Question

    With only about 1,800 pandas left in the world, China is desperately trying to clone the animal and save the endangered species (物种). That’s a move similar to what a Texas A&M University researcher has been undertaking for the past five years in a project called “Noah’s Ark”. Noah’s Ark is aimed at collecting eggs, embryos (胚胎), semen and DNA of endangered animals and storing them in liquid nitrogen. If certain species should become extinct, Dr. Duane Kraemer, a professor in Texas A&M University Medicine, says there would be enough of the basic building blocks to reintroduce the species in the future.

It is estimated that as many as 2,000 species of mammals, birds and reptiles will become extinct in over 100 years. The panda, native only to China, is in danger of becoming extinct in the next 25 years. This week, Chinese scientists said they grew an embryo by introducing cells from a dead female panda into the egg cells of a Japanese white rabbit. They are now trying to implant the embryo into a host animal.

The entire procedure could take three to five years to complete.

“The nuclear transfer of one species to another is not easy, and the lack of available panda eggs could be a major problem,” Kraemer, who is one of the leaders of the Project at Texas A&M, the first­ever attempt at cloning a dog, believes. “They will probably have to do several hundred transfers to result in one pregnancy (怀孕). It takes a long time and it’s difficult, but this could be groundbreaking science if it works. They are certainly not putting any live pandas at risk, so it is worth the effort,” adds Kraemer.

“They are trying to do something that’s never been done, and this is very similar to our work in Noah’s Ark. We’re both trying to save animals that face extinction. I certainly appreciate their effort and there’s a lot we can learn from what they are attempting to do. It’s a research that is very much needed.”

1.The aim of “Noah’s Ark” project is to ________.

A.make efforts to clone the endangered pandas

B.transfer the nuclear of one animal to another

C.collect DNA of endangered animals to study

D.save endangered animals from dying out

2.The underlined word “groundbreaking” can be interpreted as ________.

A.especially new B.pioneering

C.damaging D.trouble­making

3.What may be the best title for the passage?

A.China’s Success in Panda Cloning

B.The First Cloned Panda in the World

C.Exploring the Possibility of Cloning Pandas

D.China — the Native Place of Pandas Forever

4.From the passage we know that ________.

A.about two thousand species will probably die out in a century

B.scientists try to implant a panda’s egg into a rabbit

C.Kraemer will work with Chinese scientists in clone researches

D.Kraemer and his team have succeeded in cloning a dog

Answer

1.D

2.B

3.C

4.A

【解析】

这是一篇新闻报道。文章主要讲述了德克萨斯州的大学研究人员在进行一个“诺亚方舟”工程，旨在拯救濒临灭绝的物种，而中国在用类似的技术拯救熊猫。

1.

细节理解题。根据文章第一段内容Noah’s Ark is aimed at collecting eggs, embryos, semen and DNA of endangered animals and storing them in liquid nitrogen. If certain species should become extinct, Dr. Duane Kraemer, a professor in Texas A&M University Medicine, says there would be enough of the basic building blocks to reintroduce the species in the future.(“诺亚方舟”的目标是收集濒危动物的卵子、胚胎、精液和DNA，并将它们储存在液氮中。德州农工大学医学教授杜安·克雷默博士表示，如果某些物种灭绝，未来将有足够的基本构造来重新引入该物种)可知，诺亚方舟计划是为了保护濒危物种而设立的。故选D项。

2.

词义猜测题。分析可知，划线单词所在句应是Duane Kraemer对中国实行类似“诺亚方舟”计划保护熊猫的措施做出的评价。后文They are trying to do something that’s never been done(他们试图做一些从未有人做过的事情)再次做出评价，应是对划线单词所在句进行的补充说明。因此可推知，划线单词groundbreaking应与They are trying to do something that’s never been done(他们试图做一些从未有人做过的事情)表达含义一致，即：开创性；首创性，与B选项pioneering(开创性的)表达含义一致。故选B项。

3.

主旨大意题。根据文章体裁为新闻报道，结合新闻报道特点，开篇首句交代文章主要内容：With only about 1,800 pandas left in the world, China is desperately trying to clone the animal and save the endangered species.(世界上只剩下大约1800只大熊猫了，中国正在拼命地克隆这种动物，以拯救这种濒危物种)可知，文章讲述了克隆物种的可能性，对于中国而言，则是克隆熊猫的可能性。C选项Exploring the Possibility of Cloning Pandas(探索克隆熊猫的可能性)合理概括了文章主要内容，可为最佳标题。故选C项。

4.

细节理解题。根据文章第二段第1句内容It is estimated that as many as 2,000 species of mammals, birds and reptiles will become extinct in over 100 years.可知，据估计，多达2000种哺乳动物、鸟类和爬行动物将在100年内灭绝。A选项about two thousand species will probably die out in a century(大约有2000个物种可能在一个世纪内灭绝)与原文表达一致。故选A项。