SCIENTISTS have discovered that living to the age of 100 may have nothing to do with the lifestyle you lead and everything to do with the type of genes (基因) you have.
For the lucky carriers of “Methuselah” genes, worries over smoking, eating unhealthily and not getting enough exercise may not be as necessary as to those of us without the special gene pattern .
The “Methuselah” genes could give extra protection against the diseases of old age such as cancer and heart disease. They could also protect people against the effects of the unhealthy lifestyles that we believe will lead us to an early death, scientists say. However, the genes are very rare.
The genes include ADIPOQ, which is found in about 10 percent of young people but in nearly 30 percent of people living past 100. They also include the CETP and the ApoC3 genes, which are found in 10 percent of young people, but in about 20 percent of people over 100 years old.
Some of those genes were discovered by a research group at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, led by Professor Nir Barzilai. The team studied the genes of over 500 people over 100 years old, and their children.
The studies show that tiny mutations (变异) in the make-up of some genes can greatly increase a person’s lifespan. Barzilai told a Royal Society conference that the discovery of such genes gave scientists clear targets for developing drugs that could prevent age-related diseases, allow people to live longer and stay healthy.
David Gems, a researcher at University College London, believes that drugs to slow ageing will become widespread.
“If we know which genes control longevity (长寿) then we can … target them with drugs. That makes it p
ossible to slow down ageing,” he told The Times.
“Much of the pain and suffering in the world are caused by ageing. If we can find a way to reduce that, then we are obliged to take it.” According to the article, which of the following is the most important if a person is to live to the age of 100?
| A．Eating healthy food every day. |
| B．Having the right types of genes. |
| C．Having a healthy lifestyle. |
| D．Taking drugs that prevent ageing. |
According to the article, the ApoC3 gene is found in ______ of people over 100 years old.
| A．10% | B．20% | C．30% | D．50% |
Which of the following statements is TRUE of the research led by Professor Nir Barzilai?
| A．The team studied the genes of over 100 people over 100 years of age. |
| B．The researchers found that mutations in certain genes lead to longer life. |
| C．The researchers found ways to develop drugs that could cure age-related diseases. |
| D．The study suggested that most people have genes that could lengthen their lives. |
According to David Gems, ______.
| A．drugs to slow ageing will be very expensive |
| B．modern science will be able to find more longevity genes |
| C．it is the duty of medical scientists to fight the problems of ageing |
| D．scientists can make new genes that will allow longer life |
A student is learning to speak British English.He wonders：Can I communicate with Americans？Can they understand me？Learners of English often ask：What are the differences between British and American English？How important are these differences?
Certainly，there are some differences between British and American English.There are a few differences in grammar.For example，speakers of British English say“in hospital”and“Have you a pen？”；Americans say “in the hospital”and“Do you have a pen？”．Pronunciation is sometimes different.Americans usually sound “r”s in words like“bird”and“hurt”．Speakers of British English do not sound “r” in these words.There are differences between British and American English in spelling and vocabulary.For example，“colour”and“honour”are British；“color”and“honor”are American.
These differences in grammar，pronunciation，spelling and vocabulary are not important，however.For the most part，British and American English are the same language.According to this passage，a student who is learning to speak American English might be afraid that ______.
| A．British people cannot understand him |
| B．American people cannot understand him |
| C．the grammar is too hard for him |
| D．the spelling is too hard for him |
American English and British English are different in ________.
| A．spelling | B．pronunciation |
| C．grammar | D．all of the above |
What is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Whether there are differences between British English and American English. |
| B．Whether British English and American English are one language or two. |
| C．How the differences between British English and American English came about. |
| D．How important the differences are. |
A qualified doctor who rarely practiced but instead devoted his life to writing. He once said: “Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my lover.” Russian writer Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, was a great playwright and one of the masters of the modern short story.
When Chekhov entered the Moscow University Medical School in 1879, he started to publish hundreds of comic short stories to support his family. After he graduated, he wrote regularly for a local daily newspaper.
As a writer he was extremely fast, often producing a short story in an hour or less. Chekhov’s medical and science experience can be seen through the indifference (冷漠) many of his characters show to tragic events. In 1892, he became a full time writer and published some of his most memorable stories.
Chekhov often wrote about the sufferings of life in small town Russia. Tragic events control his characters who are filled with feelings of hopelessness and despair.
It is often said that nothing happens in Chekhov’s stories and plays. He made up for this with his exciting technique for developing drama within his characters. Chekhov’s work combined the calm attitude of a scientist and doctor with the sensitivity(敏感) of an artist.
Some of Chekhov's works were translated into Chinese as early as the 1940s. One of his famous stories, The Man in a Shell, about a school teacher’s extraordinarily orderly life, was selected as a text for Chinese senior students.Which of the following is the right order of the events?
a. became a doctor
b. became a full time writer
c. started to publish comic short stories
d. wrote regularly for a local daily newspaper.
e. entered the Moscow University Medical School
| A．e→c→b→a→d | B．e→c→a→d→b |
| C．d→a→b→c→e | D．a→e→d→c→b |
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov ________.
| A．was a competent doctor | B．had a lawful lover |
| C．used to be a lawyer | D．as an illegal writer |
In 1880, Chekhov ________.
| A．became a full-time writer |
| B．published his most memorable stories |
| C．studied medicine in Moscow University |
| D．practiced medicine in his hometown |
Which of the following adjectives can’t be used to describe Chekhov?
| A．Sensitive. | B．Cool. |
| C．Quick-minded. | D．Warm-hearted. |
The young boy was sitting on the ground in the refugee(难民)camp playing with an empty tin．Other children were standing around watching him with envious eyes．
Envy? Of an empty tin?
