Zoos divide opinion ： there are those who think it is cruel to keep animals locked up while others believe zoos are essential for the survival of endangered species.

To argue that zoos imprison animals is to misunderstand what zoos are about. Without zoos many of the creatures we love and admire would no longer exist. Every single day，over one hundred animal species vanish. Scientists predict that as early as 2050 one quarter of the Earth’s species will become extinct.

Some animals are in danger because they are hunted. Alarmingly, the population of tigers has already fallen by ninety-five percent. Other species are in danger because of a lack of food. For example, there are fewer than 1300 giant pandas left in the wild.

Zoos have special breeding programmes to help those animals at risk. These breeding programmes are proving extremely successful. As Irene Shapiro from Zoo and Wildlife Support says, “the Puerto Rican Parrot has grown in numbers from just thirteen to about eighty-five and the Golden Lion Tamarin Monkey, which has almost ceased to exist twenty years ago, has been reintroduced back into the wild. ”

Unfortunately, not everyone understands this important role zoos play. For example, Brian Featherstone from the Anti-Zoo Forum says, “I can’t believe we take animals from the wild and put them in cages for the entertainment of the public! We should view them on film or TV in their natural environment.，’

However, this misses the point. A zoo does more than display animals to the public. It ensures their survival. Without zoos you would not be able to see many of these animals on TV or anywhere else!

1.What’s the writer’s attitude towards zoos?

A．He shows no opinion either for or against them.

B．He thinks that they are unnecessary and cruel.

C．He believes they play an important environmental role.

D．He expresses a desire that more of them be built.

2.The underlined word “vanish” in Paragraph 2 most probably means _____.

A．remain           B．disappear         C．become rarer      D．get killed

3.According to the passage the world’s tiger population _____.

A．will rise by 5% next year                  B．is relatively stable

C．is 95% smaller than in the past              D．has fallen to 95%

4.According to the passage some people do not agree with zoos because they _____

A．are too expensive to run                  B．put animals in danger

C．do not provide enough food               D．keep animals locked up

5.According to the writer ，the most important function of the zoo is to _____.

A．make a lot of money                     B．entertain visitors

C．ensure animals’ survival                 D．educate the public

 

Public caught up in argument over safety of genetically modified or simply GM products, report Zhang Lei and Zhong Nan in Beijing.

More than 300 people gathered to enjoy a bowl of porridge made from genetically modified food on Saturday, an attempt to quell public fears about the safety of the product.

The first China Golden Rice Tasting Event was held at Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan, Hubei province, sparking another round in the nationwide debate about the safety of GM crops, often called "Frankenfood" by opponents.

Similar events have been held in more than 28 cities since May, the university said.

Both the pro and anti camps have posted conflicting comments on the Internet, with each providing evidence to back up their beliefs, but the exchanges are becoming increasingly bitter.

Jiang Tao, a senior engineer at the Center for Agricultural Resources Research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who is in favor of GM foods, was annoyed about what he called "amateurs" spreading rumors.

"Just look at the people who are opposed to GM foods; can you find anyone from a related field in the scientific community?" he asked. Jiang also accused the anti-GM lobby of repeatedly using outdated or inaccurate data to support an "incorrect" stance.

Chen Yunfa, an independent researcher into the Yangtze River Delta economy, recently wrote a commentary on the Internet news portal Eastday in which he criticized the actions of the 61 scientists, saying they had gone "beyond their proper duty". He suggested that large multinational corporations might be behind the letter and similar incidents, prompted by a desire to freeze China's patent hybrid rice technology out of the market.

To support his contentions, Chen said that GM rice, first produced by scientists in the US, still hasn't gained official approval from the US government. However, the US authorities have actually granted licenses to six varieties of GM rice. The commercial planting of two varieties - anti-herbicide (BAR) transgenic rice LL RICE 06 and LL RICE 62 - produced by the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis, was approved in 1999 and a license for cultivation for edible use was granted in 2000.

The public outcry for GM labeling and boycotting has hindered the advancement of the technology. Concern about GM foods has been fueled by studies like the one published by French professor Gilles-Eric Séralini in September 2012. Séralini claimed that his research involving rats proved that the GM corn fed to them caused tumor growth. Furthermore, there is growing concern that the pesticides(杀虫剂) used on GMOs(转基因作物)are contributing to the decline of the world’s honey bee population, leading to honey bee deaths by infecting the brains of the insects with toxins. Therefore, some experts recommend the labeling of non-GM foods so that consumers can make that decision without a regulatory burden being placed on GMOs.

However, we should be cautious about anything that may risk humans’ life. Only time will tell.

1.Why did more than 300 people enjoy porridge made from genetically modified food?

A. To show evidence that GM products are dangerous.

B. To support that the first China Golden Rice Tasting is safe.

C. To rid public of fears and worries about the safety of GM foods.

D. To draw public’s attention to nationwide planting of GM products.

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

A. Those who are for GM products and those who are against keep arguing fiercely by holding conferences.

B. People are failing to show evidence to support their pros and cons, although they hold a firm belief of their own.

C. Some people think those against GM foods have a good knowledge of GM technology and are spreading rumors.

D. GM food may be just a way for some multinational corporations to drive China’s patent hybrid rice out of the market.

3.What can we infer from the second paragraph from bottom?

