With only about 1, 000 pandas left in the world, China is desperately trying to clone (克隆) the animal and save the endangered species (物种). That's a move similar to what a Texas A & M University researcher has been undertaking for the past five years in a project called "Noahs Ark".
Noah's Ark is aimed at collecting eggs, embryos (胚胎), semen and DNA of endangered animals and storing them in liquid nitrogen. If certain species should become extinct, Dr Duane Kraemer, a professor in Texas A&M's College of Veterinary Medicine, said there would be enough of the basic building blocks to reintroduce the species in the future.
It is estimated that as many as 2, 000 species of mammals, birds, reptiles will become extinct in over 100 years. The panda, native only to China, is in danger of becoming extinct in the next 25 years.
This week, Chinese scientists said they grew an __________
embryo by introducing cells from a dead female panda into the egg cells of a Japanese white rabbit. They are now trying to implant the embryo into a host animal.
The entire procedure could take from three to five years to complete.
"The nuclear transfer (核子移植) of one species to another is not easy, and the lack of available panda eggs could be a major problem," Kraemer believed. "They will probably have to do several hundred transfers to result in one pregnancy. It takes a long time and it's difficult, but this could be groundbreaking science if it works. They are certainly not putting any live pandas at risk, so it is worth the effort, " added Kraemer, who is one of the leaders of the Project at Texas A&M, the first ever attempt at cloning a dog.
"They are trying to do something that's never been done, and this is very similar to our work in Noah's Ark. We're both trying to save animals that face extinction. I certainly appreciate their effort and there's a lot we can learn from what they are attempting to do. It's a research that is very much needed."The aim of "Noah's Ark"project is to __________.
| A．make efforts to clone the endangered pandas |
| B．save endangered animals from dying out |
| C．collect DNA of endangered animals to study |
| D．transfer the nuclear of one animal to another |
According to Professor Kraemer, the major problem in cloning pandas would be the lack of __________.
| A．available panda eggs |
| B．host animals |
| C．qualified researchers |
| D．enough money |
The best title for the passage may be __________.
| A．China's Success in Pandas Cloning |
| B．The First Cloned Panda in the World |
| C．Exploring the Possibility to Clone Pandas |
| D．China—the Native Place of Pandas Forever |
From the passage we know that __________.
| A．Kraemer and his team have succeeded in cloning a dog |
| B．scientists try to implant a panda's…egg into a rabbit |
| C．Kraemer will work with Chinese scientists in clone researches |
| D．about two thousand species will probably die out in a century |
A month went by in this manner, but a month was all I could bear.
The memory of Marguerite accompanied me wherever I went. I had loved that woman — still loved her — too much for her suddenly to mean nothing to me. Whatever feelings I might have for her now, I had to see her again. At once.
…
I knew Marguerite. Meeting me so unexpectedly must have thrown her into a state of great confusion. Probably, she had heard of my departure which had set her mind at rest as to the consequences of our sudden parting. But, seeing me back and coming face to face with me, weak as I was, she had sensed that my return had a purpose, and must have wondered what was going to happen.
If, when I saw her again, Marguerite had been unhappy; if, in taking my revenge (复仇), there had also been some way of helping her then I might well have forgiven her, and would certainly never have dreamed of doing her any harm. But when I saw her again, she was happy, at least on the surface. Another man had ensured her the wealthy life in which I had been unable to keep her. She brought shame both to my pride and my love; she was going to have to pay for what I had suffered.
I could not remain cold to what she did now. It followed that the thing that would hurt her most would be exactly for me to show coldness. Coldness, therefore, was the feeling which I now needed to pretend, not only in her presence but in the eyes of others.
I tried to put a smile on my face, and I went to call on Prudence with whom Marguerite was
staying.
