The city of Rome has passed a new law to prevent cruelty to animals. All goldfish bowls are no longer allowed and dog owners must walk their dogs.

This comes after a national law was passed to give prison sentences to people who desert cats or dogs.

“The civilization of a city can be measured by this,” said Monica Carina, the councilor behind the new law.

The newspaper reported that round bowls don’t give enough oxygen for fish and may make them go blind.

“Rome has tried to protect fish more than anywhere else in the world. It stands out for recognizing that fish are interesting animals that deserve over respect and pity every bit as much as dogs and cats and other animals,” said Karin Robertson, a director of the People for the Ethical treatment of Animals.

Lat year a law was passed in Italy that gives people who desert pets big fines and prison sentences. Since then local governments have added their own animal protection rules.

The northern city of Turin passed a law in April to give pet owners fines of up to $598 if they do not walk their dogs three times a day.

The new law in Rome also says that owners mustn’t leave their dogs in hot cars or cut their dogs’ tail to make them look lovelier. The law also gives legal recognition to the “cat ladies” who feed homeless cats. The cats live all over the city from ancient ruins to modern office car parks.

1. The new law passed in Rome will _________.

    A. help improve fishing environment

    B. guarantee better conditions for goldfish

    C. stop people from catching goldfish

    D. discourage keeping goldfish at home

2.People in Rome believe that the civilization of a city can be judged by _________.

    A. exchanges with other cities

    B. Protection of ancient ruins

    C. awareness of animal protection

    D. recognition of animal lovers

3.People may break the law in Turin if they _____________.

    A. keep their dogs or cats in cars         B. feed homeless animals in car parks

    C. raise their cats near ancient ruins          D. shut their dogs home all day long

Raising pets is not a new thing in China , but recently it has taken on a new meaning .

As a famous Chinese saying goes, pursuit of petty (小的，不重要的) pleasures weakens one’s will to make progress . The saying has been so popular that even today many people still consider raising pets as a hobby of the idle .

Things have changed much recently and now raising pets has become a popular pastime , resulting in a successful pet care industry .

Pet food is sold in almost all supermarkets and many special stores for pet needs have been set up .

Animal hospitals provide various medical services for sick dogs and cats , and pet exchange fairs are held regularly .

At the China International Pet Show which took place recently in Beijing , more than 100 factories from across the country exhibited their products . Thousands of dealers and pet owners went to the show.

“People’s swollen pockets make it possible for many to raise pets , a hobby that used to be enjoyed only by the wealthy ,” said Wang Wei , who works with the National Kennel Association of China .

Wang Yuyan , vice president of the Small Animals Protection Association , agreed , “ In many films and novels , having a pet is used as a symbol of wealth . That’s not a complete picture . ” Wang added that pets are friends in a real sense of the word , not just playthings . “ Anyone with a loving nature can raise pets . ”

Still the high cost of keeping a pet is something many people have to think about .

“I like dogs and cats , but I have neither time nor money to raise them , ”said Li Jun , in her 40’s , a civil servant from Beijing .

The cost of raising a dog is high in Beijing , where registration (登记) is a must for all dogs and costs 5,000 yuan for each animal . In addition , pet owners must pay for regular injection of vaccines (疫苗). Most of all , dog food is quite expensive .

Unlike his mother , Li Jun’s 10-year-old son, Li Qiyu, dreams of the day he will have his own pet . “I hope I can have a dog in my house , ” he said .

1.Things have changed much recently , because ___________ .

2. In big cities in China today , raising pets ________ .

3.According to Wang Yuyan’s opinion , raising pets _________ .

Jame’s New Bicycle  
James shook his money box again. Nothing! He carefully   36  the coins that lay on the bed . ＄24. 52 was all that he had. The bicycle he wanted was at least ＄90!   37  on earth was he going to get the   38   of the money?  
He knew that his friends all had bicycle. It was   39  to hang around with people when you were the only one without wheels. He thought about what he could do.There was no 40   asking his parents, for he knew they had no money to  41  .  
There was only one way to get money, and that was to    42   it . He would have to find a job .  43    who would hire him and what could he do? He decided to ask Mr. Clay for advice ,who usually had    44   on most things.  
“Well, you can start right here, ”said Mr.. clay. “My windows need cleaning and my car needs washing. ”  
That was the    45   of  James’ s odd-job（零工） business. For three months he worked every day after finishing his homework. He took dogs and babies for walks, cleared out cupboards ,and mended books. He lost count of the    46     of  jobs that people found for him to do. He took dogs and babies for walks, cleared out cupboards, and mended books. He lost count of the   47 of cars he washed and windows he cleaned, but the    48  increased and he knew that he would soon have   49   for the bicycle he longed for.  
The day    50     came when James counted his money and found ＄94. 32. He  51  no time and went down to the shop to pick up the bicycle he wanted. He rode   52   home, looking forward to showing his new bicycle to his friends. It had been hard   53   for the money, but James knew that he valued his bicycle far more    54    he had bought it with his own money. He had  55    what he thought was impossible, and that was worth even than the bicycle.  
36. A. cleaned B. covered        C. counted        D. checked 
37. A. How       B. Why     C. Who     D. What
38. A. amount B. part      C. sum      D. rest  
39. A. brave               B. hard     C. smart  D. unfair  
40. A. point      B. reason C. result   D. right  
41. A. split        B. spend  C. spare   D. save  
42. A. borrow  B. earn     C. raise    D. collect  
43. A. Or  B. So         C. For        D. But  
44. A. decisions        B. experience  C. opinions       D. knowledge
45. A. beginning       B. introduction         C. requirement         D. opening  
46. A. similarity        B. quality C. suitability     D. variety  
47. A. brand     B. number        C. size      D. type  
48. A. effort     B. pressure      C. money D. trouble   
49. A. all  B. enough         C. much   D. some  
50. A. finally     B. instantly       C. normally       D. regularly
51. A. gave       B. left       C. took     D. wasted  
52. A. patiently        B. proudly         C. silently          D. tiredly  
53. A. applying         B. asking  C. looking          D. working 
54. A. since      B. if  C. than     D. though  
55. A. deserved        B. benefited     C. achieved      D. learned  

