Explaining China’s peaceful growth to the American politicians and public will top President Hu Jintao’s agenda when he visits the United States from September 5 to 8.

“This will be conductive to the development of Sino－US relations and China’s relationships with the rest of the world.” He Yafei, director of the Department of North American Affairs, said at a news briefing yesterday.

It will be Hu’s first State visit to the US after he became president in 2003. He will meet US President George W. Bush and legislators in Washington DC and business people in Seattle, and deliver a speech at Yale University in New Haven. Also on the list of areas of concern for Hu and Bush may be trade, Taiwan, energy and nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

China’s favorable balance of trade with the US derives from different economic structures in the two countries. The two economies supplement and benefit each other instead of competing, and the US should loosen its grip over its exports, especially high-tech products, to China, he said.

After his US trip, President Hu will travel to Canada and Mexico from September 8 to 13, and back to New York on September 14 to attend the World Summit and other activities in celebration of the 60^th anniversary of the United Nations.

Hu will wrap up his tour on September 16 at the UN in a show China’s support for the world body and multilateralism.

At yesterday’s news briefing, YC he also disclosed that the fourth round of Six－Party Talks on Korean Peninsula Nuclear issue will be resumed in the week of September 12.

1．The underlined word “wrap up ” can be taken place by ______.

    A．complete       B．go on          C．start          D．do…… secretly

2．President Hu Jintao may came home after ______.

    A．September 8th B．September 14th C．September 16th   D．September 13th

3．Which of the following is Not true?

    A．The visit to the US starts on September 5

    B．Hu and Bush may talk about Taiwan’s trade and energy.

    C．The economy of the two countries should supplement and benefit each other.

    D．Korean peninsula nuclear issue is another important problem the two presidents may talk about

4．The best title of this passage is ______.

    A．Itinerary for President Hu Jintao’s US visit

    B．Meeting in the US

    C．The Relationship between China and the US

    D．The Problem between China and the US

XI'AN - China's conservation work for the endangered crested ibis（朱鹮）is facing new challenges, including an increasing mortality rate due to inbreeding, and the conflict between the need to expand natural habitats and local communities' economic interests, bird experts have warned.
The crested ibis, once widespread in Japan, China, Russia and the Korean Peninsula, almost became extinct in the first half of the 20th century.
Before 1981, when seven crested ibis were accidentally found in Yangxian county, in Northwest China's Shaanxi province, academics thought the species had been extinct in China for almost 17 years.
Due to the huge effort put into species protection since 1981, the number of crested ibis in China has risen to an estimated 1,617, including 997 in the wild, the State Forestry Administration said at a meeting on crested ibis protection in Xi'an on Monday.
However, although the ibis population exceeds 1,000, the birds are still not free from the threat of extinction, said Fang Shengguo, director of the State Conservation Center for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife at Zhejiang University.
“Ornithologists used inbreeding in the early stages of protection so that numbers of the precious birds could increase quickly, but that method had consequences,” Fang said.
"Studies have proved that as a result of inbreeding, crested ibis have the lowest genetic diversity of all endangered birds," Fang said.
"It means a high mortality rate and more physical defects for hatched chicks."
“The government should collect genetic information from all crested ibis and establish a genetic database as soon as possible, then design a scientific mating plan for the species,” Fang said.
So far, about 90 percent of crested ibis live in Shaanxi province, and fewer than 140 ibis live in three zoos in other parts of the country, including Beijing Zoo, according to Liu Dongping, an assistant researcher at the National Bird Banding Center of China, which is affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Forestry.
The bird has lost the ability to migrate, he said, adding that if an unexpected natural disaster occurred in Shaanxi province or an infectious disease spread through the area, the ibis population could be greatly reduced.
Experts also warned that the increased population of ibis, whether in the wild or in captivity, requires a larger and more varied natural habitat.
Rampant hunting, the massive loss of habitat caused by deforestation and the overuse of pesticides, which killed aquatic insects on which the ibis feed, are believed to be the main reasons for the sharp reduction in the ibis population before 1981.
So, in 1983, a State-level natural reserve was set up in Shaanxi province to protect the bird. But the struggle for living space between human and animal has never stopped, said Lu Baozhong, deputy director of the Shaanxi Crested Ibis Conservation Station.
"For example, ibis often look for loaches in farmers' rice fields. Sometimes their claws trample the rice seedlings. In another case, villagers discovered some land with abundant mineral resources which happened to be a habitat for ibis," said Lu, who has devoted 30 years to ibis protection.
A long-term win-win solution for ibis and local communities needs to be developed, one that would provide ecological compensation for local residents, Lu said.
【小题1】. What’s the best title for the passage?

