Birds don’t need lessons in building nests. F...

Birds don’t need lessons in building nests. Fish don’t need coaching to learn how to swim. All animals have instincts. They’re born with natural abilities to do certain things. Wild animals also learn by copying their parents and practicing. And pets learn through training.

But instincts and training aren’t the only keys to animals’ behavior. Scientists say animals’ thoughts and feelings also influence their actions. Animals often make choices, plans, and sensible changes. They can help others and solve problems. Some even make and use tools!

If animals could talk, what would they say about their thoughts and feelings? A gorilla (大猩猩) born in captivity (关在笼子里) has helped answer that question. Koko, a gorilla, was taught to use sign language . She has learned hundreds of words!

Koko once had a pet cat she named All Ball. “Koko love Ball,” she signed. “Soft good cat.” One time, she blamed the cat for biting her by signing “You bad dirty toilet!” When her pet died, Koko cried. “Sad for sleeping cat,” she signed.

Koko calls herself  “fine animal gorilla”. She uses sign language to argue, joke, and ask and answer questions.

“Most animals can’t use words to tell us their thoughts,” says Dr. Jonathan Balcombe. “But Koko shows us that animals have their own ideas and feelings.” Dr. Balcombe is a scientist at the Humane Society of the United States. He says there’s even more to discover about animals through field studies. In field studies, people watch animals in their natural environment.

“Scientists who study animals’ natural behaviors learn how animals live and think,” Balcombe says. “That knowledge can help others respect every animal who shares the planet with us.”

1.The underlined word “instincts” in the first paragraph probably refers to the ability that _____.

A. animals copy their parents   B. animals learn by practicing

C. animals are born with       D. animals learn through training

2.

3.

4.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

1.  Most birds find it safe to sleep in the trees, but _____ they have eggs or young chicks, they don’t use a nest.

A. why   B. how   C.unless   D. where

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

____by the horrible earthquake, many buildings needed to be repaired in the capital of Haiti.

A. To be destroyed   B. Destroying     C. Destroyed    D. Having destroyed

高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

As result of the serious flood , the majority of the buildings in this area ______.

A. need repairing                       B. needs to be repaired

C. needs repairing                      D. need to repair

高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

____by the horrible earthquake, many buildings needed to be repaired in the capital of Haiti.

高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

Spring is coming, spring is coming,

Birdies, build your nest;

Weave (编织) together straw and feather,

Doing each your best.

Spring is coming, spring is coming,

Flowers are coming too:

Pansies, lilies, daffodillies

Now are coming through.

Spring is coming, spring is coming,

All around is fair,

Shimmer (闪烁) and quiver (轻微颤动) on the river,

Joy is everywhere.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 ——William Blake

1.The poet felt _____ when he was writing the poem.

A. surprised 　　 B. lonely 　　 C. happy　　 D. sad

2.What does the underlined word “fair” mean?

A. Pleasant. 　　 B. Noisy.　　 C. Dirty. 　　 D. Busy.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

As a result of the serious earthquake, two-thirds of the buildings in that area _______.

A. need repairing                        B. needs to repair

C. needs repairing                       D. need to repair

高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

As a result of the serious flood, two-thirds of the buildings in the area ________．

A．need to repair                                      B．needs to repair

C．needs repairing                                    D．need repairing

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Scholastic Art: What is your job?

Jayson Fann: I build human-sized nests all over the world.

SA: Can people sit in your nests?

JF: Yes! People have dinner parties in my nests. They read and relax in them. Some of my nests even have several rooms. My nests are even used as hotel rooms.

SA: How do you make a nest?

JF: First, I make a design for the nest. Then I review the design with my client（客户）. After the design is final, I collect wood and work with a team to build it.

SA: What do you use to make your nests?

JF：I use eucalyptus（按树）wood， which is soft and easy to bend when it is young and freshly cut. But when it dries, it becomes extremely hard. So it holds its shape and can support weight. But the structure’s strength also comes from the engineering -- how I weave the wood, and how I join major sections by bolting（用螺栓固定）them together.

SA: What makes a great nest design?

JF: Placement is important. The lines of the branches（树枝） create movement and energy, resulting in a cleaner, simpler background -- such as smooth stone or the sky -- which really fits the nest. For me, it’s all about balance.

SA: What skills do you need for your job?

JF: You have to be able to draw and use different artistic tools. But you also have to know how to speak to people -- your clients and the people who work for you.

SA: What inspires you?

IF: I love to see how other artists, like Andy Goldsworthy, take common and natural materials and make something special with them.

SA: What is the best part of your job?

JF: I get to be creative in a way that doesn’t harm the environment!

1.Jayson Fann’s nests are　　　　　 .

A. used for different purposes　　 B. completely made of wood

C. usually built at his home　　 D. just used for exhibition

2.When Jayson Fann makes a nest, he usually　　　　　 .

A. builds it on his own

B. places it on a eucalyptus tree

C. asks his client to design it first

D. takes its surroundings into consideration

3.Jayson Fann is actually　　　　　 .

A. an animal lover　　 B. a fashion designer

C. a famous engineer　　 D. an environmental artist

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

With only fish and birds for company, Eric Erden has been rowing across the Pacific Ocean to Australia in his 23-foot-long boat since he left California on July 10, 2009.

This is the first part of Eric’s trip around the world using only his own energy. He will row, bike, and walk without help from any motors at all. His plan includes climbing the tallest mountain on each of the six continents he visits, to honour the memory of a fellow climber.

He says he is doing this to show kids that they can achieve any goal, but he also hopes to have some great adventures along the way.

Storms and huge waves regularly force him in the wrong direction and even threaten to overturn his boat. “Sometimes I really feel scared,” says a somewhat embarrassed Eric. “But that’s part of the journey. I knew this wouldn’t be easy when I started.”

Protein bars give him energy, and he boils water to heat freeze-dried meals on a one-burner stove. A sun-powered machine removes salt from ocean water so he can drink it, but when that fails he sometimes tries to collect rainwater in a bucket.

He’s not bothered by any of the hardships. Eric sees the world as a laboratory where there is much to learn. And when his trip around the world takes him across land, he enjoys meeting people — especially children. He has already visited several schools and shared his story.

1.Why is Eric making this trip?

2.What does Eric plan to do on each of the six continents he will visit?

3.How does Eric mainly get drinking water?

4.Which of the following words best describes Eric’s character?

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析