Laws to stop tigers, camels, zebras and snakes being used as performing animals in circuses have been announced by the government.
The environment minister, Jim Paice, hoped the laws would be brought in before the end of the parliament in 2015, which is the main law-making institution of the UK. At present between 35 and 50 wild animals are thought to be used by circuses in England and Defra offered to help find new homes for the retired performers.
The announcement follows a campaign by animal charity organization for the ban (禁令), which became worse when a video appeared last year of a circus elephant being beaten by a worker. Campaigners were angry when Paice previously announced tougher licensing instead.
Circus Mondao, whose website shows zebra and camels, said it would probably challenge the suggested ban. The circus is a member of the European Circus Association, which previously challenged Austria's ban, saying there was no scientific evidence (证据) that the animals were harmed by the travelling or conditions. On its website, Mondao says that when it travels animals are the last to be loaded and the first to be unloaded; they are moved to tents within an hour of arriving, and are usually moved 20-50 miles.
Animal charities welcomed the move, but called for ministers to speed up the laws. Asked why circuses would be banned from keeping wild animals but not domestic animals such as horses, a Defra spokesman said a key difference was that domesticated animals were more used to conditions such as travelling. "Wild animals aren't domesticated: we feel it's not right ethically (伦理上) for wild animals to perform," he said.What is the proper order of the following events ?
a. Tougher licensing was announced by the environment minister.
b. A campaign for a ban was launched by an animal charity.
c. Laws were announced by the government.
d. The suggested ban was challenged by Circus Mondao.
| A．b, d, c, a | B．c, b, a, d | C．b, a, c, d | D．c, a, d, b |
According to the text, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Retired performers are taken good care of in their new homes. |
| B．The environment minister expected to introduce the law during the present parliament. |
| C．Austria’s ban has been seriously challenged by all the European circuses. |
| D．Animal charities were not satisfied with the suggested laws at all. |
“Domestic animals ” are probably .
| A．animals that provide meat for people |
| B．animals that are introduced from other countries |
| C．animals that are well trained by a circus |
| D．animals that live on farm or in people’s home |
Lots of people have hobbies. Some people collect old coins or foreign stamps; some do needlework; others spend most of their spare time on a particular sport.
A lot of people enjoy reading. But reading tastes differ widely. Some people only read newspapers or comics, some like reading novels, while others prefer books on astronomy, wildlife, or technological discoveries.
If I happen to be interested in horses or precious stones, I cannot expect everyone else to share my enthusiasm. If I watch all the sports programs on TV with great pleasure, I must put up with the fact that other 
people find sports boring.
Is there nothing that interests us all? 
Is there nothing that concerns everyone—no matter who they are or where they live in the world? Yes, dear Sophie, there are questions that certainly should interest everyone. They are precisely the questions this course is about.
What is the most important thing in life? If we ask someone living on the edge of starvation, the answer is food. If we ask someone dying of cold, the answer is warmth. If we 
put the same question to someone who feels lonely and isolated, the answer will probably be the company of other people.
But when these basic needs have been satisfied—will there still be something that everybody needs? Philosophers think so. They believe that man cannot live by bread alone. Of course everyone needs food. And everyone needs love and care. But there is something else—apart from that—which everyone needs, and that is to figure out who we are and why we are here.
Being interested in why we are here is not a “casual” interest like collecting stamps. People who ask such questions are taking part in a debate that has gone on as long as man has lived on this planet. How the universe, the earth, and life came into being is a bigger and more important question than who won the most gold medals in the last Olympics.This text is most probably taken from ________.
| A．a research paper | B．a course schedule |
| C．a personal letter | D．a book review |
Which of the following best states the main idea of the passage?
| A．Philosophical questions are as interesting as collecting stamps. |
| B．Thinking about philosophical questions is a serious interest. |
| C．Figuring out who we are and why we are here is man's basic needs. |
| D．Philosophy has universal appeal and concerns everybody in nature. |
The author believes that ________.
