【阅读微技能导练】Unit 1 Facts（A）

学而优·教有方

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Readeachstory.Aftereachstoryyouwillanswerquestionsaboutthefactsinthestory.Remember,afactissomethingthatyouknowistrue.

HugSomeoneElse,Please!—Part1

Manypeoplethinkthatanoctopusmakesacurioussight.Ithaseightarmscomingoutofaroundedhead.Itsname,octopus,comesfromtwoGreekwordsthatmean“eightfeet”.

Peopleoncethoughtthattheoctopuswasa“devilfish”ora“monsterofthesea”.Theythoughtthatanoctopushadarmslongenoughtohugawholeship.Expertstodayknowthatthisisnottrue.Theseoddseacreaturesactuallyprefertobeleftalone.Eventhelargesttypeofoctopusistoosmalltohugaship.Theiraveragelengthisonlyabout10feet.Mostkindsofoctopusarenotanylargerthanaperson’sfist.However,anoctopusthatfeelsthreatenedwillbite,usingitssharp,parrotlikebeak.Also,everyonceinawhile,anoctopuswill“hug”adiver.

1.Anoctopushas

A.sixarms C.eightarms

B.fourarms D.twoarms

2.Peopleoncethoughtthattheoctopuswasa

A.mammal C.whale

B.monster D.pet

3.Theoctopuslikesto

A.beleftalone C.attackpeople

B.playwithpeople D.swimbesideboats

4.Theaveragelengthofanoctopusis

A.12feet C.10feet

B.30feet D.50feet

5.Octopuseshaveparrotlike

A.wings C.eyes

B.beaks D.tails

Part2

Eventhoughitcannotpullshipsdownintothesea,anoctopuscanuseitsarmstomoverocksmuchheavierthanitself.Itsarmscanalsohandletinyobjectsquitewell.Inonestudyscientistsplacedfoodforanoctopusinscrew-topjars.Theoctopusunscrewedthelidandthenatethefoodfromthejar.

Anoctopususesitsarmsmainlytogatherfood.Iteatsshellfish,includingclams,crabs,andlobsters.Itleavesitsdenatthebottomoftheseaatnight.Whenanoctopusfindsacraborsomethingelsegoodtoeat,itreleasespoisonintothewater.Thismakesthevictimeasytocatch.Forthetriphome,theoctopusgathersthefoodintotheskinbetweenitsarms.Thisareaiscalledtheweb.Whenitswebisfull,theoctopusreturnshomeforafinemeal.

6.Anoctopuswilluseitsarmsto

A.sinkships C.poisonacrab

B.attackpeople D.movelargeobjects

7.Whengivenascrew-topjar,anoctopuswillprobably

A.breakit C.swallowit

B.openit D.lookatit

8.Anoctopususesitsarmsmainlyto

A.eat C.moverocks

B.fight D.carryyoung

9.Theoctopuscarriesitsfoodin

A.itsmouth C.alayerofskin

B.itsbeak D.itsgills

10.Theoctopuseatsitsmeals

A.aboveitsden C.awayfromhome

B.initsden D.whileswimming

CatsinHistory—Part1

Catsfirstbecamepetslong,longago.Thismayhavehappenedasearlyas3500B.C.PeopleinearlyEgyptlovedcats.Thecatskepthomesfreeofrats,mice,andsnakes.Catsalsokeptpestsawayfromfarmsandplaceswheregrainwasstored.

Athousandyearslater,catsinEgypthadbecomemoreimportantthanever.Theywereprotectedbylaw.Underthelaw,peoplewhoharmedcatscouldbeputtodeath.Alsoduringthistime,catownershadaspecialwaytoexpresstheirsadnesswhenapetcatdied.Theownersshavedtheireyebrowstoshowhowmuchtheyhadlovedtheirspecialpet.CatsevenbecamepartofthereligionincertainareasofEgypt.InthoseplacespeopleprayedtoagoddessoflovenamedBast.StatuesofBasthadacat'sheadandawoman'sbody.

1.Catsbecamepetsasearlyas

A.1000B.C. C.3500B.C.

B.2000B.C. D.5000B.C.

2.CatsinearlyEgyptkeptpestsawayfrom

A.farms C.streets

B.rats D.trees

3.Peoplewhoharmedcatsweresometimes

A.putinjail C.givenhonors

B.cheered D.puttodeath

4.Whencatsdied,theirownersshavedtheir

A.heads C.arms

B.eyebrows D.beards

5.Basthadacat's

A.legs C.body

B.fur D.head

Part2

PeopleintheFarEastalsolovedcats.Theyusedcatstokeepmicefromnibblingholybooksintemples.Catsalsokeptmicefromeatingsilkwormcocoons.Silkmakerstradedsilkclothforotherfinegoods,sotheydependedontheircats.

CatsinEuropeinthe1300swerenottreatedaswell.Peoplekilledthembythethousandsbecausetheywereasymbolofbadluck.Thiscausedthenumberofratstogrow.Ratscarrieddiseases.AdeadlydiseasecalledtheBlackDeathspread,killingone-fourthofallpeopleinEurope.

