NOT all memories are sweet. Some people spend all their lives trying to forget bad
memories. Violence and traffic accidents can leave people with terrible physical and emotional scars.
Now American researchers think they are close to developing a pill, which will help people forget bad memories. The pill is designed to be taken immediately after a scary events. They hope it might reduce ,or possibly erase,the effect of painful memories.
In November, experts tes
ted a drug on people in the US and France. The drug stops the body producing chemicals that fix memories in the brain. So far the research has suggested that only the emotional effects of memories may be reduced, not that the memories are erased.
The research has caused a great deal of argument. Some think it is a bad idea, while others support it.
Supporters say it could lead to pills that prevent or treat soldiers' troubling memories after war. They say that there are many people who suffer from terrible memories.
"Some memories can ruin people's lives . They come back to you when you don't want to have them in a daydream or nightmare. They usually come with very painful emotions," said Roger Pitman.
But those who are against the research say that changing memories is very dangerous because memories make us different from others. They also help us all avoid the mistakes of the past.
"All of us can think of bad events in our lives that were horrible at the time but make us who we are. I'm not sure whether we want to wipe those memories out, "said Rebecca Dresser, a medical ethicist.
56.What does the underlined word “erase” mean?
A. change B remove C add D forgive
57. The passage is mainly about ________ .
A. a new medical invention
B. a new research on the pill
C. a way of erasing painful memories
D. the argument about the research on the pill
58. The drug tested on people can ___________ .
A. cause the brain to fix memories
B. stop people remembering bad events
C. prevent body producing certain chemicals
D. wipe out the bad memories
59. Which of the following statements is TRUE? .
A. Some people doubt whether the pills should be used to help people forget bad memories.
B. the pill will stop people's bad memories.
C. taking the pill will do harm to people's health
D. the pill has been produced in America
60. Which of the following does Rebecca Dresser agree with?
A. Some memories can ruin people's lives.
B. People want to get rid of bad memories.
C. Having bad events makes us different from others.
D. The pill will reduce people's sufferings from bad memories
Observer 2007-03-28 13:54
Nothing could be more shameful for McDonald’s and KFC. They are violating labour’s rights. The government must immediately bring the guilty to justice. A stricter government inspection system must be enforced to protect the workers.
Nathan 2007-03-28 21:39
It is known that McDonald’s and KFC and other fast-food restaurants pay the lowest wage they possibly can to get their employees. I think it’s kind of funny that these two restaurants have not yet set up unions. It is also known that they also take every possible measure e(legal, and sometimes illegal) to prevent their employees from forming or joining unions. I think it is high time that government enforced the law that they have made.
Cushman 2007-03-28 22:32
The deepest reason is that China has a large population. If you complain that the pay is very low, the boss will tell you that can go to other places and that there are a lot of people waiting for the job. Today finding a job is not very easy, so you don’t have many choices, and you have to face the reality.
Chip 2007-03-29 20:33
If wages were too low, people wouldn’t work for them, but they do, so it proves the wages are reasonable. Sure, they could raise the wages, but why should they? The workers are still working, still willing to show up on time, and it keeps costs lower. Were they to raise wages, they would have to FIRE more workers, and the price of burgers would go up. Then people wouldn’t buy them, then McDonald’s would once again FIRE more workers because of a reduced demand, and you’d be back in the same boat, just with less people working.What are they debating about?
| A．McDonald’s and KFC pay too low a salary to their employees. |
| B．Setting up a social security system. |
| C．Fast-food restaurants have no rights to fire workers. |
| D．McDonald’s and KFC will be punished for their behaviour. |
According to Chip, it is____for McDonald’s and KFC to give employees a low salary.
| A．unacceptable | B．shameful | C．acceptable | D．illegal |
In the opinion of Cushman, the key to the problem is that____.
| A．the social security net has not been set up |
| B．China has too large a population |
| C．the government has not taken stronger steps to protect workers |
| D．the unions have not played an important part to raise the wages. |
The underlined word “they” in Nathan’s words refers to____.
| A．the employees | B．governments |
| C．all the restaurants | D．fast-food restaurants |
Sicily, an island of Italy, is home to beautiful beaches, outstanding food, and a bit of Italian history on every corner. It’s located just southwest of the Italian mainland and it’s the largest Mediterranean island.
