It is reported that conservation groups in North America have been arguing about the benefits and dangers of wolves.Some groups believe wolves should be killed.Other people believe wolves must be protected so that they will not disappear from the wilderness(荒野)．

For Killing Wolves

In Alaska，the wolf almost disappeared a few years ago，because hunters were killing hundreds of them for sport.However，laws were established to protect the wolves from sportsmen and people who catch the animals for their fur.So the wolf population has greatly increased.Now there are so many wolves that they are destroying their own food supply.

A wolf naturally eats animals in the deer family.People in the wilderness also hunt deer for food.Many of the animals have been destroyed by the very cold winters recently and by changes in the wilderness plant life.When the deer can't find enough food，they die.

If the wolves continue to kill large numbers of deer，their prey(猎物)will disappear some day.And the wolves will，too.So we must change the cycle of life in the wilderness to balance the ecology.If we killed more wolves，we would save them and their prey from dying out.We'd also save some farm animals.

In another northern state，wolves attack cows and chickens for food.Farmers want the government to send biologists to study the problem.They believe it necessary to kill wolves in some areas and to protect them in places where there is a small wolf population.

Against Killing Wolves

If you had lived long ago，you would have heard many different stories about the dangerous wolf.According to most stories，hungry wolves often kill people for food.Even today，the stories of the“big bad wolf”will not disappear.

But the fact is wolves are afraid of people，and they seldom travel in areas where there is a human smell.When wolves eat other animals，they usually kill the very young，or the sick and injured.The strongest survive.No kind of animal would have survived through the centuries if the weak members had lived.That has always been a law of nature. 

Although some people say it is good sense to kill wolves，we say it is nonsense！Researchers have found wolves and their prey living in balance.The wolves keep the deer population from becoming too large，and that keeps a balance in the wilderness plant life.

The real problem is that the areas where wolves can live are being used by people.Even if wilderness land is not used directly for human needs，the wolves can't always find enough food.So they travel to the nearest source，which is often a farm.Then there is danger.The“big bad wolf”has arrived！And everyone knows what happens next.

64．According to the passage，some people in North America favor killing wolves for all the following reasons EXCEPT that________.

A．there are too many wolves

B．they kill large numbers of deer

C．they attack cows and chickens for food

D．they destroy the wilderness plant life

65．Some people are against killing wolves because________.

A．wolves help to keep the ecological balance in the wilderness

B．there is too small a wolf population in the wilderness

C．there are too many deer in the wilderness

D．wolves are afraid of people and never attack people

66．According to those against killing wolves，when wolves eat other animals，______.

A．they never eat strong and healthy ones 

B．they always go against the law of nature

C．they might help this kind of animals survive in nature

D．they disturb the ecological balance in the wilderness

67．The last sentence“And everyone knows what happens next”implies that in such cases________.

A．farm animals will be in danger and have to be shipped away

B．wolves will kill people and people will in turn kill them

C．wolves will find enough food sources on farms

D．people will leave the areas where wolves can live

  

Here in Alaska, the wolf almost disappeared a few years ago, because hunters were killing hundreds of them for sport. However, laws were passed to protect the wolves from sportsmen and people who catch the animals for their fur. So the wolf population has greatly increased. Now there are so many wolves that they are destroying their own food supply.
A wolf naturally lives on animals in the deer family. People there also hunt deer for food. Many of the animals have been destroyed by the very cold winters recently and by changes in the plant life there. When the deer can’t find enough food, they die.
If the wolves continue to kill large numbers of deer, the deer will disappear some day. And the wolves will, too. So we must change the life cycles there. If we killed more wolves, we would save them from starving. We also save deer and some farm animals.
In another northern state, wolves attack cows and chickens for food. Farmers want the United States government to send a team of scientists to study the problem. They believe it is necessary to kill wolves in some areas and to protect them in places where there is a small population.
【小题1】In Alaska, laws have been passed to ____.

A．protect people from wolves and deer

B．protect wolves from becoming dangerous

C．protect wolves from dying out

D．keep wolves from killing large numbers of deer

【小题2】Why is it that if wolves go on killing a good many deer the wolves will die out?

A．Because wolves will have no deer to kill.

B．Because people will kill them for punishment.

C．Because killing deer is dangerous.

D．Because wolves mainly live on deer.

【小题3】In order to protect more deer from being killed, one way is to ____.

A．pass a law	B．keep deer away from wolves
C．kill more wolves	D．serve wolves more food

【小题4】Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A．Some wolves in some areas must be killed, which others should be protected.

B．Wolves should be protected, for there’s a small population of it on earth.

C．All wolves should be protected, for they eat deer, cows and chicken.

D．It is necessary for scientists to protect wolves, or the cycle of life will be changed

Here in Alaska, the wolf almost disappeared a few years ago, because hunters were killing hundreds of them for sport. However, laws were passed to protect the wolves from sportsmen and people who catch the animals for their fur. So the wolf population has greatly increased. Now there are so many wolves that they are destroying their own food supply.

A wolf naturally lives on animals in the deer family. People there also hunt deer for food. Many of the animals have been destroyed by the very cold winters recently and by changes in the plant life there. When the deer can’t find enough food, they die.

If the wolves continue to kill large numbers of deer, the deer will disappear some day. And the wolves will, too. So we must change the life cycles there. If we killed more wolves, we would save them from starving. We also save deer and some farm animals.

In another northern state, wolves attack cows and chickens for food. Farmers want the United States government to send a team of scientists to study the problem. They believe it is necessary to kill wolves in some areas and to protect them in places where there is a small population.

1.In Alaska, laws have been passed to ____.

A．protect people from wolves and deer

B．protect wolves from becoming dangerous

C．protect wolves from dying out

D．keep wolves from killing large numbers of deer

2.Why is it that if wolves go on killing a good many deer the wolves will die out?

A．Because wolves will have no deer to kill.

B．Because people will kill them for punishment.

C．Because killing deer is dangerous.

D．Because wolves mainly live on deer.

3.In order to protect more deer from being killed, one way is to ____.

A．pass a law                             B．keep deer away from wolves

C．kill more wolves                        D．serve wolves more food

4.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A．Some wolves in some areas must be killed, which others should be protected.

B．Wolves should be protected, for there’s a small population of it on earth.

C．All wolves should be protected, for they eat deer, cows and chicken.

D．It is necessary for scientists to protect wolves, or the cycle of life will be changed

 

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

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.”

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

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

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

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