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. |
Unlike many surfers who sought the perfect wave, my interests always lay beneath the sea' s surface in a world I could only imagine and dream of．When I was twelve, I made my first adventures in the deep．Later I would learn how to dive, expanding my world of exploration many times over．
Perhaps the greatest turning point in my life came when I was in high school and I wrote a letter to the famous Scripps Oceanographic Institution, asking how I might learn more about the sea．A kind scientist answered my letter and told me how to apply to Scripps for a summer scholarship, which I received．During one of their courses that summer, I met Dr．Robert Norris, a marine geologist．He loved the sea almost as much as I did．Soon he suggested I consider his school, the University of California, for my study．One year later I became a member of the freshman class．
Now my love affair with the sea became a serious endeavor（艰苦的努力）．If I wanted to be an undersea explorer, I needed to learn as much as I could about the laws of the physical world that controlled the environment I wanted to enter．The undersea world is not our natural world．It is unforgiving to those who make mistakes．At its greatest depths the water temperature is near freezing, the pressure is eight tons per square inch, and it is totally dark．It is easy to get lost in such a world．I needed to learn a lot about geography, navigation, geology, biology, and many other things．
I decided another important thing for me to do was to join the U．S．Navy．If I was going to be an undersea explorer, I would have to lead men and women on dangerous adventures where they might get hurt, and I didn't want that to happen．
In the Navy I learned discipline, organization, and how to motivate and lead people on adventures so that we could explore the wonders of the deep．
Finally, the time came to put all that I had learned to use, to go forth with a team of men and women and explore an adventure I am still on and hope to be on for many years to come．What happened to the author at the age of twelve?
| A．He dreamed about undersea exploration． |
| B．He began to swim under the deep water． |
| C．He surfed on big waves for the first time． |
| D．He learned to dive off the cliffs． |
In college, the author took many different types of courses because he
| A．was told it was easy to get lost in exploration |
| B．was advised to take them by Dr．Robert Norris |
| C．thought they were needed to fully understand the ocean |
| D．believed it would help him succeed in the Navy |
The author joined the Navy to ______．
| A．develop his leadership skills |
| B．get along with people under stress |
| C．learn about the dangers of the ocean |
| D．gather specific information about ocean life |
Which word can best describe the author?
| A．Imaginative． | B．Optimistic． | C．Independent． | D．Ambitious． |
Travis laughed as he tore at the wrapping paper on his birthday present．He was so 16 ! Finally, he would have the coolest pair of name-brand basketball shoes．
All the guys on his team were wearing the name-brand shoes of a popular basketball17 , Chuck Hart． 18 Hart was criticized for his poor sportsmanship（运动员风范） and infamous（臭名远扬的） 19 , he was a great player．In fact, Travis wasn't thinking about Hart' s behavior; he had only expected to see Hart' s 20 on the side of the box．The first indication that something was 21 came as he tore away the last piece of paper．Not Hart' s．The new shoes were the name-brand of another player, Robert Ryann, who was 22 for his amazing work in the community．
Travis's hands 23 ; his heart stopped．It wasn't that the Ryann shoes weren't nice, but what would his friends think ?
They were the wrong shoes and Travis would be 24 by the other players． When he looked up into his dad' s eyes, however, Travis knew he 25 tell him． "'Thanks, Dad．I was really hoping for shoes," Travis said as he pulled the shoes out of the box．
Next morning his dad drove him to school．When they 26 in front of his destination, Travis slowly opened the car door．Just then, his dad stopped him．
"Hey, Travis, wait a minute, look"…" his dad said 27 "Travis, I know those aren' t the shoes you had hoped for, but I saw the names of the two guys and made a（n） 28 The guy whose name is on those shoes," he said, pointing down at Travis’s feet, "is someone I 29 .Do you know how often Ryann has found himself in 30 ?"
"No," Travis said．
" Never．He' s never talked back to his coach or started a fight, and he' s a team player．You could have acted like a 31 when you didn't get the shoes you wanted, Travis, 32 you were polite and made the best of it．You have 33 , like the guy whose name is on these shoes．I' m hoping that someday, your name will be on the coolest pair of shoes I' 11 ever see．"
When Travis looked down at his feet, he saw the shoes 34 . His dad had used his mind and heart to give the son a thoughtful 35 .
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根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Doctors say anger can be an extremely damaging emotion, unless you learn how to deal with it. They warn that anger can lead to heart disease, stomach problems, headaches, emotional problems and possibly cancer.
___1___ Some people express anger openly in a calm reasonable way. Others burst with anger, and scream and yell. But other people keep their anger inside. They can not or will not express it. This is called repressing anger.
For years many doctors thought that repressing anger was more dangerous to a person’s health than expressing it. They said that when a person is angry, the brain releases the same hormones (荷尔蒙). They speed the heart rate, raise blood pressure, or sugar into the blood, etc. ___2___
Some doctors say that both repressing and expressing anger can be dangerous. They believe that those who express anger violently may be more likely to develop heart disease, and they believe that those who keep anger inside may face a greater danger of high blood pressure.
___3___ They say the first step is to admit that you are angry and to recognize the real cause of the anger, then decide if the cause is serious enough to get angry about. If it is, they say, “___4___ Wait until your anger has cooled down and you are able to express yourself calmly and reasonably.”
Doctors say that a good way to deal with anger is to find humor in the situation that has made you angry. ___5___
| A．In general the person feels excited and ready to act. |
| B．They said that laughter is much healthier than anger. |
| C．Expressing anger violently is more harmful than repressing it. |
| D．Do not express your anger while angry. |
E. Anger may cause you a cancer.
F. Anger is a normal emotion that we all feel from time to time.
G. Doctors say the solution is learning how to deal with anger.
Without plant, people could not live. We eat plants. We breathe the oxygen（氧气）that plants produce. And we need plants for another reason: we need them for their beauty.
Imagine a world with no plants. Imagine no flowers with their sweet smells, their beautiful colors and their lovely shapes. Imagine when the wind blows, not being able to hear the leaves in the trees or watch the branches sway（摇摆）from side to side.
Everywhere people need the beauty of plants. That is why we have parks full of trees and flowers. That is why people always try to design houses with room for some grass and a garden.
Do you talk to your plants? Do you give them love and attention?
Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird, writers of a book called THE SECRET LIFE OF PLANTS, tell of an experiment in which two seeds were planted in different places. While the plants were growing, one plant was given love and hopeful ideas. The other plant was given only hopeless ideas. After six months, the loved plant was bigger. Under the earth it had more and longer roots; above the earth, it had a thicker stem (茎) and more leaves. According to the passage, which of the following is right?
| A．If there are no flowers, there will be no sweet smells. |
| B．Without plants, we can’t hear the wind. |
| C．We plant trees to watch the branches sway from side to side. |
| D．We need plants not only for food and oxygen but also for their beauty. |
In the experiment, the plants were________.
| A．of different kinds | B．talked to in two different ways |
| C．both given love and attention | D．grown in the same place |
At the end of six months,________.
| A．one plant had longer roots than the other and had a thicker stem |
| B．one plant had longer roots while the other had a thicker stem |
| C．the plants were of the same size |
| D．one plant had a thicker stem while the other plant had more leaves |
The experiment has proved（证明） that________-.
| A．we should talk to plants and give them love |
| B．without plants people could not live |
| C．we should grow as many plants as possible |
| D．plants need plenty of water, sunshine and attention |