How could we possibly think that keeping animals in cages in unnatural environments---mostly for entertainment purposes --- is fair and respectful?
Zoo officials say they are concerned about animals. However, most zoos remain “collections” of interesting “things” rather than protective habitats. Zoos teach people that it is acceptable to keep animals bored, lonely and far from their natural homes.
Zoo claims to educate people and save endangered species, but visitors leaves zoos without having learned anything meaningful about the animals’ natural behaviour, intelligence, or beauty. Zoo keeps animals in small spaces or cages, and most signs only mention the species’ name, diet, and natural range. The animals’ normal behavior is seldom noticed because zoos don’t usually take care of the animals’ natural needs.
The animals are kept together in small spaces, with no privacy and little opportunity for mental and physical exercise. This results in unusual and self-destructive behavior called zoochosis. A worldwide study of zoos found that zoochosis common among animals kept in small spaces or cages. Another study showed that elephants spend 22 percent of their time making repeated head movements or biting cage bars and bears spend 30 percent of their time walking back and forth, a sign of unhappiness and pain.
Furthermore, most animals in zoos are not endangered. Captive breeding (圈养繁殖) of endangered big cats, Asian elephants, and another species has not resulted in their being sent back to the wild. Zoos talk a lot about their captive breeding programs because they do not want people to worry about a species dying out. In fact, baby animals also attract a lot of paying customers. Haven’t we seen enough competitions to name baby animals?
Actually, we still save endangered species only if we save their habitats and put an end to the reasons people kill them. Instead of supporting zoos, we should support groups that work to protect animals’ natural habitats.How would the author describe the animals’ life in Zoos?
| A．Dangerous | B．Unhappy | C．Natural | D．Easy |
In the state of zoochosis, animals _______________.
| A．remain in cages | B．behave strangely |
| C．attack other animals | D．enjoy moving around |
According to the passage what point of view does the author hold?
| A．Zoos are not worth the public support. |
| B．Zoos fail in their attempt to save animals. |
| C．Zoos should treat animals as human beings. |
| D．Zoos use animals as a means of entertainment. |
The author tries to persuade readers to accept his argument mainly by________.
| A．pointing out the faults in what zoos do |
| B．using evidence he has collected at zoos |
| C．exploring the way animals are protected |
| D．discussing the advantages of natural habitats |
Although he argues against zoos, the author would still agree that___________.
| A．zoos have to keep animals in small spaces |
| B．most animals in zoos are endangered species |
| C．some endangered animals are reproduced in zoos |
| D．it’s acceptable to keep animals away from their habitats |
Astronomers (天文学家) say they are on the point of finding planets like Earth orbiting other stars, which is a key step in determining if we are alone in the universe.
A top NASA official and other leading scientists say that within four or five years they should discover the first Earth-like planet where life could develop, or may have already. A planet close to the size of Earth could even be found sometime this year.
At the annual American Astronomical Society conference this week, each discovery involving so-called “exoplanets” —those outside our solar system — pointed to the same conclusion：Quiet planets like Earth where life could develop probably are plentiful.
NASA’s Dew Kepler telescope and a lot of new research from the suddenly hot and competitive exoplanet field caused noticeable buzz at the meeting．Scientists are talking about being at “an incredible special place in history” and closer to answering the question. “Are we alone? For the first time, there’s an optimism that sometime in our lifetimes we’re going to get to the bottom of that,” said Simon Worden，an astronomer who heads NASA’s Ames Research Center. “If I were a betting man, which I am, I would bet we’re not alone.”
“These are big questions that reflect upon the meaning of the human race in the universe,” the director of the Vatican Observatory, the Rev. Jose Funes, said Wednesday in an interview at this week’s conference.
