The idea about the phoenix goes back to Ancient Egypt, where we find the phoenix described as a handsome, eagle-like bird, with part-golden, part-red plumage, that spent most of its life in the Arabian deserts. It was rarely seen and according to one version of the story, only appeared in Egypt once every five hundred years, when it flew to Heliopolis, “city of the sun”, and deliberately burnt itself to ashes by settling on the altar (祭坛) flame there! However, it seems it did not really die because from those same ashes a young, fully formed phoenix was born and flew away, apparently back to Arabia.
It is pretty obvious that no one has ever seen or will see a living phoenix. The interesting thing is that we can find certain clues which may explain one aspect of the Egyptians’ idea. It may sound unbelievable, but some birds are apparently quite charmed by flames and small fires, especially members of the crow family. One zoologist actually proved this by setting fire to some straw near to a tame（驯养的）rook, a large black bird like a crow. Far from becoming nervous and backing away, the bird deliberately stood over the flames, with raised and vibrating wings. It didn’t get burnt, but the image it presented by its strange behavior was almost exactly like that shown in illustrations of the mythical phoenix!
Why birds should occasionally behave in this strange way is not clear. One idea is that they carefully use the heat of the flames to relieve the annoyance caused by their feather mites (虱) which all birds have. Whatever the reason, it is quite possible that the Ancient Egyptians saw birds behaving in this way, from time to time, and used it as the basis of their phoenix myth, adding fanciful details which closely linked it to their worship of the sun and their belief in resurrection.
Nowadays, the phoenix is much less important to us than it was to the Egyptians. But the logo of modern fire insurance companies, which employ the phoenix as one of their symbols, refers that in one sense the idea of it remains. According to the passage, the phoenix _________ .
| A．is a handsome and eagle-like bird living in Arab |
| B．used to be seen when the Egyptians held religious activities |
| C．has never really existed in the world |
| D．is the king of all kinds of birds |
The reason why birds stand above flames is probably that _________ .
| A．the phoenix used to do so | B．they may get rid of the mites |
| C．they want to burn their feather | D．they can heat themselves |
Which of the following statements is NOT correct?
| A．The ancient Egyptians worshiped the phoenix. |
| B．The scientists have discovered why birds are attracted by fire. |
| C．The modern people still favor the idea of the phoenix. |
| D．The mythical tales about the phoenix were based on facts. |
Which of the following is closest to the underlined word “resurrection” in the 3rd paragraph?
| A．living forever | B．offering warmth |
| C．coming back to life | D．staying healthy |
What does the phoenix probably mean in the logo of a fire insurance company?
| A．Our company can protect you from being harmed by fire. |
| B．If your property is destroyed by fire, we will help you build it up again. |
| C．Our company will always be energetic and wealthy. |
| D．If needed, we will save you at the risk of losing lives. |
When Frida Kahlo’s paintings were on show in London, a poet described her paintings as “a ribbon(丝带)around a bomb”. Such comments seem to suggest Kahlo had a big influence on the art world of her time. Sadly, she is actually a much bigger name today than she was during her time.
Born in 1907 in a village near Mexico City, Kahlo suffered from polio(小儿麻痹症)at the age of seven. Her spine(脊柱)became bent as she grew older. Then, in 1925, her back was broken in several places in a school-bus accident. Throughout the rest of her life, the artist had many operations, but nothing was able to cure the terrible pain in her back. However, the accident had an unexpected side effect. While lying in her bed recovering, Kahlo taught herself to paint.
In 1929, she got married to Diego Rivera, another famous Mexican artist. Rivera’s strong influence on Kahlo’s style can be seen in her early works, but her later works from the 1940s, known today as her best works, show less influence from her husband.
Unfortunately, her works did not attract much attention in the 1930s and 1940s, even in her home country. Her first one-woman show in Mexico was not held until 1953. For more than a decade after her death in 1954, Kahlo’s works remained largely unnoticed by the world, but in the 1970s her works began to gain international fame at last.What does the phase “a much bigger name” in Paragraph 1 most probably mean?
| A．A far better artist. |
| B．A far more gifted artist. |
| C．A much stronger person. |
| D．A much more famous person. |
The terrible pain Kahlo suffered was caused by .
| A．polio | B．her bent spine |
| C．back injuries | D．the operations she had |
Kahlo’s style had become increasingly independent since the .
| A．1930s | B．1940s |
| C．1950s | D．1970s |
What is the author’s attitude toward Kahlo?
| A．Devotion. |
| B．Sympathy. |
| C．Worry. |
| D．Encouragement. |
Top lists are lecturing people on everything from “100 places to visit” to “100 books to read”. Aren’t you just tired of being told what to do with your time?
Now you have a list to end all lists!
Take a look at the following two examples from the list of “101 thins not to do”:
Swim with Dolphins?
Swimming with dolphins is one of the world’s most profitable tourist activities. However, every dolphin will welcome having their busy, tiring day interrupted by tourists screaming pushing around them in the water. Worse yet, when dolphins get too near to the boats loaded tourists, they could get caught up in ropes and killed by propellers(螺旋桨).
Here’s a little secret. Dolphins look like smiling at you, but actually they’re just opening mouths.
Go to see the Mona Lisa?
There must be something about the mysterious smile. The 6 million people who visit the lady in the Louvre every year can’t all be wrong, after all. But they can be quite annoying, standing in front of you, holding up their cameras to prevent you from seeing anything. In fact, it is hard for you to see the painting clearly because you have to stay away from it for security reasons. After queuing for hours, many tourists can remain in front of the painting only for 15 seconds most.
