Sugar—free beets（甜菜）that still taste sweet, tastier tomatoes and brighter-colored fruits and vegetables that stay ripe（熟的）longer are all foods that are being grown now. How can they
carry traits, such as being tastier, brighter, and riper? They are genetically engineered.
Genetic engineering（基因工程）is like making a change in a recipe. For example, when you make cakes, you mix together all of the usual ingredients. If you add an extra ingredient, like salt, the cakes will taste differently.
Genes are ingredients in the recipe for life. They carry the traits of living things. Your genes dictate what color hair and eyes you’ll have, how tall you’ll be, as well as many other traits. Genes carry traits for plants, too. By adding genes to a plant, you can sometimes create new traits. For example, adding a certain gene to a potato plant can make the potato plant distasteful to bugs（虫子）. This makes some farmers happy because they don’t have to use chemicals to keep bugs away from their plants.
It sounds great, but some people are opposed to the idea of food that is genetically engineered. Ronnie Cummins, from the Campaign for Food Safety, is against it. He says that one of the major concerns is allergies（过敏）. Supermarkets don’t always label foods that are genetically engineered. A customer could unknowingly buy food that has an added gene from another plant that he or she is allergic to. It could be dangerous.
Gary Burton from Monsanto, a seed（种子）company that engineers food, disagrees. He says his company tests for allergies. Burton believes that genetic engineering is a valuable tool for making better food. The technology can help farmers use less insecticide（杀虫剂）and grow healthier crops. Burton thinks there are many advantages.
But Cummins says that we just don’t know what will happen in the future if we keep adding genes to foods. We could mistakenly create a monster.
People have different opinions about genetic engineering. One side supports it and thinks it will only help us. The other side is opposed to playing with nature and fears health risks. Which side do you think is right?What could be a good thing about food that is genetically engineered?
| A．It’s more expensive. |
| B．It could taste different. |
| C．It requires less insecticide. |
| D．It’s not labeled in the supermarket. |
In general, who does not support the idea of genetic food?
| A．People from seed companies. |
| B．Farmers who use engineered seeds. |
| C．People from the Campaign for Food Safety. |
| D．Scientists who create genetically engineered food. |
It can be inferred that .
| A．growing genetic foods will make farmers richer |
| B．people will eat more genetic foods in the future |
| C．using fewer chemicals could make the food tastier |
| D．there could be unknown dangers about genetic foods |
What is the best title of this passage?
| A．Future Farming |
| B．Genetic Engineering |
| C．Foods with a Difference |
| D．Genetically Engineered Fruits |
“Where there is a will, there is a way.” Perhaps not many students can understand this better than 22-year-old Michael Ha. Because of his story of success, he has become an example to many young people.
Michael Ha was born in a very poor family. His parents worked in Vietnam before they moved to Britain in 1980. They couldn’t find work in Britain because they spoke little English. The whole family had to live on benefits (救济金) and they lived in a small house in Hackney, a poor area in East London. Growing up was not easy for Michael, but he never gave up.
At the age of 10, he set his heart on going to Cambridge University. It was not easy, either. Michael studied at a school, which used to be called “the worst school in Britain”. However, young Michael made up his mind to try his best, no matter what kind of school he was studying at. The smart boy studied very hard and did well in every subject at school. Once he made a bet (打赌) with his friend to learn further math. As a result, after spending just four months teaching himself from a textbook, he got an A in AS-level further math.
Now Michael is the star medical student at St. John’s College, Cambridge and has just won an award (奖) for his excellent grades. He hopes he will be an inspiration for other young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.When was Michael born?
| A．In 1994. | B．In 1980. |
| C．In 1990. | D．In 1984. |
Where did Michael’s parents work before 1980?
| A．In Britain. | B．In Vietnam. |
| C．In Cambridge. | D．In Hackney. |
What does Michael learn about in Cambridge University?
| A．English. | B．History. |
| C．Geography. | D．Medicine. |
Which of the following is TURE?
| A．Michael‟s parents couldn‟t find work in Britain because they had little work experience. |
| B．Michael had a dream of studying at Cambridge University when he was eleven years old. |
| C．In order to get an A in AS-level further math, Michael spent four months teaching himself. |
| D．Michael has won two awards for his excellent grades. |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．How to deal with the difficulties. |
| B．How to become a good student. |
| C．From a poor area to Cambridge. |
| D．From “worst school” to Cambridge University. |
Black Friday
Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday. The day after it has been known as Black Friday. It is the start of the holiday shopping season, and it has been the busiest shopping day of the year in the US since 2005.
