This animal is the fennec fox.
Fennec foxes have ears that are 5 to 6 inches long. That"s big for an animal that weighs less than four
pounds. Their ears help shed (去除) body heat. And, as you may have guessed, they also provide great
hearing.
It"s also interesting to think about the hair of fennec foxes. Why would a fox that lives in the desert
need a thick, fur coat? Actually, the desert isn"t always warm. During the nighttime, a desert can be
terribly cold! A fennec fox"s fur keeps them warm during those desert nights. They also have long bushy
tails that they use as a blanket. And the hair on their feet protects them from the hot sand in the daytime.
Fennec foxes live in small communities of dens (兽穴).They spend most of the day sleeping in their
dens, out of the hot sun. Then, when night comes, they come out in search of food. In addition to their
great hearing, fennecs also use their great sense of smell and big eyes to track down dinner.
Like other foxes, fennecs are omnivores. This means they eat both meat and plants. They like eating
birds, eggs, insects, snails, fruit and leaves best.
Fennec fox mothers have one to five babies at a time. The lifespan of a fennec fox is 10 to 12 years.
The cream coloration of fennec foxes help them blend into their desert habitat. Still, they have to watch
out for predators (捕食性动物). These include caracals ( a type of wild cat ) , jackals, eagle owls,
hyenas and humans. Humans catch them for their fur and to sell as pets.
| Fennec Foxes 1 areas ◆Deserts of North Africa and Saudi Arabia. Appearance ◆They are the 2 of all foxes with the largest of ears. ◆Their thick fur 3 them to survive in the cold desert night. ◆The hair on their feet protects them from the 4 of the sand during the daytime. Ability ◆They have very good 5 and eyesight with big ears and eyes. ◆They are also good at tracking down dinner with their great sense of 6 . Character ◆They live in small communities. ◆They 7 in their dens most of the day. At 8 they become active and come out in search of food. Food ◆They eat both meat and plants. ◆Their 9 foods include birds, eggs, insects, snails, fruit and leaves. 10 ◆They are hunted by caracals, jackals, eagle owls, hyenas and humans. | |
| 1. Living 2. smallest 3. helps 4. heat 5. hearing | 6. smell 7. sleep 8. ni ght 9. favourite 10. Danger |
| Reading comprehension | |
Potatoes are very popular today. But in the past this was not true. Potatoes grew in South America 5,000 years ago. But they only became popular in other places 200 years ago. | |
| 阅读理解。 | |
| You may have noticed that the world"s population is not evenly distributed (分别) around our planet. There are some countries where people seem to be living nearly on top of each other because conditions are overcrowded. Then there are others where it seems that hardly anybody lives. What influences this unequal distribution of people? There are specific advantages and disadvantages of diving in a certain area. The two main factors that influence people"choice of location are climate and resources. Climate is the usual weather conditions in a region. Areas that have bad weather are generally less deal as places to live in. The north and south poles at the top and bottom of the world may be beautiful in their rugged, natural way, but the disadvantage of the bitterly cold and windy conditions usually keeps people way. When it comes to climate, warm conditions and a normal amount of rainfall are advantage that attract people. Natural resources are things that we get from nature that help us survive. Each region offers different resources, and therefore attracts different groups of people. People who enjoy the beach car make their living by catching and selling the ocean"s many fish and other sea creatures. Those who prefer farming can take advantage of rich soil (土壤) in valleys near rivers. Some people are willing to accept the disadvantages of the terrible conditions of deserts or mountains in order to take advantage of the resources like oil or woods. | |
| 1. The underlined part "on top of "in the first paragraph most likely means_______. A. very close to B. on the highest part of C. in control of D. on the surface of 2. What are the main factors that influence the distribution of people? A. Resources and oceans. B. Climate and rivers. C. Climate and resources. D. Warm conditions and rainfall. 3.The writer thinks many people don?t live near the north or south pole because ________. A. they can?t get enough food there B. they natural sights there don?t attract people C. the unpleasant weather keeps them away D. the length of nighttime is too short or too long 4. Why do people go and live in valleys near rivers? A. The temperature isn?t too low in winter. B. the resources like oil can bring them much money. C. People can make their living by catching and selling fish. D. It?s easier for people to grow plants or keep animals. 5. The purpose of the example in the last paragraph is to tell us _______. A. people cannot survive in cold conditions B. different resource attract different groups of people C. People usually prefer living at the seaside to living in mountains D. a normal amount of rainfall i  s necessary for people to live in the desert | |
| 根据短文内容及首字母提示，写出所缺单词，使短文完整、通顺。 | |
| When you’re busy or stressed, don’t forget your hobbies, such as listening to (1) m_____, reading and playing ball games. If eating makes you feel better, you can go to your favourite restaurant to have a delicious meal. Parents may not think that it is useful to (2) w_____ TV. However, if you are worried (3) a_____ your English and don’t know how to improve it, why not watch some English TV programmes? If you’re feeling bad about your weight and don’t (4) k_____ what to do, why not go walking or jogging? Finally, trying to keep your worries to yourself can make them worse. I like to (5) s_____ my problems with my friends. They always give me useful advice. If you don’t know who to talk to, you can always write to me. You’re never alone. | |
| 阅读理解 | |
| Want to stay away from colds? Put on a happy face. Compared to unhappy people, those who are cheerful and relaxed are less likely to suffer from cold, according to a new study. It"s possible that being happy helps the body fight illnesses, say the researchers from New York University. "It seems that positive(积极的) feelings may reduce the danger of illness," said the study"s chief researcher Sheldon Cohen. In an earlier study, Cohen found that people who were cheerful and lively caught coughs and colds less often People who showed positive feelings were also less likely to tell their doctors that they felt ill. In this study, Cohen"s study interviewed 193 adults every day for two weeks. During the interviews, the people told researchers about the happy or sad feelings they had that day. After the two weeks, the people were given colds by doctors and had to stay alone in a room for six days. The result showed that everyone in the study was equally likely to get ill. But for people who said they felt happy during the research period , their illness was less serious and lasted for a shorter time. Cohen believes that when people experienced positive feelings, their body may produce a chemical that helps fight illness and disease. So if you are worried about your health, look on the bright side more often. | |
| 1. Which of the following was NOT a part of the study"? | |
| A. People talked about their feelings every day. B. People were kept alone. for six days. C. People were given colds by doctors. D. People were made to feel unhappy. | |
| 2. What did the study find? | |
| A. People who felt happy never got ill. B. People"s feelings didn"t influence their health. C. People with good feelings became ill more easily. D. People with positive feelings had less serious ill-nesses. | |
| 3. According to Cohen, which of the following may help fight illness? | |
| A. Eating. B. Crying. C. Laughing. D. Sleeping. | |
| 4. This passage is a/an ________. | |
| A. advertisement B. newspaper report C. story D. scientist"s diary | |
| 5. What is the best title for this passage? | |
| A. Smiles can fight colds B. Cause of colds found C The danger of colds D. How people get sick | |
阅读理解。 |
ears ago. In the 16th century, the Spanish took them to Europe. They ate leaves 3 of having