Music for Humans and Humpback Whales   

    As researchers conclude in Science, the love of music is not only a universal feature of the human species, but is also deeply fixed in complex structures of the human brain, and is far more ancientthan previously suspected.

    In the articles that discuss the field of bio-musicology, the study of the biological basis for the creation and appreciation of music, researchers present various evidence to show that music-making is at once an original human "business", and an art form with skillful performers throughout the animal kingdom.

    The new reports stress that humans hold no copy right on sound wisdom, and that a number of nonhuman animals produce what can rightly be called music, rather than random sound. Recentin-depth analyses of the songs sung by humpback whales show that, even when their organ would allow them to do otherwise, the animals converge on the same choices relating to sounds and beauty, and accept the same laws ofsong composition as those preferred by human musicians, and human ears, everywhere.

    For example, male humpback whales, who spend six months of each year doing little else but singing, use rhythms (节奏) similar to those found in human music and musical phrases of similar length—a few seconds. Whales areable to make sounds over a range of at least seven octaves (八度音阶), yet they tend to move on through a song in beautiful musical intervals, rather than moving forwards madly. They mix thesounds like drums and pure tones in a ratio (比例) which agrees with that heard in much western music. They also usea favorite technique of human singers, the so-called A-B-A form, in which a theme is stated, then developed, and then returned to in slightly revised form.

    Perhaps most impressive, humpback songs contain tunes that rhyme. "This suggests that whales use rhyme in the same way we do: as a technique in poem tohelp them remember complex material," the researchers write.

    To American visitors, Iceland is a very interesting country, partly because it is different in so many ways from he or she is used to seeing at home. There are quite a few things that are not done, or that do not exist on the island—quite a few “No's”.

    There is no pollution, for instance, no dogs are permitted in Reykjavik, the capital. There is no television on Thursdays or during the whole month of July, and only three hours of black and white TV the rest of the time. There is no hard liquor（酒） on Wednesdays and no beer at any time. There is no handguns; only one prison of thirty-five rooms in the whole land—an admirable figure, even for a small country of 313,376 people.

There is no army, air force or navy. There is no tipping（给小费） for anything. There are no large stores open on Saturdays or Sundays. Since Iceland is located just under the Arctic Circle, there is no darkness in summer and no daylight in winter. But thanks to Gulf Stream, the climate is rather mild, with temperatures between 34 degrees and 52 degrees in July.

The rules on television liquor and guns are the result of government decisions. But the absence of pollution is because of in great part the fact that Iceland gets its power from the thousands of hot springs(泉水) that come out of the ground. They provide all the energy needed by the country. In fact, Iceland uses only 3 percent of all its available power.

    Iceland has been described as a democratic（民主的） independent country where more fish are caught and more books published per person than anywhere else in the world. The Icelanders have always felt a particular love for literature. They wrote their first books in the ninth and tenth centuries AD. These works were poems and tales about the kings, heroes, and heroines of Iceland and Norway. At first, the stories were remembered and passed from generation to generation. They were finally written down between 1140 and 1220. The Icelanders have never stopped writing ever since. “Rather shoeless than bookless,” they proudly say.

请阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

CHRONOLOGICA

——The Unbelievable Years that Defined History

DID YOU KNOW…

  In 105AD paper was invented in China?

  When Columbus discovered the New World?

  The British Museum opened in 1759?

CHRONOLOGICA is a fascinating journey through time,from the foundation of Rome to the creation of the internet. Along the way are tales of kings and queens,hot air balloons…and monkeys in space.

    Travel through 100 of the most unbelievable years in world history and learn why being a Roman Emperor wasn't always as good as it sounds,how the Hundred Years' War didn't actually last for 100 years and why Spencer Perceval holds a rather unfortunate record.

    CHRONOLOGICA is an informative and entertaining tour into history, beautifully illustrated and full of unbelievable facts. While CHRONOLOGICA tells the stories of famous people in history such as Thomas Edison and Alexander the Great, this book also gives an account of the lives of lesser-known individuals including the exploeer Mungo Park and sculptor Gutzon Borglum.

    This complete but brief historical collection is certain to entertain readers young and old,and guaranteed to present even the biggest history lover with somgthing new!

    If you are interested in studying at an American university, you have to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language. The test is widely known as the TOEFL. It is the most widely used language exam for American universities.

