选择知识点

Most dog owners are convinced that their four-legged friends know exactly what they mean when they use certain words like sit，stay or treat．However，researchers have always wondered whether dogs really understand human speech or if they rely on other information to get the meaning．For example，does the word"fetch"form a picture of a stick or ball in the dog's mind，or does the dog bring back the object based on the owner's voice or gesture？ A new study by scientists at Atlanta's Emory University seems to indicate that"man's best friend"does indeed know what the owner is saying．
The researchers began by asking the owners of twelve dogs of various kinds to train their pets to identify two toys of different materials，such as a toy animal and a ball．Once the dogs had mastered the task，they took turns inside a special scanner．The owners then tested their dog's language skill by first calling out the names of the toys they had been trained to recognize and then saying meaningless words such as"bobbu"and"bodmick"while holding up random objects the dogs hadn't seen before．
The scans suggested that the parts of the dogs" brains responsible for processing of sounds showed different brain patterns when they heard words they were familiar with，compared with the ones they had never heard before．While that was not enough to prove that the dogs were picturing their toys when they heard the word，it did indicate some sort of recognition．The researchers believe this is an important step forward in understanding how dogs process language．
Even more interesting was that the dog's brains showed a higher level of neural（神经）activity at the sound of unknown words．This is the exact opposite of what happens in human brains，which get more active at the sound of familiar words．The researchers say the dogs may become cheerful at the sound of new words to try to understand them in the hope of delighting their masters．"Dogs want to please their owners，and perhaps also receive praise or food，"says Empty neuroscientist Gregory Burns，senior author of the study．
However，though your pet may understand human speech，the scientists recommend using visual signals and smell for training．"When people want to teach their dog a trick，they often use spoken command because that's what humans prefer，"Prichard says．"From the dog's view，however，a visual command might be more effective，helping the dog learn the trick faster．"



What's the purpose of the new study？ ______

A. To convince dog owners to understand their dogs．
B. To advise dog owners to treat their dogs kindly．
C. To prove dogs follow owners'order by listening．
D. To test out how dogs get information from owners．

What does the author intend to do in paragraph 2？ ______

A. Inform the result of the research．
B. State the process of the research．
C. Stress the importance of the research．
D. Introduce the subjects of the research．

How do human brains and dog brains react to words ？ ______

A. Human brains become active at unfamiliar words．
B. Dog brains become delighted at unfamiliar words．
C. Human brains are not sensitive to familiar words．
D. Dog brains show no response to familiar words．

What do scientists advise the owners to do in dog training？ ______

A. Give dogs oral command．
B. Teach dog new tricks．
C. Involve sight and smell．
D. Encourage faster learning．

In which section of the magazine can you probably find such a passage？ ______

We can infer from the passage that ______ ．

What does the author feel while writing this passage？ ______

On her first day tutoring students from low-income families at au after-school program in New York City，Alyssa Kapasi noticed how many kids were lining up for free sandwiches and fruit in the cafeteria．Many of these students don't get enough to eat at home，so a school lunch or an after-school meal might be the most food they would get all day．
Kapasi，who attends private school，was shocked．She was determined to help．"I want other kids to understand that if you see a problem，you don't have to wait to be an adult to fix it，"says Kapasi．She and a group of friends are now putting their programming skills to work to create a mobile app called Food For Thought．Through the application，parents will be able to pay for their own children's meal and will be presented with an option to donate 2-3 dollars to pay for a meal of another student．Other donors will also be able to donate money to help children get lunch in their community．
One creative characteristic of the app is that the receivers of the contributions will be anonymous．To receive financial help a family will need only a recommendation from a school administrator，and no one else has to know．"I want to make my platform an application that all users feel no shame in using，"says Kapasi．
"It astonished us that in one of the wealthiest and most advanced countries in the world there are still communities that are going hungry．By giving parents an easy option，we encourage their giving and raise their awareness that there are students in their children's school who are in need，"Kapasi says．She hopes to have the app ready to be used in New York City-based schools during the new school year．



