With only about 1,000 pandas left in the world, China is desperately trying to clone (克隆) the animal and save the endangered species(物種). That's a move similar to what a Texas A&M University researchers have been undertaking for the past five years in a project called “Noah's Ark”.
Noah's Ark is aimed at collecting eggs, embryos(胚胎)，semen and DNA of endangered animals and storing them in liquid nitrogen（氮）. If certain species should become extinct , Dr. Duane Kraemar, a professor in Texas A&M University Medicine, says there would be enough of the basic building blocks to reintroduce the species in the future.
It is estimated that as many as 2,000 species of mammals , birds reptiles will become extinct in over 100 years . The panda, native only to China , is in danger of becoming extinct in the next 25 years .
This week , Chinese scientists said they grew an embryo by introducing cells from a dead female panda into the egg cells of a Japanese white rabbit . They are now trying to implant the embryo into a host animal.
The entire procedure could take from three to five years to complete.
“The nuclear transfer(核子移植) of one species to another is not easy, and the lack of available(capable of being used) panda eggs could be a major problem，” Kraemer believes. “They will probably have to do several hundred transfers to result in one pregnancy(having a baby). It takes a long time and it’s difficult, but this could be groundbreaking science if it works. They are certainly not putting any live pandas at risk, so it is worth the effort, ”adds Kraemer, who is one of the leaders of the Project at Texas A & M, the first–ever attempt at cloning a dog.
“They are trying to do something that’s never been done, and this is very similar to our work in Noah’s Ark. We’re both trying to save animals that face extinction. I certainly appreciate their effort and there’s a lot we can learn from what they are attempting to do. It’s a research that is very much needed.”
小題1: The aim of “Noah’s Ark” project is to ________.

A．make efforts to clone the endangered pandas

B．save endangered animals from dying out

C．collect DNA of endangered animals to study

D．transfer the nuclear of one animal to another

小題2:Ａccording to Professor Kraemer , the major problem in cloning pandas would be the lack of _______.

A．a(chǎn)vailable panda eggs	B．host animals
C．qualified researchers	D．enough money

小題3:The best title for the passage may be ______.

A．China’s Success in Panda Cloning

B．The First Cloned Panda in the World

C．Exploring the Possibility to Clone Pandas

D．China---the Native Place of Pandas Forever

The bar-tailed godwit （斑尾鷸）has just broken its own record for the world’s longest non-stop flight, including humans in planes, according to a report made by Lund University Press. The bird can fly non-stop for eight days, while the most impressive man-made airplane can only remain in the sky for 82 hours without a stop.
The bar-tailed godwit’s journey, from Alaska to New Zealand, covers over 6,835 miles. It completes this trip twice a year, in autumn going to New Zealand, and in spring back to Alaska. The tireless bird ends the trip without stopping once for food or rest. All other birds can only finish trips that are twice as short as what the bar-tailed godwit travels.
One reason for the bar-tailed godwit’s success is that it has made the best use of its fuel, which is only 0.41 percent of its body weight over each hour of any given long flight. Hedenstrom, a professor from Lund University, says, “This figure is extremely low compared with other birds.” The bird also has a special body shape that helps it fly easily. It stores body fat and protein to manage its trips. It also travels fast, compared to other birds and animals.
Many questions remain about this bird record holder that never gets lost in the air. Researchers wonder whether it has an inside compass (指南針) that helps it to know the direction. Please watch how beautiful bar-tailed godwits look as they come in for a landing, along with other birds.
小題1:For the flight from Alaska to New Zealand, the bar-tailed godwit__________

A．doesn’t need to stop to eat

B．is afraid of hot weather

C．seems very tired at last

D．should fly less than 7,000 meters

小題2:The main reason why the bar-tailed godwit can break the record is that it ______.

A．eats little food every hour

B．has a special body shape

C．stores much water in its body

D．has very light body weight

小題3:The last paragraph tells us that _________.

