Scientists have not come close to understanding all the different kinds of life on the planet, but US researcher Craig Venter is already working on creating the first artificial life.
Venter and his researchers made a breakthrough this August. They successfully moved the DNA of one type of bacteria(细菌) to a yeast(酵母) cell, changed it, then put it into another bacterial cell.
“Bacteria have systems that protect them from foreign DNA,” Venter explained to the BBC. In the experiment, the team managed to block this system.
The experiment was performed on a simple type of bacteria called Mycoplasma mycoides. The team took the bacteria’s genes and put them into a yeast cell.
Putting the DNA in a yeast cell allowed the team to change the genes----in this case, taking out a gene that was not necessary for the bacteria to live.
They then put the gene into a host bacteria cell. The cell went on to divide normally, producing new healthy bacteria.
In January, the team created artificial genes of a new type of bacteria. Their next goal is to put the artificial DNA into a host cell to create a new species, according to a report in Science magazine.
“If we don’t make any errors, I think it should work and we should have the first artificial species by the end of the year,” Venter said in the report.
The first artificial life from is likely to be a simple man-made bacteria, to prove that the technology can work. But that form will be followed by more complex bacteria that turn coal into cleaner natural gas, or algae that can take in carbon dioxide and change it into fuel.
Many scientists think it’s good news to have this artificial life, but others are worried that the technology to create new organisms might end up in the wrong hands, with dangerous results.Craig Venter and his team are working to ______.
| A．create a new animal |
| B．clone a new species |
| C．produce the first artificial bacteria |
| D．develop a new system |
Which of the following is the right order of the experiment?
a. A gene was removed and put into a host bacteria cell.
b. The genes were put into a yeast cell.
c. The cell produced new healthy bacteria.
d. The genes were changed.
e. Some genes were taken out of Mycoplasma mycoides.
| A．d-e-a-c-b | B．e-b-d-a-c |
| C．a-d-e-c-b | D．b-e-d-c-a |
According to the passage, complex artificial bacteria, which will follow the first simple man-made bacteria, are intended to ______.
| A．cure deadly diseases |
| B．prepare the Earth for natural disasters |
| C．prove that the technology can work |
| D．improve the earth’s environment |
We can learn from the passage that ______.
| A．Venter and his team are the only scientists trying to create artificial life |
| B．The experiment was based on research into different kinds of life on Earth |
| C．A new type of bacteria was created in January |
| D．All scientists are not in favor of the research |
Having friends may well keep you healthier and help you deal with stress better. Some studies show that people with close friends have a greater ability to fight disease than people who are alone.
Make friendship a priority (优先考虑的事). Find the time to be with friends even if it means letting the dishes unwashed for a while. When you can’t get together, use the phone to keep in touch. 洪都英语权所有www.hongduen.com！
Open up to close friends. Keeping a deep friendship requires a level of “heartfelt”intimacy(亲密). Don’t be afraid to express your inner fears and disappointments. Listen to your friends when they have problems, but offer advice only when it’s wanted. Help raise friends’ self-esteem when they are shaken by a job loss, or other difficulties.洪都英语权所有www.hongduen.com！
Have different friends for different activities, such as going to the movies, singing in a choir, and joining in a bowling league. 洪都英语权所有www.hongduen.com！
Don’t’ wait for a friend to ask a favor. When a friend has the flu, offer to go to the store or drive the children to their after-school activities.
Never take a friendship for granted. Like a good marriage, friendship needs care and patience. Become a joiner. Find a group that matches your interests. 洪都英语权所有www.hongduen.com！
洪都英语权所有www.hongduen.com！
Talk to strangers. Conversations started in museums, laundry rooms, or bookstores can lead to firm friendships.
Enroll in an adult-education course. A classroom is an ideal place to meet others with similar interests.People with close friends have a ability to fight disease than people who are alone.
| A．less | B．greater | C．poorer | D．little |
According to the passage, you’d better offer advice to your friends .
| A．at any moment | B．only when they are happy |
| C．only when they want it | D．only when you are glad |
What we should do to have friends according to the author?
| A．Make friendship a priority. | B．Open up to close friends. |
| C．Never take a friendship for granted. | D．All the above. |
Which of the statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．You should have different friends for the same activities. |
| B．You should wait for a friend to ask a favor. |
| C．You should avoid talking with strangers in museums, laundry rooms, or bookstores. |
| D．You should never take a friendship for granted. |
The underlined word “enroll” in the last paragraph means “”.
| A．give | B．join | C．get | D．catch |
This is the front page of the Simple English Wikipedia. Wikipedias are places where people work together to write encyclopedias(百科) in different languages. We use simple English words and grammar here. The Simple English Wikipedia is for everyone! That includes children and adults who are learning English.
