.
Research on the human brain has been attracting more and more scientists in recent years, just like the booming hi-tech industry. One of the latest research topics is how to change the human brain or combine the computer and the human brain, i.e. to transplant a chip into a human brain. This idea may make everyone’s dream come true. If we compare a human brain to a hard disc, what the scientists are doing is to enlarge the capacity of the hard disc. For the time being, there are some difficulties in such transplant experiments, but scientists never give up.
Experiments have started on animals. In 1996, a transplant experiment performed at the Defense and Military Physiology Research Institute in the U.S. turned a bear into a dolphin.
The dolphin was named Ted, and the bear was named Tallin. Using the most advanced technology available, deep and detailed images were made of the memory area in Ted’s brain containing information about swimming by the scientists. They obtained a series of useful information, the signals transferred by the nervous system. Such information was saved into a button-sized chip, which was then transplanted into the action memory area in Tallin’s brain. The information saved on the chip was released by means of electric power.
Recently, another comprehensive memory transplant was performed at the Motor Nerve Research Institute of the University of California. The comprehensive memory transplanted in the experiment included actions, moods, logic, words, images, etc. The experiment involved an entire transplant of the memory area. This was the largest such experiment done so far.
The transplant was performed making a transfer from a dog named “Genius” to a dog named “Idiot”. “Genius” could understand and follow up to 100 gestures and orders made by its master. It was a real genius in memorizing. “Idiot” was the younger brother of “Genius”. It had no contact with people at all since its birth. It became an animal with nothing in its brain, without any memory.
The operation was a complete success. When the two dogs woke up, “Idiot” had grasped all the abilities “Genius” possessed; it was good at memorizing and sensible. It could follow every gesture and any command given by its master. But “Genius” gave no response to its master, and in fact did not recognize him at all.
47. The purpose of the experiment is ________.
A. to combine the computer and the human brain
B. to make bear swim
C. to make some stupid dog turn clever
D. to enlarge the capacity of human brain
48. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. The scientists transferred a button-sized chip with useful information in Tallin’s brain.
B. The first comprehensive memory transplant was performed at the Motor Nerve Research University.
C. The second experiment wasn’t an entire transplant of the memory area.
D. The Idiot was an animal with memory before brain experiment
49. What does the underlined word “success” refer to?
A. The two dogs woke up.
B. They were both good at memorizing.
C. The Idiot grasped all the abilities of Genius.
D. The Genius grasped all the abilities of Idiot.
50. According to the text, we can infer ________.
A. a person can know more after the experiment
B. a bear can swim after being transferred a chip with related useful information
C. a dog can become clever after entire transplant of the memory area
D. it is really good for animals to have been involved in the transplant experiment
In November, 2010, the CPI ( consumer price index) went up by 5.1 percent year-on-year(同比). The price grew by 4.9 percent in cities and 5.6 percent in rural areas. The food price went up by 11.7 percent while the non-food price increased by 1.9 percent.
Grouped by commodity(商品) categories, in November, of the eight categories of commodities, six of them experienced prices rise and two witnessed prices decline. Of which, prices for food went up by 11.7 percent; prices for tobacco, liquor and articles rose by 1.6 percent; price for clothing went down by 0.7 percent; prices for household facilities, articles and maintenance services went up by 0.7 percent; health care and personal articles rose by 4.0 percent; transportation and communication went down by 0.7 percent; recreation, education, culture articles and services grew by 0.6 percent, and housing went up by 5.8 percent.
In November this year, the month-on-month(环比)change of consumer price was up by 1.1 percent. Of which, price in cities went up by 1.0 percent and that in rural areas went up by 1.3 percent.
The food price rose by 2.0 percent and the non-food price increased by 0.6 percent. The price of consumer goods grew by 1.5 percent, and the price of services went down by 0.2 percent.
Grouped by commodity categories, in November, prices for food rose by 2.0 percent month-on-month, of which the price for fresh vegetables decreased by 1.9 percent; prices for tobacco, liquor and articles increased by 0.2 percent, price for clothing went up by 1.6 percent, prices for household facilities, articles and maintenance services increased by 0.4 percent, health care and personal articles grew by 0.7 percent; transportation and communication maintained the same level, recreation, education, culture articles and services dropped by 1.0 percent, and housing went up by 1.8 percent. We can infer from the text that the price of _______ has been rising faster than the other three.
A.eggs | B.KTV’s | C.houses | D.cigarettes |
According to the pas
sage, a coat worth ¥500 in October may cost you ______ in November.
A.505 | B.580 | C.503.5 | D.451.5 |
What’s the best title for this passage ?
A.The Food Price Went Up by 11.7 Percent in November |
B.The Reasons for the Price Increase of Various Commodities in November |
C.The Price Grew by 4.9 Percent in Cities and 5.6 Percent in Rurall Areas in November |
D.China Inflation(通货膨胀)We![]() |
Chinese tennis player Li Na didn’t win the Australian Open Championship on Saturday, but she still made the history books.
