Horses are certainly a marvel (奇异的事物) of creation. They are extremely strong and interact (互动) with their environment through their senses. Compared to us, they see better, hear better, have a better sense of smell, and can feel the smallest insect on their bodies. They have survived by using their senses to get away from danger for centuries.
Hearing
Riding animals have excellent hearing, better than that of humans. Horses’ ears rotate (转动) 180 degrees and generally face the direction the animal is looking. They can focus one eye and ear on the rider and one eye and ear on something else. When they hear something, horses want to see the cause. Noise created by traffic, wind, and other distractions (分心的事物) can greatly affect their hearing, and cause horses to become skittish. Riding animals in more complex environments become used to disturbing noises after repeated exposure to (暴露于) them. Vehicles backfiring, gunfire, helicopters, trains and mechanical equipment can be tolerated by riding animals that are accustomed to (习惯于) them. Horses that spend time in rural areas get used to noises there, such as the sounds of farm animals or forest activities. However, all these sounds and many others can startle (使惊吓) riding animals unfamiliar with them, making it difficult for riders to keep control.
Smell
Horses have an excellent sense of smell, much better than that of humans. They may use smell to find their way back. They readily smell other animals, and they can tell differences in the smell of water. Most horses are happy to drink muddy water from a puddle (水坑) because it has a natural smell, but they may refuse to drink from an unfamiliar source. Many riders travel with an old water bucket so their horses will welcome water in the campground.
Touch
Horses are so sensitive to touch that they can feel a fly land on a single hair. Slight pressure from a rider’s legs can guide a horse forward and anything touching its body hair can alert (使警觉) the animal to trouble. If a horse brushes up against a narrow passage and feels trapped, its survival nature kicks in. Sharp objects easily cut or damage the relatively tender skin of a horse and painful or sharp impacts cause a horse to run away from the offending object, potentially injuring itself or others.
Curiosity
Some horses are exceptionally daring. Their curiosity leads them to explore anything new in their environment. They smell, push, move, pick up, or play with new objects within their reach. They may pull things into a corral (畜栏) with their teeth or kneel to reach underneath fences for something they want. Depending on the design of the fence or barrier and the size of the animal, horses may be able to reach 6 feet beyond its edge.
1.The underlined word “skittish” in Paragraph 2 probably means “_____”.
A. frightened B. puzzled
C. curious D. calm
2.Riders are advised to travel with an old water bucket because _____.
A. their horses prefer to drink from a puddle
B. there isn’t enough water in the campground
C. their horses need a familiar smell to find their way back
D. water with a familiar smell is welcomed by their horses
3.How will horses do when they are curious about something outside their fences?
A. They focus their eyes on the thing.
B. They use their feet to touch the thing.
C. They try their best to reach the thing.
D. They struggle to get out of their fences.
4.What’s the best title for the passage?
A. A brief introduction to horses’ senses
B. How horses use their hearing and smell
C. Why horses are called a marvel of creation
D. Comparison between horses’ senses and humans’
At a school in North Carolina, Monica Mitchell-Giraudo, a French teacher, instructs 19 sixth-graders to gather into a circle.
“Okay, everyone, let's take a few mindful breaths, and think about our gratitude (感激) for Amy, who brought us apples for snack today,” says Monica. “What do you notice?”
“I notice my stomach is already growling (做隆隆声),” laughs Ben.
“My mouth is watering,” says David.
Next, the students hold and examine the apples. They pick up the fruit and feel it. Then they bring the apples to their noses, using their sense of smell to enjoy the flowery smell of their snack before taking the first juicy bites.
“Excellent, class,” says Monica. “Before you eat the apple, ask yourself whether or not you're hungry. Remember, you don't have to eat if your body isn't giving you a hunger signal.”
These students are learning a practice called “Mindful Eating”, which builds the children's awareness (意识) of important physical signals like hunger and fullness.
The positive feedback from the children shows how much these newly learned life skills are helping them.
“Mindful eating helps me think about the food that goes into my body,” says Jamie, a student in Monica's class. “I can make better and healthier food choices.”
Unfortunately, these kinds of courses are in short supply because many educators believe that social and emotional programs are too expensive or time-consuming (耗时的). To save costs and reduce staffing problems, prevention programs like The Body Positive are brought into the schools. The program teaches a series of self-exploration exercises that help educators examine their feelings and attitudes about food so that they can pass on these messages to their students, too.
Kathy Laughlin, director of counseling at San Domenico High School, is a fan of the training. “Since we began the program, I have not seen as many girls with problems related to body hatred,” she says. “Mindful eating practice is one of the best ways to help students develop a healthy mind and body connection — one which will help them for years to come.”
1.What did Monica ask her students to do as soon as they were gathered?
A. Express thanks to Amy.
B. Feel a need for the food.
C. Share their eating experiences.
D. Think about the state of hunger.
2.What's the purpose of The Body Positive?
