It’s midnight already, but the lights in Shi Guang’s dormitory are still on. He and three other students are sitting back to back. They’re all wearing earphones and staring at a computer screen, talking to each other only in words like “charge” or “retreat”. Chen Jiasheng, 22, a senior majoring in electrical engineering and automation at Beijing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics, is a gaming team leader. “ Online gaming is not just about gaming, it’s a community in which we communicate with each other using our avatars(化身),” said Chen. For university students like Chen, online gaming has become more than a fashion – it’s part of life and a way of socializing.
A 2012 research report on online gamers in China released by 17173.com, the country’s leading game information portal, supports this concept. According to the report, university students aged between 19 and 25 make up 58 percent of online gamers, and the proportion is rising every year. “Many of my friends spend more time hanging out in online gaming worlds than in reality,” said Wang Jiaming, 21, a junior law major at China University of Political Sciences and Law. “Personally I feel more powerful in virtual worlds than in real life. I’m more confident.”
According to Zhang Quan, 20, a student in the second year economics major at Renmin University of China, one of the distinguishing features of online games compared with offline games is the gaming experience. Offline games test a gamer’s skill at using a keyboard to beat rivals. “Online games are technically more accessible as you don’t have to master these skills,” said Zhang.
But most online games are based on avatars controlled by another human – they are unavoidably more tricky and unpredictable by a computer. “On the surface we are playing games, but actually it’s real people we are dealing with,” added Zhang. “The only difference is that in these games we communicate with each other in different settings, like wars, magic battles and fantasy worlds.”
By engaging in this interactive gaming experience, gamers become team players and promote their social skills. Chen has even made friends by playing in a team with strangers online. “We coordinated our movements and cooperated with each other to win a battle in the cyberspace. The game was virtual but the brotherhood was real. Most of us are good friends in real life,” said Chen.According to the passage, which statement of the following is true?
| A．Online gaming is the only world where the young communicate with each other by using their avatars. |
| B．Online gaming is important to those aged between 19 and 25. |
| C．Online gaming has a bad effect on health as university students usually stay up playing. |
| D．An increasing number of university students play online games. |
The passage is mostly about ______.
| A．some interviews to young people about online gaming. |
| B．positive effects from online gaming on university students. |
| C．learning how to co-work with their mates for online gamers |
| D．the differences between online games and offline ones. |
The underlined word can be best replaced by ______.
| A．competitors | B．strangers | C．teammates | D．partners. |
Which can be the best title of this passage?
| A．Online gaming | B．Beyond a virtual reality |
| C．Virtual cooperation | D．Real interaction |
SCIENTISTS have discovered that living to the age of 100 may have nothing to do with the lifestyle you lead and everything to do with the type of genes (基因) you have.
For the lucky carriers of “Methuselah” genes, worries over smoking, eating unhealthily and not getting enough exercise may not be as necessary as to those of us without the special gene pattern .
The “Methuselah” genes could give extra protection against the diseases of old age such as cancer and heart disease. They could also protect people against the effects of the unhealthy lifestyles that we believe will lead us to an early death, scientists say. However, the genes are very rare.
The genes include ADIPOQ, which is found in about 10 percent of young people but in nearly 30 percent of people living past 100. They also include the CETP and the ApoC3 genes, which are found in 10 percent of young people, but in about 20 percent of people over 100 years old.
Some of those genes were discovered by a research group at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, led by Professor Nir Barzilai. The team studied the genes of over 500 people over 100 years old, and their children.
The studies show that tiny mutations (变异) in the make-up of some genes can greatly increase a person’s lifespan. Barzilai told a Royal Society conference that the discovery of such genes gave scientists clear targets for developing drugs that could prevent age-related diseases, allow people to live longer and stay healthy.
David Gems, a researcher at University College London, believes that drugs to slow ageing will become widespread.
“If we know which genes control longevity (长寿) then we can … target them with drugs. That makes it p
ossible to slow down ageing,” he told The Times.
“Much of the pain and suffering in the world are caused by ageing. If we can find a way to reduce that, then we are obliged to take it.” According to the article, which of the following is the most important if a person is to live to the age of 100?
| A．Eating healthy food every day. |
| B．Having the right types of genes. |
| C．Having a healthy lifestyle. |
| D．Taking drugs that prevent ageing. |
According to the article, the ApoC3 gene is found in ______ of people over 100 years old.
| A．10% | B．20% | C．30% | D．50% |
Which of the following statements is TRUE of the research led by Professor Nir Barzilai?
| A．The team studied the genes of over 100 people over 100 years of age. |
| B．The researchers found that mutations in certain genes lead to longer life. |
| C．The researchers found ways to develop drugs that could cure age-related diseases. |
| D．The study suggested that most people have genes that could lengthen their lives. |
According to David Gems, ______.
| A．drugs to slow ageing will be very expensive |
| B．modern science will be able to find more longevity genes |
| C．it is the duty of medical scientists to fight the problems of ageing |
| D．scientists can make new genes that will allow longer life |
The words “timetable” and “schedule” make most final year students want to eat their own vomit(呕吐物). Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that final year students must develop a timetable. If you don’t have a schedule or plan for studying, you will have no way of allocating your valuable time when the unexpected arises. A well-thought-out timetable can be a lifesaver. It is up to you to learn how to develop a schedule that meets your needs .Change it if necessary, but most important, follow it. All timetables should be made with the idea that they can be changed. A good one will keep you from wandering off course.
