When most people think of giant pandas, the pictures of the cute, black-and-white bears from China that eat bamboo will immediately jump into their mind. Scientists from Mississippi State University, however, are interested in what they leave behind: their poop(排泄物). At a recent meeting in Denver, Professor Brown at the university presented her research showing how panda poop could inspire a new way to obtain energy from plants, which are a renewable energy source. Usually, plants can be called biomass(有机燃料) when they are used as an energy source.
Burning biomass is one way to capture its energy, but Brown hopes panda poop can teach scientists something about breaking down biomass. Pandas—or at least the bacteria in their stomachs—are very good at getting energy out of bamboo. Unlike cows, which use 4 stomachs to digest large amounts of grass, a panda has only one stomach. Bamboo comes in, and poop goes out.
Every day for 14 months, Brown and her team on this project, counted the bacteria in the poop of the two pandas, YaYa and LeLe living at the Memphis Zoo. Her studies turned up 12 species of bacteria that break down biomass, including one that had never been found in pandas. Brown says that because the poop contains bacteria that break down biomass, it could also be used to break down other types of biomass.
Now the scientists hope to identify the chemicals that help with the process of breaking down biomass and then figure out how the bacteria work. If those chemicals can be made in the lab, they could be used to turn biomass—like grass or other plants—into fuel.
Brown says she doesn’t mind handling panda poop. “It’s probably the most pleasant material to work with,” she says, “My colleagues and I have been working with other poop for a long time, and we can assure you it has a fairly pleasant smell associated with it.”The importance of studying panda poop is _______.
| A．to create a renewable energy from plants |
| B．to explore a new way to get energy from plants |
| C．to learn a lesson of energy from panda poop |
| D．to figure out how the bacteria work for us mankind |
The process of the panda poop project can be described as ______.
| a. Identify the chemicals helpful to break down biomass. b. Find the bacteria in panda poop which break down bamboo. c. Reproduce the chemicals in the lab to turn biomass into energy. d. Analyze how the bacteria in panda poop work in panda’s stomach. |
A. a, b, d, c B. a, d, c, b C. b, a, d, c D. b, d, a, cWhat does the author mainly want to express in the 2nd paragraph?
| A．Pandas don’t digest bamboo the same way as cows. |
| B．Pandas are capable of getting energy using stomachs. |
| C．Pandas can get energy from bamboo more efficiently. |
| D．Scientists have learnt something new from panda poop. |
What does Professor Brown think of working with panda poop?
| A．Sick | B．Challenging | C．Inspiring | D．Enjoyable |
Jack lay, quiet and unmoving, for thirty minutes while a stranger repeatedly stabbed（刺）him with sharp needles, causing blood to pour steadily out of his leg. Jack was getting a tattoo（纹身）. His friend Tony had recently got a tattoo, and Jack was so impressed by Tony’s bravery and his tattoo that he decided to get one, too. Peer pressure, media influence and personal expression are some of the common reasons for wearing tattoos today.
The desire to be accepted by one’s friends or peers can have a great influence on what a person does. Sometimes, wearing a tattoo can be a sign that you belong to a certain group. Gangs often use special clothes and tattoos to identify their particular group. Some of these groups wear only brand-name clothes. Others wear tattoos. When a person’s friends are all doing something, that person is more likely to do the same．
The media is another big influence behind the popularity of tattoos in North America．A wide variety of media images show tattoos－people appearing in commercials selling expensive cars， famous sports heroes with tattoos in magazines，fashion models wearing designer clothes that show their bodies tattooed with detailed and colourful patterns．These media images link tattoos to ideas of wealth．success and status． As a result，many people decide to get a tattoo for its fashion and status value．
Many people decide to wear tattoos in order to express their artistic nature，their beliefs or their feelings－in other words，to show their individuality（个性）．A musician in a rock band may get a tattoo of a guitar on the arm．Some environmentalists may tattoo pictures of endangered animals on their shoulders．A tattoo can be a public sign to show what is important in a person's life.
As you can see．there are many reasons why young North Americans get tattoos. A tattoo can be part of a group’s uniform，a sign of fashion or an expression of individuality．The decision to get a tattoo is most often a result of the influence of friends or media or the desire to express oneself．For Jack．it was a mixture of all three．
68．Jack has got a tattoo in order to_________________.
A．show his great determination B．gain a special experience
C．make himself more healthy D．be different from others
69．According to the passage，media images are linked to_____________.