…
Prudence saw me to the door, and I returned to my apartment with tears of anger in my eyes and thirst for revenge in my heart and thought only of finding a way to make the poor creature suffer. This passage is most probably ______ of a love story.
| A．the beginning | B．a chapter |
| C．a summary | D．the introduction |
According to the passage, the hero wanted to ______.
| A．give Marguerite sufferings because his pride and his love were hurt |
| B．stop the relationship with Marguerite because he couldn’t afford a rich life |
| C．make up the relationship with Marguerite because he still loved her |
| D．forgive Marguerite because he found her unhappy |
What kind of feelings did the hero most probably have?
| A．Coldness and love. | B．Coldness and hate. |
| C．Love and hate. | D．Hate and sadness. |
What would the author most probably write about next?
| A．Why he changed his mind suddenly. |
| B．How he made Marguerite suffer. |
| C．How he made up his relationship with Marguerite. |
| D．Why he wanted Marguerite to pay for what he had suffered. |
Most people know that awkward feeling when you step into an elevator with other people and try not to make eye contact.
But new research suggests it may be down to a subconscious（潜意识的）power struggle being played out as you make your way up or down.
A study found that people decide where they stand based on a micro social grading, established within seconds of entering the lift.
Rebekah Rousi, a Ph.D. student in cognitive science, conducted an study of elevator behaviour in two of the tallest office buildings in Adelaide, Australia.
As part of her research, she took a total of 30 lift rides in the two buildings, and discovered there was an established order to where people tended stand.
In a blog, she writes that more senior men seemed to direct themselves towards the back of the elevator cabins.
She said: 'In front of them were younger men, and in front of them were women of all ages.'
She also noticed there was a difference in where people directed their stare half way through the ride.
Men watched the monitors(监控器), looked in the side mirrors (in one building) to see themselves, and in the door mirrors (of the other building) to also watch others.
'Women would watch the monitors and avoid eye contact with other users (unless in conversation) and the mirrors,' she writes.
The student concluded it could be that people who are shyer stand toward the front, where they can't see other passengers, whereas brave people stand in the back, where they have a view of everyone else.According to Rebekah Rousi, senior men intend to stand ______ of the elevator cabins.
| A．in the front | B．in the middle |
| C．near the side mirrors | D．at the back |
The underlined word “ them ” in paragraph 7 refers to ______.
| A．senior men | B．younger women |
| C．younger men | D．Women |
Why do women choose to stand in the front?
| A．Because they are too shy to make eye contact with others. |
| B．Because they can have a view of everyone else. |
| C．Because they want to show their power. |
| D．Because they want to watch the monitors. |
Carrot juice, because of its many healthy benefits, is commonly called the "magic juice". It has been found that adding carrot juice to people’s diets greatly improves their health. And its delicious taste makes it popular with all members of the family as a beverage.
Carrot juice is one of the richest sources of vitamin A that can be used in the daily diet. Lack of vitamin A can cause dryness and damage to the skin, nails and hair. Drinking carrot juice to increase the vitamin A in the diet is said to be good for many parts of the body, including the bones and teeth.
Drinking carrot juice is thought to be extremely helpful to the liver (肝脏), because vitamin A helps to clean the liver and reduce fat in it. And it is suggested that drinking carrot juice should be done regularly, rather than just from time to time.
Drinking carrot juice is also thought to improve the eyesight because of the vitamin A in the juice. Lack of vitamin A can lead to night blindness, which can be very dangerous, especially when the person is driving a car. An easy way to find out if you are lacking in vitamin A is to walk from a bright room into a dark room. Your eyes may have some trouble in getting used to the change of light if you are lacking in vitamin A.
How can you make carrot juice? Wash some carrots well in cold water. Scrape (刮) them lightly, but do not peel them, as this will take away valuable vitamins and minerals that lie close to the skin. Lack of vitamin A can lead to _____.
| A．broken bones | B．complete blindness |
| C．skin dryness | D．liver cancer |
According to the passage, carrot juice ______.
| A．does a lot of good to the teeth and other parts of the body |
| B．is popular because it is a magic cure for many diseases |
| C．can wash away the waste from the body |
| D．may be harmful to the body if it’s drunk too much |
We can learn from the fourth paragraph that _____.
| A．you will find it easy to get used to the change of light if you lack vitamin A |
| B．driving cars at night may lead to night blindness |
| C．walking from a bright room into a dark room may lead to night blindness |
| D．drinking carrot juice helps to protect your eyesight |
Which would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Tips on How to Make Carrot Juice |
| B．The Great Benefits of Carrot Juice |
| C．The Way to Keep Good Health |
| D．A Healthy Diet for Patients |
UFO stands for "unidentified flying object"(不明飞行物). Many people reported having seen UFOs in the sky. A lot of countries tried to research into them and in 1952 they got the name of UFO.
