be in danger，they can become extremely vicious(凶恶的). Fortunately this is rare，but it does happen.”
The research confirmed many things that were already known. As expected，honey badgers ate any creatures they could catch and kill. Even poisonous snakes，feared and avoided by most other animals，were not safe from them. The researchers were surprised，however，by the animal’s fondness for local melons，probably because of their high water content. Previously researchers thought that the animal got all of its liquid requirements from its prey(猎物). The team also learnt that，contrary to previous research findings，the badgers occasionally formed loose family groups. They were also able to confirm certain results from previous research，including the fact that female badgers never socialised with each other.
Following some of the male badgers was a challenge，since they can cover large distances in a short space of time. Some hunting territories cover more than 500 square kilometers. Although they seem happy to share these territories with other males，there are occasional fights over an important food source，and male badgers can be as aggressive towards each other as they are towards other species.
As the badgers became accustomed to the presence of people，it gave the team the to get up close to them without being the subject of the animals’ curiosity—or a sudden aggression. The badgers’ eating
patterns，which had been disrupted，to normal. It also allowed the team to observe more closely some of the other that form working associations with the honey badger，as these seemed to badgers’ relaxed attitude when near humans.
41. Why did the wildlife experts visit the Kalahari Desert? A To observe how honey badgers behave. B To find where honey badgers live. C To catch some honey badgers for food.
D To find out why honey badgers have a bad reputation. 42. What does KitsoKhama say about honey badgers? A They show interest in things they are not familiar with. B They are always looking for food. C They do not enjoy human company. D It is common for them to attack people.
43. What did the team find out about honey badgers? A They were some creatures they did not eat.
B They may get some of the water they needed from fruit. C They were afraid of poisonous creatures. D Female badgers did not mix with male badgers.
44. Which of the following is a typical feature of male badgers?
A They don’t run very quickly.
B They defend their territory from other badgers. C They are more aggressive than females. D They hunt over a very large area.
45. What happened when honey badgers got used to humans around then
A They became less aggressive towards other creature. B They lost interest in people. C They started eating more.
D Other animals started working with them. 参考答案：AABDB
第5部分：补全短文(第46~50题，每题2分，共10分)下面的短文有5处空白，短文后有6个句子，其中5个取自短文，请根据文章的内容将其分别放回原有位置，以恢复文章原貌。
The Tough Grass that Sweetens Our Lives
Sugar cane was once a wild grass that grew in New Guinea and was used by local people for roofing their houses and fencing their gardens. Gradually a different variety evolved which contained sucrose(蔗糖)and was chewed on for its sweet taste. Over time，sugar cane became a highly valuable commercial plant，grown throughout the world. ________(46)
Sugar became a vital ingredient in all kinds of things，from
confectionery(糖果点心)to medicine，and，as the demand for sugar grew，the industry became larger and more profitable. ____(47) ____ Many crops withered(枯萎)and died ，despite growers’ attempts to save them，and there were fears that the health of the plant would continue to deteriorate.
In the 1960s，scientists working in Barbados looked for ways to make the commercial species stronger and more able to resist disease. They experimented with breeding programmes，mixing genes from the more delicate，commercial type. ____(48)____This sugar cane is not yet ready to be sold commercially，but when this happens，it is expected to be incredible profitable for the industry.
____ (49)____Brazil，which produces one quarter of the world’s sugar，has coordinated an international project under Professor Paulo Arrudo of the UniversidadeEstaudual de Campinas in Sao Paulo. Teams of experts have worked with him to discover more about which parts of the genetic structure of the plant are important for the production of sugar and its overall health.
Despite all the research，however，we still do not fully understand how the genes in sugar cane.____(50)____This gene is particularly exciting because it makes the plant resistant to rust, a disease which probably originated in India, but is now capable of infecting sugar cane across the
world. Scientist believe they will eventually be able to grow a plant which cannot be destroyed by rust.
A Since the 1980s，scientists have been analysing the mysterious of the sugar canes genetic code.
B Unfortunately，however，the plant started to become weaker and more prone to disease.
C The majority of the world’s sugar now comes from this particular commercial species.
D One major gene has been identified by Dr. AngelliqueD’Hont and her team in Montpeller，France.
E Eventually，a commercial plant was developed which was 5 percent sweeter than before，but also much stronger and less likely to die from disease.
F Sugar cane is now much more vigorous and the supply of sugar is therefore more guaranteed.
参考答案：46.C 47.B 48.E 49.F 50.D
第6部分：完形填空(第51~65题，每题1分，共15分)下面的短文有15处空白，请根据短文内容为每处空白确定1个最佳答案。
Why India Needs Its Dying Vultures
The vultures(秃鹰)in question may look ugly and threatening，but the sudden sharp decline in three species of India's vultures is producing
2013年职称英语考试理工类B级真题及参考答案
