With only about 1, 000 pandas left in the world, China is desperately trying to clone(克隆) the animal and save the endangered species(物种). That’s a move similar to what a Texas A & M University researchers have been undertaking for the past five years in a project called “Noah’s Ark”.

Noah’s Ark is aimed at collecting eggs, embryos(胚胎), semen and DNA of endangered animals and storing them in liquid nitrogen. If certain species should become extinct, Dr. Duane Kraemer, a professor in Texas A & M’s College of Veterinary Medicine, says there would be enough of the basic building blocks to reintroduce the species in the future.

It is estimated that as many as 2, 000 species of mammals, birds reptiles will become extinct in over 100 years. The panda, native only to China, is in danger of becoming extinct in the next 25 years.

This week, Chinese scientists said they grew an embryo by introducing cells from a dead female panda into the egg cells of a Japanese white rabbit. They are now trying to implant the embryo into a host animal.

The entire procedure could take from three to five years to complete.

“The nuclear transfer(核子移植) of one species to another is not easy, and the lack of available(capable of being used) panda eggs could be a major problem,” Kraemer believes. “They will probably have to do several hundred transfers to result in one pregnancy (having a baby). It takes a long time and it’s difficult, but this could be groundbreaking science if it works. They are certainly not putting any live pandas at risk, so it is worth the effort,” adds Kraemer, who is one of the leaders of the Project at Texas A& M, the first-ever attempt at cloning a dog.

“They are trying to do something that’s never been done, and this is very similar to our work in Noah’s Ark. We’re both trying to save animals that face extinction. I certainly appreciate their effort and there’s a lot we can learn from what they are attempting to do. It’s a research that is very much needed.”

The aim of “Noah’s Ark” project is to _______.

A. make efforts to clone the endangered pandas

B. save endangered animals from dying out

C. collect DNA of endangered animals to study

D. transfer the nuclear of one animal to another

According to Professor Kraemer, the major problem in cloning pandas would be the lack of _______.

A. available panda eggs                B. host animals

C. qualified researchers                D. enough money

The best title for the passage may be _______.

A. China’s Success in Pandas Cloning   

B. The First Cloned Panda in the World

 C. Exploring the Possibility to Clone Pandas

 D. China —the Native Place of Pandas Forever

From the passage we know that _______.

A. Kraemer and his team have succeeded in cloning a dog

 B. scientists try to implant a panda’s egg into a rabbit

 C. Kraemer will work with Chinese scientists in clone researches

 D. about two thousand of species will probably die out in a century

We spent a day in the country, picking wild flowers. With the car full of flowers we were going home. On our way back my wife noticed a cupboard (柜厨) outside a furniture shop. It was tall and narrow. “Buy it, ” my wife said at once. “We’ll carry it home on the roof rack. I’ve always wanted one like that.”

What could I do? Ten minutes later I was ￡20 poorer; and the cupboard was tied on the roof rack. It was six feet long and eighteen inches square, quite heavy too.

In the gathering darkness I drove slowly. Other drivers seemed unusually polite that evening. The police even stopped traffic to let us through. Carrying furniture was a good idea.

After a time my wife said, “There’s a long line of cars behind. Why don’t they overtake, I wonder?” In fact a police car did overtake. The two officers inside looked at us seriously as they passed. But then, with great kindness, they led us through the rush-hour traffic. The police car stopped at our village church. One of the officers came to me.

“Right, sir, ” he said. “Do you need any more help?”

I was a bit puzzled. “Thanks, officer, ” I said. “You have been very kind. I live just on the road.”

He was staring at our car, first at the flowers, then at the cupboard. “Well, well, ” he said, laughing. “It’s a cupboard you’ve got there! We thought it was something else.”

My wife began to laugh. The truth hit me like a stone between the eyes. I smiled at the officer. “Yes, it’s a cupboard, but thanks again.” I drove home as fast as I could.

