Module 6 Unexplained Mysteries of theNatural World

跟蹤導(dǎo)練（一）

閱讀理解

One large dinosaur hid in the thick jungle （熱帶雨林）. With small， hungry eyes he watched a larger dinosaur， about 90 feet long！ It was eating grass by a lake.

The one in the jungle stood 20 feet tall on his powerful back legs. His two front legs were short， with sharp claws on the feet. His teeth were like long knives.

There was only one hope for the grass-eating dinosaur. Even though he was three times as large as his enemy， he was not a fighter. He could only try to get away， into deep water， where he could be safe.

The grass-eater tried to move fast. But the enemy was faster. His three-toed footprints show that he came closer and closer.

We can't be sure how the fight ended. We can only tell by the animals' footprints that the fight did take place. The mud where the two dinosaurs walked has turned into stone.

Footprints are not all that tell us about dinosaurs. Their bones and teeth have also been found. We even have some of their eggs in museums.

Scientists know how to fit a dinosaur's bones together. Then they can tell how the animal may have looked. From its teeth they know whether it ate meat or grass.

Dinosaurs were of many sizes and shapes. Some were as small as chickens. But all of them had very small brains.

Millions of years ago， dinosaurs ruled the earth. Since then， there have been no dinosaurs. What happened to them？

We know they did not all die at once. It may have taken a few million years for all of them to die.

In the days of the dinosaurs， the whole earth was warm and wet. There were many green jungles. But the earth changes slowly. When parts of the earth became cold and dry， the jungles were becoming less and less. Then dinosaurs could not find enough to eat. This must be one reason why the dinosaurs died out.

1. According to the text， the grass-eating dinosaurs .

A. had three-toed feet

B. were stronger than the meat-eaters

C. were three times as large as the meat-eaters

D. had two short front legs with sharp claws on the feet

2. What can be inferred about dinosaurs？

A. They had very big brains.?? B. Grass-eating dinosaurs move faster.

C. Most of them were of the same size. D. Some of them tore their enemies with teeth.

3. How could people know the appearance of dinosaurs？

A. By examining the teeth.?? B. Through a full-size picture.

C. Through the footprints.?? D. By fitting the bones together scientifically.

4. The dinosaurs all died out probably because of .

A. the reduction ofjungles??? B. the fights among the dinosaurs

C. the global warming??? D. some diseases

閱讀七選五

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. If you can stay positive no matter what life throws at you， you've got the freedom to change your life into anything you want it to be. But how？

Enjoy the moment.

While the present moment may be uncomfortable， it is the only one that is guaranteed.1 Look beyond the present problem and find the moments that are worth enjoying and then enjoy each one.

Five happy things every day.

Make it a rule to recognize and then celebrate five happy things every day. Be sure to seek these happy things out and then hold them close so you can see their positive power.2

Embrace （接受） your mistakes.

3 Embrace your mistakes as an opportunity to learn something new about yourself and others. By becoming aware of your mistakes， you are able to move past them.

Hold yourself accountable.

It's up to you to walk your path. When you feel your positive attitude slipping away， hold yourself accountable for getting it back on track.4 It's going to take a positive attitude to make your dreams come true.

Let it go.

Holding on to old， negative thoughts will prevent positive thoughts from getting through.5 It's time to let go and begin living the life you are meant to live. It's time to stay positive—no matter what.

A. You would rather be happy.

B. Keep you safe from anxiety.

C. So let your negative beliefs go.

D. Thus， make the most of the present moment.

E. This habit helps you to appreciate whatever you have.

F. No one wants your goals and dreams more than you do.

G. Accept the fact that you are human and that nobody is perfect.

1.2.3.4.5.

跟蹤導(dǎo)練（二）

完形填空

I came home from work one day and my son greeted me at the door with a wide smile.“Dad， I am a 1 man！” Puzzled （困惑的）， I asked my 2 about this. She shared with me that our five-year-old had emptied a 2-liter jug （壺） of water from the 3 most of it on the floor. My wife's first 4 had been to shout and beat him. However， she did not. She 5 asked him， “Breton， what were you trying to do？”

“I was trying to help you 6 the dishes， Mom，” he replied loudly. Sure enough， she 7 a pile of dishes that had been washed on the kitchen table.

