A pair of giant pandas from southwest China’s Sichuan Province arrived at their new home in Belgium’s Pairi Daiza zoo, some 60km southwest of downtown Brussels, at around 15:00 local time (1400GMT) on February 23, 2014.

About 2,500 people, many of them excited children waving national flags of China and Belgium as well as panda-decorated flags or wearing costume of Panda greeted the pandas along the road to the zoo.

Visitors today can only observe the pandas through a closed-circuit television system in the reception.

Officials said they wanted the pandas fully adapted to their new home before making public debut in April.

The pandas, Xing Hui, the male and Hao Hao, the female, are both 4 years old and are on lease from a breeding center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province.

The lease term is 15 years, according to officials with the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas, the world’s largest research base for the species.

“It’s a good thing for Belgium.” Nicole Duflot, a grandmother coming to the zoo with her husband and her grandson told Xinhua, “We can’t see the Panda today but it’s a great thing for us to come here.”

The Pandas will be living in a panda hall of 5,300 square meters within the zoo.

“I hope Xing Hui and Hao Hao will enhance friendship between Belgium and China.” Liao Liqiang, the Chinese ambassador to Belgium, said during an interview with Xinhua.

1.What was the main purpose of China leasing pandas to Belgium?

A. We were supposed to make money from Belgium.

B. We meant to improve the relationship between China and Belgium.

C. We expected to amuse the Belgian children.

D. We wanted to make the pandas adapt to the environment abroad.

2.The underlined word “debut” probably means ___________.

A. first appearance      B. ceremony         C. announcement      D. argument

3.According to the passage, which statement is right?

A. Xing Hui and Hao Hao will live in the city centre of Brussels.

B. Xing Hui and Hao Hao were very popular with the elders in Belgium.

C. Xing Hui and Hao Hao will come back to China in 2029.

D. Xing Hui and Hao Hao were born in 2008 in Sichuan Province.

4.On the first day of the pandas’ arrival, visitors could ___________.

A. gently feel the pandas along the road to the zoo

B. get into the panda hall of 5,300 square meters

C. take pictures with the pandas freely

D. watch the pandas through the TV system in the zoo

5.From the passage, we can predict that______________.

A. Belgium’s Pairi Daiza Zoo will make much money soon

B. Xing Hui and Hao Hao will be very well treated in their new home

C. Belgium’s Pairi Daiza Zoo will serve the Chinese visitors with free admission

D. pandas will be best-sellers in Belgium

 

Scientists are worried that an asteroid(小行星) will possibly hit the earth in 2036. If scientists are right, planet earth is 24 years away from a major disaster.
Scientists have been monitoring the progress of a 390-metre-wide asteroid ever since it was discovered last June. They have announced that it could hit the earth, causing huge damage, in 2036.
NASA estimates that the impact from the asteroid named after Apophis and ancient Egyptian demon(魔鬼) would release more than 100,000 times the energy released in the nuclear explosion over Hiroshima. Thousands of square kilometers would be directly affected by the explosion. The whole planet would see the effects of the dust released into the atmosphere.
This is the worst possible scenario(情景) of any asteroid in recorded history.
Having more than 20 years’ warning of possible impact might seem plenty of time. But scientists insist that there is actually very little time left to decide.
Luckily, however, they aren’t short on ideas for deflecting the asteroid. The favored method is also probably the easiest—throwing a spacecraft at the asteroid to change its direction. The European Space Agency plans to test this in the next decade.
One idea that seems to have no support from astronomers is the use of explosive, although this sounds more likely to the public or Hollywood producer.
At present, scientists are trying to make a better estimate of how much time we have, through more observations.
In spring of next year, there will be another chance for radar observation of Apophis. This will help astronomers calculate the orbits of the asteroid more accurately.
If, at that stage, they can’t rule out an impact with the earth in 2036, the next chance to make better observations will not be until 2016, then 2029.
“If we wait until 2029 and the worst—case scenario turns out to be true, it would seem unlikely that we’d be able to do anything about 2036,” warns Prof Fitzsimmons.
【小題1】What does the underlined word “deflecting” most probably mean?

A．making it smaller.

B．observing it clearly enough.

C．dividing into pieces.

D．changing its direction.

【小題2】According to the scientists’ observation, _______.

A．the asteroid named Apophis will explode in 2036.

B．the asteroid named Apophis might hit the earth in 2036.

C．the asteroid named Apophis is 24 years old.

D．there is plenty of time to decide the way we deal with the asteroid.

【小題3】What is the impact from Apophis if it hits the earth?

A．It will damage Hiroshima.

B．Thousands of square kilometers would see the effects of the dust released into the atmosphere.

C．It might be the worst damage caused by asteroids in recorded history.

D．The whole planet would be directly affected by the explosion.

【小題4】It can be inferred from the text that _____.

A．Hollywood producers will explode Apophis to avoid its hit.

B．There are only two chances for scientists to make better observations if they can’t grasp the chance next year.

C．NASA plans to throw a spacecraft at Apophis to change its direction.

D．It is supportive from astronauts that we explode the Apophis.

Scientists are worried that an asteroid(小行星) will possibly hit the earth in 2036. If scientists are right, planet earth is 24 years away from a major disaster.

Scientists have been monitoring the progress of a 390-metre-wide asteroid ever since it was discovered last June. They have announced that it could hit the earth, causing huge damage, in 2036.

NASA estimates that the impact from the asteroid named after Apophis and ancient Egyptian demon(魔鬼) would release more than 100,000 times the energy released in the nuclear explosion over Hiroshima. Thousands of square kilometers would be directly affected by the explosion. The whole planet would see the effects of the dust released into the atmosphere.

This is the worst possible scenario(情景) of any asteroid in recorded history.

Having more than 20 years’ warning of possible impact might seem plenty of time. But scientists insist that there is actually very little time left to decide.

Luckily, however, they aren’t short on ideas for deflecting the asteroid. The favored method is also probably the easiest—throwing a spacecraft at the asteroid to change its direction. The European Space Agency plans to test this in the next decade.

One idea that seems to have no support from astronomers is the use of explosive, although this sounds more likely to the public or Hollywood producer.

At present, scientists are trying to make a better estimate of how much time we have, through more observations.

In spring of next year, there will be another chance for radar observation of Apophis. This will help astronomers calculate the orbits of the asteroid more accurately.

If, at that stage, they can’t rule out an impact with the earth in 2036, the next chance to make better observations will not be until 2016, then 2029.

“If we wait until 2029 and the worst—case scenario turns out to be true, it would seem unlikely that we’d be able to do anything about 2036,” warns Prof Fitzsimmons.

1.What does the underlined word “deflecting” most probably mean?

A．making it smaller.

B．observing it clearly enough.

C．dividing into pieces.

D．changing its direction.

2.According to the scientists’ observation, _______.

A．the asteroid named Apophis will explode in 2036.

B．the asteroid named Apophis might hit the earth in 2036.

C．the asteroid named Apophis is 24 years old.

D．there is plenty of time to decide the way we deal with the asteroid.

3.What is the impact from Apophis if it hits the earth?

A．It will damage Hiroshima.

B．Thousands of square kilometers would see the effects of the dust released into the atmosphere.

C．It might be the worst damage caused by asteroids in recorded history.

D．The whole planet would be directly affected by the explosion.

4.It can be inferred from the text that _____.

A．Hollywood producers will explode Apophis to avoid its hit.

B．There are only two chances for scientists to make better observations if they can’t grasp the chance next year.

C．NASA plans to throw a spacecraft at Apophis to change its direction.

D．It is supportive from astronauts that we explode the Apophis.