What exactly are white lions? "They are a color variation of regular lions," says William Swanson, director of animal research at the Cincinnati Zoo, in Ohio.
White lions are the result of a rare color gene mutation (变异). When both a male and a female lion carry the same white genes, there is a good chance that one or more of their cubs (幼兽) will be born with white fur.
Not many lions carry the white mutation. In nature, it's rare. A mutation can make an animal's survival more difficult. For example, being white makes it harder for the animal to mix with itssurroundings. Mutations also can cause physical problems, so those animals generally do not survive long enough to reproduce.
But sometimes white lion cubs are born among wild lions, especially in two areas of South Africa.
In 1975 two white cubs were spotted in the wild in South African reserve. They were seized and sent to a zoo. Today about 500 cubs of those two white lions and a few others known to have the white color gene live around the world in zoos, circuses, farms and private preserves.
White lions may be extremely rare in the wild, but breeders (饲养动物的人) know how to create more of them. This has created serious concern and debate.
White lions continue to exist only because they are inbred by people—fathers and daughters, sisters and brothers. Scientists worry that it also will cause health issues for white lions.
Inbreeding to create white lions as moneymaking attractions is only one concern. Another concern is that some people want to release captive-bred (人工繁殖的) white lions into the wild in South Africa to restore balance to the ecosystem. However, not everyone agrees that releasing these white lions into the wild is a good idea. Dan York of Hillsdale College has been studying white lion genetics and is worried. He says that because so many of today's white lions are inbred, it could spread health problems. If they breed with wild lions, they'll pass on the genetic problems to the wild population.
Instead of releasing captive-bred white lions, York suggests that South Africa concentrate on protecting all of its wild lions. That would ensure the safety of the wild population of lions, which may produce healthy white cubs in the future.It's difficult for a white lion to survive because __________.
a. its fur contrasts sharply with the surroundings
b. the mutation may cause physical problems
c. it is likely to be attacked by wild lions
d. it is hunted by human beings
| A．a, b |
| B．a, d |
| C．a, c |
| D．b, d |
What does the underlined word "inbred" inParagraph 7 probably mean?
| A．kept in enclosed space and unable to run away |
| B．bred in human-controlled environments with restricted settings |
| C．produced by breeding among closely related members |
| D．born among wild lions and kept in the zoo |
One of the reasons for inbreeding white lions is that __________.
| A．they can bring people a profit |
| B．their fur can be of great use |
| C．people want to keep white lions as pets |
| D．people want to study the genes of white lions |
Which of the following agrees with Dan York's opinion?
| A．It's useless studying white lion genetics. |
| B．White lion cubs born among wild lions are more healthy than captive-bred ones. |
| C．White lions shouldn't be kept in zoos or circuses. |
| D．The ecosystem in South Africa is being seriously damaged. |
If I were writing a history of my family, some of the darkest moments recorded would be those surrounding Christmas trees. One would certainly think otherwise; selecting and putting up our trees have always been filled with risk.
For example, one afternoon dangerously close to Christmas Eve my mother bought what she thought to be a bargain, a glorious tree that was so full and tall that we could hardly get it into the house. Once we did, my father immediately realized that we would have to hire a carpenter to build a stand for it.
Another December, perhaps the very next one, we bought a tree earlier than we ever had before. We were happy with its shape and delighted that its size was manageable. We easily placed it in a stand, decorated it from top to bottom, and then self-satisfiedly sat back by the fire in its soft light.
Two or three days passed and the truth could not be hidden; we had bought a tree cut so long ago that its needles were coming off. There was nothing to do but undecorated it, take it down, and begin tree shopping again.
Our most recent Christmas tree offered still another difficult task. When we brought it home, once again it seemed larger than it was in the great outdoors. To complicate matters, we had bought a new stand, one whose nuts(螺帽)and bolts(闩子)worked more mysteriously than those of our old stands. I persuaded two young neighbors to stop playing basketball and to help us get the tree into the house and set it correctly in the stand. Unfortunately, no one noticed the mud on our helpers’ shoes, so only after removing several reddish brown sports from the carpet were we able to discuss the question of where the lights and ornaments(装饰)were stored. Perhaps those who cut their own trees have tales more painful than these. I don’t care to hear them, as my family’s experiences are enough to cause me to make the following suggestion: “Let’s forget the tree next Christmas. Let’s simply hang some flowers on the front door and over the mirror in the hall.”The darkest moments in the writer’s family were with the fact that .
| A．the family bought big Christmas trees |
| B．they had problems decorating their Christmas trees |
| C．they had problems picking suitable Christmas trees |
| D．they had problems finding carpenters for putting up Christmas trees |
We can learn from the passage that the writer would like to .
| A．forget about Christmas stories |
| B．get the neighbors to put up their trees |
| C．buy a better tree to celebrate Christmas |
| D．make other decorations rather than Christmas trees |
When the writer said “my mother bought what she thought to be a bargain”, he means.
| A．she bought the tree at a cheap price | B．she didn’t really want to buy it |
| C．she had to bargain hard with the salesman | D．she couldn’t afford a more expensive one |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．How to Select a Christmas Tree | B．No More Christmas Tree for Us |
| C．Dark Moments of Life | D．Christmas Without Trees |
Some students get so nervous before a test, they do poorly even if they know the material. Sian Beilock, a psychology professor at the University of Chicago in Illinois, has studied these highly anxious test-takers.
