Chinese have a unique way of representing the New Year through animals. They have 12 different animals to represent each year of the 12 - year cycle and the order remains the same throughout with the year of the rat beginning the cycle and the year of the boar/ pig ending the same. As the Chinese year 2009 was signified as the year of the Ox, the following year, 2010, is going to be the year of the Tiger. Chinese New Year of Tiger, 2010, will fall on 14th of February and will mark the 15 - day - long festivities beginning on the said date.
Preparations for the Chinese New Year of Tiger, 2010, will begin months in advance so that the celebrations be observed in the highest importance. As the different years of the 12 - year cycle are characterized by different animals, people born on the different years also feature different traits and characters and most often than not, they are believed to be influenced and inspired by the animals of the particular year they are born in. With this article on Chinese New Year of Tiger, 2010 ,we strive to hold forth the interesting characteristics and features of the Tiger and how babies born in this year can be expected to display similar traits.
All years ending in an odd（奇数）number are Yang and the ones with an even（偶数）number ending are considered to be the Yin forms according to the Chinese methods of the calendar cycle. Therefore the Tiger year 2010 will have Yin forms along with the character of the Tiger. Tiger symbolizes courage, power, earth, victory, passion and royalty. The Tiger years so far have been 1902, 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998 and now 2010 followed by 2022（according to the 12 -year cycle）.
People born in the Chinese New Year of Tiger, 2010 will mainly have the below mentioned traits in their character: Adventurous, sensitive, emotional, and risk- taking. Those who are born in the Year of the Tiger are smart, uncomplicated and friendly by nature. They have strong will power and never a give -up attitude.
However there are a few negative traits associated with the character of the Tiger that also is reflected through the people born in the ox years. Attributes（特征）like being short- tempered and suspicious are generally associated with people born in this year.
With these and many more fascinating elements, Chinese New Year of Tiger, 2010 is just about to arrive. So get set to welcome the year and have a very prosperous New Year ahead.
1. What can we know from paragraph one?
A. There are 12 animals to celebrate Chinese New Year.
B. That the Chinese’s celebrating the New Year through animals is unique.
C. 2008 was signified as the year of the Pig.
D. The Year of the Tiger ends on 14th of February ,2010.
2. Which statement is false in paragraph two and three?
A. People are often believed to be affected by the animals of the year when they were born.
B. Tigers stand for courage and power.
C. 2034 is not the year of the Tiger.
D. The year of the Tiger has Yin forms with the character of the Tiger.
3. According to the 12 - year circle, what year is it by 2021?
A. The year of the Tiger. B. The year of the Ox .
C. The year of the Rat. D. The year of the Pig.
4. What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. The introduction to the Chinese New Year of the Tiger.
B. How to celebrate the New year of the Tiger.
C. Chinese celebrate the New Year--Unique!
D. 12 different animals represent each year of the 12 - year - circle.
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 |
The blue tits(山雀) have been inspecting the nest-box again this year. The male is the house-hunter but the female will make the final choice. He lands at the hole and turns his head to expose his white cheeks as a signal to attract the female from where she has been feeding.
Among many birds that nest in holes, the male has a light-coloured patch on its plumage(鸟羽) which acts as signal for drawing the female’s attention to a suitable nesting-place. Unlike the blue tit, the redstart(红尾鸲) may be only the male that strikingly coloured and the female is not beautiful.
A few years ago I was lucky enough to spot a pair of redstarts in action in a Walsh wood. The male was leading an interested female to holes that he had previously(先前) checked out. He sat at the entrance of each hole and put his head on to show off his white forehead, or his head in to reveal(显露) his tail.
If the female failed to react to his visual signals, the male sometimes sang for extra effect, while gliding towards her on spread wings and tail. Once the female accepts by following the male through the hole the displays stop, you must be at the right place at the right time to watch them. How do the blue tits choose their nest?
| A．They choose their nest together. |
| B．The male chooses their nest. |
| C．The house-hunter chooses their nest. |
| D．The female chooses their nest. |
The writer was lucky to see ________.
| A．how the male made his tricks |
| B．how an interested female played with the male happily |
| C．what the male displayed and won the female |
| D．that the male tried his best but failed to attract the female |
You can spot a pair of redstarts in a Walsh wood ________.
| A．at any time | B．regularly | C．in April | D．occasionally |
The writer is probably ________.
| A．a bird expert | B．a bird-hunter |
| C．a bird raiser | D．a scientist |
Millions of years ago dinosaurs lived on the earth. In the days of dinosaurs, the whole earth was warm and wet. There were green forests and they could find enough to eat. Later, parts of the earth became cold and dry, and the forests there died. Then dinosaurs could not find enough to eat. This must be one reason why dinosaurs died out.
We can guess another reason. New kinds of animals came on the earth. Some had big brains and strong .They could kill dinosaurs.
There may be other reasons that we don’t know about yet. Scientists are are trying to make more discoveries about dinosaurs.
Dinosaurs were of many sizes and shapes. Some were as small as chickens, while some were about 90 feet long.
