题目内容

阅读理解

  The first harvest means the death of the crops as grain is gathered, and the thanksgiving of the people to the goddesses who provided them with life sustaining grains.

  Late July and Early August mark the middle of summer and the beginning of the harvest season.Famine(饥荒)was common during July as the previous years harvest supplies were almost totally used up.Harvesting grains in August ensured the continuance of life and was recognized by many cultures as a time of thanksgiving.

  In ancient Rome the grain goddess Ceres was honored on the first harvest called Ceresalia in her honor.Our modern word cereal comes from her name.Other goddesses celebrated at first harvest are Demeter, Persephone, Venus, and the Corn Mother.Many Native American tribes honor the Corn Grandmother during the Festival of Green Corn.It was held during the full moon when the corn was ready to be harvested.The celebration lasted for several days and was a time to be thankful and a time of forgiveness.

  Lughnasadh was a happy time regarded as the first of three harvest festivals.Lughnasadh honors the god Lugh, and his foster-mother Taillte who died clearing the fields of Ireland for agriculture.In Old Irish Lunasa means “August.” The Celts celebrate this day from sunset of August 1 to sunset on August 2 as the wake of Lugh, the Sun-King whose light began to decline after the summer solstice(夏至).At this time oaths(誓言)were taken and contracts were signed.

  This day was known to the Saxons as Lammas, or loaf-mass, a time when grains were harvested and baked into bread.The grain was harvested, giving its life so that people might live.The grain was made into bread, and the bread was symbolic of the gods.Christians later adopted this holiday as a day when bread, made from the first fruits of the harvest, was brought to the church to be blessed.

  August is a time to reflect on the past year, on things that have come to fruition and things that failed.A time to let go of regrets and say farewell to things that have passed and preserve all the fruits that have been gathered to hold onto for future memories.

(1)

The passage should be entitled ________

[  ]

A.

August Harvest Festivals

B.

August Tradition

C.

Gathering Grain

D.

Special August Time

(2)

What was the significance of harvesting grains in August?

[  ]

A.

It welcomed the death of the crops.

B.

It provided the chance of thanksgiving.

C.

It guaranteed the continuance of life.

D.

It marked the middle of summer.

(3)

Which of the following is NOT a close relationship according to the passage?

[  ]

A.

Ancient Romans-the grain goddess Ceres.

B.

Native Americans-the Corn Grandmother.

C.

Christians-the god Lugh, and his foster-mother Taillte.

D.

The Celts-Lugh, the Sun-King.

(4)

From the last sentence of the 4th paragraph “At this time oaths were taken and contracts were signed”, we can infer that the Celts are ________

[  ]

A.

happy at that time

B.

serious about the day

C.

are full of hope

D.

thankful at that time

答案:1.A;2.C;3.C;4.B;
解析:

(1)

本题考查主旨大意。文章介绍了几个不同国家和地区的感恩节。

(2)

本题考查细节理解。根据第二段可知,八月份收割庄稼的最重要的意义是能够让人们继续生存下去,所以才有了一系列的感恩活动。

(3)

本题考查细节理解。根据第四段可知the god Lugh, and his foster-mother Taillte是the Celts的神。

(4)

  [解析]本题考查推理判断。“发誓”和“签订协议”都是很严肃的事情,所以选B。

  [文章大意]八月份是收获的季节,人们要在这一段时间感谢上天赐给他们的大丰收,文章介绍了几个不同地区的感恩节习俗和来历以及他们所崇拜的不同神灵。


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阅读理解

ISC(HS)Reference No.S006864            New South Wales

Student Date of Birth:19/08/1988   Department of Education and Training

                     International Students Centre

Hong Xue              827-839 George Street PO Box 707

60 Waratah Street                Broadway NSW 21007

Croydon Park NSW 2133       Phone:(612)9217 4801 1300 302 456

                        Fax:(612)9212 6721

                 http://www.tafensw.edu.au/international/

WARNING LETTER

Dear Hong Xue,

  As you are aware, your student visa regulations set out a number of conditions applying to your visa.It has come to our attention that you are failing to meet the following conditions:You must maintain accommodation, support and general welfare arrangements that have been approved by your education provider if you:

  ●have not turned 18; and

  ●are not staying in Australia with:

  -a parent

  -a custodian(监护人); or

  -a relative who has been nominated(指定)by your parent or a custodian, is aged at least 21 and is of good character.

