Australian scientists are trying to give kangaroo-style stomachs to cattle and sheep in order to cut he greenhouse gases they send out, which are thought to be responsible for global warming.
Thanks to special bacteria in their stomachs, kangaroo flatulence(肠胃气胀)contains no methane(甲烷)and scientists want to transfer that bacteria to cattle and sheep who produce large quantities of the harmful gas.
While the usual image of greenhouse gas pollution is a billowing smokestack (烟囱) pushing out carbon dioxide, farm animals’ passing wind contribute a sur­prisingly high percentage of total emissions (排放物)in some countries.
“Fourteen percent of emissions from all sources in Australia are from enteric methane from cattle and sheep,” said Athol Kleve, a senior research scientist with the Queensland state government.
“And if you look at another country such as New Zealand, which has got a much higher agricultural base, they're actually up around 50 percent, ” he said.
Researchers say the bacteria also make the diges­tive process much more efficient and could potentially save millions of dollars in feed costs for farmers.
But it will take researchers at least three years to isolate (分离) the bacteria, before they can even start to develop a way of transferring it to cattle and sheep.
Another group of scientists, meanwhile, has suggested Australians should farm fewer cattle and sheep and just eat more kangaroos.
The idea is controversial (有争议的), but about 20 percent of health-conscious Australians are believed to eat the national symbol already.
“It's low in fat, it’s got high protein levels and it's very clean in the sense that basically it's the free-range (放养的) animal,” said Peter Amp of the University of New South Wales's institute of environmental studies.
【小题1】Scientists intend to put bacteria into cattle and sheep _________.

A．so that they can make full use of special bacteria

B．to help Australian farmers to earn more money

C．so that they can protect Australian ecosystem

D．to prevent them from sending out harmful gases

【小题2】Athol Kleve seems to believe that ________.

A．cattle and sheep produce more carbon dioxide

B．less cattle and sheep are raised in New Zealand

C．farm animals are responsible for greenhouse gases

D．New Zealand has the most animals in the world

【小题3】What do the underlined words “the idea” in para­graph 9 refer to?

A．Australians should farm fewer cattle and sheep and just eat more kangaroos.

B．The bacteria could make the digestive process much more efficient.

C．Australians should give kangaroo - style stomachs to cattle and sheep.

D．The bacteria could save millions of dollars in feed costs for farmers.

【小题4】Which of the statements is the advantage Peter Amp lists about kangaroo?

A．it is rich in protein	B．it is cheaper than beef
C．it is high in fat	D．it is more delicious than sheep

Most animals have little connection with animals of a different kind, unless they hunt them for food. Some­times, however, two kinds of animals come together in a partnership(伙伴关系) which does good to both of them. You may have noticed some birds sitting on the back of sheep. This is not because they want a ride, but because they find easy food in the parasites(寄生虫）on sheep. The sheep allow the birds to do so be­cause they remove the cause of discomfort. So although they can manage without each other, they do better together.
Sometimes an animal has a plant partner. The rela­tionship develops until the two partners cannot do with­out each other. This is so in the corals(珊瑚）of the sea. In their skins they have tiny plants which act as “dustman”, taking some of the waste products from the coral and giving in return oxygen which the animal needs to breathe. If the plants are killed, or are even prevented from light so that they cannot live normally, the corals will die.
【小题1】Some birds like to sit on a sheep because _________.

A．they can eat its parasites

B．they consider the sheep as their shelter

C．they enjoy traveling with the sheep

D．they find the position most comfortable

【小题2】The underlined word “they” in the first paragraph refers to _______.

A．birds and parasites	B．sheep, birds and parasites
C．parasites and sheep	D．birds and sheep

【小题3】It can be learnt from the text that the coral depends on the plants for ________.

A．comfort

B．light

C．oxygen

D．food

【小题4】What does the second paragraph mainly discuss?

A．Some plants depend on each other for food.

B．Some animals and plants develop their relationship easily.

C．Some animals and plants depend on each other for existence.

D．Some animals live better together.