A．Due to our great efforts, the crested ibis lives in the wild well.

B．Scientists will choose a better habitat for the crested ibis.

C．The problems of the crested ibis have not been solved now.

D．The government has established a genetic database of the crested ibis.

XI'AN - China's conservation work for the endangered crested ibis（朱鹮）is facing new challenges, including an increasing mortality rate due to inbreeding, and the conflict between the need to expand natural habitats and local communities' economic interests, bird experts have warned.

The crested ibis, once widespread in Japan, China, Russia and the Korean Peninsula, almost became extinct in the first half of the 20th century.

Before 1981, when seven crested ibis were accidentally found in Yangxian county, in Northwest China's Shaanxi province, academics thought the species had been extinct in China for almost 17 years.

Due to the huge effort put into species protection since 1981, the number of crested ibis in China has risen to an estimated 1,617, including 997 in the wild, the State Forestry Administration said at a meeting on crested ibis protection in Xi'an on Monday.

However, although the ibis population exceeds 1,000, the birds are still not free from the threat of extinction, said Fang Shengguo, director of the State Conservation Center for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife at Zhejiang University.

“Ornithologists used inbreeding in the early stages of protection so that numbers of the precious birds could increase quickly, but that method had consequences,” Fang said.

"Studies have proved that as a result of inbreeding, crested ibis have the lowest genetic diversity of all endangered birds," Fang said.

"It means a high mortality rate and more physical defects for hatched chicks."

“The government should collect genetic information from all crested ibis and establish a genetic database as soon as possible, then design a scientific mating plan for the species,” Fang said.

So far, about 90 percent of crested ibis live in Shaanxi province, and fewer than 140 ibis live in three zoos in other parts of the country, including Beijing Zoo, according to Liu Dongping, an assistant researcher at the National Bird Banding Center of China, which is affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Forestry.

The bird has lost the ability to migrate, he said, adding that if an unexpected natural disaster occurred in Shaanxi province or an infectious disease spread through the area, the ibis population could be greatly reduced.

Experts also warned that the increased population of ibis, whether in the wild or in captivity, requires a larger and more varied natural habitat.

Rampant hunting, the massive loss of habitat caused by deforestation and the overuse of pesticides, which killed aquatic insects on which the ibis feed, are believed to be the main reasons for the sharp reduction in the ibis population before 1981.

So, in 1983, a State-level natural reserve was set up in Shaanxi province to protect the bird. But the struggle for living space between human and animal has never stopped, said Lu Baozhong, deputy director of the Shaanxi Crested Ibis Conservation Station.

"For example, ibis often look for loaches in farmers' rice fields. Sometimes their claws trample the rice seedlings. In another case, villagers discovered some land with abundant mineral resources which happened to be a habitat for ibis," said Lu, who has devoted 30 years to ibis protection.

A long-term win-win solution for ibis and local communities needs to be developed, one that would provide ecological compensation for local residents, Lu said.

1..    What’s the best title for the passage?

  A. The Rare Bird in China             B. New Problems for the Crested Ibis

  C. The Way to Save the Crested Ibis     D. The Reason for the Crested Ibis’s Extinction

2. Which of the following statement is TRUE ?

A. The crested ibis is a native of China.

  B. Before 1981, the crested ibis was extinct in China.

  C. The crested ibis is now free from the threat of extinction.

  D. Most of the crested ibis are in Shaanxi province.

3.. Why did the experts adopt the way of inbreeding to protect the crested ibis?

  A. To increase the mortality rate.

  B. To increase the number of the crested ibis.

  C. To get more physical defects for hatched chicks

  D. To have the lowest diversity of the endangered bird.

4.. What may be the reason for the reduction in the population of the crested ibis before 1981?

  A. inbreeding                  B. economic development

  C. over hunting                D. sandstorm

5.. What can we learn from the passage?

  A. Due to our great efforts, the crested ibis lives in the wild well.

  B. Scientists will choose a better habitat for the crested ibis.

  C. The problems of the crested ibis have not been solved now.

  D. The government has established a genetic database of the crested ibis.

Before the earthquake in China’s Sichuan Province, 38-year-old Sarah Bexell was working to develop a new environmental consciousness among Chinese people and to encourage them to protect wildlife and habitat -- in particular, that of the giant panda.

