It seems that there is no middle ground when it comes to cats. People either love them or hate them. These feelings are not new either. All through history, cats have been worshiped or hated. A study of ancient writings and evidence found in tombs indicates that for the past 5,000 years, cats have been kept as pets in China, Arabia, Egypt, and India. However, this isn’t very long compared to dogs, which have been domesticated for 50,000 years. Still, while the period in which cats have been domesticated may be quite short, it has definitely had its high and low points.
Cats were at their highest position of domesticated life in ancient Egypt. There were more cats living in Egypt during the time of the pharaohs than in any other place in the world since that time. This high number of cats was probably due to the laws protecting them. Cats were associated with the moon goddess, Bast, so the Egyptians worshiped them as holy animals. If anyone was caught killing a cat, the person could be put to death. Families in Egypt also mourned the death of a cat and had the body of the dead cat wrapped in cloth before it was finally laid to rest. This respect for cats carried over to the Roman Empire where cats were the only animals allowed into temples. This fact was probably due to the ability of cats to keep the temples free of mice and rats. With the coming of the Dark Ages in Europe, the place of cats in society took a turn for the Empire, Christians began to associate cats with pegan (异教徒) beliefs. Cats had a reputation as helpers of witches. When a person was accused of being a witch, a cat would often be put on trial with the person. The cat would be tortured（拷打） to try and make the person tell the truth, and usually the cat and the person would end up being burned in a bonfire or drowned. Bonfires of collected cats were not uncommon during this time.
The days of hunting witches have ended, but other myths about cats still hold out. For a while, people in some places used to bury live cats under new buildings for good luck. As well, many people today continue to believe that black cats bring bad luck. If a black cat walks in front of a person, that person must take extra care in the near future to watch out for dangerous situations. Regardless of superstition(迷信), cats remain a popular pet today. Some cat experts believe that a cat never truly be domesticated because it may turn wild and run away at any time. However, this claim has not put people off keeping cats in their homes. A third of homes in the United States have cats, and one out of every three of these homes keeps both a dog and a cat. Especially in large cities, many people in small apartments have found that cats make much better pets than dogs.
Cats may not be worshiped as gods any more, but there are people who seem to think of their cat as their children. These cat owners will do almost anything to keep their pets healthy and happy. For those cat owners who have always wondered what their pets are trying to tell them, a Japanese company may have come up with the perfect invention. In 2003, the Takara Company announced the Meowlingual, a cat translation device. The Meowlingual uses a microphone, display, and cat voice analyzer to analyze a cat’s meows to determine which of 200 phrases a cat is trying to say.
According to a company spokesperson, “… cat owners all over the world have been telling Takara, ‘ We want a cat translator!’” Now, the company “is making their dream come true by bringing in a new era of communication between cat lovers and their pets.”
【小题1】Which of these is NOT discussed in the passage?

A．the status of cats throughout history

B．the evolution of different species of cats

C．the popularity of the cats today

D．communication between cats and their owners

【小题2】The second paragraph mainly describes_______.

A．how Bast became a goddess.

B．the low point in the history of cats

C．the high point in the history of cats

D．the reason why cats are such good hunters

【小题3】How were cats treated in Europe during the Dark Ages?

A．as farm animals

B．as food

C．as magical creatures

D．as honored guests

【小题4】According to the passage, what percentage of people in the United States keep both a cat and a dog?

A．about 10 percent

B．nearly 25 percent

C．about 33 percent

D．close to 50 percent

This is the SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, I’m Barbara Klein.

Animal experts say one of the world’s most beautiful and rare kinds of big cat is close to disappearing from the wild. A study earlier this year found that about thirty Amur leopards(豹) still live free. The cats are also called Far Eastern leopards.

Recently, their numbers have been reduced by one. Some person shot a female Amur, then beat her to death. The animal’s body was discovered last month in the Barsovy National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Russia.

An official of the World Wildlife Fund, Darron, said this was the third such killing in the area in the past fives years. Mr. Collins said the death of even one adult female is a huge loss for the endangered cat. He noted that the killing reduces the possibility for cubs(幼兽) or young.

