Researchers at Sweden’s KTH Royal Institute of Technology say they have found further proof that the wolf ancestors of today’s dogs can be from southern East Asia -- findings that are contrary to theories placing the birth place in the Middle East. Dr Peter Savolainen, KTH researcher in evolutionary genetics, says a new study released Nov. 23 confirms that an Asian region south of the Yangtze River was the principal and probably the only region where wolves were domesticated（驯化）by humans.

Research data show clearly that dogs are descended from wolves, but there’s never been scientific agreement on where in the world the domestication process began. “Our analysis of Y-chromosomal（染色体）DNA now confirms that wolves were first domesticated in Asia south of Yangtze River -- we call it the ASY region -- in southern China or Southeast Asia,” Savolainen says.

The Y data supports previous evidence from mitochondrial（线粒体）DNA. “Taken together, the two studies provide very strong evidence that dogs appeared first in the ASY region,” Savolainen says.

Archaeological data and a genetic study recently published in Nature suggest that dogs originate from the Middle East. But Savolainen rejects that view. “Because none of these studies included samples from the ASY region, evidence from ASY has been overlooked,” he says.

Peter Savolainen and PhD student Mattias Oskarsson worked with Chinese colleagues to analyse DNA from male dogs around the world. Their study was published in the scientific journal Heredity.

Approximately half of the gene pool was universally shared everywhere in the world, while only the ASY region had the entire range of genetic diversity. “This shows that gene pools in all other regions of the world most probably originate from the ASY region,” Savolainen says.

“Our results confirm that Asia south of the Yangtze River was the most important -- and probably the only -- region for wolf domestication, and that a large number of wolves were domesticated,” says Savolainen.

In separate research published recently in Ecology and Evolution, Savolainen, PhD student Arman Ardalan and Iranian and Turkish scientists conducted a comprehensive study of mitochondrial DNA, with a particular focus on the Middle East. Because mitochondrial DNA is inherited only from the mother in most species, it is especially useful in studying evolutionary relationships.

“Since other studies have indicated that wolves were domesticated in the Middle East, we wanted to be sure nothing had been missed. We find no signs whatsoever that dogs originated there,” says Savolainen.

In their studies, the researchers also found minor genetic contributions from crossbreeding between dogs and wolves in other geographic regions, including the Middle East.

“This subsequent dog/wolf hybridisation（混合淡化技术）contributed only modestly to the dog gene pool,” Savolainen explains.

1.What does Dr. Peter Savolainen believe?

A. Dogs’ ancestors came from the Middle East.

B. Wolves were probably first trained to work for humans in the ASY region.

C. Analysis of Y-chromosomal DNA should be combined with mitochondrial DNA.

D. Samples of the previous studies are enough to support the conclusion.

2.We can learn from the passage that _______.

A．there is a universal agreement on the place of first domestication

B．data from ASY may highlight where dogs came from

C．Dr. Savolainen’s research mainly focuses on the Middle East

D．the dog/wolf hybridization makes up most of the dog gene pool

3.What is special about mitochondrial DNA?

A．It is only used in studying evolutionary relationships.

B．It alone can provide hard evidence for Savolainen’s research.

C．It is the most useful in finding out the birth place of dogs.

D．It comes from the mother of most animals and plants.

Goats are amazing animals. They can survive just about anywhere. Altogether there are nine species of goats in the world.
Goats have more uses than you could ever imagine. Goat’s meat can be eaten and goat’s milk is becoming popular as a healthy choice to drink milk. Goat’s milk is easier to take in than cow’s milk and it is called universal milk as it can be used to bottle-feed most animals. In nutrition, it is also good. Goat’s skins are still used today to make gloves and other items of clothing. The initial reasons for domesticating (驯化) goats were to get goat’s hair, meat and milk. Goat’s skins were used up until the Middle Ages for making bottles to hold water and wine for people who were traveling or camping.
Just like sheep, goats are considered to be the first domesticated animal. The domestication process began over 10,000 years ago in a North Iranian town. A lot of people keep goats as pets nowadays.
Goats are easily trained and you can teach them to pull carts and walk on ropes. Goats are also known for escaping their pens(圈). If you have unsecured fencing, your goats will be interested in it and test it out and soon you will know where the openings are. Goats are also widely known for their ability to climb trees, although the tree generally has to be at a slight angle(角度).
If goats are raised correctly and trained from an early age, they never develop any bad habits. Goats will attack each other. However, if they’re corrected from an early age they never attack humans or other animals.
【小题1】The passage is written mainly 　   　.

