A recent study of ancient and modern elephants has come up with the unexpected conclusion that the African elephant is divided into two distinct(不同的) species.
The discovery was made by researchers at York and Harvard Universities when they were examining the genetic relationship between the ancient woolly mammoth and mastodon to modern elephants — the Asian elephant, African forest elephant, and African savanna elephant.
Once they obtained DNA sequences(序列) from two fossils(化石), mammoths，and mastodons the team compared them with DNA from modern elephants. They found to their amazement that modern forest and savanna elephants are as distinct from each other as Asian elephants and mammoths.
The scientists used detailed genetic analysis to prove that the African savanna elephant and the African forest elephant have been distinct species for several million years. The divergence of the two species took place around the time of the divergence of Asian elephants and woolly mammoths. This result amazed all the scientists. There has long been debate in the scientific community that the two might be separate species, but this is the most convincing scientific evidence so far that they are indeed different species.
Previously, many naturalists believed that African savanna elephants and African forest elephants were two populations of the same species, despite the elephants’ significant size differences. The savanna elephant has an average shoulder height of 3.5 metres while the forest elephant has an average shoulder height of 2.5 metres. The savanna elephant weighs between six and seven tons, roughly double the weight of the forest elephant. But the fact that they look so different does not necessarily mean they are different species. However the proof lay in the analysis of the DNA.
Alfred Roca, assistant professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois, said, “We now have to treat the forest and savanna elephants as two different units for conservation purposes. Since 1950，all African elephants have been conserved as one species. Now that we know the forest and savanna elephants are two very distinctive animals, the forest elephant should become a bigger priority(优先) for conservation purposes.”One of the fossils studied by the researchers is that of _____.
| A．the Asian elephant | B．the forest elephant |
| C．the savanna elephant | D．the mastodon elephant |
The researchers’ conclusion was based on a study of the African elephant’s _____.
| A．DNA | B．height |
| C．weight | D．population |
What are Alfred Roca’s words mainly about?
| A．The conservation of African elephants. |
| B．The purpose of studying African elephants. |
| C．The way to divide African elephants into two units. |
| D．The reason for the distinction of African elephants. |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Naturalists’ Beliefs about Elephants |
| B．Amazing Experiments about Elephants |
| C．An Unexpected Finding about Elephants |
| D．A Long Scientific Debate about Elephants |
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2)Expenses on oil , maintenance (保养)and repairs, which will be repaired on production of invoices(发票).
3)Full insurance except personal accident (see below) and contents.
What’s not included:
1)Personal accident insurance.
2)Garaging, petrol, parking and traffic fines
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The shortest rental period at these special low prices is three days. For prices for periods of one or two days you only see our representative (代理人)at the hotel.
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The car types on the sheet are examples of the types of cars in each price range, but a particular car cannot be guaranteed.
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If you decide to hire a car , just fill in the Booking Form and return it to us . A booking fee of ￡12 as part of the car hire cost is required.
Should you be forced to cancel (取消)your car hire booking after payment in full (two weeks before the date of hire), a cancellation charge of ￡12 will be made.
73.from the advertisement we can see a car hirer will pay extra money for_____.
A.insurance against damage to the car B.insurance against injury to the driver
C.the cost of maintenance of the car D.the cost of repairs to the car
74. Which of the following conditions , you have to accept when hiring a car?
A.When you hire a car from the company, the driver will go together with you
B.It’s unnecessary for you to give invoices if you want to be repaid for repairs
C.If you have paid a booking fee , you don’t have to fill in the Booking Form.
D.You have to accept the terms of car hire company’s Conditions of Hire
75.If you change your mind after paying the whole cost of hiring , the ￡12
Booking fee is_____.
A. partly returned B.doubtly paid
C.not returned at all D.returned within six weeks
76.The prices for car hire are especially low when _____.
