You may think there is only sand in the desert(沙漠) of the world, but it is not true. In the desert, as we know, there is a little1 and it is not2 for most plants. Still we can see some plants live in the desert.
There is3 in some places in the deserts. We4 these places oases(绿洲). In the oases, there are villages and towns. People grow5 kinds of vegetables and rice in the fields there. People6 live outside the oases. They have camels(骆驼), sheep and other animals. These animals live7 the desert plants for their food and do not need any water. The8 are useful to the desert people in many ways. They eat the9 and drink the milk of the animals. They10 the camels for carrying water, food, and11.
The people of the desert have to keep12 from place to place. They must always look13 grass or desert plants for their animals. When there14 no more food for their animals, they move to another place. The desert people are15. Every one in the desert likes to help the people in trouble and give them food and water.

1. 1.
   1. A.
      rain
   2. B.
      rains
   3. C.
      wind
   4. D.
      winds
2. 2.
   1. A.
      good
   2. B.
      good enough
   3. C.
      enough good
   4. D.
      enough
3. 3.
   1. A.
      earth
   2. B.
      plants
   3. C.
      wood
   4. D.
      water
4. 4.
   1. A.
      say
   2. B.
      call
   3. C.
      tell
   4. D.
      find
5. 5.
   1. A.
      every
   2. B.
      all
   3. C.
      a
   4. D.
      one
6. 6.
   1. A.
      also
   2. B.
      too
   3. C.
      either
   4. D.
      still
7. 7.
   1. A.
      on
   2. B.
      with
   3. C.
      of
   4. D.
      by
8. 8.
   1. A.
      water
   2. B.
      plants
   3. C.
      animals
   4. D.
      food
9. 9.
   1. A.
      meal
   2. B.
      meat
   3. C.
      body
   4. D.
      food
10. 10.
    1. A.
       let
    2. B.
       make
    3. C.
       drive
    4. D.
       use
11. 11.
    1. A.
       other something
    2. B.
       something other
    3. C.
       else something
    4. D.
       something else
12. 12.
    1. A.
       walking
    2. B.
       carrying
    3. C.
       moving
    4. D.
       going
13. 13.
    1. A.
       up
    2. B.
       for
    3. C.
       after
    4. D.
       at
14. 14.
    1. A.
       is
    2. B.
       are
    3. C.
       have
    4. D.
       has
15. 15.
    1. A.
       carefully
    2. B.
       careful
    3. C.
       friendly
    4. D.
       friend

    Fungi may appear almost everywhere．They commonly grow in damp places where they can get food and water easily．Because fungi do not have green leaves, they can not make food for themselves．Green plants use their leaves to make their own food, but fungi must take their food from animals, other plants or waste matter．Some fungi live on dead or rotting wood, while others grow on living trees or in dirt or moss.

    Mushrooms are the best-known fungi．There are many kinds of mushrooms in all shapes and sizes．For example, cauliflower mushrooms are found in forests from July to October．They can grow to be as heavy as fifty pounds! They commonly grow at the foot of trees.

    Squirrel’s bread is another kind of wild mushroom．Its appearance and use explain the origin (起源) of its name．These fungi, look like small golden cakes, grow on short, fat stems．Squirrels can easily nibble (啃) them or carry them off to their nests to eat later.

    The mushrooms found in food stores are carefully grown by people who know they are safe to eat． Mushroom experts warn people never to touch or taste wild mushrooms because some of them are deadly．Even less dangerous ones still make a person very sick.

1．Fungi usually grow in damp places ________.

A．and no one ever knows why

B．because they can make food for themselves there

C．where they can get water and food easily

D．and nowhere else

2．Green plants can ________.

A．be safely observed by the growers

B．easily make their own food

C．live on rotting wood or in dirt

D．be found only in the wild

3．People should avoid eating wild fungi because they might ________.

A．do great harm to their health

B．taste very bitter

C．give out a special unpleasant smell

D．make them tired and sleepy

4．Mushrooms bought from the stores will be safe to eat because they ________.

A．have the dangerous parts taken out

B．are really fungi

C．are the only fungi that look safe

D．are especially grown by experts

When we think of plants, most of us will think of the things that grow from the ground and have leaves, but there are plants that do not look or act like other plants．Some of these belong to a special class of plants called fungi(真菌).

    Fungi may appear almost everywhere．They commonly grow in damp places where they can get food and water easily．Because fungi do not have green leaves, they can not make food for themselves．Green plants use their leaves to make their own food, but fungi must take their food from animals, other plants or waste matter．Some fungi live on dead or rotting wood, while others grow on living trees or in dirt or moss.

    Mushrooms are the best-known fungi．There are many kinds of mushrooms in all shapes and sizes．For example, cauliflower mushrooms are found in forests from July to October．They can grow to be as heavy as fifty pounds! They commonly grow at the foot of trees.

    Squirrel’s bread is another kind of wild mushroom．Its appearance and use explain the origin (起源) of its name．These fungi, look like small golden cakes, grow on short, fat stems．Squirrels can easily nibble (啃) them or carry them off to their nests to eat later.

    The mushrooms found in food stores are carefully grown by people who know they are safe to eat． Mushroom experts warn people never to touch or taste wild mushrooms because some of them are deadly．Even less dangerous ones still make a person very sick.

1．Fungi usually grow in damp places ________.

A．and no one ever knows why

B．because they can make food for themselves there

C．where they can get water and food easily

D．and nowhere else

2．Green plants can ________.

