A pair of giant pandas from southwest China’s Sichuan Province arrived at their new home in Belgium’s Pairi Daiza zoo, some 60km southwest of downtown Brussels, at around 15:00 local time (1400GMT) on February 23, 2014.
About 2,500 people, many of them excited children waving national flags of China and Belgium as well as panda-decorated flags or wearing costume of Panda greeted the pandas along the road to the zoo.
Visitors today can only observe the pandas through a closed-circuit television system in the reception.
Officials said they wanted the pandas fully adapted to their new home before making public debut in April.
The pandas, Xing Hui, the male and Hao Hao, the female, are both 4 years old and are on lease from a breeding center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province.
The lease term is 15 years, according to officials with the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas, the world’s largest research base for the species.
“It’s a good thing for Belgium.” Nicole Duflot, a grandmother coming to the zoo with her husband and her grandson told Xinhua, “We can’t see the Panda today but it’s a great thing for us to come here.”
The Pandas will be living in a panda hall of 5,300 square meters within the zoo.
“I hope Xing Hui and Hao Hao will enhance friendship between Belgium and China.” Liao Liqiang, the Chinese ambassador to Belgium, said during an interview with Xinhua.
小题1:What was the main purpose of China leasing pandas to Belgium?
A．We were supposed to make money from Belgium.
B．We meant to improve the relationship between China and Belgium.
C．We expected to amuse the Belgian children.
D．We wanted to make the pandas adapt to the environment abroad.小题2:The underlined word “debut” probably means ___________.
A．first appearance
B．ceremony
C．announcement
D．argument小题3:According to the passage, which statement is right?
A．Xing Hui and Hao Hao will live in the city centre of Brussels.
B．Xing Hui and Hao Hao were very popular with the elders in Belgium.
C．Xing Hui and Hao Hao will come back to China in 2029.
D．Xing Hui and Hao Hao were born in 2008 in Sichuan Province.小题4:On the first day of the pandas’ arrival, visitors could ___________.
A．gently feel the pandas along the road to the zoo
B．get into the panda hall of 5,300 square meters
C．take pictures with the pandas freely
D．watch the pandas through the TV system in the zoo小题5:From the passage, we can predict that______________.
A．Belgium’s Pairi Daiza Zoo will make much money soon
B．Xing Hui and Hao Hao will be very well treated in their new home
C．Belgium’s Pairi Daiza Zoo will serve the Chinese visitors with free admission
D．pandas will be best-sellers in Belgium