  Note:You must not change those arrangements without the written approval of your education provider.

  You must obey the following rules:

  1.During term time you must:

  a)remain in your homestay during the school term;

  b)come home every night; and

  c)inform your guardian at all times of your whereabouts.

  2.On weekends you must:

  a)have your guardian's permission to stay with friends; and

  b)inform your guardian of the name, address and phone numbers of people you are visiting.

  3.You must return your guardian's telephone calls.

  This will be your only warning.If you continue to breach(违反)your student visa regulations we will report you to the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs.Such action may lead to the cancellation(取消)of your student visa.Please contact me on(612)9217 4801 or fax(612)9212 6721 if you have questions about your enrolment.

                   Yours sincerely

                   Tracey Carlon

                   Student Advisor

                   International Students Centre

NSW Department of Education and Training

(1)

What's the purpose of writing this letter?

[  ]

A.

To remind the recipient of the conditions for applying for a student visa.

B.

To warn the recipient not to do anything against his student visa regulations again.

C.

To tell the recipient how to contact his student advisor.

D.

To inform the recipient of the student visa regulations.

(2)

What can be learned about the recipient from this letter?

[  ]

A.

He is under 18 and studies in Australia with his parents.

B.

He is required to come home every night according to the rules.

C.

He can stay with his friends on weekends if permitted.

D.

His student Visa has been cancelled.

(3)

To which address should the recipient reply if he feels like answering the letter?

[  ]

A.

Hong Xue at 60 Waratah Street, Croydon Park NSW 2133.

B.

Tracey Carlon at the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs.

C.

Hong Xue at NSW Department of Education and Training.

D.

Tracey Carlon at 827-839 George Street, PO Box 707, Broadway NSW 21007.

阅读理解

  One night when my wife was preparing dinner, our little son took a piece of paper to her which read

  For washing the car                 $5.00

  For making my own bed this week           $1.00

  Going to the provision shop              $0.50

  Playing with little sister               $0.25

  Taking out the rubbish                $1.00

  Getting a good report card              $5.00

  And for sweeping the common corridor         $2.00

  Total                       $14.75

  His mother looked at him standing there expecting paymentI could see a thousand memories flashed through her mindSo she picked up the pen and turning the paper over, this is what she wrote

  For nine months I carried you, growing inside me      No Charge

  For the nights I sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you No Charge

  For the toys, food and clothes and wiping your nose     No Charge

  When you add it all up, the full cost of my love       No Charge

  Well, when he finished reading, he had big tears in his eyesHe looked at his mother and said,Mummy, I love you.”Then he took the pen and in great big letters wrote on thebill”“All paid.”

(1)

What's the best title for this passage?

[  ]

A.

Part-time Job

B.

Mother's Love, No Charge

C.

Payment for House Work

D.

Greedy Mother

(2)

The write wrote the passage in order to ________

[  ]

A.

show that children should be paid for their housework

B.

show that children should not be paid for their housework

C.

show a clever way of teaching children

D.

tell children how to spend their spare time

(3)

How do you think of the mother in the passage?

[  ]

A.

Clever

B.

Greedy

C.

Coldhearted

D.

Selfish

(4)

From the last passage we know that ________

[  ]

A.

the boy got all the money he wanted

B.

the mother was unwilling to give the money to the boy

C.

the boy realized that it was not right to ask for money for the housework

D.

the mother was angry with what the boy said

阅读理解

  Psychology(心理学)has a new application in the field of medicine.Many doctors, together with their patients, are looking for alternative methods of treatment of physical problems.In large hospitals, modern therapy(疗法)seems to focus on the physical disease.Patients may feel they are treated like broken machines.Some doctors have recognized this as a problem.They are now using psychological therapy, in which the patient is working with the doctors against the disease with the help of medicine.The patient does not wait for the medicine and treatment to cure him or her, but instead the patient joins in the fight.

