The eastern Indonesian Island of Komodo is proving a hit with adventurous tourists eager to catch a glance of the world’s largest lizard species. The island is the home of the huge lizard called the Komodo dragon.

A later species of the Jurassic period dinosaurs 130 million years ago, the Komodo dragon is in danger and has been placed under protection by the Indonesian government.

The huge lizard is called “Buaya Darat” by the local people who show great respect for the species. Tales handed down over generations of islanders speak of the dragon warning people of getting close to crocodiles.

The animal can reach a length of three meters when fully grown, gain a weight of about 135 kilograms and may live to an age of about 100 years. It digs a hole in the ground as deep as 9 meters and lay eggs---up to 30 at a time---that hatch in April or May. The newly hatched lizards, about 45 centimeters long, live in trees for several months.

Komodo dragons have been known to eat smaller members of the species and sometimes even other grown-ups. The Komodo dragon was first discovered in 1912 by a group of fishermen who protected themselves from a storm in the Banda Sea on the island.

Various species of the Komodo dragons are also found in Asia, Australia and Africa, but it is only on Komodo and the western tip of the neighboring island of Flores that they grow up to three meters long.

46. The message is mainly about                                  .

the largest crocodile in the world                      B. the story of a dragon in Indonesia

a kind of huge lizard---the Komodo dragon 

D. how the Komodo dragon was found and protected

47. Newly-born Komodo dragons                                 .

A. dig very deep holes            

B. are hatched in cold weather

C. are 30 centimeters long and weigh 45 kilograms 

D. spend their first few months living in trees

48. Today Komodo dragons                                      .

A. are protected by the local government   

B. are hunted by Komodo fishermen

C. join in a special hatching program      

D. live only on the Komodo Island

49. According to the passage, Komodo dragons                              .

are 9 meters long and live up to 80 years

are 3 meters long and live up to 100 years

weigh up to 135 kilograms and are 9 meters long

weigh 45 kilograms and live up to 135 years

50. The local people have great respect for the Komodo dragon because they believe ___        

the dragon can prevent them from being attacked by crocodiles

the dragon has special curing power

the dragon is in great danger of dying out in its hometown

it takes thousands of years for the dinosaurs to become dragons         

 

When many people in the west think of China, the animal that they think of is the dragon. For them, the dragon is an aggressive monster that breathes fire. Many popular legends tell how dragons have killed brave knights and eaten beautiful young girls.
For Chinese people, however, the dragon is not an evil monster. It’s a cultural and spiritual symbol for prosperity and good luck. The dragon’s main task is to create harmony and bring rain. Dragons are celebrated in art and architecture, and of course the dragon dance is a very popular ritual (仪式).
China isn’t the only country to have the dragon as its symbol. Wales in the UK, has a red dragon proudly displayed on its flag. Another country in the world with a dragon on its flag is Bhutan, a tiny country between China and India.
Almost all countries in the world have an animal symbol representing their countries. This is particularly obvious during sports. The English think lions to be brave and proud animal and the English football teams have three lions on their football shirts.
Australia is famous for kangaroos, of course. The national rugby team is more commonly known as the Wallabies, a type of small kangaroo.The South African team is known as the Springboks, a type of African antelope. Likewise the New Zealanders, whether playing sports or not, are commonly known as kiwis. A kiwi is a native New Zealand bird that can’t fly.
All countries are proud of their symbols, which they feel reflect national characteristics or the beauty and variety of their natural environments. Recently, a Shang hai professor claimed that using the dragon as a national symbol could make western countries have a negative view of China. But in an Internet survey 90% of Chinese people wanted to keep the dragon.
【小题1】In the opinion of the west, the dragon is ______.

A．a terrible animal that is not popular

B．a cultural and spiritual symbol of good luck

C．a reflection of China’s national characteristics

D．an animal that can create harmony and bring rain

【小题2】Which of the following does NOT use the dragon as its national symbol?

A．China.

B．Wales.

C．Bhutan.

D．India.

【小题3】According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．The national rugby team from the South Africa is well known as the Wallabies.

B．The Australian team is known as Springboks, a type of kangaroo.

C．The New Zealanders are commonly known as kiwis only when playing sports.

D．The dragon is mentioned to have been used on the flag in two countries.

People who travel a lot fly with BA because they know they will get what they want and what they need. First of all, they want to go safely, and they also want to go quickly, across the country, across the sea, or right across the world — and they know BA will take them where they want to go, when they want to go. BA flies all the newest and fastest planes, to more towns and cities, in more countries of the world, than any other airline.

 Do you want to go to Paris, Washington, or Beijing? BA will take you there, at all time of the day and night, right through the week. BA flies not only to the big cities, we also fly three or four times a week to towns and cities in the very heart of Asia, Africa and South America.