| A．no existing subject can interest everyone in the world |
| B．different people may have different interests and concerns |
| C．everyone has to figure out who we are and why we are here |
| D．people in modern society pay more attention to philosophical questions |
| The 2010 Eustace Tilley Contest This marks our third annual contest soliciting(征求) readers' opinions on Eustace Tilley, the magazine's iconic dandy(花花公子), who appeared on the cover of the first issue of The New Yorker and on almost every anniversary issue since. In celebration of our upcoming 85th anniversary, we invite you to create your own version of The New Yorker's dandy. Entries to our third annual Eustace Tilley contest will be accepted from December 17th through January 18th. Winners will be featured on Newyorker. com. Visit newyorker.com/go/tilley2010 to enter and for complete contest rules Open to legal US and Canada residents (except Quebec) age 18 and over. |
| Video Conversations with James Surowiecki Watch the author of The Financial Pagse column in discussion with policymakers, business leaders, and economists. This month, James Surowiecki speaks with Dan Vasella, the chairman and CEO of Novartis, about drug prices, healthcare, reform, and the appearance of China in the pharmaceutical(制药的) industry. Visit www.newyorker. com/go/vasella today. |
| The Big Apple Circus Clown Care Program The Big Apple Circus Clown Care Program brings joy and laughter to young patients in seven New York City pediatric(儿科的) facilities, and 11 more across the country. 90 specially trained professional “clown doctors” visit nearly 250 000 bedsides a year, interacting with the children, family members and staff. The Clown Care Program is a part of the healing process for children who come to New York Presbyterian. The clown unit provides a unique way to reduce the stress associated with being in a hospital. Being able to bring a smile to the face of a sick child clearly complements(辅助) the excellent care provided by our doctors and nurses. We are thrilled to include The Clown Care Program as part of our team. Please help continue this important work by making a financial contribution today at bigapplecircus. org. |
Whose entry will be accepted by The New Yorker?
| A．Richard, a postgraduate from Quebec, Canada, who sent his design on Dec.20. |
| B．Amy, a 28yearold AsianAmerican teacher, who sent her design on Jan. 20. |
| C．Jessie, a 16yearold student from New York, who sent her design on Dec. 29. |
| D．John, a 68yearold retired engineer from San Francisco, who sent his design on Jan. 10. |
Which of the following is NO
T true about James Surowiecki?
| A．James Surowiecki is the author of The Financial Page column. |
| B．James Surowiecki usually has discussions with people from different fields. |
| C．James Surowiecki speaks with a chairman about issues of medicine this month. |
| D．Visiting newyorker. com/go/vasella, you can watch the conversation of this month between James and an economist. |
________ can be provided by The Big Apple Circus Care Program for sick children.
| A．Excellent treatment and care | B．Trained professional doctors and nurses |
| C．Unique methods to relieve stress | D．Special pediatric facilities |
Which of the following can be used by The Big Apple Circus Clown Care Program to promote itself?
| A．We help all children live happy lives. |
| B．Our doctors jump through rings to cure the blues. |
| C．Every life deserves world class care. |
| D．Work together for a healthier world. |
Air pollution is damaging 60% of Europe's prime wildlife sites in meadows, forests and bushes, according to a new report.
A team of EU scientists said nitrogen emissions(氮排放) from cars, factories and farming were threatening biodiversity. It's the second report this week warning of the ongoing riks and threats linked to nitrogen pollution.[
Nitrogen in the atmosphere is harmless in its inert(惰性的) state, but the report says reactive forms of nitrogen, largely produced by human activity, can be a menace to the natural world.
Emissions mostly come from vehicle exhausts(排气), factories, artificial fertilizers(肥料) and animal waste from intensive farming. The reactive nitrogen they emit to the air disrupts the environment in two ways: It can make acidic soils too acidic to support their previous mix of species. But primarily, because nitrogen is a fertilizer, it favors wild plants that can maximize the use of nitrogen to help them grow.
In effect, some of the nitrogen spread to fertilize crops is carried in the atmosphere to fertilize weeds, possibly a great distance from where the chemicals were first applied.
The effects of fertilization and acidification favor common aggressive species like grasses, brambles and nettles. They harm more delicate species like mosses(苔藓), and insecteating sundew plants.
The report said 60% of wildlife sites were now receiving a critical load of reactive nitrogen. The report's lead author, Dr. Kevin Hicks from the University of York's Stockholm Environment Institute(SEI), told BBC News that England's Peak District had a definitely low range of species as a result of the reactive nitrogen that fell on the area.
“Nitrogen creates a rather big problem that seems to me to have been given too little attention，” he said. “Governments are responsible for protecting areas like this, but they are clearly failing.”
He said more research was needed to understand the knockon effects for creatures from the changes in vegetation accidentally caused by emissions from cars, industry and farms.
At the conference, the representatives agreed “The Edinburgh Declaration on Reactive Nitrogen”. The document highlights the importance of reducing reactive nitrogen emissions to the environment, adding that the benefits of reducing nitrogen outweigh the costs
of taking action.
The underlined word “menace” is used to express that the reactive nitrogen, largely produced by human activity can be ________.
| A．frightening | B．threatening | C．unique | D．unusual |
We can infer from the passage that ________.
| A．it's harmless to have reactive nitrogen existing in the atmosphere |
B．reactive nitrogen emissions help aggressive s pecies less than crops |
| C．the harm to those delicate species has a negative impact on biodiversity |
| D．reactive nitrogen can fertilize soils and keep their biodiversity |
The team of EU scientists released the second report of nitrogen emissions this week when ________.
| A．no action was taken to stop nitrogen emission |
| B．governments were willing to protect areas harmed by nitrogen |
| C．“The Edinburgh Declaration on Reactive Nitrogen” was agreed |
| D．nitrogen emissions were threatening wildlife sites' biodiversity |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Keeping Away From Nitrogen Emissions |
| B．Stopping Nitrogen Emissions |
| C．Air Pollution Damaging Europe's Wildlife |
| D．Saving Europe's Wildlife |
I think it was my mother who taught me the meaning of honesty. Not because she actually was honest, but because she lied all the time. She felt that the easiest way out of any given situation was generally the best way out. And, for her, that generally meant telling a “little white lie”. As a young child I thought it was kind of cool. And, naturally, when I would come to her with a concern or question wondering what I should do, she generally advised me to lie.