A．researchers have understood the bird very well

B．the bird has a very good sense of direction

C．there are still many who doubt the bird’s ability

D．the bird has an inner compass

There are new and exciting ways to use the Internet to learn English while you are on - line. The Internet uses a lot of multimedia elements (多媒體原理），like words, sounds, pictures, animations and video. This is perfect for studying a language because you've got to see, hear, and repeat things as much as you like. Learning over the Internet is also funny because you can be a part of conversa­tions happening all around the globe ！ Special Internet sites are designed for people learning English， just like yourself. These sites use multimedia to help you learn and are a great way to meet other peo­ple around the world. This is Cyber English.
On the Internet, English is the major language. As a result, it is now more important than ever to  be able to understand English when you serve the web. It is not always easy，though. The English can be difficult or have a lot of cultural information that you have never seen ！
One site for students studying English and their teachers is Englishtown. At http://www. english- town. com, you will find a community ( group) of people interested in learning English. There are several buildings in the virtual (虛擬的）town where you can play games, chat with friends, ask and get answers about cultural questions, and find an international penfriend who shares your interests. There are extra resources to help you learn，such as multimedia CD - ROM and books for language learning and translation. You can also have daily and monthly English lessons delivered to your own  e - mail address. There is even an on - line school where you can take English classes over Lhe Inter­net. Englishtown is the perfect place to prefect for a trip to England or the United States ！ Would you like to become part of a virtual community(虛擬社區(qū)）of English sfH-aktrs ： Surfing the web is not only funny but can also help improve your English ！ Try out >ome of tlv, web sites listed below and see how students all over the world are learning English on line.
小題1:Cyber English probably means"  ".

A．learning English on Internet

B．teaching yourself English

C．the history of English

D．English broadcast on TV or over the radio

小題2:English on - line interests a lot of people because     .

A．only in this way one can learn the language well

B．people don’ t have to pay

C．the learners can have a face to face study of courses with the teachers

D．it makes learning easier and more interesting

小題3:Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．English is the only useful language on the Internet.

B．The Internet can provide people with the cultural information they need.

C．At http://www. Englishtown. com, people can study and play.

D．One can find a pen-friend on http://www.Englishtown. com.

小題4:The underlined word “ surfing" probably means       .

A．setting up

B．going over

C．researching

D．inventing

小題5:The omitted (省略）part of the passage might  .

A．show us some of the web sites on which sell books

B．tell us how to use the Internet

C．tell us where to get the CD - ROMS we need

D．show us some of the web sites on which English is taught

答對(duì)三題以上（含三題）才給予加分；請(qǐng)?jiān)谕瓿汕拔宀糠值那疤嵯峦瓿稍摬糠?br />
閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的A、B、C、D四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)，并在答題卡上將該項(xiàng)涂黑。
Honesty may well be the policy, but it often deserts us when no one is watching, psychologists report today. Experiments with an honesty box to collect payments for hot drinks show that people are better at paying up when under the gaze of a pair of eyes. The surprise was that the eyes were not real, but photographed.Researchers at Newcastle University set up the experiment in secret. They attached a poster to a cupboard of mugs above an honesty box alongside a kettle, with tea, coffee and milk. Over 10 weeks, they alternated (輪流替換) each week between images of eyes and pictures of flowers.
Dr. Bateson, a behavioral biologist and leader of the study, said that even though the eyes were not real they still seemed to make people behave more honestly. The effect may result from behavioral characteristics that developed as early humans formed social groups that increased their chances of survival. Individuals had to co-operate for the good of the group, rather than act selfishly.
“If nobody is watching us it is in our interests to behave selfishly. But when we think we’re being watched we should behave better, so people see us as co-operative and behave the same way towards us,” Dr. Bateson said.
“We thought we’d get a slight effect with eyes, by it was quite striking how much difference they made. Even at a subconscious level, it seems people respond to eyes, and that might be because eyes send a strong biological signal we have evolved(進(jìn)化) to respond to.”
The finding, which researchers believe sheds light on our evolutionary past, could be turned to practical use. The psychologists say images of eyes could increase ticket sales on public transport and improve monitor systems to prevent antisocial behavior.
小題1:This passage is mainly about ____________.

A．the policy of honesty	B．a(chǎn)n honesty box to collect money
C．evolution on honesty	D．a(chǎn)n experiment on honesty

小題2:The reason for doing the experiment secretly is that the researchers __________.

