June 26, 2000 — the Human Genome(基因组) Project, a great $3 billion, 15-year task aimed at drawing the genetic map of humans, is now more than 90 percent completed. The scientific and medical communities are very excited about the chances genetic research provides for getting rid of diseases and prolonging(延长) human life. But those communities and policy makers also are careful about the scientific door they are opening as the project uncovers the mysteries of life.
For the last few years, the genetic advances in the developing field of biotechnology have provides material for all kinds of work, but the developments of modern science in unlocking the secrets of the human genetic code(密码) have opened a world of possibilities for human health, as well as for the popular imagination.
While European and Japanese researchers are making rapid progress in decoding(解码) human DNA, the leading organization for genetic research is in the United States, which began in 1990, is “unlocking the code” of the human body to learn how to defeat fatal diseases. Already, the Human Genome Project has become widely known and praised for finding the genes connected with terrible diseases as yet(迄今), and making progress toward separating the genes that show a sign of breast cancer or AIDS.
Once these genes are found and studied, researchers can develop new ways to attack infections, and genetic diseases. Medical companies are very interested in mapping the human genome, as they expect to develop a lot of new drugs for these illnesses. Why did the scientists work hard at mapping the human genome?
| A．Because the human genome can destroy many illnesses. |
| B．Because the human genome's completion can help them get rid of many diseases. |
| C．Because they wanted to be better known than others. |
| D．Because the human genome can provide a lot of chances of work. |
Which country studied the genes most rapidly in the world?
| A．Japan. | B．Germany. | C．The United States. | D．China. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．If the genes can be found, scientists can study many new ways to cure illnesses. |
| B．The scientists have made great progress in connecting the genes with the cancers. |
| C．Many medical companies show great interest in drawing the human genome map. |
| D．The United States began the Genes Study early in the 19th century. |
The author suggests that the Human Genome Project can cause _______.
| A．the policy makers to feel very worried and careful |
| B．the scientists to work harder |
| C．many people to find work easily |
| D．a lot of companies to produce many new drugs |
The main idea of this article is about _______.
| A．unlocking genetic code |
| B．the genes' discovery |
| C．the great human genome |
| D．the genes and the scientists |
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Take action right now!What is mainly discussed in paragraph 2?
| A．The heat of the EP | B．The safety of the EP |
| C．The appearance of the EP | D．The material of the EP |
From the passage, we can learn that the EP ______.
| A．doesn’t burn up oxygen | B．runs without any noise |
| C．makes people get sleepy | D．is unsuitable for children and pets |
The underlined word “evenly” in paragraph 4 probably means ______.
| A．continuously | B．separately | C．quickly | D．equally |
The main purpose of the passage is to ______.
| A．persuade people to buy the product |
| B．advise people to save on heating bills |
| C．report the new development of portable heaters |
| D．compare the difference of different heart brands |
The light from the campfire brightened the darkness, but it could not prevent the damp cold of Dennis’s Swamp (沼泽地) creeping into their bones. It was a strange place. Martin and Tom wished that they had not accepted Jack’s dare. They liked camping, but not near this swamp.
“So,” Martin asked as they sat watching the hot coals. “How did this place get its name ? ”
“Are you sure you want to hear it ? It’s a scary story,” warned Jack.
“Of course!” cried out Tom. “If there were anything to be scared of, you wouldn’t have chosen this place!”
“Ok, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” said Jack, and he began his tale.
“Way back in time, a man called Dennis tried to start a farm here. He built that cottage over there to live in . In those days, the area looked quite different ---- it was covered with tall trees and the swamp was a crystal-clear river. After three hard years, Dennis had cleared several fields and planted crops. He was so proud of his success that he refused to listen to advice.
“‘You are clearing too much land, ’ warned one old man. ‘ The land is a living thing. It will hit back at you if you abuse it. ’
“ ‘ Silly fool,’ said Dennis to himself. ‘If I clear more land, I can grow more crops. I’ll become wealthier. He’s just jealous!’
