Special Bridges Help Animals Cross the Road
——Reported by Sheila Carrick
Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.
Most people know this joke. But recently, some people have been much more worried about how the grizzly bear and mountain lion can cross the road.
“Millions of animals die each year on U.S. roads,” the Federal Highway Administration reports. In fact, only about 80 ocelots, an endangered wild cat, exist in the U.S. today. The main reason? Roadkill.
“Ecopassages” may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars. They are paths both over and under roads. “These ecopassages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid road accidents,” said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Protection Society.
But do animals actually use the ecopassages? The answer is yes. Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an ecopassage that went under a highway. This showed that the lions used the passage.
Builders of ecopassages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and around them. Animals seem to be catching on. Animals as different as salamanders and grizzly bears are using the bridges and underpasses.
The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around. You might see an animals overpass!
1.The writer uses the example of “ocelots” to show that ______.
A. wild animals have become more dangerous
B. the driving conditions have improved greatly
C. the measure for protecting wildlife fails to work
D. an increasing number of animals are killed in road accidents
2.From the news story, we know an ecopassage is ______.
A. an underground path for cars
B. a fence built for the safety of the area
C. a bridge for animals to get over a river
D. a pass for animals to cross the road
3.When the writer says that animals seem “to be catching on”, he means ______.
A. animals begin to realize the dangers on the road
B. animals begin to learn to use ecopassages
C. animals are crossing the road in groups
D. animals are increasing in number
4.The writer asks visitors and drivers to look around when traveling because ______.
A. wild animals may attack cars
B. wild animals may jam the road
C. they may see wild animals in the park
D. they may see wild animals on ecopassages
Compassion is a desire within us to help others. With effort, we can translate compassion into action. An experience last weekend showed me this is true. I work part-time in a supermarket across from a building for the elderly. These old people are our main customers, and it’s not hard to lose patience over their slowness. But last Sunday, one aged gentleman appeared to teach me a valuable lesson. This untidy man walked up to my register(收款机) with a box of biscuits. He said he was out of cash(现金), had just moved into his room, and had nothing in his cupboards. He asked if we could let him have the food on trust. He promised to repay me the next day.
I couldn’t help staring at him. I wondered what kind of person he had been ten or twenty years before, and what he would be like if luck had gone his way. I had a hurt in my heart for this kind of human soul, all alone in the world. I told him that I was sorry, but store rules didn’t allow me to do so. I felt stupid and unkind saying this, but I valued my job.
Just then, another man, standing behind the first, spoke up. If anything, he looked more pitiable. “Charge it to me,” was all he said.
What I had been feeling was pity. Pity is soft and safe and easy. Compassion, on the other hand, is caring in action. I thanked the second man but told him that was not allowed either. Then I reached into my pocket and paid for the biscuits myself. I reached into my pocket because these two men had reached into my heart and taught me compassion.
1.The aged gentleman who wanted to buy the biscuits ______.
A. promised to obey the store rules
B. forgot to take any money with him
C. hoped to have the food first and pay later
D. could not afford anything more expensive
2.Which of the following best describes the old gentleman?
A. kind and lucky B. poor and lonely
C. friendly and helpful D. hurt and disappointed
3.The writer acted upon the store rules because ______.
A. he wanted to keep his present job
B. he felt no pity for the old gentleman
C. he considered the old man dishonest
D. he expected someone else to pay for the old man
4.What does the writer learn from his experience?
A. Wealth is more important than anything else.
B. Helping others is easier said than done.
C. Experience is better gained through practice.
D. Obeying the rules means more than compassion.
It was raining. I went into a café and asked for a coffee. 1I was waiting for my drink, I realized there were other people in the place, but I sensed 2. I saw their bodies, but I couldn’t feel their souls 3their souls belonged to the 4.
I stood up and walked between the tables. When I came to the biggest computer, I saw a thin, small man 5in front of it. “I’m Steve,” he finally answered after I asked him a couple of times what his name was. “I can’t talk with you. I’m 6,”he said. He was chatting online and, 7, he was playing a computer game—a war game. I was 8.
Why didn’t Steve want to talk with me? I tried 9to speak to that computer geek(怪人), 10not a word came out of his mouth. I touched his shoulder, but no reaction(反应). I was 11. I put my hand in front of the monitor, and he started to shout, “ 12!”
I took a few steps back, wondering if all those people in the café were looking at me. I 13, and saw nobody showed any interest.
14, I realized that the people there were having a nice conversation with their machines, not with people. They were more 15having a relationship with the 16, particularly Steve. I wouldn’t want to 17the future of human beings if they preferred sharing their lives with machines 18with people.
I was worried and sank in my thoughts. I didn’t even 19that the coffee was bad, 20Steve didn’t notice there was a person next to him.
1.A. Before B. Since C. Although D. While
2.A. pain B. loneliness C. sadness D. fear
3.A. because B. when C. until D. unless
4.A. home B. world C. Net D. Café
5.A. sleeping B. laughing C. sitting D. learning
6.A. busy B. thirsty C. tired D. sick
7.A. first of all B. just then C. at the same time D. by that time
8.A. surprised B. delighted C. moved D. frightened
9.A. once B. again C. first D. even
10.A. but B. so C. if D. or
11.A. excited B. respected C. afraid D. unhappy
12.A. Shut up B. Enjoy yourself C. Leave me alone D. Help me out
13.A. walked about B. walked out C. raised my hand D. raised my head
14.A. From then on B. At that moment C. In all D. Above all
15.A. interested in B. tired of C. careful about D. troubled by
16.A. computer B. soul C. shop D. geek
17.A. tell B. plan C. imagine D. design
18.A. other than B. instead of C. except for D. as well as
19.A. pretend B. understand C. insist D. realize
20.A. as if B. just as C. just after D. even though
High way and air transport will have to compete with _____ service for passangers nowadays.
A. good B. better C. best D. the best
Yang Jiazheng_____a book about Shuangqiao village last year but I don't know whether she has finished it.
A. has written B. wrote C. had written D. was writing
____ much advice I gave him, he did exactly what he wanted to.
A. How B. Whatever C. No matter D.However