A．wanted to get a comparatively more exact result

B．had known they wanted to do something illegally

C．meant to get the co-operation of their colleagues

D．intended to sell the hot drinks at a higher price

小題3:People behave honestly under watchful gaze of eyes because ____________.

A．they want to leave a good impression

B．they fear to be laughed at by others

C．they’ve got the nature through evolution

D．they take the photo for a real pair of eyes

小題4:The underlined phrase “sheds light on” in the last paragraph means _________.

A．causes somebody to become cheerful

B．makes something easier to understand

C．comes upon something by accident

D．brings something into the broad daylight

小題5:Images of a pair of eyes can be applied to all except ________.

A．ticket sales on public transport

B．cold drink sales in public places

C．places with “No spitting!” signs

D．electrical appliances(電器) used at home

Every year mobile phones develop. Imagining what they will look like and be able to do in 2020 is really a challenge. To help, experts have outlined three major mobile trends that they believe will have become reality by then.
Our phones will be so smart in 10 years’ time that they’ll know everything about our situation and warn us when something needs our attention. This is the top prediction of both Nokia and Google. They predict that our cars and home appliances will be able to communicate with our mobile. For example, fridges will tell your mobile to tell you to pick up milk on the way back from work. While driving, your mobile will suggest that you take a different route because there’s a road accident up ahead.
The second trend is in gesture-based controls. People who know the iPhone’s touch-sensitive screen are already familiar with the technology. It translates hand movements into actions on-screen. But gestural communications will make the phone more convenient to use and may completely replace touchpads. According to industry insiders, the most immediate step forward in gestural technology will be in voice recognition. It’s believed voice recognition technology will speed up communications. It is quicker to speak than type. Eventually, phone screens will disappear.
The third major development will change our understanding of a mobile phone. From a single phone, the mobile will be developed into multi-part devices. It is opposite to the current trend in which mobile phones are combining the functions of cameras, music players and game consoles. The prediction is based on the idea that the world will become more wireless and all these—cameras, music players and game consoles—will be wirelessly connected. Mobile phones won’t need to contain these devices because users will be able to control them wirelessly through their phones.
小題1:The first paragraph serves as          .

A．a(chǎn) lead-in

B．a(chǎn) conclusion

C．a(chǎn) summary

D．a(chǎn) supporting fact

小題2:Which of the following is most likely to be the appearance of a mobile phone in 2020? 

小題3:From the text, we can learn that the future mobile phones will          .

A．drive cars for us

B．be controlled by the users’ voices

C．be controlled by home appliances

D．be very big together with separated multiple parts

小題4:The text mainly tells us          .

A．three major trends of mobile phones

B．what mobile phones will look like in 2020

C．the future mobile phones are gesture-based

D．some new functions of the present mobile phones

There are several ways to break the technology code that teenagers have written among themselves. The following are ideas to help parents understand the sometimes confusing world of the teens.
Social Networking (人際關(guān)系網(wǎng)) Sites: Sites like MySpace and Facebook appeal to all generations and are a good way for a parent to understand what social standards your teen is living with. There are many ways to help you take part in your child's online activities. You also can be from an onlooker (旁觀者) who keeps a bird' s-eye view of his cyber world to an active member of his social group.
MMORPG: Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game comes in the form of games. A child can easily become addicted to (沉溺于) them if no limits are set. To fully understand the attraction behind MMORPG, you can make your own account and character to explore the digital (數(shù)碼的) world. Playing the online games may seem strange at first to your teen, but experience has led me to only positive feedback (反應(yīng)) from young people who can communicate with adults about their gaming experiences.
Text and Instant Messenger: The ways of teenage communication have produced a whole new language, such as "LOLZ" (laughing out loud) and "PSOS" (parent standing over shoulder). Learning the basic shorthand (速記法) of teens can open up a whole new world of communication, not only talking to your teens, but being able to listen on their terms as well. You may just find yourself texting faster and ending your correspondence (聯(lián)系) with TTYL (talk to you later). To teens, texting anyone looks cool, even Mom and Dad.
Email: Emailing your child is easy. This, of course, cannot take the place of face-to-face communication, but it provides another way for your child to reach you. Another benefit is that your child cannot act like he didn't hear you.
小題1:What does the underlined part "appeal to" in the second paragraph mean?

