Everybody hates rats. But in the earthquake places of the world – Japan, Los Angeles, Turkey – rats will soon be man’s new best friends.
What happens after an earthquake? We send in rescue(救援) dogs. Why? Because they can smell people. Dogs save lives. They help rescuers to find living people. But dogs are big and they can’t get into small spaces. So now a new research project is using a smaller animal to save lives: the rat.
How does it work? First, the rat is trained to smell people. When this happens, the rat’s brain gives a signal. This is sent to a small radio on its back, and then the rescuers follow the radio signals. When the rat’s brain activity jumps, the rescuers know that someone is alive. The rat has smelled that person.
Although there are already robots which can do this job, rats are better. Christian Linster at Cornell University, New York, says, “ ‘Robot’ noses don’t work well when there are other smells around. Rats are good at that.” Rats can also see in the dark. They are cheaper and quicker to train than dogs, and unlike robots, they don’t need electricity.
The “ rat project” is not finished, but Julie Ryan of International Rescue Corps in Scotland says, “ It would be fantastic. A rat would get into spaces we couldn’t get to and a rat would get out if it wasn’t safe.” Perhaps for the first time in history, people will be happy to see a rat in a building ( but only after an earthquake, of course.)
【小题1】In the earthquake places, rats will become man’s best friends because they can __________.

A．take the place of man in rescue jobs

B．find the positions of people alive who are trapped in buildings

C．serve as food for people alive who are trapped in buildings

D．send signals for the coming earthquake

【小题2】The underlined word “that” in Paragraph 4 refers to(所指)  _________  

A．treating wounded people.

B．helping rescuers.

C．smelling people among different smells.

D．carry the wounded people to safety.

【小题3】From the third paragraph we know the rescuers can judge a person is alive by ___________.

A．the nose made by the rat

B．the rat’s unusual behavior

C．the signal sent by the radio on the rat’s back

D．the smell given off by the person

【小题4】In doing rescue jobs, __________________________.

A．rats have better sense of smell than dogs.

B．dogs don’t need to be trained to smell people.

C．robots’ sense of smell can be affected by other smells around.

D．rats can see in the dark and are smaller than robots.

【小题5】After reading the passage we can know ______________________________.

A．rats have taken the place of dogs in search for people.

B．the “ rat project” has been completed

C．people are now happy to see a rat in a building

D．now people still use dogs and robots in performing rescue

Most animals protect(保护) their young until they are old enough to take care of themselves. A fish that swims in the rivers of South America protects its young in a very strange way. This fish, a kind of catfish, uses its mouth to keep its babies from danger(危险).
When this catfish lays(产卵) its eggs, it carries them in its mouth. From what we know, it does not eat during this time. After the eggs hatch(孵化), the fish swims with its young to protect them. It opens its mouth when danger appears(出现), and the tiny fish swim inside. They swim out only when it’s safe again.
These catfish may have a peculiar way to protect their young, but it seems(好像) to work.
【小题1】The best title(标题) is _____________.

A．Staying Away From Danger	B．How A Fish Protect Its Young
C．Laying Eggs	D．A Cat That Swims

【小题2】 The catfish in the story live in _________________.

A．lakes

B．the sea

C．rivers

D．North America

【小题3】The young fish are ____________________.

A．tiny

B．large

C．yellow and gold

D．very brave

【小题4】If the young fish were not near their parents, they would be ______________.

A．safer

B．in greater danger

C．happier

D．less hungry

【小题5】 The word “peculiar” in the story means ________________.

A．easy

B．useless

C．strange

D．dangerous

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阅读下面的短文，根据短文中的信息完成文后的表格（每空一词）

Do you know how to keep fish at home?

The fish need room(空间). They must not be crowded（拥挤）. Fish need oxygen(氧气). Fish get it from water in the tank. There must be enough water for all fish in the tank. So the size of the tank is important..

In the tank many people put small plants. They give oxygen to the water. Plants help in other ways, too. Fish can nibble(轻咬)on the plants. They hide in the plants and sleep, lay eggs there.

Both the plants and fish need light. You can put it near a window. It will get light there. But remember: a window may let cold air in. The cold can kill(杀死) your fish. Too hot water can kill your fish, too.

The fish need food and you should feed them every day. Giving them too much food is bad. It will make the water dirty. However, the fish should get just enough food. They should finish the food in 10 minutes. No extra(多余) is left. When this happens, the amount(数量)of food is right.