A．be safely observed by the growers

B．easily make their own food

C．live on rotting wood or in dirt

D．be found only in the wild

3．People should avoid eating wild fungi because they might ________.

A．do great harm to their health

B．taste very bitter

C．give out a special unpleasant smell

D．make them tired and sleepy

4．Mushrooms bought from the stores will be safe to eat because they ________.

A．have the dangerous parts taken out

B．are really fungi

C．are the only fungi that look safe

D．are especially grown by experts

BBC News (May 11, 2008) —Edinburgh Zoo plans to bring a pair of giant pandas from China to Scotland. Representatives from Edinburgh Zoo have recently returned from China. They signed a letter of intent (意向书) there, making a promise to bring giant pandas to the Zoo.

    It has been suggested that the pair of giant pandas should be on loan (暂借) to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) for 10 years. The pair of giant pandas would give birth to babies during that time. Edinburgh Zoo would be the eighth zoo in the Western world to care for the species if the project goes ahead.

    Zoo chiefs said that looking after the endangered animals could benefit conservation. David Windmill, chief of RZSS, said, "Working with giant pandas means so much more to us than introducing a new species to our collection. It is an opportunity to work on a global level with other conservationists to gain a better understanding of the giant pandas, the threats they face, and what we can do to ensure their survival."

    At present, there are only around 1,500 giant pandas in the wild. RZSS has been working on the project for almost a year, hoping to have giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo by 2009, the year of the society’s centenary (一百周年纪念日). Mr. Windmill said that the project has received strong support from the UK and Scottish Governments. He also said that this must continue if the Zoo is to reach an agreement with the Chinese. As part of the agreement with the Chinese Government, Edinburgh Zoo will work together with Chinese scientists on research projects benefiting conservation in the wild.

    RZSS will also provide money to support giant panda conservation projects in the wild. Giant pandas live in mountainous regions in central China and almost mainly feed on bamboo, which makes up 99% of what they eat.

What do we know from the first two paragraphs?

     A. China will give a pair of giant pandas to Edinburgh Zoo.

B. Representatives from Edinburgh Zoo have been to China.

C. The Scottish Government has signed a letter of intent with China.

D. Edinburgh Zoo is the first Western zoo to have giant pandas.

According to the text, RZSS may be ___________.

     A. a company that deals with international business

B. an organization that researches endangered animals

C. a government department in charge of Western issues

D. an activity having something to do with animals

We can know from the text that _____________.

       A. David Windmill is Edinburgh Zoo’s chief

B. the number of giant pandas in the wild is still unknown

C. RZSS will celebrate its centenary in 2009

D. RZSS knows the threats the giant pandas face well

What’s the main idea of the text?

       A. Edinburgh Zoo expects giant pandas from China.

B. Edinburgh Zoo does research into giant pandas.

C. Scotland supports giant panda conservation.

D. Giant pandas live happily in central China.

All Eskimos live most of their lives close to sea or fresh water. They may follow game inland for several hundred miles, but they always return to the shores of rivers, lakes, or seas. Eskimo land has a bare look. Large rocks, pebbles, and sand cover much of the surface. Plants called lichen (地衣) grow on the rocks, and where there is enough soil, grass, flowers, and even small bushes manage to live. No trees can grow on Eskimo land, so geographers sometimes call it the Arctic plains. There are some animals in Eskimo land, such as rabbits, which eat the plants. Other animals, like the white fox and the gray wolf, eat the rabbits. The Eskimo is a meat－eater, too, and may even eat a wolf when food is scarce.

The Eskimo year has two main parts：A long, cold winter and a short, cool summer. Spring and fall are almost too short to be noticed. Summer is the best time, as food is usually plentiful. But it is also the time when Eskimos are very busy. Winter is never far away, and the men must bring home extra meat for the women to prepare and store, for seldom can enough animals be killed in winter to feed a family.

The Far North is sometimes called the land of the midnight sun. This is true in the middle of summer, for between April 21st and August 21st the sun never sets in Northern Greenland. But in midwinter the Far North is a land with no sunshine at all. Around October 21st the Eskimos of Northern Greenland see the sun set directly south of them, and they don't see it again until February 22nd. All places on earth get about the same amount of daylight during a year. As a result, if summer is lighter, winter has to be darker.

Winter nights in the Far North are seldom pitch－black. As in the rest of the world, the stars and moon provide a little light. The northern lights also help the Eskimo to see. And with the ground covered with snow, even a little light is reflected back to the Eskimo's eyes.

6. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. Eskimos do not usually eat wolves.

B. Eskimos like to chase one another.

C. Eskimos depend heavily on water.

D. Eskimos are meat－eaters.

7.  In the Eskimo year, ________.

A. there is no spring and fall

B. winter is cold and summer is hot

C. summer is a time for growing food

D. winter comes early and goes late

8.  What's the meaning of the underlined word “pitch－black” in Paragraph 4?

A. Dark with a little light.

B. A little dark.

C. Not dark at all.

D. Extremely dark.

9. From the passage, we can infer all of the following EXCEPT that ________.

A. Eskimos are more likely to eat wolves in summer

B. Eskimo women are responsible for housework

C. meat is the main source of food for the Eskimo

D. hunting is an important part of Eskimo life

10. Why is summer lighter in the Far North?

A. Because the Far North is far away from the sun.

B. Because the sun is not seen for five months of the year.

C. Because the sun never sets in midsummer.

D. Because people see the sun set directly south of them.