This is the SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, I’m Barbara Klein.

Animal experts say one of the world’s most beautiful and rare kinds of big cat is close to disappearing from the wild. A study earlier this year found that about thirty Amur leopards(豹) still live free. The cats are also called Far Eastern leopards.

Recently, their numbers have been reduced by one. Some person shot a female Amur, then beat her to death. The animal’s body was discovered last month in the Barsovy National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Russia.

An official of the World Wildlife Fund, Darron, said this was the third such killing in the area in the past fives years. Mr. Collins said the death of even one adult female is a huge loss for the endangered cat. He noted that the killing reduces the possibility for cubs(幼兽) or young.

It is not clear how many Amur leopards still live free. One population count was performed in February and March. Wildlife expert Dmitry Pikuuov led this study. It found evidence of seven to nine males. The study identified(确定) three to seven females without cubs. Four leopards were identified as females with cubs. In all, five or six cubs were recorded. Six to eight animals could not be identified.

Most of the land where the Amur leopard once lived was in China. New roads and climate change there threatened(威胁) the animals. So did hunters who kill big cats for their body parts.

Mr. Pikuuov says adult Amurs need about five hundred square kilometers with good forests to survive. He said they also need a large and continuing supply of animals like deer for food. He believes the answer to saving the Amur leopard is for governments to provide protected spaces for wildlife.

1.This passage is probably from____________.

A．a magazine        B．a newspaper report  C．a TV report        D．a film

2.Why is the killing of an adult female a huge loss?

A．It could lead to the death of an adult male.

B．It means it can not give birth to the young any more.

C．It is worth more money than a male.

D．There is only one adult female in the world.

3.The number of the Amur leopards in China is becoming smaller because of all the following EXCEPT

A．new roads         B．climate change     C．human hunting     D．rare diseases

4.According to the experts the Amur leopards ____________.

A．are living on plants                      B．are living in the zoo

C．are well protected by people              D．are endangered

Botany, the study of plants, occupies a special position in the history of human knowledge. For many thousands of years it was the one field of awareness about which humans had anything more than the vaguest (含糊的) of insight. It is impossible to know today just what our Stone Age ancestors knew about plants, but from what we can observe of pre-industrial societies that still exist, a detailed learning of plants and their properties must extremely ancient. This is logical. Plants are the basis of the food pyramid for all living things, even for other plants. They have always been enormously important to the welfare of peoples, not only for food, but also for clothing, weapons, tools, eyes, medicines, shelter, and a great many other purposes. Tribes living today in the jungles of the Amazon recognized accurately hundreds of plants and know many properties of each. To them, botany, as such, has no name and is probably not even recognized as a special branch of knowledge at all.

    Unfortunately, the more industrialized we become the farther away we move from direct contact with plants, and the less distinct our knowledge of botany grows. Yet everyone comes unconsciously on an amazing amount of botanical knowledge, and few people will fail to recognize a rose, an apple, or an orchid. When our Neolithic ancestors, living in the Middle East about 10,000 years ago, discovered that certain grasses could be harvested and their seeds planted for richer productions the next season, the first great step in a new association of plants and humans was taken. Grains were discovered and from them flowed the wonder of agriculture; cultivated crops. From then on, humans would increasingly take their living from the controlled production of a few plants, rather than getting a little here and a little there from many varieties that grew wild and the built up knowledge of tens of thousands of years of experience and close relationship with plants in the wild would begin fade away.

Which of the following statements about early humans is expressed in the passage?

A. They probably had extensive knowledge of plants.

B. They thought there was no need to cultivate crops.

C. They did not enjoy the study of botany.

D. They placed great importance on the ownership of property.

What does the comment “This is logical.” In the first paragraph mean?

A. There is no clear way to determine the extent of our ancestor’s knowledge of plants.

B. It is not surprising that early humans had a detailed knowledge of plants.

C. It is reasonable to assume that our ancestors behaved very much like people in pre-industrial societies.

D. Human knowledge of plants is well organized and very detailed.

According to the passage, why has general knowledge of botany begun to fade?

A. People no longer value plants as a useful resource.

B. Botany is not recognized as a special branch of science.

C. Research is unable to keep up with the increasing numbers of plants.

D. Direct contact with a variety of plants has decreased.

In the second paragraph, what is the author’s purpose in mentioning “ a rose, an apple, or an orchid”?

