Britain’s seed(种子) bank, the only one in the world aiming to collect all of the planet’s wild plant species, has reached its goal of banking 10 percent by 2010.
The Millennium Seed Bank Project, run by Kew Gardens—one of the oldest botanical(植物的)  gardens—will officially place the 24,200th species on Thursday, a pink, wild banana from China.
More than 50 countries are now on board with Kew's giant task but vast places of the globe, including India and Brazil, still need to join in and donate seeds, director Paul Smith said.                                                                                                                                                            
The seed bank is one of the largest and most diverse(多样的) in the world with more than 1.5 billion seeds. Its goal is to help protect the planet’s bio-diversity during a time of climate change.
The wild banana seed is under threat of extinction(灭绝) in southwest China from agricultural development. It is a vital food source for Asian elephants and important for growing bananas for human eating.
Stored at minus-20 degrees centigrade, so they can last for thousands of years, the seeds await the day that scientists hope never comes—when the species no longer exist in the wild.
It is a race against time, Smith said, because in the last ten years alone, 20 plants held in the bank have already been wiped out in the wild. He estimates that between a third and a quarter will become extinct this century.
"It is pressing and it is happening now. An area, the size of England, is cleared of primary vegetation(植被)every year." Smith said.
Because most of the world's food and medicines come from nature, protecting wild plant species is quite important, scientists say. There are already many other seed banks safeguarding food crops, which only account for 0.6 percent of plant diversity.
For Kew's next goal—to collect a quarter of wild varieties(种类)by 2020—the botanists need 10 million pounds a year, or a further 100 million pounds on top of the 40 million they have already been granted.
【小题1】What’s the final purpose of the Britain’s seed bank?

A.To collect enough money for the project.B.To safeguard food crops.
C.To protect wild plants from extinction.D.To help scientists study wild plants.
【小题2】We can learn from the passage that _______.
A.the seeds in the bank can be used now and then all over the world
B.India and Brazil haven’t joined in the Seed Bank Project at present
C.there is only one seed bank in the world at present
D.the wild plants in places like India and China will never die out
【小题3】What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 7 refer to?
A.The extinction of plant species.
B.The Millennium Seed Bank Project.
C.Britain’s seed bank.
D.Kew Gardens’ next goal.
【小题4】Which of the following isn’t spoken about in the passage?
A.The global partnership of collecting wild plant species.
B.The temperature condition of the wild plant species in the bank.
C.The government’s support for the seed bank project by giving money.
D.Scientists’ concern on the extinct wild plant species.

The Peales were a famous family of American artists. Charles Willson Peale is best remembered for his portraits of leading figures of the American Revolution. He painted portraits of Franklin and Jefferson and over a dozen of George Washington. His life-size portrait of his sons Raphaelle and Titian was so realistic that George Washington reportedly once tipped his hat to the figures in the picture.

Charles Willson Peale gave up painting in his middle age and devoted his life to the Peale museum, which he founded in Philadelphia. The world’s first popular museum of art and natural science mainly covered paintings by Peale and his family as well as displays of animals in their natural settings. Peale found the animals himself and found a method to make the exhibits more lifelike. The museum’s most popular display was the skeleton (骷髅) of a huge, extinct(灭绝的)elephant, which Peale unearthed on a New York farm in 1801.

Three of Peale’s seventeen children were also famous artists. Paphaelle Peale often painted still lives of flowers, fruit, and cheese. His brother Rembrandt studied under his father and painted portraits of many noted people, including one of George Washington. Another brother, Rubens Peale, painted mostly landscapes and portraits.

James Peale, the brother of Charles Willson Peale, specialized in miniatures (小画像). His daughter Sarah Miriam Peale was probably the first professional female portrait painter in America.

1. What is the main topic of the passage?

A. The life of Charles Willson Peale.                  B. Portraits in the 18th century.

C. The Peale Museum.                                      D. A family of artists.

2. The author mentions in Paragraph 1 that Washington tipped his hat to the figures in the painting to show that ________.

A. Charles Willson Peale’s painting was very lifelike

B. Washington respected Charles Willson Peale’s work

C. Washington was friendly with Raphaelle and Titian Peale

D. the painting of the two brothers was very large

3. The underlined word “unearthed” is closest in meaning to“ ______”.

A. showed            B. dug up          C. invented               D. looked over

4. Which of the following is NOT the child of Charles Willson Peale?

A. Titian Peale.   B. Rubens Peale.  C. Raphaelle Peale.      D. Sarah Miriam Peale.

5. The author’s attitude toward the Peales is in general _______.

A. puzzled            B. excited           C. admiring                D. disappointed

 

Britain’s seed bank, the only one in the world aiming to collect all of the planet’s wild plant species, has reached its goal of banking 10 percent by 2010.

The Millennium Seed Bank Project, run by Kew Gardens—one of the oldest botanical gardens—will officially deposit the 24,200th species on Thursday, a pink, wild banana from China.

More than 50 countries are now on board with Kew's giant task but vast places of the globe, including India and Brazil, still need to join in and donate seeds, director Paul Smith said.                                                                                                                                                             

The seed bank is one of the largest and most diverse in the world with more than 1.5 billion seeds. Its goal is to help protect the planet’s bio-diversity during a time of climate change.

The wild banana seed is under threat of extinction(灭绝) in southwest China from agricultural development. It is a vital food source for Asian elephants and important for growing bananas for human consumption.

Stored at minus-20 degrees centigrade, so they can last for thousands of years, the seeds await the day that scientists hope never comes—when the species no longer exist in the wild.

It is a race against time, Smith said, because in the last decade alone, 20 plants held in the bank have already been wiped out in the wild. He estimates that between a third and a quarter will become extinct this century.

"It is urgent and it is happening now. An area, the size of England, is cleared of primary vegetation(植被)every year." Smith said.

Because most of the world's food and medicines come from nature, protecting wild plant species is quite important, scientists say. There are already many other seed banks safeguarding food crops, which only account for 0.6 percent of plant diversity.

For Kew's next goal—to collect a quarter of wild varieties by 2020—the botanists need 10 million pounds a year, or a further 100 million pounds on top of the 40 million they have already been granted.

1.What’s the final purpose of the Britain’s seed bank?

  A. To collect enough money for the project.  B. To safeguard food crops.

  C. To protect wild plants from extinction.        D. To help scientists study wild plants.

2.The wild banana seed in China is in danger because of _______.

  A. the expanding of farming work           B. the climate change in this area

  C. the large number of Asian elephants       D. human’s large consumption

3. We can learn from the passage that _______.

  A. the seeds in the bank can be used now and then all over the world

  B. India and Brazil haven’t joined in the Seed Bank Project at present

  C. there is only one seed bank in the world at present

  D. the wild plants in places like India and China will never die out

4. What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 7 refer to?

  A. The extinction of plant species.           B. The Millennium Seed Bank Project. 

C. Britain’s seed bank.                      D. Kew Gardens’ next goal.

5.Which of the following information isn’t mentioned in the passage?

  A. The global partnership of collecting wild plant species.

  B. The temperature condition of the conservative wild plant species.

  C. The government’s financial support for the seed bank project.

D. Scientists’ concern on the extinct wild plant species.

 

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