A.it is booked for at least three days B.it is booked two weeks in advance
C.it is booked for two days D. the booking is made in London
When my first wartime Christmas came, I was in basic training in New Jersey and not sure if I would make it home for the holidays. Only on the afternoon of December 23 was the list of men who would have the three-day holiday posted. I was one of the lucky soldiers. It was Christmas Eve when I arrived home, and a little snow had fallen. Mother opened the front door. I could see beyond her, into the corner of the living room where the tree had always stood. There were lights, all colors, and ornaments (饰品) shining against the green of a pine.
"Where did it come from?" I asked.
"I asked the Gates boy to cut it," my mother said. "I wouldn't have had one just for myself, but when in great need... such a rush! He just brought it in this afternoon."
The pine reached to the proper height, almost to the ceiling, and the Tree Top Crystal（水晶） Star was in its place. A few green branches reached out a little awkwardly（难看） at the side, I thought, and there was a bit of bare trunk showing in the middle. But the tree filled the room with warm light and the whole house with the pleasant smell of Christmas.
"It's not like the one you used to find," my mother went on. "Yours were always in good shape. I suppose the Gates boy didn't know where to look for a better one. But I couldn't be fussy(挑剔的)."
"Don't worry," I told her. "It's perfect."
It wasn't, of course, but at the moment I realized something for the first time: All Christmas trees are perfect.
68. What did his mother's Christmas tree look like? 
69. From the passage we can infer (推断) that______.
A. all the soldiers had the three-day holiday
B. the writer could not go home for Christmas
C. the writer spent his first Christmas during the war
D. not all the soldiers went home for Christmas during the war
70. From the passage, we can conclude that ______ .
A. his mother didn't like Christmas trees
B. the writer didn't like the tree cut by someone else
C. the writer used to cut very beautiful Christmas trees
D. his mother didn't want to have a Christmas tree during wartime
71. The best title for this passage would be ______.
A. The Perfect Christmas Tree
B. How to Choose a Christmas Tree
C. How Soldiers Spent Their Christmas
D. A Christmas with an Ugly Christmas Tree
72. What does the writer mean by saying “All Christmas trees are perfect”?
A. Nothing is as perfect as Christmas.
B. Once at home, everything is so nice.
C. During the war, trees are hard to find.
D. All Christmas trees are the most beautiful.
Martha was busy with her job. She believed she had to work harder because she loved her father who was sick with cancer. She had to provide for his expensive medicines. Her brothers and sisters meanwhile stayed with their father most of the time. They bathed him, sang for him, spoon-fed(用匙喂) him or simply kept him company.
One day Martha was hurt. She overheard(无意中听到) her father telling her mother, "All our children love me except Martha."
"How can this be?" Martha thought. "Am I not the one killing myself in my work to have money to pay for his medicines? My brothers and sisters do not even provide their share in the expenses."
One night, as Martha was as usual late in going home, she saw her father was lying awake. She walked close to his bedsides. Her father held her hands and said, "I miss you. I don't have much time. Stay with me." And she stayed with her father holding his hand the whole night.
The next morning Martha said to everybody, "I have taken a leave of absence. I would like to be with father. I will bathe him and sing for him from now on." Her father had a beautiful smile. He knew Martha loved him, too.
As children, we need the presence of our loved ones. Adults need no less. I have observed my mother’s orchids(兰花). When she is away for a long time, they are unhealthy and many of them wither(干枯). But when she is around , they bloom with beautiful flowers. My mother does nothing special . She just spends her time looking after them.
65.Before Martha heard her parents’ talk ,she thought her father _____.
A. was satisfied with her love for him
B. disliked her brothers and sisters
C.was proud of her
D. would recover from the disease
66.After staying with her father for one night, Martha _____.
A.decided to give up her job
B.understood what her father really needed
C.realized her father loved her most
D. loved her father more than before
67.By telling Matha’s story, what does the author try to express?
A.Nothing is more important than the company of loved ones.
B. Money and a successful career don’t always bring happiness
C.Adults need the presence of their loved ones more than children do.