If the mysterious lady in the picture knew her fate, she wouldn’t just be smiling, she’d be laughing.
So, still long to see the Mona Lisa? If you want to find out more about the list, read 101 Things NOT to Do Before You Die. Visit www. not2dobeforeidie. co. uk and buy the book at a 20% discount.According to the passage, swimming with dolphins .
| A．is the world’s most popular tourist activity |
| B．gives fun to both tourists and dolphins |
| C．will make tourists busy and tired |
| D．can cause danger to dolphins |
What does the author think about going to see the Mona Lisa?
| A．It is wrong to go and see the mysterious smile. |
| B．It is not as satisfying as expected. |
| C．Fifteen seconds in front of the painting is enough. |
| D．Queuing for hours is worthwhile. |
The list of “101 things not to do” is made most probably because its author .
| A．thinks it boring to do the things suggested by other lists |
| B．believes other lists are not humorous enough |
| C．intends to persuade people to read more lists |
| D．wants to provide a list different from other lists |
What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To advertise a book. |
| B．To introduce a website. |
| C．To comment on popular lists. |
| D．To recommend tourist activities. |
One of my wonderful memories is about a Christmas gift. Unlike other gifts, it came without wrap(包装).
On September 11th, 1958, Mum gave birth to Richard. After she brought him home from hospital, she put him in my lap, saying. “I promised you a gift, and here it is.” What an honour! I turned four a month earlier and none of my friends had such a baby doll of their own. I played with it day and night. I sang to it. I told it stories. I told it over and over how much I loved it!
One morning, however, I found its bed empty. My doll was gone! I cried for it. Mum wept and told me that the poor little thing had been sent to a hospital. It had a fever. For several days, I heard Mum and Dad whispering such words as “hopeless”, “pitiful”, and “dying”, which sounded ominous.
Christmas was coming. “Don’t expect any presents this year,” Dad said, pointing at the socks I hung in the living room. “If your baby brother lives, that’ll be Christmas enough.” As he spoke, his eyes filled with tears. I’d never seen him cry before.
The phone rang early on Christmas morning. Dad jumped out of bed to answer it. From my bedroom I heard him say, “What? He’s all right?” he hung up and shouted upstairs. “The hospital said we can bring Richard home!”
“Thank God.” I heard Mum cry.
From the upstairs window, I watched my parents rush out to the car. I had never seen them so happy. And I was also full of joy. What a wonderful day! My baby doll would be home. I ran downstairs. My socks still hung there flat. But I knew they were not empty; they were filled with love!What happened to the author on September 11th, 1958?
| A．He got a baby brother. |
| B．He got a Christmas gift. |
| C．He became four years old. |
| D．He received a doll. |
What does the underlined word “ominous” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
| A．Impossible. | B．Boring. |
| C．Difficult. | D．Fearful. |
Which word can best describe the feeling of the father when Christmas was coming?
| A．Excitement. | B．Happiness. |
| C．Sadness. | D．Disappointment. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．A sad Christmas day. |
| B．Life with a lovely baby. |
| C．A special Christmas gift. |
| D．Memories of a happy family. |
In his 1930 essay “Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren”, John Keynes, a famous economist, wrote that human needs fall into two classes: absolute needs, which are independent of what others have, and relative needs, which make us feel superior to our fellows. He thought that although relative needs may indeed be insatiable(无止境的), this is not true of absolute needs.
Keynes was surely correct that only a small part of total spending is decided by the desire for superiority. He was greatly mistaken, however, in seeing this desire as the only source of insatiable demands.
Decisions to spend are also driven by ideas of quality which can influence the demand for almost all goods, including even basic goods like food. When a couple goes out for an anniversary dinner, for example, the thought of feeling superior to others probably never comes to them. Their goal is to share a special meal that stands out from other meals.
There are no obvious limits to the escalation of demands for quality. For example, Porsche, a famous car producer, has a model which was considered perhaps the best sports car on the market. Priced at over $120,000, it handles perfectly well and has great speed acceleration. But in 2004, the producer introduced some changes which made the model slightly better in handling acceleration. People who really care about cars find these small improvements exciting. To get them, however, they must pay almost four times the price.
By placing the desire to be superior to others at the heart of his description of insatiable demands, Keynes actually reduced such demands. However, the desire for higher quality has no natural limits.According to the passage, John Keynes believed that .
| A．desire is the root of both absolute and relative needs |
| B．absolute needs come from our sense of superiority |
| C．relative needs alone lead to insatiable demands |
| D．absolute needs are stronger than relative needs |
What do we know about the couple in Paragraph 3?
| A．They want to show their superiority. |
| B．They find specialty important to meals. |
| C．Their demands for food are not easily satisfied. |
| D．Their choice of dinner is related to ideas of quality |
What does the underlined word “escalation” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
| A．Understanding | B．Increase |
| C．Difference | D．Study |
The author of the passage mainly argues that .
| A．absolute needs have no limits |
| B．demands for quality are not insatiable |
| C．human desires influence ideas of quality |
| D．relative needs decide most of our spending |
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. 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, said 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.
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 panda eggs could be a major problem,” Kraemer believed. “They will probably have to do several hundred transfers to result in one pregnancy. It takes a long time and it’s difficult, but this could be ground-breaking science if it works. They are certainly not putting any live pandas at risk, so it is worth the effort,” added 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 has 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 | 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 researchers |
| D．about two thousand species will probably die out in a century |