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Blue whales, the earth's largest animals, call to others of their kind, though exactly what these cries communicate remains a mystery. But these sounds have begun evolving （演变）. Since at least the 1960s,the pitch （音调）of Antarctic blue whales has downshifted. Scientists have theories as to why： all involving humans.
The deepening of their sounds is not unique. Many blue whales around the world have also dropped their pitch. In a study last year that analyzed more than 1 million individual recordings of whale calls, scale shifts were found across species, and among populations that don't necessarily interact with one another. This is to say, whatever has caused the change doesn't seem to have a specific geographic origin.
The underwater noises caused by ocean traffic and at-sea industries might seem a likely criminal. However, scientists have identified lowered pitches even across populations of whales that live in seas without major shipping routes.
One possible explanation for the change is the achievements of global conservation efforts. As their populations have grown, then, the whales may have decreased their volume because they are more likely to be communicating over short distances.
Last year's study of whale calls also suggests a threatening reason for the drop in pitch, however. Perhaps whales don't need to be so loud because sound waves travel farther in oceans made acidic by the absorption of carbon dioxide.
Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, meanwhile, may also indirectly influence whale voices in other ways. Recent study shows that, during the summer, the whales must use their top volume to be heard in the cracking ice - a natural sound increased by unnatural processes, as rising temperatures worsen ice-melt. So the impacts of a warming planet may modulate animal sounds even in remote places.



To what extent is whales' pitch drop？ ______

A. Across the species.
B. In the Antarctic ocean.
C. Among some populations.
D. Within one million individuals.

What causes the evolving of whales' pitch according to the text？ ______

A. Less communication and more threat.
B. Protection efforts and acidic sea water.
C. Sharp decrease of whales' populations.
D. Underwater noises by ships and industries.

What does the underlined word "modulate" mean in the last paragraph？ ______

A. Produce.
B. Damage.
C. Balance.
D. Change.

What can we infer from the text？ ______

A. Man is the soul of nature.
B. Man and nature are in one.
C. Nature pardons no mistakes.
D. Nature has the final say over man.

Storing food is common in members of the crow family. A new study tested the birds outside for this naturally occurring behaviour, which may have evolved（进化） specifically because it gives crows a survival advantage. Some crow species are known to naturally use tools to recover food. So the researchers tested whether the birds could store and recover a tool so they could get it at their food after a gap of 17 hours - something we wouldn't expect them to do naturally. But they were able to instantly select the tool out of a number of unnecessary items.
In another experiment, the researche crows to select a token（礼品券）from a number of items so that they could then exchange it for food.Again, the birds then showed that they could plan for the future using this new behaviour. This is different from all of the previous studies in future planning,which have focused on naturally occurring behaviour.For example, we know that chimpanzees select,transport and save appropriate tools for future needs.
These studies have shown that animals can plan for the future- but they leave an important question open for debate. Are animals only able to plan to use abilities that have evolved to give them a specific advantage,or can they flexibly and intelligently apply planning behaviour across various actions？ Most critics would say the former, as the animals were tested in naturally occurring behaviour.
But the new research provides the first evidence that animal species can plan for the future using behaviour that doesn't typically occur in nature. This supports the view that at least some recognitive（认知的）abilities in animals don't evolve just in response to specific problems. Instead, it suggests that animals can apply these behaviour flexibly across problems in a similar way to humans. We need to study how flexible behaviour evolved. Then we might be able to see how crows' ability to plan for the future fits in with their broader cognitive powers.



What's the new finding about some crows according to Paragraph 1？ ______

A. They can store food.
B. They can use tools to recover food.
C. They can store and recover tools.
D. They can select and store food.

What are crows trained by researchers to do when given a token？ ______

A. Reject it casually.
B. Exchange it for food.
C. Save it as their food.
D. Build a nest with it.

What can we infer about the studies that animals for the future？ ______

A. They are debatable.
B. They are disappointing.
C. They are logical.
D. They are convincing.

What can be learned about flexible behaviour in animals？ ______

A. It develops only with age.
B. It is unclear how it evolved.
C. No animals but crows benefit from it.
D. It helps plan for the future.

