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 similar to what Texas A＆M University researchers have been undertaking(负责) 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(氮). 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 and 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.
Chinese scientists said they grew an embryo 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(过程) 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.”
1. The aim of “Noah’s Ark” project is to_______.
A. make effort 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
2. 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
3. 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
4. From the passage we know that _______.
A. Kraemer and his team have succeeded in cloning a cat
B. scientists try to implant a panda’s egg into a tiger
C. Kraemer will work with Chinese scientists in clone researches
D. about two thousand of species will probably die out in about a century
Some of the planet’s most precious animals and plants are disappearing, according to the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The group, based in Switzerland, works with governments and experts to protect threatened species. On September 12, the IUCN released its Red List, a list of species at greatest risk of extinction.
The list includes 41,415 animals and plants. The IUCN says that habitat destruction, hunting and other causes threaten one in four mammals, one in eight birds and one in three amphibians(两栖动物).
Who is to blame?
Scientists believe that 99 percent of threatened species are at risk because of human activity. “We are losing animals and plants at a high rate,” says Julia Marton-LefEevre, director general of the IUCN. “We need to change our behavior.” Warmer oceans and over-fishing are changing sea life. This year for the first time corals(珊瑚) made their appearance on the list. The gharial, a crocodile living in India and Nepal, has lost almost 60 percent of its population in the last 10 years. It is a victim（受害者）of habitat destruction.
Still, the news is not all bad. Thanks to efforts made to protect it, the Mauritius echo parakeet, a bird once endangered, has seen an increase in its population. “This shows that protection methods can work,” says Marton-LefEevre. “That’s the message we want to send to young people.”
In China the new reserve（保护区）itself is part of green efforts that have seen more than 2,400 nature reserves of various kinds being set up, covering more than 15 percent of the 
nation's land area, official figures showed.
"The country's natural resources(资源) have benefited from conservation," said Lei Guangchun, director of the nature reserve department of Beijing Forestry University. "It is a big increase nowadays compared with other countries." Lei said.
The total areas of China’s natural reserves have covered 1.38 million km2, which accounts for 15.4% of China’s area, higher than both the world average（平均水平） of 11% and the rate in most developed countries.
Li Zhong, an official in charge of the nature reserves office with the State Forestry Administration, thought it was important to increase investment（投资） in such reserves at all levels. What do we know about the IUCN?
| A．A union for listing animals and plants on the earth |
| B．A group of volunteers who are interested in wildlife |
| C．An organization concerning the protection of rare species' survival |
| D．A government made up officials, scientists and experts |
What can be concluded from the passage?
| A．All the protection methods can’t work. |
| B．The IUCN does most of the protection. |
| C．The efforts China makes has paid off. |
| D．Enough is done in wildlife protection. |
Which of the following is not the cause of the disappearance of the animals?
| A．Bad weather | B．Over-hunting | C．Warmer oceans | D．Habitat destruction |
Which of the sentence is NOT true?
| A．China has been paying great attention to protecting the natural resources. |
| B．China has set up a lot of natural reserves. |
| C．The natural reserves in China cover more than 15 percent of the nation's land area. |
| D．The rate of China's natural reserves is lower than the average of the world. |
Try and see inside your mind a wide open blue sky and a wide green sea far away. Breathe in as you circle your hands high above your head, then bend back a little. Breathe out as you circle your arms back down to your sides..."
Following the yoga teacher's gentle instructions, Bai Yunuo,15, from the High School attached to Beijing Normal University tried to get each of her poses correct.
Bai's school offered 24 e
lective courses (选修课) for Senor 1 students this term and she chose two. It was her first yoga class.
"I'm happy that I can learn yoga at school. I love dancing but I had some injuries on my knees when I was a kid. So I decide to try something soft. Simply stretching into different poses makes me feel free and quiet. And the music is quite comforting. The class is relaxing after a whole day's work," Bai said.