 A. To make the passage more poetic.

 B. To give an example of plant that are attractive.

 C. To give botanical examples that all readers will recognize.

 D. To explain the variety of botanical life.

According to the passage, what was the first great step toward the practice of agriculture?

A. The invention of agricultural tools and machinery.       

B. The development of a system of names for plants.

C. The discovery of grasses that could be harvested and replanted.

D. The changing diets of early humans. 

The people below are all looking for books to help themselves. After the description of these people, there is information about six books A---F. Decide which book would be most suitable for the person mentioned in questions 61---65 and mark the correct letter (A---F) on your answer sheet. There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use.

_____ Jim bought a home computer earlier this year and he’s become very enthusiastic about it, spending hours each evening ‘playing’ with it as his wife says. Unfortunately, he’s

getting a bit forgetful about things he’s promised to do!                             

___ Freda prefers action to reading or watching TV. She is planning to redecorate the

living room and she isn’t expecting any help from others!                             

____ Susan Laughton is taking ‘A’ Levels in English, History and Art next year and if she passes, she’s hoping to become a teacher.                                   

____Tony is very interested in animals and at the moment he wants to be a vet (a doctor for animals) when he grows up.                                   

___ Jessica loves flowers, though, as her family lives in a second floor flat, there’s no

garden for her to grow anything in.                                        

A: Book One

By Rachel Lawson

Over 100 color photographs, $ 22.00

Written to accompany an exciting new 13-part ITV television series, Nature Watch, this book describes the people who spend their lives working with the birds, animals and plants in various parts of the world. Their enthusiasm is brought to life with their own outstanding color photographs. Hints on nature watching for the amateur are found throughout.

B: Book Two

By Bob Dillard

150 color photographs and 490 color pictures, $ 16.50

Just the book for the job! With over 600 color photographs and pictures it covers the most popular DIY tasks around the home---painting, wall coverings, finishing furniture and woodwork, and putting up shelves. Full of handy tips and clear instructions

C: Book Three

By Will Smith, $ 7.5

Week to a page. A truly delightful family science magazine, each issue brings to light new software to make time before the screen interesting. This pocket diary provides a wide range of information for the enthusiast. Try it for 3 weeks for just 6.6. You can save 0.9.

D: Book Four

By Martin Ferguson

Color throughout, Paperback $ 9.5

Another title in the popular and practical Learn to Paint series, this beautifully illustrated book show you how to paint animals, birds, fish and butterflies in the studio and in the field. Every issue contains plenty of usable samples and provides a free photography page.

E: Book Five

By Cynthia Wildman

12 double-page color paintings 170 line drawings, $ 17.8

A fresh and useful approach to indoor gardening. A month-by-month guide to jobs to do, plants to look for, planning ahead and enjoying seasonal variations — to give year-round color in the home. Illustrated by original paintings for each month.

F: Book Six

By Conrad Ellis & Richard Hopkins, Paperback $ 9.8

A guide to success in written work, study and examinations for students in all subjects at colleges, and universities. Topics covered include: grammar, punctuation, and spelling; sentence and paragraph structure; research and library work; charts and diagrams; essays, reports, and exams; letters and application forms; listening and note-taking; talking and reading skills.