A good timetable should make every hour count—every class, social event and other activity you engage in .You must focus on the other “free time” available and how you will use it. Make a weekly schedule and divided each day into one-hour increments. Indicate times for classes, socializing, and work time. Also block off a period for sleeping every day. In the precious h
ours left over, plan time for study. This gives you a rough road map of the time available. Of course, you can change your schedule as circumstances need.
The timetable you develop should guide you in how to distribute the available time in the most productive manner. Sticking to your schedule can be tough, but don’t dribble away valuable time. Avoiding study is the easiest thing in the world. It is up to you to follow the schedule you’ve prepared. A good deal of your success in high school and with any future study depends on this simple truth.
Remember, there is a learning curve. You learn the most in the first 30 minutes of study; after that, it progressively deteriorates（减弱）. After four or five hours of studying the same material in the same way, you are learning virtually nothing. The solution is to keep switching subjects and study styles.What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Advantages of starting a timetable | B．Keep to it, and you will succeed |
| C．Make a schedule, and follow it | D．Learn to love your timetable |
What does Paragraph 2 talk about?
| A．Tips for making a schedule. | B．Significance of a scientific timetable. |
| C．Requirements for making a timetable. | D．Importance of following one’s schedule. |
The following are characteristics of a good timetable EXCEPT that.
| A．it can be changed | B．it is flexible |
| C．it is of many periods | D．it can save our time |
From this passage, we can learn if we wish to achieve high learning efficiency, we’d better.
| A．shift subjects and use different methods regularly |
| B．devote to the same material continuously |
| C．turn to teachers for help if necessary |
| D．have a break every thirty minutes |
Misery and setbacks are not always as terrible as one imagines. Hard times can offer new ways of looking at life that would otherwise never be known. And, if you are a writer, this can be the source of much of your success.
Popular British author, Charles Dickens' （1812-1870）family could hardly make ends meet. They could only afford to send one of their six children to school. Dickens was not that child. His parents chose to send a daughter, who had a talent for music, to an academy. Then at the age of 12, Dickens' life took another turn for the worse.
His father, a clerk, was placed in prison for unpaid debts. And, being the oldest male left at home, Dickens took up work at a factory. His horrible experience there became the fuel for his future writing. His father was freed three months later and inherited a small amount of money. Dickens was then sent to school.
From 1836 to 1837, he wrote a monthly series of stories. Thus the Pickwick Papers, came into being, which brought fame to the 23-year-old man.
Throughout his career, Dickens covers various situations in his novels. He wrote about the miserable lives of the poor in Oliver Twist, the French Revolution in Tale of Two Cities, and social reform in Hard Times. He also wrote David Copperfield, a book thought to be modeled on his own life.
“I do not write bitterly or angrily: for I know all these things have worked together to make me what I am,” he once said. His difficult childhood did indeed shape the person he became, as well as his writing career. There are shades of young Dickens in many of his most beloved characters, including David Copperfield and Oliver Twist.
Like the author, all these characters come from poor beginnings and are able to rise above their setbacks and achieve success. “Minds, like bodies, will often fall into an ill-conditioned state from too much comfort,” he once wrote. On June 9th, 1870, aged 58, Dickens died, leaving one unfinished work．The words on his tombstone read: “He was a sympathizer to the poor, the suffering and the oppressed, and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world.”The book that first called public attention to Dickens was ______.
| A．the Pickwick Papers | B．Oliver Twist |
| C．Tale of Two Cities | D．David Copperfield |
The phrase “shades of” in bold means “_____”.
| A．various shapes of | B．situations of |
| C．different experiences of | D．reminders of |
How did Dickens see his childhood?
| A．He felt grateful for it． |
| B．He felt it a pity that things weren’t in his favor． |
| C．He loved writing about it． |
| D．He chose to forget the bitterness about it． |
From the story, we can see Dickens’ attitude towards an easy life is ______．
| A．to enjoy it | B．to hate it |
| C．not to abandon yourself to it | D．to work hard for it |
Against the assumption that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia warm the climate, scientists have discovered that cooling may occur in areas where burnt trees allow more snow to mirror more sunlight into space.
