How could we possibly think that keeping animals in cages in unnatural environments－mostly for entertainment purposes－is fair and respectful?
Zoo officials say they are concerned about animals. However, most zoos remain “collections” of interesting “things” rather than protective habitats(栖息地). Zoos teach people that it is acceptable to keep animals bored, lonely, and far from their natural homes.
Zoos claim to educate people and save endangered species(物种), but visitors leave zoos without having learned anything meaningful about the animals’ natural behavior, intelligence, or beauty. Zoos keep animals in small spaces or cages, and most signs only mention the species’ name, diet, and natural range(分布区). The animals’ normal behavior is seldom noticed because zoos don’t usually take care of the animals’ natural needs.
The animals are kept together in small spaces, with no privacy and little opportunity for mental and physical exercise. This results in unusually and self-destructive behavior called zoochosis. A worldwide study of zoos found that zoochosis is common among animals kept in small spaces or cages. Another study showed that elephants spend 22 percent of their time making repeated head movements or biting cage bars, and bears spend 30 percent of their time walking back and forth, a sign of unhappiness and pain.
Furthermore, most animals in zoos are not endangered．Captive breeding(圈养繁殖) of endangered big cats, Asian elephants, and other species has not resulted in their being sent back to the wild．Zoos talk a lot about their captive breeding programs because they do not want people to worry about a species dying out. In fact, baby animals also attract a lot of paying customers. Haven’t we seen enough competitions to name baby animals?
Actually, we will save endangered species only if we save their habitats and put an end to the reasons people kill them. Instead of supporting zoos, we should support groups that work to protect animals’ natural habitats.
1.In the state of zoochosis, animals _________.
A．remain in cages B．attack other animals
C．behave strangely D．enjoy moving around
2.What does the author try to argue in the passage?
A．Zoos fail in their attempt to save animal
B．Zoos are not worth the public support.
C．Zoos should treat animals as human beings.
D．Zoos use animals as a means of entertainment.
3.The author tries to persuade readers to accept his argument mainly by _________.
A．using evidence he has collected at zoos
B．pointing out the faults in what zoos do
C．questioning the way animals are protected
D．discussing the advantages of natural habitats
4.Although he argues against zoos, the author would still agree that __________.
A．zoos have to keep animals in small cages
B．most animals in zoos are endangered species
C．it’s acceptable to keep animals away from their habitats
D．some endangered animals are reproduced in zoos
Edward Wilson is America’s, if not the world’s, leading naturalist. In The Future of Life, he takes us on a tour of the world’s natural resources(资源). How are they used? What has been lost? What remains and is it able to continue with the present speed of use? Wilson also points out the need to understand fully the biodiversity(生物多样性)of our earth.
Wilson begins with an open letter to the pioneer in environmental protection, Henry David Thoreau. He compares today’s Walden Pond with that of Thoreau’s day. Wilson will use such comparisons for the rest of the book. The problem is clear: man has done great damage to his home over the years. Will the earth, with human help, be made to return to biodiversity levels that will be able to support us in the future?
Biodiversity, Wilson argues, is the key to settling many problems the earth faces today. Even our agricultural crops can gain advantages from it. A mere hundred species(物种) are the basis of our food supply, of which but twenty carry the load. Wilson suggests changing this situation by looking into ten thousand species that could be made use of, which will be a way to reduce the clearing of the natural homes of plants and animals to enlarge farming areas.
At the end of the book, Wilson discusses the importance of human values in considering the environment. If you are to continue to live on the earth, you may well read and act on the ideas in this book.
1.We learn from the text that Wilson cares most about ______
A. the environment for plants
B. the wastes of natural resources
C. the biodiversity of our earth
D. the importance of human values
2.How many species are most important to our present food supply?
A. Eighty. B. Twenty.
C.One hundred D. Ten thousand.
3.Wilson suggests that one way to keep biodiversity is to _______.
A. learn how to farm scientifically
B. build homes for some dying species
C. make it clear what to eat
D. use more species for food
4.We can infer that the text is _______.
A. a description of natural resources
B. a research report
C. a book review
D. an introduction to a scientist.
Would you like to be a king or queen? To have people waiting on you hand and foot? Many Americans experience this royal treatment every day. How? By being customers. The American idea of customer service is to make each customer the center of attention. Need proof? Just listen to the commercials. Most of them sound like the McDonald’s ad: “We do it all for you.” Actually, not all stores in America roll out the red carpet for their customers. But wherever you go, good customer service means making customers feel special.
People going shopping in America can expect to be treated with respect from the very beginning. Most places don’t have a “furniture street” or a “computer road” which allow you to compare prices easily. Instead, people often “let their fingers do the walking” through the store hot lines. From the first “hello”, customers receive a satisfying response to their questions. This initial contact can help them decide where to shop.
When customers get to the store, they are treated as honored guests. Customers don’t usually find store clerks sitting around watching TV or playing cards. Instead, the clerks greet them warmly and offer to help them find what they want. In most stores, the clear signs that label each department make shopping a breeze. Customers usually don’t have to ask how much items cost, since prices are clearly marked. And unless they’re at a flea market or a yard sale, they don’t bother trying to bargain.
When customers are ready to check out, they find the nearest and shortest checkout lane. But as Murphy’s Law would have it, whichever lane they get in, all the other lanes will move faster. Good stores open new checkout lanes when the lanes get too long. Some even offer express lanes for customers with 10 items or less. After they pay for their purchases, customers receive a smile and a warm “thank you” from the clerk. Many stores even allow customers to take their shopping carts out to the parking lot. That way, they don’t have to carry heavy bags out to the car.
