Can Apes Really Learn To “Talk”

Who are Sarah, Washoe, Koko, and Sherman? They are chimpanzees or gorillas who some scientists claim have learned how to “talk” to humans. In the past several years people have been astonished by reports that they communicate with humans. For example, Koko, a female gorilla, is said to understand and use hundreds of words. Koko, says her trainer, Francine Patterson, can carry on conversations in sign language about her feelings and plans.

Researcher Talks Back

Recently a Columbia University scientist caused an argument by challenging the conclusion that apes can in fact use language. The scientist, Dr. Herbert Terrace, thinks that the animals do not use language the way humans do. Dr. Terrace has caused such strong feelings among scientists studying ape language. Here let’s listen to an imaginary conversation between Washoe, the first chimp to learn sign language, and Koko, the gorilla.

Apes Are Talking

Koko: Did you hear what Dr. Terrace said about us? He claims we cannot create our own sentences. Instead, he says, we react to clues accidentally given by our trainer. He says we are like the famous horse Clever Hans. Hans was supposed to be able to solve arithmetic problems and then stamp out the answers with his hoof(蹄子).

If the horse was asked what two plus two was, he would stamp four times. Although the trainer did not realized it, says Dr. Terrace, the horse was picking up clues from the trainer as to when to stop stamping.

Washoe: I disagree with Dr. Terrace. My trainer, Dr. R. Allen Gardner and his wife, Beatrice, have seen me talking in sign language to other chimps.

Koko: I heard that Dr. Terrace became unimpressed with ape language after studying a chimp named Nim. Dr. Terrace found that Nim usually made signs only after being prompted (提示) by his trainer. Yet when children learn a language, they start using many words on their own. Nim usually did not do this. Even when Nim did use additional signs, he did not add any new information. The signs (words) were repeated over and over again.

Washoe: My trainer says that Nim wasn’t given much of a chance to act on his own. He had so many different trainers, he became confused. That is not the best way to get chimps to communicate.

Koko: I’ll never understand humans. But the big question is: Can we really use language?

Koko and Washoe (together): We’ll never tell.

How do scientists who study ape language respond to Dr.  Herbert  Terrace’ idea according to the 2nd part?

A. Enthusiastic.             B. Confused.                C. Angry.                      D. Sympathetic.  

Which of the following is a match according to the passage?

A. Dr. Herbert Terrace and Koko.                  B. Dr. R. Allen Garners and Washoe.

C. Clever Hans and Sherman.                           D. Francine Patterson and Nim.

Dr. Herbert Terrace suspects that _________.

A. Nim added new information while using additional signs

B. Clever Hans picked up clues accidentally given by its trainer

C. Washoe didn’t pick up any clues from its trainer when talking

D. when a child learns a language, he starts using many words on his own

Which of the following is a fact according to the passage?

A. Nim had more than one trainer.                   

B. Apes can’t create their own language.

C. The apes are supposed to form sentences.      

D. Clever Hans is supposed to solve math problems.

The Writers' Strike：Making the Best of the Worst

       By now you are probably feeling the effects of the TV writers’ strike---the decision of television writers to stop working．With few new TV shows, I present to you a list of shows available on DVD worth your viewing time to keep you going during this painful period．

       Arrested Development is one of the funniest and most clever shows ever to have appeared on network TV．With a most perfect cast（全體演員）, the show sets out to cover the daily happenings of the Bluth family, a group of selfish staff who manage to still put family first．

       For more comedy goodness, I recommend one of the sharpest comedies to have ever broadcast, 30 Rock．Starring Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin, two stars with impressive comic timing, the show gives you a glimpse into the making of a sketch show （幽默短�。�,similar to Saturday Nigth Live, from the funny writers to the self-centered cast all the way up to the boss．

       If you are looking for something more serious, or perhaps Friday Night lights might be more to your liking．If you are a fan of football, this show is probably for you．If you are a fan of great drama, both soapy and serious, this show is probably for you, If you are a fan of good-looking people, this show is definitely for you ．

       If those shows were not enough for you, might I recommend a show with a more heart-pounding excitement? The Amazing Race, after twelve seasons, still remains one of the most exciting shows on TV．Teams of two travel the globe with little to no money and experience far-out adventures in an attempt to remain the last team standing．