A．traditional lifestyles B．social positions
C．cultural backgrounds D．public interests
70．We can infer from the passage that______________．
A．some people get tattoos out of pressure B．a tattoo is related to religious belief
C．getting tattoos costs a lot of money D．most people with tattoos are artists
71．Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
CP：Central Point P：Point Sp：Sub-point（次要点） C：Conclusion
Your cellphone holds secrets about you. Besides the names and numbers that you’ve programmed into it, traces of your DNA remain on it, according to a new study.
DNA is genetic material that appears in every cell. Like your fingerprint, your DNA is unique to you - unless you have an identical twin. Scientists today usually analyze DNA in blood, saliva （唾液）or hair left behind at the scene of a crime. The results often help detectives identify criminals and victims.
Meghan J. McFadden, a biologist at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, heard about a crime in which the suspect bled onto a cellphone and later dropped it. This made her wonder whether traces of DNA remained on cellphones - even when no blood was involved. To find out, she and a colleague collected flip-style （翻盖式）phones from 10 volunteers. They collected invisible traces of the users from two parts of the phone: the outside, where the user holds it, and the speaker, which is placed at the user’s ear.
The scientists cleaned the phones using a liquid mixture made mostly of alcohol. The aim of washing was to remove all detectable traces of DNA. The owners got their phones back for another week. Then they returned the phones and the researchers collected traces on each phone once more. They discovered DNA that belonged to the phone’s owner on each of the phones.
Surprisingly, DNA was even picked up immediately after the phones were cleaned. That suggests that washing won’t remove all traces of evidence from a criminal’s cellphone. So cellphones can be added to the list of clues that can settle a crime-scene investigation.
64. In a crime-scene investigation, now experts are likely to turn to ________.
A. the criminal’s fingerprint B. the DNA analysis of physical items
C. the detectives D. the criminal’s cellphone
65. According to the passage, McFadden was inspired by ________.
A. the secrets stored in people’s cellphones B. the special characters of DNA
C. a cellphone-involved caseD. the challenging job of detectives
66. According to the passage, the potential application of the new study would be ________.
A. identifying criminalsB. designing new cellphones
C. protecting individual privacy D. preventing cellphone-involved crimes
67. Which of the following has the closest meaning with the underlined word “identify” in Paragraph 2?
A. imagine B. recognize C. discover D. determine
Summer Holiday Fun 2010!
The summer holidays are upon us again. Here is our guide to summer holiday fun in Peterborough !
Peterborough Museum
“The Age of the Dinosaurs” is the museum’s main attraction this summer. Get up close to pre-historic creatures via some great hands-on exhibits! Watch out for monsters lurking around every corner! The museum is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Saturday, and from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm on Sundays in August.
Call 01733 864663 for details.
Saxon Youth Club
School holiday fun: Young people aged 13 - 19 will be able to produce their own music, compete in sports activities, or try their hands at cooking at Saxon Youth Club, Saxon Community Centre, Norman Road, Peterborough every Monday and Wednesday from 3:00 pm.
PLUS - a ball tournament will take place on Thursday 12th August between 3: 30 pm and 6:30 pm.
Call 01353 720274 for details.
Houghton Mill
Alice through the Looking Glass - a new production of the family favorite on Monday 30th, August. Bring rugs or chairs to sit on and a picnic if you wish to eat during the play. Gates open at 5:30 pm, performance 6: 30 pm - 8: 30 pm. Tea room will be open until the end of the interval.
Prices: Adult ￡10, Child ￡7, and Family ￡20.
Booking advisable on 0845 4505157.
Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey
Farmland Games: From Wellie Wanging to Pretend Ploughing matches, come and join the Farmland Team. Collect your sporting stickers and create a colorful rosette that is fit for a winner! No need to book, just turn up between 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm on Thursday 19th August. Suitable for children aged four and above, each child should be accompanied by an adult and all activities are included in the normal admission price. Tickets cost ￡7 per child.
For further information, call 01223 810080.
60. If you are interested in cooking, you can go to ________.
A. Peterborough Museum B. Houghton Mill
C. Saxon Youth Club D. Farmland Museum
61. If you want to watch the new play with your parents, it will cost you _______.
A. ￡7 B. ￡17 C. ￡27 D. ￡20
62. Which of the following activities needs parents’ company?
A. Playing farmland games. B. Watching a new play.
C. Competing in sports activities. D. Visiting the dinosaur exhibition.
63. If Tom comes to Peterborough for amusement on August 19, he will have ________ to choose from for himself.
A. one activityB. two activities
C. three activities D. four activities
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，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Joanne was stuck in a traffic jam in central Birmingham at 5:30 pm, and at 6:30 pm she was expected to be chairing a meeting of the tennis club. At last, the traffic was moving. She swung quickly racing to her house. As she opened the door, she nearly tripped over Sheba.