“Well son， why did you use the water from the fridge？” she further asked. Breton 8 that he couldn't reach the sink （洗滌槽）. My wife began to 9 the situation better and her 10 disappeared.“What do you think you can do next time to make less of a mess？”

Breton's face 11 as he replied， “I could wash them in the bathroom.” My wife explained to him that the dishes might break in the bathroom and he should instead call for her 12. She then went on to clean up the 13 he had created.

As she finished describing the 14 to me， I realized how 15 it is to make a 16 choice. If she had gone ahead with her first reaction， she would not have been able to understand what he was trying to do and would have 17 a great teachable moment. In 18 situations， she would have had to clean up the mess， but with this 19 she was able to connect with him more effectively. More importantly， if she had shouted and beaten him， he would have greeted me at the door with a 20 look and said， “Dad， I am a bad boy！”

1. A. hard-working B. careful C. friendly D. good-looking

2. A. friend B. son C. wife D. daughter

3. A. bathroom B. fridge C. kitchen D. table

4. A. experience B. impression C. reaction D. lesson

5. A. proudly B. patiently C. shyly D. fearfully

6. A. wash B. collect C. choose D. find

7. A. imagined B. owned C. carried D. saw

8. A. explained B. proved C. realized D. doubted

9. A. change B. understand C. control D. expect

10. A. regret B. pain C. shame D. anger

11. A. showed up B. turned down C. lit up D. turned away

12. A. notice B. attention C. need D. help

13. A. mess B. sink C. floor D. damage

14. A. message B. event C. competition D. decision

15. A. important B. strange C. interesting D. difficult

16. A. bad B. crazy C. special D. correct

17. A. enjoyed B. missed C. picked D. forgotten

18. A. other B. similar C. both D. certain 1

19. A. reason B. example C. approach D. purpose

20. A. calm B. funny C. surprised D. sad

跟蹤導(dǎo)練（三）

閱讀理解

A

Home to an interesting political history and many archaeological finds， South Africa has lots of choices for travelers besides wildlife parks and great beaches.

The Cradle of Humankind

The cradle of Humankind， in Gauteng， is home to 40% of the world's discovered human ancestor fossils. The Maropeng Visitor Center offers impressive shows of the 3.5 million-year evolution of man， plus the opportunity to admire the stars as storytellers introduce the daily life of our human ancestors. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a 40-minute drive from Johannesburg.

Vredefort Dome

Vredefort Dome is the world's oldest meteorite impact scar， or astrobleme （隕星坑）. With a radius of 190 km， it is also the largest and the most deeply eroded （風(fēng)化）. Located 120 km southwest of Johannesburg， the astrobleme is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Nelson Mandela's Legacy

Officially， there are places of interest throughout South Africa for tourists wishing to follow the respected politician's life journey. Now a World Heritage Site， Robben Island， lies off Cape Town， and is where he spent 18 of his 27 years in prison. Tourists also make the trip to the Eastern Cape village of Qunu， which was both his home during his young years and his burial place.

Vilakazi Street

Vilakazi Street， Orlando West， Soweto， is well-known due to the fact that it is the only street in the world which has been home to two Nobel winners， Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Mandela's house is now a museum. Also in Orlando West is the Hector Pieterson Memorial， in honor of the youth who fought against the segregation （種族隔離）.

1. Where can you go to learn about the history of humankind？

A. Vilakazi Street.???? B. Vredefort Dome.

C. Nelson Mandela's Legacy.?? D. The Cradle of Humankind.

2. Why is Vilakazi Street so famous？

A. Nelson Mandela is buried here.

B. It saw the birth of two famous persons.

C. Two Nobel Prize winners once lived here.

D. It is the street in the world with a personal museum.

3. What is the purpose in writing the text？

A. To encourage trips to South Africa. B. To memorize statesman Nelson Mandela.

C. To show various cultures in South Africa. D. To introduce cultural relics in South Africa.

B

The pupils of Grangetown High have been busy getting to know their newest and tallest classmate—a 7-meter-tall giraffe outside their school.