Most stores offer big sales on Black Friday. They open their doors quite early in the morning. They try to attract shoppers with big discounts (打折). Some items (商品)like TVs and cloths are much cheaper than usual. Stores may even lose money on these items. They hope that shoppers will buy gifts for other people while they are in the store.
Black Friday is a great time to go shopping. However, there are problem. The biggest one is that there are not enough low-priced items. Each store may only have a few. These items are in great need, so people stand in long lines to get them. They may wait three to four hours before a store opens. They may be hoping to get a low price on a TV or computer, but not everybody can get one. Some people leave, disappointed.
The situation makes people worried. Some Black Friday events have been crazy. There have been fights over toys among shoppers. Some workers have even been hurt by large crowds. But most Black Friday events are safe and fun. Still, if you plan to go, you will expect large crowds and a bit of pushing.
So where does the name “Black Friday” come from? It was first used in Philadelphia in the 1950s. The police called this day Black Friday because of the heavy traffic it caused. In the 1960s, stores tried to rename the day “Big Friday”. It did not stick. The name “Black Friday” continued to spread across the country. It seems that it is here to stay.
Now people all over the country take part in Black Friday events. It is even spreading to other parts of the world. Stores have held Black Friday events in the UK, Australia, and Brazil since 2012. In Mexico, stores offer a weekend of discounts every year. They call it “El Buen Fin”, which means “the good weekend” in Spanish. I guess people everywhere like to buy things on sale.
Is Black Friday the start of the holiday shopping season?
What is the biggest problem with Black Friday?
How long may people have to wait before a store opens?
Where was the name “Black Friday” first used in the 1950s?
Why do people like going shopping on Black Friday?
New Technology Revolutionizes(变革) Learning
More and more people believe that technologies are great for learning. Today, such teaching tools as iPads are used in a lot of courses, including language, history and science.
Many teachers are supporters of using iPads in language learning. They say that students now have much more time for discussion in the classroom.Instead of spending valuable class time listening to texts or watching teaching videos, students can do this on their own and come to class prepared for discussion.
The teachers also say that iPads allow students to learn at their own pace. Some students might listen to a dialogue only once and understand it, so they can save time for doing other things. Other students, however, might need to listen to the same dialogue again and again to understand it. Using iPads is especially helpful to students who are learning a language at different paces.
The students who are using the new tool in some courses are also happy. They believe that using iPads is a more enjoyable way to learn (such as listening to stories and watching movies). The class has become much more interesting and creative.
There are other advantages for students. By using iPads, they can pay more attention to the material and learn more. Teaching notes are stored in their iPads and are easy to find .Some students spend more time studying now.“I can listen to my language material or watch teaching videos on the bus, instead of having to wait until I get home,” a student explained.
Many adults complain that technologies such as iPads are doing harm to students. They worry that students might use iPads to download teaching notes and use them to cheat during exams. Some believe that iPads may separate students from each other. If a student spends more time watching videos on an iPad, he will have fewer opportunities to have face-to-face communication with others.
However, technologies are already a part of most students’ day-to-day lives. As for cheating, teachers can ask students to hand in their iPads when they take exams. Education needs to make changes with the times as technology is playing an important part. We should look forward to a wonderful future when iPads and other technologies can add a lot to the classroom.