Li, who lost to Kim Clijsters of Belgium in three sets (3-6, 6-3, 6-3), is the first player from China to make it to a Grand Slam final.
The boss defeated a bit of the feel-good story for China and for Li, who on Thursday defeated No. 1 player Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals in Melbourne. Li is ranked fifth.
In an interview Li said she was proud of her effort. “I think I play great tennis,” she said. “ I mean, she plays better than me. After the match, I make a joke: tennis should only play one set.”
Bai Yan, a member of China’s men’s national team member and Li Na’s friend, said the loss was disappointing, but still a bright starting point.
“To tell you the truth I feel a little bit down, all of us. But you know she is still the best, and she’s still our hero in everybody’s eyes,” said Bai. “This is just the start.”.
Win or lose, Li’s appearance in the Australian Open finals was seen as a major victory for tennis in China, where badminton and table tennis rules.
Fans across China gathered to watch the match. Li’s mother joined fans at a restaurant in her hometown of Wuhan. In Bejing, fans crowded together to watch China’s national tennis match.
“ Tennis is still relatively a new sport in China,” said Michael Chang, the Chinese-American who was the first Asian grand slam champion, in an interview with CNN. “ To be able to see Li Na have as much success as she has… this could be the start of something very special for tennis in China.”
“Li will definitely change the sport of tennis in China and that is a great thing,” Chang said. What’s the main idea of the passage?
A.Chinese tennis star Li Na’s tennis career. |
B.A fierce tennis match at Australian Open. |
C.Chinese tennis star made history at Australian Open. |
D.Chinese tennis r![]() |
Which is true according to the passage?
A.Li Na’s failure let the Chinese down. |
B.Li Na ranked fifth at Australian Open. |
C.LI Na’s mother attended the mat![]() |
D.Li Na made a new starting point of China |
What’s the meaning of the u
nderlined words “tennis should only play one set” (Para 4)?
A.Li Na was not satisfied with the rule of tennis match. |
B.Li Na was not satisfied with her own performance. |
C.Li Na had a bad opinion of Clijsters. |
D.Li Na took pride in her effort. |
According to what Chang said in the last two paragraphs, we can imply that ________.
A.it’s normal that Li Na failed because tennis is a new sport in China |
B.Li Na has the advantage to change tennis sport in China |
C.China still falls behind other countries in tennis sport |
D.Li Na has great difficulty in defeating others because of weak ability |
“Dinning out” and “eating out” are phrases people use in Britain when they eat in a restaurant or pub(小酒馆). Eating out is more popular in Britain today than it has ever been. In 2006, for the first time ever, British people spent more eating out than cooking for themselves and eating at home. It seems that many British people are becoming increasingly interested in how good their food tastes, and also how healthy it is.
However, eating out can also be expensive. As British people do not eat out every night of the week, eating in a restaurant is often seen as a special occasion. When going on a first date and wanting to impress him/ her , or if celebrating an anniversary or a birthday, many people like to go to a restaurant to eat, and people often also eat in a restaurant before going to the cinema or the theater.
As in all cultures, there are many rules of etiquette(礼仪) surrounding food and eating. The knife and fork should be used in the correct way! It is also impolite to have your elbows(肘部) on the dinning table when you are eating.
Almost all British cities have a vast range of food as well as traditional British food, and all from the very cheap to the very expensive---French, Italian, Indian, Chinese, Greek, Thai, Japan and many, many more. In fact, when asked which was their favorite food, more British people said an Indian curry(咖喱菜肴) than any other dish !
As well as dining in a restaurant, when people are too tired to cook after work they often get a “take-away”. This means that they order from a take-out restaurant by telephone, and then go to collect it and take it home to eat. Many take-out restaurants also deliver it your house. While you can normally find a take-out restaurant for almost any food, the most popular are Italian, Indian and Chinese and then all of you have to do is to open the door, pay and eat !On which of the following occasions are British people likely to eat in a restaurant ?
A.After watching a play. | B.Before watching a movie. |
C.When they’re too tired to work. | D.When they want to have natural food. |
From the passage we can know that_______.
A.eating out is not expensive in Britain |
B.eating at pubs doesn’t have so many rules in Britain |
C.British people are not aware of nutrition while eating out |
D.the British spent more eating at home more than eating out |
We can learn from the last two paragraphs that________.
A.French dishes are very expensive |
B.take-out restaurants only deliver pizza |
C.British people are fond of foreign food |
D.people can eat take-out food first and pay later |
What is the passage mainly about ?
A.Restaurant culture in Britain. | B.Table manners. |
C.Traditional British food. | D.Eating and health. |
Ok, I admit it: Emoticons(表情符号) are popular. Some people even think they are fun. Many seem unable to get through an e-mail or Instant Message chat sentence without using one. Some feel that they add feeling and character to otherwise cold digital communications.
