New Theatre

The New Theatre has been the home of quality drama, musicals, dance and children's shows for more than 100 years. Presenting the best of the West End along with the pick of the UK's touring shows, the New Theatre is Cardiff's oldest surviving traditional theatre. Be sure to pay a visit as part of your stay in the city.

Park Place, Cardiff CF 10 3 LN

www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk

21. Where is the Welsh Proms Cardiff hosted?

A. At the New Theatre.            B. At the Glee Club.

C. At Sherman Cymru.            D. At St David's Hall.

22. What can people do at the Glee Club?

A. Watch musicals.           B. Enjoy comedies.

C. See family shows.          D. Do creative things.

23. Which website can yovisit to learn about Cardiff's oldest surviving theatre?

A. www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk       B. www.shermancymru.co.uk

C. www.glee.co.uk/cardiff            D. www.stdavidshalleardiff.co.uk

B

Goffin's cockatoos, a kind of small parrot native to Australasia, have been shown to have similar shape-recognition abilities to a human two-year-old. Though not known to use tools in the wild, the birds have proved skilful at tool use while kept in the cage. In a recent experiment, cockatoos were presented with a box with a nut inside it. The clear front of the box had a "keyhole" in a geometric shape, and the birds were given five differently shaped "keys" to choese from. Inserting the correct "key" would let out the nut.

In humans, babies can put a round shape in a round hole from around one year of age, but it will be another year before they are able to do the same with less symmetrical（对称的） shapes. his ability to recognize that a shape will need to be turned in a specific direction before it will fit is called an "allocentric frame of reference". In the experiment, Goffin's cockatoos were able to select the right tool for the job, in most cases, by visual recognition alone. Where trial-and-error was used, the cockatoos did better than monkeys in similar tests. This indicates that Goffin's cockatoos do indeed possess an allocentric frame of reference when moving objects in space, similar to two-year-old babies.

The next step, according to the researchers, is to try and work out whether the cockatoos rely entirely on visual clues（线索）, or also use a sense of touch in making their shape selections.

24. How did the cockatoos get the nut from the box in the experiment?

A. By following instructions.        B. By using a tool.

C. By turning the box around.       D. By removing the lid.

25. Which task can human one-year-olds most likely complete according to the text?

A. Using a key to unlock a door.            B. Telling parrots from other birds.

C. Putting a ball into a round hole.          D. Grouping toys of different shapes.

26. What does the follow-up test aim to find out about the cockatoos?

A. How far they are able to see.               B. How they track moving objects.

C. Whether they are smarter than monkeys.     D. Whether they use a sense of touch in the test.

27. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A. Cockatoos: Quick Error Checkers         B. Cockatoos: Independent Learners 

C. Cockatoos: Clever Signal-Readers        D. Cockatoos: Skilful Shape-Sorters

C

As Ginni Bazlinton reached Antarctica, she found herself greeted by a group of little Gentoo penguins（企鹅）longing to say hello. These gentle, lovely gatekeepers welcomed her and kick-started what was to be a trip Ginni would never forget.

Ever since her childhood, Ginni, now 71, has had a deep love for travel. Throughout her career（职业）as a professional dancer, she toured in the UK, but always longed to explore further When she retired from dancing and her sons eventually flew the nest, she decided it was time to take the plunge.

After taking a degree at Chichester University in Related Arts, Ginni began to travel the world, eventually getting work teaching English in Japan and Chile. And it was in Chile she discovered she could get last-minute cheap deals on ships going to Antarctica from the islands off Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost tip of the South American mainland. "I just decided wanted to go," she says. "I had no idea about what I'd find there and I wasn't nervous, I just wanted to do it. And I wanted to do it alone as I always prefer it that way."

In March 2008, Ginni boarded a ship with 48 passengers she'd never met before, to begin the journey towards Antarctica. "From seeing the wildlife to witnessing sunrises, the whole experience was amazing. Antarctica left an impression on me that no other place has," Ginni says. "I remember the first time I saw a humpback whale; it just rose out of the water like some prehistoric creature and I thought it was smiling at us. Yocould still hear the operatic sounds it was making underwater."

The realization that this is a precious land, to be respected by humans, was one of the biggest things that hit home to Ginni.

28. Which of the following best explains "take the plunge" underlined in paragraph 2?

A. Try challenging things.         B. Take a degree.

C. Bring back lost memories.       D. Stick to a promise.

29. What made Ginni decide on the trip to Antarctica?

A. Lovely penguins.           B. Beautiful scenery.