Two hours from the tall buildings of Manhattan and Philadelphia live some of the world’s largest black bears. They are in northern Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, a home they share with an abundance of other wildlife.

The streams, lakes, meadows (草地), mountain ridges and forests that make the Poconos an ideal place for black bears have also attracted more people to the region. Open spaces are threatened by plans for housing estates and important habitats are endangered by highway construction. To protect the Poconos natural beauty from irresponsible development, the Nature Conservancy (大自然保护协会) named the area one of America’s “Last Great Places”.

Operating out of a century-old schoolhouse in the village of Long Pond, Pennsylvania, the conservancy’s bud Cook is working with local people and business leaders to balance economic growth with environmental protection. By developing partnerships with people like Francis Altemose, the Conservancy has been able to protect more than 14,000 acres of environmentally important land in the area.

Altemose’s family has farmed in the Pocono area for generations. Two years ago Francis worked with the Conservancy to include his farm in a county farmland protection program. As a result, his family’s land can be protected from development and the Altemoses will be better able to provide a secure financial future for their 7-year-old grandson.

Cook owes the Conservancy’s success in the Poconos to having a local presence and a commitment to working with local residents.

“The key to protecting these remarkable lands is connecting with the local community,” Cook said. “The people who live there respect the land. They value quiet forests, clear streams and abundant wildlife. They are eager to help with conservation effort.

For more information on how you can help the Nature Conservancy protect the Poconos and the world’s other “Last Great Places,” please call 1-888-564 6864 or visit us on the World Wide Web at www.tnc.org.

53.   The purpose in naming the Poconos as one of America’s “Last Great Places” is to ________.

A. gain support from the local community

B. protect it from irresponsible development

C. make it a better home for black bears

D. provide financial security for future generations（B）

54.   We learn from the passage that ________.

A. the population in the Pocono area is growing

B. wildlife in the Pocono area is dying out rapidly

C. the security of the Pocono residents is being threatened

D. farmlands in the Pocono area are shrinking fast（A）

55.   What is important in protecting the Poconos according to Cook?

A. The setting up of an environmental protection website

B. Support from organizations like The Nature Conservancy

C. Cooperation with the local residents and business leaders

D. Inclusion of farmlands in the region’s protection program

56.   The passage most probably is ________.

A. an official document                  B. a news story  

C. an advertisement                     D. a research report

The Mississippi is the major river system in the United States. The Yangtze is China’s longest river.

Although a world apart, the two waterways share conservation concerns that provide a cultural bridge between students in the United States and China, as well as from around the world.

The Mississippi flows almost 3,800 kilometers from a small lake in Minnesota, gathering the waters of 250 other rivers and streams before reaching the Gulf of Mexico.

In mid-May, as spring flowers began to open, about 41 students from a dozen colleges, mostly in the Midwest, explored a section of the river in Wisconsin and Iowa, to learn about the environment, and each other.

The students, from the U.S., China and around the world, came to join the River Spirit Exchange program.

The cross-cultural educational experience - set up by the University of Wisconsin, Madison-based Environment and Public Health Network for Chinese Students - focuses on the Mississippi and China's longest river, the Yangtze.

This three day get-together featured story-telling, hiking, camping and canoeing, all part of a larger lesson about conservation projects that can be used on both the Yangtze and Mississippi.

While the students learned about the problems challenging the Mississippi and Yangtze, Jeb Barzen, a wildlife biologist, explained they should also learn about the importance of bridging each other’s culture.

The president of the Environment and Public Health Network for Chinese Students, Xiaojun Lu, said the Mississippi and Yangtze Rivers are uniting these students from opposite ends of the earth.

Organizers say the success and spirit of this first gathering of students will lead to other trips, including one down the Yangtze.

1.Where is the source of the Mississippi?

A. Minnesota        B. the Gulf of MexicoC. Wisconsin         D. Iowa

2. According to the passage, the get-together             .

A. lasted a week   B. took place in May

C. was held in China D. was organized by students

3. According to Paragraph 8, Barzen believes that             .

A. China and the U.S. should work together to protect the environment

B. the Mississippi is more important than the Yangtze to the world

C. cultural exchange between different countries is of great importance

D. the program encourages technical cooperation between China and the U.S.

4.What is the passage mainly about?

A. A major river system in the United States.

B. The differences between the Mississippi and the Yangtze.

C. An educational program about tourism.

D. An international cultural exchange program.

5.Where is the passage most probably taken from?

A. A personal diary                      B. A news report

C. An official document                  D. An advertisement