June 26, 2000 — the Human Genome(基因组) Project, a great $3 billion, 15-year task aimed at drawing the genetic(遗传的) 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 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(基因) connected with terrible diseases as yet, 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(传染), 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.
1.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.
2.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.
3.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.
4.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
People should be warned against using mobile phones outdoors in stormy weather because they may“be struck by lightning”，according to doctors．
Three experts have described how a teenage girl was struck by lightning while using her phone in a large London park．The girl，aged 15，recovered，but a year later was still wheelchair-bound and found to be suffering complex physical and emotional problems.
The girl also had a perforate eardrum(打孔耳膜)on the side where she had been holding the mobile phone．She was having general recovery in Northwick Park Hospital，Middlesex．
Swinda Esprit，a senior house officer, said that while the brain and muscle damage was similar to that of many lightning victims—who can experience heart attacks on being struck—the ear problems were not．
She said that the damages were particularly relevant for people who might be involved in less serious lightning incidents，who might otherwise recover, but would never get their full hearing back if struck while on the phone．
“We were shocked by the damage，which is why we wanted to draw attention to it，”Dr Esprit said．“A year on and she still was suffering these difficult hearing．”
They added that three other cases had been reported in newspapers in China，South Korea，and Malaysia．In the Malaysian case，a sales executive was killed by lightning while talking on his phone during a thunderstorm near Kuala Lumpur．
“All these events resulted in death，”the doctors wrote．“This rare phenomenon is a public health issue，and education is necessary to stress the risk．”
The Australian Lightning Protection Standard recommends that metallic objects，including cordless or mobile phones，should not be carried outdoors during thunderstorms．However, “the United States National Weather Service says on its website that both are safe to use “because there is no direct path between you and the lightening”．
Paul Taylor, of “the Met Office'’，said the ear injuries were a consequence of mobile phones being metal，and not related to radio waves．
Mr. Taylor said that mobile phones should be treated as another piece of metal，similar to carrying coins or wearing rings，and people need to be warned against the possible danger．What do we know about the teenage girl?
| A．She was struck by lightning at schoo1． |
| B．She completely recovered from being struck． |
| C．She still suffered from mental problems． |
| D．She had to press her ear all day． |
It can be inferred that damage done by lightening while using mobile phones.
| A．is more serious than that when one is not using a mobile phone |
| B．can be healed quickly except for heart attacks |
| C．is less serious because the victims can usually recover |
| D．is mainly in the brain and muscle of the victims |
Why did doctors stress the risk about using phones outside in lightening?
| A．Because more people are faced with it． |
| B．Because some deaths have been caused． |
| C．Because lightning is harmful for the brain． |
| D．Because a teenage girl got killed． |
We can infer from the last three paragraphs that.
| A．both cordless and mobile phones are safe to use outside in lightning |
| B．there is no direct connection between lightning and ear injuries at all |
| C．opinions differ as to whether it is safe to use mobiles phones in lightning |
| D．ear injuries are the result of carrying coins or wearing rings in lightning |
The purpose in writing this passage is.
| A．to draw attention to the risk of using mobile phones in lightening |
| B．to focus on various damages done to lightning victims |
| C．to tell us the news that a teenage girl was struck by lightning |
| D．to stress the danger of making phone calls in lightning |
The Pacific island nation of Nauru used to be a beautiful place．Now it is an ecological disaster area．Nauru's heartbreaking story could have one good consequence-other countries might learn from its mistakes．
For thousands of years，Polynesian people lived in the remote island of Nauru，far from western civilization．The first European to arrive was John Fearn in 1798．He was the British captain of the Hunter, a whaling ship．He called the island Pleasant Island．
However, because it was very remote, Nauru had little communication with Europeans at first．The whaling ships and other traders began to visit，bringing guns and alcohol．These elements destroyed the social balance of the twelve family groups on the island．A ten-year civil war started，which reduced the population from 1,400 to 900.
