Millions of people die of hunger in southern Africa every year, but when Zambia was offered thousands of tons of free maize by the US, the government politely paid no.
“We don’t know whether the food is safe,” said Zambia’s commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Dipak Patel.
His worries are shared by countries around the world that are in two minds about America’s genetically modified（GM，转基因的）crops. Just last week, EU（欧盟）member nations were discussing whether or not to import GM sweet corn from the US.
Ever since people started farming, they have tried to crossbreed（杂交） plants to make them stronger or better tasting. At one time, only related plants could be crossed with each other.
But when GM techniques were developed in the 1970s, scientists were able to put a single gene from a living creature into an unrelated creature.
This means they can make crops more productive and resistant to disease by adding genes from other species. They can also create food with special characteristics, such as “golden rice”, which is enriched with vitamin A. But many people believe GM foods are a health risk.
“If left to me, I would certainly not eat GM foods,” said Scottish scientist Arpad Pusztai. “We are putting new things into food which haven’t been eaten before. The effects on the immune system（免疫系统） are not easy to predict.”
At the moment, the official argument is that GM foods “are not likely to present risks for human health”. But there are still many questions to be answered as the foods are produced in different ways.
Some experts believe the genetic material added to plants can transfer to humans and give damage to our bodies. Further harm could be caused by the genes from GM plants crossbreeding with naturally produced crops. We learn from the passage .
| A．people have discovered that GM foods will do harm to human health |
| B．millions of Zambia people die of eating too much GM foods |
| C．people are still not sure if GM foods will do harm to human health |
| D．genetic material added to plants will damage our bodies sooner or later |
What does “in two minds” in the third paragraph mean?
| A．Unsure |
| B．Worried |
| C．Likely |
| D．Careless |
The following statements is NOT true about GM foods?
| A．It is produced from plants added genes from other species. |
| B．GM foods can have special characteristics. |
| C．GM foods will affect people’s immune system. |
| D．GM foods have been produced since 1970s. |
(Reuters)—A MalaysiaAirlinesflight carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew was presumed to have crashed off the Vietnamese coast on Saturday, and European officials said two people on board were using false identities.
There were no reports of bad weather and no sign of why the Boeing 777-200ER would have vanished from radar screens about an hour after it took off from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing.
“We are not ruling out any possibilities,” MalaysiaAirlinesCEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya told a news conference.
By the early hours of Sunday, there were no confirmed signs of the plane or any wreckage, well over 24 hours after it went missing. Operations will continue through the night, officials said.
There were no indications of sabotage (蓄意破坏) nor claims of an attack. But the passenger list issued by the airline included the names of two Europeans—Austrian Christian Kozel and Italian Luigi Maraldi—who, according to their foreign ministries, were not in fact on the plane.
A foreign ministry spokesman in Vienna said: “Our embassy got the information that there was an Austrian on board. That was the passenger list from Malaysia Airlines. Our system came back with a note that this is a stolen passport.”
Austrian police had found the man safe at home. The passport was stolen two years ago while he was travelling inThailand, the spokesman said.
The foreign ministry in Rome said no Italian was on the plane either, despite the inclusion of Maraldi’s name on the list. His mother, Renata Lucchi, told Reuters his passport was lost, presumed stolen, inThailandin 2013.
U.S. and European security officials said that there was no proof of any terrorist link and there could be other explanations for the use of stolen passports.What was Ahmad Jauhari Yahya’s attitude?
| A．Uncertain. | B．Negative. | C．Positive. | D．Confident. |
According to the passage, the foreign ministry spokesman in Vienna had made sure ______.
| A．two passports had been stolen by two Europeans |
| B．Christian Kozel was the man who kidnapped the plane |
| C．the Austrian on board was actually at home |
| D．Christian Kozel lied to the police |
Which of the following is true about Maraldi?
| A．He was from Austria. |
| B．He was found safe at home. |
| C．His mother was sad when she saw his name on the list. |
| D．His passport was lost in Thailand. |
Who should be responsible for the missing of the plane according to the passage?
| A．Terrorists. | B．Two people using false identities. |
| C．We are not sure. | D．Christian Kozel and Luigi Maraldi. |
The Albinas married when Mr. Albina was 30, and they spent the early marriage in Argentina. Then they decided to move to Chile, which meant they had to cross the Andes Mountains. They and their 20s sons made the difficult two-week journey on horses. One night there was a terrible snow storm in the mountains, during which Mrs Albina gave birth to triplets (三胞胎), a boy and two girls.
