Special trees that grow faster, fight pollution, produce better wood, and even sense chemical attacks are being planted by scientists in the US.
When 40 per cent of Hawaii's US$14 million-a-year papaya (木瓜)industry was destroyed by a virus five years ago, work began on creating genetically engineered (转基因的) trees.
Researchers successfully introduced seeds that were designed to resist the virus. Since then, more and more people have been testing genetically engineered trees.
Some researchers put special bacteria into trees to help them grow faster and produce better wood. Others are trying to create trees that can clean polluted soil.
Meanwhile fruit farmers are looking for trees that are strong enough to resist worms, and paper companies want trees that produce more wood and therefore more paper.
The Pentagon (五角大楼) even gave the researchers US$500,000 this year after they developed a pine tree that changes its colours if it senses a chemical attack.
So far, the poplar, eucalyptus (杨树与桉树), apple and coffee trees are among those being engineered. All this can be done today because we have a better understanding of tree genom
es (基因组).
However, some people fear that the genetically engineered trees will cause dangerous results. They are worried that the new trees will breed with natural species and change the balance of the forest environment.
"It could be destructive," said Jim Diamond, an environmentalist. "Trees are what is left of our natural environment and home to many endangered species."
But researchers insist that science could give nature a fighting chance against both natural and man-made dangers.
They hope to answer the critics by stopping the new trees from breeding, so their effect on the environment can be controlled.Which kind of tree is not the ones that scientists are planting in the US?
| A．Trees that worms can't hurt. |
| B．Trees that can protect themselves at a chemical attack. |
| C．Trees that can resist wind better. |
| D．Genetically engineered trees. |
What caused the American scientists to work on special trees?
| A．They think science could give nature a fighting chance against both natural and man-made dangers. |
B．Gre at numbers of trees have been lost due to attacks by viruses. |
| C．Researchers successfully introduced seeds designed to resist the virus. |
| D．Tree genomes are mapped out so scientists know how to improve trees. |
Which of the following was probably the first kind of trees being engineered?
| A．Papaya. | B．Pine. | C．Apple. | D．Poplar. |
Why did critics think engineered trees dangerous? Because _______.
| A．these trees can destroy the balance of nature |
| B．everything except trees has been genetically engineered |
| C．trees are home to many endangered species |
| D．these trees may affect normal trees |
Pupils remember more and behave better when 3D images are used in lessons, research suggests. They are quicker to learn and absorb new concepts, and display higher levels of concentration.
Professor Anne Bamford studied the effectiveness of 3D content in 15 schools across seven countries. In each school, one class studied science in 2D classes and another did the same lesson using 3D resources. Pupils in 3D classes could remember more than those in 2D classes after four weeks, improving test scores by an average of 17 percent compared with 8 percent for 2D lessons.
The researchers commented that the pupils in the 3D groups had deeper understanding, increased attention span, more motivation and higher engrossment in the lessons.
One teacher in the study said, “ In class with 3D you have the ‘wow’ effect. The pupils are too interested to be disruptive(制造混乱的). They get involved and forget to be naughty.” Another said, “The class certainly pay more attention to the learning in the 3D classes. They are more focused. That is important in this class --- eight out of the 26 pupils in this class have attention problems, so I am thrilled with the impact of 3D. They are really attentive.” The study also found that teachers could use the 3D animations without specific training. Schools would need 3D-enabled projectors(放映机), laptops with good graphic capabilities, 3D software and glasses for children to introduce animations into classrooms.
But Danny Nicholson, from the Association of Science Education, said the technology would be impractical to use in schools and could be too expensive. He said, “While I think the idea of 3D technology is very interesting --- and I’m speaking as a fan of interactive whiteboards and projectors as a technology in the classroom --- I worry that 3D is a bit of an expensive gimmick (小玩意儿). There are a few cases where a true 3D image might help, but a lot of the time, good 2D models that can be moved, would be just as effective.”