When the natural climate changes due to global warming,it can surely affect seals.The majority of them live in the Antarctic region so as the ice is melting,their natural habitat can be seriously affected.These changes don't take place overnight.They can be the result of many years of additional temperatures in the area.The seals then have to find ways to adapt.
Seals depend on the cool air currents to bring plenty of food for them.When the temperatures get higher there is less and less food and the seal population starts to shrink.Mothers aren't healthy enough to feed their babies.Many of them end up abandoned as the mothers have to leave to find their own source of food.
The fact that their desire to produce young can be changed by the warmer temperatures is frightening too.It is also believed that the warmer temperatures can allow different diseases and viruses to attack the seals.This is a huge concern as they can rapidly wipe out huge numbers of seals out there.
However,these changes in climate and temperature aren't all bad for other species of seals.Scientists have found that those living in warmer climates are producing more young due to the changes.Research also shows that the females are moving further to find food and water.When they are out of the reach of the governing males,they are more willing to accept the moves of other males in the group.
This is good news too because it means that there will be more selection in the gene pool（基因库）for future generations.It can help the seals as a species adapt to change in their natural environment more easily.
The climate change problem for seals is directly linked to humans.When we take action to change what we let out into the environment,we will make positive changes for the seals.However,it is going to take a very long time to reverse （彻底改变）the effects of what has already been done.



What does the author regard climate changes for seals as？ ______

A. A double-edged sword.
B. An unavoidable disaster for existence.
C. A mirror of evolution.
D. A requirement for more choice in the gene pool.

What will happen to the seals in warmer climates？ ______

A. Their number will be on the increase.
B. The female seals will be in the lead.
C. Their genes will change a great deal.
D. The females will keep away from the males.

Which of the following can be the best title for the text？ ______

A. The Importance of Protecting Seals
B. Seals' Adaptation to Climate Change
C. How Climate Change Affects Seals
D. Why Are Seals Becoming Less And Less

  The Internet brings us many advantages.
  With the Internet,people can send and receive emails.On the Internet,people can skim over news.Using the Telnet,the user anywhere on the Internet can log（登录）into any other machine on which he has an account.It is possible to use the FTP（File Transfer Protocol）program to copy files from one machine on the Internet to another.
  But the Internet also brings us troubles.
  Internet use seems to cause a fall in psychological（心理的）health,according to researches at Carnegie Mellon University.Even people who spent just a few hours a week on the Internet experienced more depression and loneliness than those who logged on less often,the two-year study showed.And it wasn't that people who were already feeling bad spent more time on the Internet,but that using the Net actually seemed to cause the bad feelings.
  Researchers are puzzled over the results,which were completely opposite to what they had expected.They expected that the Net would prove socially healthier than television,since the Net allows users to choose their information and to communicate with others.
  The fact that Internet use reduces time used for family and friends may be the reason for the drop in health,researchers said.Faceless,bodiless "virtual（虚拟的）" communication may be less psychologically satisfying than actual conversations,and the relationships formed through it may not be so deep.Another possibility is that exposure to the wider world through the Net makes users less satisfied with their lives.
  " But it's important to remember this is not about the technology；it's about how it is used，" said one of the researchers."It really points to the need for considering social factors when you design new inventions."



The writer mainly wants to tell us that ______ ．

A. the Internet can bring people many advantages
B. the Internet use may cause psychological problems
C. the Internet users are not satisfied with their lives
D. we shouldn't use the Internet

Why are the researchers puzzling over the results？ ______

A. Because the results were completely different from what they had thought.
B. Because the Net proved socially healthier than television.
C. Because the Internet users were all healthier.
D. Because the Internet users experienced less depression and loneliness.

What may be the reasons why the Internet use causes a fall in psychological health？ ______

A. Internet use reduces time used for family and friends.
B. Virtual communication is less psychologically satisfying than actual conversations.
C. Exposure to the wider world through the Net makes users less satisfied with their lives.
D. All the above.

What does the underlined part in the last paragraph mean？ ______

A. What matters is not the technology but how it is used.
B. This passage is not about the technology but about how it is used.
C. We should remember to learn about the technology.
D. We should remember to learn how to use computers.

