Big cats have existed on the earth for millions of years, though scientists aren’t sure exactly how long. But a new study indicates that a skull (颅骨) of a snow leopard (豹) relative that was recently unearthed is 4.4 million years old. That makes it the oldest big cat fossil (化石) ever found.
A team of US and Chinese scientists unearthed the skull in Tibet. This creature is not a direct ancestor to big cats, but it is closely related to the snow leopard, study leader Jack Tseng told the Associated Press. The fossil lends evidence to the belief that big cats existed in Asia and spread out from there.
Big cats are at the top of the food chain and have few predators of their own. Big cats include snow leopards, clouded leopards, tigers and lions. Based on genetic judgements, most scientists believe they first existed in Central Asia. But previously, the oldest known big cat fossil was 3.6 million years old and found in Africa.
The new fossil findings were published in the November 13 issue of the science journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. Tseng and his team were fossil hunting in the Himalayas in 2010 when they discovered some bones, including the buried cat skull. The researchers were able to determine its age by studying the surrounding rocks and soil. The skull indicates that the animal was about the size of a clouded leopard, which can grow up to 50 pounds. In 2012, the team returned to unearth more cat bones.
David Polly from Indiana University told the Associated Press that the fossil is “convincingly older than the current record holder”. He added that there could be even older big cat fossils in the Tibetan plateau to uncover.
1.What does the newly unearthed skull prove?
A. Big cats might have their origins in Asia.
B. The oldest fossil is 4.4 million years old.
C. The snow leopard is the oldest big cat.
D. The skull is of big cats’ direct ancestor.
2.What does the underlined word in Paragraph 3 mean?
A. relatives. B. enemies.
C. partners. D. protectors
3.How do the researchers know the skull’s age?
A. By measuring its size and forehead.
B. By examining other bones around it.
C. By studying its chemical composition.
D. By exploring the rocks and soil around it.
4.Where was “the current record holder” in the last paragraph found?
A. Asia. B. Africa.
C. America. D. Australia.
Find Which Direction Is South
Do you have a good sense of direction? If not, please take with you a compass. But if you forget to take a compass, you can still find your way.
It’ s never a good idea to imagine that the family member who was entrusted(委托) with the job of map reading actually knows where the family is. You can tell by the slightly confused look on their faces that nothing on the ground seems to match the map. Never mind. The sun is shining and it’ s still morning. If you don’t know the exact time, you can still find out where south is, but you’ll need to be patient.
①Find a straight stick and put it in the ground in a place where you can mark its shadow.
②Try to position the stick as vertically(垂直) as you can. You can check this by making a simple plumb line (铅锤线)with a piece of string and weight. You haven’ t got any string？OK, use a thread from your clothes with a button tied at the end to act as a weight.
③Mark the end of the shadow cast by the stick.
④Wait approximately half an hour and mark the end of the shadow again.
⑤Keep doing this until you have made several marks.
⑥The mark nearest the stick will represent the shortest shadow, which is cast at midday, when the sun is highest in the sky and pointing to the exact south.
⑦Pick a point in the distance along the line between the shortest shadow and the stick.
⑧That point is south of where you are.
⑨Now you can turn the map, like you did before, and find which way you should be travelling.
1.To find the direction, we ought to be patient probably because________.
A. it is not easy to find a proper stick B. it is not easy to position the stick
C. it takes hours to make the marks D. it takes about half an hour to make the marks
2.The passage would probably be most helpful to________.
A. those who draw maps B. those who get lost
C. those who make compasses D. those who do experiments
3.Which of the following pictures best shows the way of finding the direction of south?
A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
4.The author presents this passage by________.
A. telling an interesting story B. describing an activity in a lively way
C. testing an idea by reasoning D. introducing a practical method
A young painter had just completed a beautiful painting. To get people's opinions about his painting skills, he put his painting at a crossing on a busy street and put up a board that read," Gentlemen, I have painted this piece. Since I'm new, I might have made some mistakes in my work. Please put a cross wherever you see a mistake. ”
When he came back in the evening, he was completely shocked to see that the whole painting was filled with crosses. He ran to his master and said to him, "I’m useless and if this is what I have learned to paint, I'm not worth teaching.”
The master smiled and said, "I'll let you know that you are a great artist. Now go to paint the same painting again and give it to me.”
