We each have a unique genetic(基因的, 遗传的)make-up. Every cell of our body has the same set of about 100, 000 separate genes made of DNA. These are the instructions for producing a person. Genes decide everything from the colour of our skin to the way our brain works. We have one of several billion combinations of DNA which come from the random mixing of our parents’ genes. Except for identical twins(同卵双胞胎), no one has the same combination as another person. We are unique! We are unique in another way, too: in the way we are raised and all the experiences we have from before birth to adult life. These experiences influence us, our behaviour and attitudes, and the choices we make.
But are genes or life experiences more important in shaping our appearance and personality? Scientists are studying twins to find out. One set of twins occurs every 70 births—some are identical and others are non-identical twins. Identical twins are special because they share exactly the same genes and often the same environment. Non-identical twins are more like ordinary brothers and sisters.
Some identical twins have been adopted and brought up in different homes. With identical genes but a different home environment, scientists can study twins to see how much a particular feature depends on the genes we inherit(继承). For example, we know that eye problems, like short-sightedness, are mostly genetic. But resistance to pain is largely dependent on experiences. Genes also influence our eating habits. Identical twins brought up apart often like to eat at the same time of day and feel full after eating the same amount. Non-identical twins in similar circumstances have more varied eating habits. Identical twins are also more likely to follow the same patterns for marriage and divorce than non-identical twins.
Scientists are trying to identify the different genes that influence our behavior. Some people are thrill-seekers and get into risk-taking and adventurous activities. They take up extreme sports like bungee jumping and possibly take drugs. Scientists have discovered a gene which affects this.
We could ask, “Are our lives determined by our genes or our upbringing? ”Scientists are learning more all the time, but it is certainly true that both are important in making us who we are.What is the main idea of the first paragraph?
| A．Both our genes and our experiences make us who we are. |
| B．How we turn out depends on our parents’ genes. |
| C．Everyone has a physical double somewhere in the world. |
| D．We cannot easily change our physical appearance. |
Why are scientists studying twins?
| A．To find out how many twins are born every year. |
| B．To discover what shapes us as individuals. |
| C．To compare differences between twins. |
| D．To study brother-and-sister relationships. |
According to the passage, .
| A．one in 70 twins are genetically identical |
| B．non-identical twins are usually not of the same sex |
| C．twins separated at birth behave exactly the same |
| D．identical twins are genetically the same |
What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 4 refer to?
| A．Our love of sports. | B．Our attitude to risk-taking. |
| C．Our skill at bungee jumping. | D．Our ability to take drugs. |
第二部分阅读理解(共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分
A
Sam and Joe were astronauts. There was once a very dangerous trip and the more experienced astronauts knew there was only a small chance of coming back alive. Sam and Joe, however, thought it would be exciting though a little dangerous. “We’re the best men for the job,” they said to the boss. “There may be problems, but we can find the answers.” “They’re the last people I’d trust,” thought the boss. “But all the other astronauts have refused to go.”
Once they were in space, Joe had to go outside to make some repairs. When the repairs were done, he tried to get back inside the spaceship. But the door was locked. He knocked but there was no answer. He knocked again, louder this time, and again no answer came. Then he hit the door as hard as he could and finally a voice said, “Who’s there?” “It’s me! Who else could it be?” shouted Joe. Sam let him in all right but you can imagine that Joe never asked to go on a trip with Sam again!
36. Most of the astronauts were unwilling to go on a trip because _______.
A.there was little chance of being selected B.they weren’t experienced enough
C. they thought they might get killedD. it wasn’t exciting enough
37. Why were Sam and Joe chosen?
A. The boss wanted them to get more experience.
B. The boss trusted them more than anyone else.
C. They were the last people who wanted to go.
D. They were the only men who offered to go.
38 Joe didn’t want to work with Sam again probably because he thought Sam _______.
A. was very slow and possibly deaf B.didn’t know how to operate the door
C. was less experienced than he wasD. didn’t know how to do repairs
39. The writer tells this story to _______.
A. show the dangerous side of the astronauts’ life B. make people laugh
C. show the funny side of the astronauts’ life D. make people think
E
In the old days, children were familiar with birth and death as part of life. Now this is perhaps the first generation of American youngsters who have never been close by during of the birth a baby and have never experienced the death of a family member.
Nowadays when people grow old, we often send them to nursing homes. When they get sick, we send them to a hospital, where children are forbidden to visit patients— even when those patients are their parents. This deprives（剥夺）the dying patient of family members during the last few days of his life and it deprives the children of an experience of death, which is an important learning experience.
Some of my colleagues and I once interviewed and followed about 500 in order to find out what they could teach us and how we could be of more benefit, not just to them but to the members of their families as well. We were most impressed by the fact that even those patients who were not told of their serious illness were quite aware of its potential outcome.
It is important for family members, and doctors and nurses to understand these patients’ communication in order to truly understand their needs, fears and fantasies. Most of our patients welcomed another human being with whom they could talk openly, honestly, and frankly about their trouble. Many of them shared with us their reat need to be informed, to be kept up-to-date on their medical condition and to be told when the end was near. We found out that patients who had been dealt with openly and frankly were better able to deal with the coming of death and finally to reach a true stage of acceptance before death.
82.The elders of today's Americans________ .
A. are often absent when a family member is born or dying
B. usually see the birth or death of a family member
C. are unfamiliar with birth and death
D. have often experienced the fear of death as part of life
83.Children in America are deprived of the chance to________.
A. visit a patient at hospital B. visit their family members
C. look after the patients D. learn how to face death
84.The need of a dying patient for people to accompany him shows________.
A. his wish for communication with other people
B. his fear of death
C. his unwillingness to die
D. he feels very upset about his condition
85.It may be concluded from the passage that________.