In Colorado, the US, one school district is already in the process of having 1,000 3D projectors installed in classrooms. And the University of California, which carries out scientific research into the Lake Tahoe Basin, has used 3D presentations with Grade Six pupils. Those who watched the 3D presentations were more engaged and reported a general increase in their interest in science compared with students who watched the 2D version.What method did Professor Bamford use to prove the advantages of 3D lessons?
| A．Argument. | B．Description. |
| C．Comparison. | D．Narration. |
What does the underlined word “engrossment” in the third paragraph probably mean?
| A．Encouragement. | B．Concentration. |
| C．Contribution. | D．Consequence. |
Teachers think pupils in 3D classes ____________.
| A．find it hard to concentrate on the lesson |
| B．are too naughty to get involved in 2D classes. |
| C．have less motivation and lower engagement in the lesson |
| D．have deeper understanding and increased attention span |
Which of the following statement is TRUE?
| A．3D presentations have been used with Grade Six pupils throughout the US. |
| B．3D technology would replace 2D models in the future. |
| C．Teachers would use the 3D technology by training. |
| D．Many pupils are now more interested in science than before. |
What can we learn from Paragraph 5?
| A．2D will be replaced by 3D because it is neither interesting nor effective. |
| B．Danny Nicholson tends to think that 3D is only a bit of gimmick. |
| C．3D would be impractical to use in schools because of finance problem. |
| D．Danny Nicholson doesn’t like to use whiteboards and projectors in the classroom. |
What is the article mainly about?
| A．How schools can make full use of 3D technology. |
| B．Pupils behave better when 3D images are used in classes. |
| C．2D models are always more effective than 3D images. |
| D．The differences between 3D and 2D images. |
Top 8 food and beverage（饮品）companies in China
No 1 COFCO Group
COFCO Group is the largest company of various products and services in the agricultural products and food industry in China. It is devoted to providing healthy and nutritious food, as well as contributing to improvement of people’s living standards and social development.
No 2 Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co Ltd
Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co Ltd is a dairy company. It is engaged in processing and producing milk products, including ice cream, milk powder, milk tea powder and fresh milk under “Yili”brand. It is headquartered（总部位于）in Hohhot. The company was an official sponsor of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
No 3 Shuanghui Group
Shuanghui Group is a privately-owned meat processing company headquartered in Luohe, Henan, China. The company’s businesses include pig raising, consumer meat products, and so on. It is the largest meat producer in China. On May 29, 2013, Shuanghui announced it would sell American pork producer Smithfield Foods Inc.
No 4 China Mengniu Dairy Co Ltd
China Mengniu Dairy Co Ltd is a producing company of dairy products and ice cream in China. The company is based in Inner Mongolia and produces dairy products under the Mengniu brand.
No 5 Bright Food (Group) Corp Ltd
Bright Food (Group) Co Ltd is a food and beverages company headquartered in Shanghai. Bright Food has four listed branches, Bright Dairy & Food Co Ltd, Shanghai First Provisions Store Co Ltd, Shanghai Maling Aquarius Co Ltd and Shanghai Haibo Co Ltd. The company got a 60 percent stake in the British breakfast cereals producer Weetabix Ltd in 2012 and agreed to acquire a 56 percent stake in the Israeli Dairy producer Tnuva in 2014.
No 6 Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co Ltd
Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co Ltd is a private company, and the largest non-alcoholic beverage producer in China. The company is headquartered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.
No 7 Wuliangye Yibin Co Ltd
Wuliangye Yibin Co Ltd is a Chinese alcoholic beverage company. It specializes in producing baijiu, and is best known for Wuliangye. Headquartered in Yibin, Sichuan Province, the company sells its products all over the market at home and abroad.Wuliangye reportedly ranks first in terms of market share compared with other baijiu brands.
No 8 Tsingtao Brewery Co Ltd
Tsingtao Brewery Co Ltd is China’s largest company to produce beer. It was founded in 1903 by a German. The beer is produced in Qingdao in Shandong province and it gets its name from the city’s name. The beer’s present-day logo displays an image of Zhan Qiao, a famous pier on Qingdao’s southern shore.Which company was set up by a foreigner?
| A．Bright Food (Group) Corp Ltd. |
| B．Wuliangye Yibin Co Ltd. |
| C．Tsingtao Brewery Co Ltd. |
| D．Shuanghui Group. |
Which two companies produce the similar products?
