If you think American cooking means opening a package and throwing the contents into the microwave oven (微波炉), think again. On the one hand, it’s true that many Americans have cold cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and instant (方便的) dinners. From busy homemakers to working people, many Americans enjoy the convenience (方便) of fast food that can be ready to serve in 10 minutes or less. On the other hand, many Americans realize the importance of cooking skills. Parents — especially mothers — see the importance of training their children — especially daughters. Most Americans think that there’s nothing better than a good home-cooked meal. But with cooking, as with any other skill, good results don’t happen by accident.

Probably every cook has his or her own way of cooking. But there are some basic skills that most people follow. For example, baking is a main method (方法) of preparing food in America. For that reason, Americans would find it next to impossible to live without an oven. American cooks pay special attention to the balance of foods, too. In planning a big meal they try to include meat, a few vegetables, some bread and often a dessert. They also like to make sure the meal is colorful. Having several different colors of food on the plate usually makes for a healthy meal.

For those who need guidance in their cooking, or for those who have just run out of ideas, recipes are a great help. Recipes list all the ingredients for a dish (generally in the order used), the amount of each to use, and a description of how to put them together.

1.This passage mainly tells us that ______.

A．Americans like to have several different colors of food on the plate

B．without an oven, Americans find it impossible to live conveniently

C．Americans pay special attention to recipes and nutritious meals

D．Americans usually have fast food, but they pay special attention to cooking as well

2.Many Americans have cold cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and instant dinner because ______.

A．they like instant food very much

B．they don’t like cooking at all

C．most American working people are busy and don’t have time to cook

D．fast food is delicious and it usually contains a lot of vitamins

3.By saying “But with cooking, as with any other skill, good results don’t happen by accident”, the author means ______.

A．good cooking doesn’t come easily; it needs a lot of practice

B．just like any other skill, cooking may bring good results

C．cooking comes from one’s gift, not through practice

D．cooking can lead to accidents

4.From the passage, we know that ______.

A．Americans don’t care about food

B．Americans are not good at cooking because they like to use recipes

C．an oven plays an important role in cooking for Americans

D．while cooking, Americans usually run out of ideas

The United States is one of the richest countries in the world. Most people live in urban areas, and the large stretch of land left unused is full of scenic beauty. On the one hand it is proud of its urban areas, and on the other hand, it has the rich wealth of forests, mountains, plains and much more.

On the east coast of the country there are cities like New York, the leading city in business. Washington, D.C. is the capital of the country, where you will get an opportunity to see the White House. The city will simply impress you, with many museums showing the culture, lifestyle, art and architecture of the country. Another place worth visiting is Miami, one of the most popular international tourist destinations. It is also well known for its Latin culture, wonderful urban nightlife and beaches.

Moving to the west coast, you will come across the most amazing places in which to relax. Los Angeles is the place where you can see life in all its many forms; this city is world-famous for its Hollywood film industry. It also has beaches that can offer breathtaking surfing experiences.

Moving on to the Pacific Coast Highway, we get to see the beauty of San Francisco. Clean beaches and mountains topped (盖住) by clouds are worth seeing. Travelers can enjoy day trips to beaches, deserts and wine-producing regions. Chicago lies on the shore of the Great Lakes and is believed to be the fastest growing city in the world, with its high standard of living and rich lifestyles. The city is a center for many theaters and is world-famous for its strong tradition of music jazz and the blues.

According to the first paragraph, we know that ______.

     A. most American people live in the countryside

B. a lot of land has not been used in the US

C. the US has the largest forest in the world

D. the US has a larger area of urban land than wild land

Which city in the US is famous for its Latin culture?

     A. New York.                   B. San Francisco.

     C. Los Angeles.                    D. Miami.

Which of the following is TRUE?

     A. The article refers to four cities on the east coast.

B. You can go to Los Angeles to experience surfing.

C. You cannot enjoy the blues in Chicago.

D. San Francisco is a center for many theaters.

What is the text mainly about?

     A. One of the reasons why the US is rich.

B. The customs and culture of the US.

C. A brief introduction to some American cities.

D. The beautiful landscapes of the US.

If you think American cooking means opening a package and throwing the contents into the microwave oven (微波炉), think again. On the one hand, it’s true that many Americans have cold cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and instant (方便的) dinners. From busy homemakers to working people, many Americans enjoy the convenience (方便) of fast food that can be ready to serve in 10 minutes or less. On the other hand, many Americans realize the importance of cooking skills. Parents — especially mothers — see the importance of training their children — especially daughters. Most Americans think that there’s nothing better than a good home-cooked meal. But with cooking, as with any other skill, good results don’t happen by accident.
Probably every cook has his or her own way of cooking. But there are some basic skills that most people follow. For example, baking is a main method (方法) of preparing food in America. For that reason, Americans would find it next to impossible to live without an oven. American cooks pay special attention to the balance of foods, too. In planning a big meal they try to include meat, a few vegetables, some bread and often a dessert. They also like to make sure the meal is colorful. Having several different colors of food on the plate usually makes for a healthy meal.
For those who need guidance in their cooking, or for those who have just run out of ideas, recipes are a great help. Recipes list all the ingredients for a dish (generally in the order used), the amount of each to use, and a description of how to put them together.
【小题1】This passage mainly tells us that ______.

