With only about 1, 000 pandas left in the world, China is desperately trying to clone(克隆) the animal and save the endangered species(物种). That’s a move similar to what a Texas A & M University researchers have been undertaking for the past five years in a project called “Noah’s Ark”.
Noah’s Ark is aimed at collecting eggs, embryos(胚胎), semen and DNA of endangered animals and storing them in liquid nitrogen. If certain species should become extinct, Dr. Duane Kraemer, a professor in Texas A & M’s College of Veterinary Medicine, says there would be enough of the basic building blocks to reintroduce the species in the future.
It is estimated that as many as 2, 000 species of mammals, birds reptiles will become extinct in over 100 years. The panda, native only to China, is in danger of becoming extinct in the next 25 years.
This week, Chinese scientists said they grew an embryo by introducing cells from a dead female panda into the egg cells of a Japanese white rabbit. They are now trying to implant the embryo into a host animal.
The entire procedure could take from three to five years to complete.
“The nuclear transfer(核子移植) of one species to another is not easy, and the lack of available(capable of being used) panda eggs could be a major problem,” Kraemer believes. “They will probably have to do several hundred transfers to result in one pregnancy (having a baby). It takes a long time and it’s difficult, but this could be groundbreaking science if it works. They are certainly not putting any live pandas at risk, so it is worth the effort,” adds Kraemer, who is one of the leaders of the Project at Texas A& M, the first-ever attempt at cloning a dog.
“They are trying to do something that’s never been done, and this is very similar to our work in Noah’s Ark. We’re both trying to save animals that face extinction. I certainly appreciate their effort and there’s a lot we can learn from what they are attempting to do. It’s a research that is very much needed.” The aim of “Noah’s Ark” project is to _______.
A.make efforts to clone the endangered pandas |
B.save endangered animals from dying out |
C.collect DNA of endangered animals to study |
D.transfer the nuclear of one animal to another |
According to Professor Kraemer, the major problem in cloning pandas would be the lack of _______.
A.available panda eggs | B.host animals |
C.qualified researchers | D.enough money |
The best title for the passage may be _______.
A.China’s Success in Pandas Cloning |
B.The First Cloned Panda in the World |
C.Exploring the Possibility to Clone Pandas |
D.China —the Native Place of Pandas Forever |
From the passage we know that _______.
A.Kraemer and his team have succeeded in cloning a dog |
B.scientists try to implant a panda’s egg into a rabbit |
C.Kraemer will work with Chinese scientists in clone researches |
D.about two thousand of species will probably die out in a century |
Last year I had a wonderful experience. I went on a student exchange to Japan. It was an exciting time of my life and I learned many things about the school system in Japan. I was in Grade 11, which is second year of high school in Japan, but I was younger than most of my classmates. That’s because Japanese children enter first year of elementary school (小学) in April following their sixth birthday. I started school when I was still five years old.
In Japan, Children attend elementary school for six years, where they study Japanese, arithmetic, science, social studies, music, crafts, physical education, and home economics (simple cooking and sewing skills). During their three years in middle school, English is added to this list. Most schools have access to computers and the Internet.
After the terrible car accident, the whole world had been completely dark and quiet for Robert Edwards for almost ten years, for he became both blind and deaf after the doctor had saved him. The loss of sight and hearing threw him into such a sorrow that he tried a few times to put an end to his life. His family especially his wife did their best to tend and comfort him. By and by he finally regained the courage to live on.
On a hot summer afternoon he was taking a walk with a stick near his house when a thunderstorm started all at once. He stood under a large tree in order not to get himself wet. Unfortunately he was struck down to the ground by a lightning. The witnesses thought him dead but he woke up some 20 minutes later lying face down in muddy water below the tree. He felt that he was trembling badly, but when he opened his eyes ,he didn’t dare to believe that he saw a plough (梨子) lying near the wall. When Mrs Edwards came running up to him, she shouted their neighbours for help. And he saw her and heard her voice for the first time in nearly ten years.
The news of Robert’s regaining his sight and hearing quickly spread in his area. And many doctors came to prove the truth of the news. Most of them said that he gained sight and hearing again obviously from the knock of lightning; none of them could give convincing reasons, How did Edwards get his sight and hearing once more according to the doctor?
