A
A Wolf in Danger
What is happening to the timber wolf （森林狼）today?
Native Americans and early settlers often went to sleep to the sound of a lonely lullaby( 催眠曲). It was the song of the wolf howling in a distant forest. There were many wolves then. One kind was the North American timber wolf.
Wolves are important to the balance of nature because they eat sick and weak animals. In Colorado, people tried to help deer by shooting wolves. But then there were so many deer that many of them starved to death.
The timber wolf is on the endangered special list . Animals on this list are in danger of disappearing from the earth. People drove the wolves away by cutting down the forests to build houses, towns, and highways. Timber wolves are now found only in Canada, Alaska, Michigan, and Minnesota.
This special animal may soon disappear from our forests forever. Then, its lonely howl will
never be heard again.
21. Animals that are in danger of disappearing from the earth are called a (n)_______species.
A. endangered
B. living
C. alive
D. lived
22. Wolves help the balance of nature because they _______.
A. are an endangered species
B. eat sick and weak animals
C. no longer live in forests
D. help the farmers
23. At one time, the timber wolf was found _______.
A. in many parts of North America
B. only in Colorado and Canada
C. in towns and cities in Alaska
D. in many parts of Africa
24. Which of the following happened first?
A. People built towns and highways.
B. The timber wolf was driven away from its home.
C. People cut down the forests.
D.Timber wolves are endangered species.
B
Should we allow modern buildings to be built next to older buildings in a historic area of a city? In order to answer this question, we must first examine whether people really want to preserve the historic feel of an area.Not all historical buildings are attractive.However, there may be other reasons—for example, economic reasons—why they should be preserved.So, let us assume(假设) that historical buildings are both attractive and important to the majority of people.What should we do then if a new building is needed?
In my view, new architectural styles can exist perfectly well alongside an older style.Indeed, there are many examples in my own hometown of Tours where modern designs have been placed very successfully next to old buildings.As long as the building in question is pleasing and does not dominate(影响) its surroundings too much, it often improves the attractiveness of the area.
It is true that there are examples of new buildings which have spoilt(破坏) the area they are in, but the same can be said of some old buildings too.Yet people still speak against new buildings in historic areas.I think this is simply because people are naturally conservative(保守的) and do not like change.
Although we have to respect people’s feelings as fellow users of the buildings, I believe that it is the duty of the architect and planner to move things forward. If we always reproduced what was there before,we would all still be living in caves .Thus , I would argue against copying previous architectural styles and choose something fresh and different , even though that might be the more risky choice.
25.What does the author say about historical buildings in the first paragraph?
A.Some of them are not attractive.
B.Most of them are too expensive to preserve.
C.They are more pleasing than modern buildings.
D.They have nothing to do with the historic feel of an area.
26.By “move things forward” in the last paragraph , the author probably means“_________”.
A.destroy old buildings
B.put things in a different place
C.choose new architectural styles
D.respect people's feelings for historical buildings
27.What is the main purpose of the passage?
A.To explain why people dislike change.
B.To warn that we could end up living in caves.
C.To admit how new buildings have ruined their surroundings.
D.To argue that modern buildings can be built in historic areas.