There were also terrible rights between dinosaurs. They night have happened more than 100 million years ago. Though there was no man to see any of the fights, we can be told by the animal’s footprints(足迹)that fights did take place .According to the passage, dinosaurs did exist only on the earth _______.
| A．for millions of year | B．millions of years ago |
| C．more than 100 million years ago | D．when it was warm and wet somewhere |
One reason why dinosaurs died out is that __________.
| A．there were too many dinosaurs |
| B．parts of the earth became cold and dry |
| C．the dead forests there could not supply them with enough food |
| D．they couldn’t find enough go eat |
One more reason why dinosaurs died out may be that _______.
| A．new kinds of animals came on the earth |
| B．some fast and strong animals with big brains could kill them |
| C．some dinosaurs were as small as chickens |
| D．some big dinosaurs died in the fights |
We can see from this passage ________.
| A．scientists are trying to make some dinosaurs |
| B．dinosaurs are dangerous enough |
| C．dinosaurs are worth studying |
| D．scientists know nothing about dinosaurs |
Edmund Halley was an English scientist who lived over 200years ago. He studied the observations of comets which other scientists had made. The orbit of one particular comet was a very difficult mathematical problem. He could not figure it out. Neither could other scientists who dealt with such problems.
However, Halley had a friend named Isaac Newton. Who was a brilliant mathematician. Newton thought he had already which he had done it. He told Halley that the orbit of a comet had the shape of an ellipse.
Now Halley set to work. He figured out the orbits of some of the comets that had been observed by scientist. He made a surprising discovery. The comets that had appeared in the years 1531, 1607 and 1682 all had the same orbit. Yet their appearances had been 75 to 76 years apart.
This seemed very strange to Halley. Three different comets followed the same orbit. The more Halley thought about it, the more he thought that there had not been three different comets, as people thought. He decided that they had simply seen the same comet three times. The comet had gone away and had come back again.
It was an astonishing idea! Halley felt certain enough to make a prediction of what would happen in the future. He decided that this comet would appear in the year 1758. There were 53 years to go before Halley’s prediction could be tested.
In 1758 the comet appeared in the sky. Halley did not see it, for he had died some years before. Ever since then that comet been called Halley’s comet, in his honor.Halley made his discovery ______.
| A．by doing experiments | B．by means of his own careful observation |
| C．by using the work of other scientists | D．by chance |
Halley made a surprising but correct prediction in the year ________.
| A．1704 | B．1705 | C．1706 | D．1707 |
This text in general is about _______.
| A．Halley and other scientists | B．the orbit of a comet |
| C．Newton and Halley | D．Halley and Halley |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Edmund Halley was an American scientist. |
| B．Halley made his discovery by doing experiments. |
| C．Isaac Newton was a famous mathematician. |
| D．The orbit of a comet had the shape of an around. |
From the jagged (锯齿状的) peaks of the Himalayas to the powerful Yangtze River that flows into the Pacific, China’s vast terrain (地带) and varied climate make it the sixth most biologically diverse nation on the planet.
Since 1998, The Nature Conservancy has been working in China’s northwest Yunnan Province to protect some of the amazing natural and cultural diversity unique to this country for its future generations. In cooperation with Chinese local and state government agencies, the Conservancy established the Yunnan Great Rivers Project, which protects an area about the size of West Virginia.
Did you know?
●China contains 10% of the world’s total species.
●At least 15% of China’s mammal species and 8% of its bird species are found nowhere else on Earth.
●Nearly 15,000 plant species are native to Yunnan Province.
●Yunnan is home to 75% of Tibetan medicinal herbs and 30 endangered species.
What is the Nature Conservancy trying to do?
Education for Sustainability (可持续性)
The Nature Conservancy recognizes that environmental education is an important element of working closely with local communities to achieve sustainable conservation results. In response, the Conservancy launched a new program called Education for Sustainability which tests means of teaching and learning that combine conservation goals, social justice, and appropriate development and participation in a vision and mission for personal and social change.
Promoting Green Tourism
Tourism is both an environmental threat and an economic opportunity, with the potential to provide extremely needed income to northwest Yunnan. The Conservancy is working with local communities, government agencies, and tourism ,enterprises(企业) to develop strategies for “green” tourism which will limit the footprint of mass tourism while generating income for local people. In addition to combining tourism development and management at our five action sites, we assisted with regional marketing efforts to promote eco-tourism opportunities.China ranks _______ among the most biologically diverse nations on the planet.
| A．tenth | B．sixth | C．fifteenth | D．eighth |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the text?
| A．The Nature Conservancy has been working in China’s |
| B．The Nature Conservancy cooperated agencies in the Yunnan Great Rivers Project. |
| C．Nearly 10% of the world’s plant species are native to Yunnan Province. |
| D．For the moment the Nature Conservancy is devoting itself to education for sustainability as well as eco-tourism. |
To develop strategies for eco-tourism, the Nature Conservancy is working with the following EXCEPT _________.
| A．West Virginia | B．local communities |
| C．government agencies | D．tourism enterprises |
Which of the following best shows the author’s attitude towards tourism?
| A．We should greatly promote tourism as it has no disadvantages. |
| B．Tourism is extremely helpful to people in Yunnan. |
| C．Tourism does no good to our environment. |
| D．Tourism is an opportunity for the economy as well as threat to the environment. |