B
Edinburgh Zoo makes plans to bring a pair of giant pandas from China to Scotland． Representa-tives from Edinburgh Zoo have recently retumed from China, where they signed a letter ofintent(意向书) making a promise to bring giant pandas to the zoo．
It has been suggested that the breeding pair should be rented to the Royal Zoological Society ofScotland ( RZSS) for 10 years and it is hoped they would give birth to babies dunng that time． Edin-burgh Zoo would be the eighth zoo in the West to care for the species if the project goes ahead．
Zoo chiefs said that looking after the endangered animals could benefit conservation．David Windmill, chief of RZSS, said, "It is an opportunity to work on a global level with other consc'na-tionists to gain a better understanding of the giant panda, the threats they face, and what we can do to ensure their survival．"
At present, there are currendy only around l, 500 giant pandas in the wild．RZSS has been working on the project for almost a year, and hopes to have giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo by 2011, the year of the society's centenary．
Mr．Windmill said that the*project has received strong support from the UK and Scottish Gov- emments and that this must continue if the zoo is to reach an agreement with the Chinese． As part of the p．roposed agreement with the Chinese government, Edinburgh Zoo will cooperate on research pro-jects benefiting conservation in the wild．
RZSS will also provide considerable money to support giant panda conservation projects in the wild． Giant pandas live in a few mountain ranges in central China and feed almost wholly on bam- boo, which makes up 99% of the their diet．
61．What result did zoo representatives get from China?
A．A breeding pair is on loan to RZSS for ten years．
B．China promised to sell two giant pandas before 2011．
C．They sig:ned a letter of intent about giant pandas to be loaned to Edinburgh Zoo．
D．China promised to offer the money but not．the experts for research into giant pandas．
62．If Edinburgh Zoo can borrow giant pandas, what will happen?
A．RZSS will celebrate its centenarv in 2011．
B．Scotland will be the eighth country to have giant pandas．
C．RZSS will have a better understanding of living habits of giant pandas．
D．Edinburgh Zoo will be the eighth zoo to have Chinese pandas in the world．
63．The underlined part "the project" in Paragraph 4 refers to “______ ”
A．the celebration of RZSS's centenary
B．introducing giant pandas to RZSS's collection
C．the Royal Zoological Societ)r of Scotland itself
D．borrowing giant pandas from China for conservation
64．At present what seems to be the key factor for giant pandas to successfully go to Edinburgh Zoo?
A．RZSS's attitude．
B．The Chinese govemment's attitude．
C．Edinburgh Zoo's support．,
D．The Scottish government' attitude．
65．The best title for this passage would be "______"
A．Edinburgh Zoo expects giant pandas from China
B．Edinburgh Zoo does research into giant pandas
C．Scot_land supports giant panda conservation
D．Giant pandas live happily at Edinburgh Zoo

Girls really prefer pink and boys prefer blue, recent research shows.

The reasons could have its origins in the hunt for food on the African savannah(稀树草原) thousands of years ago. Evolution may have developed women’s preference for pink, perhaps because it helped to find ripe fruit and healthy men with reddish faces, while both men and women have a natural desire for blue, according to scientists at Newcastle University.

“ Everyone in today’s western culture, from parents to toy manufactures, seems to assume that little girls like pink.” Said Prof. Anya Hulbert, who wanted to find out whether the reason was cultural or to do with biology.

A love of salmon, fuchsia and coral does seem to be rooted into females, rather than picked up from their mothers.

The participants in the study were Chinese and British. The Chinese students showed a marked preference for red, “ Culture may contribute to this natural female preference,” said Pro. Hulbert.

In her experience, 208 young adult men and women were asked to select, as rapidly as possible, their preferred color. Hulbert and her colleague Dr. Yazhu Ling marked the results and found that while men preferred blue, women tended to choose pink.

Hulbert said she could only prefer about the preference for blue: “ Here again, I would favor evolutionary arguments. Going back to our savannah days, we would have a natural preference for a clear blue sky, because it signaled good weather. Clear blue also signals a good water source.”