It is not clear how many Amur leopards still live free. One population count was performed in February and March. Wildlife expert Dmitry Pikuuov led this study. It found evidence of seven to nine males. The study identified(确定) three to seven females without cubs. Four leopards were identified as females with cubs. In all, five or six cubs were recorded. Six to eight animals could not be identified.

Most of the land where the Amur leopard once lived was in China. New roads and climate change there threatened(威胁) the animals. So did hunters who kill big cats for their body parts.

Mr. Pikuuov says adult Amurs need about five hundred square kilometers with good forests to survive. He said they also need a large and continuing supply of animals like deer for food. He believes the answer to saving the Amur leopard is for governments to provide protected spaces for wildlife.

1.This passage is probably from____________.

A．a magazine        B．a newspaper report  C．a TV report        D．a film

2.Why is the killing of an adult female a huge loss?

A．It could lead to the death of an adult male.

B．It means it can not give birth to the young any more.

C．It is worth more money than a male.

D．There is only one adult female in the world.

3.The number of the Amur leopards in China is becoming smaller because of all the following EXCEPT

A．new roads         B．climate change     C．human hunting     D．rare diseases

4.According to the experts the Amur leopards ____________.

A．are living on plants                      B．are living in the zoo

C．are well protected by people              D．are endangered

 

Tales From Animal Hospital

David Grant

David Grant has become a familiar face to millions of fans of Animal Hospital . Here Dr Grant tells us the very best of his personal stories about the animals he has treated ,including familiar patients such as the dogs Snowy and Duchess , the delightful cat Marigold Serendipity Diamond . He also takes the reader behind the scenes at Harmsworth Memorial Animal Hospital as he describes his day , from ordinary medical check-ups to surgery （外科手术）. Tales From Animal Hospital will delight all fans of the program and anyone who has a lively interest in their pet ,whether it be cat , dog or snake I ! $ 14.99 Hardback 272 pp Simon Schuster

ISBN 0751304417

Isaac Newton : The Last Sorcerer

Michael White

Form the author of Stephen Hawking : A Life in Science , comes this colorful description of the life of the world’s first modern scientist . Interesting yet based on fact , Michael White’s learned yet readable new book offers a true picture of Newton completely different from what people commonly know about him . Newton is shown as a gifted scientist with very human weaknesses who stood at the point in history where magic (魔术)ended and science began.

£8.99 Hardback 320 pp Fourth Estate

ISBN 1857024168

Fermat’s Last Theorem

Simon Singh

In 1963 a schoolboy called Andrew Wiles reading in his school library came across the world’s greatest mathematical problem : Fermat’s Last Theorem (定理). First put forward by the French mathematician Pierre de Fermat in the seventeenth century, the theorem had baffled and beaten the finest mathematical minds , including a French woman scientist who made a major advance in working out the problem , and who had to dress like a man in order to be able to study at the Ecole  Polytechnique . Through unbelievable determination Andrew Wiles finally worked out the problem in 1995 . An unusual story of human effort over three centuries , Fermat’s Last Theorem will delight specialists and general readers alike .

£12.99 Hardback 384 pp Fourth Estate

ISBN 1857025210

1.What is Animal Hospital ?

A．A news story .                          B．A popular book .

C．A research report .                      D．A TV program .

2.In Michael White’s book , Newton is described as        .

A．a person who did not look the same as in many pictures

B．a person who lived a colorful and meaningful life

C．a great but not perfect man

D．an old-time magician

3.Which of the following best explains the meaning of the word “baffle” as it is used in the text ?

A．To encourage people to raise questions .

B．To cause difficulty in understanding .

C．to provide a person with an explanation .

D．To limit people’s imagination .

4.What is the purpose of writing these three texts ?

A．To make the books easier to read           B．To show the importance of science

C．To introduce new authors                 D．To sell the books .

 

Alice、Tom、Neil 和Max正在寻找合适的宠物，第65至68题是对他们个人情况的介绍。阅读下列宠物的信息（A、B、C、D、E），选出符合他们各人需要的最佳选项。选项中有一项是多余的。

本节有4小题，每小题1分，共4分。

1.Alice and her 10-year-old twin sons live in a house with a big yard. She’s looking for some pets to play with the boys. A pair of dogs is preferred. Money is not a problem.

2.Tom, 63 years old, has no children. His wife died last year and he is very lonely. He would like to have a pet that can talk to. He used to be a cook and loves birds very much, but he doesn’t like cats.