If you are fond of soapy TV shows, you will probably choose to watch       ．

       A．Friday Night Lights          B．30 Rock

       C．the Amazing Race         D．Saturday Night Live

From the DVD shows listed above, we can learn that　　　．

       A．two teams won the amazing race

       B．football fans enjoy the Amazing Race

       C．the Bluths care about their family though selfish

       D．30 Rock and Saturday Night Live have nothing in common

The author writes the passage to tell us that        ．

       A．the effects of the TV writers’ strike are great

       B．the strike puts TV shows in the worst situation

       C．watching DVD is a good choice during the strike

       D．we should choose DVD shows according to our tastes

The passage is most probably taken from       ．

       A．a(chǎn) book review      B．a(chǎn) newspaper    

       C．a(chǎn) film poster        D．a(chǎn) DVD menu

Our spiritual intelligence quotient （精神智商）, or SQ, helps us understand ourselves, and live fuller, happier lives．

       Though we're all born with SQ, most of us don’t even realize that we have it．Fortunately, you don't have to sign up for classes to learn how to improve your SQ．Here are some simple steps that can lead you to this new level of understanding．

       Sit Quietly．The process of developing spiritual intelligence begins with solitude （獨處） and silence．To tune in to your spirit, you have to turn down the volume （強度） in your busy, noisy, complicated life and force yourself to do nothing at all．Start small by creating islands for silence in your day．In the car, instead of listening to the music, use the time to think．At work, shut the door to your office between meetings, take a few breaths and let them out very, very slowly．Enjoy the stillness in your home after the kids are finally in bed．

       Step Outside． For many people, nature sets their spirit free．Go outside to watch a beautiful sunset．If you are walking with the dog, take the time to admire flower in bloom; follow the light of a bird and watch clouds float overhead．

       Ask Questions of Yourself．Ask open-ended questions, such as "What am I feeling? What are my choices? Where am I heading?"

       But don't expect an answer to arrive through some supernatural form of e-mail．"Rarely do I get an immediate answer to my question," says Reverend Joan Carter, a Presbyterian minister in Sausalito, California．“But later that day I suddenly find myself thinking about a problem in a perspective（角度） I never considered before．”

       Trust Your Spirit．While most of us rely on gut（本能的） feeling to realize danger, spiritual intelligence pushes us, not away from, but towards some action that will lead to a greater good．

The passage is mainly about           ．

       A．what your SQ is and in what way it can benefit our life

       B．what your SQ is and in what way it can be improved

       C．the relationship between your SQ and your life

       D．a(chǎn)dvantages and disadvantages of SQ

The underlined phrase "to tune in to your spirit" in the third paragraph probably means to _____．

       A．get your spirit relaxed          B．keep up your spirit

       C．keep seated quietly            D．change your spirit

From the passage, we can know that the most important thing to improve your SQ is      ．

       A．a(chǎn) peaceful mind           B．deep thought  

       C．spare time and hobbies         D．good spirits

According to the passage, which of the following is True?

       A．Not everyone has SQ．

       B．You have to go to classes to learn how to improve your SQ．

       C．SQ leads us to take wrong actions．

       D．SQ can benefit our life．

------Mum，can I go out to play with Tom for just a while ？

       ------ _______ and do what you like．

       A．No way        B．Go ahead       C．It depends      D．Don’t worry

We had three sets of garden tools and we seemed to have no use for _________.

       A. none   B. either   C. any D. each

Jack, I’m afraid I’ll turn to you．I think chemistry is _______ physics．

A．a(chǎn)s a difficult subject as            B．a(chǎn) subject the same difficult as

       C．a(chǎn)s difficult a subject as            D．the same difficult subject as

What ______  will it make whether he knows this or not?

A. sense        B. difference        C. mistake            D. use

Time is very important in our life. It  36  our everyday moments. However, time never had any importance in my life until I   37   a watch from my father, which organized my life and made me more   38   . It’s round(圓形的) in the center with two silver bands(帶，條) that go   39  my wrist(手腕) and all of it is made of silver.

I received this   40   on a gray-sky day. I had to go to the airport at 9:00 a.m. to   41   up my uncle Ali and take him to my father’s house.   42   , I was late because I was  43  with my friends. Later on that day, around 11:00 a.m., I  44  my uncle, but I was very late for him. He had   45   the airport and taken a taxi to my father’s house.

