The dodo is among the most famous extinct creatures, and _ for human-caused extinction events. Despite its bad name, and the fact that the species was alive during recorded human history, little is actually known about how this animal lived, looked, and behaved. A new study of the only known complete skeleton from a single bird takes advantage of modern 3-D laser scanning technology to open a new window into the life of this famous extinct bird. The study was presented at the 74th Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology in Estrel, Berlin. Leon Claessens, Associate Professor at the College of the Holy Cross, and lead researcher on the study said that, "the 3-D laser surface scans we made of the fragile dodo skeletons enable us to reconstruct how the dodo walked, moved and lived to a level of detail that has never been possible before. There are so many outstanding questions about the dodo bird that we can answer with this new knowledge." A complete dodo skeleton, found by an amateur collector and barber, Etienne Thirioux, on the island of Mauritius between 1899 and 1917, has remained unstudied, even though it is the only complete dodo skeleton from a single individual bird known to exist. All other skeletons are incomplete combinations, meaning that they are gathered from more than one individual. In addition, Thirioux constructed a second, partially combined skeleton, which contains many bones that also belong to a single bird. "Being able to examine the skeleton of a single, individual dodo, which is not made up from as many individual birds as there are bones, as is the case in all those other combined skeletons, truly allows us to appreciate the way the dodo looked and see how tall or fat it really was," said Juilan Hume, of the Natural History Museum UK, a co-author on the study. The scans were performed on site in Durban, South Africa, and allow examination of the biology of this mysterious extinct bird in detail for the first time. Using the newest digital tools and techniques, the... The researchers study the dodo skeleton to find out _ . A) ways to save the dodo B) the dodo's living habits C) the bird's natural habitat D) the cause of the dodo's extinction
B
I received pictures of my daughter floating on a lake in California. Right there under the sun during the hottest time of the day, she has only her swimsuit to cover her. When I showed it to my students, it was as if I had shown them scenes from a horror movie. "But she will get dark," they said. "That's what she wants," I told them. "We think darker skin is beautiful." They looked at me in disbelief. It was as if I came from the moon. For years, American girls spend their summer trying to get as tanned as possible. In China, on the other hand, girls use umbrellas all year round. What in the world is going on? The pale skin we think looks unattractive is what Asian women want. Both groups want to meet their culture's standard of beauty. In the US, if you can afford to go on vacation in the summer, you head for a river, a lake or a beach, where you try to get as much sun as possible. If you are rich you take a winter vacation in some sunny spot. Your winter tan shows your wealth. In China, once upon a time, the few wealthy were the ones who didn't have to work out in the hot sun. So the whiter the skin, the richer the woman. The folk opera performers who play these ladies wore lots of white makeup . The tradition survives to this day. So it comes naturally that none of my students wishes to follow the Western ways in this regard. But now I am noticing that a new business - the tanning booth - started up in China. I admire those brave enough to define(...)their own idea of beauty, but I do wonder what their grandmothers would have to say to them about it! According to the article, which kind of woman meets the American standard of beauty? A) Women with blond hair. B) Women w C) Women with tanned skin. D) Women
C
Q: Attention Tim Hortons Stainless Steel Travel Mug Owners Lid Recall-15 oz Stainless Steel Travel Mug A fault at the cup has been recognized. The fault may result in some lids lifting slightly from the body of the mug, and could probably cause injury from hot liquid leaking. Therefore, we have given an immediate lid recall notice. This Recall notice is related only to Tim Hortons 15 oz Stainless Steel Travel Mugs sold between October 2002 and January 2003. The bottom of the mug is stamped with distributor's name, "ThermoServ". There is no printing on the handle of the mug. At Tim Hortons, we value our customers' safety above anything else. So, whether your lid is leaking or not, in the interest of your safety, we are requesting that you bring your mug to your nearest Tim Hortons (excluding Esso Tim Hortons), where they will exchange the lid for a new lid that fits safety. The new lids will be available February 1, 2003; please do not use your mug until you exchange the lid. Here's what you do: * Please do not use your mug until you have exchanged the lid for a new one. * New lids will be available February 1, 2003. * Return your travel mug to a Tim Hortons store (as of February 1, 2003). * Your lid will he exchanged for a new lid. If you prefer to return the entire mug, bring it back at any time for a full repayment. If you have any questions regarding this recall, please contact us at: Toll Free Number: 1-888-601-1616 8:30 am - 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time Tim Hortons From the passage we can learn that Tim Hortons _ . A) is a club for travelers B) wants to make more money C) cares about the customers' safety D) is an organization helping customer
A: C
Q: This year some twenty-three hundred teenagers (young people aged from 13 to 19) from all over the world will spend about ten months in US homes. They will attend US schools, meet US teenagers, and form impressions of the real America. At the same time, about thirteen hundred American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and gain a new understanding of the rest of the world. Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George's family. In turn, George's son Mike spent a year in Fred's home in America. Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months' study, the language began to come to him. Schools were completely different from what he had expected--much harder. Students rose respectfully when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities. Family life, too, was different. The father's word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual . Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car. "Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it." At the same time, In America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea."I suppose I should criticize American schools," he says. "It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens . There ought to be some middle ground between the two. After experiencing the American school life, Mike thought _ . A) German schools trained students to be better citizens B) A better education should include something good from both America and Germany C) American schools were not as good as German schools D) The easy life in the American schools was more helpful to students
A: B