  The doctor knows that a disease affects a patient's body physically.The body of the patient changes because of the disease.He is not only physically affected, but also has an emotional response to the disease.Because his mind is affected, his attitude and behavior change.The medical treatment might cure the patient's physical problems, but the patient's mind must fight the emotional ones.For example, the studies of one doctor, Carl Simonton, M.D., have shown that a typical cancer patient has predictable attitudes.She typically feels depressed, upset, and angry.Her constant depression makes her acts unfriendly toward her family, friends, doctors, and nurses.Such attitudes and behaviors prevent recovery.Therefore, a doctor's treatment must help the patient change that.Simonton's method emphasizes treatment of the “whole” patient.

  The attitude of a cancer patient receiving radiation therapy, an X-ray treatment, can become more positive.The physician who is following Simonton's psychological treatment plan suggests that the patient imagine that he or she can see the tumor(肿瘤)in the body.In the mental picture, the patient "sees" a powerful beam of radiation like a million bullets of energy.The patient imagines the beam hitting the tumor cells and causing them to shrink.For another cancer patient, Dr.Simonton asks him to imagine the medicine going from the stomach into the bloodstream and to the cancer cells.The patient imagines that the medicine is like an army fighting the diseased cells and sees the cancer cells gradually dying and his blood carry away the dead cells.Both the medical therapy and the patient's positive attitude fight the disease.

  Doctors are not certain why this mental therapy works.However, this use of psychology does help some patients because their attitudes about themselves change.They become more confident because they use the power within their own minds to help stop the disease.

  Another application of using the mind to help cure disease is the use of suggestion therapy.At first, the doctor helps the patient to concentrate deeply.The patient thinks only about one thing.He becomes so unaware of other things around him that he is asleep, or rather in a trance(催眠状态).Then the physician makes “a suggestion” to the patient about the medical problem.The patient's mind responds to the suggestion even after the patient is no longer in the trance.In this way, the patient uses his mind to help his body respond to treatment.

  Doctors have learned that this use of psychology is helpful for both adults and children.For example, physicians have used suggestion to help adults deal with the strong pain of some disease.Furthermore, sometimes the adult patient worries about her illness so much that the anxiety keeps her from getting well.The right suggestions may help the patient to stop being anxious.Such treatment may help the patient with a chronic(慢性的)diseases.Asthma(哮喘)is an example of a chronic disorder.Asthma is a disease that causes the patient to have difficulty in breathing.The patient starts to cough and sometimes has to fight to get the air that he or she needs.Psychology can help relieve the symptoms of this disorder.After suggestion therapy, the asthma patient breathes more easily.

  Physicians have learned that the psychological method is very useful in treating children.Children respond quickly to the treatment because they are fascinated by it.For example, Dr.Basil R.Collison has worked with 121 asthmatic children in Sydney, Australia, and had good results.Twenty-five of the children had Excellent results.They were able to breathe more easily, and they did not need medication.Another forty-three were also helped.The symptoms of the asthma occurred less frequently, and when they did, they were not as strong.Most of the children also felt better about themselves.Doctors have also used suggestion to change habits like nail-biting, thumb-sucking, and sleep-related problems.

  Many professional medical groups have accepted the medical use of psychology and that psychology has important applications in medicine.

(1)

What does the passage mainly discuss?

[  ]

A.

How suggestion therapy benefits adults and children.

B.

How modern therapy focuses on the disease.

C.

Responses from the medical world.

D.

How to use the mind against disease.

(2)

How does psychological therapy work?

[  ]

A.

The patient waits for the medicine and treatment to cure him.

B.

The doctor uses medical treatment to cure the patient's problems.

C.

The doctor, the medicine, and the patient work together to fight disease.

D.

The patient uses his mind to cure himself.

(3)

What can we learn from the studies of Carl Simonton, M.D.?

[  ]

A.

The medical treatment can cure the patient's mental disease.

B.

The treatment of a patient by treating the body and the mind is necessary.

C.

The mental treatment is more important than medical treatment.

D.

Few patients have emotional response to the disease.

(4)

The use of psychological therapy is helpful to some patients in that ________

[  ]

A.

the medical effect is better with psychological therapy than without it

B.

the patients can see a powerful beam of radiation hitting their tumor cells

C.

the patients' attitudes towards themselves have changed

D.

the patients are easy to accept the methods the doctors use to treat them

(5)

It can be learned from the passage that suggestion therapy cannot be used to ________

[  ]

A.

help adults deal with the strong pain of some diseases

B.

help the patients with chronic diseases

C.

help change some bad habits

D.

help cure patients of insomnia(失眠症)

(6)

According to the passage, which of the following remains unknown so far?