Have you seen Jurassic Park? In this film, scientists use DNA kept for tens of millions of years to clone dinosaurs. They find trouble, however, when they realize that the cloned creatures are smarter and more dangerous than expected. That’s nothing more than a fiction.
But could we really clone endangered animals?
    To date, the most successful attempt to do so was the cloning of a gaur, a rare ox-like animal from southeast Asia. Scientists used a cow to bring the cloned baby gaur, named Noah. Two days after birth, however, Noah died from a common bacterial infection. Other endangered species that may be cloned include the African bongo antelope (邦戈羚羊), the Sumatran tiger, the cheetah (猎豹), and the giant panda.     Next, could we really clone extinct animals?
In theory? Yes. To do this, you need a well-kept source of DNA from the extinct animals such as wool mammoth (毛象), Tasmanian tiger, or even dinosaur, and a closely related species, still living, which could serve as a surrogate mother.
In reality? Probably not. On the one hand, it’s not likely that extinct animals’ DNA could survive undamaged for such a long time. Cloning extinct animals as wool mammoth, Tasmanian tiger, or dinosaur is much more difficult due to the lack of properly well-preserved DNA. On the other hand, for example, a gaur can have a cow as a surrogate mother, definitely not a monkey. But what about an extinct animals as unique as the panda? What species could possibly serve as a surrogate mother?
Cloning presents many exciting possibilities. However, even if extinct animals are brought back, they could not survive in today’s world. Not only do most extinct animals have no habitat to love in, but the other plants and animals they depended on for food may also be gone as well.
1. It can be learned from the text that ________.
A. scientists have cloned the African bongo antelope
B. both the cheetah and the giant panda live in Asia
C. the gaur lives in Asia and is endangered 
D. the gaur is an extinct species
2. The underlined words “a surrogate mother” probably refer to a female who -----
A. contributes its eggs to another female  B. gives birth to a baby for another female
C. gives birth to a baby of its own        D. cannot give birth to a baby
3. The difficulty in cloning an extinct species is the lack of ______.
A. both the well-preserved DNA and plants to live on
B. both the habitat to live in and the well-preserved DNA
C. both habitat to live in and plants to live on
D. both the well-preserved DNA and a surrogate mother
4. In the author’s opinion, it is possible that ______.
A. some extinct species may be cloned, but not survive
B. extinct species may be cloned and easily survive
C. a gaur can have a monkey as a surrogate mother
D. all the extinct species may be cloned
5．Today , have scientists  cloned  dinosaus?
A .Yes    B .No    C .A lot  D.Only one.

     Have you seen Jurassic Park? In this film, scientists use DNA kept for tens of millions of years to clone dinosaurs. They find trouble, however, when they realize that the cloned creatures are smarter and more dangerous than expected. That’s nothing more than a fiction.

     But could we really clone endangered animals?

     To date, the most successful attempt to do so was the cloning of a gaur, a rare ox-like animal from southeast Asia. Scientists used a cow to bring the cloned baby gaur, named Noah. Two days after birth, however, Noah died from a common bacterial infection. Other endangered species that may be cloned include the African bongo antelope (邦戈羚羊), the Sumatran tiger, the cheetah (猎豹), and the giant panda.     Next, could we really clone extinct animals?

     In theory? Yes. To do this, you need a well-kept source of DNA from the extinct animals such as wool mammoth (毛象), Tasmanian tiger, or even dinosaur, and a closely related species, still living, which could serve as a surrogate mother.

     In reality? Probably not. On the one hand, it’s not likely that extinct animals’ DNA could survive undamaged for such a long time. Cloning extinct animals as wool mammoth, Tasmanian tiger, or dinosaur is much more difficult due to the lack of properly well-preserved DNA. On the other hand, for example, a gaur can have a cow as a surrogate mother, definitely not a monkey. But what about an extinct animals as unique as the panda? What species could possibly serve as a surrogate mother?

     Cloning presents many exciting possibilities. However, even if extinct animals are brought back, they could not survive in today’s world. Not only do most extinct animals have no habitat to love in, but the other plants and animals they depended on for food may also be gone as well.

1. It can be learned from the text that ________.

A. scientists have cloned the African bongo antelope

B. both the cheetah and the giant panda live in Asia

C. the gaur lives in Asia and is endangered 

D. the gaur is an extinct species

2. The underlined words “a surrogate mother” probably refer to a female who -----

A. contributes its eggs to another female   B. gives birth to a baby for another female

C. gives birth to a baby of its own        D. cannot give birth to a baby

3. The difficulty in cloning an extinct species is the lack of ______.

  A. both the well-preserved DNA and plants to live on

  B. both the habitat to live in and the well-preserved DNA

  C. both habitat to live in and plants to live on

  D. both the well-preserved DNA and a surrogate mother

4. In the author’s opinion, it is possible that ______.

  A. some extinct species may be cloned, but not survive

  B. extinct species may be cloned and easily survive

  C. a gaur can have a monkey as a surrogate mother

  D. all the extinct species may be cloned

5．Today , have scientists  cloned  dinosaus?

A .Yes    B .No    C .A lot  D.Only one.