Nauru's real troubles began in 1899 when a British mining company discovered phosphate(磷酸盐)on the island．In fact，it found that the island of Nauru was nearly all phosphate，which was a very important fertilizer for farming．The company began mining the phosphate．
A phosphate mine is not a hole in the ground；it is a strip mine．When a company strip-mines，it removes the to player of soil．Then it takes away the material it wants．Strip mining totally destroys the land．Gradually, the lovely island or Nauru started to look like the moon．
In 1968，Nauru became one of the richest countries in the world．Every year the government received millions and millions of dollars for its phosphate．
Unfortunately, the leaders invested the money unwisely and lost millions of dollars．In addition，they used millions more dollars for personal expenses．Soon people realized that they had a terrible problem—their phosphate was running out．Ninety percent of their island was destroyed and they had nothing．By 2000，Nauru was financially ruined．Experts say that it would take approximately$433，600，000 and more than 20 years to repair the island．This will probably never happen．What might be the author's purpose in writing the text?
| A．To seek help for Nauru's problems． |
| B．To tell a heartbreaking story of a war． |
| C．To show the importance of money |
| D．To give a warning to other countries |
What was Nauru like before the Europeans came?
APeaceful and attractive B．Modern and open
C．Rich and powerful D．Greedy and aggressiveThe ecological disaster in Nauru resulted from
| A．soil pollution | B．phosphate overmining |
| C．farming activity | D．whale hunting |
Which of the following was a cause of Nauru's financial problem?
| A．Its phosphate mining cost much money |
| B．It spent too much repairing the island |
| C．Its leaders misused the money |
| D．It lost millions of dollars in the civil war. |
What can we learn about Nauru from me last paragraph?
| A．The leaders will take the experts' words seriously |
| B．The ecological damage is difficult to repair. |
| C．The island was abandoned by the Nauruans |
| D．The phosphate mines were destroyed |
Like distance runners on a measured course，all of us will move through time in a roughly predictable pattern．
In the first stage of our lives，we develop and grow, reaching toward the top of physical vitality(活力)．
After we grow up，however, the body begins a process of gradually wearing out．
A new awareness of physical fitness may help lengthen our years of health and vitality，yet nothing we do will work to stop the unavoidable force of aging．
Most of the changes of aging take place deep inside the body．The lungs become less able to take in oxygen．Powerful muscles gradually lose their strength．The heart loses power and pumps less blood．Bones grow easier to break．
Finally, we meet a stress，a stress that is greater than our physical resistance．Often，it is only a minor accident or chance infection(a disease caused by virus)，but this time，it brings life to an end．
In 1932，a classic experiment nearly doubled the lifetime of rats，simply by cutting back the calories in their diet The reason for the effect was then unknown．
Today, at the University of California at Berkley, Dr．Paul Seagle has also greatly lengthened the normal lifetime of rats．The result was achieved through a special protein limited diet，which had a great effect on the chemistry of the brain．Seagle showed that within the brain，specific chemicals control many of the signals that influence aging．By changing that chemical balance，the clock of aging can be reset．
For the first time, the mystery of why we age is being seriously challenged．Scientists in many fields are now making striking and far-reaching discoveries．
An average lifetime lasts 75 years，yet in each of us lies a potential for a longer life．If we could keep the vitality and resistance to disease that we have at age twenty, we would live for 800 years．What does the underlined word “it” refer to?
| A．Physical vitality． | B．Stress． | C．Aging． | D．Physical resistance． |
Which of the following is not a change of aging?
| A．People gradually lose their muscle strength． |
| B．Bones tend to break more easily． |
| C．The heart loses power and pumps less blood． |
| D．The lungs become unable to take in oxygen． |
The author believes the following except that．
| A．human's life pattern is predictable |
| B．physical fitness can't stop the force of aging |
| C．human's lifetime will last longer than 75 years |
| D．all of the changes of aging take place deep inside the body |
How did Dr．Paul Seagle lengthen the lifetime of rats in his experiment?
| A．By keeping their physical fitness． | B．By cutting the calories in their diet． |
| C．By resetting their clock of aging． | D．By limiting the protein in their diet． |
What is probably the best title for the article?
| A．Two Great Experiments |
| B．The Mystery of Human Life |
| C．The Breakthrough in the Study of Aging |
| D．Ways to lengthen Human Life |
Heading off to college this year? Here are some fashion tips from our experts you should keep in mind：
Dress to impress．Stylist and business consultant Daniela Smith says，“Girls should keep in mind that your college professors will often be the bridge that connects you to your future career and your classmates will become your professional network，You don't need to dress like you're going to the office, but you．should display all ability to properly present yourself with appropriate maturity and confidence，and look put together．”
Logo mania(品牌狂热症)．Wearing the loges of brands aimed at younger customers physically identifies you as part of that age group，so consider the targeted age group of the stores you shop at．It's tempting to load up on loges，especially well-known loges that signify high-end brands．But consider this：college is a time of self-discovery, a chance to develop your own personal style．Instead of wearing loges head to toe，“walking advertisement”-style，why not express who you really are?
