A pair of pandas being lent by China to Japan was set to arrive in Tokyo's Ueno Zoo in the Japanese capital and raising hopes that the animals may help improve bilateral (双边的)ties.
Bi Li and his female partner, Xian Nu, both 5, were due to touch down at Narita international Airport in Tokyo on a flight from Shanghai.
Together with their keeper, the pair were transferred from Chengdu, to Shanghai on Monday morning, said Li Desheng, deputy chief of the Wolong Nature Reserve.
The pair, which are young adults, will be the first pandas at Ueno Zoo since April 2008, when the institution's beloved Ling Ling died.
Ueno Zoo had spent 90 million yen ($1.1 million) installing under-floor heating, a playground with a sandbox and landscaping.
The pair will dine on rare bamboo from the central Japanese mountain of Izu that is similar to what they are used to at home in China.
The zoo's first pair of pandas arrived in 1972, marking the normalization of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Expectations are running high that the pandas that will stay in Japan for 10 years will boost the local economy and improve troubled relations between Tokyo and Beijing.
Business and tourism officials expect them to bring in around 20 billion yen a year, or 10 percent of the local economy.
In 1993, a year after Ling Ling arrived in the zoo, an additional 1 million people visited the attraction. Visitors have fallen to around 3 million a year from 3.5 million since Ling Ling's death.
Since a boat collision near the Diaoyu Islands in September, Sino-Japanese relations have been at a low point. The media outlets expressed hope that bilateral relations will improve with the arrival of the pandas. The passage mainly tells us .
| A.a pair of pandas was lent to Japan by China |
| B.the pair of pandas from China brought hope of improving Sino-Japanese relations |
| C.the normalization of diplomatic ties between China and Japan |
| D.sino-Japanese relations have been at a low point since the Diaoyu Island incident |
en the pair of pandas arrives in Japan, .
| A.an additional 1 million people will visit the zoo |
| B.they will eat what they are used to from China |
| C.they will stay there for 10 years |
D.the y will be the first pandas at Ueno Zoo |
According to the passage, we know that Ling Ling stayed in Japan for about .
| A.5 years | B.10 years | C.15 years | D.20 years |
What does the underlined phrase "touch down" probably mean ?
| A.take off | B.land | C.come up | D.meet |
The arriving of the pandas is expected to bring several positive effects except .
| A.boosting the local economy |
| B.improving the troubled relations between China and Japan |
| C.bringing in around 20 billion yen a year |
| D.attracting 3.5 million visitors from China |
第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分, 满分40分)
阅读下列短文,从每篇短文后所给各题的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
MEXICO CITY: A jetliner from the beach resort of Cancun was briefly hijacked as it landed in Mexico City on Wednesday. The hijackers released all passengers shortly before federal police stormed the plane, and the crew emerged unharmed moments later.
Police, who did not fire a single shot, led as many as eight handcuffed men away from the airplane, which was isolated at the end of a runway in an area designed for emergencies. The hijackers’ motive was unclear, though Mexican news media initially identified them as Bolivians demanding to speak with Mexican President Felipe Calderon.
US, French and Mexican citizens were among the 112 passengers and crew on Aeromexico Flight 576, according to a US official who had been briefed on the situation. The official was not authorized to discuss the case and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Mexico’s transportation and communications secretary, Juan Molinar, said there was no bomb on the airplane, although some passengers said one of the hijackers held a package that resembled an explosive device, and a bomb squad (拆弹小组) was later seen near the airplane.
He did not immediately identify the hijackers or speculate on their motive.
“Various people who participated in the act have been detained and we are investigating,”Molinar said.
The attorney general’s office said it was opening an investigation into terrorism and kidnapping but did not specify how many people could be charged.
Mexican news media initially reported the hijackers were Bolivian, but Bolivia’s ambassador to Mexico, Jorge Mancilla, said Mexican authorities had no evidence that was the case. Mancilla said sources told him they could be Colombian or Venezuelan. Several passengers told reporters they did not notice a non-Mexican accent.
Passenger Rocio Garcia told the Televisa network that the pilot made an announcement after landing in Mexico City that the airplane was being hijacked. Passengers said the hijackers never communicated with them directly.
“These were scary moments,”she said.
She said she saw one of the hijackers whom she described as a well-dressed, older man.
“He looked fine, like a normal passenger,”she said.
Passenger Daniel Hernandez said he saw a hijacker carrying a Bible.
51.From the first paragraph we can conclude that _________.
A.the hijackers just wanted to play a trick on the police
B.the hijackers didn’t prepare for their action
C.the hijackers surrendered before the police fired
D.the hijackers lost their way at the last moment
52.From what Juan Molinar said we can learn that _________.