What does the expression“at their own pace” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
| A．According to their own timetable. |
| B．Without their teachers’ help. |
| C．Because of their wonderful goals. |
| D．Against their parents’ hope. |
From the passage we can learn that____.
| A．students with iPads have less discussion in class |
| B．students get more fun from learning with iPads |
| C．iPads help students save time waiting for buses |
| D．iPads prevent students from cheating in exams |
The writer probably agrees that____.
| A．teachers can take control of students’ learning |
| B．exam results depend a lot on now technology |
| C．technology in education has a bright future |
| D．note-taking is as helpful as video-watching |
Do you enjoy visiting a museum? Did you ever make a plan before a visit? Every museum must have something that attracts you. And there are many possible ways to enjoy yourself in a museum.
If you follow these steps below, you'll know what is worth seeing and doing, so that you can make the most of your time at the museum.
Decide what museum you will visit. There are so many different kinds of museums and you first need to find one that you like. It's easy for you to choose one and start an enjoyable visit!
Do some research online. Every museum now has a website which allows you to look through the information about it. On the website, you may look for such things as:
•The exhibits(展品)–See what is on show at the museum at all times, and what special exhibitions are held for a short time.
•The history of the museum –There will often be very interesting stories about the exhibits and the benefactors(捐赠者). That can make your visit more interesting.
•Activities –See whether there are talks, tours our special activities on the day when you visit. Many museums hold some activities that meet the interests of all age groups.
•Cost,food or shortage–It's important how much the visit will cost. You have to decide whether or not you can eat there. You might also need to find out transportation needs, as well as storage for coats, bags etc.
Learn at least one thing on your visit. It is always good to take away something new from your visit.
Plan breaks into your visit. When you walk around, standing here and studying exhibits there, you may become very tired. So it is important to take breaks. A break is a good opportunity for you to think of what you have seen and what else you might want to do in museum.
Take a friend or two. Visiting museums is always a lot more fun when you are with someone else. You can talk over what you’re seeing. A friend also brings another way of thinking when you talk about the exhibit.
According to the passage, we should first ____.
| A．do some research online | B．make a plan for lunch |
| C．decide on a museum to visit | D．choose a friend to go with |
To make our visit more interesting, we can____.
| A．organize activities like special shows and talks |
| B．read the stories about exhibits and benefactors |
| C．learn about the interests of all age groups |
| D．walk around the museum without breaks |
If we visit a museum with friends, we can____.
| A．share the experience with them |
| B．come up with strange ideas |
| C．cut down the cost of the visit |
| D．discuss the next visit plan |
Bags of Love
Last year, I worked in a middle school near my mother’s house, and I stayed with her for a month. During that time, I helped her do some housework and buy some food.
After the first week, I noticed that the food was eaten up very quickly. Then I began keeping an eye on my mum. To my surprise, I found that she would put some of the food into a paper bag and go out with it at about nine every morning. And finally, I decided to follow her. I saw her taking the food to the street children. She would also spend a lot of time talking and playing with them.
One day, I talked to a neighbour and found out that my mum was well-known in the area. The children were very friendly with her and even thought of her as their own mother. Then it hit me – why wouldn’t she want to tell me about it? Was she worried that I would stop buying food if I found out?
When my mum got home, I gave her a big hug (拥抱).I told her she didn’t need to keep it a secret from me. And she told me something about the children. Some of them lived with an old lady in a small house. Others slept on the street. For years, she was helping the poor street children by giving them food. After she told me everything, I was so moved by how selfless (无私的) she was. She helped others in need. As her son, I was so proud of my mum.
I continued to buy food for my mum after that. But I always added one more bag for her other children.After the first week, the writer noticed that _____.
| A．the food was put into a big box |
| B．his mum followed the children |
| C．the food was eaten up quickly |
| D．his mum stopped buying food |
The street children thought of the writer’s mum as their _____.
| A．old grandma | B．own mother |
| C．new neighbour | D．dear teacher |
How did the writer feel about his mum after she told him everything?
| A．He was proud of her. |
| B．He was confident in her. |
| C．He was angry with her. |
| D．He was worried about her. |
The writer added one more bag of food to _____.
| A．make friends with the children |
| B．get a hug from his mother |
| C．become well-known in the area |
| D．help the poor street children |