What does the author intend to do in Paragraph 1？ ______

A. Explain how shocked Kapasi was．
B. Evaluate Kapasi's experience as a volunteer．
C. Tell how the idea for the app came to Kapasi．
D. Describe how the after-school program went on．

What can the app be used to do？ ______

A. Teach students to be independent．
B. Improve students" programming skills．
C. Buy school lunches for children in need．
D. Allow parents to keep in touch with their children．

Which of the following best explains"anonymous"underlined in Paragraph 3？ ______

A. Inspired
B. Selective
C. Certain
D. Unnamed

What is Kapasi's future plan？ ______

A. To use the app in softie schools．
B. To encourage students to donate．
C. To get more parents to visit schools．
D. To make parents aware of world hunger．

The Metro-Boston public bike share system，Hubway，is now available at a significant discount to low-income families and individuals．"SNAP Card to Ride"was launched by the Cities of Boston，Cambridge，Somerville，and the Town of Brookline．
"SNAP Card to Ride"provides ﹩5 monthly memberships and﹩50 annual memberships to individuals over the age of 16 with their household EBT card．The membership includes unlimited 60-minute trips rather than the current 30-minute trips，without additional usage fees．
The program is part of an ongoing commitment to improve bike share access among traditionally under-served populations．Citizens who don't receive SNAP benefits，but participate in other public assistance programs，will be able to access the discounted membership program in the near future．
Convenient，easy online registration is available fur EBT card holder s at thehubway．com/SNAP/．After completing registration，members will have access to over 1，800 bikes at 194 stations across the four municipalities（自治市）．Members with smartphone access can also use the Hubway mobile app to locate and unlock bikes．
"Hubway shows that bike share is keeping its promise as a vital part of the Boston area's transportation network-increasing access to the region's existing transit network as well as communities underserved by public transit，"said Jay H．Walder，CEO of Hubway．"We're eager to continue to help grow a system that has truly served as an inspiration for a whole generation of bike share programs across the nation．"
Winter riding is available in all four municipalities for the first time this year，following several years of winter operations in the City of Cambridge．Boston，Brookline，Cambridge，and Somerville announced major expansion of the publicly-owned system．They'll add over 100 new stations in 2018 and 2019 providing over 300 stations and approximately 3，000 bicycles for public use．



Who is allowed to enjoy the"SNAP Card to Ride"program？ ______

A. Anyone benefiting from SNAP．
B. Any individuals with a low income．
C. Anyone over 16 with an EBT card．
D. Anyone attending public assistance programs．

What has to be done in order to benefit from"SNAP Card to Ride"？ ______

A. Sending an email to Hubway．
B. Filling in all application form．
C. Finishing registration paperwork．
D. Completing registration online．

Why did Hubway set up the new program？ ______

A. To market their EBT cards．
B. To promote their bike share．
C. To protect cultural diversity．
D. To enrich the national transportation system．

What can we infer about the bike share system in the four municipalities？ ______

A. It will disappear gradually．
B. It is being challenged．
C. It has a bright future．
D. It has along way to go．

Most people who own iPhones use them as their alarm clocks-making it very easy to check emails one last time before falling asleep and hard to ever feel away from work and social networks．
Several years ago， my boss fainted due to exhaustion after staying up late to catch up on work． She banged her head and ended up with five stitches （缝针）-and became what she calls a "sleep evangelist （传教士）．" Now she leaves her phone charging in another room when she goes to bed and encourages her friends to do the same．
"I sent all my friends the same Christmas gift-a lovely alarm clock-so they could stop using the excuse that they needed their very attractive iPhones by their beds to wake them up in the morning．" she said．
If your phone wakes you up in the morning， it may also be keeping you up at night． A 2008 study showed that people exposed to mobile radiation took longer to fall asleep and spent less time in deep sleep． "The study indicates that during laboratory exposure to 884 MHz wireless signals， components of sleep believed to be important for recovery from daily wear and tear are severely affected，" the study concluded．
A quarter of young people feel like they must be available by phone around the clock， according to a Swedish study that linked heavy cellphone use to sleeping problems， stress and depression． Unreturned messages carry more guilt when the technology to deal with them lies at our fingertips． Some teens even return text messages at midnight．
Most of us choose not to set limits on our nighttime availability． Nearly three quarters of people from the age of 18 to 44 sleep with their phones within reach， according to a 2012 Time poll． That number falls off slightly in middle age， but only people aged 65 and older are leaving the phone in another room as common as sleeping right next to it．