When Geoff Marcy was 14, his parents bought him a telescope. Every night, he would go onto the roof outside his window to see the wonders of the sky.
“What excited me most was whether there were planets in other solar systems where life might exist,” he says. “I decided to try to find planets orbiting other stars like our Sun.”
And he did. “My fellow researcher, Paul Butler, and I found our first planet in 1995,” Dr. Marcy says. “We worked for ten years without finding anything! But we stuck with it and our patience paid off.”
Since then, the two scientists have discovered 65 of the more than 100 planets found orbiting other stars. Dr. Marcy and Dr. Butler also spotted the first “family” of three planets. In June 2002 they announced another discovery: a Jupiter-like planet orbiting star 55Cancri.
At first, the two researchers found only planets that orbit close to stars. Recently, the scientists found planets farther out. The planet orbiting 55Cancri is a major breakthrough: it is the first sighting of a large gas planet about same distance from the star as Jupiter is from the Sun.
Why is this important ? Scientists think that life on Earth may exist because of two special features in our solar system. The first is Jupiter.
“Because it’s so big, Jupiter pulls comets and asteroids(小行星), or they all come and hit the Earth.” Dr. Marcy explains. “Without Jupiter , life on Earth would likely have been destroyed.”
A second feature is that Earth is a rocky planet where liquid water, which is necessary for life , can exist. Unlike gas planets, rocky planets like Earth have surfaces where water can gather in pools and seas, which may support life. A huge space exists between the Jupiter-like planet and two other planets that lie close to 55Cancri. Is there an Earth-like planet in the space, too small for us to notice? If so, says Dr. Marcy, “We would have two striking similarities to our solar system: a Jupiter-like planet and an Earth-like planet. And there may be life!”
【小题1】What can we learn about Dr. Marcy from the passage?

A．He is fond of watching Jupiter.

B．He is from a scientist family.

C．He dislikes working with Paul Butler.

D．He is interested in finding life in outer space.

【小题2】Which of the following is true of the recent discovery?

A．The planet is not as protective as Jupiter.

B．The planet is close to star 55Cancri.

C．The planet proves to be a gas planet.

D．The planet is as large as Jupiter.

【小题3】Dr. Marcy and Dr. Butler began to find new planets in ____.

A．1995

B．1985

C．2002

D．1981

【小题4】Dr. Marcy thinks that life may exist in the 55Cancri system because ____.

A．he has found the system similar to the solar system.

B．he has discovered an Earth-like planet there.

C．he has discovered a rocky planet there.

D．he has found signs of life in the system

【小题5】“But we stuck with it”( in Paragraph 3) means ____.

A．they felt discouraged	B．they carried on with it
C．they failed in their attempt	D．they made some progress

Conservationists have unveiled plans to preserve and protect the world's most important species of coral, in a response to increasing threats that they say will lead to "functional extinction" within decades．
Led by scientists at the Zoological Society of London, the Edge Coral Reefs project has identified 10 coral species in most urgent risk of becoming extinct．The scientists say that reefs are under pressure from a variety of threats including rising sea temperatures due to climatic instability, increased acidity（酸性）, overfishing and pollution．
The Edge plan, which focuses on the most evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered species , will take a regional approach to conservation．This means focusing on the "coral triangle" around the Philippines, the West Indian Ocean around the Mozambique channel, and in the Caribbean channel．
"Coral reefs are threatened with functional extinction in the next 20-50 years, due predominantly to global climatic instability," said Catherine Head, coordinator of the reefs project．"In these regions, we'll be supporting and training in-country conservationists to carry out research and implement targeted conservation actions," she said．"Their projects will last initially for two years．We provide them with a whole host of tools to carry out their projects including funding and intensive training．" She added．
Coral reefs are the planet's most diverse marine ecosystem（生态系统）, known as the rainforests of the oceans．Despite taking up under 0．2% of the ocean floor, they provide food and shelter for almost a third of all sea life．If we lose the ecosystems, we lose not only the biodiversity （生物多样性）, but we also lose the capability of people to obtain income and food from coral reefs．
Climatic instability, which leads to rising sea temperatures, causes corals to bleach．Bleaching occurs when sea temperatures rise and this causes the coral tissue to expel their symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae - these are what give the coral their colour．Bleached corals often die if the stress continues．Among the 10 species chosen to start the Edge project are the pearl bubble coral, a food source for the hawksbill（玳瑁）turtle, and the Mushroom coral, which supports at least 15 brightly colored fish．
【小题1】What does the first paragraph mean in the passage ?