[  ]

A.

The value of mental therapy.

B.

The effectiveness of suggestion therapy.

C.

The working principle of suggestion therapy.

D.

The importance of psychology in medical treatment.

阅读理解

  Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel.Green said,“Clearly I am the most important.I am the sign of life and hope.I was chosen for grass, trees and leaves.Without me, all animals would   1  .”

  Blue interrupted,“You only think about the   2  , but consider the sky and the sea.  3   the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea.Without my peace, you would all be   4  .”

  Yellow chuckled(笑道),“You are all so serious.I bring laughter, fun, and   5   into the world.”

  Orange started next to blow her trumpet,“I am the color of health and strength.I may be   6  , but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life.When I fill the sky   7  , my beauty is so striking that no one gives another   8   to any of you.”

  Red could stand it   9   and he shouted out,“I am the ruler of all of you.I am the color of danger and of bravery.I am willing to   10   truth.I am also the color of passion and of love.”

  Then came Purple and Indigo(深蓝)….

  The colors went on boasting, each convinced of his or her own   11  .Their quarreling became louder and louder.Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightening thunder.Rain started to pour down   12  .The colors crouched(蜷缩)down   13  , drawing close to one another for comfort.

  In the midst of the clamor(叫嚷), rain began to speak,“You foolish colors, fighting   14  yourselves, each trying to dominate  15  .Don't you know that you were each made for a special purpose,   16  ?Join hands with   17   and come to me.”

  Doing as they were told, the colors   18   and joined hands.They formed a colorful rainbow.From then on, whenever a good rain   19   the world, a rainbow appears in the sky.They remember to   20   one another.

(1)

[  ]

A.

stay

B.

leave

C.

go out

D.

die

(2)

[  ]

A.

earth

B.

moon

C.

star

D.

sun

(3)

[  ]

A.

That is

B.

I am

C.

It is

D.

This is

(4)

[  ]

A.

anything

B.

nothing

C.

something

D.

everything

(5)

[  ]

A.

warmth

B.

sadness

C.

depression

D.

anxiety

(6)

[  ]

A.

usual

B.

normal

C.

common

D.

scarce

(7)

[  ]

A.

at midnight

B.

at noon or at night

C.

at sunrise or sunset

D.

during the day

(8)

[  ]

A.

gift

B.

honor

C.

thought

D.

respect

(9)

[  ]

A.

for more

B.

any more

C.

very much

D.

no longer

(10)

[  ]

A.

turn to

B.

fight for

C.

struggle with

D.

bend over

(11)

[  ]

A.

superiority

B.

disadvantages

C.

inferiority

D.

weakness

(12)

[  ]

A.

gently

B.

quietly

C.

violently

D.

peacefully

(13)

[  ]

A.

with care

B.

in fear

C.

by chance

D.

on purpose

(14)

[  ]

A.

amongst

B.

by

C.

for

D.

against

(15)

[  ]

A.

others

B.

themselves

C.

the other

D.

the rest

(16)

[  ]

A.

equal and simple

B.

ordinary and similar

C.

more or less

D.

unique and different

(17)

[  ]

A.

each other

B.

me

C.

one another

D.

them

(18)

[  ]

A.

combined

B.

separated

C.

united

D.

divided

(19)

[  ]

A.

cleans

B.

washes

C.

brightens

D.

dampens

(20)

[  ]

A.

appreciate

B.

quarrel with

C.

ignore

D.

praise

阅读理解

(A)

Every object tells a story. Even the most ordinary objects can present to us powerful images. Sometimes it is the ordinary nature of these objects that actually makes them so extraordinary. Such is the case with an old leather shoe in a museum in Alaska. At first glance it does not look like much. It is a woman’s shoe of a style popular in the 1890s. But what is unique(独特的) about this shoe is where it was found. It was discovered on the Checkout Pass, the famous trail used by the people seeking gold in Alaska. Who it belonged to or why it was left there is not known. Was it perhaps dropped by accident as the woman climbed up the 1500 stairs carved outface? Or did she throw away goods that she didn’t need in order to travel lighter?

Over 100, 000 people with “gold fever” made this trip hoping to become millionaires. Few of them understood that on their way they would have to cross a harsh wildness. Unprepared for such a dangerous journey, many died of starvation and exposure to the cold weather.