“Hey, Sheba,” she said, “I’ve got no time for you now, but I’ll take you out as soon as I get back from the tennis club.” Then she noticed Sheba seemed to be coughing or choking. Obviously, she could hardly breathe. Immediately, Joanne realized she would have to take her to the vet. When she got there, the vet was just about to close for the day. Seeing the state of Sheba, Dr. Sterne brought her quickly into his office.
“Listen, doctor, I’m really in a rush to get to a meeting - can I leave her with you, and go and get changed? I’ll be back in ten minutes to pick her up, and then I’ll take her on to the meeting with me. Is that OK?”
“Sure,” said the doctor.
Joanne made a quick trip back to her house in a couple of minutes. As she was once more entering the hallway, the phone by the door began to ring.
“This is Dr. Sterne,” said an anxious voice. “I want you to get out of that house immediately,” said the doctor’s voice. “I’m coming round fight away, and the police will be there any time now. Wait outside!”
At that moment, a police car screeched to a stop outside the house. Two policemen got out and ran into the house. Joanne was by now completely confused and very frightened. Then the doctor arrived.
“Where’s Sheba? Is she OK?” shouted Joanne.
“She’s fine, Joanne. I took out the thing which was choking her, and she’s OK now.”
Just then, the two policemen reappeared from the house, half-carrying a white-faced man, who could hardly walk. There was blood all over him.
“My God,” said Joanne, “how did he get in there? And how did you know he was there?”
“I think he must be a burglar,” said the doctor. “I knew he was there because when I finally removed what was stuck in Sheba’s throat. It turned out to be three human fingers.”
56. What was Joanne supposed to do at 6:30 pm?
A. To walk her dog. B. To see her doctor.
C. To attend a club meeting. D. To play tennis with her friends.
57. Joanne wanted to get back to her home again ________.
A. to dress up for the meeting B. to phone the police station
C. to catch the badly hurt burglar D. to wait for her dog to be cured
58. From the passage, we can infer that ________.
A. Sheba fought against the burglar
B. the police found the burglar had broken in
C. Joanne had planned to take her dog to the meeting
D. the doctor performed a difficult operation on the dog
59. In this passage, the writer intends to tell us that the dog is ________.
A. clever B. friendly C. frightening D. devoted
Parents should stop blaming themselves because there’s not a lot they can do about it. I mean the teenager problem. Whatever you do or however you choose to deal with it, at certain times a wonderful, reasonable and helpful child will turn into a terrible animal.
I’ve seen friends deal with it in all kinds of different ways. One strict mother insisted that her son, right from a child, should stand up whenever anyone entered the room, open doors and shake hands like a gentleman. I saw him last week when I called round. Sprawling himself on the sofa in full length, he made no attempt to turn off the loud TV he was watching as I walked in, and his greeting was no more than a quick glance at me. His mother was ashamed. “I don’t know what to do with him these days,” she said. “He’s forgotten all the manners we taught him.”
He hasn’t forgotten them. He’s just decided that he’s not going to use them. She confessed(坦白) that she would like to come up behind him and throw him down from the sofa onto the floor.
Another good friend of mine let her two daughters climb all over the furniture, reach across the table, stare at me and say, “I don’t like your dress; it’s ugly.” One of the daughters has recently been driven out of school. The other has left home.
“Where did we go wrong?” her parents are now very sad. Probably nowhere much. At least, no more than the rest of that unfortunate race, parents.
71. This text is most probably written by ______.
A. A specialist in teenager studies. B. a headmaster of a middle school
C. a parent with teenage children D. a doctor for mental health problems
72. The underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refers to ______.
A. the change from good to bad that’s seen in a child
B. the way that parents often blame themselves
C. the opinion that a child has of his parents
D. the advice that parents want their children to follow
73. The boy on the sofa would most probably be described as ______.
A. lazy B. quiet C. unusual D. rude
74. From the second example we can infer that the parents of the two daughters ______.
A. pay no attention to them B. are too busy to look after them
C. have come to hate them D. feel helpless to do much about them
75. What is the author’s opinion about the sudden change in teenage children?
A. Parents have no choice but to try to accept it.
B. Parents should pay still more attention to the change.
C. Parents should work more closely with school teachers.
D. Parents are a fault for the change in their children.