Every pet owner loves his pet. There is no argument here.
But when we asked our readers whether they would clone(克隆) their beloved animals, the answers were split almost down the middle. Of the 228 readers who answered it, 108 would clone, 111 would not and nine weighed each side without offering an opinion.
Clearly, from readers’ response, this is an issue that reaches deeply into both the joy and final sadness of owning a pet. It speaks, as well, to people’s widely differing expectations over the developing scientific procedure.
Most of the respondents (被调查的人) who liked the idea strongly believed it would produce at least a close copy of the original; many felt the process would actually return an exact copy. Those on the other side, however, held little hope a clone could never truly recreate a pet, many simply didn’t wish to go against the natural law of life and death.
Both sides expressed equal love for their animals. More than a few respondents owned “the best dog/cat in the world”. They thought of their pets as their “best friend”, “a member of the family,” “the light of my life.” They told moving stories of pets’ heroism(英勇精神), cleverness and selfless devotion.
“People become very close to their animals, and the loss can be just as hard to bear as when a friend or family member dies,” says Gary Kowalski, author of Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet. “For me, cloning feels like an attempt to turn death away…It’s understandable. Death is always painful. It’s difficult to deal with. It’s hard to accept.”
But would cloning reduce the blow? This question seemed to be at the heart of this problem.
71. So far as the cloning of pets is concerned, a recent survey shows that, of all pet owners, __________.
A. a lot more of them are for it
B. a lot more of them are against it
C. very few of them are willing to tell their opinions
D. about half of them are for it and the other half against it
72. While talking about the respondents from the readers, the underlined expression “final sadness of owning a pet” refers to ___________.
A. the death of one’s pet
B. the high cost of owning a pet
C. the troubles one has to deal with in keeping a pet
D. the dangers involved in the cloning of a pet
73. In spite of(尽管) their differences on the problem of cloning, it seems that ________.
A. all pet owners try to go against the natural law of life and death
B. all pet owners love their pets very much
C. people who support cloning love their pets more
D. people who dislike cloning love their pets more
74. From what Gary Kowalski says, we can know that he _________.
A. has never thought about the problem of cloning
B. is going to write another book on pets
C. support the idea of cloning pets
D. is all against the cloning of pets
75. What is the key question at the heart of the problem of cloning pets?
A. Can cloning make one suffers less pain when a pet dies?
B. Can pet owners afford the cost of cloning?
C. Does cloning go against the law of nature?
D. Can cloning really produce an exact copy of one’s pet?
Looking out of the window, my son saw a tree whose branches were strongly swaying back and forth. “How does the tree move its branches like that?” He asked.
Without rising from my chair, nor looking up from my book, I started to answer, “The tree is not moving the branches, son. The wind is…” But before the words were out, I caught myself. Instead I rose from my chair and moved to the window to join my son. I looked at the tree. From inside our room, from behind the window, I could neither feel nor hear the wind. I saw instead a tree with its branches silently moving and thought to myself, from inside this room, how could I possibly be sure that the branches were moving because of the wind rather than from the tree’s own willing?
As I stood there with my son watching the tree, I became struck by the movement of the branches, the shimmer of the leaves. My mind quieted and I became less sure myself of what was causing the branches to move. Was it the wind, or was it some expressive, independent movement of the tree? “I see what you mean,” I said to my son. “The movement of the tree is very beautiful.”
“Do you think the tree is dancing?” asked my son. “Why would it be dancing?” I asked. “Maybe it is happy because the sun is shining,” he said. “Perhaps,” I said. “Or because it’s spring,” he added, “and it’s not cold any more.” “Perhaps,” I said.
As we continued to watch the tree together, I, too, began to appreciate the dance of the tree. I enjoyed the movement and sway of the branches, seeing little nuances(微妙之处) that I hadn’t noticed before. There seemed to be a rhythm to the movement, first strong and forceful, then light and gentle, then more vigorous, sometimes nearly violent.
“Are trees alive?” my son asked. “Yes, they are alive. Why do you ask?” “Because this tree looks happy,” he answered. “Can a tree be happy or sad?” “What do you mean?” I asked.