1. In fact the husband _______ the cupboard.

A. would like very much to buy           B. badly wanted 

C. was glad to have bought                  D. would rather not buy

2. Other drivers thought they were _______.

A. carrying a cupboard to the church

B. sending flowers to the church

C. carrying nothing but a piece of furniture

D. going to attend a funeral(葬礼) at the church

3. The police will be more polite to those who are _______.

A. driving in gathering darkness                 B. in great sorrow (悲痛)

C. driving with wild glowers in the car        D. carrying furniture

4. What did the husband think of this matter?

A. It was very strange.                               B. He felt ashamed of it.

C. He took great pride in it.                        D. He was puzzled at it.

The Growing Credit Crisis Forces Many Companies to Seek Government Help

On September fifteenth, Lehman Brothers, a one hundred fifty-eight year-old investment bank, sought legal protection from its creditors. It had failed to find a buyer after months of searching. With over six hundred billion dollars in debt, Lehman’s failure was the largest bankruptcv in United States history At the same time，the nation’s biggest insurance company，American International Group, had gotten into trouble selling credit default swaps These are contracts Similar to insurance that protect the holder against credit risk.

Credit rating agencies downgraded A.I.G because of concerns it could not honor its contracts. Unable to get new loans, A.I.G asked for government help The Federal Reserve agreed to loan A .I.G. eighty-five billion dollars in return for eighty percent of the company but it was not enough. By November, the government had extended a total of about one hundred fiftv billion doliars in aid to A .I.G—the most to any single company during the crisis.

As banks refused to lend, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson proposed a plan to loosen credit markets by buylng risky assets. Congress approved the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of Two. Thousand eight on October third The bill provided seven hundred billion dollars to buy hard to-value securltles from banks. But within weeks, the government changed plans. The Treasury moved to invest two handred fifty billion dollars directly in banks to help them lend money again.

Lack of credit not only hurt banks but manufacturers, too. Falling car sales threatened America’s carmakers The big three automakers—General Motors, Ford and Chrysler—told Congress that they needed loans or they faced bankmptcy. In December, President Bush offered G.M and Chrysler over seventeen billion dollars in loans.

As the year ended, the Federal Reserve tried to support economic growth by lowering its main interest rate to nearly zero for the first time. But there was one more bad surprise New York money manager Bernard Madoff admitted he had cheated investors out of fifty billion dollars. The news only added to the sense that two thousand eight was the worst economic year since the nineteen thirties.

Which of the following is NOT the problem in the passage Lehman Brothers was faced with?

   A. lt is an Investment bank with more than one and a half centuries history.

   B. It didn’t find a buyer after months of searching.

   C. It has over six hundred billion dollars in debt.

D. Its failure was the largest bankruptcy in United States history.

The reason why A.I.G turned to the U.S government for help was that           .

   A. A.I.G would give eighty percent of the company in return for the loan

   B. A.I.G couldn’t get new loans from credit rating agencies

   C. the government extended a total of about one hundred fifty billion dollars in aid to A.I.G

D. the Federal Reserve agreed to loan A.I G eighty-five billion dollars

According to the passage, which of the following is probably NOT suffering from the lack of_______ .

   A. Banks．       B. Manufacturers        C. Carmakers          D. Barbers

The last sentence of this passage indicates that the author’s attitude towards the U.S economy in 2008 is        

   A.pessimistic      B. optimistic           C. objective            D.subjective

The film “A World without Thieves”       a great success and brought in a large profit to the cinema .

         A. appreciated        B. enjoyed       C. won    D. seized

完形填空

When I was in Germany, one day at Christmas-time I went to a post office to send a letter. To my    1    I found people queuing (排队) some paces away from the person at the savings deposit window.    2  so? Each did his business  3    but the line never moved a step    4   , I was very    5   , so I walked to the window to find out the cause. There was a notice on which was written “Thank you for your    6  for other’s privacy (隐私)”—a polite    7    to keep people away from nosing into other’s    8    (money matters are regarded as privacy in Western countries). I was deeply impressed by the    9   and stayed a while to watch: they were waiting so    10    at a distance that they seemed quite    11  to the practice. The    12    thing happened at a public telephone box.  13    waiting for their turns always kept their distance—enough to be out of  14   . It’s another typical example!