1.By quoting (引用) the McDonald’s ad: “We do it all for you”, the author intends to_______.
A. suggest that customers believe what commercials say deeply
B. show readers the American idea on good customer service
C. express all the stores pay much attention to the customers
D. persuade readers to choose the stores with ads correctly
2.In the USA, what may you do at first if you want to do some shopping?
A. To visit a professional street with lots of similar stores.
B. To compare prices in many shops in the same street.
C. To make phone calls and get better shopping choices.
D. To receive other customers’ answers to the questions.
3.Which of the followings shows American stores offer convenience to customers in this passage?
A. The store clerks don’t usually sit around watching TV or playing cards.
B. Some stores offer price bargain to the customers like a yard sale.
C. The clerks give customers a smile and a warm “thank you” after paying.
D. Some stores open new checkout lanes when the lanes are crowded.
4.Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?
A. Customer Service in America
B. Excellent Stores in America
C. Shopping Rules in America
D. Being King or Queen in America
Even at school there had been an unhealthy competition between George and Richard.
“I’ll be the first millionaire in Coleford!” Richard used to boast.
“And you’ll be sorry you knew me,” George would reply “because I’ll be the best lawyer in town!”
George never did become a lawyer and Richard never made any money. Instead both men opened bookshops on opposite sides of Coleford High Street. It was hard to make money from books, which made the competition between them worse.
Then Richard married a mysterious girl. The couple spent their honeymoon on the coast—but Richard never came back. The police found his wallet on a deserted beach but the body was never found. He must have drowned.
Now with only one bookshop in town, business was better for George. But from time to time, he sat in his narrow, old kitchen and gazed out of the dirty window, thinking about his former rival(竞争对手). Perhaps he missed him?
George was very interested in old dictionaries. He’d recently found a collector in Australia who was selling a rare first edition. When the parcel arrived, the book was in perfect condition and George was delighted. But while he was having lunch, George glanced at the photo in the newspaper that the book had been wrapped in. He was astonished—the smiling face was older than he remembered but unmistakable! Trembling, George started reading.
“Bookends have bought ten bookstores from their rivals Dylans. The company, owned by multi-millionaire Richard Pike, is now the largest bookseller in Australia.”
1.George and Richard were ________ at school.
A. competitors B. good friends
C. roommates D. booksellers
2.How did George feel about Richard after his disappearance?
A. He envied Richard’s marriage.
B. He felt lucky with no rival in town.
C. He was guilty of Richard’s death.
D. He thought of Richard from time to time.
3.George got information about Richard from ________.
A. a dictionary collector in Australia
B. the latter’s rivals Dylans
C. the wrapping paper of a book
D. a rare first edition of a dictionary
4.What happened to George and Richard in the end?
A. Both George and Richard became millionaires.
B. Both of them realized their original dreams.
C. Richard became very rich while George had no great success.
D. George established a successful business while Richard was missing.
It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.
The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries（食品杂货），saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.
I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity（人性）as a whole. And it has influenced us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.
1.Why was the bike so important to the couple?
A. The man’s job was bike racing.
B. It was their only possession.
C. It was a nice Kona 18 speed.
D. They used it for work and daily life.
2.We can infer from the text that ____________.
A. the couple worked 60 hours a week.
B. people were busy before Christmas
C. the stranger brought over the bike
D. life was hard for the young family.
3.How did people get to know the couple’s problem?
A. From radio broadcasts. B. From a newspaper.
C. From TV news. D. From a stranger.
4.What do the couple learn from their experience?
A. Strangers are usually of little help.
B. One should take care of their bike.
C. News reports make people famous.
D. An act of kindness can mean a lot.
When I entered the classroom, our teacher announced we were going to have a math test. I took a look at the full of what looked like hieroglyphs(象形文字) to me and began to . I did the best that I could, and then left my to put my paper in a pile(摞) on the front desk with a(n) .
I returned to my seat and then an idea came to my mind. I where the teacher was before I made my . She was walking in the of the room with her back turned. I left my seat and went back to the pile of test papers already handed and when I picked up my paper I also the paper right below it before returning to my seat. When I looked at the paper I had taken, I discovered it was the work of the girl in our class. I copied her answers to my paper.
The next day the teacher handed back our papers turning them facedown on everyone’s desks. When I my paper over, I was to see an “F” on it. After class I went to the girl whose answers I had and said to her, “That math test was difficult. I it. I guess we need to study more.” Her was, “Not me, I got every question and got an A.”
The teacher knew. She never blamed me in front of the class and me to keep my dignity(尊严). I made a to myself never ever to cheat again. I would remember to always be in the things I do. I never forgot that teacher who failed me when, really, I had failed myself.
1.A. blackboard B. paper C. book D. picture
2.A. think B. cry C. worry D. sleep
3.A. seat B. classroom C. partner D. teacher
4.A. joy B. sigh C. idea D. problem
5.A. believed B. found C. ignored D. checked
6.A. research B. mind C. move D. comment
7.A. front B. middle C. back D. outside
8.A. out B. in C. over D. on
9.A. saw B. left C. remembered D. included
10.A. extra B. new C. clean D. difficult
11.A. tallest B. oldest C. prettiest D. smartest
12.A. got B. turned C. put D. took
13.A. shocked B. angry C. happy D. excited
14.A. copied B. read C. marked D. examined
15.A. knew B. made C. failed D. lost
16.A. reply B. attitude C. opinion D. purpose
17.A. ready B. right C. done D. good
18.A. told B. reminded C. allowed D. advised
19.A. speech B. joke C. wish D. promise
20.A. honest B. friendly C. careful D. Hopeful
