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 |
What Is a Boy?
Between the innocence of babyhood and the seriousness of manhood we find a delightful creature called a “boy”. Boys come in different sizes, weights, and colors, but all boys have the same belief: to enjoy every second of every minute of every hour of every day and to fill the air with noise until the adult males send them off to bed at night.
Boys are found everywhere – on top of, under, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around, or jumping to. Mothers spoil them, little girls hate them, older sisters and brothers love them, and God protects them. A boy is TRUTH with dirt on its face, BEAUTY with a cut on its finger, WISDOM with chocolate in its hair, and the HOPE of the future with a snake in its pocket.
When you are busy, a boy is a trouble – maker and a noise. When you want him to make a good impression, his brain turns to jelly or else he becomes a wild creature destroying the world and himself with it.
A boy is a mixture – he has the stomach of a horse, the digestion (消化) of stones and sand, the energy of an atomic bomb, the curiosity of a cat, the imagination of a superman, the shyness of a sweet girl, the brave nature of a bull, the violence of a firecracker(鞭炮), but when you ask him to make something, he has five thumbs on each hand.
He likes ice cream, knives, saws, Christmas, comic books, woods, water (in its natural habitat), large animals, Dad, trains, Saturday mornings, and fire engines. He is not much for Sunday schools, company, schools, books without pictures, music lessons, neckties, barbers, girls, overcoats, adults, or bedtime.
Nobody else is so early to rise, or so late to supper. Nobody else gets so much fun out of trees, dogs, and breezes. Nobody else can put into one pocket a rusty knife, a half eaten apple, a three-feet rope, six cents and some unknown things.
A boy is a magical creature – he is your headache but when you come home at night with only destroyed pieces of your hopes and dreams, he can mend them like new with two magic words, “Hi, Dad!”The whole passage is in a tone (语气) of _________.
| A．humor and love | B．anger and disappointment |
| C．hope and expectation | D．confidence and imagination |
What’s the meaning of the underlined sentence?
| A．He has altogether five fingers. |
| B．He is slow, foolish and clumsy. |
| C．He becomes clever and smart. |
| D．He cuts his hand with a knife. |
According to the writer, boys appreciate everything in the following except _________.
| A．ice cream | B．comic books |
| C．Saturday mornings | D．Sunday schools |
What does the writer feel about boys?
| A．He feels curious about their noise. |
| B．He is tired of these creatures. |
| C．He is amazed by their naughtiness. |
| D．He feels unsafe staying with them. |
Lifeguard, sportscaster, movie star, governor, president——there wasn’t much Ronald Reagan didn’t do in life.
“The world was a vast opportunity for him,” Lou Cannon wrote in his biography（传记） of the former US president, who died on June 5，2004， aged 93.
Reagan’s final years saw him fight a losing battle against Alzheimer’s disease（老年痴呆症）. But his positive attitude toward life has given hope to many people.
Born in 1911 to a poor family in a small town in Illinois, his father was a failed salesman who drank too much. It was in these difficult times, though, that Reagan developed the powerful optimism（乐观） that would serve him so well. He always believed better times lying ahead, and this was reflected in his high school yearbook entry. “Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music,” he wrote.
As a teenager, Reagan spent summers working as a lifeguard at a local beach, saving 77 lives in seven years. He graduated from college in 1932 with a degree in economics and sociology. But America was still in the middle of the Great Depression, and jobs were hard to find. Reagan finally found work as a radio sports announcer and this road led him to Hollywood in 1937.
During the 20---year film career, he never became a leading star. As in his lifeguard days, Reagan loved to play the hero and only took the role of a bad guy once in more than 50 films.
A talented speaker who was always able to connect with his audience, Reagan became involved in politics in the 1950s. This popular touch led to him being elected the governor of California in 1967.
All the while Reagan was in California, he had his eye on the White House. In 1980, aged 69, he became the oldest man ever elected president.
He held office from 1981 to 1989, the first president to serve two complete terms after World War Ⅱ. When he left, aged 77, he held the highest popularity rate of any retiring president in US history.
He remained positive even when he discovered he had an illness that would destroy him. “I will leave with the greatest love for this country of ours and eternal（永恒的optimism(乐观) for its future,”he wrote.Reagan can be best described as a man with ______.
| A．firmness | B．humour | C．optimism | D．talent |
What didn’t Reagan do in his life time?
| A．Playing the role of a bad guy. |
| B．Being a leading star of the film. |
| C．Saving people’s lives. |
| D．Working as a radio sports announcer. |
Which is the correct order of events described in the passage?
a. Reagan fought a losing battle against Alzheimer’s disease.
b. Reagan became an actor.
c. Reagan worked as a lifeguard.
d. Reagan graduated from college.
e. Reagan was elected the governor of California.
| A．a, c, d, e ,b | B．e, c, d, b, a |
| C．b, a, c, d, e | D．c, d, b, e, a |
When the writer of Reagan’s biography says “The world was a vast opportunity for him,” he really means that _______.
| A．Reagan achieved much in his whole life |
| B．Reagan could have done much better |
| C．Reagan did much for America and the world |
| D．Reagan was a very lucky man |
Television in the United States is free. To pay for programs, there are many advertisements. Often these advertisements are short plays with actors. The following television advertisement is like many others that Americans see daily.