The giraffe is a huge sculpture. The school's headmaster noticed it in an artist's garden as he drove past one day， and thought it would be perfect for his school.“I knew everyone would love it，” he said， “because our basketball team is known as the Grangetown Giraffes， and they wear giraffes on their shirts. So I asked them to write to the artist， asking how much it would cost to buy the giraffe. He was very kind and got it ready to deliver in six weeks—all for nothing！ It was expected to arrive one Sunday morning， so that the pupils would see it when they got to school on Monday— at that time they had no idea that we were getting it.”

The artist， Tom Bennett was a university professor of chemistry before he retired in 2012 and only took up metalwork a couple of years ago.“I've always drawn pictures，” he said.“I can even remember doing it on my first day at school—I drew a horse. I wanted it to be the best horse picture ever， but I don't think I succeeded.” Tom's first metalwork was a bicycle on which he and his wife could go cycling together.“It was the most uncomfortable bike ever created，” he said.“So I gave up making bicycles and went into sculpture instead.”

Meanwhile the pupils at Grangetown High are very happy with their new classmate.“We're going to hold a competition to give it a proper name，” said one girl.“Everyone likes the expression on its face， so perhaps that will give us some ideas.”

4. What can we learn about the giraffe according to the text？

A. It was as tall as a basketball player. B. It was given to Grangetown High for free.

C. It was specially made for a basketball team. D. It was sent to Grangetown High on Monday.

5. How did the pupils probably feel when they got to school on Monday？

A. Surprised. B. Sad.? C. Confused. D. Confident.

6. What can we learn about Tom Bennett？

A. He showed interest in art at an early age. B. He did well in drawing， especially horses.

C. He visited Grangetown High as a professor. D. He learned a lot about sculpture at university.

7. What does the text mainly talk about？

A. Tom Bennett is famous as a sculptor. B. It was a difficult job to sculpt a giraffe.

C. The Grangetown Giraffes is a strong team. D. A metal giraffe arrived at Grangetown High.

跟蹤導(dǎo)練（四）

完形填空

Kevin Durant is one of the best players that have won championships in the National Basketball Association （NBA）. He has also won the NBA's Most Valuable Player 1. But it is not just his 2 on the court that make him 3. It is where he came from and what he had to 4 that make him so.

Durant grew up in Washington， DC. His father 5 the family when he was very young so his mom raised him as a single parent. Times were 6 and they had to move from apartment to apartment. Because Kevin was very tall， he was 7 from everyone else of his age. Sometimes， he was bullied （欺凌） by his classmates.

Despite the 8 ， there was always a lot of love and 9 in his family. His mom wrote a（an）10 that hung over Kevin's bed， “Always believe that anything is 11.” Kevin was very tall at an early age and he liked basketball very much. So when he was about 10 years old， he told his mom that he 12 becoming an NBA player and she did everything she could to help him.

He worked very hard at 13 himself. He failed many times but kept 14 up.“He practiced basketball 8 hours a day for 6 years 15！ This was on top of his homework and playing for his school teams！” said his coach.

From his mom and family， he learned always to be 16 and humble （謙遜的）. Now that Kevin has achieved so much 17 on the court， he has focused a lot of his time on 18. His foundation （基金會） helps to 19 homelessness， build basketball courts in low-income areas and help 20 children go to college.

