A
With only about 1,000 pandas left in the world, China is desperately trying to clone the animal and save the endangered species. That's a move similar to what a Texas A& M University researchers have 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's College of Veterinary 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 from three to five years to complete.
“The nuclear transfer (核子移植) of one species to another is not easy, and the lack of available (capable of being used) panda eggs could be a major problem，” Kraemer believes. “They will probably have to do several hundred transfers to result in one pregnancy (having a baby). 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, who is one of the leaders of the Project at Texas A & M, the firstever attempt at cloning a dog.
“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.”
语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述Noah's Ark探索克隆熊猫的可能性。
1．What is the goal of “Noah's Ark” project?
A．To save endangered animals from dying out.
B．To make efforts to clone the endangered pandas.
C．To collect DNA of endangered animals to study.
D．To transfer the nuclear of one animal to another.
解析：选A 细节理解题。根据第二段第一句以及第二段最后一句中的“to reintroduce the species in the future”可知，Noah's Ark目标是把濒临灭绝的动物的蛋(卵)、胚胎、精液和DNA储存在液体氮中，如果某一种动物濒临灭绝时，将来可以重现这一动物。故选A。此题C项的干扰性较强。根据第二段最后一句“to reintroduce the species in the future”， Noah's Ark的目标不是研究，而是保护，故排除C项。
2．What is the main problem in cloning pandas according to Professor Kraemer?
A．The amount of raised money.
B．The shortage of host animals.
C．The lack of available panda eggs.
D．The skill of qualified researchers.
解析：选C 细节理解题。根据倒数第二段第一句“The nuclear transfer (核子移植) of one species to another is not easy, and the lack of available (capable of being used) panda eggs could be a major problem”可知，最大的问题是缺少熊猫卵子，故选C。
3．What can be a suitable title for the text?
A．China's Success in Pandas Cloning
B．The First Cloned Panda in the World
C．Exploring the Possibility to Clone Pandas
D．China — the Native Place of Pandas Forever
解析：选C 标题归纳题。根据文章内容，无论是中国还是世界其他国家克隆熊猫都还没有成功，所以排除A、B项；D项内容明显与文章内容不符，故排除。C项“探索克隆熊猫的可能性”适合作这篇文章的标题。
4．What can we learn from the passage?
A．Scientists try to implant a panda's egg into a rabbit.
B．Kraemer and his team have succeeded in cloning a dog.
C．Kraemer will work with Chinese scientists in clone researches.
D．About two thousand species will probably die out in a century.
解析：选D 细节理解题。根据第三段第一句“It is estimated that as many as 2, 000 species of mammals, birds and reptiles will become extinct in over 100 years.”可知应选D。此题A项的干扰性较强，但由于它没有说明是Chinese scientists，所以应排除。
