题目内容
Dogs and millionaires have a lot in common. They are absolute opportunists (especially when it comes to rewards). They defend their territory(地盘). And in general, they don’t like cats. Perhaps that explains a new survey showing that millionaires are far more dog-friendly than the rest of Americans.
According to a study by Spectrem Group, 58% of millionaire pet owners have a dog. Only 37% own a cat. Only 3% keep fish, 2% birds and 2% have a horse. Similarly, 39% of U. S. households own a dog, compared to 33% of households owning a cat, released by the Humane Society.
Jennifer Cona, a trust and estates attorney(信托和资产律师) and partner with Genser Subow Genser & Cona in New York, does a lot of work on pet trusts. She said of all the pet trusts she’s worked on, 90% are for dogs and only 10% are for cats.
She said dogs provide one thing especially important for the wealthy: unconditional love.
“You don’t get that from a cat,” she said, “Dogs are like children for some families, except that they don’t mess up in college or run off with money. Sometimes it’s easy to see why dogs are the favorite children.”
Millionaires show their love for their dogs in part by their spending. One quarter of millionaire pet owners spend more than $1, 000 a year on their pets, the Spectrem study said, while more than half spend more than $500 a year.
Many would say those numbers are understated, given all the diamond-dog collars, dog foods and booming dog spas in evidence these days, not to mention the medical bills.
The survey showed 34% of pet owners spend money on decorating, while 6% spend on “sweaters, outfits and costumes.”
More than half of millionaire pet owners spend money on teeth cleaning for their pets. More than 16%, meanwhile, said they would spend money on reconstructive surgeries and “anti-anxiety, anti-depression” medication for their pets.
【小题1】What is the passage mainly about?
A.Millionaires like dogs more than other Americans. |
B.Keeping dogs as pets is quite popular among Americans. |
C.Pet dogs help relieve their owners’ anxiety and depression. |
D.Millionaires spend much money on teeth cleaning for their pets. |
A.about one third of American households own a cat |
B.more than half of millionaire pet owners have a dog |
C.millionaire pet owners spend $1, 000 on their pets daily |
D.34% of pet owners spend money on dog clothing |
A.They can afford the high expense to raise pet dogs. |
B.Pet dogs have never made a mess of things around. |
C.Millionaires feel more secure in company of dogs. |
D.Pet dogs show unconditional love for their owners. |
A.Ridiculous. | B.Acceptable. | C.Negative. | D.Indifferent. |
【小题1】A
【小题2】B
【小题3】D
【小题4】B
解析试题分析:这篇文章主要讲了调查显示,很多富翁喜欢养狗并且解释了其中的原因。
【小题1】根据Perhaps that explains a new survey showing that millionaires are far more dog-friendly than the rest of Americans,故选A。
【小题2】根据According to a study by Spectrem Group, 58% of millionaire pet owners have a dog,故选B。
【小题3】根据She said dogs provide one thing especially important for the wealthy: unconditional love.所以答案为D。
【小题4】根据“You don’t get that from a cat,” she said, “Dogs are like children for some families, except that they don’t mess up in college or run off with money. Sometimes it’s easy to see why dogs are the favorite children.” 因此选B。
考点:社会现象类短文阅读理解
点评:要想答好题目,重在理解全文意思。这篇文章比较难,先看问题,再带着问题读短文,找出各段落的主旨句,理解全文内容,总结全文中心,然后再回到问题上来,很容易选出正确答案。多了解一些常识性知识有利于阅读理解。如果对文章的相关背景有所了解,读起文章一定既省时又省力。因此,在学习过程中,了解各方面的背景知识是十分重要的。
Scientist Says ‘No’ to Human Cloning
“I’ve never met a human worth cloning,” says cloning expert Mark Westhusin from his lab at Texas A&M University. “It’s a stupid endeavor.”
That’s an interesting choice of adjective, coming from a man who has spent millions of dollars trying to clone a 13-year-old dog named Missy. So far, he and his team have not succeeded, though they have cloned two cows and a cat.
They just might succeed in cloning Missy soon — or perhaps not for another five years.
Westhusin's experience with cloning animals leaves him upset by all this talk of human cloning. In three years of work on the Missy project, using hundreds upon hundreds of dog's eggs, the A&M team has produced only a dozen or so embryos carrying Missy's DNA. None have survived the transfer to a surrogate(代孕的)mother. The wastage of eggs and the many spontaneously aborted(流产,发育不全) fetuses(胎)may be acceptable when you're dealing with cats or bulls, he argues, but not with humans. “Cloning is incredibly inefficient, and also dangerous,” he says.
