Scientists say they have discovered a promising treatment for sleeping sickness, a killer disease that infects(感染) about 60,000 people in Africa a year.
British and Canadian experts say drugs could attack the parasite（寄生虫） causing the illness needs to survive. They say the drug could be ready for human medical test in about 18 months.
The disease, spread by the bite of a fly, is caused by a parasite attacking the central nervous system. It has similar symptoms（症状） to malaria（疟疾）, making it difficult to diagnose. Left untreated, it moves to the brain, resulting in mental confusion and final death
The "breakthrough" came at the University of Dundee in Scotland, where scientists were offered money to research diseases ignored by major drugs companies.
Professor Paul Wyatt, director of the programme, said: "This is one of the most significant findings made in recent years in terms of drug discovery and development for ignored diseases."
He said the research, published in the journal Nature, represented "significant progress" in the development of a full blown drug against the disease.
The World Health Organization said there are between 50,000 and 70,000 cases of the disease a year, with a further 60 million people at risk of infection.
The research in Dundee was backed by partners at the University of York in England and the Structural Genomics Consortium in Toronto, Canada. The two drugs currently available to treat sleeping sickness both have problems. One is with side effects that kill one in 20 patients and the other is costly, only partially effective and requires long-time hospital treatment, the scientists said. The word backedin the last paragraph probably means_____.
| A．conducted | B．supported | C．believed | D．managed |
What the World Health Organization said suggested that______.
| A．about 60000 people died of the disease each year |
| B．about 60000 people were cured of the disease each year |
| C．600 million people are likely to get infected |
| D．the disease is spreading fast in Africa |
We can read this passage______.
| A．in the journal Nature |
| B．in a newspaper of the University of Dundee |
| C．in a book about flies |
| D．in a newspaper about medicine |
We can learn from the passage that______ .
| A．big drug companies play an important role in the research of the new drug |
| B．people who get infected with the disease are mentally disturbed |
| C．among 200 people infected with the disease, 5 may die because of the old drug |
| D． Professor Paul Wyatt may be a professor at the University of York |
In high school, George Lucas didn’t do much work because he spent all his time dreaming about racing cars.
Just a few days before graduation, George was driving home from the library in his Fiat; he prepared for a left turn by looking in the minor. But as he started the turn, he heard the sound of another car, a blowing horn（喇叭）, and the speeding Chevy hit the driver side of his car. The little Fiat turned over four or five times before it was stopped by a big tree. Luckily, George did not die in the accident, but his recovery was slow and he needed months of physical treatment. He would never be able to race ears now.
The accident really changed George’s life. He decided there must be some reason he survived, and made up his mind to get his act together and make something out of his life. He decided to go to university and developed an interest in reading and writing. He got on quite well in his studies. He didn’t quite forget about racing cars. At that time instead of driving race cars, he began filming them.
You may have seen one or all of George Lucas’s most famous films from the Star Wars series or the Indiana Jones trilogy. Not only has George produced movies, but also he has helped invent and develop new technologies to modernize the movie industry.
Today, Lucas, who earns as much as ＄3.0 billion, is one of the American film industry’s most successful directors and producers.What was George Lueas’s life like in high school?
| A．He was the best race ear driver. |
| B．He did very well in his school subjects. |
| C．He didn’t spend much time on his studies. |
| D．He was one of the worst students in school. |
We can learn from this passage that __________.
| A．George’s Fiat was not seriously damaged |
| B．the Chevy driver didn’t break the traffic law |
| C．George was seriously injured in the accident |
| D．the Chevy driver wasn’t injured in the accident |
The greatness of George Lucas mainly lies in his __________.
| A．earning a great deal of money |
| B．directing several famous movies |
| C．making movies about racing cars |
| D．making the film industry more modern |
根据短文内容，从下面A—F 选项中选出能概括每一段主题的最佳选项。选项中有一项为多余项。
A．Different ways of making friends over the Internet
B．Forming a regular “chat”community
C．The changes the Internet has brought to our life
D．Meeting Internet friends face to face
E. Extension（延伸） of friends over the Internet
F. Maintenance（维持） of friendship by keeping contact 1 .We live in the information age,which is changing many of the ways in our daily life. One of the most interesting developments of the information age is the Internet, which is a vast network of computers that link people ,businesses and communities around the world.
2. How do we make friends using the Internet? One way is to search for websites that have topics that interest us. For example , you might be interested in football. Then you search for a site run by a popular football club.there are hundreds of football sites, and most of them have a special website for their fans . The same is true of popular culture ,and many popular music bands have websites . Once you have located the right football club or pop group , then you will see where to click in order to “chat” with other fans. The word “chat”has got popular because of the Internet, which means a light conversation among friends . Another way to make friends is to access sites that are devoted to this purpose . When you search the Internet for these sites you will find that there are plenty of opportunities to meet people of all ages and from many different backgrounds.
3. Making a new friend is only the first step. The key to a successful relationship over the Internet is to keep in touch with your friend . When the relationship works in this way .it is very rewarding for both parters .You can set the style and pace of the exchange to suit each other .If you use “instant messenger” systems,your chat becomes a dialogue,which is a lot of fun and can help strengthen the growing friendship.