Mrs Albina now has 30 more girls, including the twins who are 15 months old. The oldest Albina children are in their 30s and 40s. They are on their own now, but 18 of the kids still live with their parents in a two-room house. The house has electricity but no toilet or running water. Clearly, the Albinas don’t have enough money and food for the big family. Why, then, do they continue to have children?
The Albinas do not use birth control because it is against their religion. They can let other people take care of their kids, but Mrs Albina doesn’t allow it. “When we were babies,” she said, “our mother left us at an orphanage and never returned. Then a couple adopted my brothers, and I was left behind. I was heartbroken. I promised that when I became a mother I would never give my children away.”
So the Albina family continues to grow. They have so many kids that they run out of names and have to give some children the same name. There are three Susannas, three Miriams, two Estrellas, and two Soledades.
Will the family stop at 53 kids? Mr Albina is 77, and Mrs Albina is 59. “I am getting old,” she said with a smile, “and I would like God to think of me and consider my age. But if God sends more children to me, yes, there will be more.”What is said about the children in the Albinas in the passage?
| A．Some children are raised by others. |
| B．God sent the children to the Albinas. |
| C．The children are all twins or triplets. |
| D．Most of the children are independent now. |
It can be inferred from the passage that______.
| A．Mrs Albina experienced a hard childhood |
| B．the Albinas would like to use birth control |
| C．ten kids in the family share the same name |
| D．the Albina family has lived in three countries |
How old was Mrs Albina when the Albinas got married?
| A．30. | B．25. | C．12. | D．18. |
What is the attitude of Mrs. Albina to continuing to have babies?
| A．He is very positive. |
| B．He doesn’t want to have more. |
| C．He hopes God will give them more. |
| D．He lets nature take its course. |
China has recently been faced with serious issues of product safety. In Panama, it is said that medicine made with a poisonous chemical sickened some people. A Chinese company had identified it as diethylene glycol, a low – cost substitute commonly used in automobile antifreeze.
Some countries have banned Chinese-made toothpaste containing diethylene glycol. China has now told companies to discontinue its use, even though it says the toothpaste is safe. Another industrial chemical, melamine, was found in wheat flour used to make pet food in North America. Thousands of dogs and cats became sick.
The United States has restricted some imports of Chinese seafood because they contained banned substance. And questions have been raised about other products, including children’s toys covered with lead paint.
Chinese officials promised to provide the European Union, the biggest trading partner, with detailed reports on enforcement efforts against unsafe goods.
Meglena Kuneva, commissioner (理事) for consumer protection of the European Union said China should have kept its promise.
China recently closed three companies linked to the Panama and the pet food scare. And it dismissed the former head of its food and drug administration. He was found guilty of corruption (腐败) for approving unsafe drugs. This week, a conference of the State Council approved a proposed special measure on the supervision of food safety. The Xinhua News Agency said it calls for stronger controls over producers, greater responsibilities for government and more serious punishment for illegal activities.
But Chinese officials have accused some foreign media of overstating problems with goods made in China. They say food imports from the United States also fail inspection sometimes. Next Week, American and Chinese food safety officials are planning to hold 5 days of meetings in Beijing to discuss cooperation.How many cases with safety problems are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Six | B．Five | C．Four | D．Three |
How was Panama case dealt with afterwards?
A. Three companies linked to it were closed down.
B. The former head of food and drug administration was executed.
C. More serious punishment was conducted for leaders linked to it.
D. Both A and B.It can be implied but not clearly stated that ________.
| A．Chinese made toothpaste is safe |
| B．the safety of “made in China” is doubted |
| C．there are safety problems with one more Chinese products |
| D．stronger control over Chinese products is in need |
The passage is mainly about ________.
| A．China is facing product safety problems |
| B．more controls are taken of Chinese goods |
| C．overstated problems with Chinese goods |
| D．China is losing its trade partners |
What does “it” refers to in the last but one paragraph?”
| A．China | B．The European Union |
| C．Chinese officials | D．The Chinese company |
“How lucky you are to be a doctor…” Anyone who’s a doctor is right out of luck, I thought. Anyone who’s studying medicine should have his head examined.
You may think I want to change my job. Well, at the moment I do. As one of my friends says－even doctors have a few friends－it’s all experience. Experience! I don’t need such experience. I need a warm, comfortable, undisturbed bed of my own. I need it badly. I need all telephones to be thrown down the nearest well, that’s what I need.