The Canadian government finally started requiring the gold seekers to bring one ton of supplies with them. This was thought to be enough for a person to survive for one year. They would carry their supplies in backpacks(背包) each weighing up to fifty pounds; it usually took at least 40 trips to get everything to the top and over the pass. Whoever dropped the shoe must have been a brave and determined woman. Perhaps she was successful and made it to Alaska. Perhaps she had to turn back in defeat. No one will ever know for sure, but what we do know is that she took part in one of the greatest adventures in the 19th century.

1. The ordinary woman’s leather shoe is considered unusual because _______. 

A. it was an important clue to life in the past B. it was found on a famous trail

C. it at one time belonged to a VIP             D. it was a fashionable shoe at that time

2. According to this passage, many people who went to Alaska _______. 

A. eventually became millionaires              B. brought with them many shoes

C. had conflicts with the Eskimos               D. were not properly equipped

3. The Canadian government made gold seekers bring one year’s supplies with them so that _______.

A. they would not die of hunger and cold

B. the army would have enough food for fighting a war

C. they would change these goods with the Eskimos

D. the supplies would make Alaska rich

4. No matter what happened to the woman who owned the shoe, _______. 

A. she must have lived a happy life

B. she certainly dropped the shoe on purpose

C. her adventurous spirit is definitely admired

D. her other shoes were equally fashionable

(B)

Listen carefully, working people, we would like to tell you something that could save your precious time and money! Best of all, it is free!

It’s “no”.

What do you ask? We’ll say it again: “No”.

Sweet and simple “no”.

Say “no” at your office and see how quickly that pile of work on your desk disappears.

“Saying ‘no’ to others means you are saying ‘yes’ to yourself, ” said Leslie Charles, a professional speaker from East Lansing, Michigan.

“Time is precious. People are spending money buying time. And yet we are willing to give up our time because we can’t say ‘no’.”

Susie Watson, a famous writer, said people who always say “yes” need to say “no” without guilt(内疚)or fear of punishment. “I would rather have someone give me a loving ‘no’ than an obligated(强制的) ‘yes’, ” she said.

Susie Watson says she feels “no” obligation to give an explanation when she says “no” either socially or professionally. Does she feel guilty about it? “Not at all, ” said Watson, who is director of advertising and public relations at Timex Corp in Middlebury, Conneticut. “Most people are afraid of saying ‘no’… My advice is to say ‘yes’ only if you don’t mean ‘no’.”

Watson said “no” is the most effective weapon against wasting time. “Every year there are more demands on your time… Other people are happy to use up your time, ” Watson said. Time saving appears to be “no’s” greatest friend.

“No” can be your new friend, a powerful tool to take back your life. “No” may even take you further in the business world than “yes”.

“No” is power and strength. “No” now seems completely correct. “Saying ‘no’ isn’t easy. But finally it’s greatly liberating,” Charles said. But, he added, a “no” project needs to be worked on every day because it is hard to change long-term habit.

But, he also warns: “Don’t go to extremes. Don’t find yourself saying ‘no’ to everything. In return you should learn to hear ‘no’.”

5. The sentence “Saying ‘yes’ to yourself” means _______.

A. you can have more time to play with others

B. you needn’t care about other’s feeling if you are happy

C. you are selfish and treat others rudely

D. you can deal with your business as you have planned

6. When you say “no” to others you should say it in a _______.

A. secret way   B. polite way

C. proud way     D. guilty way

7. In Watson’s opinion, people can save much time on condition that _______.

A. they say “no” at a suitable time

B. they say “no” as much as possible

C. they are afraid of saying “no”    

D. they make others angry at them

8. If a person says “no” to everything, the result he or she receive may be that he or she _______.

A. enjoys a wonderful life     B. makes a lot of money

C. faces difficulty in life  D. forgets to say “yes” in the end

(C)

A characteristic of American culture that has become almost a tradition is to respect the self-made man — the man who has risen to the top through his own efforts, usually beginning by working with his hands. While the leader in business or industry or the college professor occupies a higher social position and commands greater respect in the community than the common laborer or even the skilled factory worker, he may take pains to point out that his father started life in America as a farmer or laborer of some sort.