1. A. honor B. prize C. award D. victory

2. A. suggestions B. performances C. plans D. comments

3. A. attractive B. available C. practical D. special

4. A. overcome B. overlook C. involve D. pick

5. A. kept B. developed C. left D. loved

6. A. limited B. important C. convenient D. tough

7. A. free B. different C. far D. safe

8. A. memories B. feelings C. challenges D. times

9. A. support B. appreciation C. praise D. admiration

10. A. email B. note C. notice D. letter

11. A. disappointing B. boring C. difficult D. possible

12. A. learned of B. argued about C. dreamed of D. set about

13. A. believing B. improving C. adjusting D. satisfying

14. A. getting B. sitting C. coming D. looking

15. A. perfectly B. particularly C. further D. straight

16. A. proud B. careful C. kind D. cheerful

17. A. desire B. success C. admiration D. duty

18. A. giving back B. settling down C. taking over D. showing off

19. A. fight B. convert C. replace D. understand

20. A. ordinary B. popular C. smart D. poor

跟蹤導(dǎo)練（五）

閱讀理解

In 1906， Jacqueline Cochran was born to a poor family in Pensacola， Florida. Like many girls at the time， she went to work at an early age. When she was just eight years old， Jacqueline started working in a cotton mill （紗廠）. As she worked on the weaving （編織） machines， making cloth， she dreamed about becoming an aviator. She wanted to fly one of the airplanes that had been recently invented.

Jacqueline got her wish in the 1930s， she became a pilot at a time when airplanes were being avoided by most people.

Only a handful of brave young men flew these new planes， and there were very few women aviators. However， that did not stop Jacqueline. She took flying lessons and began to enter famous races. In 1938， she won first prize in a competition to fly across the United States.

At the beginning of World War II， Jacqueline trained women in England as pilots. She later came back to the United States and trained American women， too. In 1945， she received the Distinguished Service Medal， one ofAmerica's highest honors.

When jet planes were invented， Jacqueline learned to fly them， too. Soon， she was the first woman to fly faster than the speed of sound. Jacqueline also set many other records in the field of aviation， including flying higher than anyone had before her.

In many ways， Jacqueline Cochran is forgotten today. But this woman pilot should be remembered. She was a pioneer of new technology. She helped to make air travel one of our most important ways of transportation.

1. What is an aviator？

A. A weaver. B. A traveler. C. A pilot.? D. A trainer.

2. What can we infer about early airplanes？

A. They were dangerous to fly.

B. They could travel faster than sound.

C. They were not allowed to be flown by women.

D. They were very popular among brave young men.

3. What is the correct order about Jacqueline's experience？

a. She worked in a cotton mill.? b. She trained women pilots.

c. She received a medal.?? d. She won a first prize.

A. a-b-d-c?? B. a-d-b-c?? C. d-a-b-c?? D. d-a-c-b

4. What can be the best title for the text？

A. The Flying Races for Women?? B. The Invention of Jet Planes

C. The First Woman Pilot??? D. The Forgotten Flyer

選詞填空

用方框里單詞的正確形式填空，使其句意完整。有兩個詞是多余的。

calm likely destroy predict claim creature

hair cover exist frighten fortune disappear

1. The strange? spend their lives below the ground.

2. The sound of the river moving downstream was .

3. He sat down? ， reading a newspaper.

4. It is known to all of us that the dinosaurs? long ago.

5. This forest? an area of some 1，140 square kilometers.

6. You never know how she'll react—she's so .

7. The old building? by a fire during the war.

8. The mountain range shown by this method can look like a? worm.

9. It is most? that she'll arrive before seven. The traffic is heavy now.

10.? ， I like writing because it is an important part of my job.

語法填空

Experience China， a popular week-long holiday program， took place online for the first time on Monday. It was organized by the Confucius Institute in Frankfurt 1 the Chinese language and some Chinese culture were taught.2（design） for German children who are interested in the Chinese language and culture， this year's program has been simplified 3（adapt） to children's online attention span （持續(xù)時間） and habits. It has fewer events of dancing and martial arts 4 more real-time video chats with Chinese youth in China. The Institute's online classes will gradually take 5 place of traditional ones in late March. Various after-class activities， such as 6（attend） reading clubs and Tai Chi lessons， are 7（access） to its students.“The feedback on our online classes 8（be） very good so far. We have no complaints about the sudden switch to online classes，” Christina Werum-Wang， 9（direct） of the Institute， told Xinhua.“Even more， most people are very happy that we don't stop classes， and they are 10（simple） grateful that the program goes so smoothly，” Werum-Wang added.“Whether some online events should be kept in the future is still under discussion.”

