For several years, scientists have been testing a substance called interferon(干扰素), a possible wonder drug that is proving to be effective in treating a variety of diseases, including virus infections, bacterial infections, and cancers. To date, the new drug has no side effect of great influence to discourage its use. But in spite of its success, last year only one gram was produced in the entire world.
The reason for the shortage lies in the structure of interferon. A special protein, the interferon produced from one animal species cannot be used in treating another animal species. In other words, to treat human beings, only interferon produced by human beings may be used. The drug is produced by infecting white blood cells with a virus. Fortunately, it is so effective that the amount given to each patient each time is very small.
Unlike antibiotics (抗生素), interferon does not attack germs directly. Instead, it protects healthy cells from being infected, and prevents the reproduction of viruses within cells.
As you might conclude, one of the most special uses of interferon has been in the treatment of cancer. Dr. Hans Strander, a research physician at Sweden’s famous Karolinska Institute, has treated more than one hundred cancer patients with the new drug. Among a group of selected patients who had received operations for advanced cancer, half were given traditional treatments and the other half were given interferon. Among those treated with interferon 70 percent of them remained alive over three years, as compared with only 10 to 30 percent among those who had received the traditional treatments.
In the United States, a large-scale project supported by the American Cancer Society is now under way. If the experiment were successful, interferon could become one of the greatest medical discoveries of our time.What is the difference between antibiotics and interferon?
| A．Interferon has serious side effects, while antibiotics do not. |
| B．Antibiotics kill germs by attacking them directly, while interferon does not. |
| C．Antibiotics are very effective, while the effect of interferon is limited. |
| D．They are different in structure, although they are both proteins. |
According to the passage, if 170 cancer patients received interferon treatment, how many of them would remain alive over three years?
| A．About 30. |
| B．About 50. |
| C．About 120. |
| D．About 70. |
The passage tells us that ________.
| A．it is difficult to produce interferon in large quantities because of its special structure. |
| B．interferon is produced widely in lots of countries. |
| C．few of the patients who had received traditional treatments remained alive. |
| D．most of the patients who received interferon also needed traditional treatments. |
D
For Chinese, it’s a time for dragon boat racing and Zongzi（粽子）. But across the Yellow Sea, South Korea, wrestling（摔跤）and swing play are the highlights. However, both events go by the same name---the Dragon Boat Festival---which falls on May 5 of the lunar calendar.
One festival, two cultures: does one nation have the right to call its own? It has been reported that South Korea will apply to the United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organization（UNESCO联合国教科文组织）to make the celebration its cultural heritage（文化遗产）. If successful, people from other countries may see the Dragon Festival as a Korean creation.
As the birthplace of the yearly event more than 2,000 years ago, China is not happy with the situation. “It would be a shame if another country successfully made a traditional Chinese festival part of its own cultural heritage ahead of China,”said Zhou Heping, deputy culture minister. The Ministry of Culture is even thinking of making its own application to UNESCO, covering all traditional Chinese festivals, including the Dragon Boat event.
Over the years, the Dragon Boat Festival has spread throughout the world. In Japan and Viet Nam, as well as South Korea, the festival has mixed with and become part of local culture.
With this in mind, some experts say that it is meaningless to argue about which country the festival belongs to. “No one can deny that it came from China,”said Long Haiqing , an expert from Hunan Province. “But if all the countries involved can protect culture heritage together, they will all benefit.”
56. The underlined word “highlights”can be probably replaced by “ ”.
A. most exciting events B. highest lights on the building
C. brightest lights at night D. most famous festivals
57. It can be inferred that South Korea ______.
A. has proclaimed（宣布）the Dragon Boat Festival as a part of its cultural heritage
B. has the exactly same Dragon Boat Festival as China
C. has no idea that China has such a festival
D. is paying more attention to its cultural heritage than China
58. China is not happy with the situation because .
A. it created the festival
B. it is also making an application
C. South Korea has no right to call the festival its own
D. UNESCO may approve（批准）South Korea’s application
59. If South Korea’s application to UNESCO is successful, _____.
A. China will also make its own application to UNESCO
B. it will be meaningless to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival
C. people from other parts of the world will think South Korea created the festival
D. the Dragon Boat Festival will become part of local culture
60. The author would probably support____ .
A. a move by South Korea to cancel its application
B. China getting UNESCO’s approval of the festival first
C. the opinion of Zhou Helping
D. China paying more attention to its cultural heritage
C
One day , Wilson was walking quietly along the road when someone hit him hard on the back of his neck. He looked behind him, and saw a young man whom he had never seen before.