51. The passage mentions “ the African savannah” to show that_____.

   A. the ancient Africa was a a beautiful place

   B. human beings lived in Africa at first

   C. women and men have different color preference

   D. color preference has its historical origins

52. It can be inferred that the underlined word “ fuchsia”_____.

   A. is probably a kind of toy

   B. is probably pink in color

   C. can be only found in Africa

   D. hardly causes men’s interest

53. By saying “ the Chinese students for red.” In Para. 5, the writer means_____.

   A. red is the Chinese students’ favorite color

   B. the Chinese prefer red more than the British

   C. culture influences people’s color preferences

   D. the study was carried out by two nations

54. What can we know from the last paragraph?

   A. Hulbert thinks evolution explains why people prefer blue.

   B. Hulbert has a strong desire for “savannah days”.

   C. Blue is a natural signal of many good things

   D. While boys like blue, girls like pink.

Girls really do prefer pink and boys prefer blue, recent research shows.

The reasons could have its origins in the hunt for food on the African savannah(稀树草原) thousands of years ago. Evolution may have developed women’s preference for pink, perhaps because it helped them to find ripe fruit and healthy men with reddish faces, while both men and women have a natural desire for blue, according to scientists at Newcastle University.

“Everyone in today’s western culture, from parents to toy manufactures, seems to assume that little girls like pink.” Said Prof. Anya Hulbert, who wanted to find out whether the reason was cultural or to do with biology.

A love of salmon, fuchsia and coral does seem to be rooted into females, rather than picked up from their mothers.

The participants in the study were Chinese and British. The Chinese students showed a marked preference for red. “Culture may contribute to this natural female preference.” Said Pro. Hulbert.

In her experiments, 208 young adult men and women were asked to select, as rapidly as possible, their preferred color. Hulbert and her colleague Dr. Yazhu Ling marked the results and found that while men preferred blue, women tended to choose pink.

Hulbert said she could only infer about the preference for blue: “Here again, I would favor evolutionary arguments. Going back to our savannah’s days, we would have a natural preference for a clear blue sky, because it signaled good weather. Clear blue also signals a good water source.”

60.The passage mentions “the African savannah” to show that____.

A.the ancient Africa was a beautiful place.

B.human beings lived in African at first.

C.women and men have different color preferences.

D.Color preference has its historical origins.

61.It can be inferred that the underlined word “fuchsia”_____.

A.is probably a kind of toy

B.is probably pink in color

C.can be only found in Africa

D.hardly causes men’s interest

62.By saying “The Chinese students… for red.” in paragraph 5, the writer means______.

A.red is the Chinese student’s favorite color

B.the Chinese prefer red more than the British

C.culture influences people’s color preferences

D.the study was carried out by two nations

63.What can we know from the last paragraph?

A.Hulbert thinks evolution explains why people prefer blue

B.Hulbert has a strong desire for “savannah” days

C.Blue is a natural signal of many good things

D.While boys like blue, girls like pink.

IS THERE LIFE ON EARTH?

There was great excitement on the planet of Venus(金星) this week. For the first time Venusian scientists managed to land a satellite on the planet Earth, and it has been sending back signals as well as photographs ever since.?

The satellite was directed into an area known as Manhattan (named after the great Venusian astronomer Prof. Manhattan, who first discovered it with his telescope 20 000 light years ago).Because of excellent weather conditions and extremely strong signals, Venusian scientists were able to get valuable information as to feasibility(可行性) of a manned flying saucer(飞碟) landing on Earth.A press conference was held at the Venus Institute of Technology.?

“We have come to the conclusion,based on last week's satellite landing,” Pro. Zog said,“that there is no life on the Earth.”?

“How do you know this?” the science reporter of the Venus Evening Star asked. ?

“For one thing, Earth's surface in the area of Manhattan is composed of solid concrete(混凝土)and nothing can grow there. For another, the atmosphere is filled with carbon monoxide(一氧化碳) and other deadly gases and nobody could possibly breathe this air and survive.”?

“What does this mean as far as our flying saucer program is concerned?”?

“We shall have to take our own oxygen with us, which means a much heavier flying saucer than we originally planned. ”

“Are there any other hazards that you discovered in your studies?”?