How to keep fish at home

Advice	_______1_____
1.The ___2___ of the tank is important	Fish need enough room because they will be crowded in a small tank. They need __3____ water because they get oxygen from it.
2.You can put small plants in the tank	Plants can give oxygen to the water, they also give a ____4___ to fish to hide, sleep and lay eggs
3.You can put the tank ___5___ a window, but don’t let cold air in.	Light is __6____ for fish and plants. It can get in through the window. But you shouldn’t ___7__ cold air can also get in and cold air will kill your fish.
4.Feed the fish every day but not too ____8__	Too much food makes water ____9___ easily. When fish can finish ____10___ food in 10 minutes, the amount of food is right.

 

Have you ever heard someone use the phrase” once in a blue moon”? People use this expression to describe something that they do not do very often. For example, someone might say that he tries to avoid eating sweets because they are unhealthy, but will eat chocolate” once in a blue moon”. Or someone who does not usually like to go to the beach might say “I visit the shore once in a blue moon.”While many people use this phrase, not everyone knows the meaning behind it.
The first thing to know is that the moon itself is never really blue. This is just an expression. In fact, the phrase” blue moon” has to do with the shape of the moon, not the color.
As the moon travels around the earth, it appears to change shape. We associate certain names with certain shapes of the moon. For example, when we can see a small part of the moon it is called a crescent moon. A crescent is a shape that looks like the tip of a fingernail when we cannot see the moon at all; it is called a new moon.
When we can see the whole moon is called a full moon. Usually, there is only one full moon every month. Sometimes, however there will be two full moons in one month. When this happens, the second full moon is called a blue moon”.
Over the next 20 years, there will only be 15 blue moons. As you can see, a blue moon is a very rare (稀有的)event. This fact has led people to use the expression” once in a blue moon” to describe other very rare events in their lives.
【小题1】Which of the following would be a good example of using the phrase” once in a blue moon”.

A．Simon often tells jokes. Simon tells jokes once in a blue moon.

B．Tom rarely remembers to do exercise. Tom does exercise once in a blue moon.

C．Mary likes to go shopping every weekend. Mary goes shopping once in a blue moon.

D．Cindy hates to stay up, but she stays up every day. Cindy stays up once in a blue moon.

【小题2】When does a blue moon happen in nature?

A．When the moon has a blue moon.

B．When we cannot see the moon at all.

C．When there are two full moons in one month.

D．When we can only see a small part of the color.

【小题3】How often will a blue moon happen over the next twenty years?

A．Once a year.	B．Less than once a year.
C．More than once a year.	D．At least twice a year.

【小题4】What does the underlined part “This fact” in the last paragraph refer to?

A．A blue moon is a very rare event.

B．The moon appears to change shape.

C．The moon itself is never really bluee.

D．A blue moon has to do with the shape of the moon.

※When parents get angry, it isn't the time to get angry back. A lot of times they're not upset with you, but with their boss, the neighbor, or the price of vegetables. You just happen to be there at the wrong time. Look hurt? Get out of the way when they're in a bad mood. They need some time and space. Go outside, to a friend's house, or to your room. At last they will become calm and miss you.

※If you have trouble talking to your parents, or if they get angry every time you try to discuss something, write a note. Put it on their bedside table. Parents are easily moved by notes like this and will probably keep them forever.

※Do not create situations where there is a winner and a loser. You're the child and will probably lose most of the time. How many times have you grounded your mother or taken away the phone privileges(特权) from your dad? Try to compromise with each other and work out a situation where both of you win.

※Ask your parents once a day, "Is there anything I can do for you?"  Most of the time they will probably say no, or give you something that will take a few minutes to complete. Your parents will love this and see you as a very cooperative(可合作的) person. When this happens, they will probably be more cooperative with you. You could also surprise them by doing something they don't make you do. They'll tell everyone you are the best possible son or daughter and, what's more, they will believe it. ※Click for more information at the red icon on the left.

【小题1】Leave a note on your parents’ bedside table if___________.

A．your parents quarrel with each other

B．you find it difficult to talk with them

C．you want to be the best possible child

D．you go outside to your friend’s house

【小题2】From the above we learn_________.

A．if we want to help do house work, parents always refuse us.

B．your parents will be hurt if you get angry back at a wrong time.

C．parents often ground children and control their use of the telephone

D．if we want to discuss with parents, we should wait till they are happy

【小题3】The underlined word “compromise” probably means_________.

A．抗争

B．妥协

C．承诺

D．辩论

【小题4】What’s the topic of the above?

A．How to cooperate with family and friends

B．Arguments between children and parents

C．Tips for teenagers on family problems

D．Advice on educating angry children

【小题5】You can read the above _________.

A．in a magazine	B．in a newspaper
C．in a poster	D．on the Internet