Sian Beilock says: “They start worrying about the consequences. They might even start worrying about whether this exam is going to prevent them from getting into the college they want. And when they worry, it actually uses up attention and memory resources. I talk about them as their cognitive(认知的)horsepower that they could otherwise be using to focus on the exam.”
Professor Beilock and another researcher, Gerardo Ramirez, have developed a possible solution. Just before an exam, highly anxious test-takers spend ten minutes writing about their worries about the test. The researchers tested the idea on a group of 20 anxious college students. They gave them two short math tests. After the first one, they asked the students to either sit quietly or write about their feelings about the upcoming second test. The researchers added to the pressure. They told the students that those who did well on the second test would get money. They also told them that their performance would affect other students as part of a team effort.
Professor Beilock says those who sat quietly scored an average of 12 percent worse on the second test. But the students who had written about their fears improved their performance by an average of five percent.
Next, the researchers used younger students in a biology class. They told them before final exams either to write about their feelings or to think about things unrelated to the test.
Professor Beilock says highly anxious students who did the writing got an average grade of B+, compared to a B-for those who did not.
The research shows that for students who are highly test-anxious, who’d done the writing intervention(介入), all of a sudden there was no relationship between test anxiety and performance. Those students most likely to worry were performing just as well as their classmates who don’t normally get nervous in these testing situations.
But what if students do not have a chance to write about their fears immediately before an exam or presentation? Professor Beilock says students can try it themselves at home or in the library and still improve their performance.The purpose of the passage is .
| A．to build the confidence of the highly anxious test-takers |
| B．to introduce a research about the anxious test-takers |
| C．to improve the performance of the test-takers |
| D．to tell something about the highly anxious test-takers |
The underlined word “them” in paragraph 2 refers to.
| A．attention and memory resources |
| B．worries about the consequences |
| C．concerns about the exam |
| D．cognitive horsepower |
According to the research, the solution to the test anxiety is to.
| A．sit quietly before the exam |
| B．prepare well before the test |
| C．set their mind on happy memories |
| D．write about their feelings before the test |
The result of the research suggests that .
| A．proper amount of burden may turn out to be a good thing |
| B．avoiding facing the problem may contribute to relaxation |
| C．facing the fears bravely may help one to achieve more |
| D．taking no action before difficulty may result in success |
After squeezing into a small space with two other friends, I had a strong sense of pride to be the mission commander of this space flight. Our objective was very important. Scientists had been arguing about the possibility of existence of life on Mars for decades. Some of them said that the pictures of Mars, taken during various space explorations, had given them sufficient proof that only intelligent being could have made those amazing structures. Others maintained that what looked like a face in the pictures was nothing more than a flash of lights. The arguments continued without conclusion. To prove this once and for all, a decision was made to launch an expedition into space.
My crew and I were the best among our group of trainees. We practised hard together, training hand in hand, filled with a single aim—flying safely to Mars and back. This feeling was tense and everyone was highly excited, as the day drew nearer. We were anxious to see what Mars was like but the uncertainty held us with fear.
The last moment finally came. The countdown proceeded, and soon we were deep in space, floating about freely and went about preparing the spaceship for the intended landing. Since the trip was scheduled to take about three years, we slept in a special room to prevent ourselves from aging. So I drifted off to sleep peacefully and suddenly I felt someone woke me up. We must have arrived at Mars and my crew was trying to wake me up.
I opened my eyes slowly and saw a familiar face. “Why would my English teacher wake me up?” I thought. Oh, no. Instead of medals and praise that I should receive, all I had was a severe warning against sleeping in class and then I spent the rest of the lesson standing in a corner.Why did the author feel proud of himself? (No more than 10 words) (2 marks)
What was the objective of the mission? (No more than 11 words) (2 marks)
How did they feel as the day to explore space drew near?
(No more than 8 words) (3 marks)What did the author finally receive after he was woken up?
(No more than 8 words) (3 marks)
______
Loneliness is all about feeling isolated, but it's actually quite common. In general, there are three different types of loneliness.
