Animals and Earthquakes Scientists who try to predict earthquakes have got some new helpers recently-animals． Scientists have begun to catch on to what farmers have known for thousands of years． Animals often seem to know in advance that an earthquake is coming，and they show their fear by acting in strange ways． Before a Chinese quake in 1975 snakes awoke from their winter sleep early only to freeze to death in the cold air． Cows broke their halters （缰绳） and tried to escape． Chickens refused to enter their coops． All of this unusual behavior，as well as physical changes in Earth，alerted Chinese scientists to the coming quake． They moved people away from the dangerous area and saved thousands of lives． One task for scientists today is to learn exactly which types of animals" behavior predicts quakes． It's not an easy job． First of all，not every animal can react to the danger of an earthquake． Just before a California quake in 1977，for example，an Arabian horse became very nervous and tried to break out of his stall． The horse next to it，however，reminded perfectly calm． It's also difficult at times to tell the difference between normal animals restless and "earthquake nerves"．A zoo keeper once called earthquake researchers to say that his cougar （美洲狮） had been acting strangely． It turned out that the cat had an upset stomach! A second task for scientists is to find out exactly what kind of warnings the animals receive． They know that animals sense far more of the world than humans do． Many animals can see，hear，and smell things that people do not even notice． Some can detect tiny changes in air pressure，gravity，or the magnetism （磁力） of Earth． This extra sense probably helps animals predict quakes．
What is the main idea of this passage？ ______
A. Animals don't know when an earthquake is coming． B. Animals can predict earthquakes． C. The author doesn't know whether the animals can feel the coming of an earthquake or not． D. Human beings have to move the animals away before an earthquake is coming．
Some animals could predict earthquakes because they can detect tiny changes ______ ．
A. in the air pressure B. in gravity C. in the magnetism of the earth D. all of the above
How do all the animals exactly know when an earthquake is coming？ ______
A. By their extra senses． B. By the changes in air pressure，gravity or the magnetism． C. People don't know exactly． D. The passage doesn't mention it．
The author's purpose is mainly to ______ ．
A. express an argument B. make a serious proposal C. present a discovery D. express suspicions
The term "to extend an olive branch" means to make an offer of peace or reconciliation（和好）．This term has Biblical origins，coming from the section of the Old Testament that deals with the flood； the sign that the flood is over is an olive branch brought back to the ark（方舟） by a dove．Olive branches were also symbols of peace in Ancient Greece and Rome，and they continue to be used in various works of art that are meant to suggest peace． Some people have suggested that the olive was a very deliberate and well-considered choice as a metaphor（比喻）for peace，because olive trees famously take years to mature．War is typically very hard on the trees because people cannot take the time to nurture（培养） them and plant new ones．Therefore，the offer of an olive branch would suggest that someone is tired of war，whether it be an actual war or a falling out between friends． In Ancient Greek and Roman times，people would offer actual olive branches．In Rome，for example，defeated armies traditionally carried olive branches to indicate that they were giving in，and the Greeks used them into weddings and other ceremonies．In the modern era，the branch is usually metaphorical，rather than actual，not least because the plants can be a bit difficult to obtain． Many people agree that peace negotiations （谈判）at all levels of society are a good idea．Between nations，obviously，it is important to extend an olive branch to ensure mutual safety and to help the world run more smoothly．This act can also be important on a personal level，as resolving conflict and learning to get along with others is viewed as an important life skill in many cultures． At some point in their lives，many people will be advised to extend an olive branch to settle a dispute or resolve an issue．Some people believe that it takes an immense amount of courage to take this action，as it often comes with an admission of wrongdoing and regret．
According to the Bible， ______ ．
A. an olive branch suggests flood is coming B. the ark is made of olive tree wood C. an olive branch means flood is over D. a dove loves to settle on the olive branch
The olive is considered a good choice as a metaphor for peace for the following reasons EXCEPT ______ ．
A. olive trees famously take years to mature B. olive branches make people tired of war C. war is typically very hard on the trees D. people cannot take the time to nurture them while at war
Why are actual olive branches seldom used in modern times？ ______
A. Olive trees are being protected now． B. Olive trees are planted only in certain countries． C. Olive trees can be far to seek． D. There is no need to use real olive branches．
It can be learned from the text that to extend an olive branch ______ ．
A. is not important on a personal level B. is only important between nations C. takes a lot of courage D. is an important life skill in many cultures
A.when is it hungry a lion will attackB.when it is hungry a lion will attackC.when it is hungry will a lion attackD.when is it hungry will a lion attack
April 23，2016 marks the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death． Organizations in Britain have planned numerous events to honour him． In Stratford-upon-Avon， his birthplace， the tourism organization has a great number of free events， including performances of Shakespeare's plays， and a dazzling fireworks display． And the BBC is broadcasting a live show from Stratford-upon-Avon， celebrating Shakespeare's widespread influence on the world． In England's capital， the London Shakespeare Centre and King's College London are holding a series of public performances， exhibitions and activities． It isn't just England that honours the anniversary of the death of this extraordinary writer． In Washington，D．C．， the Folger Shakespeare Library， which houses the world's largest collection of documents relating to William Shakespeare， is displaying a series of exhibitions． Shakespeare is probably the most famous author and is considered a genius by most． He wrote around 38 plays and 154 sonnets（十四行诗）， and his work has been translated into over one hundred languages! He penned beautiful metaphors（暗喻）， serious dramas and amusing tales． Shakespeare also invented many new terms and phrases． If someone's behaviour suggested he/she was not being honest and should not be trusted， Shakespeare called his/her actions suspicious． If someone was being silly and perhaps looking like a fool， Shakespeare found his/her actions laughable． And Shakespeare called people who offered their opinions on the quality of something critics． Today， for instance， food critics and film critics give audiences their opinions of food and films． The familiar phrase "break the ice" comes from Shakespeare's play The Taming of the Shrew． The "ice is broken" when a difficult conversation or meeting is calmed by some basic introduction， such as a simple game． More common words coined by Shakespeare include road， gossip， lonely， bump and hurry． Four hundred years after his death， Shakespeare surely lives on， in everyday speech， as the most famous writer of all time!
The main idea of the text is ______ ．
A. the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death B. the influence Shakespeare has on English C. the achievements of William Shakespeare D. Shakespeare's colourful and fruitful life
Shakespeare is honoured in the following ways EXCEPT ______ ．
A. a great number of free events in Stratford-upon-Avon B. a series of activities in the London Shakespeare Centre C. a series of exhibitions in the Folger Shakespeare Library D. a live show of Shakespeare from Stratford-upon-Avon
According to the text， a simple game to make a difficult conversation easy is called ______ ．
A. an ice-breaker B. a suspicious man C. a critic D. a laughable man