There were several reports published in the 19th century which were related to UFOs. Denison Daily News in its report of 25th January, 1878 wrote that a farmer, Martin saw a flying object in the sky and it was just like a plate. This was the first time that the word plate had been related to the UFO.
First reports on UFOs came during the World War II. In 1947 the pilot Kenneth Arnold said while he was flying near the Mount Rainer he saw a very bright object in the sky. He told that it was like a plate, too. The information given by Kenneth got lots of attention from the media and people.
Several research organisations gave their reports on the UFOs. They showed direct or indirect physical evidence of UFOs, and sometimes UFOs’ appearance was found in the radar (雷达) screen. Many people try to take video tapes or photos of UFOs as proof. Most UFOs are in plate shape while many UFOs are like cigarettes or half balls.
Many films and TV shows are made about UFOs. There are two famous movies which are created on the topic of UFOs and aliens (外星人), War of the World and Star Wars. UFOs have created a new field in science which is known as Ufology (飞碟学).Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．People named the flying object UFO in the 19th century. |
| B．The UFOs Martin and Kenneth Arnold saw were in different shapes. |
| C．Kenneth Arnold was given much attention for his discovering the UFO. |
| D．Martin was the first person that described the flying object as a plate. |
What does the underlined word "proof" in the fourth paragraph mean?
| A．Research. | B．Evidence. |
| C．Appearance. | D．Exhibition. |
The next paragraph following the passage probably talks about ________.
| A．the introduction to UFOs’shapes |
| B．famous movies on UFOs |
| C．the new science —Ufology |
| D．effects of UFOs on humans |
This passage is mainly telling us ______.
| A．how to discover UFOs |
| B．who discovered UFOs |
| C．a new field in science |
| D．UFOs’ discoveries and research |
I told my friend Graham, "I often walk two miles from my house to the town centre. Unfortunately, there is a big hill on the way." He replied, "You should say 'fortunately’." He explained that I should be glad for the extra exercise that the hill gave.
I thought he was right. My attitude to the hill has now changed. As I approach the foot of the hill and prepare to climb, I tell myself that this hill will help me lose weight and get fit. This hill is my friend. I have a smile of satisfaction as I reach the top of the hill.
Problems are to be faced. We cannot achieve anything with an easy life. Helen Keller once wrote that "Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened ..."
Our attitude towards difficulties is of importance in life. From time to time, we all face problems, accidents and difficulties. We cannot choose the situation but we can choose our attitude toward the situation.
How can you change your attitude towards difficulties? Try these steps:1. Face the problem. Do not avoid it. 2. Take a positive attitude. 3. Imagine how you will feel when you solve the problem. 4. Develop an action plan for how to deal with it. 5. Smile.
Many great people like Helen Keller, took these steps to deal with their problems. They chose their attitude. They chose to be positive. They accepted the challenge. They won.We can infer from the passage that_____.
| A．the author’s favorite sport is climbing hills |
| B．the author has to climb a hill to go to work |
| C．Graham helped change the author’s attitude |
| D．Graham often climbs hills to exercise |
The underlined word "approach" in Paragraph 2 means "_______".
| A．come near | B．look at |
| C．look for | D．come across |
The author used Helen Keller’s words to_____.
| A．tell us to learn from successful people |
| B．tell us to do more exercise to keep fit |
| C．prove that we should choose a hard life |
| D．prove that difficulties make a man great |
The author tries to prove his idea by____.
| A．giving numbers | B．giving examples |
| C．comparing facts | D．using old sayings |