Utah Lake is,in a word,disgusting. The State of Utah has worked with many partners and spent millions of dollars in an attempt to restore Utah Lake. It has indeed produced some active effects.  However,due to the waste water getting into it,this body of water is rich in  nutrient and home to water bloom.  Over fishing and the introduction of invasive species have only made the problem worse. In the summer of 2016，500 people in Utah complained about their headaches, skin rashes and discomfort after swimming in the lake.
  The Utah Lake Restoration Project is headed by Parker. He imagines a beautiful lake dotted with man-made islands where a community could be built. Parker frequently goes to Capitol Hill to push for the proposal of the comprehensive lake restoration. Parker follows his rules "big ideas are worth approaching"，as the project calls for lake digging,the creation of islands,the removal of invasive species to restore the habitats of native plants,fish and so on.
  Speaking of the Utah Lake Restoration Project,Ben Holcomb said,"It is not quite in line with reality." He added,"Despite impressive computer models and the current project report,the Utah Lake Restoration Project lacks the actual field research to show that this project will have a positive effect on the lake's ecosystem."
  When asked how the public would help beautify Utah Lake,the lake's official workers suggested picking up garbage. However,it has a greatly limited effect on the overall health of the lake. Parker's plan may seem like the state's best chance to restore Utah Lake,but in reality the Utah Lake Restoration Project lacks the facts necessary for this sort of proposal. The State of Utah should propose some suggestions for the revision of the plan and offer the Utah Lake Restoration Project the access necessary to conduct research which could be compared with their theoretical findings. Only then can the State of Utah make an educated decision on behalf of people and resources.



What can we learn from paragraph l？ ______

A. The State of Utah has tried to restore Utah Lake.
B. It is not difficult to save Utah Lake for the State.
C. People living around Utah Lake are healthy and happy.
D. People don't swim in Utah Lake because of its pollution.

What's the purpose of the Utah Lake Restoration Project？ ______

A. To build a community near Utah Lake.
B. To make the water of Utah Lake rich in nutrient.
C. To make Utah Lake popular with foreign tourists.
D. To build a safe home for native creatures in Utah Lake.

What's Ben Holcomb's attitude towards the Utah Lake Restoration Project？ ______

A. Doubtful.
B. Optimistic.
C. Unconcerned.
D. Approving.

What does the author intend to tell us in the last paragraph？ ______

A. Picking up garbage is the key to saving the whole lake.
B. There's no proper way to save the health of Utah Lake.
C. Parker's plan needs some field research and adjustment.
D. Local people should take responsibility for saving Utah Lake.

What _____ you _______ at 6 o'clock tomorrow？（　　）

He _________ TV from seven to nine last night.（　　）

Physics _____ much harder than English, I think.（　　）

Look, they _________ a good time, _________ they？（　　）

During the two and a half years since I settled down in Germany,I've caught a cold several times and gotten to experience how different German cold remedies（疗法）are from the Chinese ones.
  Back in Taiwan, whenever I had a streaming nose and a dry throat, I'd rush to the hospital to get prescribed medicine. For a fever,I would receive a red pill,which I now know is a type of antibiotic（抗生素）.
  Another thing I know now is that the criminal behind my cold is a virus. The drugs I used only relieved the symptoms. When I went to a German hospital intending to get some medicine to treat my cold,I got nothing more than a pat on my shoulder and words from the doctor, saying that I should get some really good rest. The first time this happened,I was shocked. I wondered how I could put up with my sickness without the help of medicine. But the longer I stayed in Germany,the better I knew how to self-medicate as other Germans do.
  I learned to take vitamin C to build up my resistance. But what I like the most is drinking "Erkaltungstee". For German people, Krkaltungstee is what their grandmother gives them when they catch a cold. It's a tea bag mainly made of lime flower and orange rind. Another popular cold remedy in Germany is chicken soup. During my first winter in Germany,I got a really bad cold. My neighbor brought me a bowl of chicken soup to make me feel better. It contained a lot of ginger,onion,garlic,carrots and celery. Germans believe these ingredients are perfect for helping your body recovers.



How did the author feel after seeing the German doctor？ ______

A. Relieved.
B. Surprised.
C. Satisfied.
D. Stressed.

According to the author, what effect do antibiotics have on his cold？ ______

A. They cure his cold.
B. They prevent the disease.
C. They kill the virus in him.
D. They make him feel better.

What do Germans think of "Erkaltungstee"？ ______

A. It can replace any cold remedy.
B. It can build up one's resistance.
C. It's a good way to self-medicate.
D. It's better than chicken soup.

What can we infer from the text？ ______

A. Germans tend not to use antibiotics to treat cold.
B. The author often catches a cold in Taiwan.
C. The author seldom drinks chicken soup.
D. German doctors are cold to patients.