What Is a Boy?

Between the innocence of babyhood and the seriousness of manhood we find a delightful creature called a “boy”. Boys come in different sizes, weights, and colors, but all boys have the same belief: to enjoy every second of every minute of every hour of every day and to fill the air with noise until the adult males pack them off to bed at night.

Boys are found everywhere –on top of, under, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around, or jumping to. Mothers spoil them, little girls hate them, older sisters and brothers love them, and God protects them. A boy is TRUTH with dirt on its face, BEAUTY with a cut on its finger, WISDOM with chocalate in its hair, and the HOPE of the future with a snake in its pocket.

When you are busy, a boy is a trouble maker and a noise. When you want him to make a good impression, his brain turns to jelly or else he becomes a wild creature bent on destroying the world and himself with it.

A boy is a mixture – he has the stomach of a horse, the digestion (消化力) of stones and sand, the energy of an atomic bomb, the curiosity of a cat, the imagination of a superman, the shyness of a sweet girl, the brave nature of a bull, the violence of a firecracker, but when you ask him to make something, he has five thumbs (拇指) on each hand.

He likes ice cream, knives, saws, Christmas, comic books, woods, water (in its natural habitat), large animals, Dad, trains, Saturday mornings, and fire engines. He is not much for Sunday schools, company, schools, books without pictures, music lessons, neckties, barbers, girls, overcoats, adults, or bedtime.

Nobody else is so early to rise, or so late to supper. Nobody else gets so much fun out of trees, dogs, and breezes. Nobody else can put into one pocket a rusty knife, a half eaten apple, a three-feet rope, six cents and some unknown things.

A boy is a magical creature – he is your headache but when you come home at night with only shattered pieces of your hopes and dreams, he can mend them like new with two magic words, “Hi, Dad!”

1.The whole passage is in a tone(调子) of  _________.     

A．humor and love                        B．respect and harmony

C．ambition and expectation                 D．confidence and imagination

2.The underlined sentence “he has five thumbs on each hand” probably means______.

A．he has altogether five fingers              B．he is slow, foolish and clumsy

C．he becomes clever and smart              D．he cuts his hand with a knife

3.According to the writer, boys appreciate everything in the following except   ________.

A．ice cream         B．comic books       C．Saturday mornings   D．Sunday schools

4.What does the writer feel about boys?

A．He feels curious about their noise.          B．He is fed up with these creatures.

C．He is amazed by their naughtiness.          D．He feels unsafe staying with them.

Science can't explain the power of pets, but many studies have shown that the company of pets can help lower blood pressure and raise chances of recovering from a heart attack, reduce loneliness and spread all-round good cheer.

Any owner will tell you how much joy a pet brings. For some, an animal provides more comfort than a husband/wife. A 2002 study by Karen Allen of the State University of New York measured stress(紧张) levels and blood pressure in people—half of them pet owners—while they performed 5 minutes of mental arithmetic(心算) or held a hand in ice water. Subjects completed the tasks alone, with a husband/wife, a close friend or with a pet. People with pets did it best. Those tested with their animal friends had smaller change in blood pressure and returned most quick to base line heart rates. With pets in the room, people also made fewer math mistakes than when doing in front of other companions. It seems people feel more relaxed around pets, says Allen, who thinks it may be because pets don't judge

A study reported last fall suggests that having a pet dog not only raises your spirits but may also have an effect on your eating habits. Researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital spent a year studying 36 fat people and their equally fat dogs on diet-and-exercise programs; a separate group of 56 people without pets were put on a diet program. On average, people lost about 11 pounds, or 5% of their body weight. Dog owners didn't lose any more weight than those without dogs but, say researchers, got more exercise overall—mostly with their dogs—and found it worth doing.

1.The underlined word “subjects” refers to ______.

A．what students learned at school

B．people that were studied

C．those who had pets with them

D．those people without pets

2.A person with heart disease has a better chance of getting well if _______.

A．he has a pet companion

B．he has less stress of work

C．he often does mental arithmetic

D．he is taken care of by his family

3.Why did the people do better with pets around when facing stressful tasks?

A．They have lower blood pressure.

B．They become more patient.

C．They are less nervous.

D．They are in higher spirits.

4.The research mentioned in the last paragraph reports that ________.

A．people with dogs did more exercise

B．dogs lost the same weight as people did

C．dogs liked exercise much more than people did

D．people without dogs found the program unhelpful

5.What does the text mainly discuss?

A．What pets bring to their owners.

B．How pets help people calm down.

C．People's opinions of keeping pets.

D．Pet's value in medical research.