Liu Zehao,15, found his interest was Junior Achievement (企业经营模拟). The course brought students into the real world of business. In their first class, Liu and his group members named their company "Vision". Liu was elected as CEO of the company.
"Here we learn to think like an adult. We have to make our company get more money. It's new and different from other courses," he said.
Liu and Bai take their elective courses twice a week with students from other classes who share the same interest. The students will get two credits (学分) from each course at the end of this term. They have to achieve eight credit points from electives to graduate from high school.
If you are interested in more about elective courses, please CLICK HERE to register for general elective courses. What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?
| A．Skills for imagination. | B．Learning tips. |
| C．Instruction for yoga students. | D．Breathing rules. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Bai does not like dancing. | B．Yoga is softer than dancing. |
| C．Students study hard for credits. | D．The elective courses are easy. |
Which of the sentence is NOT true about Liu Zehao?
| A．He was interested in Junior Achievement which brought him the real world of business. |
| B．He was elected as CEO of the company named "Vision". |
| C．He was an adult and he tried to make more money for his company. |
| D．He took their Junior Achievement twice a week. |
Where can you possibly find this passage?
| A．A textbook | B．A newspaper | C．A magazine | D．The internet |
It is possible that the majority of the teenagers accepted the advantages of the iPad. In most cases they were expressing strong opinions about it. But today we already know that another three high-end computer tablets(平板电脑) are going on sale, with the aim of taking a bite out of the iPad's market. For tablet computer fans, iPad may not be the only choice, as the Motorola Xoom, the HP Touchpad and the BlackBerry PlayBook will have been launched (推出)by this summer, according to foreign media reports on Tuesday. Here is Product Information Guide as follows. We would like to listen to your reviews later.
| Apple iPad2 Size: 9.7 inch screen, 8.8mm thick Weight: 601g (Wi-Fi only version) Battery life: 10 hours of heavy use Price: a base price of $499(3,278yuan) Available(可使用的): March 11, 2011 in the US Strength: over 65,000 *apps that are fit for the iPad Weakness: lack of USB port and flash support |
| Motorola Xoom Size: 10.1 inch screen, 13mm thick Weight: 730g Battery life: 8hours of heavy use Price: $800(5,252RMByuan) Available: now Strength: great multi-tasking feature, better cameras than the iPad2 Weakness: limited options（选择权）of apps |
| HP Touchpad Size: 9.7 inch screen, 13mm thick Weight: 740g Battery life: 8hours of heavy use Price: not yet announced Available: summer 2011 Strength: killer software features, including a virtual(虚拟的) keyboard which comes in four sizes Weakness: lack of a rear-mounted（后置式） camera which would allow users to get images and photos |
| BlackBerry PlayBook Size: 7- inch screen, 10mm thick Weight: 400g Battery life: 8hours of heavy use Price: not yet announced Available: Spring 2011 Strength: business-oriented, powerful multitasker, excellent data security（安全） Weakness: Some features require users to have a Black-Berry phone |
Which type is the biggest one?
| A．Apple iPad 2 | B．Motorola Xoom | C．HP Touchpad | D．BlackBerry PlayBook |
Which is True according to the passage?
A. Apple ipad 2 has excellent data security.
B. Four t
ypes above of Battery life are the same.
C. Most people are satisfied with HP Touchpad. Which one can you buy as a present with only 4000yuan RMB at
hand?
| A．Apple iPad 2 | B．Motorola Xroom | C．None of the four | D．Any of the four |
I know what you’re thinking : pizza （比萨饼）? For breakfast? But the truth is that you can have last night’s leftovers in the a. m. if you want to
I know lots of women who skip breakfast （不吃早餐）, and they have a ton of different excuses for doing it . Some say they don’t have time,others think they’re “saving” calories （卡路里）, and still others just don’t like breakfast food .
But the bottom line is that eating in the morning is very important when you
’re trying to lose weight. “Eating just about anything from 300 to 400 calories would be better than nothing at all,” says Katherine Brooking , R , D , who developed the super-easy eating plan for this year’s “SELF CHALLENGE”. And even pizza can be healthy if it’s loaded with vegetables, and you stick to one small piece.