A．Conservationists planned to preserve and protect some extinct corals years ago．

B．Conservationists have banned plans to protect endangered corals for years．

C．Conservationists are going to protect corals that are dying out in several ten years．

D．Conservationists have made plans to protect corals from being extinct in ten years．

【小题2】What will probably happen to coral species with the increasing threats?

A．Decrease．	B．Losing functions
C．Disappearance．	D．Existence

【小题3】Which of the following statements about the Edge Plan is TRUE?

A．The Edge Coral Reefs project was carried out by American scientists．

B．The plan concentrates on the channels to protect the endangered species．

C．The Conservationists have carried out the Edge plan for many years to protect the corals．

D．Ten coral species chosen by the project are at the greatest risk of becoming extinct．

【小题4】Which of the following will be the consequence of coral extinction in the passage?

A．We will keep the balance of the marine ecosystems．

B．About one third of the marine species can't survive．

C．Man can benefit more from corals．

D．We will lose the rainforests on our earth．

【小题5】What is the best title of the passage?

A．Climatic Instability and Coral Extinction

B．Reasons for Coral Functional Extinction．

C．A Plan to Save Coral from Extinction

D．A Research about Endangered Coral Reefs．

Electrical devices（仪器）could soon use power make by human energy, Scientists say they have developed an experimental device that produces electricity from the physical movement of a person walking , British scientist Max Donelan and other scientists in Canada and the United States developed the device.
The device connects to a person’s knee, As the person walks, the device captures energy each time the person slows down, To do this ,the device helps with the slowing sown movement of the leg, The movements of the walking person push parts of a small machine that produces electricity, Using the device, an adult walking quickly could produce thirteen watts of electricity in just a minute, Donelan says walking at that speed could produce enough power to operate a laptop computer for six minutes.
There are several possible uses for the device ,Developers say it could help people who work in areas without electricity to operate small computers, The deice could also be used in hospitals to operate heart pacemakers（起博器）,It could even be used to assist in the movement of robotic arms and legs.
The experimental version of the device weighs about one and a half kilograms, but it is too costly for most people to buy, But the researchers hope to make a lighter, less costly version.An improved version should be ready in one year.
The developers hope the device will one day help developing countries, Nearly twenty five percent of people around the world live without electric power.
A similar product was invented in 2005 by Larry Rome of the University of Pennsylvania,He created a bag carried on a person’s back that also produces power from walking, The knee device does not produce as much electricity as the bag ,But the bag requires the walker to carry a load of twenty to thirty kilograms.
【小题1】The second paragraph mainly talks about       .

A．who developed the device

B．how the device works

C．several possible uses for the devices

D．how much electricity the device can produce

【小题2】What is the disadvantage of the experimental version of the device?

A．It is too heavy for the walker to bear

B．It is too complex for people to use

C．It is too expensive for most people to afford

D．It will slow down one’s walking speed.

【小题3】Compared with the device designed by Larry Rome ,this new device       .

A．produces power without adding more loads to the walker

B．can produce more power in a much shorter time

C．needs to be equipped with a battery

D．can help the walker walk faster

【小题4】From the passage, we can learn that the electrical device can       .

A．help housewives operate the washing machine

B．make it much easier for us to go online

C．produce more electricity than that invented by Larry Rome

D．be applied in medicine to operate heart pacemakers

【小题5】What would be the best title for the passage?

