C

The largest outbreak of the deadly disease Ebola(埃博拉) was caused by an infected bat biting a toddler, say a group of international researchers.

The 17-strong team of European and African tropical disease researchers, ecologists and anthropologists have spent three weeks investigating the outbreak of the disease in Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast and Nigeria.

The researchers captured the bats and other creatures near the village of Meliandoua in remote eastern Guinea, where the present epidemic（流行�。゜egan in December 2013.The boy was bitten and passed the infection on to his mother and both were dead within a week. The disease was then spread far and wide by mourners who came to the funeral.

Scientists have long believed that bats are the main carriers for the disease but it is rare for them to pass it on to man. Most of the previous outbreaks have been caused by meat from dead infected animals collected by hunters who then sell it on. Fruit bats, however, are widely eaten in rural west Africa – either smoked, grilled or in a spicy soup.

Initial research believed that a new strain(類型) of Ebola had emerged in west Africa but according to Herr Leendertz, the strain of the disease is one related to as Zaire Ebola virus, identified more than 10 years ago in the Congo.

Herr Leendertz’s team believe that an infected straw-colored fruit bat brought the disease to Guinea. The mammals are known to travel long distances and usually settle in forests near cities.

More than 1,300 people have died in the current epidemic, many in Liberia. Herr Leendertz said: "We spent eight days in Meliandoua. They told us they regularly catch bats, like every other village in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. The evidence is not 100 percent and we can only say that it is possible.

‘They can travel far in one night. I don't think an individual bat or colony migrated all the way from Congo or Gabon to west Africa. These big colonies are connected. There is a possibility for the virus to mix between colonies. The bats share the same fruit. It is likely not to have even been one species of bat. The virus may jump from one species to another."

If the bat theory confirmed, locals would try to destroy the colonies which says Herr Leendertz ‘would be an ecological disaster because bats pollinate plants and devour insects. And bat hunts would also only increase human contact with potentially infected animals"

59．The present epidemic of Ebola began in                .

A．Liberia B．Guinea C．Nigeria D．Congo

60．According to the passage, we can learn                .

A．The first victim of present Ebola was a toddler from Liberia.

B. The research thought the new strain of Ebola must have emerged in west Africa.  C．Zaire Ebola virus ever identified in Congo might be the strain of this outbreak.       

  D．More than 1300 people in Liberia have died in the current epidemic.

61．The possible reason for the outbreak of Ebola in December of 2013 was that                 .

 A．Human beings ate meat from dead infected animals.

 B．The birds spread the virus to human beings.

 C．A boy bitten by an infected bat transmitted the disease.

 D．The species spread the virus from one to another .

62．If the bat theory confirmed, we may find in Africa         .

 A．The fruit bats can be seen everywhere as usual.

 B．There is a chance that the ecosystem will lose its balance .

 C．It’s easy to find the smoked and grilled fruit bats.

 D．Ebola epidemic will be controlled after bats are wiped out.

D

Many years ago, I went through a tough time. One afternoon, I picked my girls up. It was late when we returned home. I went to unlock the door and found my key wouldn’t go in. I kept trying while my daughter went to get a flashlight. When she returned with it, we found somehow the lock had been “stuffed” with sunflower seed shells. Thinking that one of the neighborhood children had been up to no good, I really didn’t give it much consideration. 

I found all windows were locked up tight. So I returned to the back door. Oh my God, I will never forget the shock of that moment. The house was empty! Other than a few things remaining on the back porch, everything was gone! Then I heard a car pull into the driveway and found two policemen walking up. They inquired why I had broken into the house. They then asked me for proof that I lived at that address, so I asked them to wait a minute while I went to get my rent receipt and identification from inside the house. I explained the matter to them and showed them the door lock.

At this point they were not buying any of my story. I could tell from their actions and tone of voice that they thought I was breaking into an empty house for somewhere to sleep.

I asked a neighbor for the phone number of house owner and the officer made a call. The owner was quite shocked to hear my story. She said that my roommate had been going through an eviction(驅(qū)逐) process with the court when I moved in with her and had lost the case. She had been ordered to move by 10 am on that date. The court order had been issued the same day I had paid her 1/2 of the rent and a deposit of $300,000.

The owner was very kind and understanding but there was nothing she could do. The house had been rented already and the people were to move in the following weekend.

The officers let me go and I went to gather my girls into the car. They were both exhausted and cold, also very frightened, because they thought their mamma was going to jail. I had to pull over because the tears took control. I couldn’t believe it! Everything we owned was gone, I had used up all our money moving in and paying my “friend” our share of costs. I knew very few people in town, as we had just moved there recently.

I went to sit back in the car with the girls, I talked to the girls, explaining our situation to them so that they wouldn’t be afraid. During this time there was a “street person” with a bag, looking in the garbage for cans, bottles, and anything that might bring him some cash. But I didn’t pay much attention to him. I decided to get the girls something to eat for breakfast. We grabbed some bread, and chips and returned for a “picnic”. When we got there, I noticed that the man was not alone. He was with a small group of others like him and they were passing a hat amongst themselves.

I was busy setting up our little “picnic” when I heard a voice saying, “MaAm, please excuse… but…well…I overheard the situation you are in, and well… I and the fellows took up a collection for you and your little girls. It’s not very much, but maybe it’ll help a little.” I looked up at this man---dirty, needing a shave ----and saw the face of an angel. I started crying. The man tried to hand me $30. I folded his hand back over the money and just hugged him as tight as I could. I told him, “Thank you for your more than generous offer, but we are going to be just fine.” He didn’t believe me at first, but I convinced him that it was okay.

Later that afternoon I went to the market and bought the making for a barbecue and off to that little park. It didn’t take us very long to find those gentlemen and invite them to join us for lunch. I had a wonderful afternoon that day, sitting there with those old guys, singing songs. They had some of the most entertaining stories and they shared the dreams they once had. They shared themselves… from the heart.

63. The writer couldn’t open the door because _______.

A. she didn’t have the right key.      

B. there was something else in the lock.

C. someone had changed the lock.    

D. the owner of the house refused her living there.

64. How did the writer come into the house?

   A. She came in with the help of the policemen. 

   B. She came in by breaking into the house.

   C. She came in with the help of a flashlight.

  D. She came in from the back door.

65. The writer was not allowed to stay at the house because 　　　　.

A. she was cheated by her roommate and the house had been rented to others

 B. the house owner was angry about her breaking the glass of the house.

 C. she hadn’t paid her share of rent.   

D. she was ordered to move out by the court.

66. The underlined sentence “At this point they were not buying any of my story.” may mean______.

A. the policemen didn’t have enough money.

B. the policemen didn’t believe the writer’s words.

C. the policemen helped the writer to break the window.

D. the policemen wanted to get the rent receipt.