From then on I    15   to watch their ways of doing things, manners, treatment   16  towards others. I found the Germans always mindful of other’s privacy. They avoided putting others in an embarrassing (窘迫)situation. For instance, they never    17    about age, incomes or the place to buy such a coat,    18    would they comment on the others or jewelry others wore. Their laws    19    reading diaries or opening letters without permission. That shows    20   matters are not allowed to be disturbed.

1. A. sorrow        B. anger           C. delight          D. surprise

2. A. Why          B. How           C. What            D. Where

3. A. in secret       B. with care        C. in turn           D. by turns

4. A. slower        B. nearer           C. farther           D. longer

5. A. curious        B. angry           C. interested        D. impatient

6. A. care           B. respect          C. help            D. search

7. A. voice          B. phrase          C. warning         D. sentence

8. A. pockets        B. savings          C. needs           D. affairs

9. A. word          B. sight            C. people          D. matters

10. A. honestly        B. anxiously        C. nervously       D. calmly

11. A. used           B. familiar         C. uncomfortable    D. polite

12. A. interesting      B. strange          C. same            D. different

13. A. They           B. These            C. Those            D. That

14. A. sight          B. hearing          C. touch            D. question

15. A. went on        B. took care         C. paid attention     D. took charge

16. A. moving         B. shown          C. facing           D. offered

17. A. asked          B. heard           C. worried          D. learned

18. A. so             B. nor             C. not only         D. if

19. A. appreciate      B. stop             C. hate             D. forbid

20. A. pubic          B. personal         C. small            D. important

My hometown, _____I spent my happy childhood, has changed a lot.

       A. when         B. where        C. which        D. since

   Runners in a relay(接力) race pass a stick in one direction. However, merchants passed silk, gold, fruit, and glass along the Silk Road in more than one direction. They earned their living by traveling the famous Silk Road.

The Silk Road was not a simple trading network. It passed through thousands of citied and towns. It started from eastern China, across Central Asia and the Middle East, and ended in the Mediterranean Sea. It was used from about 200 B, C, to about A, D, 1300, when sea travel offered new routes(路线)　, It was sometimes called the world’s longest highway. However, the Silk Road was made up of many routes, not one smooth path. They passed through what are now 18 countries. The routes crossed mountains and deserts and had many dangers of hot sun, deep snow and even battles. Only experienced traders could return safe.

    The Silk Road got its name from its most prized product. Silk could be used like money to pay taxes or buy goods. But the traders carried more than just silk. Gold, silver, and glass from Europe were much found in the Middle East and Asia. Horses traded from other areas changed farming practices in China. Indian merchants traded salt and other valuable goods. Chinese merchants traded paper, which produced an immediate effect on the West. Apples traveled from central Asia to Rome. The Chinese had learned to graft(嫁接)　different trees together to make new kinds of fruit. They passed this science on to others, including the Romans. The Romans used grafting to grow the apple. Trading along the Silk Road led to world-wide business 2,000 years before the World Wide Web.

The people along the Silk Road did not share just goods. They also shared their beliefs. The Silk Road provided pathways for learning, diplomacy(外交), and religion (宗教)

It’s probable that traders along the Silk Road needed         .

A. to remember the entire trade route       B. to know the making of products

C. to receive certain special training        D. to deal with a lot of difficulties

The Silk Road became less important because          .

A. it was made up of different routes        B. silk trading became less popular

C. sea travel provided easier routes         D. people needed fewer foreign goods

New technologies could travel along the Silk Road because people          .

A. learned from one another               B. shared each other’s beliefs

C. traded goods along the route             D. earned their living by traveling

What is the best title for the passage?

   A. The Silk Road ; Past and Present         B. The Silk Road; East Meets West

C. The Silk Road; Routes Full of Dangers    D. The Silk Road; Pathways for Learning

For many years, enironmental problems have been a major concern to people. Almost all things are related to the word “Green”, say, green buildings. A green building means not only the colour of the paint. Also, it also refers to environmentally friendly houses, factories and offices.