A．First device powered by walking will soon be on the market

B．Advanced technology brings in a new way to operate heart pacemakers

C．Device gives new meaning to the idea of power walking

D．Human energy will become a main source of electricity

While nature lovers across the world wish all humans to realize the significance of their natural surroundings ,many Australians are turning caring for the environment into a way of life.
Julie Astonis ,an Australian housewife in Brisbane is one such example, Even though autumn is approaching Australia’s Brisbane in April, one can still watch colorful blooming （盛开的）flowers in Julie’s little garden, as she tells that in her community, “Each of us has a beautiful yard, The whole community, from children to elderly people, takes care of the environment as if they are taking care of their own garden.”
“Gardening is the most popular club in our community,”she says, “A lot of retired people don’t just regularly organize gardening lectures, but also personally visit families in the community to provide gardening training , So you can see that flowers continue to bols-som in our gardens throughout the year.”
Talking about her people’s sense of care for the environment, Julie says when people in the community take along their dog, they always carry a garbage bag to deal with the dog’s waste, “In our community ,you will never experience the embarrassment of stepping on the dirty waste while you are walking on the grass,”says Julie with a smile,“Taking care of the dog’s waste can also help to develop children’s sense of responsibility!”
As to protecting water resources , the Australian government has made strict rules for families, Julie says, “We certainly would not use tap water to water the flowers!”She ways almost every family in her community has a huge tank used to store rainwater, which is later used as the resource of all outdoor water use, connect the water tank with their toilets.
【小题1】From the first three paragraphs we learn that      .

A．gardening is popular in most part of Australia

B．April is a great time for people to enjoy flowers

C．it’s not easy to keep a garden without proper training

D．Julie’s community has a deep sense of caring for nature

【小题2】Which of the following about Julie is true?

A．She takes pride in her community.

B．She once stepped on a dog’s waste.

C．She is quite in favor of raising a dog.

D．She finds it embarrassing to walk on the grass.

【小题3】From what Julie says in the last paragraph, we know _________.

A．rainwater is not the best resource

B．her community owns a public tank

C．her community makes full use of resources

D．it is not necessary to water flowers very often

【小题4】How many examples are given to show the caring for the environment in Australia?

A．Two

B．Three

C．Four

D．Five

【小题5】What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Love nature, the Australian way	B．How Australians save resources
C．How Australians lead their life	D．Protect nature, a must of life

Scientists Alan M．Goldberg and Thomas Hartung describe recent advances in replacing the use of animals in toxicology(毒物学)testing．Improvements in cell and tissue culture technologies，for example，allow a growing number of tests to be performed on human cells alone．Computer models are becoming increasingly complex and many could one day become more accurate than trials in living animals．
Since the late 1990s，Huntingdon Life Sciences--a company that conducts testing of substances on animals conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration—has become a proving ground for aggressive strategies by animal-rights militants （好战分子）．At a hearing，a Senate．committee listened to testimony（证词） against Huntingdon employees and financial institutions providing services to the company．One experimentation witness at the hearing insisted that any means necessary were justified（辩护） to spare animals’ lives；he has previously accepted the idea of murder to that end．
Use of animals in testing and in biomedical research continues to be necessary in many instances and is ethically（伦理道德地）preferable to experimenting on humans or giving up cures that could save human lives．But for the sake of people and animals alike，the development and acceptance of animal substitutes deserve enthusiastic support．
In some instances, substitutes are already thought as good or better than animals，but supervising agencies（监督机构）have yet to catch up．In both the European Union and the U．S．，scientists and companies wanting to use the new alternative tests complain that regulatory standards for proving a drug or chemical to be safe for humans force the continued use of animals．Thus，animal-loving Americans might turn to persuading the EPA and the FDA to speed validation（确认）of new methods so that they can be more widely employed．And animal advocates（保护者） who want to influence business could consider investing in the small biotech’s and large pharmaceutical（药品的） companies that are working to develop alternatives to animals in research．
【小题1】_____ plays a leading role in replacing the use of animals in testing．

A．Huntingdon Life Sciences	B．Improvement in technologies
C．Animal-fights militants	D．Scientists Alan and Thomas