Breakfast is one meal I never miss, and the same goes for most weight loss success stories. Research shows that eating breakfast keeps you from overeating later in the day. Researchers at the University of Southem California found that breakfast skippers have a bigger chance of gaining weight than those who regularly have a morning meal.
So eat something in the morning, anything. I know plenty of friends who end up having no breakfast altogether, and have just coffee or orange juice. I say, try heating up last night’s leftovers-it may sound crazy, but if it works for you, do it! I find if I tell myself, “You can always eat it tomorrow,” I put away the leftovers instead of eating more that night. Try it,and then you may save yourself some pre-bedtime calories. And watch your body gain the fat-burning effects. The underlined word “leftovers” in Paragraph 1 probably means__________.
| A．food remaining after a meal | B．things left undone |
| C．meals made of vegetables | D．pizza topped with fruit |
What can we infer from the text?
| A．Working women usually have breakfast in a hurry. |
| B．Many people have wrong ideas about breakfast. |
| C．There are some easy ways of cooking a meal. |
| D．Eating vegetables helps save energy. |
According to the last paragraph, it is important to____________.
| A．eat something for breakfast | B．be careful about what you eat |
| C．heat up food before eating it | D．eat calorie-controlled food |
The text is written mainly for those_____________.
| A．who go to work early | B．who want to lose weight |
| C．who stay up late | D．who eat before sleep |
Here is the Nine O’clock News：
1. President Absul Krim of Syria says that the danger of war in the Middle East is greater now than for the past two years. His country does not want war，he says，but the Syrian people have waited too long for an end to the troubles with their neighbors. If war comes，says Mr. Krim， Syria will be ready.
2. Ben Kitson，a writer of stories and plays for children，has died at his home in California. Mr. Kitson was 82. His most famous book of stories，“The Gentleman‘s House” sells all over the world，in more than twenty-five languages.
3. Policemen in New York have gone on
strike. Their leader Mr. Paul Angeli says that they will return to work only when they receive more money for working long hours and doing what Mr. Angeli calls “the most dangerous job in the city”。
4. It has been a good year on the farm. The warm， wet spring and the fine summer have been very good for all kinds of food plants. This means that fruits and vegetables will cost less in the shops this year.
5. MORE than 1，100 people committed suicide（自杀）in Beijing last year， and experts have been encouraging the capital to set up a mental health care system as soon as possible，local media reported last week. About 20 per cent of the people of Beijing live in unhealthy conditions，with 3 per cent of these suffering from affective disorder and 5 per cent reporting symptoms（症状）of depression，according to the Beijing Mental Health Service Centre.The Syrian people _______.
| A．are ready and waiting for war |
| B．are ready to wait another two years for war |
| C．do not want war，but will be ready if it comes |
| D．are a great danger of peace in the Middle East |
Mr. Kitson wrote _______.
| A．plays and stories for children |
| B．82 stories about his home in California |
| C．in more than twenty-five languages |
| D．books，and then sold them all over the world |
It can be inferred from the third piece of news that _________.
| A．policemen in New York hate their dangerous jobs |
| B．policemen in New York love their important jobs |
| C．the government will refuse to raise the policemen‘s salary and the policemen will never return to work |
| D．the government will be forced to raise the policemen‘s salary and the policemen will return to work |
As food plants have grown well， _______.
| A．fruit and vegetables will be cheaper this year |
| B．there will be a warm，wet spring and a fine summer |
| C．food will be cheaper than it was in the spring |
| D．plants will be cheaper in the shops this year |
What is the best title for the last pieces of news？
| A．MORE than 1,100 people committed suicide（自杀）in Beijing last year. |
| B．About 20 per cent of the people of Beijing live in unhealthy conditions. |
| C．Beijing needs mental health care |
| D．People living in Beijing suffer a lot. |