There are 59,298 articles on the Simple English Wikipedia. All of the pages are free to use. They have all been published under both the Creative Commons Attribution / Share-Alike Licence 3.0 and the GNU Free Documentation Licence. You can help here! You may change these pages and make the new pages. Read the help pages and other good pages to learn how to write pages here. If you need help, you may ask questions at Simple talk.
When writing articles here:
Use easy words and shorter sentences. This lets people who know little English read them.
Write good pages. The best encyclopedia pages have useful, well written information.
Use the pages to learn and teach. These pages can help people learn English. You can also use them to make a new Wikipedia to help other people.
Simple does not mean little. Writing in Simple English means that simple words are used. It does not mean readers want simple information. Articles do not have to be short to be simple; expand articles, include a lot of information, but use basic vocabulary.
Be bold! Your article does not have to be perfect, because other editors will fix it and make it better. And most importantly, do not be afraid to start and make articles better yourself.Wikipedia is a website for people to____.
| A．show their special photos and perfect videos in different languages |
| B．have a chat with different friends who know little English |
| C．see the latest famous films and TV programs |
| D．work together to write all kinds of useful information in different languages |
From the second paragraph, we know that_____.
| A．all of the articles on the Simple English Wikipedia are not free |
| B．the number of the articles on the Simple English is less than 60,000 |
| C．You can’t make new pages. |
| D．you can never change the pages or articles on the website |
If you want to write articles for the Simple English Wikipedia, you should____.
| A．learn how to write pages in a famous university first |
| B．use advanced English grammar and professional terms |
| C．use easy words and shorter sentences to describe valuable information |
| D．write articles only for children |
According to the text, we know that Simple talk is to_____.
| A．offer different kinds of friends from all over the world |
| B．talk with the editor who can help you publish your articles |
| C．help you solve questions about writing pages here |
| D．teach you simple English |
From the text we can learn that____.
| A．these pages can be changed to teach others who are learning English |
| B．your articles have to be perfect, or they will be refused |
| C．you can write your articles simply because readers want simple information |
| D．the articles you write are mainly for adults |
“Colour” and “color”, “favourite” and “favorite”···Have you ever wondered why Americans spell those words without a “u”? Is it because they are lazy?
Of course not. In fact, the difference in spelling was created by Noah Webster (1758—1843). He is a teacher who reformed English to make American identity stronger. Linguists（语言学家） celebrated his 250th birthday on October 16. After the Revolutionary War(1775—1783), Webster believed that Americans should have their own dictionary, rather than rely on British versions（版本）. He dropped the British “u” in some words. And he changed “centre” into “center” for children to learn English by spelling words more like they sounded.
Webster wasn’t shy about expressing his opinions. In defining（定义） preposterous, he wrote: “A republican government in the hands of females is preposterous.”
Webster spent 28 years on the project before completing the 70,000-word dictionary in 1828 with his American-style spellings. He also added local words. His dictionary was widely used in schools. Linguists believed it helped a new nation achieve unity and cultural independence at a time when most were focused on political freedom.
“He was the shaper of our language and the shaper of American identity,” said Joshua Kendall, who is working on a biography（传记） about Webster. “He at last bonded（联合） us through our language.”According to the passage, when he worked on his dictionary, Noah Webster did all of the following EXCEPT______.
| A．dropping “u” in all the British words |
| B．changing “centre” into “center” |
| C．adding local words |
| D．expressing his opinion. |
When did Noah Webster probably begin his project of the dictionary?
| A．In 1758 | B．In 1783 | C．In 1800 | D．In 1828 |
Why did Noah Webster create these differences in his dictionary?
| A．Because he wanted to make English simple and easy. |
| B．Because he wanted American English to have it own characteristics（特征）. |
| C．Because he wanted to make American English the best in the world. |
| D．Because he wanted to show that the USA is stronger than the UK. |
Which of the following word can best describe Noah Webster’s work?
| A．Interesting | B．Boring | C．Unfinished | D．Meaningful |
Which of the following would probably be the best title for the passage?
| A．Webster |
| B．American identity |
| C．The shaper of American English |
| D．Spelling difference between American and British English. |
Sometimes children do not do what their parents tell them to do. When this happens, a parent tries to help the child to do the right thing. When this does not work, the parent usually punishes the child.
