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 researchers have been undertaking for past five years in a project called “Noah's 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, says there would be enough of the basic building blocks 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(capable of being used)panda eggs could be a major problem，”Karemer believes. “They will probably have to do several hundred transfers to result in one pregnancy(having a baby). 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，” adds Kraemer, who is one of the leaders of the Project at Texas A & M, the firstever 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．Karemer 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 of species will probably die out in a century |
Cats are very smart. They are one of the smartest animals. The brain of a cat is large. It is highly developed. This may be why cats have good memories. Cats remember kindness and cruelty. It is a good idea to treat a cat well. Cats can “speak” too. They meow for attention. Often they stand by a door. Then they meow. Then they look over their shoulders. They want to see if their owners are coming. Cats make other noises also. They purr(猫发出的咕噜声)when they are happy. They hiss when they are angry.
Cats have a lot of pride. They don’t usually do silly tricks. Almost all cats want to have their own way. They are mostly true to only one person. They don’t switch loyalty easily. Cats were free in the wild. They want to stay that way. They like to be their own masters. When a cat is left alone, it can go back to caring for itself. It can live in the wild again. This is different from dogs. Dogs will switch their loyalty. At one time dogs were loyal to the leaders of their packs. Now, they will transfer allegiance(忠诚)to their owner. They do not like to be alone.
With kindness, a cat can be trained. Cats can learn to do many things. Some cats can learn to open doors. Some can ring doorbells. Some can even turn on water tap. Then they take a drink. Cats are very smart. Before drinking, they put a paw in the water. They test whether the water is hot or cold.What is the best title for this passage?
| A．The Difference Between Dogs and Cats. | B．The Characteristics of Cats. |
| C． Loyal Animals. | D． How to Keep Cats? |
It’s interesting to have cats around ourselves because ________.
A.they always switch their loyaltyB. they like to do silly tricks
C. they will hiss when they are happy D they are smart and have good memoriesThe last paragraph mainly shows that ________.
| A．cats can test whether the water is cold or not |
| B．cats know how to turn on the water tap |
| C．cats are smart |
| D．cats know how to open a door |
Many teenagers feel that the most important people in their lives are their friends. They believe that their family members, and in particular their parents, don’t know them as well as their friends do. In families, it is quite often brothers and sisters to fight with each other and then they can only go to their friends for advice.
It is very important for teenagers to have one good friend or a circle of friends. Even when they are not with their friends, they usually spend a lot of time talking among themselves on the phone. This communication is very important in children’s growing up, because friends can discuss something difficult to say to their family members. However, parents often try to choose their children’s friends for them. Some parents may even stop their children from meeting their good friends. The question of “choice” is an interesting one. Have you ever thought of the following questions?
Who chooses your friends? Do you choose your friends or your friends choose you?Many teenagers think their _____ know them better than their parents do.
| A．friends | B．teachers | C．brothers and sisters | D．family members |
Which of the following is right according to the passage?
| A．Parents should like everything their children enjoy. |
| B．In all families children can choose everything they like. |
| C．Parents should try their best to understand their children better. |
| D．Teenagers can only go to their friends for help. |
Which is the best title for this passage?
| A．Only Parents Can Decide | B．Parents and Children |
| C．Teenagers Need Friends | D．A strange Question |
Jenny went to visit her friends in New York last weekend. Her friends met her at the airport on Friday afternoon and drove her to the hotel. They had dinner at a Chinese restaurant and went to see a film after that.
Jenny and her friends set out early on Saturday morning for a farm and stayed there until Sunday morning. During their stay, they went fishing and swimming in the small river on the farm. They played football in the field and enjoyed a big meal around a camp fire（篝火）, singing and dancing till late into the night．
Nobody could get up early on Sunday morning． So when they got back to New York City, it was about three o’clock in the afternoon. They drove right to the airport because Jenny didn’t want to miss her plane back home. Jenny only stayed in New York for two nights but she had a great time with her friends．Jenny went to New York ____________ .
| A．to do some shopping | B．to see her friends |
| C．to spend her summer holiday | D．to find a job |
How did Jenny get to New York?
| A．By train. | B．By bus. | C．By plane. | D．On foot. |
Where did Jenny and her friends go on Saturday?
| A．To the farm. | B．To the Chinese restaurant. |
| C．To the airport. | D．To the railway station. |
When did Jenny go back home?
| A．On Saturday afternoon. | B．On Sunday morning. |
| C．On Saturday evening. | D．On Sunday afternoon. |
How long did Jenny stay in New York?
| A．One night. | B．Two nights. | C．Three nights. | D．Four nights. |
A few months ago, Dr. Ken Duckworth, a psychiatrist（心理医生） in Massachusetts, was swimming in his community's pool, chatting with other swimmers. When he mentioned his career, one man wanted Duckworth’s opinion on his struggles with depression; another asked for advice on a family member's mental illness.