【小题2】Accordingly, the animal-rights militants hold the view that_____．

A．animals shouldn’t be used in toxicology testing

B．animals should enjoy equal rights with human beings

C．animals should live wildly and freely

D．we should protect animals from being killed casually

【小题3】From the passage，we can find _____．

A．the use of animals in testing has been stopped abruptly

B．animal substitutes are not preferable

C．supervising standards contribute to the continued use of animals in testing

D．only Huntingdon Life Sciences is accused

【小题4】What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．Saving animals and people．

B．The new trend in toxicology testing

C．The use of animals in testing is against human nature

D．New technology changes the fate of animals

【小题5】The writer’s attitude towards replacing the use of animals in toxicology is____．

A．arbitrary（武断的，随意的）	B．pessimistic
C．indifferent（不关心的 ）	D．optimistic

Pupils remember more and behave better when 3D images are used in lessons, research suggests. They are quicker to learn and absorb new concepts, and display higher levels of concentration.
Professor Anne Bamford, of the University of the Arts, London, studied the effectiveness of 3D content in 15 schools across seven countries, including the UK. Pupils in 3D classes could remember more than those in the 2D classes after four weeks, improving test scores by an average 17 percent compared with eight percent for 2D lessons. They gave more detailed answers to the tasks and were more likely to think in 3D, using hand gestures and mime (模仿动作) to answer the test questions successfully.
The teachers commented that the pupils in the 3D groups had deeper understanding, increased attention span, more motivation and higher engagement in the lessons.

Children are used to 3D with the rise of computer games that use the technology—90 percent of those in the study had seen a 3D film. Schools would need 3D-enabled projectors（投影仪）, laptops with good picture capabilities, 3D software and glasses for children to introduce animations (动作) into classrooms.
But Danny Nicholson, an educationist, said the technology would be impractical to use in schools and could be costly. He said, “While I think the idea of 3D technology is very interesting, I worry that 3D is a bit of an expensive gimmick (小玩意儿). There are a few cases where a true 3D image might help, but most of the time, good 2D models that can be moved , would be just so effective.”
In Colorado, the US, one school district is already in the process of having 1,000 3D projectors fixed in classrooms. And the University of Caledonia, which carries out scientific research into the Lake Tabon Basin, has used 3D presentations with Grade Six pupils. Those who watched the 3D presentations were more engaged and reported a general increase in their interest in science compared with students who watched the 2D version.
【小题1】Danny Nicholson tends to think that       .

A．many pupils prefer 2D models

B．3D is a bit expensive for some schools

C．true 3D images would not help in classes

D．3D technology has a bright future in classes

【小题2】What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．3D classes will soon be given in one school district in Colorado.

B．Teachers will use the 3D technology through specific training.

C．Many pupils are now more interested in science than before.

D．3D technology will replace 2D models in the future.

【小题3】What is the text mainly about?

A．2D models are always more effective than 3D images.

B．The differences between 3D and 2D images.

C．How schools can make full use of 3D technology.

D．Pupils behave better when 3D images are used in classes.

BEIJING (AP) — Sandstorms whipping across China shrouded(遮蔽) cities in an unhealthy cloud of sand Monday, with winds carrying the pollution outside the mainland as far as Hong Kong and Taiwan.
It was the latest sign of the effects of desertification: Overgrazing, deforestation, urban sprawl(无计划地扩展) and drought have expanded deserts in the country's north and west. The shifting sands have gradually moved onto populated areas and worsened sandstorms that strike cities, particularly in the spring.
Winds blowing from the northwest have been sweeping sand across the country since Saturday, affecting Xinjiang in the far west all the way to Beijing in the country's east. The sand and dust were carried to parts of southern China and even to cities in Taiwan, 1600 miles (2600 kilometers) away from Inner Mongolia where much of the pollution originated.
The sandstorm in Taiwan, an island 100 miles (160 kilometers) away from the mainland, forced people to cover their faces to avoid breathing in the grit(砂砾) that can cause chest discomfort and respiratory problems even in healthy people. Drivers complained their cars were covered in a layer of black soot in just 10 minutes.
In Hong Kong, environmental protection officials said pollution levels were climbing as the sandstorm moved south. Twenty elderly people sought medical assistance for shortness of breath, Hong Kong's radio RTHK reported.
The latest sandstorm was expected to hit South Korea on Tuesday, said Kim Seung-bum of the Korea Meteorological Administration. The sandstorm that raked(掠过) across China over the weekend caused the worst "yellow dust" haze in South Korea since 2005, and authorities issued a rare nationwide dust advisory.
Grit from Chinese sandstorms has been found to travel as far as the western United States.
China's Central Meteorological Station urged people to close doors and windows, and cover their faces with masks or scarves when going outside. Sensitive electronic and mechanical equipment should be sealed off, the station said in a warning posted Monday on its Web site.
State television's noon newscast showed the tourist city of Hangzhou on the eastern coast, where graceful bridges and waterside pagodas were hidden in a mix of sand and other pollution. In Beijing, residents and tourists with faces covered scurried along sidewalks to minimize exposure to the pollution.
A massive sandstorm hit Beijing in 2006, when winds dumped about 300,000 tons of sand on the capital.
【小题1】We can learn from the text that           .

