Have you ever noticed that your fingertips are winked when you’ve just finished swimming or washing dishes? It seems as if your hands have aged 30 years in a second. But is this an accident? Or is it something that nature has built into our bodies?

If your finger’s wrinkling up had no use at all, “ it wouldn’t need to.” Professor Tom Smulders from Newcastle University, UK, told BBC News. By studying wet fingers closely, Smulders and his partners found that the wrinkles looked a bit like the patterns on the car tire or on the bottom of the running shoes. So they made a guess that wrinkles on fingers might be able to help the hand hold things more tightly.

To test this, researchers asked 20 people to pick up marbles from water with their hands. But before they started, some of the people had to keep their hands in water for half an hour.

The researchers found that the people with wrinkled fingers completed the task the task faster than those with dry hands. But when they were asked to move dry marbles, all the people performed equally well, no matter they had the wrinkled fingers or not.

Our ancestors might not have played with marbles, but wrinkled fingers could have made it easier for them to climb around in the wet forests and catch fish from rivers, researchers say.

Similarly, our toes also get wrinkled in water. This may have developed from our ancestor’s need to run on wet ground.

But the question is, if wrinkled fingers are so helpful, why don’t our hands just stay that way all the time? Researchers explained that wrinkling has its disadvantage: wet fingertips are far less sensitive than smooth ones, reducing our sense of touch.

1.What does the underlined world “this ” in the third paragraph refer to?

A. Whether fingers have wrinkles after they are put in water.

B. Whether wrinkled fingers can hold things more tightly.

C. Why keeping things in water makes them wrinkled.

D. Why wrinkles help hands hold things more tightly.

2.The test shows that ________.

A. winkled hands hold dry things more tightly than dry hands do.

B. dry hands hold dry things more tightly than wrinkled hands do.

C. winkled hands hold wet things more tightly than dry hands do.

D. dry hands hold wet things more tightly than wrinkled hands do.

3.What might be the disadvantage of wrinkled fingers?

A. They are too sensitive to be touched.

B. They might be more likely to get hurt.

C. They cannot hold things tightly enough.

D. They are not so sensitive as dry fingers.

 

 

	Xiao Shenyang was born in 1981 in Liaoning, China. He became famous after taking part in the CCTV Spring Festival Gala. He became a student of Zhao Benshan, a famous comedy actor, in 2006. He is good at Er Ren Zhuan, a popular folk (民间的) song-and-dance duet in northeast China. Many people enjoy his Er Ren Zhuan performances.
	Can you find a ring in an egg? But Liu Qian, a well-known magician（魔术师） from Taiwan, found it in front of the audiences at 2009 CCTV Spring Festival Gala. Liu Qian was born in 1976. At the age of 12, he won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Competition. To make his performance better, he often performed on streets, roads and other places for people.
	Jackie Chan was born on April 7, 1954. His parents called him “Chan Kongsang”, which means “born in Hong Kong”. In the early 1980s, Jackie went to Hollywood. Today, he is well- known all over the world. Many people like his action movies very much.

1.When he was ____________ years old, Xiao Shenyang became a student of Zhao Benshan.

   A. 23                              B. 24                            C. 25                            D. 27   

2.Where was Liu Qian born?

   A. In Liaoning Province.                                 B. In Taiwan.

   C. In Hong Kong.                                              D. In Beijing.

3.When did Liu Qian win Taiwan’s Youth Magic Competition?

   A. In 1976  .                 B. In 1980.                 C. In 1988.                 D. In 2006.

4. Jackie Chan is a well-known ____________.

   A. actor                         B. magician               C. pianist                    D. player

5.Which of the following is WRONG according to the passage?

   A. Zhao Benshan is a famous comedy actor.

  B. Xiao Shenyang is younger than Liu Qian.

  C. Jackie Chan was born in Hong Kong, China.

  D. Liu Qian performed in the street to make money.

 

	Xiao Shenyang was born in 1981 in Liaoning, China. He became famous after taking part in the CCTV Spring Festival Gala. He became a student of Zhao Benshan, a famous comedy actor, in 2006. He is good at Er Ren Zhuan, a popular folk (民间的) song-and-dance duet in northeast China. Many people enjoy his Er Ren Zhuan performances.
	Can you find a ring in an egg? But Liu Qian, a well-known magician（魔术师） from Taiwan, found it in front of the audiences at 2009 CCTV Spring Festival Gala. Liu Qian was born in 1976. At the age of 12, he won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Competition. To make his performance better, he often performed on streets, roads and other places for people.
	Jackie Chan was born on April 7, 1954. His parents called him “Chan Kongsang”, which means “born in Hong Kong”. In the early 1980s, Jackie went to Hollywood. Today, he is well- known all over the world. Many people like his action movies very much.

【小题1】When he was ____________ years old, Xiao Shenyang became a student of Zhao Benshan.

A．23

B．24

C．25

D．27

【小题2】Where was Liu Qian born?

A．In Liaoning Province.	B．In Taiwan.
C．In Hong Kong.	D．In Beijing.

【小题3】When did Liu Qian win Taiwan’s Youth Magic Competition?

A．In 1976 .

B．In 1980.

C．In 1988.

D．In 2006.

【小题4】 Jackie Chan is a well-known ____________.

A．actor

B．magician

C．pianist

D．player

【小题5】Which of the following is WRONG according to the passage?

A．Zhao Benshan is a famous comedy actor.

B．Xiao Shenyang is younger than Liu Qian.

C．Jackie Chan was born in Hong Kong, China.

D．Liu Qian performed in the street to make money.