Unit 4Exploring plantsPeriod OneReading & Writing.阅读理解AZoos divide opinion：there are those who think it is cruel to keep animals locked up while others believe zoos are essential for the survival of endangered species.To argue that zoos imprison animals is to misunderstand what zoos are about.Without zoos many of the creatures we love and admire would no longer exist.Every single day，over one hundred animal species vanishScientists predict that as early as 2050 one quarter of the Earths species will become extinct.Some animals are in danger because they are hunted.Alarmingly，the population of tigers has already fallen by ninetyfive percent.Other species are in danger because of a lack of food.For example，there are fewer than 1300 giant pandas left in the wild. Zoos have special breeding programmes to help those animals at risk.These breeding programmes are proving extremely successful.As Irene Shapiro from Zoo and Wildlife Support says，“the Puerto Rican Parrot has grown in numbers from just thirteen to about eightyfive and the Golden Lion Tamarin Monkey，which has almost ceased to exist twenty years ago，has been reintroduced back into the wild.” Unfortunately，not everyone understands this important role zoos play.For example，Brian Featherstone from the AntiZoo Forum says，“I cant believe we take animals from the wild and put them in cages for the entertainment of the public! We should view them on film or TV in their natural environment.” However，this misses the point.A zoo does more than display animals to the public.It ensures their survival.Without zoos you would not be able to see many of these animals on TV or anywhere else!1Whats the writers attitude towards zoos?AHe shows no opinion either for or against them.BHe thinks that they are unnecessary and cruel.CHe believes they play an important environmental role.DHe expresses a desire that more of them be built.答案C 解析推理判断题。最后一段作者说，动物园保证了动物的幸存，没有动物园你将不可能在电视上或者其他任何地方看到许多动物。由此可见，作者认为动物园扮演着一个重要的环境角色。故选C。2The underlined word “vanish” in Paragraph 2 most probably means _Aremain BdisappearCbecome rarer Dget killed答案B解析词义猜测题。A.“保持，留下”；B.“消失”；C.“变得更稀罕”；D.“被杀”。下一句说，科学家预言早在2050年四分之一的地球物种将会灭绝。因此，每一天都会有100多个动物物种消失。故选B。3According to the passage the worlds tiger population _Awill rise by 5% next yearBis relatively stableCis 95% smaller than in the pastDhas fallen to 95%答案C解析细节理解题。第三段“Alarmingly，the population of tigers has already fallen by ninetyfive percent.”说明让人担忧的是，老虎的数量已经下降了95%，即数量比过去少了95%。故选C。4According to the passage some people do not agree with zoos because they _Aare too expensive to runBput animals in dangerCdo not provide enough foodDkeep animals locked up答案D 解析细节理解题。第五段Brian Featherstone就认为我们应该在电影或电视上看动物在自然环境中的生活。所以，一些人不同意动物园的做法是因为动物园把动物都锁了起来，使其无法生活在自然界。B Today，bicycles are elegantly simple machines that are common around the world.Many people ride bicycles for recreation，whereas others use them as a means of transportation.The first bicycle was invented in Germany in 1818.Because it was made of wood，it wasnt very strong nor did it have pedals (脚踏板)Riders moved it by pushing their feet against the ground.In 1839，Kirkpatrick Macmillan，a Scottish blacksmith，invented a much better bicycle.Macmillans machine had ironcovered wheels to keep them from getting worn down.He also used footoperated levers，similar to pedals，so his bicycle could be ridden at a quick pace.It didnt look much like the modem bicycle，though，because its back wheel was substantially larger than its front wheel.Although Macmillans bicycles could be ridden easily，they were never produced in large numbers.In 1861，Frenchman Pierre Michaux and his brother Ernest invented a bicycle with an improved pedal mechanism.They called their bicycle a velocipede，but most people called it a “bone shaker” because of the effect of the wood and iron frame.Despite the impolite nickname，the velocipede was a hit.After a few years，the Michaux family was making hundreds of the machines annually，mostly for funseeking young people.Ten years later，James Starley ，an English inventor，made several innovations that revolutionized bicycle design.He made the front wheel many times larger than the back wheel，put a gear on the pedals to make the bicycle more efficient，and lightened the wheels by using wire spokes.Although this bicycle was much lighter and less tiring to ride，it was still clumsy，extremely topheavy，and ridden mostly for entertainment. It wasnt until 1874 that the first truly modern bicycle appeared on the scene.Invented by another Englishman，H.J.Lawson，the safety bicycle would look familiar to todays cyclists.The safety bicycle had equalsized wheels，which made it easier to ride.Lawson also attached a chain to the pedals to drive the back wheel.By 1893，the safety bicycle had been further improved with airfilled rubber tires，a diamondshaped fram