JOHANNESBURG—They say cats have nine lives.Now a Chinese toad(蟾蜍)has joined the club of clever survivors.
South Africans are shocked by a toad that got trapped in a ship from China to Cape Town, after jumping into a candlestick(烛台)that was made there.South African officials reportedly planned to put down the creature, fearing it would cause harm as an invasive species if it were let go in the wild.
But the toad got a last-minute pardon. Mango Airlines, a south African airline, transported the toad on Friday to Johannesburg to an animal center, after officials decided to find a way to let the toad live. The two-hour flight was comfortable compared to the trip from China, a long way of many weeks and thousands of kilometers across the Indian Ocean.
Airline spokesman Hein Kaiser said the toad got "first-class treatment", sitting in a plastic container together with Brett Glasby, an expert looking, after animals. There was even a ceremony, in which the toad's boarding pass was handed to Glasby.
"He was the star of the Show on the flight. He was the unusual passenger, I think every passenger stopped to have a look." Kaiser said.
On landing in Johannesburg, the toad was brought out of its container for a photo shoot. Observers said the brown toad seemed like a cool customer. It belongs to the Asian Toad species. It is believed to have survived the trip from China by hardening its skin to prevent it from drying out, and also by slowing its breathing and heart rate—-methods that help the species survive in times of drought(干旱).
"We've had snakes in imported wood and insects in fruit. We were called because the toad was right inside the candlestick, and we had to break it to get it out." Glasby, the expert, told The Star, a South African newspaper.
8. The underlined phrase "an invasive ~species" in second paragraph may refer to ________.
A. something which is not used to the local conditions
B. something which is probably harmful to the native creatures
C. something which has never appeared in local areas
D. something which is greatly good to the local people
9. The toad was able to arrive in South Africa alive ________.
A. because it slowed its breath on the way
B. because it used methods in times of drought
C. because it formed hard skin to protect itself
D. because many people looked after it carefully
10. It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
A. sometimes animals are transported by accident
B. no one has seen such a big toad in Africa
C. a candlestick is the best place for a toad
D. droughts make toads live longer
11. What is the best title of the text?
A. A journey-loving toad. B. An amazing China toad.
C. A toad that has nine lives D. A toad in a candlestick.
BBAC
新闻报道类阅读的概念:
阅读理解的选材明显地呈现出关注实际生活的趋势,这种趋势与当前基础教育改革的目标是一致的,而中学生学习语言的根本目标与基础教育学会求知,学会做事,学会合作,学会做人的目标是一致的,真实新颖的选材对基础英语教学课程改革具有重要的反作用。
新闻报道类阅读理解技巧点拨:
新闻报道类类文章有一共同特点,即都是由标题(Headline)、导语(Lead)、主体(Mainbody)、背景(Background)和结尾(End)五部分构成。标题是新闻报道中心思想高度而又精辟的概括;导语位于新闻报道的首段,高度概括新闻事实;主体则对导语概括的新闻事实进行详细叙述;新闻背景是指新闻事实之外,对新闻事实或新闻事实的某个部分进行解释或补充的材料;结尾往往是新闻事件的结果或动态展望,也是中心思想的概括并常常与新闻导语相呼应。
新闻报道中的导语非常重要,它位于文章的第一段,通过它点出新闻的主题,五个W和一个H(When,Where,Who,What,Why和How)通常是构成一则完整消息不可缺少的要素。文章往往呈现出“倒金字塔”的特征,因此读懂首句或首段至关重要。
另外,从句的使用也是此类文章的一大语言特色,因为从句信息量大,适合新闻报道的要求。此外,大量的副词和插入语的使用也是此类文章的特点。为使文章更客观、更具信服力,常用The study said…, Scientists believe that…Experts said…, It's reported that…, According to the survey…等语言。同事在阅读过程中,我们要对材料所提供信息如when, where, who, how, why等进行提问,将信息迅速提炼出来。
新闻报道类阅读应试策略:
【命题趋势】
阅读理解的选材明显地呈现出关注实际生活的趋势,这种趋势与当前基础教育改革的目标是一致的,而中学生学习语言的根本目标与基础教育学会求知,学会做事,学会合作,学会做人的目标是一致的,真实新颖的选材对基础英语教学课程改革具有重要的反作用。时文报道就在文章中体现了这一要求。主要表现在以下几个方面:
1、反映海内外事件,文章结构严谨,内容贴近生活,用现代英语反映现代生活。
2、如果是新闻报道,都有比较固定的写作格式,如文首通常有报道的地点或时间,第一句话常常是文章的导语,有助于了解文章的大致内容和主题。
3、如果是新闻报道则是记叙文,有地点、时间、人物、事物等要素。
4、有许多大量反映当代社会变化的新词汇和表达方式。
5、命题既重细节,又重推理和主旨。
6、大背景中的小事件,大事件中的小插曲往往是选材的热点。
【应试对策】
1、在平时学习中,关注生活,阅读新闻报道和广告类文章、把阅读时事文章作为学习英语的重要途径。
2、了解新的词汇和表达方式。如:tsunami海啸,MP3players(MP3)播放器,well_offsociety小康社会等。
3、抓住文章主题,准确捕捉细节和内涵,进行合理的推理。
4、品味新闻的标题,联系平时所积累的知识,为了解材料大意作铺垫。
5、了解新闻报道的特殊规律,其内容和多含何人、何地、何事、何时等,阅读时要抓住新闻的这一主要特点去理解判断。
6、要注意文中以黑体、大写、下划线等方式加以提示的文字,因为这很有可能是材料的核心或至少是一部分内容的概括。
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