Why did the author's boss start to enjoy sleeping？ ______

A. Her friends encouraged her to sleep on time．
B. Mobile phones couldn't wake her up on time．
C. Her friends sent her a lovely clock to wake her up．
D. She got hurt due to working too late．

Why did the author's boss give her friends alarm clocks as Christmas gifts？ ______

A. Alarm clocks don't give off any radiation．
B. Alarm clocks are better at waking her friends up．
C. She advised them to replace phones with alarm clocks．
D. She used alarm clocks to remind them not to work too late．

What can we learn from the 2008 study？ ______

A. Mobile radiation makes people unable to fall asleep．
B. Mobile phones can release 884 MHz wired signals．
C. Sleep can help people fight against radiation．
D. Components of sleep can be seriously affected by wireless signals．

What is the best title for the passage？ ______

A. How Mobile Phones Affect Sleep
B. Why Alarm Clocks Are Better than Phones
C. How we can sleep better at night
D. How Mobile Phones Affect Health

Some parts of the garden are for the rest of the world to admire． Others are for you to disappear to when you don't want to be found． Of course， that's easy enough to arrange when you have lots of land with space for the kids to run round and cosy "garden rooms" for the adults to enjoy． But when your garden is on the small side，you might think it's a tall order． Well， you're wrong．
To create a secret garden， people tend to take the routine： surrounding a small garden with high fences and then placing a lawn（草坪）in the middle and borders round the edge． Far from making the most of the area， that just makes it look a lot smaller and more boring． Dividing it up makes much more use of your space and means you can have your practical family area plus a secret garden．
When you're searching for the perfect secret site within your existing set-up，consider your present favourite spot． A secret garden needs to be special一a complete contrast to the more practical family parts of the garden． Perhaps you take a folding chair down to a quiet corner that gets evening sun； maybe you sit and watch the pond or simply slip out to the patio（露台）with a glass of wine．
It's quite easy to change an existing favourite feature into a secret place． You could top the patio with a pergola（棚架）pole and plant a grapevine for shade， or position a bench overlooking the pond and plant bamboos to screen it from the rest of the garden．
The areas you create needn't all to be the same size一or even the same style一but if you're planning a major redesign， take your time and work it out on paper before committing time and money． Then when it's done， you'll really be able to relax and enjoy it．



What assumption lies behind this passage？ ______

A. Grapevine are widely used as shade in gardens．
B. Parents need their own space in the garden．
C. Family members should share everything．
D. Gardens are different in size and style．

The underlined phrase "a tall order" （in Paragraph 1）probably means ______ •

A. a difficult task．
B. a costly decision．
C. an unwise attempt．
D. an unfair business．

What's the author's solution for a cozy space in a small garden？ ______

A. Place a lawn in the middle．
B. Build borders around the lawn．
C. Surround the garden with high fences．
D. Have a separate space within the garden．

What's the author's purpose in writing the passage？ ______

A. To offer tips on a small getaway in the garden．
B. To share personal experience in gardening．
C. To recommend best plants for small gardens．
D. To advertise some new designs of gardens．

