George Eberhardt turned 107 last month, and scientists would love to know how he and other older folks like him made it that far. So he's going to hand over some of his DNA.
He's one of 100 centenarians(百岁老人) taking part in a project that examines some of the oldest citizens with one of the newest scientific tools: whole-genome sequencing(全基因组测试), the deciphering of a person's complete collection of DNA.
Scientists think DNA from very old healthy people could offer clues to how they have lived so long. And that could one day lead to medicines to help the rest of us stay disease-free longer.
"It's very hard to get to 105 without some genetic advantages," says Dr. Thomas Perls, a geriatrics(老年医学) expert at Boston University. Dr.Perls is helping find centenarians for the Archon Genomics X Prize competition. The X Prize Foundation, best known for a spaceflight competition, is offering $10 million in prize money to researchers who decipher the complete DNA code from 100 people older than 100. The contest will be judged on accuracy, completeness and the speed and cost of sequencing.
Mr. Eberhardt played and taught tennis until he was 94and says he's participating in the X Prize project because he's interested in science and technology. It's not clear his genes will reveal much. Nobody else in his extended family reached 100, and he thinks only a couple reached 90, he said in a telephone interview.
So why does he think he lived so long? He attributes it to 70 years of marriage to his wife, Marie. She in turn cites his "intense interest in so many things" over a lifetime, from building radios as a child to pursuing a career in electronics research.
But scientists believe there's more to it, and they want to use genome sequencing to investigate. Dr. Richard Cawthon of the University of Utah, who is seeking longevity genes by other means, says it may turn up genetic features that protect against multiple diseases or that slow the process of aging in general.
| A．Separating. | B．Interpreting. |
| C．Gathering. | D．Comparing. |
| A．How many genes are studied |
| B．How precise the sequencing is |
| C．How fast the research is finished |
| D．The number of researchers |
| A．what the Archon Genomics X prize competition is about |
| B．the significance of studying the genes that lead to longevity |
| C．how whole-genome sequencing is applied to the study of genes |
| D．the genetic advantages the centenarians have |
| A．He doesn’t have any genetic advantages. |
| B．Most of his family have been long-lived. |
| C．His genes don’t reveal much about why he has lived so long. |
| D．He enjoyed doing electronics research. |
| A．Comparing One Hundred Centenarians |
| B．Who Will Win the Archon Genomics X Prize Competition? |
| C．A New Technology--- Whole –Genome Sequencing |
| D．Is the Secret to a Long Life in the DNA of Centenarians? |
For a 400-year-old art form, opera had a bad fame: overweight actresses singing the words which were hard to understand in one of those romance languages you were supposed to learn in high school. And with tickets costing as much as $145 a performance, opera goers also had a certain appearance in people's mind: rich, well-dressed and old.
But now opera companies around the country are loosening their ties and kicking off their shoes in an attempt to keep opera alive and take it to a younger and not so wealthy audience.
Opera producers have found that to attract this crowd, they need to make the opera closer to common people. Because young people don't or won't come to the opera, companies are bringing the opera to them, giving performances in such unusual places as parks, libraries and public schools.
The Houston Grand Opera's choice is the public library, where it performs “mobile operas” shortened versions(剧本) of child-friendly operas. This summer's production is Hansel ＆ Gretel. By performing smaller versions of large productions, producers are able to make people interested while keeping costs at a reasonable level. The San Francisco Opera, which will be celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, is staging Cinderella free of charge, keeping costs down by employing students from its Young Artists' Training Program. Which is the main idea of this passage？
| A． Opera is famous for its long history. |
| B． Opera is only performed for rich people. |
| C． Opera companies are trying to keep opera alive. |
| D． Young people are not interested in opera. |
The underlined phrase in the second paragraph means ______.
| A． breaking up the old rules | B． changing the dresses |
| C． making the audience at ease | D．advertising themselves |
Opera companies prefer to perform short versions because ______ .
| A． they can be performed in public libraries |
| B． short versions are easy to perform |
| C． it is hard to find long versions |
| D． they can make more people come to opera |
The San Francisco Opera employs students in order to ______.
| A． celebrate its 75th anniversary | B． reduce the cost |
| C． attract young people | D． make Cinderella popular |
Where have all the boys gone？You may be able to find them in the gym, at work or hanging out, but there’s one important place where boys are underrepresented, and the problem seems to be getting worse. These days, at high school graduation ceremonies, there are a lot more girls than boys.