“In the winter, trees seem sad,” he said. “Their branches hang down, and they look cold and lonely. But now with the leaves on the tree and the sun shining and the birds flying, it looks happy.”What is the meaning of the underlined word “caught” in Para 2?
| A．stopped | B．grasped | C．seized | D．held |
What on earth caused the tree to move?
| A．The tree itself felt happy and was dancing. |
| B．The tree was too sad to sway as if to get rid of all trouble. |
| C．It was the warm spring. |
| D．The wind did so. |
What do you think of the boy?
| A．Naughty. | B．Imaginative. | C．Clever. | D．Foolish. |
Informal conversation is an important part of any business relationship．Before you start a discussion，however，make sure you understand which topics are suitable and which are considered taboo（禁忌）in a particular culture. Latin Americans enjoy sharing information about their local history, art and customs．You may expect questions about your family，and be sure to show pictures of your children．You may feel free to ask similar questions of your Latin American friends．The French think of conversation as an art form，and they enjoy the value of lively discussions as well as disagreements. For them，arguments can be interesting and they can cover pretty much or any topic ---- as long as they occur in are respectful and intelligent manner．
In the United States，business people like to discuss a wide range of topics，including opinions about work，family，hobbies，and politics. In Japan，China，and Korea，however，people are much more private．They do not share much about their thoughts，feelings，or emotions because they feel that doing so might take away from the harmonious business relationship they’re trying to build．Middle Easterners are also private about their personal lives and family matters．It is considered rude，for example，to ask a businessman from Saudi Arabia about his wife or children．
As a general rule，it’s best not to talk about politics or religion with your business friends．This can get you into trouble，even in the United States，where people hold different religious views．In addition，discussing one’s salary is usually considered unsuitable．Sports is typically a friendly subject in most parts of the world，although be careful not to criticize national sport．Instead，be friendly and praise your host’s team．The author considers politics and religion ___________.
| A．cheerful topics |
| B．taboo |
| C．rude topics |
| D．topics that can never be talked about |
Which is typically a friendly topic in most places according to the author？
| A．Sports． | B．Children． |
| C．Personal feelings． | D．Families． |
Why are people from Asia more private in their conversation with others？
| A．They don’t want to talk much with others． |
| B．They don’t want to have their good relationship with others harmed by informal conversation。 |
| C．They are afraid to argue with their colleagues． |
| D．They want to keep their feelings to themselves． |
What shouldn’t you do when talking about sports with colleagues from another country？
| A．Praising your own country’s sports． |
| B．Criticizing your own country’s sports． |
| C．Praising the sports of your colleagues’ country． |
| D．Criticizing the sports of your colleagues’ country． |
Some scientists say that animals in the ocean are increasingly threatened by noise pollution caused by human beings. The noise that affect sea creatures comes from a number of human activities. It is caused mainly by industrial underwater explosions, ocean drilling, and ship engines. Such noises are added to natural sounds. These sounds include the breaking of ice fields, underwater earthquakes, and sounds made by animals themselves.
Decibels（分贝）measured in water are different from those measured on land. A noise of one hundred and twenty decibels on land causes pain to human ears. In water, a decibel level of one hundred and ninety-five would have the same effect.
Some scientists have proposed setting a noise limit of one hundred and twenty decibels in oceans. They have observed that noises at that level can frighten and confuse whales.
A team of American and Canadian scientists discovered that loud noises can seriously injure some animals. The research team found that powerful underwater explosions were causing whales in the area to lose their hearing. This seriously affected the whales’ ability to exchange information and find their way. Some of the whales even died. The explosions had caused their ears to bleed and become infected.
Many researchers whose work depends on ocean sounds object to a limit of one hundred and twenty decibels. They say such a limit would mean an end to important industrial and scientific research.
Scientists do not know how much and what kinds of noises are harmful to ocean animals. However, many scientists suspect that noise is a greater danger than they believed. They want to prevent noises from harming creatures in the ocean.According to the passage, which of the following is increasingly dangerous to sea creatures?
| A．The man-made noises. |
| B．The noises made by themselves. |
| C．The sound of earthquakes. |
| D．The sound of the ice-breaking. |
As to the influence of noises on whales, which of the following statements is true?
| A．They are deaf to noises. |
| B．Noises at a certain level may hurt them. |
| C．They are easily confused by noises. |
| D．Noises will limit their ability to reproduce. |
We can know from the passage that many scientists think that the noise limit of one hundred twenty decibels would______.
