Running like the wind, roaring like thunder, tigers have long been feared and respected as a king of the animal world．But last week a report said that there are no more than 30 wild tigers left in south China．

    This was the conclusion of a team of scientists from China's State Forestry Administration and the World Nature Fund．

    The South China tiger, also known as the Chinese tiger, is native to southern China．In the 1950's, there were over 4000 tigers found in mountain forests in the country．But due to the destruction of their natural habitat and uncontrolled hunting, it has been pushed on to the list of the world's top ten most endangered species．

    Sixty-six of the big cats can be found in the cages of a dozen zoos around China．But they are nothing like their wild cousins．They have lost their natural skills such as hunting and killing．If they were set free they could not look after themselves．

    "Breeding has damaged the quality of the species", said Pei Enle, deputy director of the Shanghai Zoo．

    To reintroduce the species into the wild, the country started a programme to send five to ten young tigers to South Africa．Four of them have already arrived．Progress has been made as two elder tigers have recovered some of their instincts（本能）and can hunt wild animals by themselves at the African base．

    " South Africans are very experienced in reintroducing big animals to the wild．The country has very good natural conditions for the tigers to learn in", said Lu Jun, office director of the National Wildlife Research and Development Center．" We tried in Fujian Province, but it was not successful as there was not a complete eco-chain（生物链） and there was a lack of space．"

The tigers should return to China in 2007 when the reservations in Fujian are ready．

1．What is the main reason for the South China tiger becoming one of the world's top ten most endangered species?

    A．Because it has lost its natural instincts．  B．Because there is not a complete eco-chain．

    C．Because there is no space for it．   D．Because uncontrolled hunting has destroyed its natural living conditions．

2．How is the programme of sending several tigers to South Africa getting on?

    A．Its effect still remains to be seen．

    B．Two tigers can already compete with their wild cousins．

    C．Some of the tigers are already on the road to recovering their natural skills．

    D．The tigers should be able to recover their instincts completely by 2007．

3．By saying " but they are nothing like their wild cousins", the writer means that ______．

    A．they are no longer feared by other wild animals

    B．they don't know how to hunt or kill

    C．a complete change has resulted in the species because of breeding

    D．to reintroduce them into the wild has become an urgent task

4．What is the purpose of sending young tigers to South Africa?

    A．To help the tigers recover their ability to live in the wild．

    B．To provide them with a better environment．

    C．To get the tigers to go on a tour．

    D．To find a complete eco-chain for them．

5．Which one is not the reason for South Africa being chosen as the training place?

    A．Because the tigers can hunt wild animals by themselves at the African base．

    B．Because South Africans are skilled at dealing with the tigers．

    C．Because there is a complete eco-chain and enough space there．

    D．Because the country has good natural conditions for the tigers to learn in． 

Humans aren't the only species on the planet with a penchant for electronic gadgets(小配件）.Zookeepers across the US and Canada are discovering that apes also get excited about Apps.

As part of a program called"Apps for Apes",12 zoos across the two countries have been introducing iPads into the entertainment time for orangutans,the giant furry red primates native to Indonesia and Malaysia.

"We are finding that,similar to people,they like touching the tablet,watching short videos of David Attenborough for instance,and looking at other animals and orangutans," said Richard Zimmerman,founding director of Orangutan Outreach,the non-profit that runs the program.

Twice weekly,orangutans are provided with access to the tablets.The animals spend from 15 minutes to half an hour using different Apps depending on their attention span.Apps designed for children that stimulate activities such as painting,music and memory games are among the most popular Apps with the apes.

"It is a lot like when we're showing children pop-up books,"said Zimmerman,adding that the orangutans are among the most intelligent primates,with the intelligence level of a young child.

The program,which relies on donated iPads, will soon be expanding to zoos across Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Europe.

1.The word"penchant" in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to________________.

A．awareness         B．addiction          C．impression        D．devotion

2.Which of the following statements is true according to the article?

A．12 zoos are involved in the program in the US.

