Today, nearly 400 animals are listed as threatened or endangered animals in the United States. Many are at risk of becoming extinct or disappearing permanently. Unless efforts to save these vulnerable animals succeed, many of the country's greatest creatures will be lost forever. From the facts listed, guess which animals are endangered. Click on the picture to find out more about each of these animals in trouble. American Crocodile *American crocodiles are about 12 feet long. They live on land and in shallow water, swamps and marshes. *American crocodiles like to float in the water with only their eyes and noses above the water surface. *American crocodiles eat mostly small animals, which they grab with their strong jaws and sharp teeth. *American crocodiles lay eggs. They hide their eggs under twigs and leaves, or bury them in the sand. *Some crocodiles help their young hatch, and then carry them to the water in their mouth. Habitat Southern Florida, Mexico, Central and South American, Caribbean islands. Why It's Endangered Overhunted for its skin and habitat destruction. Peninsular Bighorn Sheep *Bighorn sheep can weigh as much as 280 pounds and stand about 3 feet tall. *They live in dry, desert mountain ranges, near rocky cliffs. *Bighorn sheep eat grass, twigs and leaves. *Male sheep are called rams and can be recognized by their huge, brown horns. The horns curl back over the ears, down,and up past the cheeks. *They live in herds or groups. The male sheep with the biggest horns are usually in charge. Male horns can weigh as much as 30 pounds. *Males will use their massive horns to fight. The fights can last as long as 24 hours. *Females are called ewes. They are smaller than rams and have shorter, smaller horns. Habitat Nevada and California to west Texas and south into Mexico. Why It's Endangered Loss of habitat, hunting illegally, drought and disease. Which of the following is NOT true according to the description about American crocodiles? A) American crocodiles live on land and in swamps and marshes. B) American crocodiles hide their eggs under leaves, or bury them in the sand. C) American crocodiles grab small animals with their strong jaws and sharp teeth. D) American crocodiles like to float with their eyes and nose below the water surface.
D
He only finished fourth in this year's Super Boy talent show. But it didn't stop him capturing the hearts of thousands of fans. He can hit high notes with ease. And he is very modest. Zhang Jie,25,shed sweat and tears all the way through the competition, but he never gave up. "No matter how life treats him, he always fights back bravely ,"said Wu Chunyan, a Senior 2 student in Hubei. "He has never lost his dream of being a singer." The road to fame is always rocky, and Zhang is no exception. As a college student he was majoring in tourism. He was considering becoming a tourist guide after graduation until he entered a singing competition. His life changed after he competed in My Show. He won first place and signed with a record company. "I was very excited and regarded it as a way to take me closer to my dream," he said. But the company gave him little money to make music and slowly began to ignore him. Zhang even borrowed money to buy costumes. "Life has its ups and downs. But the tough reality only makes me stronger," he said. He forgot he was once a champion of a talent show and joined Super Boy. His decision got support from his family who worked hard to make ends meet. His mother sold rice noodles on a street in his hometown, but she said she would "support him forever." "I have the dream to buy a large house for my parents, where my mom can get a large window sill to grow flowers," said Zhang. Before he joined in a singing competition, his dream was to become _ . A) a great scientist B) a good college student C) a famous singer D) a tourist guide
D
Q: About 21,000 young people in 17 American states do not attend classes in school buildings. Instead, they receive their elementary and high school education by working at home on computers.The Center for Education Reform says the United States has 67 public "cyberschools."and that is about twice as many as two years ago. The money for students to attend a cyberschool comes from the governments of the states where they live. Some educators say cyberschools receive money that should support traditional public schools. They also say it is difficult to know if students are learning well. Other educators praise this new form of education for letting students work at their own speed. These people say cyberschools help students who were unhappy or unsuccessful in traditional schools. They say learning at home by computer ends long bus rides for children who live far from school. Whatever the judgement of cyberschools,they are getting more and more popular. For example, a new cyberschool called Commonwealth Connections Academy will take in students this fall. It will serve children in the state of Pennsylvania from ages five through thirteen. Children get free equipment for their online education. This includes a computer,a printer,books and technical services. Parents and students talk with teachers by telephone or by sending emails through their computers when necessary. Students at cyberschools usually do not know one another. But 56 such students who finished studies at Western Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School recently met for the first time. They were guests of honor at their graduation. What is a problem with cyberschools? A) Their equipment costs a lot of money. B) They get little support from the state government. C) It is hard to know students' progress in learning. D) The students find it hard to make friends.
A: C
Q: It seems that Great Wall is the place to rock. There will be two parties held on the Great Wall this month. Great Wall I The latest Great Wall party is sponsored by the Club and electrobeat and held at Jinshanling. Local DJ Mark ,as well as guest Slab from Australia ,Usami and Bobby from Hong Kong will spin the sounds. All drinks are priced at 20 yuan($2.4). Tickets:200 yuan($24), including bus ride there and back plus entrance fee to the Great Wall. T/D: 8 p.m. to 2 a. m., Sept.20. Pre-sale tickets are available at: Public Space: 6416-0759 Neo Lounge: 6416-1077 Location: Buses leave at 5 p.m. on Saturday ,Sep. 20 from Neo Lounge, 99 Xinfuncun Zhonglu, Sanlitun, Chaoyan District. For more info: www. elektrobeat.com Great Wall II The other party at the end of this month at Jinshanling will be kick-started with live performances by Askar, Brain Failure, Longkuan, Supermarket, Mr.Zhou, Beijing Talking and the Yi band. Dance till dawn to the groovy sounds of DJs Ben ,Mickey Zhang ,Will, Cheese, Gao Hu and Huang Weiwei. T/D: 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. ,Sept. 27. Tickets: 350 yuan($42)or 300 yuan($36) for groups of 10 or more, 500 yuan ($60) at the door and VIP tickets 800 yuan($72), transportation included.. Location: Buses depart from the north gate of Workers, Stadium at noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m., Sept. 27. For more info: contact Li Zhenhua at lzh@msgp.org or call 133-2119-1731. If you want to go Great Wall Rock , _ . A) you'll have to get up early to catch the bus B) you'll have to spend a whole day on the bus C) you can take a bus at any time from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. D) you can't take a morning bus to get there
A: D