small spaces, with no privacy and little opportunity for mental and physical exercise. This results in unusual and self-destructive behavior called zoochosis. A worldwide study of zoos found that zoochosis is common among animals kept in small spaces or cages. Another study showed that elephants spend 22 percent of their time making repeated head movements or biting cage bars, and bears spend 30 percent of their time walking back and forth, a sign of unhappiness and pain.

Furthermore, most animals in zoos are not endangered. Captive breeding (圈養(yǎng)繁殖) of endangered big cats, Asian elephants, and other species has not resulted n their being sent back to the wild. Zoos talk a lot about their captive breeding programs because they do not want people to worry about a species dying out. In fact, baby animals also attract a lot of paying customers. Haven’t we seen enough competitions to name baby animals?

Actually, we will save endangered species only if we save their habitats and put an end to the reasons people kill them. Instead of supporting zoos, we should support groups that work to protect animals’ natural habitats.

64. How would the author describe the animals’ life in zoos?

A. Dangerous.        B. Unhappy.          C. Natural.            D. Easy.

65. In the state of zoochosis, animals _________.

A. remain in cages                       B. behave strangely

C. attack other animals                 D. enjoy moving around

66. What does the author try to argue n the passage?

A. Zoos are not worth the public support.

B. Zoos fail in their attempt to save animals.

C. Zoos should treat animals as human beings.

D. Zoos use animals as a means of entertainment.

67. The author tries to persuade readers to accept his argument mainly by _____.

A. pointing out the faults in what zoos do

B. using evidence he has collected at zoos

C. questioning the way animals are protected

D. discussing the advantages of natural habitats

68. Although he argues against zoos, the author would still agree that _______.

A. zoos have to keep animals in small cages

B. most animals in zoos are endangered species

C. some endangered animals are reproduced in zoos

D. it’s acceptable to keep animals away from their habitats

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科目：高中英語 來源：2011-2012學(xué)年福建省建甌二中高二下學(xué)期期末考試英語試卷（帶解析） 題型：閱讀理解

My friend Jim and I finally decided to spend our 14 days off in the eastern country.We were arranged to stay with a local family, which made it possible for us to share a real life experience with the locals and in return bring ourselves a richer experience of the native culture and tradition.
In the company of one of our well-informed local tour leaders, we started one of the trips to the nearby town . As we were passing elephants, we stopped , confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by a small rope tied to their front legs . No chains, no cages. It was obvious that these elephants could, at any time, break away from the ropes they were tied to but for some reason, they did not . My friend went up to the trainer and asked why these beautiful animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,”he said , “When they were young and much smaller we used the same size rope to tie them and at that age, it was enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are accustomed to believing that they can not break away. They believe that the rope can hold them, so they never try to break free. We were amazed . These animals could at any time break away from their ropes but just because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were.
Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we can not do something , simply because we failed at it once before ? How many of us are being held by outdated belief that no longer serves us ? How many of us have avoided trying something new because of a limited belief? Worse still , how many of us are being held back by someone else’s limiting beliefs? Your attempt may fail but never fail to make an attempt.
【小題1】What was the author most interested in during his visit?

A．The local people and elephants
B．The local culture and tradition
C．The history of the eastern country
D．The local food and scenery
【小題2】What amazed them was to see__________.
A．the trainer playing skillfully with the huge animals
B．the trainer attracting the visitors’s attention in such a way
C．the huge elephants tied only by a small rope
D．the elephants being trained with small ropes
【小題3】The elephants never tried to get away because_______.
A．they believed they couldn’t break away from the small ropes
B．they got used to being raised and controlled by human beings
C．they had a very close relationship with their trainers
D．it was hard to break away from the strong and powerful ropes
【小題4】The author holds the view that _______.
A．people should never fail to make an attempt or get held by false beliefs
B．people should travel around and try new things
C．a(chǎn)nimals should be trained to obey their masters
D．it’s necessary to train creatures when they are young

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科目：高中英語 來源：2011-2012學(xué)年廣東省高三上學(xué)期期中考試英語題 題型：閱讀理解

“Everybody loves a bargain.” One person's useless, ugly, or broken object can be another person's bargain. That is why so many Americans do not throw things away. They put them outside their houses. They put on a “For Sale” sign. And, as simple as that, they have a yard sale.         