 People who travel a lot fly with BA, because they know that they will leave on time, and arrive on time. They know the food they will receive and the films they will watch will be of the very best.

BA should be considered second to none. When you fly, fly with BA.

The writer thinks that the most important thing for the passengers is ________.

A. to fly freely                      B. that the planes arrive on time

C. to fly at a fast speed                D. to travel safely

BA flies to many big cities of the world ________.

A. every day                                    B. every three days 

C. twice a week                                D. every other week

The underlined sentence of the text means ________.

   A. BA is the second best                B. BA is the best of all

   C. BA has a long way to go            D. BA is growing larger and larger

If you fly with BA, ________.

    A. you’ll be the happiest one in the world    

B. you’ll receive the best service

C. you’ll enjoy delicious meals that other airlines don’t have

D. you can travel to any place you like

When many people in the west think of China, the animal that they think of is the dragon. For them, the dragon is an aggressive monster that breathes fire. Many popular legends tell how dragons have killed brave knights and eaten beautiful young girls.

For Chinese people, however, the dragon is not an evil monster. It’s a cultural and spiritual symbol for prosperity and good luck. The dragon’s main task is to create harmony and bring rain. Dragons are celebrated in art and architecture, and of course the dragon dance is a very popular ritual (仪式).

China isn’t the only country to have the dragon as its symbol. Wales in the UK, has a red dragon proudly displayed on its flag. Another country in the world with a dragon on its flag is Bhutan, a tiny country between China and India.

Almost all countries in the world have an animal symbol representing their countries. This is particularly obvious during sports. The English think lions to be brave and proud animal and the English football teams have three lions on their football shirts.

Australia is famous for kangaroos, of course. The national rugby team is more commonly known as the Wallabies, a type of small kangaroo.The South African team is known as the Springboks, a type of African antelope. Likewise the New Zealanders, whether playing sports or not, are commonly known as kiwis. A kiwi is a native New Zealand bird that can’t fly.

All countries are proud of their symbols, which they feel reflect national characteristics or the beauty and variety of their natural environments. Recently, a Shang hai professor claimed that using the dragon as a national symbol could make western countries have a negative view of China. But in an Internet survey 90% of Chinese people wanted to keep the dragon.

1.In the opinion of the west, the dragon is ______.

A．a terrible animal that is not popular

B．a cultural and spiritual symbol of good luck

C．a reflection of China’s national characteristics

D．an animal that can create harmony and bring rain

2.Which of the following does NOT use the dragon as its national symbol?

A．China.            B．Wales.            C．Bhutan.           D．India.

3.According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．The national rugby team from the South Africa is well known as the Wallabies.

B．The Australian team is known as Springboks, a type of kangaroo.

C．The New Zealanders are commonly known as kiwis only when playing sports.

D．The dragon is mentioned to have been used on the flag in two countries.

 

If you are asked to name some national emblems of China, the dragon will probably be one of the famous images that pop into your head. We Chinese often consider ourselves "the descendants（后代）of the dragon." It is not unfamiliar to you that your parents hope that you "may become the dragon".  

　　As a mythical（神秘的）creature, the dragon is deeply rooted in Chinese culture. Traditionally, dragons are considered to govern rainfall. They have the power to decide where and when the rain falls. In addition, the dragon is a symbol of imperial （帝王的）power. The emperors thought they were real dragons and the sons of the heaven.  　

But the creature is regarded differently in Western countries. In the Bible, dragons represent the devil（恶人）. Western people usually see dragons as cold-blooded reptiles（爬虫）, like snakes and cruel killers. In their eyes, dragons are also dishonest.　　

　　Dragons in Western literature are presented as monsters（怪物）. It is a common tale for a mediaeval knight（中世纪的骑士） to kill a dragon and save a princess and her country from its evil. Even the popular boy wizard Harry Potter has to battle against a dragon.  　　

　　However, dragons are not all bad in the West. "Puff the Magic Dragon" is a well-known song. The lyrics(歌词) tell a bitter-sweet story of the dragon Puff and his playmate Jackie Paper, a little boy. When Jackie grows up, he loses interest in the imaginary adventures of childhood and leaves Puff upset. Puff represents the innocence of a child's imagination, which is very positive for a dragon.  　　

1.The underlined word” emblems” in the first paragraph means “_______”.

A．symbols

B．names

C．places

D．parks

2.What is a dragon presented as according to Western literature?

A wizard      B. A mediaeval knight  C. A princess           D. A monster

3.The writer gave the example of “ Puff the Magic Dragon” to show_____.

A．dragons can represent the innocence of child’s imagination

B．children don’t like to play with dragons

C．dragons are not all bad in the West

D．not all people in the West like dragons