B

“Have you ever been out on a boat and felt it lifted up by a wave? Or have you jumped in the water and felt the rush of energy as waves came over you?” asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy Group at the University of Edinburgh. “There is certainly a lot of energy in waves,” he said. Scientists are working to use that energy to make electricity. Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean. “The wind starts out by making little ripples(漣漪), but if they keep on blowing, those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves,” Taylor said. “Waves are one of nature’s ways of picking up energy and then sending it off on a journey.” When waves come toward the shore, people can set up dams to block the water and send it through a large wheel called a turbine（渦輪機）. The turbine can then power an electrical generator to produce electricity. 

“The resource is huge,” said Janet Swain of the World Watch Institute. “We will never run out of wave power.” Besides, wave energy does not create the same pollution as other energy sources, such as oil or coal. Oceans cover three quarters of the Earth’s surface—that would make wave power seem ideal for creating energy throughout the world, though there are some weak points yet to overcome.

Swain said that wave power still costs too much money. She also said that its effects on sea animals are still unknown. What is more, wave power could affect fishing and boat traffic. Traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may someday run out. “Demand for energy to power our TVs and computers, drive our cars, and heat and cool our homes is rising rapidly throughout the world,” Swain said. In the future when you turn on a light, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!

25. The writer uses the two questions at the beginning of the passage to        .

A. test the readers’ knowledge about waves

B. draw the readers’ attention to the topic

C. show Jamie Taylor’s importance

D. invite the readers to answer them

26. The underlined phrase “picking up” is closest in meaning to          .

A. starting again B. speeding up

C. improving D. gathering

27. We can make better use of wave energy if we          .

A. shorten its journey to thousands of homes

B. build more small power stations on the oceans

C. reduce the cost of turning it into electric power

D. quicken the steps of producing electricity

28. It can be inferred that someday we might not worry about        .

A. our power supply B. our boat traffic

C. air pollution D. our supply of sea fish

C

How could we possibly think that keeping animals in cages in unnatural environments －mostly for entertainment purposes － is fair and respectful?

    Zoo officials say they are concerned about animals. However, most zoos remain “collections” of interesting “things” rather than protective habitats. Zoos teach people that it is acceptable to keep animals bored, lonely, and far from their natural homes.

    Zoos claim to educate people and save endangered species, but visitors leave zoos without having learned anything meaningful about the animals’ natural behavior, intelligence, or beauty. Zoos keep animals in small spaces or cages, and most signs only mention the species’ name, diet, and natural range. The animals’ normal behavior is seldom noticed because zoos don’t usually take care of the animals’ natural needs. 

 The animals are kept together in small spaces, with no privacy and little opportunity for mental and physical exercise. This results in unusually and self-destructive behavior called zoochosis. A worldwide study of zoos found that zoochosis is common among animals kept in small spaces or cages. Another study showed that elephants spend 22 percent of their time making repeated head movements or biting cage bars, and bears spend 30 percent of their time walking back and forth, a sign of unhappiness and pain.

    Furthermore, most animals in zoos are not endangered． Captive breeding(圈養(yǎng)繁殖) of endangered big cats, Asian elephants, and other species has not resulted in their being sent back to the wild．Zoos talk a lot about their captive breeding programs because they do not want people to worry about a species dying out. In fact, baby animals also attract a lot of paying customers. Haven’t we seen enough competitions to name baby animals?

    Actually, we will save endangered species only if we save their habitats and put an end to the reasons people kill them. Instead of supporting zoos, we should support groups that work to protect animals’ natural habitats.

29．How would the author describe the animals’ life in zoos?

     A．Dangerous.  B．Unhappy.  C．Natural.  D．Easy.

30．In the state of zoochosis, animals _________.

    A．remain in cages   B．behave strangely    

C．attack other animals  D．enjoy moving around

31．What does the author try to argue in the passage?

   A．Zoos are not worth the public support.         

B．Zoos fail in their attempt to save animals.

  C．Zoos should treat animals as human beings.

D．Zoos use animals as a means of entertainment.

32．The author tries to persuade readers to accept his argument mainly by _________.

    A．pointing out the faults in what zoos do         

B．using evidence he has collected at zoos

   C．questioning the way animals are protected    

D．discussing the advantages of natural habitats

D

OUR KIDS ARE AMAZING－especially compared with everybody else’s (who seem to cry all the time). How do you show your love for your kids this holiday season? With toys that are smooth and colorful, interactive and exciting. And with ones that have educational value－because you are the boss. 

1．FLAX ART HOSPITAL PUZZLE AND PLAY SET

Here is a toy that doesn’t need power－and the kids have to put it together themselves. This 50-piece puzzle set is made of soft-edged hardwood and makes a complete hospital, with an X-ray room. It also includes eight patients, a car and a driver.  $135; flaxart.com.

2．TINY LOVE ACTIVITY BALL

Sure, it’s cool, but this colorful baby toy also develops problem solving and motor skills. It has a head and legs, a magnetic(磁性的) hand and a tail. Suitable for little ones from 6 to 36 months.  $19.95; tinylove.com.

3．ROBOSAPIEN

This small, remote-control robot is really powerful. It performs 67 preprogrammed functions, including throwing, kicking, picking up and dancing. You can even program your own function-which, sadly, does not include doing windows. $99; robosapienonline.com.

4．MINI PEDAL CAR

Want a Mini Cooper but can’t fit the family inside? Get one for the kids. They can jump into this Mini car, which comes in hot orange with a single adjustable seat, and ride away. But it could spoil them for that used car they’ll be driving when they turn 16. For ages 3 to 5. $189; mininss. com (click on “gear up,” then “Mini motoring gear”).

33．Which toy is said to have the special design for children’s safety?

A．ROBOSAPIEN                                                                   

B．MINI PEDAL CAR

    C．FLAX ART HOSPITAL PUZZLE AND PLAY SET    

D．TINY LOVE ACTIVITY BALL

34．Which toy are fit for three-year-old kids?

    A．1 and 3．  B．2 and 4．  C．1 and 2．  D．3 and 4．

35．This passage is written for _______.   

A．parents  B．children  C．the writer      D．the boss