Zoos divide opinion ： there are those who think it is cruel to keep animals locked up while others believe zoos are essential for the survival of endangered species.
To argue that zoos imprison animals is to misunderstand what zoos are about. Without zoos many of the creatures we love and admire would no longer exist. Every single day，over one hundred animal species vanish. Scientists predict that as early as 2050 one quarter of the Earth’s species will become extinct.
Some animals are in danger because they are hunted. Alarmingly, the population of tigers has already fallen by ninety-five percent. Other species are in danger because of a lack of food. For example, there are fewer than 1300 giant pandas left in the wild.
Zoos have special breeding programmes to help those animals at risk. These breeding programmes are proving extremely successful. As Irene Shapiro from Zoo and Wildlife Support says, “the Puerto Rican Parrot has grown in numbers from just thirteen to about eighty-five and the Golden Lion Tamarin Monkey, which has almost ceased to exist twenty years ago, has been reintroduced back into the wild. ”
Unfortunately, not everyone understands this important role zoos play. For example, Brian Featherstone from the Anti-Zoo Forum says, “I can’t believe we take animals from the wild and put them in cages for the entertainment of the public! We should view them on film or TV in their natural environment.，’
However, this misses the point. A zoo does more than display animals to the public. It ensures their survival. Without zoos you would not be able to see many of these animals on TV or anywhere else!What’s the writer’s attitude towards zoos?
| A．He shows no opinion either for or against them. |
| B．He thinks that they are unnecessary and cruel. |
| C．He believes they play an important environmental role. |
| D．He expresses a desire that more of them be built. |
The underlined word “vanish” in Paragraph 2 most probably means _____.
| A．remain | B．disappear | C．become rarer | D．get killed |
According to the passage the world’s tiger population _____.
| A．will rise by 5% next year | B．is relatively stable |
| C．is 95% smaller than in the past | D．has fallen to 95% |
According to the passage some people do not agree with zoos because they _____
| A．are too expensive to run | B．put animals in danger |
| C．do not provide enough food | D．keep animals locked up |
According to the writer ，the most important function of the zoo is to _____.
| A．make a lot of money | B．entertain visitors |
| C．ensure animals’ survival | D．educate the public |
I want to tell you a story that changed my life many years ago. We were living in College Station, Texas and my wife and I were on our way home from Houston, Texas one Saturday morning. We decided to stop at a local restaurant to get something to eat since we had enough time. When we finished, we got back into our car and before I started it, we noticed a homeless man standing in front of the building. His clothes were worn and it looked as though he didn’t have any money. It was cold and I was sure he wanted something warm to drink; however, it was not this that I remember, because that is not what "moved" me. A dog was also walking up to the front of the building. Being a dog owner, I knew that the dog was a mother, and that she had just had some pups (小狗). She was hungry and weak and I felt bad for her. I knew if she didn’t eat soon, she and her pups would not live. People walking by didn’t even notice her. She was not as pretty and clean as most dogs, but she still deserved (值得) better. We still did not do anything, but someone else did. The homeless man, who I thought could not afford anything to eat, went into the store and bought dog food with all the money he had.Where did the story happen?
| A．In front of the local restaurant. |
| B．In front of a building. |
| C．In the car parking lot. |
| D．Near the author’s house. |
What do we know about the dog?
| A．The author wanted to help the dog, but he was un-able to. |
| B．The dog and her pups were in danger of dying from hunger. |
| C．The dog was not cute enough to be loved. |
| D．The author didn’t like dogs. |
Which of the following moved the author?
| A．The homeless man had no money to buy food for himself. |
| B．The homeless man wore worn clothes on cold days. |
| C．The homeless man bought food for a dog with all his money. |
| D．Most people walking by the dog didn’t notice her. |
What can we conclude(得出结论) from the passage?
| A．The author was so hungry that he went into the local restaurant to eat. |
| B．The author didn’t understand what the homeless man did. |
| C．The dog shouldn’t be taken care of carefully because it looked ugly. |
| D．Things are not always what they seem. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．My Memory | B．A Poor Dog |
| C．The Homeless Person | D．A Mother Dog |
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Two brightly colored butterflies have just flown by. They seems to be exactly alike, but actually one is a little larger than the other. 1The smaller one has a wingspread of less than three inches and also a black line on its back wings.
At first sight, it is hard to tell them apart. Would you guess from this that they are different-sized butterflies of the same species?2If you said yes to either question, you would be wrong, for these look-alikes belong to quite different families.
The larger insect is the monarch butterfly (黑脉金斑蝶). As a baby insect, the monarch feeds on milkweed, which seems to give the monarch a disagreeable taste and smell. 3Birds that eat butterflies soon recognize the monarch and quickly learn to leave it alone.
4Birds would find this insect tasty, but because it looks like the monarch, birds keep away from it. The viceroy’s similarity to the monarch gives it some protection from its enemies and helps it survive.