| A．Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co Ltd & Bright Food (Group) Corp Ltd |
| B．Wuliangye Yibin Co Ltd & COFCO Group |
| C．Shuanghui Group & Tsingtao Brewery Co Ltd |
| D．Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co Ltd & China Mengniu Dairy Co Ltd |
What is the underlined word “pier” related to?
| A．a person | B．a place |
| C．a beer | D．a picture |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Bright Food (Group) Corp Ltd got a 56 percent stake in the British breadfast cereals producer Weetabix Ltd in 2012. |
| B．Headquartered in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co Ltd was an official sponsor of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. |
| C．Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co Ltd is the largest state company producing non-alcoholic beverage. |
| D．Wuliangye Yibin Co Ltd, headquartered in Yibin, Henan, sells its products all over the world. |
One day, a young man was cleaning out his late grandfather’s belongings when he came across a bright red envelope. Written on the front were the words, “To my grandson.” Recognizing his grandfather’s handwriting, the young man opened the envelope. A letter inside read:
Dear Ronny,
Years ago you came to me for help. You said, “Grandpa, how is it that you’ve accomplished so much in your life? You’re still full of energy, and I’m already tired of struggling. How can I get that same enthusiasm that you’ve got?”
I didn’t know what to say to you then. But knowing my days are numbered, I figure that I owe you an answer. So here is what I believe.
I think a lot of it has to do with how a person looks at things. I call it “keeping your eyes wide open”.
When you meet up with challenges, welcome them. They’ll leave you wiser, stronger, and more capable than you were the day before. When you make a mistake, be grateful for the things it taught you. Resolve to use that lesson to help you reach your goals.
And always follow the rules, even the little ones. When you follow the rules, life works. If you think you ever really get by with breaking the rules, you’re only fooling yourself.
It’s also important to decide exactly what you want. Then keep your mind focused on it, and be prepared to receive it.
But be ready to end up in some new places, too. As you grow with the years, you’ll be given bigger shoes to fill. So be ready for endings as well as challenging beginnings.
Sometimes we have to be brave enough to move from the familiar to the unfamiliar. Life isn’t just reaching peaks. Part of it is moving from one peak to the next. If you rest too long in between, you might be tempted to quit. Leave the past in the past. Climb the next mountain and enjoy the view.
Remember that your choices will create your successes and your failures. So consider all the pathways ahead, and decide which ones to follow. Then believe in yourself, get up, and get going.
And be sure to take breaks once in a while. They’ll give you a renewed commitment to your dreams and a cheerful, healthy perception of the things that matter the most of you.
Most important of all, never give up on yourself. The person that ends up a winner is the one who resolves to win.Give life everything you’ve got, and life will give its best back to you.
Love always,
GrandpaThe young man’s grandpa wrote this letter to __________.
| A．recall his whole life |
| B．tell his grandson how great he was |
| C．explain how to keep passion |
| D．show how to succeed |
The underlined part “But knowing my days are numbered” implies that __________.
| A．grandpa could count days |
| B．grandpa’s each day was important |
| C．grandpa knew he was dying |
| D．grandpa was eager to tell the young man |
According to the passage, ____________.
| A．learning to give up is very important |
| B．we’d better stay in the familiar situation |
| C．obeying few rules doesn’t matter |
| D．taking breaks once in a while is good to us |
The young man’s grandpa may agree _____________.
| A．how a person looks at things has nothing to do with one’s future |
| B．we should be thankful for what mistakes teach us |
| C．successful life is just reaching peaks |
| D．it’s not so important to decide exactly what you want |
MOOCs, an acronym(缩写)for “massive open online courses,” mark an important, possibly revolutionary, development in education. These courses are online, free of charge, and open to anyone in the world who has a laptop and an Internet connection. Moreover, they are mainly offered by elite universities like Standford, Berkeley, Harvard and Columbia.
The courses, like normal college courses, are sequenced(按顺序排好)by difficulty, enabling students to progress from beginners to the advanced. The courses cover not only a broad range of technical subjects such as math and computer science, but also courses in the social sciences and the humanities (人文学科).
Though MOOCs are not offered for credit and degree, many students enroll in the courses for real skills or knowledge which they can put to some practical use. Some students even form online study groups, or in-person groups with students who live nearby.
