BERLIN （AP）----A tiger escaped its enclosure at Cologne Zoo in western Germany on Saturday and killed a female keeper before being shot dead by the zoo's director, police said．
The tiger slipped through a passage between the enclosure and a neighboring storage building, where it fatally attacked the 43-year-old keeper, said police spokesman Stefan Kirchner．
"It appears the gate wasn't properly shut," Kirchner told The Associated Press．
The zoo was evacuated and a SWAT （特警） team was called in, police said．But before it arrived, the zoo's director managed to kill the tiger by climbing onto the storage building and shooting it through a skylight using a rifle．
Kirchner said it was unlikely that members of the public had witnessed the incident. "This is the darkest day of my life," the zoo's director, Theo Pagel, was quoted as saying by Cologne newspaper Express．
The paper said on its website that the Siberian tiger was a 4-year-old male called Tltai that came to Cologne Zoo from an animal park in England．In November it fathered three cubs with a 7-year-old Siberian tiger called Hanya, according to the zoo's website．
Police said the zoo reopened after Saturday's incident, which occurred around noon．However, a planned late-night opening of the zoo has been canceled．
Cologne Zoo is one of the oldest in Germany．It was founded in 1860 and houses some 10,000 animals consisting of more than 700 different species．Which of the following can be the best title of the news text?
| A．Tiger Escapes, Kills Keeper in German Zoo |
| B．Tiger Escapes in German Zoo, Shot Dead |
| C．German Zoo Keeper Shot Escaped Tiger |
| D．People Killed in Oldest Zoo in German |
According to the police, what was the direct reason for the incident?
| A．The zoo keeper was a new hand． |
| B．A gate was not closed appropriately. |
| C．The zoo had neglected the secret passage. |
| D．It was very dark when the incident happened. |
What did the zoo do after the incident?
| A．They honored the killed person in a way. |
| B．They paid SWAT for their timely help. |
| C．They returned the tiger’s three cubs to England. |
| D．They called off the late-night opening. |
How did the zoo director feel after the incident?
| A．Proud. | B．Disappointed. | C．Sad. | D．Angry. |
What can we learn about Cologne Zoo?
| A．It keeps a large variety of species. |
| B．It is one of the largest in German. |
| C．It has a history of more than 700 years. |
| D．No such incident has happened before. |
There are 115 distinct（独特的）species of pine trees with 35 native to North America. Pines are defined as evergreens with long, needle-like leaves and are only native to the northern hemisphere. Pine trees are an adaptable and tough species that can survive in many conditions where other plants cannot. The average pine is 45 to 60 feet tall, but some are nearly twice as high.
Western White Pine
The western white pine grows the tallest of any pine tree, reaching up to 110 feet in height. They have blue-green needles arranged in bundles（束）of five and produce a long cone（球果）.
Bristlecone Pine
The bristlecone pine grows slowly, reading about 20 feet tall. It is one of the oldest species of pine.
Mexican Pine
The Mexican pine can grow to 50 feet tall, with long, slender needles that drape（下垂）off it like a weeping willow（柳树）. Often nicknamed the “willow pine”, it is native to Mexico. Its leaves can droop up to 12 inches long.
Sugar Pine
The sugar pine is another of the large pine species, such as the bull pine, but it also has the largest cones of any pine species, at 10 to 20 inches long. It grows from Oregon to California and is often used for construction.
Jack Pine
The jack pine is one of the smallest species of pine with rare leaves. Compared with the pines mentioned above, it doesn’t seem to belong to the family. It is considered a member of the scrub-pine family; it prefers sandy soil.From the first paragraph, we know that pines _______.
| A．are native to North America |
| B．are very adaptable |
| C．can grow to 60 feet tall at most |
| D．usually grow in tough conditions |
Which of the following pines is often used as a building material?
| A．The Mexican pine. | B．The bristlecone pine. |
| C．The sugar pine. | D．The jack pine. |
The Mexican pine ______.
| A．is the oldest species of pine. |
| B．produces a long cone |
| C．has willow-like needles |
| D．prefers sandy soil |
We can learn from the passage that _______.
| A．the Mexican pine has the longest leaves |
| B．the Jack pine doesn’t seem to belong to the same family as the other pine trees |
| C．the bull pine is a kind of little pine tree |
| D．all the pine trees mentioned have a great number of leaves |
This text is most probably taken from ______.
| A．a celebrity（名人）magazine | B．a nature magazine |
| C．a fashion magazine | D．a history magazine |
Music is an international language. The songs that are sung or played by instruments are beautiful to all people everywhere.
