Most children, even the youngest of children, are delighted to be around cats and dogs. But these pets carry plenty of germs and allergens（过敏原）, prompting researchers to ask: Are cats and dogs really safe for children？
A study finds that, contrary to many parents’ fears, owning cats or dogs does not increase a child’s risk of developing allergies, and in fact, may actually protect them. The study’s lead author, Dr. Dennic Ownby of the Medical College of Georgia, says that even he was “very surprised” by the results. Ownby and colleagues followed more than 470 children from birth to age 6 or 7, comparing those exposed to cats and dogs during their first year of life to those who were not.
By using skin-prick(刺) tests for detecting common allergies, the researchers found that, contrary to what many doctors had been taught for years, children who had lived with a pet were not at greater risk.
Even more remarkable, children who had two or more dogs or cats had an even greater reduction, up to 77 percent, in risk of allergies. Researchers suggest this protective effect may be the result of early exposure to lots of bacteria that are carried by dogs and cats. Exposing young children to these bacteria helps" exercise" their immune systems early in life so that they're better able to resist allergic diseases later.
There's something very important in that first year of life when the immune system is developing that we can retrain it away from an allergic response, said Dr. William Davis.
And while researchers are not encouraging parents to buy dogs or cats just to reduce a child’s allergy risk, they say if a family already has one or more animals, there's no need to get rid of them

1. 1.

   Why do the researchers feel “very surprised” by the results of the study?

   1. A.
      Because the results are contrary to their expectation．
   2. B.
      Because so many children are playing with cats and dogs．
   3. C.
      Because parents are so much worried about their children．
   4. D.
      Because children with animals may develop allergies easily．
2. 2.

   Compared with children who have pets，those who haven’t  ______

   1. A.
      will lose the chance to develop immune system
   2. B.
      may suffer allergic diseases more often
   3. C.
      will reduce the harm from bacteria
   4. D.
      can keep doctors away
3. 3.

   It can be inferred from the passage that ______．

   1. A.
      pets are ill-treated by their owners
   2. B.
      less families would like to own cats and dogs
   3. C.
      keeping pets is a good way to keep children healthy
   4. D.
      the results of the study can make families with pets feel at ease
4. 4.

   The underlined word “it” in the fifth paragraph refers to________

   1. A.
      the early life
   2. B.
      an allergic disease
   3. C.
      immune system
   4. D.
      something important
5. 5.

   What may be the best title of the passage?

   1. A.
      How to protect your kids from allergies
   2. B.
      Your pets may be helping your kids
   3. C.
      Bacteria do good to your kids
   4. D.
      Advantages of owning pets

A．Why kiwis are flightless

B．Preventing the kiwi decline

C．Reasons for concern

D．Explanations for large bird populations

E．Land of the kiwi

F．Te introduction of predators

1．        The kiwi is the national symbol of New Zealand and Australians endearingly refer to New Zealanders as “kiwis”---People from the Land of the Kiwi. This unique bird, recognized by its short squat body and elongated beak, is under threat. Its small, claw—like wings make the kiwi flightless, so it has to live on the ground. The kiwi is thus easy to be victim of enemies such as humans and mammals.

2．          When great landmass of the south split 75 million ago, the kiwi and many other ground—living birds became separated from predatory mammals within what was later to become  known as New Zealand. The birds were able to multiply and flourish because there were very few mammals landlocked within the islands. Kiwis have evolved certain mammalian characteristics as time went on, living on the ground and they were free from attack by mammals.

3．          However, when the Polynesians arrived about 1000 years ago bringing with them dogs and rats, the kiwi population and other vulnerable bird species soon suffered a severe reduction in numbers. The coming of the Europeans in the 18^th century brought even more determined predators, including the cat and, especially,  the stoat, which is a very vicious and powerful killer of kiwis.

4．           There are six types of kiwi, and all six are threatened. Two are ‘critically endangered’ because they have populations of less than 250 mature birds. Two are ‘endangered’ meaning that it is estimated that within three generations their numbers will have declined by 50%. The other two are ‘vulnerable’—one because its habitat is shrinking, the other because it is potentially under threat from stoats and other mammals.

5．             100 years ago there were more than 5 million North Island Brown Kiwis. Today, there are probably around 30,000 , and the population is decreasing at a rate of 6% a year. Only the Little Spotted Kiwi is increasing because of successful attempts to transfer the creature of predator—free offshore islands. There are further reasons for hope. Trapping predators and rearing baby chicks for later release into the wild can have a dramatic effect on kiwi numbers; but it will be necessary to do so on a large scale.

WASHINGTON-Laura Straub is a very worried woman . Her job is to find families for French teenagers who expect to live with American families in the summer .

It’s not easy , even desperate .

“We have many children left to place :40 out of 75,” said Straub , who works for a Paris-based foreign exchange programme called LEC. When exchange programmes started 50 years ago , family life was more accommodating . For one thing , more mothers stayed home .