Then they went to the same street the next morning and put the same painting exactly at the same place. Now the master took out another board which read, "Gentlemen, I have painted this piece. I might have made some mistakes in my painting. I have put a box with colors and brushes just below. If you see a mistake, pick up the brush and correct it. " Two days later, they came back to the place. The young painter was surprised to see that actually there was not a single correction.
If you want to help people improve their behavior, you’d better learn how to help people change their behavior, attitudes and skills. Also, always remember not to judge yourself by someone else’s criticism(批评), because you are the best judge to judge yourself.
1.Why did the young painter put his painting on a busy street?
A. To let others know he was skillful
B. To make money by selling his painting
C. To get others' ideas about his painting skills.
D. To let his teacher know he was a good student
2.How might the young painter feel when he saw the crosses on the painting?
A. Proud. B. Excited.
C. Sad. D. Moved.
3.How did the master help his student know he was a great painter?
A. By teaching the student more painting skills.
B. By asking people not to put any crosses on the painting
C. By painting a different painting himself and putting it on the street.
D. By putting up a board with different words beside the same painting.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A. Be proud of yourself B. Learn how to help
C. Don't judge other people D. Never give others crosses
A LITTLE PRINCESS Author(作者): Frances Hodgson Burnett ￥18.3 (online) Motherless Sara Crewe was sent home from India to school at Miss Minchin’s. Her father was very rich and she lived a rich and comfortable life. Then her father died and Sara lost everything. She had to learn to do with her changed life. Her strong character made her able to fight successfully against anything. It’s an excellent book with 4 tapes for children. |
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| PETER PAN Author: J.M Barrie ￥15 (in bookstores) ￥12 (online) It is a children’s story full of imagination and adventures, which is about Wendy, John, and Michael Darling’s adventures in Never-Never Land with Peter Pan, the boy who would not grow up. The children are happy and lovely. (with 2 tapes) | ||
UNCLE TOM’S CABIN Author: Harriet Beecher Stowe ￥20 (in bookstores) The most famous novel in American history, Uncle Tom’s Cabin talked about the struggle(战争) between free states and slave(奴隶) states during the American Civil War（内战）and is as powerful today as when it first came out 165 years ago. |
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| THE SECRET GARDEN Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett ￥35 (in bookstores) ￥30 (online) Mary Lennox, a sickly orphan, finds herself in her uncle’s dark house. Why are so many rooms locked? Why is one of the gardens locked? And what is that crying she hears at night? Through the power of hope, friendship, and the magic of nature, the brave girl brings the house and a long-lost garden back to life. | ||
1.We can know from the passage that _________.
A. there are three books with tapes
B. we can buy the 4 kinds of books in bookstores
C. two of the books are written by Frances Hodgson Burnett
D. the books are cheaper in bookstores than online
2.Which of the following is about UNCLE TOM’S CABIN?
A. It first came out in the 1950s.
B. It’s about the struggle during the American Civil War.
C. A brave girl successfully fought against slaves.
D. It’s a famous American novel full of imagination and adventures.
3.In ________ Mary brings the house and a garden back to life with the help of the power of hope, friendship and nature’s magic.
A. A LITTLE PRINCESS B. PETER PAN
C. THE SECRET GARDEN D. UNCLE TOM’S CABIN
每当大型考试来临，同学们都会表现出不同程度的紧张。请你以“How to relax before exams”为题写一篇短文，谈谈你对如何缓解考试焦虑情绪的建议。
内容要点
分析 | 考试焦虑的危害 |
建议 | ● 端正考试态度，制定科学的学习计划； ● 听听音乐，放松心情； （请自拟两点内容） ● …… ● …… |
注意：（1）必须包含表格中的所有提示要点，可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
（2）词数120左右。文章开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
（3）词汇提示：焦虑 nervousness 态度attitude 科学的 scientific
How to Relax before Exams
Many of us feel somehow nervous whenever we are taking an important exam.
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Follow my advice and you will enjoy your school life.
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下短文。短文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在此符号下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Dear Mr. Black,
I’m very thank to you for inviting me to stay with you in the come summer vacation. I have been dreamed of seeing you again so that I can get help from you in my English learning. And I’m afraid I cannot go to your place in this summer. I’ve promised my grandmother, she lives in the country, to spend this summer with her. She misses me too much that I find difficult to refuse her request. I’m busy preparing for my examinations in present. I planned to visit you in winter if it’s convenient to you.