A. The public advocated that GM products should be labeled clearly.

B. Séralini claimed that his research proved the GM corn caused rats to grow faster.

C. Many honey bees have died because they were fed with GM corn.

D. There should be some restrictions on GM products’ selling.

4.What is the writer’s attitude towards GM products?

A. Supportive.                         B. Suspicious.                  C. Indifferent.               D. Critical.

 

______ over 90 goals this year, Messi (梅西) has won the Golden Ball for the fourth time.

A．Having shot        B．When shooting     C．After shot         D．When shoot

 

So you thought the hamburger was the world’s most popular fast food? After all, McDonald’s Golden Arches span（跨越）the globe（全球）. But no, there is another truly universal fast food, the ultimate（极好的）fast food. It’s easy to make, easy to serve, much more varied than the hamburger, can be eaten with the hands and it’s delivered to your front door or served in fancy restaurants. It’s been one of America’s favourite foods for over 50 years. It is, of course, the pizza.

It’s kind of silly to talk about the moment when pizza was “invented”. It changed over the years, but one thing’s for certain—it’s been around for a very long time. The idea of using pieces of flat, round bread as plates came from the Greeks. They called them “plakuntos” and ate them with various simple toppings（配料）such as oil, garlic（大蒜）, onions and herbs. The Romans enjoyed eating something similar and called it “picea”. By about 1000 AD in the city of Naples, “picea” had become “pizza” and people were experimenting with more toppings: cheese, ham, anchovies and finally the tomato, brought to Italy from Mexico and Peru in the sixteenth century. Naples became the pizza capital of the world. In 1889, King UmbertoⅠand Queen Margherita heard about pizza and asked to try it. They invited pizza maker, Raffele Esposito, to make it for them. He decided to make the pizza like the Italian flag, so he used red tomatoes, white mozzarella cheese and green basil leaves. The Queen loved it and the new pizza was named “Pizza Margherita” in her honour.

Pizza went to America with the Italians at the end of the nineteenth century. The first pizzeria in the United States was opened in 1905 at 53 Spring Street, New York City, by Gennaro Lombardi. But the popularity of pizza really exploded when American soldiers returned from Italy after World WarⅡ and raved about(夸赞) “that great Italian dish”. Americans are now the greatest producers and consumers of pizza in the world.

1.Which is the correct order of the changes of pizza?

A．Plakuntos→pizza→picea                  B．Pizza→plakuntos→picea

C．Picea→plakuntos→pizza                  D．Plakuntos→picea→pizza

2.Why are Mexico and Peru important in the development of pizza?

A．Because pizza first became popular in these countries.

B．Because pizza was invented in these countries.

C．Because one topping was brought to Italy from these countries.

D．Because people there are the greatest consumers of pizza.

3.What do the Italian flag and a Pizza Margherita have in common?

A．There is a picture of a Pizza Margherita.      B．They have the same colours.

C．Both of them represent Italy.               D．They are both popular in Italy.

4.When did pizza become really popular in the United States?

A. After 1945.      B. In 1889.     C. In 1905.         D. By 1000AD.

5.What’s the best title of the passage?

A．McDonald’s and Pizza                   B．Global Pizza

C．Pizza in the United States                  D．How to Make Pizza

 

Here is the Eight O’clock News.

…

Chinese people spent about 120 billion yuan during the first three days of the May Golden Week last year. This year it has increased to 140 billion yuan.

The children of Beijing No.2 Middle School sang with students from Toronto in Canada to celebrate the 20th anniversary. They had been sister schools since 1986. They spent about two weeks together in Beijing. They visited the Great Wall and the Summer Palace. They took a lot of photos in Beihai Park.

Have you ever got tired of heavy shopping bags? A new shopping assistant robot which was invented by a Japanese company could be the answer. The helpful robot can follow you around and carry several bags. The robot was tested at a shopping center in February 2006.

About 500 people from different countries were in the 2006 “Rock Paper Scissors (剪刀)” World Match in Canada. This event was founded in 1842. It is said that playing this game is fun, and also a good way to solve problems among people.

…

And now it’s time for Morning Music.

1.The students from Canada and Beijing No. 2 Middle School didn’t _________.

A．take photos                            B．visit places of interest

C．sing songs                             D．have a football match

2.Which of the following is NOT talked about in the news?

A．The robot can help with shopping bags.

B．A Japanese company invented the robot.

C．The robot was tested at a shopping centre.

D．There are such robots in people’s homes now.

3.The underlined word “anniversary” means_________.

A．birthday

B．yearly return of the date of an event

C．university

D．the new beginning of something important

4.Which of the following is a game?

A．Shopping assistant robot.                 B．May Golden Week.

C．Rock Paper Scissors.                     D．A visit to the school.