A.He regained them from head injury when he fell from a tree. |
B.His wife’s first visit after almost ten years made him so ha![]() |
C.The lightning took the feeling from his legs and gave the senses of sight and hearing to his head. |
D.The blow that caused him blind and deaf was very severe, so it took another severe blow to regain them. |
Thanks to the huge success of Harry Potter, many teenagers dream about living in an ancient castle. These dreams may include beautiful silk dresses, delicious food, servants and of course, magic. However, real life in an English castle was not easy. With thick stonewalls and high towers, castles were built for defence(防御). So they were not good places to live in. In medieval times, castles must have been noisy and smelly places. Horses, cattle, chickens and sheep walked free, blacksmiths did ironwork, soldiers practised sword (剑) fights, and children of all ages played around them. Castles did not have central heating; the only heat came from the fireplace. Even in summer the castle was cool. People living
in the castles had to use blankets to keep warm while at work.
Life during the Middle Ages began at sunrise. Servants lit the fire, swept the floor and cooked the morning meal. The mid-morning meal was the main meal of the day and often included three or four courses (一道菜). After dinner, everyone continued his or her work. The owner of the castle, the lord, sometimes took his guests hunting or shooting. His wife, the lady, spent much of the day watching the maids (女仆) work, as well as people working in the kitchen. She also kept an eye on the weavers and embroiderers who made clothes for the family. Supper was simple and eaten late, just before bedtime.
You may find some old magic books in a castle as Harry Potter once did. Read them before you go to bed, because when you fall asleep the magic of castle life may appear before your eyes. For what purpose were the castles built in England?
A.To defend the city or country against enemies. |
B.To provide a working place for blacksmiths. |
C.To raise poultry (家禽) and livestock (家畜). |
D.To provide a place for teenagers to learn magic. |
Why were the ancient castles noisy?
A.Because soldiers practiced sword fights there. |
B.Because blacksmiths did ironwork there. |
C.Because children of all ages played around them. |
D.All of the above. |
Which of the following about family life in castles is true according to the passage?
A.The servants in castles lived an easy life. |
B.The wife spent much of the day at home. |
C.Supper was eaten before sunset. |
D.Dinner was eaten in the middle of the day. |
The main idea of this passage is ______.
A.castles were not good places to live in |
B.castles in novels are different from those in history |
C.Harry Potter's story in a castle affected people |
D.what real life was like in an ancient castle |
A man in a very splendid restaurant started to take off his jacket. Seeing this, the head waiter dashed to his table and said, “I’m afraid I must ask you to keep your jacket on, sir, for it is not good manners to do it in such a smart restaurant.”
“Now listen”, said the man, “I’ll let you know that the Queen of England gave me permission to remove my jacket here.”
“The Queen of England?” said the waiter in great surprise.
“Sure,” replied the man, “When I was in England last month, a friend of mine who had a very important position in high society took me to see the Queen. It was rather hot, so I started taking my coat off. The Queen looked over and said, “You may do that in the United States, but you may not do it here.” So I got the Queen’s permission, right?”
D. the English and the Americans enjoyed different ways of life From the story, you can see the man was _______.
A.humorous and careless |
B.such a man as used to make trouble |
C.always ready to do what the Queen told him to |
D.one who didn’t have good understanding |
阅读下面的短文,并根据短文后的要求答题(请注意问题后的词数要求,并将答案写在二卷答题纸上)。
[1] What does a successful language learner do? Language learning research shows that successful language learners are similar in many ways.
[2] First of all, successful language learners are independent learners. They do not depend on the book or the teacher. Instead of waiting for teachers to explain, they try to find the patterns and the rules for themselves. They are good guessers who look for clues and form their own conclusions.
[3] Secondly, successful language learning is active learning. Therefore, successful learners do not wait for a chance to use the language but . They find people who speak the language and they ask these people to correct them when they make a mistake. They will try anything to communicate. They are not afraid to repeat what they hear or to say strange things. They are willing to make mistakes and try again. When communication is difficult, they can accept information that is inexact or incomplete. It is more important for them to learn to think in the language than to know the meaning of every word.
[4] Finally, successful language learners are learners with a purpose. They want to learn the language because they are interested in the language.
[5] What kind of language learners are you? If you are a successful language learner, you have probably been learning independently, actively and purposefully. On the other hand, if your language learning has been less than successful, you might do well to try some of the techniques above. What is the main idea of the text? (Please answer within 10 words.)
________________________________________________________________________ Which sentence in the text can be replaced by the following one?
They make efforts to seek their own ways of learning rather than wait for explanations from their teachers.
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_________________________________________________________________________ Please fill in the blank in Paragraph 3 with proper words or phrases to complete the sentence. (Please answer within 8 words)
_________________________________________________________________________ If you want to be a successful language learner, what should you do? (Please answer within 20 words)
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_________________________________________________________________________ Translate the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 into Chinese.
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