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 |
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - A stampede（踩踏）killed at least 35 people and injured 43 during New Year's Eve celebrations in Shanghai, on the city's popular waterfront tourist attraction known as the Bund（外滩）, authorities said.
The Shanghai government said that large crowds started to stampede in Chen Yi Square on the Bund just before midnight, with authorities working to rescue and aid the wounded.
It was not immediately clear what triggered the stampede. The official Xinhua news agency said many of the injured were students.
The government said on its official microblog（微博） that an inquiry had begun, with city leaders rushing to the scene and to hospitals to visit the injured. An emergency meeting would be held to ensure stepped-up safety measures were taken throughout the city.
Photographs on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, showed densely packed crowds of revelers（狂欢者）along the Bund, which is lined with buildings from Shanghai's pre-communist period on the bank of the Huangpu River.
In some photographs, rescue workers were seen trying to resuscitate victims lying on the pavement while ambulances waited nearby.
Authorities had shown some concern about crowd control in the days leading up to New Year's Eve. They recently canceled an annual 3D laser show on the Bund that last year attracted as many as 300,000 people.
At dawn on Thursday, there were still small crowds of revelers trying to find taxis home and workers were clearing up trash strewn around the Bund. There was little sign of the mayhem that had broken out just hours earlier.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Pete Sweeney; Editing by Howard Goller and Mark Bendeich)What is the passage mainly about?
| A．An accident that killed some people. |
| B．A new-year celebration. |
| C．A popular tourist attraction in Shanghai. |
| D．Some old buildings along the Huangpu River. |
Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?
| A．The reason of the stampede was not clearly known. |
| B．At dawn on Thursday, no one could be seen around the Bund. |
| C．The city leaders were busy visiting the injured in hospitals. |
| D．The 3D laser show on the Bund had been put on every year. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．All the injured students will return to school soon. |
| B．There will be stricter rules concerning public safety throughout the city. |
| C．It will be impossible to find out the reason of the accident. |
| D．People didn’t know that the 3D laser show had been cancelled. |
Where can you most probably find the passage?
| A．From a science text book. |
| B．From a traveler’s journal. |
| C．From a government document. |
| D．From a news website. |
Over the holidays, I took my three young children into a fancy chocolate shop to buy a gift. I was feeling pretty good until halfway home when I looked in the rearview mirror（后视镜）and noticed my 7-year-old son playing with a plastic toy. “Um, where did you get that, Alex?!” “Did you buy it?” “Did I buy it?” “Did you take it?!” Long story short: He had stolen the toy. I kept my cool—even when he said, “but it was only a $1.50, mom!”—and explained why it was unacceptable to take things we didn’t buy. I also said he would be returning to the store to apologize and return the item.
A few hours later, I marched my son back to the store with two dollars from his pocket money. I stood by the door as he walked sheepishly to the counter and told the clerk that he had taken something without paying for it, that he was sorry and that he would pay for it now. (The toy could not be returned now because Alex had broken it.) Tears streamed down my cheeks as I watched him fidget nervously and search the clerk’s face for a sign of approval.
Fortunately, the clerk at the chocolate shop was gracious. She told my son he had done the right thing and when she caught my eye, I smiled in thanks and we left. I told my son that I was proud of him and to remember how awful the experience felt.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Alex had stolen a bar of chocolate from the shop. |
| B．The writer got very angry when she found out what Alex had done. |
| C．The writer asked her son to go back to the store alone. |
| D．Alex paid for the toy with his money in the end. |
Why didn’t they return the toy at last?
| A．Because it had been broken. |
| B．Because Alex wanted to keep it. |
| C．Because the clerk at the shop refused to accept it. |
| D．Because the writer was nervous. |
What did the clerk do after Alex asked to pay for the toy?
| A．The clerk reported him to police. |
| B．The clerk accepted his apology and the money nicely. |
| C．The clerk caught the boy and the writer. |
| D．The clerk didn’t say anything to the boy. |
Why did the writer ask Alex to pay for the toy?
| A．Because she wanted him to learn a lesson. |
| B．Because she was afraid of being punished. |
| C．Because she didn’t like the toy. |
| D．Because the toy was not expensive. |
There are two types of people in the world. Although they have an equal degree of health and wealth and other comforts of life, one becomes happy, while the other becomes unhappy. This arises from the different ways in which they consider things, persons and events and the resulting effects upon their minds.
People who are happy fix their attention on the convenience of things. They enjoy all cheerful things. Those who are unhappy think and speak only of unpleasant things. Through their remarks, they sour the pleasure of society, offend many people, and make themselves disagreeable everywhere. If this turn of mind is founded in nature, such unhappy people should be pitied. The intention of criticizing and being disliked is perhaps taken up by imitation（模仿）. It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors. The habit may be strong, but it can be cured when those who have it realize its bad effects.