But now , increasing numbers of women work outside the home . Exchange-student programmes have struggled in recent years to sign up host families for the 30,000 teenagers who annually come from abroad to spend academic year in the United States , as well as the thousands more who participate in summer programmes .

School systems in many parts of the US, unhappy about accepting non-taxpaying students , have also strictly limited the number of exchange students they accept . At the same time , the idea of hosting foreign students is becoming less exotic.

In searching for host families , who usually receive no pay , exchange programmes are increasingly broadening their appeals to include everyone from young couples to retirees .

“We are open to many different types of families,” said Vickie Weiner , eastern regional director for ASSE, a 25- year old programme that sends about 30,000 teen-agers on academic year exchange programmes worldwide .

For elderly people , exchange students “keep us young they really do ,” said Jean Foster , who is hosting 16-year old Nina Porst from Denmark .

72．Viekie Weiner is the person who         .

A. works for a programme called LEC            B. works for a programme called ASSE

       C. is 25 years old                                          D. hosts foreign students

73．The underlined word “exotic” means         .

       A. difficult                   B.wonderful                 C.exciting                    D.accommodating

74. From the passage we can learn that at the beginning of the exchange programmes ,      .

       A. all the families cold host foreign students

       B. only young couples could host foreign students

       C. only those who were retired could host foreign students

       D. those who were not too old could host foreign students

75．Which of the following is the best title of this passage ?

A. US Struggle to Find Host Families            

B. Idea of Hosting Students Is Different

       C. Foreign-exchange Program Is Going On      

D. Exchange Students Keep Old People Young

A．Join local club to get some advice

B．Take a partner along

C．A good way for hiking

D．Let somebody know your detailed plan

E．Take along some basic equipment

F．Take along enough water and foo

61.

If you are hiking through wild places，the possibility of getting lost or injured becomes very real.You should think about carefully whether or not you are wise to head out on your own.Taking a partner along can have many advantages，especially if that partner is an experienced hiker.As  “two heads are better than one”，if you do get lost or run into difficulty，you’re much less likely to be panic if you have somebody with you to help solve the problem or even save your life.

62.

As a new hiker you should certainly follow clearly marked and well travelled routes.However，it won’t take you too long before you’re ready to take some more adventurous hiking and，at that point，there might be a lot of unknowns and you may need some help.For this reason you should always tell somebody where you’re going and when you will expect to return.

63.

It’s a good idea to always carry a basic survival kit (救生包) with you and your local hiking club will be able to give you excellent advice on the kinds of items you should take with you.The things we’re talking about here might include matches and a lighter，a first aid kit，a sharp knife and a flashlight.It’s also a good idea to have a map and compass with you and a fully­charged cell phone.

64.

      Water is clearly necessary because you may dehydrate (脱水) even over a short period of time on a hot day.Natural water sources may look clean but they can make you sick quickly.You  should remember，however，that water weighs about 8 pounds per gallon，so take enough but not too much.Also take along enough food with you.

65.

It’s all too easy when you get out into the wilderness  to  get  carried  away，with  your  own enthusiasm (热情) and try all kinds of things，but you will quickly realize it is stupid.Joining your local hiking club will allow you to get some advice and information on hiking，including such things as which are the best hiking boots to buy.

A．Organized sports help children form healthy habits

B．Organized sports help children keep fit

C．Group sports teach children to work hard to reach the goals

D．Organized sports help children build confidence and identity

E．Organized sports help children learn from teamwork

F．Children have become interested in organized sports

61._____________

There are a lot of benefits for children to take part in organized sports.Playing organized sports helps children get the exercise they need to stay healthy，and make sure that they have a strong and healthy body throughout their lives.Sports also help children develop and understand skills and strengths that they will need forever.

62. _____________

Children who play organized sports have an increased awareness (意识) of their bodies，and are less likely to do things that will harm them at an early age，such as smoking cigarettes，drinking，or taking drugs.Many sports programs also teach nutrition (营养学) to young children，giving them even more awareness of the things they should do and should not do to their bodies.

63. _____________

Participating in sports can help a child become more confident.As children practice and work to become better at any activity，their confidence level will increase.This new­found confidence will carry over into other things besides sports，including their studies and personal lives.Group activities such as organized  sports  help  children  identify  with  a particular group—their team，which is necessary to the personal and social development of a child.Children who do not feel they are accepted or belong anywhere often experience anxiety  and a general lack of confidence.

64. _____________

Group sports teach children that in order to become good at something，they must work toward their goals.This is a very valuable lesson，one that they must carry with them into their adult lives.Sports also teach children that when they do not succeed—losing a game，for example—that they must deal with losing，and move on.Obviously，this is necessary，because as an adult，you must move on after any kind of loss，and work to prevent those things from happening again，whether it is on the field，in your work，or in your personal life.

65. _____________

Children who take part in these kinds of activities learn to communicate and work better with their team players and with adults.Teamwork is a valuable skill for children.Organized sports often are made up of kids who have all kinds of different social and economic backgrounds，which provide the opportunity to make new friends.