Some, however, such as editor and Hollywood scriptwriter John Blumenthal, blast the use of emotions as “ infantile(幼稚的) just like the people who use them”. He believes that words themselves should be enough. “If you’re being funny, happy or sad, that should be apparent from the comment that goes before the emoticons,” he argues.
In the eyes of Blumenthal, the use of emoticons is a gender issue. “Men don’t use emoticons very much. Maybe not at all.,” he said. “Teenage girls and women seem to use them a lot. Maybe there’s an emoticons gene.”
It’s an interesting opinion, but it is not shared by all.
In an interview with The New York Times, Dacher Keltner, professor of psychology at the University of California, said that emoticons are popular because our brains are programmed “ to seek out representations of humanity”. He believes that they appeal not because they are shortcuts for the lazy, but because they tap into(输入)something beyond language. They reach to our need to be with and communicate with people.
All of these arguments may be somehow valid(正确的). Each one of us will choose to communicate in our own way. I do not have much time for emoticons. I tried to use one once and felt like I was stealing into a primary school class that I had no place being in. I’d rather let my words do the talking.
Friends, however, send me messages and e-mails full of emoticons. I have no problem with this, I don’t regard any of my friends as lazy or immature. It’s just a question of individuality.According to the article, emoticons are popular because_________.
A.most of them look funny |
B.they are easy for lazy people to use |
C.they add feeling and character to a communication |
D.a reader cannot understand a message without the![]() |
Which of the following views would John Blumenthal agree with ?
A.Instant Message chatters are childish. |
B.It’s enough to use language in digital communication. |
C.Men never use emoticons. |
D.There is an emoticon gene in everybody. |
From the text, we can conclude that the author________.
A.feels he has no difficulty using emoticons |
B.thinks emoticons don’t suit him |
C.encourage his friends to use emoticons |
D.believes that emoticons are suitable for everyone |
What is the main point of the article ?
A.Advice on language used over the Internet. |
B.The history of emoticons. |
C.Arguments over the use of emoticons. |
D.Reasons for the popularity of emoticons. |
Against the supposition(假设)that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia warm the climate, scientists have discovered that cooling may occur in areas where burnt trees allow more snow to mirror more sunlight into space.
This finding suggests that taking steps to prevent northern forest to limit the release of greenhouse gases may warm the climate in northern regions. Usually large fires destroyed forests in these areas over the past decade. Scientists predict that with climate warming, fires may occur more frequently over next several centuries as a result of a longer fire season. Sunlight taken in by the earth tends to cause warming, while heat mirrored back into space tends to cause cooling.
This is the first study to analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate. Earlier studies by other scientists have suggested that fire in northern regions speed up climate warming because greenhouse gases from burning trees and plants are released into the atmosphere and thus trap heat.
Scientists found that right after the fire, large amounts of greenhouse gases entered the atmosphere and caused warming. Ozone(臭氧)levels increased, and ash from the fire fell on far-off sea ice, darkening the surface and causing more radiation from the sun to be taken in. The following spring, however, the land within the area of the fire was brighter than before the fire, because fewer trees covered the ground. Snow on the ground mirrored more sunlight back into space, leading to cooling.
“We need to find out all possible ways to reduce the growth of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.” Scientists tracked the change in amount of radiation entering and leaving the climate system as a result of the fire, and found a measurement closely related to the global air temperature. Typically, fire in northern regions occurs in the same area every 80 to 150 years. Scientists, however, found that when fire occurs more frequently, more radiation is lost from the earth and cooling results. Specifically, they determined when fire returns 20 years earlier than predicated, 0.5 watts per square meter of area burned are soaked up by the earth from greenhouse gases, but 0.9 watts per square meter will be sent back into space. The net effect is cooling. Watts are used to measure the rate at which energy is gained or lost from the earth.According to the new findings, taking steps to prevent northern forest fires may _______.
A.result in a warming climate |
B.cause the forest fires to occur more frequently |
C.lead to a longer fire season |
D.protect the forests and the environment there |
The following are all the immediate effects after a forest fire EXCEPT _________.
A.large amounts of greenhouse gases enter the atmosphere |
B.the levels of ozone which is a type of oxygen increase |
C.snow on the ground mirrors more sunlight back into space |
D.ashes from the fire fall on the ice surface and take in more radiation from the sun |
Earlier studies about northern forest fires _________.
A.analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate |
B.indicate that forest fires will pollute the atmosphere |
C.suggest that people should take measures to protect environment |
D.suggest that the fires will speed up climate warming |
The underlined part “soaked up” in the last paragraph most probably means ________.
A.released | B.absorbed | C.created | D.distributed |
From the passage we can draw a conclusion that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia may __________.
A.warm the climate as the supposition goes |
B.allow more snow to reflect more sunlight into space and thus cool the climate |
C.destroy large areas of forests and pollute the far-off sea ice |
D.help to gain more energy rather than release more energy |