We see a man and his wife at the breakfast table. They have been married for a long time. They are not speaking to each other. They haven't spoken to each other at the breakfast table for years. The husband is reading his newspaper. We can't see his face. The wife looks very bored as she pours a cup of coffee for him. Today, she is using a new kind of coffee for the first time. The husband picks up his cup. He isn't very interested. He tastes his coffee. Suddenly he puts down his newspaper. Something is different.! Can it be the coffee? He takes another taste. It's wonderful! He smiles. He looks at his wife and says in amazement,
"Doris, when did you cut your hair?"
Doris is pleased. She answers, "Two months ago."
Doris asks, "Herbie, when did your hair begin to turn gray?"
He replies, "A long time ago."
Doris says, "Oh, very handsome."
Now they aren't bored any more. Breakfast is different. Has a new kind of coffee changed their lives?In the television advertisement, Doris looks bored because ______.
| A．she doesn't like the breakfast that morning |
| B．she has been married to Herbie for a long time |
| C．Her husband doesn't care much for her |
| D．Herbie isn't interested in the breakfast she cooks |
The TV advertisement wants to tell the viewers ______. .
| A．to have an immediate try at the new coffee |
| B．to have a good laugh at the good couple |
| C．that a nice breakfast must go with nice coffee |
| D．that advertisements can certainly increase goods production |
What does the author mean by saying the last sentence?
| A．What kind of coffee can change people's lives? |
| B．How can a new kind of coffee change people's lives? |
| C．Nice coffee can change one's life. |
| D．A new kind of coffee costs quite a lot. |
This text is mainly about ______.
| A．who pays for TV programs in the United States |
| B．what a TV advertisement is usually like in the USA |
| C．why long married couples dislike speaking to each other |
| D．what made Herbie and Doris not bored any more |
The best way of learning a language is using it. The best way of learning English is talking in English as much as possible. Sometimes you'll get your words mixed up (混合) and people will not understand you. Sometimes people will say things too quickly and you can't understand them. But if you keep your sense of humor, you can always have a good laugh at the mistakes you make. Don't be unhappy if people seem to be laughing at your mistakes. It's better for people to laugh at your mistakes than to be angry with you, because they don't understand what you are saying. The most important thing for learning English is: "Don't be afraid of making mistakes because everyone makes mistakes." The writer thinks that the most important thing for you to learn a language is________.
| A．reading | B．practising | C．talking about it | D．listening |
If people laugh at the mistakes you make, you should ________.
| A．be angry with them | B．be angry with yourself |
| C．not care | D．believe you are right |
The story tells us " ________."
| A．It is normal (正常的) that we make some mistakes in learning English |
| B．Everyone must make mistakes |
| C．We can avoid making mistakes in learning a language |
| D．Laughing can help one learn English well |
Have you ever been afraid to talk back when you were treated unfairly? Have you ever bought something just because the salesman talked you into it? Many people are afraid to support themselves. Dr Robert Albert, author of Stand Up, Speak Out, and Talk Back thinks it' s because their self-respect is low. "There's always a' superior' around— a parent, a teacher, a boss— who knows better."
But Albert and other scientists are doing something to help people help themselves. They offer "assertiveness training" courses , A.T. for short. In the A.T. Course people learn that they have a right to be themselves. They learn to speak out and feel good about doing so. They learn to be aggressive without hurting other people.
In one way, learning to speak out is to get rid of fear. A group taking an A.T. Course will help the timid person to lose his fear. But A.T. uses an even stronger motive— he need to share. The timid person speaks out in the group because he wants to tell how he feels. Whether or not you speak up for yourself depends on your self-respect. If someone you face is more "important" than you, you may feel less of a person. You start to doubt your answers to problems. You can get to feel good about yourself. And once you do, you can learn to speak out.The problem the writer talks about is that ________.
| A．some people buy things they don't want |
| B．some people are afraid to speak out for their rights |
| C．there are too many superiors |
| D．some people don't think enough of themselves |
The cause of the problem talked about in this passage is that ________.
| A．some people have a low self-respect |
| B．there is always someone around who "knows better" |
| C．salesmen talk people into buying things they don't want |
| D．people don t share enough |
The A.T. Courses often ________.
A. make people distrust their own answers
B. make things more favorable for "superiors"
C. help people know as much as their "superiors"
D. help people become more importantA good title for this passage could be "________".
| A．The Need to Share | B．Talk Back When Necessary |
| C．One Way to Build Self-Respect | D．One Way to Train Speaking Ability |