Worden told The Associated Press: “I would certainly expect in the next four or five years we’d have an Earth-sized planet in the habitable (可居住的) zone.”What is very important in determining if we are alone in the universe?
| A．Finding an Earth-like planet |
| B．Orbiting other stars. |
| C．Developing new telescopes |
| D．Finding more exoplanets. |
What’s an exoplanet?
| A．It’s a planet like Earth |
| B．It’s a planet outside our solar system. |
| C．It’s a planet orbiting the sun |
| D．It’s a planet where life have developed. |
The underlined phrase “get to the bottom of” probably means “__________”.
| A．understand fully | B．make full use of |
| C．search for | D．do more research on |
From the passage we can learn that __________.
| A．an Earth-like planet has been found |
| B．it’s been proved we are not alone in the universe |
| C．Jose Funes has found the meaning of the human race in the universe |
| D．the discovery of an Earth-like planet could happen in the near future |
It is important that you make a good impression at work. If you make a good impression on your boss, he or she is more likely to give you more responsibilities which can lead to promotions (晋级) and raises. Here are some ways to make a good impression at work.
Use Proper Office Etiquette (礼仪)
Using proper manners will help you make a good impression on your boss and also your co-workers. Office etiquette includes everything from the proper way to e-mails to knowing when, where, and how to use your cell phone at work.
Face up to Your Mistakes
When you make a mistake at work, which everyone inevitably (不可避免地) does at some points, face up to it. Don’t ignore your error or place the blame on others. Take responsibility and come up with a solution to fix your mistake. Your boss may not be too happy about it, but she will at least be impressed with your response.
Know to Call in Sick
Do you think coming to work when you are sick instead of staying at home will impress your boss? Reasonable bosses know that a sick employee not only is unproductive but also he or she can spread an illness around the office. Call in sick(打电话请病假) when you are ill.
Come Through in a Crisis
When the unexpected happens at work, who will make a better impression on the boss? Of course it’s the employee who deals with the crisis quickly and effectively.What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．How to Use Good Etiquette |
| B．How to Deal with Mistakes at Work |
| C．How to Be a Good Worker in the Future |
| D．How to Make a Good Impression at Work |
What should you do if you make a mistake at work?
| A．Try to ignore the mistake. |
| B．Put the blame on others. |
| C．Think out a solution to your mistake. |
| D．Leave the company as soon as possible. |
According to the writer, when you are ill you’d better _________.
| A．go to work on time as usual |
| B．stay at home without telling others |
| C．go on working but stay away from others |
| D．stop working and ask for a leave |
Who will make good impressions on the boss?
| A．Employees who deal with the crisis quickly and effectively. |
| B．Employees who often make mistakes. |
| C．Employees who go to work though they are ill. |
| D．Employees who often use their cell phones at work. |
Once there was an 11-year-old boy who went fishing with his father in the middle of a New Hampshire lake. On the day before bass (巴斯鱼) season opened, they were fishing early in the evening, catching other fish with worms. Then the boy tied on a small silver lure (鱼饵) and put it into the lake. Suddenly he felt that something very big pulling on the lure. His father watched with admiration as the boy skillfully brought the fish beside the bank. Finally he lifted the tired fish from the water. It was the largest one he had ever seen, but it was a bass.
The boy and his father looked at the big fish. The father lit a match and looked at his watch. It was 10 pm – two hours before the season opened. He looked at the fish, then at the boy. “You’ll have to put it back, son,” he said.
“Dad!” cried the boy, “There will be other fish,” said his father. “Not as big as this one,” cried the boy. He looked around the lake. No other fishermen or boats were in sight in the moonlight. He looked again at his father.
Even though no one had seen them, nor could anyone ever know what time he had caught the fish, the boy could tell from his father’s voice that the decision couldn’t be changed. He threw the huge bass into the black water. The big fish disappeared. The boy thought that he would never again see such a big fish.
That was 34 years ago. Today the boy is successful architect in New York City. He often takes his own son and daughters to fish at the same place.
