Ⅰ.阅读理解
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 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 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。中国科学家一直在研究如何提高克隆技术来保护大熊猫，以及这种技术运用的可能性。文章还介绍了保护物种的“Noah's Ark”项目的相关信息。
1．The aim of “Noah's Ark” project is to .
A．make efforts to clone the endangered pandas
B．save endangered animals from dying out
C．collect DNA of endangered animals to study
D．transfer the nuclear of one animal to another
解析：选B 推理判断题。根据第二段内容可知，该项目旨在收集卵、胚胎、精子和DNA，并把它们储存在液态氮中备用，说明这个项目的目的是挽救濒危物种防止其灭绝。
2．According to Professor Kraemer, the major problem in cloning pandas would be the lack of .
A．available panda eggs B．host animals
C．qualified researchers D．enough money
解析：选A 细节理解题。根据第五段第一句可知，核子移植很难，缺少panda eggs是一个主要问题。也就是说主要问题是缺少panda eggs。
3．From the passage we know that .
A．Kraemer and his team have succeeded in cloning a dog
B．scientists try to implant a panda's egg into a rabbit
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。根据第三段第一句可知，据估计，100年以后大约2,000种物种可能会灭绝。