I got to my father’s house at 2:00 p.m. that day and felt  46  of myself at that moment. After I said hello to my  47  father and tired uncle, my father asked me to sit next to him and handed me this watch as a gift from him. Then he said, “Peter, did you have  48  with your friends today?” I answered, “Yes, father, and  49 

apologized for not meeting my uncle Ali.” He said, “What you  50  was not very nice and you should feel sorry for your  51   .” I was ashamed and said, “Father, I’ll never do it again. I promise.” He said, “I hope today you learned something important, and this watch will be a   52   for you.” He told me to take this watch and use it as an organizer of my  53   .

I learned a very important lesson from my father: to  54  time and never to be late to get someone. This watch is  55   to me, not because of its price, but because of the lesson that I learned from it.

A. makes        B. organizes           C. orders         D. supplies

A. received      B. accepted            C. won           D. achieved

A. confident     B. independent         C. efficient        D. responsible

A. around       B. in                 C. on             D. with

A. card         B. thing               C. gift            D. letter

A. call          B. pick               C. put            D. bring

A. Otherwise     B. Fortunately         C. However       D. Therefore

A. going        B. leaving             C. standing        D. shopping

A. forgot        B. remembered        C. saw            D. visited

A. arrived       B. recognized          C. left            D. found

A. ashamed      B. frightened          C. disappointed    D. shy

A. nervous       B. happy             C. angry          D. doubtful

A. lunch         B. quarrel            C. appointment     D. fun

A. I             B. he                C. they           D. we

A. said          B. did                C. thought        D. forgot

A. idea          B. word              C. action          D. movement

A. wonder       B. hope               C. requirement     D. reminder

A. life           B. day               C. way           D. thought

A. waste         B. respect            C. ignore          D. enjoy

A. useful         B. necessary         C. helpful          D. important

George, when your big brother and your little dog and I walked you up to schools today, you had no idea how I was feeling.

You were so excited. You had packed and unpacked your pencils and safety scissors in your backpack a dozen times. I am really going to miss those lazy mornings when we waved your brother and sister off to school.

Because you are my youngest, I had learned a few things by the time you came along. I found out that the seemingly endless days of babyhood are gone like lightning. I blinked(眨眼), and your older siblings were setting off for school as eagerly as you did this morning, I was one of the lucky ones; I could choose whether to work or not. By the time it was your turn, the shining prizes of career advancement and a double income had lost their brightness. A splash(濺水) in the pool with you in your bright red boots or "just one more" rereading of your favorite book, Frog and Toad Are Friends, meant more. You didn't go to preschool and I hope that doesn't hold you back. You learned numbers by helping me count the soda cans we returned to the store.

I have to admit that in my mind's eye, an image of myself while you're in school has developed, I see myself updating all the photo albums and starting that novel I always wanted to write. As the summer wound down and more frequent quarrels erupted between you and your siblings, I was looking forward to today. And then this morning, I walked you up the steep hill to your classroom. You found the coat hook with your name above it right away, and you gave me one of your characteristically fierce, too-tight hugs. This time you were ready to let go before I was.

Maybe someday you will deliver a kindergartner to the first day of school. When you turn at the door to wave good-bye, he or she will be too deep in conversation with a new friend to notice. Even as you smile, you'll feel something warm on your cheek.

  And then, you’ll know…

What does the author mean by the underlined sentence?

A．She gave up the job with a big salary and prizes.

B．She could only recall her good job at home now.

C．Many good jobs with better pay attracted her but she didn’t take them.

D．Compared with bringing up the baby, work seemed to fade to her.

Which statement is NOT TRUE about George’s family according to the letter?

A．George’s parents gave birth to three children

B．The Georges is a double income family.

C．The children had more arguments during the summer.

D．They recyled soda cans.

The passage tries to show us          .

A．how excited a child will be on his first day to school

B．how deeply a mother loves her child

C．how many efforts a mother has made to raise a child

D．how a mother plans her future life after her children go to school

Great changes have taken place in that school. It is no longer _____it was 20 years ago, ______it was so poorly equipped.

A.  What ;when      B. that; which    C.  what; which     D. which; that