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The okapi is a mammal living above the equator in one of the most biodiverse areas in central Africa. The animal was unknown to the western world until the beginning of the 20th century, and is often described as half-zebra, half-giraffe, as if it were a mixed-breed creature from a Greek legend. Yes its image is prevalent in the Democratic Republic of Congo-the only country in the world where it is found living in the world. The okapi is to Congo what the giant panda is to China or the kangaroo to Australia.
Although the okapi has striped markings resembling those of zebras’, it is most closely related to the giraffe. It has a long neck, and large, flexible ears. The face and throat are greyish white. The coat is a chocolate to reddish brown, much in contrast with the white horizontal stripes and rings on the legs and white ankles. Overall, the okapi can be easily distinguished form its nearest relative. It is much smaller (about the size of a horse) and shares more external similarities with the deer than with the giraffe. While both sexes possess horns in the giraffe, only males bear horns in the okapi.
The West got its first whiff of the okapi in 1890 when Welsh Journalist Henry Morton Stanley had puzzled over a strange “African donkey” in his book. Other Europeans in Africa had also heard of an animal that they came to call the “African unicorn.” Explorers may have seen the fleeting view of the striped backside as the animal fled through the bushes, leading to speculation that the okapi was some sort of rainforest zebra. Some even believed that the okapi was a new species of zebra. It was only later, when okapi skeleton was analyzed, that naturalists realized they had a giraffe on their hands.
In 1987, the Okapi Wildlife Reserve was established in eastern Congo to protect this rare mammal. But decades of political turbulence has seen much of the Congo’s natural resources spin out of the government’s control, and okapi numbers have fallen by 50 percent since 1995. Today, only 10,000 remain.
1.Which of the following is a picture of an okapi?
A.
B.
C.
D.
2.Which of the following descriptions is true about the okapi?
A.It is an important symbol of Congo.
B.It has been well protected since 1987.
C.It is a mystical creature from a Greek legend
D.It is more closely related to the zebra than the giraffe.
3.What does the underlined word“whiff”most likely mean in Paragraph 3?
A.Firm belief. B.Kind intention.
C.Strong dislike. D.Slight trace.
4.What can be inferred about Henry Morton Stanley?
A.He was the first Europeans to analyze okapi skeleton.
B.He had found many new species of animals in Africa.
C.He did not know the“African donkey"in his book was the okapi.
D.He had seen the backside of an okapi dashing through the bushes.
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The Ways of Getting Happiness
Spend more time in your values. Living your values is one of the simplest ways to a more happiness to every day. 1.，the best way to make the most of it is to connect your work to your values. When you spend more time in your values, you enjoy the journey more.
2.. One of the best things you can do is find simple ways to gradually improve your overall happiness level. One of the worst things you can do is compare your happiness level to others, or beat yourself up for not being a shiny, happy person.
Drive from happiness* Decide to drive from happiness. Happiness is a decision. This is where you have to look inside, and answer the tough questions. What do you like to do? What makes you happy? It‘s very easy to keep doing the things that we think others expect from us，or want for us. 3..
Don’t fall for the “If-Then” trap. Don’t fall for the “if-then” or when-then traps.I'11 be happy if I get that job；4.，I'11 be happy； I'11 be happy if I get that relationship ；etc. It's easy to put your happiness “out there” instead of “right here .
Point your camera on purpose. Point your camera at the things that you want more of.5.. You can point your camera at more pain, or more pleasure. That s a powerful choice. It's easy to test. Simply start pointing your camera at better scenes each day,and watch what unfolds in yourself, and the world around you.
A. If it doesn't happen
B.If I get that house
C. You get what you focus on
D. Set your own happiness level
E. If you spend a lot of time at work
F. Don't get mad by the traffic，and leave earlier
G. Instead，look inside and find the things that really do make you happy
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Jules is now in his sixties, and is one of the many homeless people who live on the streets; he buys a newspaper most days. Today, with his fellow tramps, he reads about yesterday's student demonstrations.