In fact, every year, 10 percent more girls graduate from high school than boys. “I think that there’s a tendency to focus on boys as problems at this point, rather than recognize that boys have problems,” says Joanne Max, PhD. Experts say the problems start in grade school, where there’s often an emphasis on sports instead of reading, for example. “I think that with boys there’s some idea that it’s not masculine(男子汉的)to read,” says Rob Jenkins, 
an English professor.
There’s also a shortage of male teachers as role models. “I think boys need role models, so if you’re a boy and you don’t have a dad in your home and then you have one male teacher and it’s your athletic coach then I don’t think you have a message that education is very important,” says Carol Carter, another expert. In addition, classrooms often have too little activity
and too much passive listening, which is not conducive(有益的)to boys’learning.
Experts say parents can fight back in many ways. Read to your sons early and often; show by your actions that you value their education. Ask them about their schoolwork, offer help, drop by their classroom and finally, appeal to their competitive spirit: challenge them to do better and help them understand that their future depends on it.The underlined part “one important place” in Paragraph 1 refers to “______”.
| A．classrooms | B．factories |
| C．high school graduation ceremonies | D．gyms |
According to the passage，boys have the problem that they think ______.
| A．reading is more important than sports |
| B．it is shameful for boys to read |
| C．boys should not work as a teacher |
D．boys la ck the gift for reading |
Carol Carter’s words implied that ______.
| A．parents play an important role in education |
| B．athletic coaches contribute a lot to education |
| C．lack of male teachers affects boys’ attitudes to school work |
| D．classrooms lack enough activities that are suitable for boys |
According to experts，parents should do the following except ______.
| A．often read to their sons when they are young |
| B．keep an eye on their sons’ studies at school |
| C．encourage their sons to compete with others |
| D．prevent their sons from taking part in sports |
Some people argue that the pressures on international sportsmen and sportswomen kill the spirit of sport: the pursuit (追求) of personal excellence. Children kick a football around for fun. When they get older and play for local school teams, they become competitive but they still enjoy playing. The sportsman representing his country cannot afford to think about enjoying himself, he has to think only about winning. He is responsible for an entire nation’s hopes and dreams.
A good example is the football World Cup. Football is the world’s most important sport. It is even more important now that the United States is seriously taking it up. Winning the World Cup is perhaps eh greatest of international sporting success. Mention “ Argentina ” to someone and the chances are that he’ll think of football. In a sense, winning the World Cup “ put Argentina on the map ”.
Sports fans and supporters get quite irrational about the World Cup. People in England felt that their country was somehow important after they won the World Cup. Last year thousands of Scots sold their cars, and even their houses, and spent all their money traveling to Argentina, where the finals were played.
So am I arguing that international competitions kill the idea of sport? Certainly not! Do the Argentineans really believe that because eleven of their men proved the most skillful at football, their nation is better than all others? Not really. But it’s nice to know that you won, and that in one way at least your country is best.What is mainly discussed in this passage is _________.
| A．why international sport is necessary |
| B．what international sport is like |
| C．how international sport goes on |
| D．what disadvantages international sport has |
Those who are against international competitions think that ________.
| A．sport should not be so popular | B．sport should not be competitive |
| C．sport should be for personal purpose | D．sport should be made easier |
We can infer from the passage that the underlined word “ irrational ” means_________.
| A．against reasonable behavior | B．having much knowledge |
| C．unable to understand | D．eager to know |
What does the writer mean by saying that winning the World Cup “ put Argentina on t
he map”_____
| A．Argentina has the best football player |
| B．Argentina has become world-famous for football |
| C．Football is very popular in Argentina |
| D．Argentina has begun to pay much attention to football |
When I stepped out the plane from Miami into Charlotte, North Carolina, airport for a connecting flight home, I immediately knew something was wrong. Lots of desperate people crowded the terminal. I quickly learned that flights headed to the Northeast were called off because of a storm. The earliest they could get us out of Charlotte was Tuesday. It was Friday. A gate agent stood on the counter and shouted, “Don’t ask us for help! We cannot help you!”