And he was right. He has never again caught such a large fish as the one he got that night long ago. But he does see that same fish … again and again … every time he has an ethical (伦理的，道德的) decision to make. For, as his father had taught him, ethics are simple matters of right and wrong. It is only the practice of ethics that is difficult.What happened when the big fish turned out to be a bass?
| A．The boy cooked the big fish. |
| B．The boy threw the bass back into the water willingly. |
| C．The father lit a match in order to check the time. |
| D．They worried other fishermen may discover what they had done. |
From the text we know that the father _________.
| A．didn’t love his son | B．always disagreed with his son |
| C．disliked the huge fish | D．was firm and stubborn |
The successful architect went fishing with his children at the same place because _________.
| A．they might catch a big fish there |
| B．he was taught a moral lesson there |
| C．it was a most popular fishing spot |
| D．their children enjoyed fishing there |
What does the story imply?
| A．It is easy to say something, but difficult to do |
| B．An ethical decision is always easy to make. |
| C．It’s hard to tell right from wrong sometimes |
| D．Fishing can help one to make right decisions. |
I know it is wrong to envy your children. But when I see my son, Tonio and his younger brother Sam going down a slide together, one’s arm around the other, I know I have missed something wonderful.
Not only did I never have a brother, but also I had no friendships like theirs. My sister was old enough to help take care of me, so she was more a mother than a playmate, and I was more a pest than a friend. A brother would have been wonderful, but it was not in the family planning.
Now I finally live with brothers, my sons, Tonio and Sam. I am watching them build the kind of relationship that I once dreamed about. They go to bed together. When one comes into our bed after a nightmare, my wife and I know that before morning his brother will follow.
Sam manages the world with more ease than his elder brother, whose frustrations often bring him to tears. With a sincere “Smile, Tonio,” Sam is the one who comforts him. Tonio, on the other hand, has stopped playing with boys at his age who don’t like playing with Sam. They are always backing each other up.
I don’t know what kind of relationship they will have when they grow up. Parents always want their children to have what they never could. I want them to have each other. So I imagine them going to the same college, marrying sisters and living on the same block.
That’s why I was so worried the day Tonio started kindergarten. I felt that I would lose something too. As we headed for school that morning, both boys seemed relaxed, as if neither had any idea that the day was going to be different, that starting then, Tonio would be leaving behind his brother, his best friend, his right arm.
Tonio’s first day was chaotic, with hundreds of children outside looking for their teachers. Before any of us could say goodbye, Tonio disappeared with his new classmates. He turned to wave and then was gone. It was so sudden. Sam even didn’ t see him go. Although parents had been asked to ease the craziness of the first day by statying out of the school, I lifted Sam up and took him to Tonio’s classroom, looking for a glimpse of Tonio. Sam spotted him first.
My wife and I didn’t head back home immediately, stopping instead at a coffee shop to treat Sam to hot chocolate. We even let him eat ice-cream with his fingers. Sam was still quiet, so I asked him if he missed his brother already.
He didn’t answer. Instead he asked, “Daddy, is Tonio going to be gone forever?”
“No, Sammy,” I said, feeling happy about his sweet question. “Not forever, just until three o’clock.”
I sometimes think that the greatest thing I have ever done is to help create these brothers. And I didn’t stop with them. We had another child, and for the third time in a row, it was a boy. It wasn’t long before his brothers climbed into the crib(婴儿床) to play with him. I am surrounded by brothers.What makes the author envy his sons?
| A．He has no friends like Sam and Tonio. |
| B．He has only one brother in his family. |
| C．He doesn’t enjoy brotherhood as they do. |
| D．He doesn’t have a good relation with his sister. |
What does the underlined word “pest” in paragraph 2 mean?
| A．a bad person | B．an annoying person |
| C．a good companion | D．a lovely brother |
What can we learn about the two little brothers?
| A．Tonio often encouraged Sam when Sam burst into tears. |
| B．The two brothers went to the same kindergarten. |
| C．Neither of the brothers played with other children. |
| D．They supported each other in different ways. |
The author was worried the day Tonio started his kindergarten, because__________.