Like many of the tramps who live under the bridges, Jules was not always so poor. A long time ago he was in the Navy, and like many who have been to sea for a long time, he has stayed slim and fit. Despite the strict organization on board ship, he loved his life, and had the opportunity to see many countries. He visited Poland and Russia; in South Africa he realized what he valued in each country was the people he met. He was always astonished and delighted by the ways in which the people he met differed from one country to another. Some day, he hopes, everyone will see the world as he does.
After many happy years in the Navy, he had to retire. The good things in life always come to an end. His mother and father had long since died and he’d lost touch with his other relatives. He became an industrial designer. He was happy, although it wasn’t the same as the sea. He never wanted to get married and have children.
And then there was the period of darkness. He smiles sadly. He shrugs his shoulders and looks at his hands. There are tears in the corners of his eyes. This is something that he cannot bring himself to talk about. ''It all went wrong, '' he whispers.
He was silent for a while, then recovered. He began to talk more loudly. ''Look at me now---it makes me angry. And what about the President? He's been in power for years, and look what he's done for us. Nothing! I am still out on the streets and live the life of a dog.''
1.What can we learn about Jules’ life in the Navy？
A.He only visited three countries.
B.He enjoyed the life on board ship.
C.He was very well paid for the job he did.
D.He liked meeting people from different countries.
2.Why did Jules change his job according to the passage?
A.He wanted to start a family. B.He wanted to be near his relatives.
C.He didn't enjoy the work any more. D.He was too old to stay in the Navy
3.What is Jules's opinion of the President?
A.The President should increase pensions for old people.
B.The President had not had enough time to change things.
C.The President should have done more to help people like him.
D.The President should not allow homeless people to stay on the streets.
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1.According to the passage, which of the following is TERE?
A. Those Americans who live above the poverty line won’t go hungry.
B. 13 million American children are food insecure for lack of transportation.
C. Among all the states in the USA, food insecurity in Mississippi is severest.
D. Neighborhood banks have no additional requirements for food packaging.
2.What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
A. To warn readers against dangers of insecure food.
B. To urge readers to help the poor out of poverty.
C. To inform readers of the severe food shortage in America.
D. To advocate readers contributing to food relief in America.
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It is one of the greatest mysteries of nature. In case you haven’t noticed, all living things follow very definite, individual rhythms, all as regular as a clock, but what makes them regular?
Though many scientists maintain that these rhythms are the result of some outside force like gravity or radiation or both, the results of most scientific researches agree with other scientists who believe that each living thing has its own built-in biological “time clock.”
Take the mystery of migration for example. Scientists can’t really explain why many species of birds migrate in the autumn even though the temperature is still summery. The birds just seem to snub the comfortable weather that they are having. When a certain time comes, they travel south by the thousand. In spring time, they migrate northwards even though there probably is snow still covering the ground when they finally arrive. Something said “go,” and they did.
Animals that hibernate (冬眠) are obeying individual time clocks, too. When their clock indicates the time to take a winter’s nap, they do, and nothing can stop them. At a certain time in the spring, they wake up and come out regardless of the weather outside.
Plants appear to have yearly rhythms, such as the sprouting of seeds, and they also have daily rhythms. Notice sometimes that plants raise their leaves in daylight and lower them at night.
If you live along the California coast, you can easily observe a demonstration of this mysterious clock functioning regularly. There, from February to September, the highest tides occur exactly every fourteen and four-fifths days, and during these high tides, but at no other time, small silvery fish called grunions surf-ride a wave to the beach. There the female deposits her eggs in the sand and the male fertilizes them; then both hitch a wave-ride back to the sea. Exactly fourteen and four-fifths days later, never before or after, the tiny eggs hatch, and the high tide carries the new babies out to sea.
72. According to the passage, the mysterious rhythms result from ______.
A. the influence of gravity on living species
B. the effect of radiation on living species
C. the influence of a mysterious outer force on living species
D. the internal mechanism inside the living species
73. The underlined word “snub” in the third paragraph probably means ______.
A. fight B. ignore C. symbolize D. criticize
74. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?