This finding suggests that taking steps to prevent northern forest fires to limit the release of greenhouse gases may warm the climate in northern regions. Usually large fires destroyed forests in these areas over the past decade. Scientists predict that with climate warming, fires may occur more frequently over next several centuries as a result of a longer fire season. Sunlight taken in by the earth tends to cause warming, while heat mirrored back into space tends to cause cooling.
This is the first study to analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate. Earlier studies by other scientists have suggested that fire in northern regions speed up climate warming because greenhouse gases from burning trees and plants are released into the atmosphere and thus trap heat.
Scientists found that right after the fire, large amounts of greenhouse gases entered the atmosphere and caused warming. Ozone（臭氧）levels increased, and ash from the fire fell on far-off sea ice, darkening the surface and causing more radiation from the sun to be taken in. The following spring, however, the land within the area of the fire was brighter than before the fire, because fewer trees covered the ground. Snow on the ground mirrored more sunlight back into space, leading to cooling.
“We need to find out all possible ways to reduce the growth of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.” Scientists tracked the change in amount of radiation entering and leaving the climate system as a result of the fire, and found a measurement closely related to the global air temperature. Typically, fire in northern regions occurs in the same area every 80 to 150 years. Scientists, however, found that when fire occurs more frequently, more radiation is lost from the earth and cooling results. Specifically, they determined when fire returns 20 years earlier than predicated, 0.5 watts per square meter of area burned are soaked up by the earth from greenhouse gases, but 0.9 watts per square meter will be sent back into space. The net effect is cooling. Watts are used to measure the rate at which energy is gained or lost from the earth. According to the new findings, taking steps to prevent northern forest fires may _______.
| A．result in a warming climate | B．cause the forest fires to occur more frequently |
| C．lead to a longer fire season | D．protect the forests and the environment there |
Earlier studies about northern forest fires ________.
| A．analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate |
| B．indicate that forest fires will pollute the atmosphere |
| C．suggest that people should take measures to protect environment |
| D．suggest that the fires will speed up climate warming |
The underlined phrase “soaked up” in the last paragraph most probably means ________.
| A．released | B．absorbed | C．created | D．disturbed |
From the text we can draw a conclusion that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia may ______.
| A．warm the climate as the assumption goes |
| B．allow more snow to reflect more sunlight into space and thus cool the climate |
| C．destroy large areas of forests and pollute the far-off sea ice |
| D．help to gain more energy rather than release more energy |
Who’s in control of your life? Who is pulling your string? For the majority of us, it’s other people—society, colleagues, friends, family or our religious community. We learned this way of operating when we were very young, of course. We were brainwashed. We discovered that feeling important and feeling accepted was a nice experience and so we learned to do everything we could to make other people like us. As Oscar Wilde puts it, “Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry(模仿), their passions a quotation.”
So when people tell us how wonderful we are, it makes us feel good. We long for this good feeling like a drug. Therefore, we are so eager for the approval of others that we live unhappy and limited lives, failing to do the things we really want to. Just as drug addicts and alcoholics live worsened lives to keep getting their fix (一剂毒品). We worsen our own existence to get our own constant fix of approval.
But, just as with any drug, there is a price to pay. The price of the approval drug is freedom—the freedom to be ourselves. The truth is that we cannot control what other people think. People have their own agenda, and they come with their own baggage and, in the end, they're more interested in themselves than in you. Furthermore, if we try to live by the opinions of others, we will build our life on sinking sand. Everyone has a different way of thinking, and people change their opinions all the time. The person who tries to please everyone will only end up getting exhausted and probably pleasing no one in the process.
So how can we take back control? I think there’s only one way—make a conscious decision to stop caring what other people think. We should guide ourselves by means of a set of values---not values imposed（强加）from the outside by others, but innate values which come from within. If we are driven by these values and not by the changing opinions and value systems of others, we will live a more authentic, effective, purposeful and happy life.What Oscar Wilde says implies that _____________.
| A．we have thoughts similar to those of others |
| B．most people have a variety of thoughts |
| C．most people’s thoughts are controlled by others |
| D．other people’s thoughts are more important |
What does the author try to argue in the third paragraph ?
| A．We may lose ourselves to please others. |
| B．Changing opinions may cost us our freedom. |
| C．We need to pay for what we want to get. |
| D．The price of taking drugs is freedom. |
In order to live a happy, effective and purposeful life, we should _________.
| A．care about others’ opinions and change opinions all the time |
| B．guide ourselves by means of values from the outside |
| C．persuade others to accept our opinions |
| D．stick to our own values |
It can be concluded from the passage that __________.
| A．we shouldn’t care what others think | B．it’s better to do what we like |
| C．we shouldn't change our own opinions | D．it’s important to accept others’ opinions |