The sellers put a paid announcement(付費通告)in a local newspaper. It tells when and where the yard sale will take place. These sales are very popular during weekends in spring, summer, and autumn. Early in the morning, all the things to be sold are carried out of the house. Then they sit all day in the sunlight----like tired guests at a party----waiting for someone to take them home.

Just about anything can be sold at a yard sale. Sometimes, there are more clothes than anything else. Cooking equipment is also popular. So are old toys, tools, books, tables and chairs. Then there are objects called “white elephants”. A white elephant is something you think is extremely ugly or useless. It may be an electric light shaped like a fish. You feel a sharp pain whenever you look at it. To someone else, however, it might be a thing of beauty and joy.

Some people go to yard sales to find a special thing that they collect. It may be old toy trains, for example, or painting of dogs. Experts say more Americans are collecting old things now than ever before. Most people who go to yard sales, however, are not looking for anything special. They might buy an object simply because it costs so little. They enjoy negotiating(談判) over prices, even if they really do not need the object. Later, they may hold their own yard to sell all the things they have bought.

1.What kind of things will go to a yard sale?

A. Cheap and ugly things.      B. Things people no longer use.

C. Things out of season.        D. Things of great value.

2.A white elephant refers to _________.

A. something that can cause a feeling of pain      

B. something disliked by the owners while appreciated by others

C. something sold at the lowest prices

D. a toy shaped like a fish

3.Most people go to yard sales to________.

A. find valuable paintings       B. look for something special

C. find a bargain                D. kill their time

4.Which of the following is NOT true about a yard sale?

A. It may not be held when the weather is very cold.

B. It can last for a whole day.

C. It is usually held with a party.

D. It is held outdoors.

5.We can infer from the last paragraph that__________.

A. people may find something of great value on a yard sale

B. yard sales only attract those who have a low income

C. things on a yard sale can cost people a lot

D. most people don’t want to go to yard sales.

 

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科目：高中英語 來源：2010-2011學(xué)年云南省昆明市高三上學(xué)期第五次月考英語卷 題型：閱讀理解

As a palace, the Tower of London．was a great place to live．As a prison, it, wasn't so nice ——especially since so many prisoners lost their heads．Today tourists can explore 5the Tower in the

United Kingdom．Here are some reasons why the Tower was and still is a cool place．

Ravens（渡鴉） are like superheroes．

Well, sort of．Legend says if the ravens that live on the Tower grounds ever leave, the Tower will fall apart．No one knows when the ravens first showed up, but Charles II took the legend so seriously that in the 1670s he gave an official order that six ravens be kept there all the time．Today

there are still always six．

You might have lived at a zoo．

In 1204, King John kept a collection of animals, including lions and elephants．About 50 years later, King Henry III received a polar bear．the bear was kept on a piece of rope so it could fish from the Thames River that flows by the Tower．

         If you lived at the Tower today, your mom or dad might be in charge．

The 35 Yeoman Warders（倫敦塔衛(wèi)士）and their families are among the few still allowed to live at the Tower．Established in 1509 a;? bodyguards! for the king, today they give tours and  manage the day-to-day details of the Tower．They're called "beefeaters," possibly because their job once allowed them to eat beef from the king's; table．

         You need a secret password at night．

Called the "Word," the password changes every 24 hours and is a must-have to enter the Tower

after hours．It's written on a piece of paper and delivered to the Yeoman on duty for, the night．

You could find buried gold．

         In 1662, a goldsmith（金匠） named John Barfcstead supposedly hid more than $40,000 worth of stolen gold somewhere on．the Tower grounds．Many have searched for the gold, but it has never

been found．

1.Charles II decided to keep six ravens in the Tower probably because ____,．         ;

         A．he loved animals a lot          

         B．he believed ravens helped protect the Tower

         C．he wanted to train the ravens to watch the prisoners  

         D．he thought the Tower was a cool place for the ravens to live                        

2.According to the passage, the Yeoman Warders ______． 

         A．have to part from their families to work at the Tower            

         B．a(chǎn)re  currently working as bodyguards for the king                                

         C．sometimes serve as tour guides          

         D．a(chǎn)re fond of eating beef                            

3.Which of the following is TRUE about the Tower of London?   

         A．King Henry III kept lions and elephants in it．        

         B．It stands on the bank of the Thames River．

         C．Nobody is allowed to enter it at night．           

         D．It is also used as a prison nowadays．

 

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