A. dying patients should be truthfully informed of their condition
B. dying patients are afraid of being told of the coming of death
C. most patients are unable to accept death until it can’t be avoided
D. dying patients are not likely to be informed about their condition
D
Sydney—Mobile phone has become a problem for middle schools. Some middle schools in Australia have banned students from carrying mobile phones during school hours.
Mobile phone use among children has become a problem for the school this year. Several children have got mobile phones as Christmas gifts, and more students want them.
Mary Bluett, an official, said mobile phone use is a distraction (分心的事) to students during school hours and it also gives teachers so much trouble in their classrooms. Teachers were also saying that sometimes students might use phone messages to cheat during exams.
She said some schools had tried to ban mobile phones. Some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t get in touch with their children.
Many teachers said students should not have mobile phones at school, but if there was a good reason, they could leave their phones at school offices. They also said there were many reasons why the students should not have mobile phones at school: they were easy to lose and were a distraction from studies.
Many people say that they understand why parents would want their children to have phones, but they think schools should let the students know when they can use their mobile phones.
78. We know from the passage that some children get mobile phones from .
A. the makers and sellers B. their parents and friends
C. some other strangers D. some mobile phone users
79. Some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t_________during school hours.
A. use their mobile phones B. leave their mobile phones
C. help the teachers with their work D. get in touch with their children
80. The underlined word “they” in the fifth paragraph refers to_______.
A. mobile phones B. some messages
C. many teachers D. some students
81. The topic mainly talked about in the text is___________.
A. when the students of some Australian schools can use their mobile phones
B. why the students should not use mobile phones in some Australian schools
C. whether the Australian students can have mobile phones at school
D. how some parents feel when their children should not carry mobile phones
C
Sport not only is physically challenging, but it can also be mentally challenging. Criticism (批评) from coaches, parents, and other teammates, as well as pressure to win can create an excessive (过度的）amount of anxiety or stress for young athletes. Stress can be physical, emotional, or psychological, and research has indicated that it can lead to burnout. Burnout has been described as dropping or quitting of an activity that was at one time enjoyable.
The early years of development are critical years for learning about oneself. The sport setting is one where valuable experiences can take place. Young athletes can, for example, learn how to work together with others, make friends, and gain other social skills that will be used throughout their lives. Coaches and parents should be aware, at all times, that their feedback to youngsters can greatly affect their children. Youngsters may take their parent's and coaches’ criticisms to heart and find a flaw（缺陷）in themselves.
Coaches and parents, should also be careful that youth sport participation doesn't become the work for children. The outcome of the game should not be more important than the process of learning the sport and other life lessons. In today’s youth sport setting(环境), young athletes may be worrying more about who will win instead of enjoying themselves and the sport. Following a game, many parents and coaches direct their attention on the outcome（=result）and find fault with young people’s performances. Research indicates that positive reinforcement motivates (积极强化激励) and has a greater effect on learning than criticism. Again criticism can create high levels of stress, which can lead to burnout.
74. An effective way to prevent the burnout of young athletes is________.
A. to reduce their mental stress B. to increase their sense of stress
C. to make sports less competitive D. to make sports more challenging
75. According to the passage, sport is positive for young people in that________.
A. it can create high levels of stress
B. it enables them to find flaws in themselves
C. it can provide them with valuable experiences
D. it teaches them how to set realistic goals for themselves
76. According to the passage parents and coaches should________.
A. pay more attention to letting children enjoy sports
B. help children to win every game
C. train children to deaf with stress
D. enable children to understand the positive aspect of sports
77.The author’s purpose in writing the passage is to________.
A. teach young athletes how to avoid burnout
B. persuade young children not to worry about criticism
C. stress the importance of positive reinforcement to children
D. discuss the skill of mixing criticism with encouragement
B
As a result of pollution, Lake Erie, on the borders of the USA and Canada, is now without any living things.
Pollution in water is not simply a matter of “poisons” killing large numbers of fish overnight, Very often the effects of pollution are not noticed for many months or years because the first organisms（生物体）to be affected are either plants or plankton(浮游生物). But these organisms are the food of fish and birds and other creatures. When this food disappears, the fish and birds die too. In this way a whole food chain can be wiped out, and it’s not until dead fish and water birds are seen at the river’s edge or on the seashore that people realize what is happening.
Where do the substances which pollute the water come from? There are two main sources of sewage（下水道污物）and industrial waste. As more detergent（洗涤剂）is used in the home, so more of it is finally put into our rivers, lakes and seas. Detergents harm water birds, dissolving the natural substances which keep their feathers water-proof (防水). Sewage itself, if not properly treated, makes the water dirty and prevents all forms of life in rivers and the sea from receiving the oxygen they need. Industrial waste is even more harmful as there are many highly poisonous things in it, such as copper and lead.
So, if we want to stop this pollution, the answer is simple: sewage and industrial waste must be made clear before flowing into the water. It may already be too late to save some rivers and lakes, but others can still be saved if the correct action is taken at once.
70. Pollution of water is noticed________.
A. when the first organisms are affected
B. when a good many fish and birds die
C. when poisonous things are poured into water
D. as soon as the balance of nature is destroyed
71.The living things die because there is no ________in the lake or river.
A. water B. fish C. poison D. oxygen
72. Which of the following is harmful according to the passage?
A. Organisms B. Plants and plankton in the water
C. Waste water from cleaning D. Industrial waste made clear before flowing into the water
73. The way to stop water pollution is to________.
A. realize the serious situation clearly
B. put oxygen into the river
C. make the waste material harmless before flowing into the water
D. make special room in the sea for our rubbish