    There are two major kinds of the TOEFL test. The first is the IBT，or Internet based Test. It is offered in most of the world and accepted by nearly every university and scholarship program in the United States. The other kind of the test is called the Paper­based Test or PBT. The PBT is less costly to take and does not require use of the Internet.

    But how to get started with TOEFL? Here are some tips.

    ⒈Plan ahead — It takes a long time to improve your TOEFL score. Do not expect a big lift in your test results after two weeks. You will have to spend a lot of time and energy.

    ⒉Master the basics first — You should have to be good at basic English before you take the test. If you score below 500 on the PBT or 70 on the IBT, study for a few months and come back to the TOEFL later.

    ⒊Get a study guide — It is easy to find study guides for the IBT. Pearson, Barron's, ETS, and Kaplan all produce quality materials, take a practice test once or twice a month. The best study guides will have explanations in the answer key.

    ⒋Use outside resources — Remember, you are learning a language, not a test. You can improve your TOEFL score by making English part of your daily life. Some simple ways are listening to English speakers, watching movies and reading newspapers. Some others are reading English textbooks, sending and reading text messages in English, and writing online in English.

    The best way to do well on the TOEFL is to know English well. The real goal of the test is to measure how well a student can communicate in English­speaking classroom.

    If you want to know more, please click here.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}The Christian Science Monitor became the first national newspaper to shut down its print edition, and recently, the world famous magazine Newsweek announced that it would soon cease publishing on paper and shift to an online-only format(版式). Will the printed newspaper one day be replaced by online newspaper?{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    People who believe that printed newspapers will disappear think the new media, such as the Internet and mobile phone applications, have a great influence on people's life. Online newspaper is fast, instant, and convenient, while the printed newspaper often responds slowly to the latest news. People are now used to reading online newspaper on their smart phones, and no one has the patience of waiting for the printed newspaper.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}The printed newspaper consumes a large number of natural resources, and will, in the long term, be gradually replaced.

    For those who hold an optimistic view, they have their own reasons{#blank#}4{#/blank#}For these people, printed newspaper is an important way to know about the latest events at home and abroad.

    Although the printed newspaper cannot be as fast-responding as the online newspaper, it still can provide many in-depth reports and analytical articles for readers. Many column writers are invited to write special feature reports for the printed newspaper.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Many readers prefer to read the printed newspaper for they do not like staring at the computer or cell phone screen. Printed newspaper is also preferred by the elderly people.

A. Some believe so while many still hold an optimistic view on the future of traditional newspaper.

B. However, those who work for newspaper are finding work in other areas.

C. In recent years, traditional printed newspaper has faced a serious challenge.

D. Online newspaper is also environment-friendly, which consist with the trend of saving energy in today's world.

E. Increasingly, many audiences are turning to the Internet, which has become the primary location for finding news stories.

F. There are still a large number of people in the world who have no access to the Internet.

G. Online newspaper, on the other hand, is only suitable for fast reading.

What Teenagers Can Do To Earn More Respect

    As teenagers continue to grow and develop into young adults, the transition (过渡) into adulthood has begun. With so many physical and emotional changes going on, certain manners are often forgotten and other adult traits(品质) are not yet accepted as a way of life. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}By doing the following things, you will earn more respect.

    Contribute to the household

    At the very least, clean up after yourself. As a teenager, you are old enough to clean up after yourself. When you make a mess, clean it up. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} All chores(琐事) that you do help to reduce the load of the person who did them before. Now that you're old enough and capable, why shouldn't you contribute to the household? {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Be responsible

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Whether they are basic things, like brushing your teeth or doing your homework, or more involved chores that contribute to the household, simply fulfill your responsibilities on time. When adults know that they can rely on you, their trust and respect for you will increase.

    Solve more of your own problem without asking for help

    Instead of taking the easy approach and asking for help, make an effort to solve your problems on your own first. The “easy way” is only easy for you, but it is an extra task for the person from whom you are seeking help. Seek help only after you have made an honest effort to solve your own problems. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} When you become a good problem solver, you increase your value to the community.

A. Everyone has certain responsibilities.

B. By being aware of these manners and traits, you can manage them sooner.

C. The people doing the chores before will greatly appreciate the help.

D. This includes, but is not limited to, your dishes and your room.

E. It will make your life more pleasant.

F. Depending on the problem, 15 minutes of effort is usually a good guideline.

G. When speaking to a group, speak loud enough.