There are many things that a parent can do. One thing that people have done is to spank the child. When a parent spanks a child, they will use their hand or a hard object to strike them on their bottom. This is meant to show the child that they have done something wrong.
One parent remembers being spanked when he was a child. His parents used a wooden spoon. When he spanked his own children with his hand, he saw that he put a red mark on his child’s leg. He never did that again.
One problem with spanking is that it teaches the child to hit someone when they do not like what the other person is doing. Another problem with spanking is that the parent is usually angry and can hit the child too hard. Sometimes parents will use spanking for everything and not try other ways to get the child to do the right thing.
Many parents are not sure of what to do instead of spanking. Some people think that their religion（宗教）tells them that spanking is okay. Some think that the law lets them do it. The courts (法院) say that parents have the right to teach their children how to behave.
Other things should be tried before a parent decides to spank a child. Telling the child exactly what is wanted from them can be one thing. Giving a child more than one choice is another thing that can be tried. Getting down to the child’s level and taking a more child-friendly approach (方法) can help as well.According to the passage, when children do something wrong, one thing that parents usually do to punish them is to _______.
| A．strike them on the bottom |
| B．try to help them do the right thing |
| C．teach them what to do |
| D．take them to court |
What does the word “spank” mean?
| A．打屁股 | B．下跪 | C．罚站 | D．打手心 |
Which of the following is NOT the problem caused by spanking?
| A．It teaches the child to hit others when they offend (冒犯) him or her. |
| B．The parent may get angry and hit the child too hard. |
| C．Sometimes parents may use spanking for everything. |
| D．It makes parents try other ways to make the child do right. |
Which of the following can best describe the writer’s attitude towards spanking?
| A．favorable (赞同的) | B．indifferent (不关心) |
| C．interested | D．unfavorable |
From this passage, we can conclude (作出结论) that ________.
| A．good children always do the right thing |
| B．parents should try their best to avoid (避免) spanking their children |
| C．parents have no choice but to spank their children when they do something wrong |
| D．children can have more than one choice to avoid being spanked |
Many of us don’t like what we see around us but the last thing we do is to change it. I think that is the beginning of failure and that is why what we hate remains around us. If you don’t want to see things around you, don’t just hope it’ll change.
We have such an amazing power of creativity inside us to change the way things work around us. Only lazy people go about and say that is the way things have been working. I’ve come to discover that things around us depend on our actions and inactions. What I mean is that the circumstances that we like depend only on the things we do and the things we don’t do.
Do you want your country to change? Start by changing the small things around you. Before you think too far about any small thing to change, your habit should be the first thing to change. Change what you think about and talk about. Can you remember how difficult it was for you to break a habit that you desired to break some years back? If so, then you must accept that things aren’t just going to change by a magic thought. If it isn’t so easy to change yourself when you want to, it isn’t going to be so easy to change the people around you.
I think the best way I’ve changed people around me is that I changed myself. When you change, they’ll change. Just change yourself and see how many people will tell you later that you are the one who changes them. That’s one simple way young people can change their nations. According to the text, why do we fail to change what we don’t like? _______
| A．Because we lack the power of creativity. |
| B．Because we never plan to change them. |
| C．Because they cannot be changed. |
| D．Because we don’t have the ability. |
The author can change people around him because he has realized that .
| A．things around us decide what we do |
| B．the further you think, the better |
| C．his actions can affect things around him |
| D．he has to change the nation first |
The third paragraph aims at .
| A．telling readers one of the author’s interesting experiences |
| B．giving an example to show how to change things around us |
| C．showing readers how to change a nation |
| D．asking us to remember to change our nation |
What can we learn from the text? ________
| A．Circumstance creates a person. |
| B．It is never too late to change your habits. |
| C．A long journey begins with the first step. |
| D．Changing ourselves means changing others. |