A.police were still trying to identify a possible bomb
B.passengers succeeded in stopping the explosion
C.a frightening bomb was found later on the airplane
D.several Mexicans were involved in the hijacking
53.What may be the first step taken when the hijacked plane landed?
A.They gave a sudden attack at the hijackers.
B.They kept the plane away from other planes.
C.They asked the crew to control the hijackers.
D.They abandoned the plane at the end of the runway.
54.The hijackers, as some passengers described, _________.
A.were good at bargaining with the police
B.were all well-dressed American old men
C.all came from Colombia or Venezuela
D.stayed calm and appeared noble, educated
Experts say the American state of Hawaii has been invaded (入侵)by a small frog called the coqui (ko--kee). There may be millions of the small frogs in Hawaii. However, they do not belong there. They are normally found in the southeastern United States. The coqui frogs are harming Hawaii’s environment. And the extremely loud noise they make is causing problems for Hawaiian citizens and visitors.
The coqui invaders arrived in Hawaii about ten years ago. They were believed to have been brought in accidentally in shipments of plants from Florida. Their number has sharply increased. They have quickly spread around the Hawaii Islands hidden in plants.
The coqui is a brown frog about five centimeters long. During the day, the frogs hide in wet protected areas, such as under plant leaves. At night, the frogs move onto trees to feed, call to females and mates. The call of the male coqui sounds like. Ko kee! Ko kee!
In the southeastern United States, local people celebrate coqui frogs. But in Hawaii, the foreign frog has been considered as a harmful animal. The coqui frogs are a major danger to Hawaii’s environmental system. The frogs eat thousands of insects (昆虫)every night. These insects are important for the reproduction of plants. The insects also are important food for Hawaii’s native rare birds. The frogs also are affecting the tourism industry in Hawaii. Increasing numbers of hotels, visitors and local people have been annoyed by the loud calls made by male coqui
frogs to female frogs. At night, the noise often makes it difficult for people to sleep.
The frogs do not have any natural enemies in Hawaii to reduce their population size. The warm weather permits them to lay eggs all year long. There are many efforts in Hawaii designed to stop the spread of the coqui. It is a crime to transport ,sell or release(释放)the frogs there.
The Hawaii Department of Agriculture is trying to find an effective chemical that can be safely used to kill the frogs. For now, the frogs may only be caught by hand. The Hawaii Department of Agriculture says the greatest danger to the economy and environment of the state is from harmful species, like the coqui.The statement that can best summarize the main idea of the passage is .
| A.the coqui invaders have seriously affected the tourism industry in Hawaii |
| B.it is not permitted to transport, sell or release the coqui frogs in Hawaii |
| C.the coqui invasion has serious effects on the economy and environment in Hawaii |
| D.great efforts have been made by the Hawaii people to kill the coqui |
The coqui frogs originally arrived in Hawaii .
| A.by chance | B.at the request of all the local citizens |
| C.as a gift | D.as goods demanded in the local market |
Visitors to Hawaii don’t like the coqui frogs mainly because .
| A.they are a big danger to the environmental system there |
| B.the loud noise made by the frogs bother their rest at night |
| C.they affect the reproduction of the local plants and insects |
| D.visitors could no longer see the native rare birds because of them |
The two factors leading to the rapid spread of coqui frogs in Hawaii are .
| A.the frogs’ habit and the environment in Hawaii |
| B.the large number of the insects and the plants in Hawaii |
| C.the geographic location of Hawaii and its tourism industry |
| D.the warm weather there and the frogs’ lack of natural enemies |
You can make the difference between this … and this. But how?
This summer, join the International Conservation (环境保护)Scouts on a fun—filled holiday with a difference. Year after year, young people from all around the world get together at one of our sixteen conservation camps. Their shared aim is to help protect the countryside and its wildlife.
Many animals and plants are in danger of disappearing forever. The dormouse, a kind of mouse, for example, needs woodland plants for food and trees to stay in. Its habitat is being destroyed by man and it needs our help to survive.
On a conservation camp holiday, you’ll learn all about nature and how to protect it. Our trained leaders will accompany you and tell you everything yo
u need to know. Because of this you don’t need any experience, just energy and enthusiasm(热情). You will explore the countryside and work to ensure the survival of hundreds of animals and plants and still have plenty of time to enjoy the camp’s excellent sport games and organized nature paths through beautiful scenery.
The International Conservation S
couts is a world—wide organization, so there must be camp near you. You can spend a splendid holiday at any of the camps for as little as £60, including accommodation(住宿)and food.