"Hope has proved a powerful predictor of outcome in every study we've done so far，" said Dr． Snyder， a psychologist．
In research with 3，920 college students， Dr． Snyder found that the level of hope among freshmen at the beginning of their first term was a more accurate predictor of their college grades than were their S．A．T． scores or their grade point averages in high school． "Students with high hope set themselves higher goals and know how to work to attain them，" Dr． Snyder said． "When you compare students with equal learning ability and past school achievements， what sets them apart is hope．"
In seeking a way to assess hope scientifically， Dr． Snyder went beyond the usual belief that hope is merely the sense that everything will turn out all right． "This idea is not concrete enough； it fails to clarify two key components of hope，" Dr． Snyder said．
"Having hope means believing you have both the will and the way to accomplish your goals， whatever they may be．"
Despite the wisdom in the old saying "where there's a will there's a way，" Dr．Snyder has found that the two are not necessarily connected． In a study of people from 18 to 70 years old， Dr． Snyder discovered： only about 40% of people are hopeful in the technical sense of believing they typically have the energy and means to accomplish their goals； about 20% of the people believed in their ability to find the means to attain their goals， but said they had little will to do so； another 20% have the opposite pattern， saying they had the energy to motivate themselves but little confidence that they would find the means； the rest had little hope at all， reporting that they typically had neither the will nor the way．
"It's not enough just to have the wish for something，" said Dr． Snyder． "You need the means， too． On the other hand， all the skills to solve a problem won't help without the willpower to do it．"



What does Dr． Snyder think can best predict a freshman's academic performance？ ______

A. His S．A．T． scores．
B. His high school grades．
C. His level of hope．
D. His family background．

The underlined word "concrete" in the third paragraph probably means ______ •

A. clear
B. pure
C. universal
D. popular

What did Dr． Synder say about the old saying "where there's will there's a way"？ ______

A. It is quite realistic．
B. It is not inspiring to students．
C. It is totally wrong．
D. It is not always true in reality．

What can be the most suitable title for the passage？ ______

A. No pains， no gains．
B. Hope emerges as key to success．
C. Will gets it going：
D. Where there's a will there's a way．

An international group of coffee experts has considered Ethiopia's coffee as the best in the world． Coffee is a top export of the country． But at home， it is seen as national pride． Ethiopians feel good about their coffee， and enjoying a drink with friends is a long tradition．
International coffee experts travel the world to find the best coffee． They keep returning to Ethiopia． Some people say the climate produces quality beans． Morton Wenner is a coffee importer． He said， "Ethiopia has different ancient types of coffee． They are planted in places with perfect soil， perfect altitude， and climates that are really suitable for coffee processing， such as drying and things like that．"
Finding the best quality beans is often an issue of taste． The process is known as cupping - tasting and comparing coffee from different roasted beans， grading and then pricing them．
But before international experts come to taste， coffee beans are studied in small coffee laboratories． Helen Assefa， a lab technician， describes the process， "When the coffee comes to the lab， we assess its quality first by recording the details． Then we weigh the wetness level and screen the beans for analysis． After that we polish the coffee beans and taste the samples． At the end we check for imperfect beans．"
Ethiopia is making big profits on its coffee reputation by exporting coffee to more than 120 countries． The country has an export income of more than ﹩840 million a year． But not all the best coffee leaves Ethiopia． Forty percent of the coffee grown in the country stays there． It remains an important part of everyday life at work， at home and at ceremonies just to celebrate that special cup．



Where does the Ethiopian's pride mainly come from？ ______

A. Traditional practices．
B. Food export．
C. International experts．
D. Best coffee．

Ethiopia produces best coffee because of ______ ．

A. the special coffee taste
B. the long-standing tradition
C. the satisfactory mild climate
D. the favorable growing environment

Which of the following describes the process of studying coffee beans in the lab？ ______
a． polish and taste
b． weigh the dampness level
c． record quality facts
d． analyze the beans
e． check for imperfection

A. d-c-b-a-e
B. c-b-d-a-e
C. e-c-a-b-d
D. c-d-a-b-e

What can we learn from the last paragraph？ ______

A. Coffee is essential in Ethiopians" daily lives．
B. Coffee is the most profitable industry in Ethiopia．
C. Most of the coffee production remains in Ethiopia．
D. Ethiopians often hold ceremonies to celebrate harvest．