The first kind of loneliness is temporary. It is the most common type but usually disappears quickly and does not require any special attention. The second kind, situational loneliness, is a natural result of a particular situation, such as, family problem, the death of a loved one, or moving to a new place. Although this kind of loneliness can cause physical problems, it usually does not last for more than a year. The third kind of loneliness is chronic (the opposite of “temporary”). Being the most severe, it usually lasts for more than two years and is often connected with serious illnesses.
An important factor in loneliness is a person’s social contacts. Through social contacts, we get emotional support and guidance from our parents and teachers and share similar interests and activities with our friends. However, some lonely people almost make no contacts with people around them and feel apart from those who they supposedly know well. They just see themselves as outsiders. On the other hand, some lonely people may have enough social contacts, but they rarely enjoy the contacts and question their popularity, thinking of themselves as someone powerless. So loneliness is closely related to the quality of those social relationship in addition to the quantity.
Loneliness is tough, but something can be done to cope with it. First, take time to accept that you are suffering from loneliness. Then, contact your old friends or visit relatives to spend quality time with others. Besides, pick up a hobby to reduce your feelings of loneliness, such as taking up needle work, joining craft classes, or attending lectures. You can also beat loneliness by volunteering at a nursing home, hospital, church or pet rescue organization. This not only helps you get in touch with people from all walks of life, but also makes you feel good about yourself. In a word, if you take a correct attitude towards loneliness and get involved with people around you, you are sure to get over it.
| Loneliness Loneliness is quite common. Ⅰ. 1 ●Temporary loneliness: disappearing quickly and requiring 2 ●Situational loneliness: resulting from some particular situation, 3and lasting not more than one year ● 4: lasting more than two years and being connected with serious illnesses Ⅱ. An important factor in loneliness: 5 ●Lack social relationship quantity: feeling disconnected with others treating themselves as 6 ●Lack 7: questioning their popularity treating themselves as powerless people Ⅲ. 8for lonely people ●Face the problem and accept it ●Contact 9for quality time ●Pick up hobbies ● 10 Taking a correct attitude and getting involved with others, people are sure to get over loneliness. |
In James Cameron’s fantasy films, such as Avatar and The Abyss, the unexplored is decorated in color and filled with alien danger. But on his dive to the deepest place on Earth, which took place on a Sunday last month, reality proved far different: white, deserted, and dull.
“I felt like I literally had gone to another planet and come back,” Cameron said after returning from the cold, dark place in the western Pacific Ocean, nearly 7 miles (11km) below the surface. “It was a very fantastic day.” Cameron is the first person to explore the deepest valley in the ocean since two men made a 20-minute trip there in 1960.
He spent about three hours gliding through the icy darkness, brightened only by lights on the one-man sub(潜水艇). This deepest section of the Mariana Trench is so untouched that at first it appeared dull. But there’s something strangely interesting about the first pieces of video that Cameron shot — a sense of aloneness.
“It’s really the sense of isolation, realizing how tiny you are down in this big, black and unexplored place,” the Titanic director said. The wordless minute-long video, released by sponsor National Geographic, shows Cameron’s sub gliding across what he calls “the very soft, almost gelatinous(胶状的) flat plain.”
To Cameron, the main thing was to appreciate being there. “There had to be a moment where I just stopped, and took it in, and said, ‘This is where I am; I’m at the bottom of the ocean, the deepest place on Earth. What does that mean?’” Cameron told reporters during a conference call. The trip was only about half as long as planned because Cameron’s battery ran low. He said he would return and film it in 3D for later viewing.
“I see this as the beginning,” Cameron said. “It’s not a one-time deal and then moving on. This is the beginning of opening up this new frontier.”Why did Cameron dive to the deepest place on Earth?
| A．To study ocean creatures in the deepest valley. |
| B．To prove his strong will and perseverance. |
| C．To get support from National Geographic. |
| D．To open up a new frontier. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Cameron’s fantasy film, Avatar was inspired by his dive to the deepest place on Earth. |
| B．Cameron glided through the icy darkness alone by lights of the one-man sub. |
| C．Cameron didn’t stay at the bottom of the ocean as planned because he was worn out. |
| D．Cameron felt bored when he went to the deepest valley in the ocean. |
The underlined sentence in the passage means that ______.
| A．he appreciated and took pride in being at the bottom of the ocean |
| B．he was disappointed because the trip was only about half as long as planned |
| C．Cameron wanted to show the public he had been to the deepest place on Earth |
| D．he wouldn’t stop exploring the deepest place in the future |
According to the passage, which of the following words best describes Cameron?
| A．Generous. | B．Diligent. |
| C．Self-centered. | D．Adventurous. |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．James Cameron’s Fantasy Films. |
| B．The First to Explore the Deepest Place on Earth. |
| C．A Dive to the Deepest Place on Earth. |
| D．Crazy Cameron. |