There are other pairs of look-alike butterflies, bees and moths. In each case, one either has a disagreeable taste or smell, or can give a painful sting (叮咬). The larger is called the model.5
| A．The smaller insect is the viceroy (副王峡蝶), which feeds on the leaves of trees. |
| B．The larger insect has a wingspread (翼长) of up to four inches. |
| C．The bright coloring of the monarch acts as a warning sign to its enemy. |
| D．Birds protect their babies from eating such dangerous enemies. |
E. The insect that imitates this model for protection is called the mimic（保护色）.
F. Or that they are different species of butterflies but close relatives belonging to the same family?
G. Do you like this kind of special species?
Frank Woolworth was born in Rodman, New York., in 1852. His family were very poor farmers, and there was never enough to eat. Frank decided he did not want to be farmer. He took a short business course, and went to work as a salesman in a large city.
Woolworth realized he had a natural skill for showing goods to attract people’s interest, but he soon learned something more important. One day his boss told him to sell some odds and ends (小商品) for as much as he could get. Frank put all these things on one table with a sign which said FIVE CENTS EACH. People fought and pushed to buy the things and the table was soon cleared.
Soon afterwards, Woolworth opened his own store, selling goods at five and ten cents. But he had another lesson to learn before he became successful. That is, if you want to make money by selling low-price goods, you have to buy them in large quantities directly form the factories. Once, for example, Woolworth went to Germany and placed an order for knives. The order was so large that the factory had to keep running 24 hours a day for a whole year. In this way, the price of the knives was cut down by half.
By 1919, Woolworth had over 1000 stores in the US and Canada, and opened his first store in London. He made many millions and his name became famous throughout the world. He always run his business according to strict rules, of which the most important was: “ THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT.”Frank took a short business course in order to ____________.
| A．earn more money for his family |
| B．learn something from a salesman |
| C．get away from the farm |
| D．get enough to eat. |
Frank sold the odds and ends quickly because _____________.
| A．he knew how to get people to buy his goods. |
| B．he cut down the price by half |
| C．he had put the goods on a table in a very nice way. |
| D．the sign he put on the table was well designed. |
The price of the knives was cut down by half because ______________.
| A．the factory workers worked 24 hours a day. |
| B．knives were ordered in large quantities directly from the factory. |
| C．the knives were made in Germany, where labor (劳动力) was cheap. |
| D．the knives were produced in one factory. |
_____________make Woolworth a world-famous man.
| A．His business skills and his wealth. |
| B．The low price of the goods he sold. |
| C．His trip to Germany and his huge order of knives. |
| D．His natural skill for showing things. |
The belief that : “ The customer is always right” suggests that _______________.
| A．whenever there is a quarrel between the customer and shop assistant, the customers are always right. |
| B．If you want to succeed, the rule is the only way. |
| C．stores must always follow the customer’s orders if they want to make more money. |
| D．stores should do their best to meet the customer’s needs if they want to be successful. |
When traveling abroad, it is wise to carry your money in traveler's checks because checks are protected against loss or theft. If your checks are lost or stolen, the issuing authority will refund(赔偿) your money.
Not only are they safe, they are also convenient. They are available in different currencies and they can be cashed at most banks throughout the world. Most shops, hotels and restaurants also accept them.
Traveler's checks are very easy to use. When you collect them, you sign each check once. The cashier enters the amount in your passport. When you cash, you sign each check again. The cashier will usually ask to see your passport again too.
To get traveler's checks you usually go to your bank. They can be paid in cash or in other ways. Large amounts, however, must be ordered in advance.
For the safety and convenience of traveler's checks, you are charged two commissions(佣金，酬劳): an insurance commission when you buy them and an encashment commission when you cash them.
It is suitable to make a note of the serial numbers of your checks. Keep this separate from your traveler's checks.People like to carry their money in traveler’s checks when traveling abroad, because______.
| A．they cannot be lost or stolen |
| B．they can be used anywhere |
| C．they are safe and handy |
| D．they can save travelers plenty of money |
If your traveler's checks are lost or stolen, who will refund you?
| A．The authority that issues you the passport. |
| B．The insurance company. |
| C．The bank where you buy your checks. |
| D．The travel agency that arranges your travel. |
You sign your traveler’s check for the second time in order to ________.
| A．get your passport | B．cash it |
| C．claim insurance | D．pay for commission |
Which of the following statement is TRUE?
| A．You need not pay a commission for the safety of your traveler’s checks. |
| B．People usually get traveler’s checks from foreign banks. |
| C．Traveler’s checks can be exchanged for the money of the country you visit. |
| D．You cannot get your passport until you get your traveler’s checks. |
Language is always changing. In a society where life continues year after year with few changes, the language does not change either. The earliest known languages had difficult grammar but a small, limited vocabulary. Over the century, the grammar changed, and the vocabulary grew. For example, the English and Spanish people who came to America during the sixteenth century gave names to all the new plants and animals they found. In this way, hundreds of new words were introduced into English and Spanish vocabularies. Today life is changing very fast, and language is changing fast too.
There are several major language families in the world. Some scientists say there are nine main families, but other scientists divide them differently. The languages in each family are connected, and scientists think that they came from the same parent language. About 3 percent of the people in the world speak languages that are not in these major families. The early language had ________.
| A．a lot of problems | B．words and easy grammar |
| C．words but no grammar | D．grammar but not many words |
In the next few hundred years we can expect language to _____.
| A．stay exactly the same |
| B．change a great deal |
| C．change only a little |
| D．ask more words and drop some grammar |
What this article shows is that _____.
| A．languages change fast |
| B．languages really don't want to change |
| C．language really with changes in society |
| D．Spanish and English change |