B．Orangutans were originally found in Indonesia and Malaysia.

C．Orangutan Outreach is a successful company which earns much money.

D．All the animals in the zoo spend from 15 minutes to half an hour using different Apps.

3.It can be concluded from the passage that______________________________________.

A．the program has been successful in Europe

B．orangutans are nearly as smart as children of young ages

C．orangutans are the animals with thick shell

D．Apps are designed for orangutans to stimulate activities such as painting, and memory games

4.Which can be the best title for the text?

A．Using Apps for Apes                     B．Let’s Help Zoos

C．Wonderful Zoos Welcome You             D．A Traditional Program Will Expand

Humans aren't the only species on the planet with a penchant for electronic gadgets(小配件）.Zookeepers across the US and Canada are discovering that apes also get excited about Apps.
As part of a program called"Apps for Apes",12 zoos across the two countries have been introducing iPads into the entertainment time for orangutans,the giant furry red primates native to Indonesia and Malaysia.
"We are finding that,similar to people,they like touching the tablet,watching short videos of David Attenborough for instance,and looking at other animals and orangutans," said Richard Zimmerman,founding director of Orangutan Outreach,the non-profit that runs the program.
Twice weekly,orangutans are provided with access to the tablets.The animals spend from 15 minutes to half an hour using different Apps depending on their attention span.Apps designed for children that stimulate activities such as painting,music and memory games are among the most popular Apps with the apes.
"It is a lot like when we're showing children pop-up books,"said Zimmerman,adding that the orangutans are among the most intelligent primates,with the intelligence level of a young child.
The program,which relies on donated iPads, will soon be expanding to zoos across Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Europe.
【小题1】The word"penchant" in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to________________.

The Friends of the Amazon is a nonprofit association helping to preserve the forest, its wildlife and its native cultures in the Peruvian Amazon.  We are located 3 degrees south of the equator in the Region of Loreto, which is roughly the size of Montana and is one of the richest areas in the world in terms of flora(植物群) and fauna（动物群）. Our team consists of lawyers, ecologists, sociologists, medical professionals and native Amazonians working together to protect the forest and its people from destruction. We use litigation（诉讼）, filing lawsuits against those who seek to destroy the forest and its native cultures. In addition to legal processes, we promote health, education, and the conservation of native plants and animals.

The Amazon Rainforest is commonly referred to as the "lungs of the planet" whose trees are essential for absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2, a greenhouse gas that causes global warming) and converting it into oxygen, thereby mitigating the rise of global temperatures and climate change.  An estimated 120 billion tons of carbon dioxide is absorbed in the Amazon Rainforest and global emissions of carbon dioxide increase with every tree of the rainforest that is cut down. That is why the survival of the Amazon Rainforest is vital for the survival of our planet, without which rising global temperatures could melt the polar icecaps and cause flooding of our coastal cities. 

Currently, the Amazon is under siege（围攻）, with an estimated 1000 hectares being destroyed everyday.  After harvesting old growth forests, corporations are often replacing the native forest with palm oil plantations instead of reforesting with native tree species.  Palm oil trees are native to Africa, not the Amazon, and due to high profits, their promotion by international aid agencies and recent legislation in Peru, palm oil plantations represent perhaps the single greatest threat to the native Amazon Rainforest. 

In addition to conventional logging and deforesting to make room for crops such as palm oil and soybeans, the Amazon forest faces a new threat in the form of REDD projects and “Carbon Cowboys”.  REDD refers to Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation by using carbon offsets (“carbon credits”).  Under the guise of REDD projects, scammers are tricking native communities into signing unjust contracts in English without legal representation which essentially give these so called Carbon Cowboys the forest for free. These cheaters are making false promises of "billions of dollars in profits" from REDD and voluntary carbon offset （碳补偿）projects by lying that they are representatives of the United Nations and World Bank in order to trick vulnerable indigenous Amazonians into ceding their land by signing unjust contracts with hidden clauses that give the Carbon Cowboys a power of attorney to do whatever they want with the forest for a period of 100 years.  Friends of the Amazon is actively filing lawsuits against these Carbon Cowboys and those who support them. 