The format seems superior to the traditional school class. The average quality of the lecturer is much higher, because students do not have to stick with a mediocre(平庸的) lecturer.
Besides, students can scroll back or forward—in short, they can go at their own learning speed, which they cannot do in a live lecture. And, of great importance, they do not have to travel anywhere to attend an online lecture. One can obtain a first-class American college education wherever he or she lives and however little money he or she has.
There is a problem of asking questions of the lecturer in a class of ten thousand students, but some MOOCs have solved it by allowing students to post questions online for a vote, and only the most popular questions are put to the lecturer.
In a knowledge era, lifelong learning is not confined to a traditional classroom. Of course, students enrolling in MOOCs cannot be compared with those who are in traditional universities, but we need to rethink what a “students” is.
Students in MOOCs are very clever, have work experience, and in many cases, have already developed a set of core competences. Moreover, they also offer unique international perspectives that would be the envy of any school classroom.Which of the following statements is NOT true about MOOCs?
| A．The word “MOOCs” is an acronym for “Massive open online campuses.” |
| B．Anyone who has a computer and an Internet connection can take MOOCs. |
| C．MOOCs are usually offered by first-class universities in the world.. |
| D．MOOCs may be a breakthrough in the development of education. |
Students enroll in MOOCs mainly for ________.
| A．credits | B．degrees | C．skills | D．study groups |
MOOCs seem to have an advantage over traditional school classes because________.
①the average quality of the lecturer is higher
②students can travel to many places when taking MOOCs
③students can learn at their own study pace
④there is a problem of asking questions in traditional classes
| A．①② | B．②③ | C．①③ | D．②④ |
Which word is the best to describe students enrolling in MOOCs?
| A．Mediocre | B．Creative |
| C．Practical | D．Competent |
Which of the following words does not have the same meaning as the underlined word “perspectives”in the last Paragraph?
| A．Vision | B．View |
| C．Outlook | D．Scenery |
At 4：53 pm. on January 12, United Nations aid worker Jens Kristensen was at his desk reading documents on the third floor of the Christopher Hotel, which served as UN headquarters in PortauPrince, when he felt a tremor(震颤). Four seconds later, the earthquake hit.
“In a split second, I considered whether to run for the door or hide under my desk，” says Kristensen, 48. “The door was closed, and I thought that maybe it was too far and I would be caught under falling debris（杂物）, so I hid under the table.” A bookshelf topped onto his desk, protecting him from being crushed by rubble and trapping him in a tiny pocket. “I was confined as if in a small coffin，” he says. It was so dark, and it didn’t matter if his eyes were open or closed. He used the light from his mobile phone to see around him. He found, among other items, a jar of instant coffee. “I had no food or water, only the coffee to suck on if I needed it.”
At about 6：30 am. on January 17, an oil leak silenced the building’s generators, and Kristensen was able to hear muffled voices above where he was buried. “I thought, I was too tired to bang and shout. But then I realized, I had to take every chance. This could be one.” So he called out. Six hours later, Kristensen saw his rescuers’ faces. “It was so amazing. I felt I had received a second birthday，” he recalls.
Dehydration（脱水） and pains but with only a bruise and a scratch, Kristensen took three days to recover. The UN lost more than 90 people in Haiti. But Kristensen says that the outpouring of love helps heal the pain: “The genuine happiness of people toward me here has been wonderful. You feel part of a larger family.”When the earthquake struck, Jens Kristensen decided to ________．
| A．read documents in the office |
| B．stay under the desk |
| C．run out of the room quickly |
| D．catch the falling debris |
What protected Jens Kristensen from being injured by falling bricks?
| A．The bookshelf. | B．The desk. |
| C．The door. | D．The pocket. |
When Jens Kristensen heard the voices, he came to know that ________．
| A．he couldn’t have the chance to survive the earthquake |
| B．his parents arrived here to save him at once |
| C．he was able to ask for help from rescuers |
| D．he was so tired and he couldn’t say anything at all |
According to the last paragraph we can know that Jens Kristensen felt ________．
| A．fortunate | B．grateful |
| C．popular | D．courageous |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
| A．The rescuer’s day |
| B．An aid worker’s life |
| C．A dangerous adventure |
| D．Kristensen’s experience in an earthquake |