Green building means “reducing the impact（影响）of the building on the land”, Taryn Holowka of the US Green Building Council in Washington.D.C. said. According to Holowka, buildings account for 65 percent of total US electricity use.

But green buildings can reduce energy and water use. Also, the buildings are often located near public transportation such as buses and subways, so that people can drive their cars less. That could be good for the environment, because cars use lots of gas and give off pollution. Green buildings are often built on developed land, so that the buildings don’t destroy forests.

Marty Dettling is project manager for a building that put these ideas into action. The Solaire has been called the country’s first green high-rise building. According to Dettling, “We’ve reduced our energy use by one-third and our water by 50 percent.”

The Solaire cuts energy in part by using solar power. “On the surface of the building we have solar panels（电池板）which change the sun’s energy into electricity,” Dettling explained.

The Solaire also has lights that automatically turn off when people leave the room. In addition, the building has lots of windows, allowing people to use the sun for light during the day. The Solaire cuts water by reusing it.

Not everyone is eager to move into a green building, however. Some people think that things like solar panels cost more money than more traditional energy source. Anyhow, Holowka said, “It is going to take off.”

“A green building”most refers to a____________ building according to the passage.

A. not ripe or modern          B. covering green color  

C. environmentally friendly     D. fresh or new

All of the following are the reasons why green buildings are environmentally friendly except that_______.

A. they can reduce energy and water use in many ways

B. they are often built on an area of land which has already been used for buildings.

C. people can collect energy from sunsight to heat water and produce electricity

D. they are equipped with lots of modern but cheaper equipment

According to the passage, green buildings don‘t usually stand on faraway and inconvenient areas bacause________.

A. the places will cause a lot of trouble and inconvenience to consruction work

B. cars will give off more pollution and more forests will be destroyed

C. the environment of the places is not better than that of big cities

D. the places are poorly equipped and unfriendly.

The underlined sentence “It is going to take off” in the last paragraph most probably means that green buildings__________.

   A. will become successful and popular very quickly 

   B. will be begining to disappear

   C. will be more modern.

   D. will replace traditional buildings.

The text mainly deals with the topic that_______.

   A. Dettling designed the first green building in the US.

   B. Energy shortage calls for buildings of new design

   C. The Solaire serves as a model of high buildings.  

   D. Green buildings help save environment.

Treasure hunts have excited people’s imagination for hundreds of years both in real life and in books such as Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Is-land. Kit Williams, a modern writer, had the idea of combining the real excitement of a treasure hunt with clues found in a book when he wrote a children’s story, Masquerade, in 1979. The book was about a hare, and a month before it came out Williams buried a gold hare in a park in Bedfordshire. The book contained a large number of clues to help readers find the hare, but Williams put in a lot of “red herrings”, or false clues, to mislead them.

Ken Roberts, the man who found the hare, had been looking for it for nearly two years. Although he had been searching in the wrong area most of the time, he found it by logic，not by luck. His success came from the fact that he had gaine4d an important clue at the start. He had realized that the words: “One of Six to Eight” under the first picture in the book connected the hare in some way to Katherine of Aragon, the first of Henry VIII’s six wives. Even here, however, Williams had succeeded in misleading him. Ken knew that Katherine of Aragon had died at Kimbolton in Cambridgeshire in 1536 and thought that Williams had buried the hare there. He had been digging there for over a year before a new idea occurred to him. He found out that Kit Williams had spent his childhood near Ampthill, in Bedfordshire, and thought that he must have buried the hare in a place he knew well, but he still could not see the connection with Katherine of Aragon, until one day he came across two stone crosses in Ampthill Park and learnt that they had been built in her honor in 1773.

Even then his search had not come to an end. It was only after he had spent several nights digging around the cross that he decided to write to Kit Williams to find out if he was wasting his time there. Williams encouraged him to continue, and on February 24th 1982, he found the treasure. It was worth 3000 in the beginning, but the excitement it had caused since its burial made it much more valuable.