1.? 2.? 3.? 4.? 5.

6.? 7.? 8.? 9.? 10.

跟蹤導(dǎo)練（六）

短文改錯

My uncle had been dreaming owning his own restaurant. At 40 years old， he had trouble decide if he should leave his job and followed his dream. He met a young man who had three children and was finding it difficulty to support the family， because he had been out of the work for several months. My uncle knew how to do to help him. The next morning， he told the manager about his decision to leaving his job. He then gave the manager the name of the young man. Clear， it was the best decision for him because he not only found the courage to follow his dream and also helped the young man. That young father had been working there ever since.

書面表達

假定你是李華。為增強人民體質(zhì)，你市將舉辦城市馬拉松賽。請你給外教John寫封郵件，邀請他一起報名參加。內(nèi)容包括：

1.告知賽事的相關(guān)信息;

2.說明邀請理由;

3.希望對方參加。

注意：

1.詞數(shù)100左右;

2.可以適當(dāng)增加細節(jié)，以使行文連貫;

3.開頭和結(jié)尾已給出，不計入總詞數(shù)。

Dear John，

I am pleased to tell you that a marathon will take place in our city.

Yours， Li Hua

Why Do Zebras Have Stripes？

為什么斑馬身上有條紋？

For many animals， camouflage is an important part of survival. A leopard's spotted coat and a polar bear's white fur help them blend into their respective environments.

A zebra's bold stripes can't help to disguise it in its natural habitat—the open plains， but they can help to conceal it . In 1844， naturalist Francis Galton pointed out that stripes can help disguise zebras in the dim， grayish light of an African night. Fifty years later， an artist named Abbot Thayer suggested that stripes could help actually change the way a predator sees a zebra.

The zebra's bold markings draw the viewer's attention to the stripes themselves， not the shape of the animal .So when a predator looks at a zebra， it sees stripes first， and then the zebra. This split second of recognition gives the fleet-footed zebra a chance to escape.

To other zebras in the herd， the flash of stripes they see when one zebra starts to flee from an approaching lion is a “follow me” signal. Like the white flash of a deer's tail， it alerts the entire herd to danger. The approaching lion， on the other hand， often loses his initial target in the confusing mass of moving stripes.

Stripes also allow young zebras in search of a meal to identify their mothers. And adult zebras use stripes to recognize members of their own species.

對于很多動物來說，偽裝是生存的重要部分。獵豹的花斑和北極熊的白毛都能幫助它們?nèi)谌敫髯缘纳姝h(huán)境當(dāng)中。

斑馬醒目的條紋不能幫助它們?nèi)谌胱约核畹拈_闊平原當(dāng)中，但是可以幫它們把自己隱藏起來。1844年，自然學(xué)家Francis Galton指出，這些條紋可以幫助斑馬在非洲夜晚那灰暗的微光下偽裝自己。五十年后，一位名叫 Abbot Thayer的藝術(shù)家提出，這些條紋可能會改變獵食者看到的斑馬形象。

斑馬醒目的斑紋把觀察者的注意力吸引到斑紋本身，而不是動物的輪廓。因此，當(dāng)獵食動物看斑馬時，它先注意到的是斑紋，然后才是斑馬。這不到一秒的時間給了動作很快的斑馬逃脫的機會。

當(dāng)一匹斑馬開始逃避正在靠近的獅子時，斑馬群中的其他斑馬看到的閃動條紋對它們來說意味著“跟我來”的信號。跟鹿尾后閃動的白點一樣，這對整群動物來說是危險警報。而另一方面，對正在靠近的獅子來說，在一團令人眼花繚亂的移動斑紋之中經(jīng)常會找不到最初定位的目標(biāo)。

斑紋也可以幫助正在找食的小斑馬辨別自己的母親。成年斑馬則可以通過斑紋來識別自己的同類。