A．harm

B．a(chǎn)ttract

C．upset

D．a(chǎn)ttack

小題2:According to this passage we can infer that the author's child __________.

A．works hard at school

B．is active on Facebook

C．enjoys playing online games

D．likes talking with adults

小題3:If you are standing beside your child, he is most likely to text his friend __________.

A．PSOS

B．MMORPG

C．TTYL

D．LOLZ

小題4:What does the passage mainly tell us?

A．Parents can use technology to stay in touch with their children.

B．Many children are very crazy about the online games.

C．Science and technology make life easy and convenient.

D．Parents can do something interesting like their children do.

A recent report on online education, made by SRI International for the Department of Education, has a serious academic (學(xué)術(shù)的) title, but a most interesting conclusion: “ Students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.”
The report examined the research on online and traditional classroom teaching from 1996 to 2008. Some of it was in K-12 settings, but most of the studies were in colleges and adult continuing education programs.
Over the 12 years, the report found 99 studies in which there were comparisons of online and classroom performance for the same courses. The result of the Department of Education’ s research showed that usually, students doing some or all of the course online would rank a little higher than the classroom students with little but meaningful difference.
“The importance of the study lies in showing that online learning today is not just better than nothing — it actually tends to be better than traditional instruction.” said Barbara Means, the study’ s lead author and an educational psychologist at SRI International.
This hardly means that we’ll be saying goodbye to classrooms. But the report does suggest that online education could be set to develop sharply over the next few years.
Until fairly recently, online education totaled to little. That has really changed with the arrival of webbased video, instant (即時(shí)的) messaging and teamwork tools.
The real promise of online education, experts say, is providing learning experiences that are more suitable for individual (個(gè)體的) students than is possible in classrooms. That allows more “l(fā)earning by doing,” which many students find more attractive and useful.
“We are at a turning point in online education,” said Philip R. Regier, the leader of Arizona State University’ s Online and Extended Campus program.
The biggest near-term growth, Mr. Regier predicts, will be in continuing education programs.
小題1:What do we know from the passage?
Most of the studies were done in high schools.
The report was based on more than 100 studies.
The studies were carried out for more than 20 years.
The difference between online and traditional teaching is not big.
小題2:We can learn from the passage that __________.
traditional education will come to an end
traditional education is not popular any longer
online education didn’ t develop rapidly until recently
middle schools are facing the choice between online and traditional teaching
小題3:Which is NOT the reason why many students prefer online learning?
Online teaching is more suitable for individuals.
Classroom teaching is not practical and useful.
Students can learn by doing in online courses.
Online teaching is more interesting.
小題4:Which do you think is the best title for the passage?
Study finds that online education beats the classroom
Why is online education on the rise?
A report on online education
Classroom teaching is out

For many years Henry had been a journalist. He had worked on many international newspapers and magazines and traveled over the world.
Henry had witnessed war and natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes ( 火山爆發(fā)).
He had reported on serious accidents such as major fires and airline crashes.
He had seen every kind of terrible crime and strange event there was.
He had met and written about some of the most unusual people in the world.
In fact, there wasn’t much that Henry had not seen or done.
Now he was retired from journalism(新聞業(yè)). He owned a very expensive restaurant and spent his days talking to his wealthy and important customers. He liked to say that nothing surprised him.
One day he was sitting at the bar in his restaurant when a big gorilla(大猩猩) walked in and asked for a table.
Henry showed no surprise. He took the gorilla to a table and handed him a menu. He treated him politely and pretended there was nothing at all strange about having a gorilla in his restaurant.
The gorilla looked through the menu and ordered a salad.
Henry served the gorilla his salad personally, knowing that his waiters and waitresses would be too frightened.
At last the gorilla finished his salad and asked for the bill.
Henry wrote out the bill and handed it to the big animal.
The gorilla studied it, shook his head sadly then gave Henry fifty dollars.
“Thank you,” Henry said, and then to make conversation, he added, “we don’t get many gorillas in this restaurant.”
“At fifty dollars for a salad,” the gorilla said, “I’m not surprised.”
小題1:According to the story, Henry had________.

A．had the most exciting experiences	B．told the longest stories
C．made history	D．caused accidents

小題2:One day when a gorilla came into the restaurant, Henry was_____.