Botany, the study of plants, occupies a special position in the history of human knowledge. For many thousands of years it was the one field of awareness about which humans had anything more than the vaguest (含糊的) of insight. It is impossible to know today just what our Stone Age ancestors knew about plants, but from what we can observe of pre-industrial societies that still exist, a detailed learning of plants and their properties must extremely ancient. This is logical. Plants are the basis of the food pyramid for all living things, even for other plants. They have always been enormously important to the welfare of peoples, not only for food, but also for clothing, weapons, tools, eyes, medicines, shelter, and a great many other purposes. Tribes living today in the jungles of the Amazon recognized accurately hundreds of plants and know many properties of each. To them, botany, as such, has no name and is probably not even recognized as a special branch of knowledge at all.
Unfortunately, the more industrialized we become the farther away we move from direct contact with plants, and the less distinct our knowledge of botany grows. Yet everyone comes unconsciously on an amazing amount of botanical knowledge, and few people will fail to recognize a rose, an apple, or an orchid. When our Neolithic ancestors, living in the Middle East about 10,000 years ago, discovered that certain grasses could be harvested and their seeds planted for richer productions the next season, the first great step in a new association of plants and humans was taken. Grains were discovered and from them flowed the wonder of agriculture; cultivated crops. From then on, humans would increasingly take their living from the controlled production of a few plants, rather than getting a little here and a little there from many varieties that grew wild and the built up knowledge of tens of thousands of years of experience and close relationship with plants in the wild would begin fade away.
1. Which of the following statements about early humans is expressed in the passage?
A. They probably had extensive knowledge of plants.    
B. They thought there was no need to cultivate crops.     
C. They did not enjoy the study of botany.      
D. They placed great importance on the ownership of property.
2. What does the comment “This is logical.” In the first paragraph mean?
A. There is no clear way to determine the extent of our ancestor’s knowledge of plants.           
B. It is not surprising that early humans had a detailed knowledge of plants.
C. It is reasonable to assume that our ancestors behaved very much like people in pre-industrial societies.       
D. Human knowledge of plants is well organized and very detailed.
3. According to the passage, why has general knowledge of botany begun to fade?
A. People no longer value plants as a useful resource.       
B. Botany is not recognized as a special branch of science.
C. Research is unable to keep up with the increasing numbers of plants.
D. Direct contact with a variety of plants has decreased.
4. In the second paragraph, what is the author’s purpose in mentioning “ a rose, an apple, or an orchid”?
A. To make the passage more poetic.
B. To give an example of plant that are attractive.
C. To give botanical examples that all readers will recognize.
D. To explain the variety of botanical life.
5. According to the passage, what was the first great step toward the practice of agriculture?
A. The invention of agricultural tools and machinery.       
B. The development of a system of names for plants.
C. The discovery of grasses that could be harvested and replanted.         
D. The changing diets of early humans.   

The people below are all looking for books to help themselves. After the description of these people, there is information about six books A---F. Decide which book would be most suitable for the person mentioned in questions 61---65 and mark the correct letter (A---F) on your answer sheet. There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use.
_____【小题1】 Jim bought a home computer earlier this year and he’s become very enthusiastic about it, spending hours each evening ‘playing’ with it as his wife says. Unfortunately, he’s
getting a bit forgetful about things he’s promised to do!                            
___【小题2】 Freda prefers action to reading or watching TV. She is planning to redecorate the
living room and she isn’t expecting any help from others!                             
____【小题3】 Susan Laughton is taking ‘A’ Levels in English, History and Art next year and if she passes, she’s hoping to become a teacher.                                   
____【小题4】Tony is very interested in animals and at the moment he wants to be a vet (a doctor for animals) when he grows up.                                   
___【小题5】 Jessica loves flowers, though, as her family lives in a second floor flat, there’s no
garden for her to grow anything in.                                        
A: Book One
By Rachel Lawson
Over 100 color photographs, $ 22.00
Written to accompany an exciting new 13-part ITV television series, Nature Watch, this book describes the people who spend their lives working with the birds, animals and plants in various parts of the world. Their enthusiasm is brought to life with their own outstanding color photographs. Hints on nature watching for the amateur are found throughout.
B: Book Two
By Bob Dillard
150 color photographs and 490 color pictures, $ 16.50
Just the book for the job! With over 600 color photographs and pictures it covers the most popular DIY tasks around the home---painting, wall coverings, finishing furniture and woodwork, and putting up shelves. Full of handy tips and clear instructions
C: Book Three
By Will Smith, $ 7.5
Week to a page. A truly delightful family science magazine, each issue brings to light new software to make time before the screen interesting. This pocket diary provides a wide range of information for the enthusiast. Try it for 3 weeks for just 6.6. You can save 0.9.
D: Book Four
By Martin Ferguson
Color throughout, Paperback $ 9.5
Another title in the popular and practical Learn to Paint series, this beautifully illustrated book show you how to paint animals, birds, fish and butterflies in the studio and in the field. Every issue contains plenty of usable samples and provides a free photography page.
E: Book Five
By Cynthia Wildman
12 double-page color paintings 170 line drawings, $ 17.8
A fresh and useful approach to indoor gardening. A month-by-month guide to jobs to do, plants to look for, planning ahead and enjoying seasonal variations — to give year-round color in the home. Illustrated by original paintings for each month.
F: Book Six
By Conrad Ellis & Richard Hopkins, Paperback $ 9.8
A guide to success in written work, study and examinations for students in all subjects at colleges, and universities. Topics covered include: grammar, punctuation, and spelling; sentence and paragraph structure; research and library work; charts and diagrams; essays, reports, and exams; letters and application forms; listening and note-taking; talking and reading skills.