“Dennis continued to chop down trees. Small animals that relied on them for food and shelter were destroyed. He was so eager to expand his farm that he did not notice the river flowing slowly towards his door. He did not notice salt seeping to the surface of the land. He did not notice swamp plants choking all the native plants.
“What happened ? ” Martin asked. It was growing colder. He trembled, twisting his body closer to the fire.
“The land hit back ---- just as the old man warned, ” Jack shrugged. “Dennis disappeared. Old folks around here believe that swamp plants moved up from the river and dragged him underwater. His body was never found.”
“What a stupid story, ” laughed Tom. “Plants can’t …” Before he had finished speaking, he screamed and fainted (晕倒). The other two boys jumped up with fright, staring at Tom. Suddenly, they burst out laughing. Some green swamp ivy (常春藤) had covered Tom’s face. It was a while before Tom could appreciate the joke.The underlined word “dare” in Paragraph 1 is closed in meaning to ________.
| A．courage | B．assistance | C．instruction | D．challenge |
Why did Jack tell Tom and Martin the story ?
| A．To frighten them. | B．To satisfy their curiosity. |
| C．To warn them of the danger of the place. | D．To persuade them to camp in the swamp. |
Why did Dennis ignore the warning of the old man ?
| A．The old man envied him. | B．The old man was foolish |
| C．He was too busy to listen to others. | D．He was greedy for more crops. |
Why did Tom scream and faint ?
| A．He saw Dennis’s shadow | B．He was scared by a plant |
| C．His friends played a joke on him. | D．The weather became extremely cold. |
What lesson can we learn from the story of Dennis ?
| A．Grasp all, lose all. | B．No sweat, no sweet. |
| C．It is no use crying over spilt milk. | D．He who makes no mistakes makes nothing. |
Last year, around Labor Day, I read a “Happy Ad” in our local newspaper. There was a lady in a local nursing home, who was celebrating her 90th birthday and her family wanted everyone to know about it. It said that if you wanted to drop her a line, here was her address. So I did. I found a birthday card and dropped her a short note, wishing her a happy birthday.
A week or so later, someone knocked at my front door. I opened the door and found a middle-aged man standing on my doorstep. He introduced himself as the son of this woman to whom I had sent the card. He explained that he just wanted to drop by in person and thank me for sending such a nice card to his mom. Apparently, like many older folks, she did not receive much mail and was quite excited to receive mine. I just didn’t know what to say. I told him it was my pleasure and that I hoped his mom had enjoyed her birthday.
That year, I did not send out any Christmas cards, except to this lovely old lady in the nursing home. I just told her that I was thinking about her and hoped that she had a nice holiday. I sent her a Valentine and also a couple of notes in between. I just thought she might like to have someone write to her, to get some mail.
She passed away a couple of months ago. I never met this lady, but I did keep her and her family in my thoughts. I dropped them a line of sympathy. I hope that my few little notes were enough to brighten a couple of her days here on earth.The old lady’s address was given because ____________.
| A．her family wanted to make her well-known. |
| B．the old lady wanted to receive a birthday card. |
| C．the son of the old lady wanted to meet the author. |
| D．her family wanted to give her a happy birthday. |
Which of the following best describes the author?
| A．Brave | B．Polite | C．Caring | D．Faithful |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．A Kind Act | B．An Old Lady | C．A Happy Ad | D．A Considerate Son |
HOUSTON (AP) --- A 10-year-old boy fatally shot his father Friday, striking him several times as he sat in the front seat of a SUV to pick up the boy from his mother's home for a weekend visit.
The incident happened about 3pm on a cul-desac（死胡同）in the 1700 block of Cedar Cove Court, said Sgt. Williams of the Harris County Sheriff's Department.
An investigation found that Rick James Lohstroh, 41, was shot by his son, who was sitting in the back seat of the man's Toyota 4-Runner, said Sgt. Williams. The shooting took place outside the home of Lohstroh's ex-wife, where the boy lives with his mother and a 7-year-old brother.
"We're not certain of anything until we finish our investigation," Williams said. "The information we have at this time is that the 10-year-old did fire the weapon."