A．very surprised by the gorilla	B．not disturbed(煩憂) by the gorilla
C．very interested in the gorilla	D．scared of the gorilla

小題3: From the sentences “Henry served the gorilla his salad personally, knowing that his waiters and waitresses would be too frightened” you can learn that______.

A．his staff were not brave people	B．Henry didn’t normally serve customers
C．the gorilla had eaten there before	D．the gorilla was careful with his money

Not very long ago, a special family system(體系) existed in certain parts of South India. In the system, the actual head of a family unit was the mother’s eldest brother, though the mother also had an important position in the family. In families of this kind, a husband was actually no more than a visitor. He did not live with his wife, but with his own mother, brothers and sisters in another house. He saw his sons and daughters sometimes, but the man who actually fed and cared for them and acted as their father was their uncle--- their mother’s brother.
But this system, in which brothers and sisters take the place of the father, no longer exists in South India except in a few villages. Economic(經(jīng)濟(jì)的) changes have had far- reaching effect on family life. Family life began to change when men went out to work in factories and offices instead of working with their mothers, brothers, and sisters on the land. When a man went out to work, he had money of his own and could buy his own land and build his own family, instead of depending on his mother and his brothers. He wanted to be independent(獨(dú)立的). This is an example of the way in which economic relations can have an effect on family relationships.
小題1: The best title of this passage is ______.

A．Husband Actually Visitor in Family

B．Family System in South India

C．Wife Has Important Position in Family

D．Economic Relations Affects Family Relationships

小題2: Who had the actual control of a family in South India not long ago?

A．The mother.	B．The mother’s eldest brother.
C．The father.	D．The father’s mother.

小題3: In this system, the husband lived together with______.

A．his wife	B．his sons and daughters
C．his mother, brothers and sisters	D．his wife’s brother

小題4:Now in South India there are__ of this system in which a husband has no control of his family.

A．no families	B．many more families
C．very few families	D．not any families

You’re lost in the world of dreams and sleep. You roll over, smiling as you come across a swimming pool filled with chocolate. And then, your wonderful dream becomes a nightmare when someone is screaming, “Get up!” It’s just what every teenager goes through each morning!
Now, there seems to be one school that finally understands that requiring teens to show up at 9 am is not just cruel but also harmful to both the kids and the school.
The Monkseaton High School in North Tyneside, Britain, recently decided to experiment to see if there is any difference in student behavior if they just pushed back the start of their day by one hour, from 9 am to 10 am. And the results are surprising.
Since carrying out the later start, Monkseaton has seen a 28% drop in truancy, even hardly any lateness, and best of all, higher test scores. One of the reasons is that the teenagers are much happier to have the extra hour of sleep, but there is also a scientific reason behind why they need the extra sleep.
The school’s decision to push back the time was based on the research done by Oxford Professor Russell Foster, who pointed out that teenagers and adults have different sleep cycles, explaining why teenagers go to bed late and wake up late.
While adults are wide awake and ready at 8 am, teenagers are not fully awake until 10 am, sometimes even noon. Teachers may argue that their students perform better in the morning, but in fact, it is because they are in the zone while their students are still sleepy, making the students easier to control. Memory tests prove that the more difficult classes should be in the afternoon when teenagers are most wide awake.
The Monkseaton school officials are encouraged by the results and plan on voting to make it a permanent change.
小題1:What’s the best title of this passage?

A．Get up early, teenagers!

B．Finally, a school understands teenagers.

C．Why do teenagers stay up late?

D．Difference between teens and adults.

小題2:What’s the meaning of the underlined word “truancy”?

A．grades

B．subject s

C．a(chǎn)bsence

D．classes

小題3:What can we learn from the passage?

A．Teenagers and adults have the same sleep cycle.

B．Teenagers are fully awake at 10 am.

C．Teenagers are much happier to sleep than study.

D．Teenagers need the extra sleep also for a scientific reason.

小題4:Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A．The Monkseaton school is satisfied with the result of experiments.

B．It is cruel for the teenagers to show up at 9 am.

C．The Monkseaton school plans to change the school time forever.

D．Teenagers perform better in the morning than in the afternoon.