A. Hibernating animals are obeying an internal time clock.
B. The positioning of the leaves of some plants is due to the daily rhythms.
C. The internal clock functioning is demonstrated in the reproducing habits of grunions.
D. The yearly hibernation is more because of the weather influence than the biological functioning.
75. The passage is mainly about ______.
A. the rhythms of life
B. the reasons of mysterious hibernation
C. strange behaviors of species
D. the timing for different events in the world of species
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Social media is one of the fastest-growing industries in today’s world. Your friends’ lives may look more exciting than yours on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, but a new research shows it is because they are faking(伪造) it.
A recent survey has found around two-thirds of people on social media post images to their personal information to make their lives seem more adventurous. And more than three quarters of those asked said they judged their peers based on what they saw on their Instagrm, Snapehat or Facebook pages.
The British survey, by smart phone maker HTC, found that, in order to make our own pages and lives appear more exciting, six percent also said they had borrowed items to include in the images in order to pass them off as their own. More than half of those surveyed said they posted images of items and places purely to show off, causing jealousy among friends and family.
Behavioral psychologist Hemmings said the trend was unsurprising due to the rise of social media. “We’re living in a world instant communication.” she said. “Fashion and style used to live and die in magazines; now people are in search of authentic, peer-to-peer recommendations as well, making social media an equal power house to magazines and newspaper.”
“With images being shared in an instant, we desire to know what our friends are wearing, or what super stars are buying, as soon as they have got them.” Such is the influence of social media sites like Instagram, 76 percent of those asked also said seeing items on social influences them to buy them, with men more likely to take style advice and buy what they see.
1.How do some people make their lives appear more exciting?
A. By buying pictures. B. By posting images.
C. By making up stories. D. By risking their lives.
2.What does the underlined word “jealousy” in Paragraph 3 mean?
A. Adventure. B. Conflict
C. Envy D. Misunderstanding
3.What can we learn from Hemmings?
A. The trend reflects the development of social media.
B. Fashion and style no longer exist in magazines.
C. Magazines and newspapers are less important.
D. The trend is beyond people’s expectation.
4.Which of the following best describes social media like Instagram?
A. Positive B. Creative
C. Persuasive D. Honest
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It is described in her new book, one about sea life, ______this kind of fish lives in the deep sea.
A. which B. that C. what D. who
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Weird Homes We All Wish We Live in
Your home is one of the biggest purchases you’re going to make in your entire life, but that doesn’t mean you can’t live somewhere you enjoy. If you’re looking for the weird, the wonderful, or just odd, then these houses are the top of the list.
Upside Down
Like the previous upside down home, this is the type of concrete house that is more interesting to really see from the outside than it is to actually live there. The door is near the top. If you want to live here, you are going to have to deal with the crowds exploring daily.
Satellite Home
Having an entire side of your house made of glass is just asking for a rock to be thrown by the local children. However, it also offers the best view surrounding the scenic home. The inside appeared to be separated into multiple tiers, with each tier broken down into various rooms.
UFO House
This home is located within Taiwan at present. For those who have wondered what it would be like to be kidnapped by aliens and forced to live within their ship for a few years, this house should offer some similar experience.
New Age Tree Fort
If you grew up a flower child, then chances are you either adapted that lifestyle into your own or would prefer to forget it. If it’s the former, then the tree fort-style home would be perfect to live within. It’s centered perfectly in the middle of a forested area, supported by metal beams, and built from strong wood.
1.Why can Satellite Home offer the best view around itself?
A. Because its outside is very interesting.
B. Because one side of this house is made of glass.
C. Because viewers can stand on its door near the top of the house.
D. Because it is centered in the middle of a forest.
2.The underlined word “kidnapped” probably refers to “___________”.
A. taken away B. let down
C. helped out D. brought up
3.What building materials are used for these weird homes according to this passage?
① Concrete ② Rock ③ Metal ④ Wood
A. ①②③. B. ①③④. C. ②③④. D. ①②④.
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In his apartment there are two rooms, _____ is used as a living room.
A. larger one B. the larger of which
C. the largest one D. the largest of which
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In my apartment there are two rooms, _____ is used as a living room.
| A．larger one | B．the larger of which |
| C．the largest one | D．the largest of which |