This tin was indeed no worthless piece of trash—it was a splendid truck，complete with wheels and grille(铁栅) and floor．The vehicle even had remote control，a frayed piece of string from the“engine”to the hand of the owner．
The tin had lost all its original markings．But its first load had probably been sardines(沙丁鱼)．Later the tin had been left with other rubbish behind the refugee camp clinic，and the boy had found it on one of his daily expeditions into the“big world”．
For thousands of refugee children，a tin 1ike this rates high on their list of wants．It can be used for many purposes，as jewellery，as a toy，for drinking or as a medicine box．
Many refugee children would consider it the happiest day of their lives if they received a handful of marbles(弹珠) as a present．
They dream of gifts which children in developed countries take for granted．Maybe a book to read．or a pencil and an exercise book of their very own．
Their imagination can create toys，but it cannot create books．Someone else must provide them．A more costly and valuable gift they cannot imagine．How do you think the youn eel when he gets something to read?
| A．depressed | B．frustrated |
| C．excited | D．frightened |
Other children envied the young boy because the boy．
| A．had something to play with | B．got some sardines to eat |
| C．received a handful of marbles | D．had a real truck toy |
What is implied in the last paragraph of the text?
| A．The society should donate(捐)some toys for the refugee children |
| B．The refugee children are more imaginative rather than creative |
| C．The refugee children are more creative rather than imaginative |
| D．The society should offer the refugee children things for study |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．An Enviable Toy Present | B． Sardine Tin—A Precious Toy |
| C．A Splendid Truck Toy | D．A Poor Refugee Cam |
Dolphins (海豚) are not fish, but warm-blooded animals. They live in groups, and speak to each other in their own language. In this way they are like other animals, such as bees and birds. But dolphins are very different from almost all land animals. Their brain is nearly the same size as our own, and they live a long time --- at least twenty or thirty years.
Like some animals, dolphins use sound to help them find their way around. They also make these sounds to talk to each other and to help them find food. We now know they do not use their ears to receive these sounds, but the lower part of the mouth, called the jaw.
Strangely, dolphins seem to like man, and for thousands of years there have been stories about the dolphin and its friendship with people.
There is a story about sailors in the 19th century. In a dangerous part of the sea off the coast of New Zealand, they learnt to look for a dolphin called Jack. From 1871 to 1903 Jack met every boat in the area and showed it the way. Then in 1903 a passenger on a boat called The Penguin shot and wounded Jack. He recovered and for nine years more continued to guide all ships through the area－except for The Penguin.
Today, some people continue to kill dolphins, but many countries of the world now protect them and in these places it is against the law to kill them.By telling the story of Jack the writer wanted to show that _____.
| A．people are cruel to animals |
| B．dolphins are friendly and clever |
| C．Jack is different from other dolphins |
| D．dolphins should be protected by law |
Dolphins are different from many other animals in that they _____.
| A．live in groups | B．have their own language |
| C．are warm-blooded | D．have large brains |
Which of the following does the dolphin use to help it find its way around?
| A．Its mouth. | B．Its ears. |
| C．Its nose. | D．Its eyes. |
Why did the sailors off the coast of New Zealand look for Jack?
| A．They wanted his help. |
| B．They enjoyed playing with him. |
| C．He was seriously wounded. |
| D．He was lonely and liked to be with people |
Butterflies are some of the most fascinating and beautiful insects in the world. Adult butterflies will live about two to four weeks. They use their senses of sight, touch, hearing, smell and taste to survive in the world, find food and mates, lay eggs in a proper place, migrate and avoid hungry enemies.
Butterflies have large compound eyes (复眼), which allow them to see in all directions without turning their heads. Like most insects, butterflies are very near-sighted, so they are more attracted to many flowers. Butterflies do not “see” colors such as red, green and yellow, but they can sense sunlight, which shows the direction in which the sun is shining, as well as ultraviolet light (紫外线), which is present on many flowers and guides butterflies to find honey sources.
Butterflies have a very well-developed sense of smell, but it is not in their nose, since they don’t have one. Sense receptors (感受器) are in their antennae (触角), feet and many other parts of the body. They can help butterflies find their favorite flower honey, food and mates.
Butterflies’ feet have sense organs that can taste the sugar in flower honey, letting the butterflies know if something is good to eat or not. Some females also carefully choose host plants by tasting to find proper places to lay their eggs. Adult butterflies feed their babies using a long tube. Butterflies force blood into the tube to straighten it out, allowing them to feed. Butterflies get all their food from this tube.
Butterflies don’t have ears. Instead they “hear” sounds through their wings by sensing changes in sound vibrations.
Butterflies may possess senses we haven’t known about till today, because their body structure is very different and difficult to understand, when observed through our own human senses. (325 words)What can we learn from the second paragraph?
| A．Butterflies have good eyesight. |
| B．Butterflies can see in all directions and don’t need to turn heads. |
| C．Butterflies are sensitive to bright colors including red and yellow. |
| D．Butterflies cannot sense the ultraviolet light. |
How do butterflies hear sounds?
| A．Using their feet to sense the vibration of things |
| B．Using their ears to listen directly |
| C．Using their wings to sense the sound vibrations |
| D．Using their antennae to judge the sound |
Why do female adult butterflies carefully choose the host plants?
| A．To find high-qualified honey. |
| B．To have a good place for living. |
| C．To make it easier for them to hide from the enemies. |
| D．To find a proper place for their eggs. |
What does the last paragraph imply?
| A．There’s a long way to understand butterflies well |
| B．Butterflies give great help to human beings |
| C．Butterflies are the most beautiful insects in the world |
| D．Butterflies possess more senses than humans |
The text mainly focuses on __________.
| A．butterflies’ living habits |
| B．butterflies’ beauty |
| C．butterflies’ daily activities |
| D．butterflies’ senses |