第二十九篇 I’ll Be Bach
练习：
1．The music composed by David cope is about ______.A Claical music B pop music C drama D country music
2．By developing a computer software，David cope aimed ______.A to be like Bach B to study Bach C to write an opera D to create a musical database
3．What did cope realize about a great composer’s brain? A It forms new musical patterns all by itself B It writes a computer program C It can recognize any music patterns D It creates an accurate database
4．Who is Emmy?
A a databaseB a computer software C a composer who helped David D an opera
5．We can infer from the paage that ______.A David Cope is a computer programmer.B David Cope loves music.
C Bach’s music helped him a lot.
D Emmy did much more work than a composer.
第40篇（2012新增） Teaching Math, Teaching Anxiety
教数学，教焦虑
在最新一项关于小学生学数学的研究中，芝加哥大学的心理学家Sian Beilock和Susan Levine 发现，女教师的想法和女学生的学习之间有着惊人的联系：如果女教师对自己的数学能力感到焦虑，她的
女学生很可能认为男孩子数学比女孩学得更好。
\"如果一直由对数学有焦虑的女教师教授数学，就会对她们的数学成绩产生雪球效应\"，Levine说。换言之，女孩子们最后从老师那里获得的是对数学的焦虑。该研究表明，如果女孩子们在一个认为男孩比女孩数学好的环境中成长，那么她们的数学可能会不如在更自信的状态下学得好。
如同学生，教师也会觉得某些学科难学和难教，这就是研究者所言的\"焦虑\"：不自在或担心。此研究发现，教师对数学的焦虑能够传染给她的女学生们。该研究的研究对象包括65个女孩，52个男孩和17位在中西部教一二年级的教师。学生们在学年的开始和结束时都进行数学测试，研究者们比较得分。
研究者们测试学生是否认为数学明星一定会是男孩。然后研究者们测试教师，试图找出哪些教师对数学感到焦虑，研究者们问教师们当碰到数学问题诸如阅读销售清单时的感受，如果一位教师一看到销售清单的数字就感到紧张，那么她很可能对数学存在焦虑。
平均来说，教师的焦虑不会影响到男孩子。但是，一般说来，如果教女孩子的教师有数学焦虑症，那么女孩子们在学年结束时测试得分比其他的女孩要低。另外，在关于是否认为数学明星应该是男孩的测试中，有20个女孩认为男孩数学比女孩好，这20个女孩的老师都是女性，且都患有数学焦虑症。来自密苏里大学的心理学家David Geary说\"这是一个有趣的研究，但是这只是初步结果，需要用更大的调查样本进行重复验证\"。 1.What is the result of the research at the University of Chicago,according to the first paragraph? AGirls comfortable with their own math skills are better than boys at math.BGirls uncomfortable with their own math skills are not as good as boys at math.CFemale teachers\' math skills have influence over girl students\' math skills.DFemale teachers\' confidence in their math skills is related to girl\'s math skills.2.What is implied in the third paragraph? AMath teachers,like math learners,do not like the subject due to its difficulty.BA difficult subject like math may affect teachers\' confidence in teaching the subject.CTeachers are more anxious teaching math than their students learning math.DMath is so difficult that no teachers like to teach it.3.According to the experiment,those teachers were probably anxious about math when they felt Anervous memorizing the numbers of a sales receipt.Bhelple saving the numbers of a sales receipt.Cuneasy reading the numbers of a sales receipt.Dhopele filling in the numbers of a sales report.4.The sixth paragraph tells us that the research findings
Aprove a strong link between female teachers\' math anxiety and their female students\' math
achievements.Bshow that male students are le likely to be affected by their math anxiety than female students.Cprovide strong evidence that math superstars are more likely to be males than females.D discover a strong link between teachers\' math anxiety and their students\' math achievements.5.David Geary thinks that Athe study is interesting but it is based on unreliable research proce.Bthe research results need to be retested based on a larger sample.Cthe research results need to be reinterpreted to be meaningful.Dthe study is well based and produces significant results.