3.Bruce has a dog and he’s looking for another pet. It must be male and be able to get along well with his dog. Also, the pet has to be free.

4.Neil plans to find a female pet for his daughter. She loves orange and white cats. There are no smokers in the family. Free pets are preferred.

A Brooke: orange and white, young, female She’s a shy cat and likes to be alone at first. Once she gets familiar with you, she is very sweet and loves to be in your lap and play with you. She also loves to talk. The owner shouldn’t be a smoker. For free.

 

B Sammi Hammi: adult, male Sammi Hammi, a blue and gold bird, is looking for his forever home. He loves dogs and likes to sing and dance. He will talk your ear off while you cook! He loves delicious food and he is a great boy who loves attention. The new owner will have to pay an adoption fee and for his cage.

 

C Buster: black and white, young, male He will be the sweetest cat you will ever meet. He likes to play and gets along well with other pets. Anyone who gets this guy will love him! For free.

 

D Zoey: American Bulldog, adult, female My dog Zoey is three years old and is very outgoing. She loves the outdoors and she loves kids. She is good at looking after other dogs. She also likes being around people. I need to find her a good home. I would like someone with children and other dogs to take her. For free.

 

E Rebel and Maverick: young, male Both Maverick and Rebel will be 2 years old soon. They’re wonderful dogs, but I can no longer keep them for some reasons. They love children. A home with children would be the best. They also get along well with other animals. The most suitable place for them is a home with a yard because they love to be outside. 600 dollars.

 

How can you find out what is going on inside a person’s body without opening the patient’s body up? Regular X rays can show a lot. CAT scans can show even more. They can give a complete view of body organs.
What is a CAT scan? CAT stands for a kind of machine. It is a special X-ray machine that gets a 360-degree picture of a small area of a patient’s body.
Doctors use X rays to study and determine diseases and injuries within the body, X rays can find a foreign object inside the body or take pictures of some inside organs to be X-rayed.
A CAT scanner, however, uses a group of X rays to give a cross-sectional（横截面）view of a specific part of the body. A fine group of X rays is scanned across the body and around the patient from many different directions. A computer studies the information from each direction and produces a clear cross-sectional picture on a screen. This picture is then photographed for later use. Several cross sections, taken one after another, can give clear “photos” of the entire body or of any body organs. The latest CAT scanners can even give clear pictures of active, moving organs, just as a fast-action camera can “stop the action”, giving clear pictures of what appears unclear to the eye. And because of the 360-degree pictures, CAT scans show clear and complete views of organs in a manner that was once only shown during operation or examination of a dead patient.
Frequent appearance before X rays can cause skin burns, cancer or other damage to the body. Yet CAT scans actually don’t cause the patient to more radiation than regular X rays do. CAT scans can also be done without getting something harmful into the patient, so they are less risky than regular X rays.
CAT scans provide exact, detailed information. They can quickly find such a thing as bleeding inside the brain. They are helping to save lives.
【小题1】What is NOT true of a CAT scan?

A．It is safer than regular X rays.

B．It makes use of computer techniques.

C．It can stop the action of an organ for a short time.

D．It gives clear pictures of active, moving body parts.

【小题2】The underlined words “a foreign object”（Para 3）most probably refer to     .

A．a badly injured part inside the body

B．a new thing that is unknown to the doctor

C．a strange organ that has grown in the body

D．an object that gets inside the body by chance

【小题3】What is the special use of the latest CAT scanners?

A．It provides clear photos of moving organs.

B．It can take 3-dimension（三维）pictures of inside organs.

C．It won’t cause serious skin burns, cancer or other damage to the body.

D．It helps to find out what is going on inside a person’s body without opening it up.

【小题4】We can infer from this passage that     .

A．patients in front of CAT may suffer from a bit of radiation

B．doctors need no opening-up of the body with CAT scanners

C．CAT scanners are more expensive than regular X-ray machines

D．CAT scanners can take photos of either the whole body or a part of it

【小题5】The best title of this passage might be        .

A．the Newest Medical Invention

B．New X-ray Machine to Save Lives

C．How to Avoid the Damage of X Rays

D．Advantages and Disadvantages of CAT Scanners