Wear real pants! The combination of leggings and baggy shirts is all too common on college campuses．Smith points out that leggings，yoga pants，and Sweatpants ale entirely unacceptable in public unless you're exercising．Although leggings worn as pants are a common trend among high school and college girls，they are not an appropriate choice for daywear；As a young woman, your style choice should begin to reflect your maturity level．So，get rid of leggings and wear real pants!
Keep the cute factor to a minimum．Stay away from sweaters and T-shirts with smiling animals, cartoon characters，or Hello Kitty on them．Sure，kittens might be cute，but they're not doing you any favors in the style department．Dressing too cutesy can take years off your look，and not necessarily in a good way!The second paragraph indicates the importance of.
| A．impressing professors |
| B．getting on well with classmates |
| C．creating a professional image |
| D．dressing appropriately |
The author believes that college girls should．
| A．choose a 1ogo that suits their age |
| B．try to load up on well-known logos |
| C．use logos to show who they are |
| D．find their identity by trying different logos |
The author recommends wearing real pants because．
| A．leggings and baggy shirts are too common |
| B．yoga pants and sweatpants are not as comfortable |
| C．real pants can present you with appropriate maturity |
| D．people like real pants better man the other pants |
What's the writer's attitude towards sweaters with animals on them?
| A．They make people look lovely． |
| B．They are very fashionable these days． |
| C．They will show you're an animal lover． |
| D．They are not suitable for college-aged students． |
In which magazine would you most likely find this passage?
| A．Business Week | B．Parents | C．In style． | D．Travel ＆ Leisure． |
Since the 1970s, scientists have been searching for ways to link the brain with computers．Brain-computer interface（BCI） technology could help people with disabilities send commands to machines．
Recently, two researchers, Jose Millan and Michele Tavella from the Federal Polytechnic School in Lausanne, Switzerland, demonstrated（展示）a small robotic wheelchair directed by a person’s thoughts．
In the laboratory, Tavella operated the wheelchair just by thinking about moving his left or right hand．He could even talk as he watched the vehicle and guided it with his thoughts．
“Our brain has billions of nerve cells．These send signals through the spinal cord（脊髓）to the muscles to give us the ability to move．But spinal cord injuries or other conditions can prevent these weak electrical signals from reaching the muscles,” Tavella says．“Our system allows disabled people to communicate with external world and also to control devices．”
The researchers designed a special cap for the user．This head cover picks up the signals from the scalp（头皮）and sends them to a computer．The computer interprets the signals and commands the motorized wheelchair． The wheelchair also has two cameras that identify objects in its path．They help the computer react to commands from the brain．
Prof．Millan, the team leader, says scientists keep improving the computer software that interprets brain signals and turns them into simple commands．“The practical possibilities that BCI technology offers to disabled people can be grouped in two categories: communication, and controlling devices．One example is this wheelchair．”
He says his team has set two goals．One is testing with real patients, so as to prove that this is a technology they can benefit from．And the other is to guarantee that they can use the technology over long periods of time．BCI is a technology that can .
| A．help to update computer systems | B．link the human brain with computers |
| C．help the disabled to recover | D．control a person's thoughts |
How did Tavella operate the wheelchair in the laboratory?
| A．By controlling his muscles． | B．By talking to the machine． |
| C．By moving his hand． | D．By using his mind． |
The team will test with real patients to .
| A．make profits from them | B．prove the technology useful to them |
| C．make them live longer | D．learn about their physical condition |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．Switzerland, the BCI Research Center |
| B．New Findings About How the Human Brain Works |
| C．BCI Could Mean More Freedom for the Disabled |
| D．Robotic Vehicles Could Help to Cure Brain Injuries |