the zoologists tried to prove was that the photo of the South China Tiger had been staged or technologically dealt with.

  A．That             B．Why              C．Whether        D．What

Zoo elephants don’t live as long as those in the wild, according to a study sure to cause debate about keeping the giant animals on display. Researchers compared the life spans of elephants in European zoos with those living in Amboseli National Park in Kenya and others working on a timber enterprise in Buma. Animals in the wild or in natural working conditions had life expectancies twice than or more of their relatives in zoos.
Animal care activists have urged in recent years to discourage keeping elephants in zoos, largely because of the lack of space and small numbers of animals that can be kept in a group.
The researchers found that the median life span for African elephants in European zoos was 16.9 years, compared with 56 years for elephants who died of natural causes in Kenya’s Amboseli Park. Adding in those elephants killed by people in Africa lowered the median life expectancy there to 35.9 years. For the more endangered Asian elephants, the median life span in European zoos was 18.9 years, compared with 41.7 years for those working in the Burma Timber Enterprise. Median means half died younger than that age and half lived longer.
There is some good news, though. The life expectancies of zoo elephants have improved in recent years, suggesting an improvement in their care and raising, but “Protecting elephants in Africa and Asia is far more successful than protecting them in Western zoos.”
There are about 1,200 elephants in zoos, half in Europe, researchers concentrated on female elephants, which make up 80 percent of the zoo population. One amazing thing was that Asian elephants born in zoos had shorter life spans that those brought to the zoos from the wild.
Zoos usually lack large areas that elephants are used to in the wild, and that zoo animals often are alone or with one or two other unrelated animals, while in the wild they tend to live in related groups of 8 to 12 animals. In Asian elephants, baby death rates are two to three times higher in zoos than in the Burmese logging camps, and then, in adulthood, zoo-born animals die young. People are not sure why.
【小题1】What is argued about in this passage?

   A pair of twin-brother ligers, a rare lion-tiger hybrid(杂种), have become superstars in China's southernmost island province of Hainan after becoming the first ligers in the country to reach their first birthday.

     Tens of thousands of tourists visited the liger brothers at Hainan Tropical Wildlife Park during the week-long May Day holiday that ended on Sunday, hoping to catch a glimpse of the rare animals. At least 10,000 people signed a red banner when the park celebrated the liger's birthday on May 2. People expressed the hope that the twins would be strong and healthy, the Hainan Daily reports. Zookeepers even made the twins a special birthday cake out of beef and eggs.

    The ligers, born on May 2, 2005 , are named 'Ping Ping' and 'An An', which together translate as 'safe and sound'. Their mother Huan Huan is a six-year-old tigress and their father is a four-year – old lion named Xiao Erhei.  The couple first gave birth to a liger in June 2004 but the cub (幼兽)  died of respiratory(呼吸的）failure 72 hours later.

    The pregnancy (怀孕) rate for lion-tiger couples is only between one and two percent and the cubs normally have a short life expectancy due to the differences in their chromosomes(染色体). Zoologists say only six to eight ligers are living in the world. China's first tiger-lion hybrid cub was born at Hongshan Zoo in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, in 2002. But it died a week later.

    Ping Ping and An An have broken the survival record set by a liger who lived for 113 days at Hongshan Zoo.

1. Why can Ping Ping and An An become superstars?

       A. Because they are the most beautiful ligers.

    B. Because they are the cleverest ligers.

    C. Because they are the most attractive ligers.

    D. Because they are the first ligers to live for a year.

2. Why can't ligers live long ?

    A. Because their chromosomes are different.

    B. Because they are too small when they are born.

    C. Because their parents don't live long.

    D. Because they are short of food.

3. How many ligers did the passage mention?

    A. Three.         B. Four.          C. Five.         D. Six.

4. What is the best title of this passage?

    A. China's longest living twin ligers celebrate their lst birthday

    B. Why can't ligers in the world live long

    C. How to raise ligers safely

    D. The story behind the ligers

Zoo elephants don’t live as long as those in the wild, according to a study sure to cause debate about keeping the giant animals on display. Researchers compared the life spans of elephants in European zoos with those living in Amboseli National Park in Kenya and others working on a timber enterprise in Buma. Animals in the wild or in natural working conditions had life expectancies twice than or more of their relatives in zoos.