“How dare you hit me like that?” shouted Wilson.
The young man said he had mistaken Wilson for a friend of his and that he thought Wilson was making a lot of noise about nothing.
This insult (侮辱) made Wilson even angrier, of course, and he at once decided to bring the young man before a judge.
Now, the judge, who heard the case was a friend of the young man's father's, and, although he pretended to be quite fair, he was thinking about what he could do to protect the young man from being punished while at the same time not to be appearing unfair.
Finally he said to Wilson, “I understand your feelings in this matter very well. Would you be satisfied if I let you hit the young man as he hit you?”
Wilson said he would not be. The young man had insulted him and should be properly punished.
“Well, then,” said the judge to the young man, “I order you to pay ten coins to Wilson.”
Ten coins was very little for such a crime, but the young man did not have it with him, so the judge allowed him to go and get it.
Wilson waited for him to return with the money. He waited an hour, and then two hours, while the judge took care of other business.
When it was nearly time for the court to close, Wilson chose a moment when the judge was especially busy, came up quietly and hit him hard on the back of the neck. Then he said to him, “I am sorry, but I can’t wait any longer. When the young man comes back, tell him that I have passed my right to the ten coins on to you.”
52. Why did the young man hit Wilson from behind?
A. Wilson had hit him before.
B. He had mistaken Wilson for a friend of his.
C. Wilson was a stranger there.
D. Wilson made a lot of noise when he was walking.
53. The judge thought about how to protect the young man because
A. he thought it a small matter
B. as a judge, he should be fair
C. he thought the man too young to be punished
D. the young man was his friend’s son
54. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A. The young man was ordered to hit himself as hard as he had done on Wilson.
B Wilson was allowed to hit the young man as hard as he had done.
C. Wilson was allowed to do more insulting on the young man.
D. The young man was ordered to hand a lot of money to Wilson.
55. The best title for this passage is ________.
A. I’ve passed my right on to you B. The judge and Wilson
C. Wilson and the young manD. The young man was set free
B
I started teaching English abroad when I was 22 , soon after I graduated from university. I’m 35 now and have been doing it ever since. If you want to travel the world, there’re a few ways to earn money while you do so. You can pick fruit, pull pints or teach English. The third one has definitely suited me best. I taught in Russia, Argentina, Spain and Slovakia and stayed an average of two years in each country.
Our flat is in the Sanlitun area, not far from the main football stadium , and I work at various schools in the city. The demand for English language teachers is staggering. Basically , if a Chinese person wants a job with an international company such as Hewlett Packard, then English is a must .
In China there’s no shortage of work, though the pay can vary. If you teach English as a second language at an international school, you can earn 22,000 yuan a month, about
￠2,200 or￡1,500. If you’re short of cash, you can always do a bit of extra private tuition, which pays really well—about ￡30 an hour .
The best thing about Beijing is that you aren’t going to be lonely. There’s a huge expat (侨民) community here, mostly based in Sanlitun and growing all the time. I don’t know my way around Dublin or London very well, but I can tell you Beijing is the restaurant capital of the world .
49. Why did the author stay in Beijing to teach English ?
A. He wanted to make a fortune . B. Beijing made a good impression on him .
C. He wanted to live in China for ever . D. He wanted to travel around the world .
50. The underlined word “staggering” in Paragraph 2 means “________”.
A. very weak B. often changing C. great D. unsteady
51. It can be inferred from the passage that the author ____ .
A. often felt lonely in SanlitunB. was satisfied with living in China
C. was very familiar with Dublin D. liked Chinese restaurants best
第三部分：阅读理解（共15小题,每小题2分,满分30分）
第一节：阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题纸上将该选项标号涂黑。
A
Basic Training: Second Saturday Chef’s Series
For the second year , The University of Arkansas System’s Winthrop Rockefeller Institute is offering hands-on cooking workshops to the public. It begins on Saturday ,October 11 and continues the second Saturday of each month through May 2009 .