The mother and the 7-year-old were inside the house when the shooting occurred, said Williams.
Williams said the gun belonged to the boy's mother. After firing shots through the back seat, the boy exited the back of the vehicle and continued to fire at the car.
The man died on the way to Memorial Herman Hospital.
Lohstroh was a doctor at the University of Texas Medical Branch.
The man and woman shared custody（监护）of the children.
Williams said the mother and the boy were still in the home talking to investigators Friday night.
Neighbors described the family as being quiet and keeping to themselves.
Justin Gray, 17, was walking in the neighborhood when he heard gunshots. "We've had a suicide in this neighborhood once, but never anything like this," Gray said.The best title for the news should be __________.
A. A Boy Shot His Father
B. Shooting Kill a Father
C. An Unbelievable Tragedy
A Ten-Year-Old Boy's Cruelty Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the news?
| A．The father is not responsible for the boy. |
| B．The family don't like being linked to their neighbors. |
| C．The boy lives with Rick James Lohstroh. |
| D．The boy has no brother or sister. |
What can we infer from the text?
| A．The tragedy happened because the boy had seen too many films showing violence. |
| B．The boy killed his father because he hated it that he deserted his mother. |
| C．Such things often occurred in this neighbourhood. |
| D．The boy's parents got divorced(="separated)." |
The reason why the boy shot his father __________.
| A．is clear | B．can't be made out | C．is unknown | D．is quite simple |
The underlined word "suicide" most probably means __________.
| A．the act of killing the lives of a whole family |
| B．an instance of deliberately killing oneself |
| C．the situation of getting on smoothly with others |
| D．the peaceful surroundings |
Of all the animals in the animal kingdom, which one (aside from man) is the cleverest?
There are several ways of measuring the intelligence of animals. In one test a scientist sets three same cans on a table. While the animal watches, he puts food under one of the cans. Then he leads the animal away. Some time later, he brings it back to see if it remembers which can has the food. No smelling is allowed; the animal must go directly to the correct can or it fails.
This is called a delayed-response test. The idea is to find out how long an animal’s memory can keep information. The scientists would try showing the cans to the animal one hour later, or two hours later, or even a full day later. They discovered that chimpanzees and elephants have the best memory, and were able to remember the correct can for at least twenty hours. No other animal is close. Dogs came next, but they only remember for nine hours.
To settle the matter, the scientists designed a huge maze (迷宫) and ran the chimps and elephants through it. The maze was very difficult, with many blind paths and dead ends. It took the chimps ten minutes to find their way out. The elephants needed half an hour. Even allowing for the elephants’ slower rate of speed, the test shows that chimpanzees are the cleverest animals.
From this and other tests, the scientists drew the following conclusion: an animal’s intelligence depends on the size of its brain in proportion (比例) to the size of its body. The elephant’s brain weighs ten pounds. But this is only 1/600th of its 6,000 pounds body. A chimp’s brain weighs about one pound, or 1/120th of its total body weight. So in proportion to its body size, the chimp has four times as much brain as the elephant----more brain for less body. The chimp is the champ!Which is the best title?
| A．The Elephant’s Memory | B．The Cleverest Animal |
| C．Judging Intelligence | D．The Chimp’s Brain |
The main idea of this passage is that _____.
| A．there are several ways of measuring the intelligence of animals |
| B．chimps and elephants have the best memory |
| C．intelligence tests show that the chimp is the cleverest animal |
| D．the scientists designed a huge maze and ran the chimps and elephants through it |
The delayed-response test is designed to test an animal’s _____.
| A．eyesight | B．intelligence | C．learning ability | D．memory |
The passage tells that elephants _____.
| A．never forget things | B．are more clever than chimps |
| C．are slower-moving than chimps | D．have better memories than chimps |
According to the passage, a rhinoceros (犀牛) that weighs 2100 pounds, and has a 3-pound brain is _____.
| A．as clever as a chimp | B．more clever than an elephant |
| C．less clever than an elephant | D．as clever as an elephant |