Although this attitude is mainly an act of the imagination, it has serious results since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck. If such people aim at getting some advantages in social position or fortune, nobody wishes them success. Nor will anyone speak a word in favor of their hopes. If they are criticized, no one will defend or excuse them, and many will join in criticizing their wrong doings. So they should change this bad habit and stop worrying needlessly about themselves and others. If they do not, it will be good for others to avoid any contact with them. Otherwise, they will have a disagreeable time, especially when someone becomes mixed up in their quarrels.How does the writer tell the happy from the unhappy?
| A．According to their degree of health. |
| B．According to their wealth. |
| C．According to their attitudes to the same thing. |
| D．According to their habits. |
The phrase “sour the pleasure of society” probably means “________”.
| A．have a good attitude towards social life |
| B．make others unhappy |
| C．tend to scold others openly |
| D．enjoy the pleasure of life |
We can conclude from the passage that ________.
| A．we should pity all unhappy people |
| B．unhappy people are dangerous to social life |
| C．people can get rid of the habit of unhappiness |
| D．unhappy people can not understand happy people |
If such unhappy people insist on keeping the habit, the author suggests that people should ________.
| A．not have any communication with them |
| B．show no respect for them |
| C．persuade them to recognize the bad effects of their habits |
| D．quarrel with them until they realize their mistakes |
In this passage, the writer mainly ________.
| A．describes two types of people |
| B．laughs at unhappy people |
| C．suggests ways to help unhappy people |
| D．tells people how to be happy in life |
People seem to have a natural need for friends and with good reason. Friends increase your enjoyment of life and relieve feelings of loneliness. They even can help reduce stress and improve your health. Having good friends is especially helpful when you are going through any kind of hard time such as when you are experiencing anxiety, panic attacks, or depression.
When you are with good friends you feel good about yourself, and you are glad to be with them. A friend is someone who —
●you like, respect, and trust, and who likes, respects and trusts you
●doesn’t always understand you, but accepts and likes you as you are, even as you grow and change
●allows you the space to change, grow, make decisions, and even make mistakes
●listens to you and shares with you both the good times and the bad times
●respects your need for secrets, so you can tell them anything
●lets you freely express your feelings and emotions without judging, teasing, or criticizing you
●accepts the limitations you have put on yourself and helps you to remove them
A person once said, “Friendship is a continuing source of bonding（连接）, releasing, and creating in yourself and with the other person. There is an emotional bond between the two people.”
A good friend or supporter may or may not be the same age or the same sex as you, and may not have the same educational, cultural, or religious background, or share interests that are similar to yours. Friendships also have different depths. Some are closer to the heart and some more superficial, but they’re all useful and good.Which of the following is NOT a function of a friend?
| A．He brings you some happiness. |
| B．He helps you feel less lonely. |
| C．He helps you get over the difficulties. |
| D．He helps you cheat on the exam. |
The underlined word “superficial” means _______.
| A．deep | B．hard | C．shallow | D．close |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．A Friend in Need Is A Friend Indeed |
| B．What Kind of Person A Friend Should Be |
| C．To Be A Good Friend |
| D．How to Get on with Your Friend |
If you go into the woods with your friends, stay with them. If you don’t, you may get lost. If you do get lost, this is what you should do.
Sit down and stay where you are. Don’t try to find your friends — let them find you. You can help them to find you by staying in one place.
There is another way to help your friends or other people nearby to find you. Give them a signal by shouting or whistling three times. Stop. Then shout or whistle three times again. Any signal given three times is a call for help. You will be helped by others.
Keep up the shouting or whistling, always three times together. When people hear you, they will know that you are not just making noise for fun. They will let you know they have heard your signal. They will give two shouts, two whistles or two gunshots. When a signal is given twice, it is an answer to a call for help.
If you don’t think that you will get help before night comes, try to make a little house and cover up the holes with branches with lots of leaves and grass. What should you do if you get hungry or need to drink some water? You should have to leave your little branch house to look for a brook. Don’t just walk away. Pick off small branches and drop them as you walk so that you can find your way back.
The most important thing to do when you are lost is — stay in one place.How do you let people believe that you are not just making noise for fun?
| A．Stop now and then. |
| B．Go on shouting or whistling. |
| C．Shout over and over at the top of voice. |
| D．Shout or whistle three times once a while. |
If nobody answers you after your signal, what should you do then?
| A．Give two gunshots. | B．Shout louder. |
| C．Stop shouting. | D．Make a house. |
If you feel thirsty when you are lost in the forest, what should you do?
| A．Go and find a brook. |
| B．Light a fire and make yourself some tea． |
| C．Go to find a brook and leave marks behind you. |
| D．Find something to hold the water. |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．What Do Three Shots And Two Shots Mean In A Forest |
| B．How To Find Your Friends When You Are Lost In The Woods |
| C．What To Do If You Get Lost In A Forest |
| D．The Most Important Thing To Do Is To Stay In One Place |