I joined a crowd that ran from terminal to terminal in search of a flight out. Eventually, I found six strangers willing to rent a van with me. We drove through the night to Washington, where I took a train the rest of the way to Providence.
The real problem, of course, is that incidents like this happen every day, to everyone who flies, more and more often. It really gets to me, though, because for eight years I was on the other side, as a flight attendant for Trans-World Airlines (TWA).
I know the days are gone when attendants could be written up if we did not put the lines napkins with the TWA logo in the lower right-hand corner of the first-class diners’ trays. As are the days when there were three dinner options on flights from Boston to Los Angeles in economy class. When, once, stuck on a tarmac（机场停机坪）in Newark for four hours, a planeload of passengers got McDonald’s hamburgers and fries by thoughtfulness of the airline. I have experienced the decline of service along with the rest of the flying public. But I believe everything will change little by little, because I remember the days when to fly was to soar (翱翔). The airlines, and their employees, took pride in how their passengers were treated. And I think the days are sure to come back one day in the near future. Many people crowded the terminal because _______.
| A．they were ready to board on the planes |
| B．something was wrong with the terminal |
| C．the flights to the Northeast were canceled |
| D．the gate agent wouldn’t help the passengers |
How did the writer get to Providence at last?___
| A．by air | B．by van |
| C．by train | D．by underground |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?______
| A．Incidents happened to those who fly quite often. |
| B．The writer used to be a flight attendant for Trans-World Airlines. |
| C．Even a small mistake might cause complaints from passengers in the past. |
| D．McDonald’s hamburgers and fries were among regular dinner options. |
What can be implied from the passage?____
| A．The writer lived in Charlotte, North Carolina. |
| B．The writer thought the service was not as good as it used to be. |
| C．The writer with other passengers waited to be picked up patiently. |
| D．Passengers would feel proud of how they were treated on the plane. |
Whether in the workplace or on the football field, effective teamwork can produce amazing results．However, working successfully as a team is not as easy as it may seem．Effective teamwork certainly does not just happen automatically; it take s a great deal of hard work and compromise．There are a number of factors that must be in place to make a good team．
Effective leadership is one of the most important components of good teamwork．The team’s leader should possess the skills to create and preserve a positive working environment and motivate and inspire the team members to take a positive approach to work and be highly committed．An effective team leader will promote a high level of spirit and make them feel supported and valued．
Communication is a vital factor of all interpersonal relationship and especially that of a team．Team member s must be able to articulate their feelings, express plans and goals, share ideas and see each other’s opinions．
Conflicts will arise no matter how well a team functions together．The best way to deal with conflicts is to have some organized methods of handling conflicts．Team members should be able to voice their concerns without fear of offending others．Instead of avoiding conflict issues, a hands-on approach that settles them quickly is much better．It is often advised that the team leader sit with the conflicting parties and help work out their differences without taking sides and trying to remain objective if possible．
The team leader must set a good example to create good teamwork．In order to keep team members positive and committed and motivated, the team leader herself / himself needs to
show these qualities．The team turns to the leader for support and guidance．So any negative words or behaviors on the leader’s part can be disastrous．
Regardless of what type of work you are in, knowing how to effectively work on and with a team is going to be extremely important to your success and that of your team．Effective leadership is important partly because ___________________．
| A．it creates a positive working environment |
| B．it helps a leader to develop lots of skills |
C．it makes a leader fee l supported and valued |
| D．it depends on interpersonal relationship of a team |
The underlined word “articulate” probably means _________________．
| A．hide | B．feel | C．plan | D．express |
When conflicts arise among team members, the team leader should ___________________．
| A．worry about the team members | B．ignore the team members’ voices |
| C．work out their differences | D．try to avoid conflict issues |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．Football And Teamwork | B．Communication And Teamwork |
| C．What Makes Effective Teamwork | D．How to Handle Conflicts in a Team |