Even so, dog cloning is a commercial opportunity, with a nice research payoff. Ever since Dolly the sheep was cloned in 1997, Westhusin's phone has been ringing with people calling in hopes of duplicating their cats and dogs, cattle and horses. “A lot of people want to clone pets, especially if the price is right,” says Westhusin. Cost is no obstacle for Missy's mysterious billionaire owner; he's put up $3.7 million so far to fund A&M's research.
Contrary to some media reports, Missy is not dead. The owner wants a twin to carry on Missy's fine qualities after she does die. The prototype(原型;雏形)is, by all accounts, athletic, good-natured and supersmart. Missy's master does not expect an exact copy of her. He knows her clone may not have her temperament(气质、性情). In a statement of purpose, Missy's owner and the A&M team say they are “both looking forward to studying the ways that her clones differ from Missy.”
Besides cloning a great dog, the project may contribute insight into the old question of nature vs. nurture. It could also lead to the cloning of special rescue dogs and many endangered animals.
However, Westhusin is cautious about his work. He knows that even if he gets a dog pregnant, the offspring, should they survive, will face the problems shown at birth by other cloned animals: abnormalities like immature lungs and heart and weight problems~ “Why would you ever want to clone humans,” Westhusin asks, “when we're not even close to getting it worked out in animals yet?”
【小题1】By “stupid endeavor”, Westhusin means to say that ________.
A.human cloning is a foolish undertaking |
B.animal cloning is absolutely impractical |
C.human cloning should be done selectively |
D.animal cloning is not worth the effort at all |
A.Its success is already in sight. |
B.It is progressing smoothly. |
C.It is doomed to utter failure. |
D.Its outcome remains uncertain. |
A.study the possibility of cloning humans |
B.search for ways to modify its temperament |
C.find out the differences between Missy and its clones |
D.examine the reproductive system of the dog species |
A.a bad temper |
B.defective(有缺陷的、有毛病的)organs |
C.immune deficiency |
D.an abnormal shape |
Are you looking for something fun and would you like to help others in your spare time? Then join us to be a volunteer! We’re a non-profit (赢利的) organization. We have volunteer jobs of all ages. Anyone, from twelve-year-old children to people in their seventies can become a volunteer.
You can help people in many ways. Schools need help with taking care of children while parents are working. Hospitals need volunteers to look after children while their parents are seeing a doctor. Animal lovers can help take care of those dogs and cats without homes. There is something for everyone.
“As a volunteer, I don’t want to get anything. Seeing the children’s happy faces, I’m happy, too.” Said Carlos Domingo, an old woman of 62. “I often played computer games in my spare time before. Now I help older people learn how to use computers.” said another volunteer at the age of 18.
If everyone helps out a bit, we’ll have a better world to live in. Interested? Call us 1-800-555-5756 or visit our website: www.activol.com.
【小题1】When do the volunteers help others?
A.In their spare time. | B.At weekends | C.On weekdays. | D.In the evenings. |
A.Children | B.Old women | C.Anyone aged 12-70 | D.Young people |
A.money | B.computers | C.everything | D.nothing |
A.animals | B.children | C.computers | D.older people |
A.in a newspaper | B.in a storybook | C.in a picture book | D.in a textbook |
All right! Enough cookies,cola, and chips! It seems that junk food is all that the children want to eat these days.Television controls their tastes.The kids see well-known personalities eating potato chips, candy and other processed food, and they want to be like their heroes.How do they do it?They eat the same food. I wish there were more characters like old Popeye(大力水手), the sailor, who ate spinach(菠菜) and not French fries.
Now I don't expect my children to eat healthy food because I like brown rice, beans, and fresh vegetables. I'm glad to cook traditional meals of meat and potatoes for them. I really can't be too upset with the kids because most adults aren't careful about what they eat. The other night, my wife and I went to a party where there was plenty to drink but very little for us to eat. They served hot dogs and hamburgers. I can't eat hot dogs, with all those preservatives(防腐剂), and hamburgers are filled with chemicals so that they look better. Besides the meat, they had sugar-filled cookies and cake, and of course, chips. I don't want the world to change because of me, but I think people should realize that there are alternatives(选择) to eating meat. They always tell me that I probably don't get my essential(必要的) proteins. I feel better than ever and I'm sure that it's because I'm a vegetarian(素食主义者). I would really like to see more television advertisements which show the benefits of good, healthy, natural food.
【小题1】According to the passage, it seems that ______.
A.canned food is the only one that the kids enjoy most. |
B.the children like to have fried chicken only. |
C.the kids prefer to have cold drinks, not junk food |
D.the children like nothing better than junk food: cookies and chips |
A.Television influences children’s food choice |
B.The author is not single and he eats meats |
C.Though the author is a vegetarian, he feels very healthy |
D.It is certain that beans and spinach are not junk food |
A.why he goes to the party | B.whether he gets enough proteins |
C.whether he allows his children to eat meat | D.whether he is healthy and strong |