“Take a look at this photo. You see this dark cloud floating over the surface of Earth? We call this the Consolidated Edison Belt. We don't know what it is made of, but it could give us a lot of trouble and we shall have to make further tests before we send a Venus Being there.”?

“If what you say is true, won't this set back the flying saucer program several years?”?

“Yes, but we shall proceed as soon as the Grubstart gives us the added funds.”?

“Prof. Zog, why are we spending billions and billions of zilches to land a flying saucer on Earth when there is no life there?”?

“Because if we Venusians can learn to breathe in an Earth atmosphere, then we can live anywhere.”

During the week of great excitement the Venusian scientists succeeded in getting important information on whether they can_______.

A. land a satellite with Venus astronauts on Earth

B. make a first?rate flying saucer?

C. get a Earth Being to Venus

D. direct a flying saucer into Manhattan?

According to Prof.Zog,the Venusians will have to take their own oxygen with them when they carry out their flying saucer program because_______.?

A. they need it on their way to the planet of Earth?

B. the Earth's atmosphere is filled with deadly gases?

C. oxygen is far from enough in the area of Manhattan where the saucer is to land?

D. there is no air on the planet of Earth?

The “dark black cloud” on the photograph refers to_______.?

A. the polluted air floating over the surface of Earth?

B. the mass of tiny drops of water floating above Earth?

C. the things that are unknown to everybody?

D. the dark clouds gathering before a storm breaks?

The author wishes to call our attention to the fact_______.?

A. that modern man has polluted his environment to such an extent that he might destroy himself if he went on like this?

B. that there is no point in spending billions and billions of zilches to land a flying saucer on Earth?

C. that pollution has become so serious a problem on Earth that even Venusians find life there unbearable?

D. that it is difficult, if not altogether impossible, to land a manned flying saucer on Earth

A severely handicapped teenager who cannot walk,talk or hold a paintbrush has won a place at Oxford to study fine art.

Hero Joy Nightingale,16,who communicates through hand movements,is to be given assistants to paint and sculpt on her behalf.Her mother Pauline Reid “translated for” her daughter during interviews for the place at Magdalen College.

The teenager is the most severely handicapped student ever to be granted a place at Oxford.She suffers from “locked-in syndrome”,a profound apraxia caused by brain damage that renders her body useless and her voice mute.

She is unlikely ever to be able to walk,feed or care for herself but,thanks to the efforts of her mother,she can communicate.When Hero was four,Pauline devised a complicated system of hand gestures that equate to the alphabet.

A spokesperson for Oxford said,“The university welcomes applications from students with disabilities.In cases where students are profoundly disabled,there may be many issues that need to be carefully addressed before an individual can take up a place,such as establishing how the student can best be taught and examined.”

Hero,who suffers almost daily epileptic fits and has a hole in her heart,has not attended school since she was six.She has been taught at home by her mother and father,the pro-vice chancellor of Kent University.

Peter Giles,her art tutor until last year,said she has a genuine talent for art.“She is ferociously gifted.We would sit together and her mother would grab her daughter’s hand and then we would begin work,”he said.

Together,they built several modern sculptures from plaster and metal.“The instructions would take a while to decipher.But eventually,they would come,and eventually make sense.”

Hero’s classes will be held at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art.

Hero communicates with others _________.

A.through common hand movements

B.by typing words on computer

C.through a complicated system of hand gestures devised by her mother

D.by drawing pictures on a board

According to the passage,how does Hero paint or sculpt?

A.She instructs her assistants to paint or sculpt through hand movements.

B.She gives instructions,and her mother paints or sculpts following her instructions.

C.She paints or sculpts with her own hands.

D.She gives instructions,her mother “translates” them,and her assistants paint or sculpt according to the “translations”.

From the story we can infer _________.

A.Oxford welcomes any handicapped student who is good at fine art

B.Hero has not attended school since she was six

C.Hero is gifted in fine art

D.Hero is a strong-minded girl who loves life very much

Which of the following is NOT true?

A.Hero is the most seriously handicapped student ever to be admitted to Oxford.

B.Oxford will admit a disabled student without any requirements.

C.Hero has been taught by her parents at home for10 years.

D.Hero is not able to walk,talk or hold a paintbrush.