C

Along the river banks of the Amazon and the Orinoco there lives a bird that swims before it can fly, flies like a fat chicken, eats green leaves, has the stomach of a cow and has claws (爪) on its wings when young. They build their homes about 4. 6m above the river, an important feature (特征) for the safety of the young. It is called the hoatzin.

In appearance, the birds of both sexes look very much alike with brown on the back and cream and red on the underside. The head is small, with a large set of feathers on the top, bright red eyes, and blue skin. Its nearest relatives are the common birds, cuckoos. Its most striking feature, though, is only found in the young.

Baby hoatzins have a claw on the leading edge of each wing and another at the end of each wing tip. Using these four claws, together with the beak (喙), they can climb about in the bushes, looking very much like primitive birds must have done. When the young hoatzins have learned to fly, they lose their claws.

During the drier months between December and March hoatzins fly about the forest in groups of 20 to 30 birds, but in April, when the rainy season begins, they collect together in smaller living units of two to seven birds for producing purposes.

63. What is the text mainly about?

A. Hoatzins in dry and rainy seasons.

B. The relatives and enemies of hoatzins.

C. Primitive birds and hoatzins of the Amazon.

D. The appearance and living habits of hoatzins.

64. Young hoatzins are different from their parents in that ________.

A. they look like young cuckoos

B. they have claws on the wings

C. they eat a lot like a cow

D. they live on river banks

65. What can we infer about primitive birds from the text?

A. They had claws to help them climb.

B. They could fly long distances.

C. They had four wings like hoatzins.

D. They had a head with long feathers on the top.

66. Why do hoatzins collect together in smaller groups when the rainy season comes?

A. To find more food.

B. To protect themselves better.

C. To keep themselves warm.

D. To produce their young.

D

Science can’t explain the power of pets, but many studies have shown that the company of pets can help lower blood pressure (血压) and raise chances of recovering from a heart attack, reduce loneliness and spread all-round good cheer.

Any owner will tall you how much joy a pet brings. For some, an animal provides more comfort than a husband/wife. A 2002 study by Karen Allen of the State University of New York measured stress (紧张) levels and blood pressure in people—half of them pet owners—while they performed 5 minutes of mental arithmetic (算术) or held a hand in ice water. Subjects completed the tasks alone, with a husband/wife, a close friend or with a pet. People with pets did it best. Those tested with their animal friends had smaller change in blood pressure and returned most quickly to baseline heart rates. With pets in the room, people also made fewer math mistakes than when doing in front of other companions. It seems people feel more relaxed (放松)around pets, says Allen, who thinks it may be because pets don’t judge.

A study reported last fall suggests that having a pet dog not only raises your spirits but may also have an effect on your eating habits. Researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital spent a year studying 36 fat people and their equally fat dogs on diet-and-exercise programs; a separate group of 56 people without pets were put on a diet program. On average, people lost about I1 pounds, or 5% of their body weight. Their dogs did even better, losing an average of 12 pounds, more than 15% of their body weight. Dog owners didn’t lose any more weight than those without dogs but, say researchers, got more exercise overall-mostly with their dogs - and found it worth doing.

67. What does the text mainly discuss?

A. What pets bring to their owners.

B. How pets help people calm down.

C. People’s opinions of keeping pets.

D. Pet’s value in medical research.

68. We learn from the text that a person with heart disease has a better chance of getting well if ________.

A. he has a pet companion

B. he has less stress of work

C. he often does mental arithmetic

D. he is taken care of by his family

69. according to Allen, why did the people do better with pets around when facing stressful tasks?

A. They have lower blood pressure.

B. They become more patient.

C. They are less nervous.

D. They are in higher spirits.

70. The research mentioned in the last paragraph reports that ________.

A. people with dogs did more exercise

B. dogs lost the same weight as people did

C. dogs liked exercise much more than people did

D. people without dogs found the program unhelpful

E

There were smiling children all the way. Charily they knew at what time the train passed their homes and they made it their business to stand along the railway, wave to complete strangers and cheer them up as they rushed towards Penang. Often whole families stood outside their homes and waved and smiled as if those on the trains were their favorite relatives. This is the simple village people of Maiaysia. I was moved.

I had always traveled to Malaysia by plane or car, so this was the first time I was on a train. I did not particularly relish the long train journey and had brought along a dozen magazines to read and reread. I looked about the train. There was not one familiar face. I sighed and sat down to read my Economics.

It was not long before the train was across the Causeway and in Malaysia. Johore Baru was just another city like Singapore, so I was tired of looking at the crowds of people as they hurried past. As we went beyond the city, I watched the straight rows of rubber trees and miles and miles of green. Then the first village came into sight, Immediately I came alive; I decided to wave hack.

From then on my journey became interesting. I threw my magazines into the waste basket and decided to join in Malaysian life. Then everything came alive. The mountains seemed to speak to me. Even the trees were smiling. I stared at everything as if I was looking at it for the first time.

The day passed fast and I even forgot to have my lunch until I felt hungry. I looked at my watch and was surprised that it was 3:00 pm. Soon the train pulled up at Butterworth. I looked at the people all around me. They all looked beautiful. When my uncle arrived with a smile, I threw my arms around him to give him a warm hug (拥抱). I had never done this before. He seemed surprised and then his weather-beaten face warmed up with a huge smile. We walked arm in arm to his car.

I looked forward to the return journey.(www.nmet168.com)

71. The author expected the train trip to be ________.

A. adventurous                 B. pleasant                     C. exciting                               D. dull

72. What did the author remember most fondly of her train trip?

A. The friendly country people.                                B. The mountains along the way.

C. The crowds of people in the streets.                 D. The simple lunch served on the train.

73. Which of the following words can best take the place of the word “relish” in the second paragraph?

A. choose                           B. enjoy                              C. prepare for                       D. carry on

74. Where was the writer going?

A. Johore Baru.                 B. The Causeway.          C. Butterworth.                   D. Singapore.

75. What can we learn from the story?

A. Comfort in traveling by t rain.                              B. Pleasure of living in the country.

C. Reading gives people delight.                                D. Smiles brighten people up.

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