This year , the series will be held in the Rockefeller Institute’s new culinary (烹饪的) arts classroom – a large room with seats as well as a large cooking area where Executive Chef Steve Jenkins can demonstrate his techniques to the class. Each class begins at 9 am and ends around 4 pm.
Chef Jenkins will present the following courses:
SOUP’S ON – Oct. 11. 2008
DIP INTO CHOCOLATE – Nov. 8, 2008
THE SAUCY SIDE OF COOKING—Dec. 13,2008
SOMETHING’S FISHY—Jan. 10, 2009
IT’S ALLIN THE DOUGH (面团)—Feb .14,2009
IF YOU LOVE SUSHI (寿司) LIKE I LOVE SUSHI Mar.14,2009
COOL AS A CUCUMBER—Apr. 11,2009
SPICE IT UP . HERB—May 9,2009
Space is limited , and reservations are required. To reserve your place at our table , visit www. Wawri.org or call (501) 727-5435. Overnight Lodging (住宿) is available. Cost: $59— $60 per person .
46. If one wants to learn to make Sushi , he / she can attend the course held on___ .
A. Oct. 11,2008 B. Mar. 14, 2009 C. Dec. 13, 2008 D. May 9,2009
47. What can we learn from this passage ?
The cooking work shops last a year
The cooking work shops are held in the evening .
One needs to book in advance to attend the cooking workshops .
The cooking workshops are held on the second Sunday of every month .
48. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage ?
A. Who will give the presentations .
B. Where the cooking workshops are held .
C. How many seats there are in the classroom .
D. How much one should pay to attend the cooking workshops .
E
In many societies, there is often greater acceptance of light skin than dark skin．Light skin may be seen as a mark of beauty, intelligence and success．These beliefs can lead to social pressure even within the same racial group．As a result, more and more people with dark skin are using skin-lightening products, even if they may face health risks．
Many people believe that having whiter skin will improve their lives．They think they will have a better chance of getting a job or marrying into a better family．Or they want to look like what their society generally considers beautiful．
Some beauty care products contain chemicals that make skin lighter．This process is also called bleaching （漂白）．But some of the chemicals are extremely dangerous．One chemical has been linked to kidney （肾） damage and some kinds of cancer．It also causes low birth weight in babies when used by mothers-to-be．
At first, bleaching products make the skin color lighter．But after long-term use they can cause problems．The chemicals in the products block and break down the natural process that gives color to skin．The skin loses its natural barrier to protect against sunlight．Then the skin can become thick and discolored．Usually the person will use more of the product in an effort to correct the problem, but this only makes it worse．
Fatimata Ly treats skin problems in the Senegalese capital, Dakar．Doctor Ly says skin bleaching has become a problem throughout Senegal．She says the chemicals are now more dangerous because they are stronger．Some cases have resulted in blackened fingernails, infections and permanent skin damage．
And these are not the only risks．Experts say some people who change their skin color suffer emotional damage．They feel regret and sadness．They feel that instead of risking their health, they should have learned to love and accept their skin color as it was．
72．Why has skin lightening become popular all over the world?
A．There are many ways to help change skin color．
B．Many people with dark skin have no confidence．
C．Light skin seems to bring more advantages than dark skin．
D．People with dark skin are facing the pressure from their family．
73．According to the passage, people using bleaching products would risk _____
A．thinner skin B．low weight
C．lung cancer D．emotional damage
74．Which of the following is NOT true about bleaching products?
A．Some of them contain dangerous chemicals．
B．They will not make the skin color lighter．
C．They may cause skin damage．
D．They are likely to bring health risks．
75．The writer's attitude toward using bleaching products is ________．
A．supportive B．positive
C．uncertain D．negative