A. To stop eating disorders.
B. To train educators in mindful eating.
C. To change students' attitudes towards eating.
D. To create present moment awareness when eating.
3.What is Kathy's opinion on the emotional program?
A. It is a waste of time.
B. It is hardly practical.
C. It costs a lot of money.
D. It has long-term significance.
Reading Oktoberfest
Palmer Park is the perfect place to host the first Reading Oktoberfest, which takes place 15-18 September 2016.
You can experience everything that makes Oktoberfest, held in a huge Beer tent. We'll have live music and DJs and thousands of people going crazy.
Opening hours:
Thursday 15 September 17:00-23:30
Friday 16 September 17:00-23:30
Saturday 17 September 12:30-23:30
Sunday 18 September 12:30-19:00
Ramsbottom Festival
With its riverside location, Ramsbottom Festival is one festival which can truly be called beautiful. Here you can enjoy a mix of music, great arts and family shows, as well as a variety of Great British and international food.
Ramsbottom Festival takes place 16-18 September 2016 at Ramsbottom Cricket Club, Bury, easily reachable by public transport from Manchester city centre.
The Willow Festival Dorset
The Willow Festival — the world's largest festival showing new and undiscovered live music bands and artists is coming to Dorset. Fun for all the family, the event also has a shopping area, a world food village, and plenty of activities for kids.
Tickets are just £10.00, which covers a come-and-go attendance for all three days.
River Cottage Festival
It's our first ever family-friendly music festival, right here at River Cottage HQ in Devon.
On 17-18 September 2016, the farm will be filled with live music from popular bands in the UK. In between all that dancing you'll be able to watch shows from local craftspeople (匠人) and make your own piece of jewelry.
Tickets will cost you just £35, or £10 for children under 12 (babies under 2 go free).
1.Both The Willow Festival Dorset and River Cottage Festival _____.
A. are held in 2016 for the first time
B. ask visitors to pay the same price
C. take place near a river
D. are family-friendly
2.Which of the four festivals lasts longest?
A. River Cottage Festival.
B. Ramsbottom Festival.
C. Reading Oktoberfest.
D. The Willow Festival Dorset.
I used to have this destructive problem.
I would remember something ____ or stupid I did when I was younger and the memory would hurt. In fact, I don’t know if it was pain in my ____ or just physical pain, ____ it would hurt.
I would be eating dinner or taking a shower and I would feel the memory approaching suddenly. There was no way I could ____ it. All I could do was wait until the memory went away. It took me a long time to recognize I was ____ a type of grief (悲伤) and the way I was dealing with it wasn’t ____. I’d stop and clench (攥紧) my fists until the ____ of the memory passed: half fighting it, half letting it defeat (击败) me. It truly was like a person who ____ roller coasters riding a roller coaster: I would ____ it firmly while on the ride, scream, let it move quickly, and then just wish it would be over.
Then, one day I ____ there had to be something better than letting the ____ disaster of my life hurt me whenever they wanted to. I finally decided to handle the next incident ____. That next time turned out to be a cold winter morning as I ____ across the parking lot from the subway station. I could feel ____, shame and guilty start to hit me. But this time, I didn’t react in an unhealthy way. ____, I stopped walking, closed my eyes, and opened my ____ as if I was about to give someone a hug (拥抱).
I welcomed the memory of a time when I acted stupidly and selfishly and had ____ other people. I remembered all the details and then I ____ what I had done. Though all the things showed the fact that I was not ____, I learned to forgive myself. As a result, I stopped letting the memory ____ me.
1.A. selfish B. enjoyable C. strange D. amazing
2.A. head B. stomach C. mind D. nerve
3.A. and B. but C. or D. so
4.A. forget B. face C. afford D. stop
5.A. experiencing B. expressing C. showing D. observing
6.A. traditional B. honest C. practical D. healthy
7.A. pain B. time C. value D. history
8.A. loves B. fears C. chooses D. avoids
9.A. fix B. say C. grasp D. shake
10.A. proved B. realized C. remembered D. wondered
11.A. narrow B. past C. bright D. straight
12.A. secretly B. carefully C. differently D. equally
13.A. ran B. drove C. rode D. walked
14.A. risk B. pressure C. regret D. doubt
15.A. Instead B. However C. Still D. Besides
16.A. windows B. doors C. arms D. eyes
17.A. puzzled B. praised C. encouraged D. hurt
18.A. witnessed B. shared C. recorded D. accepted
19.A. perfect B. beautiful C. unfriendly D. stupid
20.A. respect B. help C. control D. fool
—_____ Why do you look so sad?
—I’ve lost all my files from the computer. It’s a disaster.
A. How are you? B. What are you doing?
C. What’s wrong with you? D. How about your computer?
You know that little Italian restaurant — the one _____ I mentioned in my letter? Well, it’s just amazing and I hope we will get a chance to have dinner there sometime.
A. where B. that
C. as D. when