| A．Tonio might not spend so much time with Sam |
| B．Tonio might not do well with his study |
| C．he was afraid he would lose Tonio forever. |
| D．he wanted Tonio to have what he didn’t have |
On the first day of the kindergarten, __________.
| A．Tonio had a nice day playing with his new classmates |
| B．Sam was very sad because Tonio was gone forever |
| C．Sam was allowed to have ice-cream with fingers as usual |
| D．the father felt happy when he sensed Sam’s love to Tonio |
What does the title “Surrounded by Brothers” suggest?
| A．The author experienced brotherly affection by raising his sons. |
| B．The author often plays with his sons whenever he has time. |
| C．Parents want their children to stay at home and play together. |
| D．The youngest son is always surrounded by his elder brothers. |
You’ve bought what you need. The grocery cashier asks, “Will that be paper or plastic? You reply “Plastic, please.”
This seems like a simple question and there are plenty of reasons we choose plastic: easier to carry, lighter than paper bags, possibly less damaging to the environment, less expensive to the shop owners, able to be used as trash bag, and so on. There are different opinions on plastic and paper. Now let’s follow the travels of 3 plastic bags. It begins at the grocery store with the customer’s choice.
Plastic Bag 1: As the waste engineer come by and pick up the trash, the first plastic bag falls out. It sits on a small street for a couple of hours until a car comes along and takes it down to the road. Then a gust of wind blows it across the road, then another car, then another gust of wind finally makes its way to the beach. Water fills the plastic bag and makes it look like a jellyfish. A seal(海豹) swims by, thinking it looks very interesting, and swallowed it. The plastic bag may stay in the seal’s stomach for months, maybe years. You see, our lovely animals have been living thousands of years in a world where everything can be eaten.
Plastic Bag 2: This bag does make its way to landfill(垃圾场). Before they have a chance to cover up the thousands of pounds of daily waste, a strong wind comes up and blows these plastic bags out of the landfill. Once the wind stops, workers will be sent to collect thousands of bags around. But they can’t possibly get them all. So our little bag continues his adventure getting caught in trees, eaten by birds or making its way to our lakes or rivers.
Plastic Bag 3: The last bag also blows away but is caught in a landfill where it sits for many years, as all the trash is wrapped in a big plastic bag, making natural degradation(降解) impossible. Although workers do much work to make sure water and air system won’t be polluted, some do. Guess what, plastic bags are made from petrol, a harmful waste material, which in one way or another makes its way to the environment.
Another problem with putting plastic bags in out trash is that our landfills for most cities may be filled in about 20 years. More importantly, since we are running out of land to build homes, you might have the pleasure of one day living on top of your plastic bags!
One of the best suggestions is not to use a bag at all or bring your own cloth bags. If you must, please choose paper bags, which, though not suggested, can be eaten by animals. And there are more opportunities recycle paper bags. It does take a little extra effort. But please have a thought about the little seal next time you say, “Plastic please.”According to the passage, what is NOT the reason for a customer to choose plastic bags?
| A．He can use plastic bags to carry trash later. |
| B．He finds paper bags heavier than plastic bags. |
| C．He finds plastic bags more convenient to carry. |
| D．He can save money for plastic bags are cheaper. |
The author describes the travel of Plastic Bag 1 to show ______.
| A．seals like eating plastic bags around them. |
| B．seals really have a good stomach. |
| C．seals are potential victims of plastic bags. |
| D．seals are not able to differ plastic from food. |
Wrapped in a big plastic bag, Plastic Bag3_____.
| A．still does harm to the environment |
| B．can hardly be harmful to the environment |
| C．is much safer than Plastic Bag2 |
| D．will end up being eaten by seals or some fish |
What will the following part of this passage talk about?
| A．Suggestions on reducing harm of plastic bags. |
| B．Disadvantages of using too many plastic bags. |
| C．Persuading people into using paper bags. |
| D．Other potential victims of plastic bags. |
What is the overall tone of this passage?
| A．Excited | B．Serious | C．Ironical | D．Casual |