Teacher’s Day around the world is not celebrated on the same day. In some countries, Teacher’s Day is celebrated on working days. However, in other countries, it is celebrated on holidays. Here we are giving you a list of countries that celebrate Teacher’s Day on holidays.

China

Teacher’s Day was proposed (提议) at National Central University in 1931. It was adopted (采纳) by the central government of Republic of China in 1932. In 1939, the day was set on August 27, Confucius’s birthday. The government of the People’s Republic of China called it off in 1951. It was reestablished in 1985, and the day was changed to September 10. Now more and more people are trying to celebrate Teacher’s Day back to Confucius’s birthday.

India

In India, Teacher’s Day is celebrated on September 5, in honor of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the second President of India，because his birthday was September 5.

Russia

In Russia, Teacher’s Day is on October 5. Before 1994, this day was set on the first Sunday of September.

The USA

In the United States, Teacher’s Day is a holiday on the Tuesday of the first full week of May.

Thailand

January 16 was adopted as Teacher’s Day in Thailand by a resolution (决议) of the government on November 21, 1956. The first Teacher’s Day was celebrated in 1957.

Iran

In Iran, Teacher’s Day is celebrated on May 2 every year. It is in honor of the famous Iranian professor Ayatollah Morteza Motahhari who died on May 2, 1980.

Although different countries celebrate Teacher’s Day on different days, the activities people take to celebrate it just stay the same.

1.The best title for the passage is ____.

A．Teacher’s Day around the world           B．The history of Teacher’s Day

C．Activities on Teacher’s Day               D．How to celebrate Teacher’s Day

2.In which year was Teacher’s Day changed from August 27 to September 10 in China?

A．1931.            B．1939.             C．1951.            D．1985.

3.In which country is Teacher’s Day celebrated in honor of its leader?

A．Iran.             B．India.             C．Russia.            D．Thailand.

4.What will probably be discussed next?

A．How Teacher’s Day became popular in the world.

B．Which country is the first to celebrate Teacher’s Day.

C．What activities people take to celebrate Teacher’s Day.

D．Which country has the longest vacation for Teacher’s Day.

In recent years, especially during the l960s, there was much discussion about “the brain drain (排干, 流失),” which dealt with the problem of students and learned people who left their own countries for other countries that offered better chances for study, research, and employment．For example, according to a report from U．N., between 1962 and l966 more than 50 percent of all engineering graduates of Iran and 14 percent of Iranian scientists left their country for work abroad．Over 30 percent of Chilean engineers and 15 percent of Turkish physicians also went to work in other countries．Probably the greatest brain drain occurred among young scientists who had gone abroad to study．Many of them had planned to return to their countries to teach but chose to remain in more industrialized nations where they were able to continue their work and their research in fields in which there were no job possibilities at home．The countries that attracted most of these scientists were the United States, Great Britain, Germany, France, Canada, and Australia.
　　Recent studies show that the brain drain to the United States may be decreasing．Many foreign scientists are going home again, and in some cases American scientists are leaving the United States for employment in other countries．The main reasons are that good jobs are becoming fewer here, money for national research has been sharply cut, and university fellowships reduced too．However, in the field of medicine the drain to the United States still goes on．Today more than one of every five American doctors is foreign - born, and several thousand foreign doctors immigrate to the United States each year．Over eighty countries have asked the State Department to send students who are skilled in important fields such as medicine back home when their study programs are over.
【小题1】Which of the following is not the reason for “the brain drain”?

______ 6 world powers have accepted ______ Iranian offer for talks on its disputed nuclear program.

A. The; a??????????? B. 不填; an???????? C. The; an????????? D. 不填; a