Invaded(侵略)by many armies over the centuries, it became the site of Roman and Greek colonies. Those cultures remain to this day.
Although they have a rich culture and history, Sicilian people lead a simple life. Living on land with fertile(肥沃的) soil, most of them work in agriculture, fishing and mining, and of course tourism.
In Sicily, most stores and businesses are closed from one to four in the afternoon. Street become crowded around five as people start to go out and engage in a variety of activities. They may take a walk to the shops, enjoy a pastry(糕点)or just meet up with friends.
Food is one of the great pleasures of Sicilian people. There is an old Sicilian saying：“With a contented stomach, your heart is forgiving. With an empty stomach you forgive nothing.” People will go miles out their way to eat fresh seafood. Pasta(意大利面)is the main food Each region has its seasonal pasta dishes, and every family cook their own specialty. Bread is common too. As another Sicilian saying goes, “A table without bread is like a day without sunshine.” In Sicily, bread is always freshly baked or bought, and usually twice a day. Invaders from Rome and Greece came to Sicily______.
| A．by bike | B．by ship | C．on foot | D．by train |
The underlined sentences mean Sicilian people______.
| A．can always forgive other’s mistakes |
| B．can’t stand going hungry |
| C．like eating |
| D．may make mistakes when they are hungry |
According the author, Pasta changes with______.
| A．weather | B．age | C．social position | D．season |
The best title of this passage might be______.
| A．Sicily—an Island of Italy |
| B．Sicily—the Site of Roman and Greek Colonies |
| C．Italy’s most Beautiful Island |
| D．SiTALY’S Tasty Island Culture |
Drinking small amount of hard Japanese rice wine apparently never hurt 114-year-old Kamato Hongo.She is now the world’s oldest living person, according to Guinness World Records.
“Hongo inherited（继承）the title Monday after the death of the previous record holder, Maud Farris-Luse ,of Coldwater , Mich.,”the record-keeping company said on its website.Farris-Luse was 115 years and 56 days old then.
“Hongo, born on Sept .16,1887, was raised on a farm and counts drinking Japanese rice wine among her favorite things ─ along with black salt, pork ,sashimi（生鱼片）and green tea,”according to Guinness. “She also likes traditional Japanese dancing.”
“The key is not storing up stress,”said her 45-year-old grandson Tsuyoshi Kurauchi. “If you do that, you can eat or drink anything.”
“Hongo mothered seven children, more than 20 grandchildren, and even outlived her eldest daughter, who died two years ago while in her 90s,”according to Kurauchi, who described Hongo as a “warm, caring grandmother”.
She lived in a nursing home in Kagoshima, a city about 615 miles southwest of Tokyo on the island of Kyushu, which has reputation for record-breaking longevity among its residents.
Hongo was born in the nearby town of Isen, home to the late Shigechiyo Izumi, who also held the Guinness record as the world’s oldest person. He died in 1986 at the age of 120.
Recently , another Kyushu resident was regarded as the world’s oldest man. Retired silkworm farmer Yukichi Chuganji graduated into the spot on Jan . 4 with the death of his predecessor, Antonio Todde of Italy. Chuganji turns 113 on Saturday.
There are an estimated 15,000 Japanese over the age of 100, and women make up about 80 percent of the total.The sentence “The key is not storing up stress.”in Paragraph 4 means “ ___________”.
| A．The most important is to mind everything that has been done. |
| B．The most important is to forget the unpleasant things. |
| C．The most important is to reduce the heavy load of learning and work. |
| D．The most important is to remember what brings you unhappiness. |
Who is considered to be the world’s oldest man alive in the passage?
| A．Maud Farris-Luse. | B．Shigechiyo Izumi. |
| C．Yukichi Chuganji. | D．Kamato Hongo. |
Which of the following is not true about Kamato Hongo?
| A．She is the world’s oldest person alive. |
| B．She loves drinking Japanese rice wine. |
| C．She is fond of traditional Japanese dancing. |
| D．She cares about everything that happens around her. |
The passage mainly talks about ___________________ .
| A．the fact that women are living longer than men |
| B．something about the Japanese oldest living lady |
| C．the fact that Kagoshima is famous for longevity |
| D．the secret of living longer |
Beauty has always been regarded as something admirable .Almost everyone thinks that attractive people are happier and healthier; they have better marriages and have more respectable jobs. Personal consultants（顾问）give them better advice for finding jobs. Even judges are softer on attractive persons. But in the executive circle, beauty can become a liability.
