1 . The World Needs Zoos

Zoos play an important role in the world for conservation and education. They are particularly important for endangered species. Many animals are critically endangered and may go extinct in the wild, but in zoos, they are going strong. Many others are already extinct in the wild and only survive thanks to populations kept in captivity(圈禁). Even those critical of zoos often recognize that it is better to have species preserved somewhere than lose them altogether.       1    

Take the ring-tailed lemur of Madagascar(环尾狐猴)for example. These lemurs are almost common in zoos as they breed well in captivity and the public are fond of them. However, despite their high numbers in collections around the world, they are the most threatened mammalian group on the planet. A recent survey suggests that up to 95 percent of the wild populations have been lost since 2000.     2    One bad year or a new disease could wipe out those which still remain in the wild.

Such trends are not isolated. The giraffe is another very common species in zoos. Unlike the lemurs, giraffes are widespread in the countries across much of sub-Saharan Africa. Yet giraffe populations have gone down by a third in the last thirty years. While less dramatic than the drop in lemur numbers, this is obviously a major loss and again, whole populations (which some scientists think are of unique subspecies) are on the verge of extinction.

    3     Ongoing and future issues from climate change can have unexpected effects on wildlife. It will become more difficult for conservationists to predict which species might be at risk. As it is, experts are struggling to continue monitoring the species that are already known to be vulnerable, so it is easy to see why common species might be overlooked. People might not take the great loss of local species seriously on the assumption that these animals are heavily populated elsewhere, but unfortunately that is not always the case.

There will, I suspect, always be resistance to the argument for keeping animals in captivity and I will not defend the zoos that are badly managed and in desperate need of improvement or closure. But if we wish to keep any real measure of biodiversity on the planet, we may have to lean on zoos far more than many people realize.     4    

A．This is a trend that is only expected to continue.

B．This means that the remaining individuals are at serious risk.

C．Those species that are held in zoos are already protected from any such events and trends.

D．In fact, species that are common can also come under serious threat before people realize it.

E．Climate change has harmed over half mammal species on the endangered species list.

F．If even common species can lose their population in only several years, it may be too late to save them in the wild.

2 . Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main points of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

The United States government list of endangered species includes alligators, tigers, grizzly bears, some kinds of whales, and over three dozen species of butterflies. What has led to the scarcity of these animals, which may become extinct without vital protection?

One important factor is that many animals have been widely hunted and killed for food and for their beautiful skins. In accordance with the Endangered Species Act, it is illegal in the United States to hunt, sell, or collect endangered species. Thus, an expensive fur coat made from a tiger killed in Asia cannot be legally sold to a wealthy matron in New York or San Francisco.

Some predators, which kill useful, more common animals, are threatened by farmers who are concerned that predators will carry off chickens and young sheep, and because of this fear they trapped and killed them.

The butterfly is an accidental victim of man’s effort to control his environment, For a long time collectors have searched for unusual specimens for their colorful butterfly collections; now, there is an additional, more Serious threat—widespread use of dangerous pesticides which farmers apply to their crops to control harmful insects.

With various animals being killed for food, for decoration, and for the protection of domesticated animals, or dying because of unfortunate contact with human environments, it is not surprising that some are becoming scarce, that the number of species on the endangered list is growing every year. Man is discovering that his world includes the other animals in it, and one can only hope his discovery is not coming too slowly or too late.

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3 . Questions are based on the following passage.
1.

A．A weather forecast.

B．A rescue operation.

C．An energy crisis.

D．A snowstorm.

2.

A．Schools along the road were closed.

B．About 100 vehicles were stuck.

C．A woman gave birth to a baby girl.

D．A coach full of elderly passengers was stuck.

3.

A．Mini will work with Great Wall to produce electric cars for Chinese consumers.

B．The electric mini cars will use electric motors made in Britain.

C．The location of the production line has been decided.

D．It will be a huge investment for the BMW.

4 .

A．The floor.

B．The wall.

C．An earthquake.

D．A handshake.

5 .

A．Get his car window closed.	B．Lend his umbrella to the woman.
C．Borrow the woman’s car key.	D．Listen to the weather forecast.

7 . How a few members of the animal kingdom handle the transition to adulthood?

African elephants

These beautiful beasts come close to imitate teen rebellion. Calves spend a decade with their mothers in female-dominated groups ---- and ladies stay there ---- but adolescent boys leave mom for noisy crews of bros. In their 20s, they often downsize to smaller male groups.

Orangutans (猩猩)

Slow metabolism allows these primates to survive food shortages ---- times when weather makes ripe fruit scarce. But energy efficiency comes at a cost; growth and maturation take time. Orangutan mamas nurse their young longer than any other wild creature does.

Orcas(逆戟鲸)

Killer whales join their mother’s familial group for life. This lasting-relationship seems to increase a pup’s chance of survival; if mom dies, a young male (under 30) is three times more likely to die than a peer whose mother is alive. Risk of death post-mom-mortem rises as kids get older.

Harp seals

A harp seal’s “childhood” lasts just 12 days. A pup’s sole purpose during that brief period of coddling(宠爱) is to constantly nurse, gaining a fifth of its birth weight in blubber(鲸脂) every day. Once it’s fat ---- they become greater from 25 to 80 pounds ---- it slides off the ice and takes on the sea.