“I was sort of amazed. They were talking openly about their mental disabilities with a stranger in a swimming locker room, ” said Duckworth, “That wouldn't have happened 15 years ago. ”
New research shows that these swimmers aren't the only ones opening up. According to a new study, more American adults than ever are reporting being disabled by the symptoms of depression, anxiety or other emotional problems.
The report, published Thursday in the American Journal of Public Health, found that people who said they couldn’t perform everyday tasks or engage in social and leisure activities because of a mental illness increased from 2 percent in 1999 to 2.7 percent in 2009. That increase amounts to nearly 2 million more people disabled by mental distress (痛苦) in the past decade, the report said.
Although people did not say they felt more mental distressed compared to past years, they reported that their mental health problems had a greater impact on their daily lives.
Dr. Ramin Mojtabai, the study's author, said it's unclear whether the findings tell a sad story of greater mental distress in recent times or point to a victory for public education about the importance of acknowledging and evaluating mental illness.
“It is possible that people are realizing the effects of mental illness more acutely now than before," he said. "People could be becoming more aware. ”
Mojtabai said it's also possible that a number of factors could be taking a toll on the population's mental well-being. High unemployment, economic hardships and a growing sense of isolation could be putting greater stress on Americans.
But Duckworth said there could be a more positive explanation -- like his fellow swimmers, people may be getting more comfortable with talking about their mental distress.
“I wonder if this tells us that American culture is becoming more open and is giving people the ability to speak about it,” he said. “If people have this problem and are willing to acknowledge it, then we're getting closer to dealing with it.”Why was Dr. Ken Duckworth surprised when other swimmers talked about the depression with him?
| A．He hadn’t expected those swimmers had so many questions. |
| B．He didn’t know there would be so many people suffering mental disabilities. |
| C．People wouldn’t talk about their mental disabilities with a stranger in the past. |
| D．It amazed him that people were becoming more and more open-hearted. |
Which of the statements may Dr. Ramin Mojtabai agree?
| A．More and more people are suffering mental distress nowadays. |
| B．People may be more willing to acknowledge their mental illness. |
| C．People are becoming more and more aware of the effects of mental illness. |
| D．The public education about the importance of acknowledging mental illness is successful. |
What does the underline phrase “taking a toll on” in para.8 mean?
| A．making a contribution to |
| B．taking part in |
| C．playing a part in |
| D．doing harm to |
What’s the best title of the text?
| A．How mental illness come about? |
| B．Swimmers with mental illness puzzled psychiatrist. |
| C．Study shows more mental illness. |
| D．You should have an accurate attitude towards mental illness. |
Thailand is a country with a long and rich history. It is also one of those countries which have many traditions which modern times fortunately have not affected. Thailand is famous for its unique culture. It is well worth noting that Thai culture handed down from one generation to the next.
Thai Classical Dance
The inspiring culture includes local music and wonderful Thai dances. The dances of course have something to do with its deep rooted Buddhist religion, fighting arts and beautiful clothing. Thai classical dance performances are generally performed by gracious(高雅的) Thai ladies wearing beautiful Thai local costumes. Most resort(旅游胜地) areas and many hotels frequently offer these Thai culture dance shows for foreign visitors.
Thai Greeting
The Thai unique gesture of greeting another person, the wai, is especially one of the great aspects of Thai culture. The wai is when a person joins both hands to either head or chest level while bending their head slightly towards their hands. This way of greeting is especially done when a younger person greets an older person and it indicates a sign of respect to their elders. Employees would also wai their managers even if the manager would be younger than themselves.
Bangkok
Bangkok is the culture center of Thailand and has been the Thai capital since the end of the eighteenth century. Observing Thai culture in Bangkok can be great experience as the combination of modern times and traditions have created a kind of unique atmosphere. Bangkok offers a package of Thai culture which is shown by numerous beautiful Buddhist temples and many examples of modern Thai architecture.
Bangkok National Museum
Another location in Bangkok where one can enjoy and see Thai culture is at the famed Bangkok national museum, which offers tourists an opportunity to view national treasures and unique Thai art pieces with its culture feature dating back as early as the late sixteenth century.Thai classical dance is related to __________.
| A．living level and education | B．ages and pretty clothing |
| C．the Thai’s customs | D．the Thai’s belief |
If you want to watch Thai culture dance shows you can go to_______.
| A．anywhere in Thailand | B．Thai resort areas or big hotels |
| C．Thai museums or big streets | D．Thai theaters or restaurants |
In Thailand a worker uses the gesture the wai to greet _______.
| A．his young boss | B．a younger stranger |
| C．his younger colleagues | D．his close friend |
What make Thai culture in Bangkok so unique?
A, The long history and fine weather of Bangkok.
B. The mixture of the modern culture and traditions.
C. A number of beautiful Thai Buddhist temples
D. Many examples of modern Thai architecture.