“Mom, I told Theresa that I would go over to her house, but now I would rather go to Sue's house to play.”
“Tell Theresa you're sick，” she would advise. And generally I did. But I didn't seem blessed with her lack of conscience. On many painful occasions Theresa would find out that I really went to Sue's house without her. These occasions taught me that it is more painful to be caught in a lie than it is to tell the truth in the first place. I wondered how it was possible that my mother had never learned that lesson.
I started thinking of all the lies that I'd heard her tell. I remembered the time she told someone that her favorite restaurant had closed, because she didn't want to see them there anymore. Or the time she told Dad that she loved the lawnmower he gave her for her birthday. Or when she claimed that our phone lines had been down when she was trying to explain why she hadn't been in touch with a friend of hers for weeks. And what bothered me even more were all the times she had involved me into her lies. Like the time she told my guidance counselor that I had to miss school for exploratory surgery
, when she really needed me to babysit. And it even started to bother me when someone would call for her and she would ask me to tell them that she wasn't there.
So, I started my own personai fight against her dishonesty. When I answered the phone and it was someone my mother didn't want to talk to, I said, “Louise, mom is here, but she doesn't want to talk to you.” The first time I did it, she punished me, but I refused to apologize. I told her that I had decided that it was wrong to lie. And the next time it happened I did the same thing. Finally, she approached me and said, “I agree that lying is not the best thing to do, but we need to find a way to be honest without being rude.” She admitted that her methods weren't right, and I admitted that mine were a bit too extreme.
Over the past few years, the two of us have worked together to be honest—and yet kind. Honesty should mean more than not lying. It should mean speaking the truth in kindness. Though I started by trying to teach my mom the importance of honesty, I ended up gaining a deeper understanding of the meaning of the term.
The author's mother ________.
| A．thought white lies were not lies |
| B．helped the author get out of trouble with white lies |
| C．told the author to lie when in trouble |
| D．taught the author the importance of being honest |
The author ________.
| A．was thankful to her mother's advice |
| B．felt more awkward when being caught lying |
| C．found that telling the truth hurt more than telling a lie |
| D．felt guilty when hurting people with her honesty |
It can be inferred that the author's mother ________.
| A．met her friends in the same restaurant regularly |
| B．didn't get along with the author's teachers |
| C．was not popular among her friends |
| D．wanted to have something else for her birthday |
Finally the author and her mother agreed that ________.
| A．kindheartedness is more important than honesty |
| B．appropriate methods are the key to telling a good lie |
| C．honesty is defined as kindness as well as truthfulness |
| D．absolute honesty is basic to good interpersonal relationships |
51 ．She described all the things she had to do －one was to make her bed－from the moment she woke up until she flew out of the door for work．I suggested she experiment by not making her bed for two weeks．She was shocked, probably thinking I’d been raised by wolves in a forest． 52 ．
Two weeks later she went into my office beaming．She had left her bed unmade for the first time in 42 years－and nothing bad had happened．“And you know what?” she said．“I don’t dry my dishes anymore, either．”
53 ．One was discovering that she had choices in her life that she had never seen before．The other was giving herself permission to be less that perfect．This story shows an important principle （原理） about managing time: No one can do it all．Each of us has to make choices and accept trade – offs．The problem is, many people choose in ways that put themselves and their health last．They take better care of their houses and cars than they do of themselves． 54 .
So what is the solution? There’s an easy way．Decide what you want in your life, and put that first．On a daily basis, that should include regular meals, enough sleep and time with your family．Exercise, leisure, friendships and hobbies should also be regular aspects of life． 55 ．The choice is yours: whatever makes you feel good about yourself and your life．Take a nap（小憩）．Take a walk．Take time to play the piano．Stop bringing your briefcase home from the office．Stop keeping your house as clean as your mother kept hers．Fill more of your time with want – to – dos instead of have – to – dos．
| A．This woman had made two major breakthroughs （突破）． |
| B．Above all, you needn’t do anything for yourself regularly． |
| C．They put everyone else’s needs ahead of their own． |
| D．However, she went along with my idea． |
E．Most people do not take time to relax themselves．
F．The point is to do something for yourself every day．
G．A patient came to see me about the stress in her life．
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