For more information, send for a free conservation camps handbook today:
The International Conservation Scouts
Stanton St. John
Oxfordshire OX 71 TL
THE KEY TO SAVING WILDLIFE IS TO PROTECT NATURAL, HABITATS
YOUR WORK WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCEThe main purpose of this passage is .
| A.to offer young people a fun—filled dangerous holiday |
| B.to attract young people to attend a conservation camp |
| C.to persuade people into exploring the countryside |
| D.to raise funds for the International Conservation Scouts |
According to the passage, you can at the conservation camps.
| A.do experiment on the usual dormouse |
| B.practise numbers of favorite hobbies |
| C.enrich your knowledge of wildlife |
| D.have free accommodation and food |
Judging from its writing style, this passage seems to be .
| A.a piece of advertisement for the young |
| B.a serious science report for the young |
| C.a passage for professional reading |
| D.a passage for arguing an opinion |
The International Conservation Scouts is located in .
| A.16 different countries | B.some camps near you |
| C.the United Kingdom | D.the beautiful countryside |
Self—employed private doctors who charge a fee each patient’s visit are the foundation of medical practice in the United States. Most doctors have contract relationship with one or more hospitals in the community. They send their patients to this hospital,which usually charges patients according to the number of days they stay and the facilities (operation room, tests, medicines that they use). Some hospitals belong to a city, a state or a government agency. Others are operated by religious orders (教会)or other non—profit groups.
Some medical doctors are on salary. Salaried doctors may work as hospital staff (员工)members, or residents, who are often still in training . They may teach in medical schools, or be hired by corporations to care for their workers to work for the government’s Public Health Service.
Doctors are among the best paid professionals in the United States. In the 1980s, it was not uncommon for medical doctors to earn incomes of more than $100,000 a year. Specialists, particularly surgeons, might earn several times that amount. Doctors list many reasons why they deserve to be so well rewarded for their work. One reason is the long and expensive preparation required to become a doctor in the United States. Most would—be doctors first attend college for four years, which can cost nearly $20,000 a year at one of the best private institutions. Then they attend medical school for four years. Tuition(学费)alone can more than $10,000 a year. By the time they have obtained their medical degrees, many young doctors are deeply in debt. They still face three to five years of residency(实习阶段) in hospital, the first year as an assistant. The hours are long and the pay is relatively low.
Setting up a medical practice is expensive, too. Sometimes several doctors will decide to establish a group practice, so they can share the expense of maintaining an office and buying e
quipment. These doctors also take care of each other’s patients
in emergencies.
Doctors work long hours and must accept a great deal of responsibility. Many medical procedures, even quite practiced many times, still involve risk. It is understandable that doctors want to be well—paid for making
decisions which can mean the difference between life and death.According to the passage, it is very unlikely that an American hospital is owned by .
| A.a church | B.a corporation | C.a city | D.a state |
The expenses for becoming a doctor are mainly spent on .
| A.schooling and retraining | B.practice in a hospital |
| C.facilities he or she uses | D.education he or she receives |
Sometimes several doctors set up a group medical practice mainly because .
| A.it’s difficult for one doctor to take care of too many patients |
| B.they can take turns to work for long hours |
| C.facilities may be too much of burden for one doctor to shoulder |
D.no one wants to take too much res ponsibility |
The statement that fully expresses the author’s view towards US doctors’ payment is that .
| A.they deserve a very good payment for their expensive education and their responsibility |
| B.it is reasonable for doctors to have a large income because their work is dangerous |
| C.doctors should be better paid because they work long hours in bad conditions |
| D.doctors have great responsibility, so it is understandable that they should be well paid |
Dangerous creatures
Some b
each creatures are wonderful—like dolphins, but others are dangerous. Find out more about the dangerous ones –puffer fish, blue ringed octopus, and stingrays.
| A.be bitten by the blue ringed octopus |
| B.stop breathing because of Puffer Fish |
| C.get a bad sting by the Blue Bottle |
| D.become infected by stingrays |
According to the text, the less aggressive (侵略性)creature is .
| A.the blue ringed octopus | B.puffer fish |
| C.the blue bottle | D.stingray s |
According to this passage, the correct one of
the following is that .
| A.all creatures along the coast of Australia are dangerous |
| B.poisonous creatures change the body color when in danger |
| C.no accident will happen unless people touch these creatures |
| D.if people stand on the beach, accidents can happen because of creatures |
The main idea of this passage is about .
| A.dangerous creatures in the sea | B.interesting creatures in the ocean |
| C.wild creatures in Australia seas | D.different creatures in Australian waters |