Bexell, an American who is the director of conservation(对自然资源的保护) education at the Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding, has spent a lot of time teaching young people the value of protecting the environment.

“The younger generation in China can afford to care,” Bexell said before the earthquake. “They’re not starving. They have food, good jobs, and access to education.”

Now, Bexell worries about the people she has been working with and who are up in the mountains. She doesn’t know whether they and their families are safe. And she knows the work to which she is devoted has become more urgent (急迫的) during the immediate crisis.

Bexell and her Chinese workmates have been trying to spread the message that the tourist boom, population growth, and pillaging (掠夺) of resources form terrible threats to the environment.

There are stories of pandas wandering out of the forest and into villages. This is a troubling sign for what should be a rare species.

To make matters worse, there are fears that with the earthquake and landslides, bamboo could massively die off. That’s the main food source for the giant pandas, whose habitat was already damaged.

In April, Bexell went into the Longxi-Hongkou National Nature Reserve（保护区）. The reserve was set up in 1997 to protect the giant panda and its habitat. It was very near the epicenter(震中), so this area suffered serious damage. Now she is always thinking about the healing and rebuilding, and she believes that the education of rebuilding the balance of nature together with the local people is in great need after this disaster.

68. Bexell is devoted to________ in Sichuan Province.

A. protecting giant pandas       

B. environment-protection education

C. research on people’s lives 

D. research on the environment after earthquakes

69. The main threats to the wildlife and the environment are the following EXCEPT ________.

A. population growth              B. tourist development 

C. the massive death of bamboo      D. the overuse of resources

70. We can infer from what Bexell says that ________.

    A. She’s quite hopeful for her cause in the future

B. many young people in China are usually selfish

C. rich people should spend more on young people’s education

D. China is ready yet for animal and environmental protection

71. What is the best title for the passage?

    A. Quake makes pandas more dangerous

    B. Quake makes conservation education in great need

    C. Sarah Bexell, a fighter against earthquake

    D. Younger generation can do more after the earthquake

BEIJING, China (CNN)-- China's economic growth dropped to 9 percent for 2008, according to numbers released by the government Thursday--in line with expectations, but still the slowest rate the nation has seen in seven years.

Economists are concerned about what the slowdown means for investment in the future, whether new projects will be undertaken in manufacturing companies and in factories. If not, it will translate into more job losses and erase any optimism about a rebound (反弹) in 2009.

Since 2001, China has been used to double-digit growth as consumers buy Chinese goods. However, the export sector was hit hard in late 2008, with December exports down 2.8 percent.

Consumer spending has mostly held up in China, as people there do not carry as much debt as their American counterparts and can continue to spend.

Consumer confidence, however, is a problem, said Dong Tao, Asia chief economist for Credit Suisse. Infrastructure (基础设施的建设) is the only thing driving the Chinese economy, Dong said.

Tens of thousands of Chinese factories have closed, millions of people are looking for jobs and an untold number of migrants who can't find work may be leaving cities for good because of the slowdown, which would have been unheard of six months ago.

Fourth quarter numbers showed growth at 6.8 percent. Goldman Sachs predicted 6.5 percent, down from 9 percent in the third quarter.

For all of 2008, Goldman Sachs had predicted 8.8 percent, down from 11.9 percent in 2007.

1. Since 2001, the slowest rate in annual economic growth China has seen is ___.

    A. 6.8%    B. 8.8%    C. 9%    D. 11.9%

2. According to Dong Tao, the only thing driving the Chinese economy is ____.

    A. export    B. infrastructure    C. consumer confidence   D. consumer spending

3. Which of the following is NOT the difficulty China is facing?

    A. Tens of thousands of factories have closed.

    B. Millions of people are looking for jobs.

    C. An uncertain number of migrant workers may be leaving cities forever.

    D. The terrible situation will erase any optimism about a rebound in 2009.

4. In which quarter of 2008 did the slowdown of China's economic growth first appear?

    A. 1st.    B. 2nd.    C. 3rd.    D. 4th.

5. The best title of this passage should be _____.

    A. China's Economic Growth Slows.

    B. Economic Crisis in China.

    C. Economists Analyze China's Economy.

    D. Several Factors Determine China's Economy