4. You will soon find that the topics go far beyond a discussion of football or music,even though these topics brought you both together . Another way to strengthen the friendship is to include your school friends in your conversations too , and then you can form your own “chat”group that meets regularly and becomes a small community of friends.
5. It’s like belonging to a club.Your club can extend to many new and old friends. And their conversations will enrich your life in ways that you could have never imagined .If your Internet club grows then perhaps you will find ways to meet your friends face to face, which will be another story.
French lessons in France
Whatever your level is, choosing to take French lessons in France is the best way to learn French. Place yourself in the local culture and practice your newly found skills in your free time.
You will be taught by native (本地的) French speakers who have a love for teaching and use excellent teaching techniques. Lessons are interesting and you will speak French on the first day both inside and outside the classroom.
Learners
● Suitable for all levels from beginners to advanced (高级的)
● Over 18 years old
Class Schedule (课表)
● Classes start on Mondays and run throughout the summer.
● Please arrive at the school by 8:15 am on your first day for a short level test. It will help to place you in the right class.
● Classes run from Monday to Friday each week.
● Classes start at 8:45 am each day depending on your level.
● You will have 3 classes per day lasting 55 minutes each.
● You will have a short break between classes.
Free Time and Tours
● The school offers a lot of cultural activities throughout the week. These activities can include cooking lessons, wine and cheese tasting, visits to Paris, cycling, movies and much more.
● You will have plenty of free time to explore (探索) the local area and practice your newly found language skills or just relax on this learning holiday with a difference.
Other Information
● You should bring a small dictionary, pens and paper with you.
Get more from your holiday, have fun, meet new people and take home a new language skill that will stay with you forever.What is special about the French courses?
| A．They are taught in small groups. |
| B．The teachers are young French speakers. |
| C．People learn French in and out of class. |
| D．They will offer a wine tasting license. |
On the first day, the students should ______.
| A．take a language test | B．pay for their study |
| C．do a survey | D．introduce themselves to the class |
How many lessons are there in a week?
| A．21. | B．30. | C．15. | D．12. |
We can learn from the text that the course ______.
| A．is not suitable for teenagers | B．offers cooking classes as well |
| C．provides dictionaries for students | D．has a short game between classes |
Many teenagers feel that the most important people in their lives are their friends. They believe that their family members, especially their parents, don’t know them as well their friends do. In large families, it is often for brothers and sisters to fight with each other and then they can only go to their friends for advice. It is very important for teenagers to have one good friend or many friends. Even when they are not with their friends, they usually spend a lot of time talking among themselves on the phone. This communication is very important in children’s growing up, because friends can discuss something difficult to say to their family members.
However, parents often try to choose their children’s friends for them. Some parents may even stop their children from meeting their good friends. The question of “choice” is an interesting one. Have you ever thought of the following questions?
Who choose your friends?
Do you choose your friends or your friends choose you?
Have you got a good friend your parents don’t like?When teenagers stay alone, the usual way of communication is to _________.
| A．go to their friends | B．talk with their parents |
| C．have a discussion with their family | D．talk with their friends on the phone |
Which of the following is DIFFERENT in meaning from the sentence “Some parents may even stop their children from meeting their good friends.”?
| A．Some parents may even not allow their children to meet their good friends. |
| B．Some parents may even ask their children to stay away from their good friends. |
| C．Some parents may even not let their children meet their good friends. |
| D．Some parents may want their children to stop to meet their good friends. |
Which of the following sentences is TRUE?
| A．Parents should like everything their children enjoy. |
| B．In all families, children can choose everything they like. |
| C．Parents should try their best to understand their children better. |
| D．Teenagers can only go to their friends for help. |
The main idea of this passage is that ___________.
| A．Teenagers need friends |
| B．Friends can give good advice |
| C．Parents often choose their children’s friends for them |
| D．Good friends can communicate with each other |
About fifty years ago, when television first came out, people thought that radio was no longer useful. Television has both sounds and images（影像）. It is much more real and interesting to watch television than to listen to the radio.
However, fifty years later radio is still very popular and it will be here for a long time. One reason is that we don’t need to see an image when we listen to the music on the radio. In fact, listening with your eyes closed is the best way to listen to a piece of music. You can imagine yourself on a sandy beach or up high on a mountain. In other words, you can create your own images. Moreover, while listening to the radio, you don’t have to take your eyes off your work. For example, you can listen to the radio and drive at the same time. Or you can read a book and listen to the radio. Television, on the other hand, doesn’t have this advantage.
A radio is much smaller than a television. You can take a radio anywhere and turn it on anytime you want. In a quiet place you can use headphones to listen to the news or music on the radio. In this way you won’t disturb anybody.
Moreover, a radio is much cheaper than a television. For less than $ 20 you can buy a small radio and have fun with it.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Music. | B．Radio. | C．Sound. | D．Television. |
People like to watch TV because _______.
| A．it has headphones to listen to the news |
| B．they can drive while watching TV |
| C．it has both sounds and images |
| D．they can watch with their ears |
We learn from the passage that _______.
| A．people can take a radio anywhere and turn it on anytime |
| B．television came out 50 years ago and it is useless now |
| C．a radio is more expensive than a television |
| D．people can use headphones to read books |