Which of the following describes Roberts’ logic in searching for the hare?

 A.Henry VIII’s six wives

B.Katherine’s burial place at Kimbolton

C.Williams’ childhood in Ampthill

D.Katherine of Argon

What is the subject discussed in the text?

A.An exciting historical event.

B.A modern treasure hunt.

C.The attraction of Masquerade.

D.The importance of logical thinking.

I was a freshman in college when I met the Whites. They were completely different from my own family, yet I felt at home with them immediately. Jane White and I became friends at school, and her family welcomed me like a long-lost cousin.

In my family, it was always important to place blame when anything had happened.

“Who did this?” my mother would scream about a dirty kitchen.

“This is your entire fault, Katherine,” my father would insist when the cat got out or the dishwasher broke.

From the time we were little, my sister, brothers and I told to each other. We set a place for blame at the dinner table.

But the Whites didn’t worry about who had done what. They picked up the pieces and moved on with their lives. The beauty of this was driven home to me the summer Jane died.

In July, the Whites sisters and I decided to take a car trip from their home in Florida to New York. The two older sisters, Sarah and Jane, were college students, and the youngest, Amy, had recently turned sixteen. Proud of having a new drivers license, Amy was excited about practicing her driving on the trip. She showed off her license to everyone she met.

The big sisters shared the driving of Sarah’s new car during the first part of the trip, but when they reached less crowded areas, they let Amy take over. Somewhere in South Carolina, we pulled off the highway to eat. After lunch, Amy got behind the wheel. She came to a crossroads with a stop sign. Whether she was nervous or just didn’t see the sign no one would ever know, but Amy continued into the crossroads without stopping. The driver of a large truck, unable to stop in time, ran into our car.

Jane was killed immediately.

I was slightly injured. The most difficult thing that I had ever done was to call the Whites to tell them about the accident and that Jane had died. Painful as it was for me to lose a good friend, I knew that it was far worse for them to lose a child.

When Mr. and Mrs. White arrived at the hospital, they found their two daughters sharing a room. Sarah had a few cuts on the head; Amy’s leg was broken. They hugged us all and cried tears of sadness and of joy at seeing their daughters. They wiped away the girl’s tears and made a few jokes at Amy as she learned to use her crutches(拐杖).

To both of their daughters, and especially to Amy, over and over they simply said, “We are so glad that you are alive.”

I was astonished. No blame. No accusations.

Later, I asked the Whites why they never talked about the fact that Amy was driving and had run a stop sign.

Mrs. White said, “Jane is gone, and we miss her terribly. Nothing we say or do will bring her back. But Amy has her whole life ahead of her. How can she lead a full and happy life if she feels we blame her for her sister’s death?”

They were right. Amy graduated from the University of California and got married several years ago. She works as a teacher of learning-disabled students. She’s also a mother of two little girls of her own, the oldest named Jane.

How did the author’s parents differ from the Whites?

   A. The author’s parents were less caring.    B. The author’s parents were less loving.

   C. The author’s parents were less friendly   D. The author’s parents were less understanding

How did the accident happen?

   A. Amy didn’t stop at a crossroad and a truck hit their car.

   B. Amy didn’t know what to do when she saw the stop sign.

   C. Amy didn’t slow down so their car ran into a truck.

   D. Amy didn’t get off the highway at a crossroad.

The accident took place in _____.

   A. Florida     B. California       C. South Carolina       D. New York

The Whites did not blame Amy for Jane’s death because _____.

   A. they didn’t want Amy to feel ashamed and sorry for the rest of her life

   B. Amy was badly injured herself and they didn’t want to add to her pain

   C. They didn’t want to blame their children in front of others

   D. Amy was their youngest daughter and they loved her best

From the passage we can learn that _____.

   A. Amy has never recovered from the shock   B. Amy changed her job after the accident

   C. Amy lost her memory after the accident    D. Amy has lived quite a normal life