For further information on our programs and to find out how you can help preserve the Amazon Rainforest, please contact:

Friends of the Amazon

153 Túpac Amaru Street

Iquitos, Peru

Phone: (+51) 985665374

For more specific information on supporting the goals of our nonprofit organization, please contact us using the email address listed below.

If you would like to learn how you can help preserve the Amazon Rainforest and its indigenous people, please contact us for more information at:

info(at)friendsoftheamazon.org

1.The Friends of the Amazon is the name of _________.

A．your best friend                        B．a non-profit organization

C．a historic hero                          D．a famous carbon cowboy

2.What does the underlined word “converting ” in the second paragraph mean?

A．changing          B．increasing         C．reducing          D．burning

3.Why is the survival of the Amazon Rainforest vital for the survival of our planet?

A．Because this forest absorbs a lot of carbon dioxide emitted by the world

B．Because people rely on this forest to get enough wood to build houses and furniture

C．Because people living here can get a large sum of compensation to offset carbon dioxide

D．Because the United Nations and the World Bank are helping preserving the land here

4.We can learn from the passage that palm oil trees _____________.

A．have produced much profit for the local people.

B．are native to Amazon and fit in well with their surroundings

C．are native to Africa and may do great harm to the native Amazon trees

D．are used to replace the native forest because the local people can profit from them

5.The purpose of this article is _______.

A．introduce the largest rain forest in the world

B．to appeal to the government to take some measures to get rid of Carbon Cowboys

C．to advertise the rain forest as a favourite tourist destination

D．to arouse the awareness of the public to help conserve the “lungs of our planet”

完形填空：阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。(共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分)
Good advice is like medicine for the soul. What kind of   36  have you recently received? Who do you go to get advice? Do you have a mentor（顾问）? A mentor is a   37  adviser.
Parents, teachers and friends are often great    38  . Sports figures, public officials, and nationally known figures can also be good   39   of mentors, but a person with whom you have a personal relationship will most likely be able to  40  you the best advice.
Mentors teach things that seem to be   41   sense. Proverbs are wise old sayings that are common in every language and   42   , and can sometimes be   43  for a non-native to understand. For example, all    44   glitters（闪烁）is not gold（some things are not as     45  as they appear ）.
Advice columns（栏目） 46   newspapers and magazines are another way to  47   advice.  
Talk shows on radio and television are also very popular. Americans and Canadians love to      48   themselves. Many people are not   49   to ask for help or   50  about  a problem in order to receive advice. People generally will  51    their own experience to   52   their friends. Overcoming a difficult situation is  53  respected in North America. People love to offer motivational （激发性的）   54   and encouragement. One proverb, a friend in need is a friend indeed, shares the concept that a true friend will help you out when you are in    55   .
36. A. success          B. measure         C. position         D. advice
37. A. devoted            B. united             C. trusted             D. expected
38. A. interviewers      B. mentors           C. followers         D. competitors
39. A. examples           B. mentors           C. manners         D. services
40. A. consider         B. exchange       C. get               D. offer
41. A. present              B. attractive        C. common        D. especial
42. A. experience     B. difference       C. culture           D. behavior
43. A. simple            B. difficult          C. natural            D. brief
44. A. that              B. which        C. what             D. who
45. A. different        B. same          C. exciting          D. valuable
46. A. in               B. on          C. at             D. upon
47. A. reduce              B. add                 C. keep                D. get
48. A. enjoy                B. teacher           C. express           D. defeat
49. A. brave         B. afraid              C. honest            D. lucky
50. A. talk           B bring                C. care                D. look
51. A. remind              B. suggest            C. advise             D. share
52. A. lead to             B. set free            C. help out           D. look out
53. A. originally          B. highly             C. equally            D. closely
54. A. stories       B. sadness         C. movement       D. adventure
55. A. happiness      B. trouble           C. excitement     D. nature