she would hear strange noises made by Mlaika after sunset. Mlaika was a 10-year-old African elephant.
Mlaika lived near a highway. Dr. Poole says, ―I could not tell the difference between Mlaika’s call and the distant truck noise.‖ She and other scientists studied Mlaika’s sounds. It turned out that Mlaika was copying the sounds of the trucks driving by. Why would Mlaika copy trucks that she heard going by on the highway? Animals that are able to copy sounds may enjoy practicing new sounds. When they are kept outside of their natural environment, they may copy unusual sounds. That may be why an elephant would copy the sound of a truck.
―Mlaika was not the only copycat elephant,‖ Dr. Poole says. Calimero is a 23-year-old male African elephant. He spent 18 years with two female Asian elephants. Asian elephants make chirping sounds (sounds made by birds) to talk with one another. African elephants usually do not make chirping sounds. But Calimero now does. He is copying his Asian elephant friends. Dr. Poole says that elephants need to form bonds with their family and friends. She says, ―They make sounds to communicate with each other. When they are separated, they use sounds to keep in contact.‖
Parrots, dolphins, humans, and elephants show that being a copycat is one way that animals and people make new friends and keep old ones.
【小题1】. According to the passage, what does Mlaika copy?
A. The sound of people. C. The sound of Calimero.
B. The sound of trucks. D. The sound of birds.
【小题2】. Why is Calimero mentioned in the passage?
A. To clarify the meaning of copycat elephants. B. To show the cleverness of African elephants. C. To add another example of copycat elephants. D. To introduce a special life skill of Asian elephants. 【小题3】. From paragraph 4, we can know ________.
A. how long it takes for an elephant to learn a new sound B. why the African elephant can make chirping sounds C. why the Asian elephants make noises after sunset D. how Asian and African elephants are alike
【小题4】. According to the passage, why do some animals like to be copycats?
A. To keep in touch with nature. B. To please people and other animals. C. To make new friends and keep old ones. D. To avoid the danger from the outside world. 【答案】 【小题1】B 【小题2】C 【小题3】B 【小题4】C
考点：考
查故事类短文阅读
B
Matthew Henson—Arctic Explorer
In 1880, fourteen-year-old Matthew Henson loved to hear sailors tell tales of their exciting lives at sea. The travel, the adventure, the danger, and the steady pay were all attracting young Henson. One day, he found a job as a cabin boy on a beautiful ship called the Katie Hinds. For the next five years, Henson sailed around the world. With the help of the ship’s captain and other members of the crew, Henson learned mathematics, navigation, history, geography, and many other subjects. By the time he left the Katie Hinds in 1885, Henson was well educated and had become an excellent seaman.
Unable to find work anywhere else, Henson took a job in a hat shop in Washington, D.C. One day in 1887, a man came in to buy a hat. The man, Robert Peary, asked the owner if he knew anyone with experience at sea. Peary would soon travel to South America for the U.S. government.
He needed experienced men to accompany him. The shop owner knew about his young employee’s skills and experience on ocean journeys, so he introduced Peary to Henson.
Using his map-reading and sailing skills, Henson proved himself to be a worthy and smart seaman. Peary soon made Henson his assistant, and they became close friends. One day Peary told Henson about his real dream: to be the first man to stand on ―the top of the world‖ at the North Pole. He asked Henson to help him make his dream come true. Over the next five years, the two explorers made two trips together to the Arctic. However, they were not able to reach the pole either time. The cold, wind, and ice were worse than either of them had ever imagined.
In 1908, Peary and Henson were ready to make their final attempt at reaching the North Pole. Both men were over forty years old. The years of hardship in the arctic cold had made them suffer a lot. This would be their last chance. With four Inuit guides, they made a mad rush straight across the ice toward the pole. Peary’s feet were injured and he had to be pulled on a dogsled. In April 1909, Henson’s instruments showed they were standing at the North Pole. Together Henson and Peary planted the American flag in the snow.
In later years, Robert Peary and Henson were greatly honored for their achievements. Today, the two friends and fellow explorers lie in heroes’ graves not far apart in the Arlington National Cemetery.
【小题1】. In paragraph1, the author shows how Henson became ________. A. a skilled seaman
B. a highly educated captain D. interested in helping others
C. employed in a restaurant
【小题2】. Paragraph 2 mainly tells us ________. A. how Matthew Henson met Robert Peary B. why Matthew Henson went to the hat shop
C. why Matthew Henson stopped working on the Katie Hinds D. how Robert Peary knew that Matthew Henson had sea experience
【小题3】. On their trip to the North Pole, Henson and Peary could best be compared to ________.
A. treasure hunters seeking big fortunes B. generals seeking power over another country C. soldiers going to war to fight for their freedom
D. fighters performing a task in an unknown land
【小题4】. The information presented in this passage is mainly organized ________. A. by cause and effect
B. by comparing and contrasting C. in the order that the events happened D. with main ideas and supporting examples 【答案】 【小题1】A 【小题2】A 【小题3】D 【小题4】C
考
点：考查故事类短文阅读
C
Human beings have used tools for a very long time. In some parts of the world you can still find tools that people used more than two million years ago. They made these tools by hitting one stone against another. In this way, they broke off pieces from one of the stones. These chips of stone were usually sharp on one side. People used them for cutting meat and skin from dead animals, and also for making other tools out of wood. Human beings needed to use tools because they did not have sharp teeth like other meat eating animals, such as lions and tigers. Tools helped people to get food more easily.
Working with tools also helped to develop human intelligence. The human brain grew bigger, and human beings began to invent more and more tools and machines. The stone chip was one of the first tools that people used, and perhaps it is the most important. Some scientists say that it was the key to success of mankind.
相关推荐：
loading