***第46篇（2012年新增） Ants Have Big Impact on Environment as \"Ecosystem Engineers\"
蚂蚁作为“生态系统工程师”对环境影响巨大
埃克斯特大学所做的研究表明，蚂蚁作为“生态系统工程师”和食肉动物的行为对当地的环境影响巨大。该研究发表在动物生态杂志上，它表明蚂蚁对当地的环境有两大显著的影响。
第一，通过筑巢而挪动土壤或采集食物，蚂蚁影响土壤的营养水平。这可间接影响当地从腐生物到食物链高层的许多动物种群的数量。
第二，它们捕食的动物种类很多，包括那些被大量工蚁攻击的大猎物。
Dirk Sanders是该大学生态和保护中心所做的此项研究的作者，他说：“蚂蚁是高效的食肉动物，而且能大量繁殖。它们具有很强的领地意识，并且会竭尽全力对抗其他的食肉动物来保卫自己的领地。所有这些都意味着蚂蚁对周围环境影响巨大。”
“在该研究中，我们第一次对蚂蚁带来的影响程度及微妙程度进行研究。所得到的发现是：尽管是食肉动物，蚂蚁的出现能促使其他动物族群在数量和品种上的增长。并对当地的环境起到切实重要的作用，对大草原的食物链影响巨大。”Sanders说。 该研究在德国进行，它对花园黑蚂蚁和一般的红蚂蚁在不同混合程度和不同密度下的影响力进行研究。黑蚂蚁和红蚂蚁在整个欧洲包括英国都能找到。研究发现，一个地区的蚂蚁密度小，而其他动物尤其是食草动物和腐生物的数量和种类会增多。如果蚂蚁的密度大，就不可能产生同样的影响，或者产生相反的影响，这表明，蚂蚁的掠食活动会抵消蚂蚁给环境带来的积极影响。
Dr Frank van Veen是本研究的另一作者，他说：“我们的发现是：如果蚂蚁的数量少，其对土壤的营养水平的影响会对动物族群产生积极的效果。如果蚂蚁的数量增加，其捕食的影响会达到最大化，因此会抵消蚂蚁通过生态工程给环境带来的积极影响。”
蚂蚁是生态系统的重要组成部分，不仅因为它占有很大部分的生物量，而且因为其作为生态系统工程师的角色。蚂蚁具有难以想象的多样性，但极易受人类的影响，这就使它的多样性有显著的减少。然而，
科学家还不消楚人类对蚂蚁这种干扰如何破坏蚂蚁对生态系统的维护作用。蚂蚁通过变动物理的和化学的环境，通过对植物、微生物和其他土壤生物的影响而对生态环境起至关重要的作用。
练习： 1 .Why are ants compared to ecosystem engineers? ABecause they build their own nests.BBecause they collect food.CBecause their activity affects the environment.DBecause they are predators.2.As predators, ants Aprey on small as well as large animals.Bcollect nutritious food from the soil Ccollect food as decomposers.Dprey on species much higher up the food chain.3.Dir Sanders\' study centered on how ants Acan manage to thrive in huge numbers.Bdefend their resources and territory against other predators.Cattack those invading animals for survival.Dproduce such a big impact on the environment.4.What does paragraph 6 tell us? AAnts bring about a negative influence to an area when their population is small.BAnts bring about a positive influence to an area when their population is small.CAnts\' predation counteracts the positive influence they may have on an area.DAt higher density, ants produce a positive influence on an area.5.What still remains unclear about ants, according to the last paragraph? AWhat roles do ants play in the ecosystem in which they live? BHow do ants affect the animal diversity in a given ecosystem? CHow do human activities affect ants\' influence on a given ecosystem? DHow do ants alter the physical and chemical environment?