Overtimepeopleonceagainlearnedthatcatskeepmanypestsaway.Bythe1600scatshadagainbecomepopular.SettlersarrivingintheNewWorldbroughtcatswiththem.Someofthecatsyouknowtodaycamefromthoseearlycats.

6.CatsintheFarEastkeptmiceawayfrom

A.sinkships C.poisonacrab

B.attackpeople D.movelargeobjects

7.PeopleinEuropeinthe1300sthoughtcatswere

A.cute C.good

B.fun D.bad

8.Withfewercatsthenumberofrats

A.waslarger C.stayedthesame

B.wassmaller D.wasunimportant

9.One-fourthofthepeopleinEurope

A.moved C.ownedcats

B.died D.lovedcats

10.Bythe1600speopleonceagain

A.likedcats C.killedcats

B.savedrats D.hatedcats

Steeplejacks—Part1

Doyouknowwhatasteeplejackis?Firstyouhavetoknowwhatasteepleis.Asteepleisatoweronachurch.Asteeplejackissomeonewhorepairssteeples.Steeplejacksmayalsodopaintingorcleaning.

Thereisafamilyofsteeplejacks.Theytravelaroundthecountryfindingworkastheygo.Theycarryascrapbookshowingthesteeplestheyhaverepaired.Inadditiontochurches,theyworkoncourthousesandotherbuildingswithtowers.

Manyofthesebuildingsareoldandinneedofcarefulrepair.Thesteeplejacksclimbuptolook.Oftentheyworkwithengineersandotherexpertstodecidewhattodo.Thenthefamilygoestowork.Somejobstakeafewweeks.Otherjobstakemonths.

1.Asteepleisachurch

A.door C.tower

B.bell D.window

2.Steeplejacksdopaintingand

A.watering C.preaching

B.waxing D.cleaning

3.Besidesfixingchurches,steeplejackssometimesworkon

A.courthouses C.courtyards

B.churchyards D.courtrooms

4.Thefirststepofasteeplejack'sjobisto

A.workforweeks C.paintthesteeple

B.lookatproblems D.cleanthesteeple

5.Steeplejacksoftenworkwith

A.engines C.trains

B.reporters D.engineers

Part2

Manysteepleshavelovelyclocksonthem.Sometimesthegoldennumbersontheclockshavewornout.Thesteeplejacksreplacetheworn-outnumbersandcoverthemwiththinpiecesofgold.Thentheclocknumbersshinejustastheydidinthepast.

Somesteepleshaveweathervanesontopthatneedrepair.Sometimestheroofofasteepleiswornout.Thesteeplejacksrepairtheroofstoo.Ifasteepleismadeofmetal,thenpartsofitmayhaverusted.Thesteeplejacksreplacetheseparts.Ifasteepleismadeofwood,itmayneedtobepaintedSometimessteeplejackspainttheinsideofasteepletoo.

Steeplejacksworkinhighplacesanddoalotofclimbing.Theyhavetobecareful.Theydon'tworkintherain,andtheystayhomeonwindydays.

6.Sometimessteeplejackshavetoreplaceclock

A.hands C.alarms

B.times D.numbers

7.Weathervanesonsteeplessometimeshavetobe

A.turned C.repaired

B.blown D.finished

8.Sometimessteeplejacksrepair

A.roofs C.watches

B.ladders D.bricks

9.Steeplejacksdonotworkinthe

A.winter C.steeples

B.clocks D.wind

10.Intheirworksteeplejacksneedtobevery

A.careful C.careless

B.stormy D.windy

PleasePasstheDrinkFruit—Part1

Chimpanzeesdonothavespeechorgansthatallowthemtospeak.Theycanmakenoises,buttheycannotsaywords.Theydohavehandswithfourfingersandathumb,sosomechimpshavebeenabletolearnAmeslan,AmericanSignLanguage.Thisisthesignlanguageusedbysomepeoplewhoaredeaf.

OneofthefirstchimpstolearnAmeslanwasWashoe.Bornin1965,Washoebeganlearningtosignwordswhenshewasoneyearold.Likemanytoddlers,thefirst"word"shelearnedwasmore.Whenshewassix,shecouldusemorethan200signs.Washoe'steachers,AllenandBeatriceGardner,treatedWashoeastheirownchild.Shelivedwiththemintheirhome,andshedidnotseeotherchimpanzees.Whenshedidmeetanotherchimp,shemusthavethoughtthatitwasastrangecreature.Hersignforchimpwasbug.

1.Chimpanzeesdonothave

A.atongue C.speechorgans

B.athroat D.teeth

2.Asignlanguageusedbysomedeafpeopleiscalled

A.English C.Washoe

B.Ameslan D.Gardner

3.Washoe'sfirst"word"was

A.go C.drink

B.bug D.more

4.Whenshewassix,Washoecouldusemorethan

A.200signs C.300signs

B.250signs D.1,000signs

5.Washoeprobablythoughtthatotherchimpswere

A.herteachers C.strangecreatures

B.herfriends D.deafpeople

Part2

Lucyisanotherchimpanzeethatlearnedsignlanguage.ShewasbornayearafterWashoeandlivedwithanotherfamily,theTemerlins.TheTemerlinstaughthertosign,andshelearnedquickly.Shelearnedtoaskforoneofherfavoritefoodsbysigningthewordsforcandydrinkfru