    This attitude toward manual(体力的) labor is now still seen in many aspects of American life. One is invited to dinner at a home that is not only comfortably but even luxuriously (豪华地) furnished and in which there is every evidence of the fact that the family has been able to afford foreign travel, expensive hobbies, and college education for the children; yet the hostess probably will cook the dinner herself, will serve it herself and will wash dishes afterward, furthermore the dinner will not consist merely of something quickly and easily assembled from contents of various cans and a cake or a pie bought at the nearby bakery. On the contrary, the hostess usually takes pride in careful preparation of special dishes. A professional man may talk about washing the car, digging in his flowerbeds, painting the house. His wife may even help with these things, just as he often helps her with the dishwashing. The son who is away at college may wait on table and wash dishes for his living, or during the summer he may work with a construction gang on a highway in order to pay for his education.   

9. From paragraph 1, we can know that in America _________.

A. people tend to have a high opinion of the self-made man

B. people can always rise to the top through their won efforts

C. college professors win great respect from common workers

D. people feel painful to mention their fathers as labors.

10. According to the passage, the hostess cooks dinner herself mainly because _________.

A. servants in American are hard to get

B. she takes pride in what she can do herself

C. she can hardly afford servants

D. It is easy to prepare a meal with canned food

11. The expression “ wait on table” in the second paragraph means “_________”.

A. work in a furniture shop         B. keep accounts for a bar

C. wait to lay the table                D. serve customers in a restaurant

12. Which of the following may serve as the best title of the passage?

A. A Respectable Self-made Family       B. American Attitude toward Manual Labor

C. Characteristics of American Culture      D. The Development of Manual Labor

(D)

TODAY, Friday, November 12

JAZZ with the Mike Thomas Jazz Band at The Derby Arms. Upper Richmond Road West, Sheen.

DISCO Satin Sounds Disco. Free at The Lord Napier, Mort lake High St., from 8a. m. to 8p. m. Tel: 682—1158.

SATURDAY, November 13

JAZZ Lysis at The Bull’s Head, Barnes. Admission 60p.

MUSICAL HALL at The Star and Garter, Lower Richmond Road, Putney, provided by the Aba Daba Music Hall company. Good food and entertainment fair price. Tel: 789—6749.

FAMILY night out? Join the sing-along at The Black Horse. Sheen Road, Richmond.

JAZZ The John Bennett Big Band at The Bull’s Head, Barnes. Admission 80p.

THE DERBY ARMS, Upper Richmond Road West, give you Joe on the electric accordion(手风琴). Tel: 789—4536

SUNDAY, November 14

DISCO Satin Sounds Disco, free at The Lord Napier, Mort Lake High Street, from 8 a. m. to 8 p. m.

FOLK MUSIC at The Derby Arms. The Short Stuff and residents the Norman Chop Trio. Non-remembers 70p. Tel: 688—4626.

HEAVY MUSIC with Tony Simon at The Bull, Upper Richmond Road West, East Sheen.

THE DERBY ARMS, Upper Richmond Road West, give you Joe on the electric accordion.

13. Where and when can you hear the Mike Thomas Jazz Band?

A. At the Derby Arms on Friday.

B. At the Black Horse on Friday.

C. At the Star and Garter on Saturday.

D. At the Derby Arms on Sunday.

14. You want to enjoy the electric accordion on Saturday. Which telephone number do you have to ring to find out what time it starts?

A. 789—6749.             B. 789—4536.            C. 682—1158.  D. 688—4626.

15. You want to spend the Saturday by joining the entertainment with your family. Where should you go?

A. Disco at The Lord Napier.

B. The sing-along at The Black Horse.

C. The electric accordion at The Derby Arms.

D. Jazz at The Bull’s Head.

16. You want to spend the same day at two different places and don’t want to cross any street. Which of the following is your best choice?

A. The sing-along at the Black Horse and Jazz at The Bull’s Head.

B. The sing-along at The Black Horse and Folk Music at The Derby Arms.

C. Folk Music at The Derby Arms and Heavy Music with Tony Simon at The Bull.

D. Musical Hal lat The Star &Garter and Disco at The Lord Napier.

(E)

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 the 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 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(capable of being used) panda eggs could be a major problem,” Kraemer 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 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.”

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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 of species will probably die out in a century

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