Wolf spiders

Every parent knows that tired toddlers love to hitch a piggyback ride. The wolf spider straps all her babies (40 or 50, on average) onto her back at once, carrying the brood until they are capable of fully functional spider-hood. But luckily she only has to pull them for a few days.

1. According to the passage, which animals take the biggest responsibility in raising their young?

A．Harp seals.

B．African elephants

C．Orcas.

D．Wolf spiders.

2. What can we learn from the sentence “But luckily she only has to pull them for a few days”?

A．Other grown wolf spiders will come to take care of the babies.

B．The toddlers are too heavy for parents to hitch a piggyback ride.

C．Baby spiders are able to live on their own after a short period of time.

D．Baby spiders can make full use of spider-hood before they leave their parents.

3. Who will be interested in this passage?

A．A student who is doing a project on animal growth.

B．A kid who is keen on animal watching.

C．A zoo-worker who is responsible for visitors’ safety.

D．A doctor who specializes in animals’ health.

9 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the sentences given below. Each sentence can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need.

The North Star

Among the pile of stars in the universe, there are a couple that are of great importance to people on Earth. The sun, of course, is one of them. The other is known as Polaris, the North Star.     1    . Therefore, it is a great compass(指南针).When people in the northern part of Earth look toward Polaris, they can be certain that they are facing north. The permanence of Polaris in the north sky has helped countless people find their destinations.

Before the invention of modern navigation tools, sailors relied on Polaris. From the top of their ships, sailors would look for Polaris to figure out their place at sea. They figured out the angle between the star and the horizon to determine their latitude(纬度). As long as the equations were not wrong, the results were very reliable. Polaris also let sailors determine North, South, East, and West.     2    

To those who sail at night, changeable storms and dark clouds were more than annoying things.    3    .It’s possible for a captain to make an accidental wrong turn. The ship could become stranded at sea, and the frustrated captain would have no way to get the ship back on the right course. The sailor’s fears wouldn’t be relieved until the clouds cleared and Polaris came back into view. Even today, sailors sometimes choose to steer by using Polaris on clear nights.

    4    . The Big Dipper, a constellation that is well known in astrology, appears to revolve around Polaris. The handle of the Big Dipper always points to the North Star. When people get lost, it’s comforting to know that their problems can be relieved by looking at the sky.

A．It’s not difficult to tell the Polaris apart from the pile of other stars in the universe.

B．People who are lost can be relieved by gazing up at Polaris.

C．By knowing directions and their location, sailors could easily steer their ships.

D．They could destroy entire journeys by blocking the view of Polaris.

E．It’s certain that the Polaris is part of a constellation(星座), which is not far from it.

F．It is special because it is the only star that always appears to be in the same place in the sky.

10 . Directions: Read the following. Fill in each blank with a proper sentence given in the box. Each sentence can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need.

Are Bamboo-Eating Pandas Really Herbivores?

On the outside, giant pandas look like herbivores(食草动物). They spend nearly all of their waking hours eating bamboo. But on the inside, they're built like carnivores(食肉动物). About half of the calories they eat come from protein, according to a new study.

The ancestor of giant pandas were omnivorous(杂食的). They are both animals and plants, and had the digestive system and gut bacteria to metabolize(使发生新陈代谢)them. They had ''umami taste receptors'', to appreciate the flavors of meat.

However, about 2.4 million years ago, things began to change.     1     Their jaw and teeth evolved to help them crush bamboo, and their wrist bone became capable of grasping the stalks(杆)of their favorite plant. Scientists think pandas switched to eating bamboo partly because they didn't have to fight with other animals to get it. Bamboo is high in fiber but has a low concentration of nutrients, so pandas have to eat 20 to 40 pounds of the plant every day just to get by.

David Raubenheimer, a nutritional ecologist at the University of Sydney, and his colleagues put GPS trackers on two giant pandas and followed their movement throughout the year. They discovered that the pandas followed the protein.     2     At the start of the cycle, they ate Bashania fargesii leaves until they got the chance to feast on young shoots, which contained more protein.

The more the shoots grew, the more their protein was diluted(冲淡)by fiber. That caused the pandas to move to higher ground, where Fargesia qinlingensis grew. First, they ate the shoots, but these, too, went from being protein - rich to fiber-rich as they grew. The panda responded by switching to the leaves.     3     The researchers found that about half of the calories the pandas ate were in the form of protein.

    4     ''They can know exactly where to go, and when to go, so they can get the most of the nutrients that their ecosystem can provide, '' said Silvia Pineda - Munoz, who was not involved in the study.

The work also shows that classifying an animals as herbivore or carnivore is more complex than one might sassume. ''It's not whether you’re eating plants but what of the plants you’re eating, '' said Pineda - Munoz.

A．Between August and April, they sought food in low elevations(海拔)on China's Qinling Mountains.

B．Scientists think the research show that pandas are very clever.

C．Pandas eat bamboo all day long except when they are sleeping or playing.

D．The gene for their ''umami taste receptors'' became inactive.

E．They fed on them until they went back down the mountain and started eating Bashania fargesii leaves again.

F．Scientists have conducted many studies on pandas' eating habits.