Popular music in America is what every student likes. Students carry small radios with earphones and listen to music before class, after class, and at lunch. Students with cars buy large speakers and play the music loudly as they drive on the street.
Adult drivers listen to music on the car radio as they drive to work. They also listen to the news about sports, the weather, politics ，and activities of the American people.
Pop or popular music singers make much money. They make a CD or tape which radio stations use in every state. Once the popular singer is heard throughout the country, young people buy his or her tapes. Some of the money from these tapes comes to the singer. Wherever the singer goes, ail the young people want to meet him or her. Now the singer has become a national star.
There are other kinds of music that are important to Americans. One is called folk music. It tells stories about the common life of Americans. Another is called western or country music. This was started by cowboys who would sing at night to the cows they were watching. Today, any music about country life and the love between a country boy and his girl is called western or country music.
Serious music for the concert halls is called classical music. Music for instruments is called orchestra music，such as the symphonies of Beethoven. There is opera for singers. There is ballet (芭蕾舞剧)for dancers like the story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai in China. What can we know about music and people in America?
| A．Student drivers carry small radios with earphones when they drive on the street. |
| B．Students listen to music before class, after class, and at lunch. |
| C．Adult drivers only listen to news except music when they drive to work. |
| D．Adult drivers never listen to music when they drive to work. |
How many kinds of music are mentioned in the passage?
| A．5. |
| B．6. |
| C．7. |
| D．8. |
Country music __________.
| A．is a kind of music that is important in America |
| B．is a kind of folk music |
| C．is only sung by cowboys |
| D．is serious music for the concert halls |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．All people in America like popular music. |
| B．Pop singers can get all the money from the tapes. |
| C．Now, western or country music is a little different from its beginning. |
| D．Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai is a kind of pop music. |
Have you ever wondered what kind of music the kids across the Pacific Ocean are listening to? Are they crazy about Britney Spears? Do they love the Backstreet Boys? Or do they dance to Eminem?
Well, nearly 6,000 teens have taken part in a Teens & Music study, conducted by USA Weekend Magazine last autumn. And the results show what type of music is hot and what is not. It comes as no surprise that hip-hop and rap are the most popular types of music among American teenagers. They began in the mid-1970s, with young black kids in New York, taking music onto the streets. Hip-hop and rap are well-known for the break-dancing (霹雳舞)that goes with them.
The word “rap”comes from a 1960s slang(俚语)word for conversation. It is a rapid, slangy rhyme that is spoken rather than sung.
Eminem is among the most popular rappers ever to hit the US. His first album “ The Marshall Mathers LP” topped the American music charts in May 2000. Although about a third of teens in the US showed their support for him，almost as many said that his music was so boring that they couldn't listen to it.
Compared with Eminem，actor rapper Will Smith is more of a star for the kids. He was awarded the Wannabe Award, on April 12 at Nickelodeon's 16th Annual Kids' Choice Awards. It is an award given to a celebrity whom kids most want to be.
Pop music，such as Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys, has always suited the tastes of the general public. It continues to enjoy support among teens and is the second most popular after rap.
The third is rock—music with excited dance beats and simple lyrics that speak loudly of social problems. The melodies are led by electric guitars. Rock became popular in the US in the early 1950s. American singer Elvis Presley and British group the Beatles became world-famous rock artists.