D.Plants like orchids do have feelings.
第三部分: 阅读理解:(共35分)
第一节: 阅读下列5篇短文, 选出最佳选项(共30分,每小题1.5分)
About ten years ago when I was an undergraduate in college. I was working as a practice student at my University's Museum of Natural History. One day while working at the cash register in the gift shop, I saw an elderly couple come in with a little girl in a wheelchair.
As I looked closer at this girl, I saw that she was kind of set on her chair. I then realized she had no arms or legs, just a head, neck and main body. She was wearing a little white dress with red dots.
As the couple wheeled her up to me, I was looking down at the register. I turned my head toward the girl and gave her a wink(眨眼). As I took the money from her grandparents, I looked back at the girl, who was giving me the cutest(可爱的), largest smile I have ever seen.
All of a sudden her handicap (残疾)was gone and all I saw was this beautiful girl, whose smile just melted me and gave me a completely new sense of what life is all about. She took me from a poor, unhappy college student and brought me into her world--- a world of smiles, love and warmth.
That was ten years ago. I'm a successful business person now and whenever I feel down and think about the troubles of the world, I think about that little girl and the remarkable lesson about life that she taught me.
1.What do we know about the author?
A.He graduated from Natural History University.
B. He majored in Natural History at university .
C.He ran a gift shop in the university
D.He is a successful businessman
2.When the author looked again, he saw that the little girl____.
A. was wearing a beautiful red dress
B.wasn’t able to move in the wheelchair
C.was badly injured
D.was only able to smile
3. In the author’s opinion, the little girl was not disabled at all because ______.
A.she told everyone how to live a good life
B.she offered him suppport in his business
C.she could take good care of herself
D.she had a strong spirit
4.What would be the best title for his passage?
A.World of smiles B.Love of a girl
C. A badly disabled girl D.Secret of a businessman
Having finished her homework, Ma Li wants some music for relaxation. As usual, she starts her computer and goes to Baidu.com to download music files. But this time she is surprised when an announcement about protecting songs’ copyright bursts onto the screen. The age of free music and movie downloads may have come to an end as Web companies like Baidu are accused of pirating copyright. Lawsuits（诉讼） have been filed against four websites offering free downloads. In September 2005, a Beijing court ordered Baidu to pay recording company Shanghai Push compensation(赔偿)for their losses. Baidu was also told to block the links to the pirated music on the website. This caused a heated discussion on Interact file sharing.
“Baidu’s defeat in the lawsuit shows it is not right to get copyrighted songs without paying. Downloaders may face lawsuits or fines,” said an official.
Like many teens, Huang Ruoru, an 18-year-old girl from Puning in Guangdong Province, doesn’t think that getting music from websites is wrong. She always shares her favourite songs downloaded from Baidu with her friends. When told about the lawsuit, she began to feel a little guilty about obtaining others’ work without paying.
However, other teenagers have different ideas. Wang Yafei, a Senior 2 girl from Jinan, Shandong Province pointed out that file sharing is a good way to promote pop singers. “If I download a song and really like it, I will buy the CD,” she said. “So what the recording companies really should concentrate on is improving their music, rather than pursuing file-sharers.”
77. Which of the following best describes the passage?
A. Downloading material can be illegal. B. It’s good to get free music on the Internet.
C. Music on the Internet is of better quality. D. Baidu is a popular web company.
78. The four web companies were put to court because _________.
A. they got copyrighted songs without paying
B. they downloaded copyrighted music for people
C. they offer free music on line
D. they make copyrighted files for free downloads
79. How do some of the teenagers feel while downloading free music after the lawsuit?
A. A bit guilty. B. Awfully sorry. C. A little sad. D. Extremely angry.
80. It can be inferred from the text that _________.
A. Web companies are still ignoring the copyright laws.
B. Teenagers haven’t got money to buy CDs.
C. Teenagers are probably still downloading free music.
D. Teenagers prefer CDs with copyright to pirated music.