单选题 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 researcher has been undertaking for the past five years in a project called "Noah's Ark".
Dr. Duane Kraemer, a professor in Texas A & M's College of Veterinary Medicine and a pioneer in embryo(胚胎) transfer work and related procedures, says he salutes the Chinese effort and" I wish them all the best success possible. It's a worthwhile project, certainly not an easy one, and it's very much like what we're attempting here at Texas A&M--to save animals from extinction. "
Noah's Ark is aimed at collecting eggs, embryos, semen(精子) and DNA of endangered animals and storing them in liquid nitrogen. If certain species should become extinct, Kraemer 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 over the next 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 of one species to another is not easy, and the lack of available panda eggs could be a major problem," Kraemer believes. "They will probably have to do several hundred transfers to result in one pregnancy. It take s 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 Missyplicity Project at Texas A&M, the first ever 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 applaud 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. /

单选题 The aim of "Noah's Ark" project is to ______.
A. implant embryo into a host animal
B. salute the Chinese efforts in saving pandas
C. save endangered animals from extinction
D. introduce cells from a dead female panda into the egg ceils of a Japanese white rabbit

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[解析] 本题题意为“诺亚方舟”项目的目的是______。由文章第一段“…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 researcher has been undertaking for the past five years in a project called ‘Noah’s Ark’．”可知，“诺亚方舟”项目的目的和中国进行动物克隆实验的目的一样，都是“save the endangered species”。因此，C为正确答案。

单选题 How long will the Chinese panda cloning project take according to the passage?
A. 1 Year. B. 3 to 5 years.
C. 2 years. D. 25 years.

单选题 The word "groundbreaking" (Paragraph 7) can be interpreted as ______.
A. essentially new B. pioneering
C. evolutionary D. epoch--making

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[解析] 本题题意为第七段中的“groundbreaking”可以理解为什么意思。选项A．essentially new：全新的；选项B．pioneering：首创的，先驱的；选项C．evolutionary：进化的，渐进的；选项D．epoch--making：划时代的，开创新纪元的。根据“It take s a long timeand it’s difficult，but this could be groundbreaking science if it works．”可知这项工作将是长期且困难的，但是如果成功的话将是一门先锋学科。本题容易错选D项，但是epoch--making通常修饰诸如event，time等词，当修饰诸如science等词的时候用pioneering。因此，选项B是正确答案。