The study also showed that jazz is least loved by American teens. It developed in the latter part of the 19th century from a mixture of African work songs and hymns. Jazz tends to be the type of music that people enjoy more as they get old. Which is the best title of the passage?
| A．What Is Hip-hop and Rap? |
| B．American Teenagers Like Hip-hop and Rap |
| C．The Sounds of the World |
| D．Hip-hop and Rap and Pop Music |
__________ is the right order which are popular among the teens in the US according to the passage.
| A．Jazz, pop music, hip-hop and rap and rock |
| B．Hip-hop and rap, pop music, rock and jazz |
| C．Hip-hop and rap, rock, pop music and jazz |
| D．Rock, jazz, pop music and hip-hop and rap |
Which statement is NOT right according to the passage?
| A．In rap music, the singer or "rapper" will speak or "rap" the words along with the beat. |
| B．Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys mainly perform pop music. |
| C．Rock music often expresses true feelings about society. |
| D．Eminem is the most popular rapper among the teens. |
Most musicians agree that the best violins were first made in Cremona, Italy, about 200 years ago. These violins sound better than any others. They even sound better than violins made today. Violin-makers and scientists try to make instruments like the Italian violins. But they aren't the same. Musicians still prefer the old ones.
Some people think it is the age of the violins. But not all old violins sound wonderful. Only the old violins from Cremona are special. So age cannot be the answer.
Other people think the secret to those violins is the wood. The wood must be from certain kinds of trees.
But the kind of wood may not be so important. It may be more important to cut the wood in a special way. Wood for a violin must be cut very carefully. It has to be the right size and shape. The smallest difference will change the sound of the violin. Musicians sometimes think that this was the secret of the Italians. Maybe they understood more than we do about how to cut the wood.
Size and shape may not be the answer either. Scientists can make new ones that are exactly the same size and shape. But the new violins still do not sound as good as the old ones. Some scientists think the secret may be the varnish. Varnish is what covers the wood of the violin. It makes the wood look shiny. It also helps the sound of the instrument. But no one knows what the Italian violinmakers used in their varnish. The passage is about __________.
| A．making violins |
| B．musical instruments |
| C．scientific ideas |
| D．the old Italian violins |
Some scientists believe that the secret of the old violins maybe __________.
| A．their sound |
| B．their color |
| C．their varnish |
| D．the music |
Which statement is WRONG?
| A．Violins made today have the same size and shape as the old ones. |
| B．Some people think the Italian violin-makers knew something special. |
| C．Some people think that modern violins will sound better in the future. |
| D．All the old violins sound nice. |
Following the success of S. H. E and Twins, another girl band . has arrived on the music scene. Eighteen-year-old Singaporean twin sisters Yumi and Miko Bai create the magic in the band BY2.
The pair recently released(发行)their second album, Twins.
With great voices and dance moves to match, the cute (漂亮的) sisters have won the hearts of many fans since their first album NC-16 came out last year.
At a young age，the sisters began to learn ballet dancing and the violin. When a music company wanted to work with them, the girls had to leave their home and parents to go to Taiwan for training.
Miko and Yumi dropped out of school to focus on their music. This decision caused a hot debate in Singapore. Some people said that their mother was using her daughters to make money. But their father, who died of cancer when they were 15 years old, had encouraged the girls to work hard to make their dreams come true.
The girls felt lonely in Taiwan when they first arrived. “ We celebrated our birthday in Taiwan without any family and friends，” Yumi said. “ We cut our birthday cake ourselves. ”
The girls faced many challenges. “We had to learn Mandarin. Also, it was a killer to dance in high heels, ” said the twins，who had to do so in their music videos.
However，they are glad that they entered the entertainment scene at an early age. “ When we are younger, we learn things faster and can gain more experience, ” Yumi said. We can learn from the text that S. H. E is __________.
| A．a girl musical group |
| B．the name of a cute girl |
| C．a Singaporean twin |
| D．the name of a dancing group |
The pair went to Taiwan to __________.
| A．start a new life |
| B．work for a music company |
| C．practice ballet dancing |
| D．learn more music and dancing |
Why did their dropping out of school cause a hot debate?
| A．Because their parents were using them to make money. |
| B．Because not everyone understood their love of music. |
| C．Because some people were jealous of their success. |
| D．Because their activities were against the law. |
What can we learn from the text about their life in Taiwan?
| A．They made a lot of friends there. |
| B．It was difficult to make ends meet. |
| C．Sometimes they felt very lonely. |
| D．Their mother looked after them there. |
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．They became successful at an early age. |
| B．They met with great difficulties. |
| C．They were very proud of themselves. |
| D．Young as they were, they were quite wealthy. |