A pair of giant pandas from southwest China’s Sichuan Province arrived at their new home in Belgium’s Pairi Daiza zoo, some 60km southwest of downtown Brussels, at around 15:00 local time (1400GMT) on February 23, 2014.

About 2,500 people, many of them excited children waving national flags of China and Belgium as well as panda-decorated flags or wearing costume of Panda greeted the pandas along the road to the zoo.

Visitors today can only observe the pandas through a closed-circuit television system in the reception.

Officials said they wanted the pandas fully adapted to their new home before making public debut in April.

The pandas, Xing Hui, the male and Hao Hao, the female, are both 4 years old and are on lease from a breeding center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province.

The lease term is 15 years, according to officials with the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas, the world’s largest research base for the species.

“It’s a good thing for Belgium.” Nicole Duflot, a grandmother coming to the zoo with her husband and her grandson told Xinhua, “We can’t see the Panda today but it’s a great thing for us to come here.”

The Pandas will be living in a panda hall of 5,300 square meters within the zoo.

“I hope Xing Hui and Hao Hao will enhance friendship between Belgium and China.” Liao Liqiang, the Chinese ambassador to Belgium, said during an interview with Xinhua.

1.What was the main purpose of China leasing pandas to Belgium?

A. We were supposed to make money from Belgium.

B. We meant to improve the relationship between China and Belgium.

C. We expected to amuse the Belgian children.

D. We wanted to make the pandas adapt to the environment abroad.

2.The underlined word “debut” probably means ___________.

A. first appearance      B. ceremony         C. announcement      D. argument

3.According to the passage, which statement is right?

A. Xing Hui and Hao Hao will live in the city centre of Brussels.

B. Xing Hui and Hao Hao were very popular with the elders in Belgium.

C. Xing Hui and Hao Hao will come back to China in 2029.

D. Xing Hui and Hao Hao were born in 2008 in Sichuan Province.

4.On the first day of the pandas’ arrival, visitors could ___________.

A. gently feel the pandas along the road to the zoo

B. get into the panda hall of 5,300 square meters

C. take pictures with the pandas freely

D. watch the pandas through the TV system in the zoo

5.From the passage, we can predict that______________.

A. Belgium’s Pairi Daiza Zoo will make much money soon

B. Xing Hui and Hao Hao will be very well treated in their new home

C. Belgium’s Pairi Daiza Zoo will serve the Chinese visitors with free admission

D. pandas will be best-sellers in Belgium

While he was investigating ways to improve the telescope, Newton made ______ discovery which completely changed ______ man’s understanding of colour.

A. a; 不填 B. a; the　　C. 不填; the D. the; a

—Waiter!

 —        

   —I can’t eat this. It’s too salty.

A. Yes, sir?       B. What?  

C. All right?      D. Pardon?

Do you ever run out of great books to read? So what should I read next? Is fast-paced crime fiction your thing?

Try the new Patricia Cornwell book, Scarpetta （Putnam）. She is such an able writer and handles complex forensic（法庭的） intelligence with ease. You need to be prepared, though, for the world you're entering—this isn't for the faint of heart, let's say.

If peace is more your thing, try Mary Pipher's wonderful new book, Seeking Peace: Chronicles of the Worst Buddhist in the World （Riverhead）. Mary is a lovely, comfortable writer who takes the reader through her personal awakening after reputation and fortune came her way. Even if you've never experienced life as a bestselling writer （as she has done, in her book years back, Reviving Ophelia）, you'll totally understand and sympathize with her renewed need for privacy, distance and quiet.

What if you want a straightforward, totally thrilling read with vivid characters, set about World War II? You cannot go wrong with Jim Lehrer's new novel, Oh, Johnny （Random House）, about a young Marine whose life is changed forever when he meets a woman on his way to war. His relationship with her lasts him through danger and hardship, and there's an impressive ending. See our interview with the productive novelist/newsman in the current issue of Reader's Digest （March, on stands now）, by the way, for insight into the very talented Mr. Lehrer and what interests him.

Well, what about something wickedly funny and totally offbeat? Does the name Carrie Fisher do anything for you? Try her vivid and new life in Hollywood and elsewhere, Wishful Drinking （Simon & Schuster）. Be prepared for humor as sharp as knives.

What does the writer want to tell us by the underlined sentence?

A. The world is complex and hard.           B. Scarpetta is a thriller.

C. The fiction is hard to understand.     D. Society is hard to fit into.

Which of the following is true of Mary Pipher?

A. She is an adventurous writer.    B. She doesn’t care about fortune.

C. Her books normally sell well.   D. She can help you achieve writing skills. 

To get further information about Jim Lehrer, you may________.

A. go to Reader’s Digest issued in March     B. go to Random House

C. analyze the characters in Oh, Johnny     D. read the novel Oh, Johnny

Which book isn’t directly based on the writer’s own life?__________________

A. Seeking Peace.             B. Reviving Ophelia.

C. Wishful Drinking.            D. Oh, Johnny.