While attractiveness is a positive thing for a man’s rise, it is harmful to a woman’s .Handsome male executives were considered as having more honesty than plainer men; effort and ability were thought to be the reasons for their success .Attractive female executives were considered to have less honesty than unattractive ones; their success was attributed not to ability but to factors such as luck. All unattractive women executives were thought to have more honesty and to be more capable than the attractive female executives.
Why are attractive women not thought to be able? An attractive woman is thought to be more feminine（女性的）and an attractive man more masculine（男性的）than the less attractive ones. Thus , an attractive woman has an advantage in traditionally female jobs, but an attractive woman in a traditionally masculine position appears to lack the “masculine”qualities required.
This is true even in politics. Anne Bowman recently published a study on the effects of attractiveness on political candidates（候选人）.She asked 125 undergraduate students to rank two groups of photographs, one of men and one of women ,in order of attractiveness. The students were told the photographs were of candidates for political offices. They were asked to rank them again, in the order they would vote for them.
The results showed that attractive males completely defeated unattractive men , but the woman who had been ranked most attractive always received the fewest votes.In traditionally female jobs, attractiveness __________________ .
| A．strengthens the feminine qualities required |
| B．makes women look more honest and capable |
| C．is of great importance to women |
| D．often enables women to succeed quickly |
Bowman’s experiment shows that when it comes to politics, attractiveness _____________________.
| A．turns out to be an obstacle to men |
| B．affects men and women alike |
| C．has as little effect on men as on women |
| D．is more of an obstacle than a benefit to women |
It can be inferred from the passage that people’s views on beauty are often ____________ .
| A．practical | B．old-fashioned | C．prejudiced（偏见的） | D．serious |
The author writes this passage to_______________________ .
| A．discuss the negative aspects of being attractive |
| B．give advice to job-seekers who are attractive |
| C．demand equal rights for women |
| D．emphasize the importance of appearance |
Jurassic Park could become a reality with dinosaurs making a comeback after a discovery last week. Scientists found remains of a dinosaur’s blood vessels（血管）and cells .In theory, DNA from these cells could be used to clone the longdead dinosaur.
A team from North Carolina State University found the remains in a fossil(化石)of the leg bone of a Tyrannosaurus rex（暴龙）in Montana, US.
The last dinosaurs on Earth died some 65 million years ago, but they left bits of themselves behind wherever they lived. Around the world ,dug-up bones and fossils have given scientists many ideas about what the animals were like.
Preserved by minerals, the newly discovered leg bone was hard. So the scientists used a liquid to dissolve（溶解）the minerals. A week later, the remaining material was soft and stretchy（有弹性的）,which surprised the researchers.
Some of the materials appeared to be a network of blood vessels. Out of these, the researchers were able to squeeze(挤出)tiny , round, dark-red and deep-brown structures that seemed to be ancient blood cells.
Scientists are overjoyed by this discovery because most fossils come from hard body parts, like bones and shells, which last a long time. Soft tissues, like skin, muscle, and organs are very hard to find because they tend to break down more quickly.
Scientists think that the new discovery will help them to better understand how fossils form. Future finds should also help flesh out how the dinosaurs lived.
They were also very excited by the possibility of having some dinosaur DNA.From that scientists could create a real life “Jurassic Park”.
In the Hollywood movie, scientists reproduced dinosaurs from the DNA they found in a mosquito fossil and disaster soon followed.Scientists are excited _________________________ .
| A．because they have got dinosaur DNA |
| B．about making a movie called “Jurassic Park” |
| C．because they found the liquid to dissolve fossils |
| D．because it,s very hard to find soft tissues in fossils |
The latest discovery can tell us .
| A．what the animals were like | B．how fossils form |
| C．how the dinosaur lived | D．how to get dinosaur DNA |
What does the underlined phrase“flesh out”mean in the article?
| A．add more details or information to | B．take more photos of |
| C．make the public know more about | D．find the answer to |
Why is the latest discovery very important?
| A．It could make it possible to make dinosaurs return to the former position. |
| B．It could throw light on how dinosaurs lived many years ago. |
| C．It could prove what dinosaurs were like. |
| D．It could explain why dinosaurs died some 65 million years ago. |