___1____ Maybe you thought that they were just happy. After all, you probably sing or whistle when you are happy.
However, they sing most of the time for a very different reason. ____2___ Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of the time just because they are happy.
Do you know what a “territory” is? A territory is an area that an animal, usually the male, claims(声称)as its own. ____3___ No other families of the same species are welcome. Your yard and house are your territory where only your family and friends are welcome. If a stranger should enter your territory and threaten you, you might shout. Probably this would be enough to frighten him away. If so, you have actually scared the stranger away without having to fight him. A bird does the same thing. But he expects an outsider almost any time, especially at nesting(筑巢)season. So he is screaming all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not.__4__.
Birds sing loudest in the spring when they are trying to attract a mate and warn others not to enter the territory of theirs. You can see that birds have a language all their own. ___5__

A．Only he and his family are welcome there.

B．Most of it has to do with attracting mates and setting up territories.

C．Have you ever wondered why birds sing?

D．Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory.

E. Have you ever wondered why birds sing?
F. Most of the language is widely used.
G. This screaming is what we call a bird’s song, and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away.

My teenage son Karl became withdrawn after his father died. As a single parent, I tried to do my best to talk to him. But the more I tried, the more he pulled away. When his report card arrived during his junior year, it said that he had been absent 95 times from classes and had six falling grades for the year. At this rate he would never graduate. I sent him to the school adviser, and I even begged him. Nothing worked.

One night I felt so powerless that I got down on my knees and pleaded for help. “Please God, I can’t do anything more for my son.  I’m at the end of my rope. I’m giving the whole thing up to you.”

I was at work when I got a phone call. A man introduced himself as the headmaster. “I want to talk to you about Karl’s absences.” Before he could say another word, I choked up and all my disappointment and sadness over Karl came pouring out into the ears of this stranger. “I love my son but I just don’t know what to do. I’ve tried everything to get Karl to go back to school and nothing has worked. It’s out of my hands. “For a moment there was silence on the other end of the line. The headmaster seriously said, “Thank you for your time”, and hung up .

Karl’s next report card showed a marked improvement in his grades. Finally, he even made the honor roll .In his fourth year, I attended a parent-teacher meeting with Karl . I noticed that his teachers were astonished at the way he had turned himself around. On our way home, he said, “Mum, remember that call from the headmaster last year?” I nodded. “That was me. I thought I’d play a joke but when I heard what you said, it really hit me how much I was hurting you. That’s when I knew I had to make you proud.”

By saying “Karl became withdrawn”, the author means that the boy changed entirely and  ________  .

  A．preferred to stay alone at home       B．lost interest in his studies

  C．refused to talk to others             D．began to dislike his mother

There was silence on the other end of the line because  ________ .

  A．the speaker was too moved to say anything to the mother

  B．the speaker waited for the mother to finish speaking

  C．the speaker didn’t want the mother to recognize his voice

  D．the speaker was unable to interrupt the mother

The sentence “…he even made the honor roll” means that “ ________  ”.

  A．he was even on the list to be praised at the parent-teacher meeting

  B．he was even on the list of students who made progress in grades

  C．he was even on the list of students who had turned themselves around

  D．he was even on the list of the best students at school

What is the main idea of this passage?

  A．Children in single-parent families often have mental problems.

  B．Mother’s love plays an important role in teenagers’ life.

  C．Being understood by parents is very important to teenagers.

  D．School education doesn’t work without full support from parents.

Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just happy. After all, you probably sing when you are happy. Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of the time just because they are happy. However, they sing most of the time for a very different reason. Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory.

　Do you know what a “territory” is? A territory is an area that an animal, usually the male, claims (声称) as its own. Only he and his family are welcome there. No other families of the same species are welcome. Your house is your territory where only your family and friends are welcome. If a stranger should enter your territory and threaten you, you might shout. Probably this would be enough to frighten him away. If so, you have actually frightened the stranger away without having to fight him. A bird does the same thing. But he expects an outsider almost any time, especially at nesting (筑巢) season. So he is screaming all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not. This screaming is what we call a bird’s song, and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away.

1.Some scientists believe that most of the time bird’s singing is actually ________.

A.an expression of happiness      B. a way of warning

B.an expression of anger          D. a way of greeting

2.What is a bird’s “territory”?

A．A place where families of other species are not accepted.

B．A place where a bird may shout at the top of its voice.

C．An area for which birds fight against each other.

D．An area which a bird considers to be its own.

3.Why do birds keep on singing at nesting season?

A．Because they want to invite more friends.

B．Because their singing helps frighten outsiders away.

C．Because they want to find outsiders around.

D．Because their singing helps get rid of their fears.

4.How does the writer explain birds’ singing?

A．By comparing birds with human beings.       B．By reporting experiment results.

C．By describing birds’ daily life.             D．By telling a bird’s story.

5.What does the underline word “screaming” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．哭喊声           B．令人惊愕的        C．尖叫声           D．尖叫的

 

Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just happy. After all, you probably sing when you are happy.
Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of the time just because they are happy. However, they sing most of the time for a very different reason. Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory.
Do you know what a “territory” is? A territory is an area that an animal, usually the male, claims (声称) as its own. Only he and his family are welcome there. No other families of the same species are welcome. Your house is your territory where only your family and friends are welcome. If a stranger should enter your territory and threaten you, you might shout. Probably this would be enough to frighten him away.
If so, you have actually frightened the stranger away without having to fight him. A bird does the same thing. But he expects an outsider almost any time, especially at nesting (筑巢) season. So he is screaming all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not. This screaming is what we call a bird’s song, and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away.
【小题1】Some scientists believe that most of the time bird’s singing is actually ________.

A．an expression of happiness	B． a way of warning
C．an expression of anger	D． a way of greeting

【小题2】What is a bird’s “territory”?

A．A place where families of other species are not accepted.

B．A place where a bird may shout at the top of its voice.

C．An area for which birds fight against each other.

D．An area which a bird considers to be its own.

【小题3】Why do birds keep on singing at nesting season?

A．Because they want to invite more friends.

B．Because their singing helps frighten outsiders away.

C．Because they want to find outsiders around.

D．Because their singing helps get rid of their fears.

【小题4】How does the writer explain birds’ singing?

A．By comparing birds with human beings.

B．By reporting experiment results.

C．By describing birds’ daily life.

D．By telling a bird’s story.

【小题5】What does the underline word “screaming” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．哭喊声

B．令人惊愕的

C．尖叫声

D．尖叫的

Japan says its prime minister promised to provide the world with "maximum transparency" about ____ accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant during _____ telephone call. 

A. the; a              B. the; the         C. an; the       D. an; a