***第48篇（2013新增） Researchers Discover Why Humans Began Walking Upright
第四十八篇研究人员发现人类开始直立行走的原因
我们大多数人每天都走路而且手里搬着东西。这样的活动看似太简单，大多数人没有疑问。但是一个国际研究者（包括乔治•华盛顿大学哥伦比亚艺术与科学学院的Richmond博士）团队已经发现了人类直
立行走可能源于数百万年以前适应搬运稀有的、高质量的资源。这些来自美国、英国、日本和葡萄牙的研究者研究了当代黑猩猩争抢食物时的行为特征，试图对什么样的生态环境竟然导致大猿（一种我们与现存的黑猩猩一样的600万年前的祖先）直立行走作出解释。
“这些黑猩猩居住的生态环境和我们最早的祖先开始直立行走时是相同的，” Richmond博士说。研究结果显示，当黑猩猩需要独占一种资源时，它们就从四肢行走转换为直立行走。由于直立行走可以解放它们的双手，这使得它们能搬更多的东西。久而久之，双足活动的强烈爆发可能导致了解剖学上的变化，因此这种变化也就成为自然选择的主题，在那种情况下，对食物或其他资源的争夺是十分激烈的。 有两项研究是在几内亚完成的。第一项研究是在京都大学博苏森林的一块天然空地——“室外实验室”进行的。研究者们允许森林里的黑猩猩能得到两种不同的坚果，一种叫油棕榈坚果，自然界随处可见，一种叫可乐果，自然环境中不常见。人们监控黑猩猩在下列三种情形下的行为：(a)只有油棕榈坚果；（b)只有少量的可乐果，大多数是油棕榈坚果;(c)大多数是可乐果，少数是油棕榈坚果。 当稀有的可乐果数量很少时，黑猩猩一次就会拿得多。同样，当大部分是可乐果时，黑猩猩对油棕榈坚果根本视而不见。黑猩猩认为可乐果才是珍贵的资源，并为得到可乐果激烈竞争。
处于这种激烈竞争的环境中，黑猩猩直立行走的频率增加了四倍。很显然，双足行走可以使它们拿走更多的稀有资源，而且，为了尽可能地一口气多拿，它们积极利用可用到的任何方法，甚至嘴巴。
第二项研究是在牛津布鲁克斯大学的Kimberley Hockings进行的。该研究历时14个月，主题是博苏的黑猩猩抢劫粮食，场景是它们不得不为稀有和不可预知的资源竞争。在这项研究中，黑猩猩35%的活动是直立行走。而这一次研究再一次证实了黑猩猩的直立行走与它们试图一次搬走尽可能多的东西有关。
练习：
1.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the first two paragraphs? A Many people question the simple human activities of walking and carrying items.
B Chimpanzee’s behaviors may suggest why humans walk on two legs.C Human walking upright is viewed as an adaptation to carrying precious resources.D Our ancestors\' ecological conditions resembled those of modern-day chimpanzees.2.Dr.Richmond conducted the experiment with the purpose of finding A when humans began walking on two legs.B what made our ancestors walk upright.C what benefits walking upright brought to our ancestors.D how walking upright helped chimpanzees monopolize resources.3.Kyoto, University\'s study discovered that chimpanzees.A regarded both types of nut as priced resources.
B preferred oil palm nuts to coula nuts.
C liked coula nuts better than oil palm nuts.D ignored both types of nut altogether.4.Why did the chimpanzees walk on two limbs during Kyoto University\'s experiment? A Because they imitated the human way of walking just for fun.B Because they wanted to please the researchers to get more coula nuts from them.C Because they wanted to get to die nut-rich forest faster by walking that way.D Because they wanted to carry more nuts with two free limbs.5.What can we infer from the reading paage? A Chimpanzees are in the same proce of evolution as our ancestors were.B Chimpanzees are similar to humans in many behaviors.C Walking on two limbs and walking on four limbs each have their advantages.
D Human walking on two legs developed as a means of survival.