A．the sandstorms were purposely made by China.

B．the writer thinks that China government should be responsible for the pollution.

C．the sandstorms badly affected the air in US.

D．China's Central Meteorological Station will be closed.

【小题2】The passage tells us that the sandstorms mainly came from      .

A．Xinjiang

B．Hangzhou

C．Beijing

D．Inner Mongolia

【小题3】The underlined word, “respiratory” (in Para.4) means         .

A．breathing

B．digesting

C．hearing

D．walking

【小题4】Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．South Korea seldom issues nationwide dust advisories.

B．Taiwan is 1,600 miles from Beijing.

C．Sandstorms have hit Beijing more than once.

D．In Hong Kong some old people need help for shortness of breath caused by sandstorms.

Dogs can know the meaning of a human perspective, say researchers.
Dogs are more capable of understanding situations from a human's point of view than has previously been recognized, according to researchers.
They found dogs were four times more likely to steal food they had been forbidden, when lights were turned off so humans in the room could not see.
This suggested the dogs were able to alter their behavior when they knew their owners' perspective had changed.
The study, published in Animal Cognition, conducted tests on eighty-four dogs.
The experiments had been trying to find whether dogs could make their behavior suitable to react to the changed circumstances of their human owners. It wanted to see if dogs had a "flexible understanding" that could show they understood the viewpoint of a human.
It found that when the lights were turned off, dogs in a room with their human owners were much more likely to disobey and steal forbidden food.
The study says it is "unlikely that the dogs simply forgot that the human was in the room" when there was no light. Instead it seems as though the dogs were able to differentiate between when the human was unable or able to see them.
Juliane Kaminski carried out the research into how dogs are influenced by human circumstances.
Dr Juliane Kaminski, from the University of Portsmouth's psychology department, said the study was "incredible because it implies dogs understand the human can't see them, meaning they might understand the human perspective".
Previous studies have suggested that although humans might think that they can recognize different expressions on their dogs' faces, this is often inaccurate and a projection of human emotions.
“Humans constantly attribute(归属) certain qualities and emotions to other living things. We know that our own dog is clever or sensitive, but that's us thinking, not them,” said Dr Kaminski.
“These results suggest humans might be right, where dogs are concerned, but we still can't be completely sure if the results mean dogs have a truly flexible understanding of the mind and others' minds. It has always been assumed only humans had this ability.
【小题1】According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A．The researchers made the test on dogs in eighty-four countries.

B．Dogs always obey and don’t steal forbidden food.

C．Dogs may adapt their behavior in response to the changed circumstances.

D．The research is carried out to find out how dogs are influenced by light.

【小题2】Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?

A．Dogs---Our Loyal Companions Understand Us Most.

B．Dogs Are Our Best Friends.

C．Dogs Can Understand Us In a Way, Researchers Say.

D．Dogs Have Certain Qualities and Emotions of Human Beings, Researchers Say.

【小题3】Where can we probably read this kind of articles?

A．Textbooks.

B．Advertisements.

C．Instructions.

D．Magazines.

【小题4】This passage can be classified as     .

A．an argumentative writing	B．a feature story
C．a dog show review	D．a research result