| A．prevent them from doing their research work |
| B．benefit them a lot in their research work |
| C．do good to their health |
| D．increase the industrial output |
According to the passage, what will scientists most probably do in the future?
| A．They will try their best to decrease noise. |
| B．They will work hard to cut down noise pollution. |
| C．They will study the effect of different noises. |
| D．They will protect animals from harmful noises. |
Many a young person tells me he wants to be a writer. I always encourage such people，but I also explain that there's a big difference between “being a writer” and writing．In most cases these people are dreaming of wealth and fame, not the long hours alone at a typewriter. “You've got to want to write, ”I say to them, “not want to be a writer”．
The reality is that writing is a lonely, private and poor-paying affair. For every writer kissed by fortune there are thousands more whose longing is never rewarded. When I left a 20-year career in the U.S. Coat Guard to become a freelance writer, I had no hope at all．What I did have was a friend who found me a room in a New York apartment building．It didn't even matter that it was cold and had no bathroom．I immediately bought a used typewriter and felt like a real writer．
After a year or so．However, I still hadn't gotten a break and began to doubt myself．It was so hard to sell a story that I hardly made enough to eat．But I knew I wanted to write，l had dreamed about it for years．I wasn't going to be one of those people who die wondering, what if? I would keep putting my dream to the test—even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure．This is the shadow land of hope，and anyone with a dream must learn to live there．The purpose of the passage is to．
| A．warn young people of the hardships that a successful writer has to experience |
| B．advise young people to give up their idea of becoming a professional writer |
| C．show young people it's unrealistic for a writer to seek wealth and fame |
| D．encourage young people to be a writer over a long period of time |
What can be concluded from the passage?
| A．Real writers often find their work interesting and rewarding． |
| B．A writer's success depends on luck rather than on effort． |
| C．Famous writers usually live in poverty． |
| D．The chances for a writer to become successful are little． |
Why did the author begin to doubt himself after the first year of his writing career?
| A．He wasn't able to produce a single book． |
| B．He hadn't seen a change for the better． |
| C．He wasn't able to have a rest for a whole year． |
| D．He found his dream would never come true． |
“…people who die wondering，what if?” refers to “those”．
| A．who think too much of the dark side of life |
| B．who regret giving up their career halfway |
| C．who think a lot without making a decision |
| D．who are full of imagination even upon death |
“shadow land” in the last sentence means．
| A．the wonderland one often dreams about |
| B．the bright future that one is looking forward to |
| C．the state of uncertainty before one's final goal is reached |
| D．a world that exists only in one's imagination |
Teeth are important．Strong，healthy teeth help you chew foods that help you grow．They help you speak clearly．And，they help you look your best．Here are some tips for you to take care of your teeth．
1．Brush your teeth in the right way．
Brush your teeth at least twice a day—after breakfast and lunch or after sweet snacks，too．
Brush all of your teeth，not just the front ones，Spend time brushing teeth along the sides and back of your mouth．Brush away from your gums，too．
Spend at least three minutes each time you brush．Play a song you like to help pass the time．Get a new toothbrush every three months．When you buy your toothbrush，be sure it has soft bristles．
2．Learn how to floss your teeth．
Flossing is a very important way to keep your teeth healthy．Food may hide in places where a toothbrush cannot get to，like the space between two teeth．Flossing can help get rid of it．Carefully move floss between two teeth．Up and down．You’ll need to floss your teeth at least once a day．
3．Have good eating habits．
You need to be careful about what you eat and drink. Eating sugar is a major of tooth decay．Eating sugar before you go to bed can make things even worse，eat lots of fruit and vegetables and drink water instead of soda．The passage is mainly about ．
| A．teeth are important. |
| B．how to brush and floss your teeth |
| C．how to form good eating habits |
| D．how to take care of your teeth |
The underlined word “tips” in this passage means ．
| A．money given to the waiter for personal services |
| B．piece of advice on how to do something |
| C．light blow, tap |
| D．thin end of something |
Which is NOT mentioned in this passage？
| A．Flossing your teeth． | B．Having good eating habits． |
| C．Brushing your teeth． | D．Going to see the dentist． |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to this article？
| A．We should brush our teeth at least twice a day． |
| B．Flossing can help to get rid of the food hidden between two teeth． |
| C．One of the major causes of tooth decay is eating sugar． |
| D．We don’t have to brush our teeth if we eat a lot of fruit and vegetables． |