Animal care activists have urged in recent years to discourage keeping elephants in zoos, largely because of the lack of space and small numbers of animals that can be kept in a group.

The researchers found that the median life span for African elephants in European zoos was 16.9 years, compared with 56 years for elephants who died of natural causes in Kenya’s Amboseli Park. Adding in those elephants killed by people in Africa lowered the median life expectancy there to 35.9 years. For the more endangered Asian elephants, the median life span in European zoos was 18.9 years, compared with 41.7 years for those working in the Burma Timber Enterprise. Median means half died younger than that age and half lived longer.

There is some good news, though. The life expectancies of zoo elephants have improved in recent years, suggesting an improvement in their care and raising, but “Protecting elephants in Africa and Asia is far more successful than protecting them in Western zoos.”

There are about 1,200 elephants in zoos, half in Europe, researchers concentrated on female elephants, which make up 80 percent of the zoo population. One amazing thing was that Asian elephants born in zoos had shorter life spans that those brought to the zoos from the wild.

Zoos usually lack large areas that elephants are used to in the wild, and that zoo animals often are alone or with one or two other unrelated animals, while in the wild they tend to live in related groups of 8 to 12 animals. In Asian elephants, baby death rates are two to three times higher in zoos than in the Burmese logging camps, and then, in adulthood, zoo-born animals die young. People are not sure why.

1.What is argued about in this passage?

A．Zoo elephants don’t live as long as those in the wild.

B．Elephants should not be on display.

C．Asian elephants are in danger.

D．Asia is far more successful in protecting elephants in zoos.

2.What does the underlined word “median” mean according to the passage?

A．Average          B．Longest.           C．Shortest.          D．Ordinary.

3.Which of the following is Not the disadvantage of keeping elephants in zoos?

A．Limited number of relatives.               B．Lack of space.

C．Shorter life expectancy.                  D．Less attention.

4.Who are expected to pay more attention to the issue addressed?

A．Zoologists.                             B．Animal care activists.

C．Zoo visitors.                            D．The public.

A pair of twin-brother ligers, a rare lion-tiger hybrid(杂种), have become superstars in China's southernmost island province of Hainan after becoming the first ligers in the country to reach their first birthday.
Tens of thousands of tourists visited the liger brothers at Hainan Tropical Wildlife Park during the week-long May Day holiday that ended on Sunday, hoping to catch a glimpse of the rare animals. At least 10,000 people signed a red banner when the park celebrated the liger's birthday on May 2. People expressed the hope that the twins would be strong and healthy, the Hainan Daily reports. Zookeepers even made the twins a special birthday cake out of beef and eggs.
The ligers, born on May 2, 2005 , are named 'Ping Ping' and 'An An', which together translate as 'safe and sound'. Their mother Huan Huan is a six-year-old tigress and their father is a four-year – old lion named Xiao Erhei.  The couple first gave birth to a liger in June 2004 but the cub (幼兽)  died of respiratory(呼吸的）failure 72 hours later.
The pregnancy (怀孕) rate for lion-tiger couples is only between one and two percent and the cubs normally have a short life expectancy due to the differences in their chromosomes(染色体). Zoologists say only six to eight ligers are living in the world. China's first tiger-lion hybrid cub was born at Hongshan Zoo in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, in 2002. But it died a week later.
Ping Ping and An An have broken the survival record set by a liger who lived for 113 days at Hongshan Zoo.
1. Why can Ping Ping and An An become superstars?
A. Because they are the most beautiful ligers.
B. Because they are the cleverest ligers.
C. Because they are the most attractive ligers.
D. Because they are the first ligers to live for a year.
2. Why can't ligers live long ?
A. Because their chromosomes are different.
B. Because they are too small when they are born.
C. Because their parents don't live long.
D. Because they are short of food.
3. How many ligers did the passage mention?
A. Three.         B. Four.          C. Five.         D. Six.
4. What is the best title of this passage?
A. China's longest living twin ligers celebrate their lst birthday
B. Why can't ligers in the world live long
C. How to raise ligers safely
D. The story behind the ligers