All these thoughts fly round my head as I drive my Mini(微型汽车) through the foggy streets of East London at 3:45 a.m. on a December morning. I am a ministering angel in a Mini with a heavy coat and a bag of medicines. As I speed down Lea Bridge in the dark at this horrible morning hour, the heater first blowing hot then cold, my back aching from the car-seat, I do not feel like a ministering angel. I wish I were on the beach in southern France. Call me a bad doctor if you like. Call me what you will. But don’t call me at half past three on a December morning for an ear-ache that you have had for two weeks.
Of course, being a doctor isn’t really all bad. We do have our moments. Once in a while people are ill, once in a while you can help, once in a while you get given a cup of tea and rock-hard cake at two o’clock in the morning－then you worry if you have done everything. But all too often ‘everything’ is a repetitious rule: look, listen, feel, tap, pills, injection, phone, ambulance, away to the next.
And then there is always the cool, warm voice of the girl on the switchboard of the emergency bed service who will get your patient into hospital for you－the pleasant voice that comes to you as you stand in the cold, dark, smelly, dirty telephone box somewhere in a dangerous section of town. Oh, it has its moments, this life does.According to the sentence “Anyone who’s studying medicine should have his head examined,” we know that ___________.
| A．a medical student should have a very good memory |
| B．a doctor must be mentally strong so that he can meet any difficult situation |
| C．the writer thinks that those who want to be doctors are crazy |
| D．to be a doctor is a challenge for people’s mental health |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．The writer wishes he could have a quiet, undisturbed night in bed at home. |
| B．One of his friends says that being a doctor helps one gain all sorts of experience. |
| C．He hates the telephone as a modern means of communication. |
| D．He is not happy with the small and uncomfortable car he is driving. |
The statement “We do have our moments” could best be replaced by “___________”.
| A．we doctors are called at a moment’s notice to see people who need medical treatment |
| B．usually we are glad that we can do something to help the sick |
| C．sometimes we find people are thankful for our help |
| D．there are chances that doctors find their work rewarding and satisfying |
From the whole passage we know that the writer _____________.
| A．is a bad doctor, unwilling to make a house call during the night-time |
| B．is so dissatisfied with his job that he wishes to find a new one |
| C．is satisfied with his job but he hates to be called out unnecessarily |
| D．thinks a doctor can enjoy certain special rights whether he felt lucky or not |
We can conclude that .
| A．the author is worried about his patient when he is driving through the foggy streets of East London |
| B．the author is annoyed to be called out at such an horrible morning hour for an ear – ache patient |
| C．the author is now heading for the beach in Southern France for his holidays |
| D．as the author speeds down Lea Bridge in the dark on a December morning, his Mini breaks down half way |
Fruit powered digital clock
Fruit’s not only good to eat, but it can also power this Fruit digital Clock. This clock uses the scientific principles on which modern electrical storage batteries are based. The acid from the fruit helps transmit an electrical flow between two metal poles. The clock is priced at US $ 15. Connecting any fresh fruit or vegetable to the clock will make it work. The fruit is a clean, renewable source of electrical power.
USB vacuum
Do you know the dirtiest parts of your desk are probably your keyboard and mouse? Get a USB Mini Vacuum with retractable(可伸缩的) cable and suck away all that junk. The US- made product is priced at US $14.
SIM card reader
Making useful USB 2.0 multi-card readers even handier, this card can also read and write data to phone SIM cards. It comes with SIM editing software. Download your phonebook to your computer. If you lose your cell phone, you can store missing phone numbers in your new one. The US-made IMOMO SIM card + Multi Card Reader is priced at US $ 19 (152yuan).
Beer in your ear
The beer barrel(桶)-shaped Naf Naf Hyp MP3 is a musical box that’s capable of playing radio, CDs and cassettes. It’s got all the standard features of the typical clock-radio, but with the relaxing look of a big beer barrel. The Danish product is priced at about US $ 130 (1,040yuan)If you have 115 yuan, which product can you buy according to the passage?
| A．Fruit powered digital clock | B．USB vacuum |
| C．SIM card reader | D．Naf Naf Hyp MP3 |
Which of the following statements is True?
| A．Fruit and vegetables cannot be used as batteries to make a clock work. |
| B．USB vacuum can be used to clean your house and yard. |
| C．With SIM card reader you won’t lose phone numbers. |
| D．Naf Naf Hyp MP3 can play radio, DVD and cassettes. |
What does “junk” mean in the second item?
| A．dirt | B．desk | C．keyboard | D．mouse |
The passage is mostly likely a(n) .
| A．entertainment information |
| B．science reports on new high – technology |
| C．introduction of some kinds of musical boxes |
| D．advertisement for new products |
SIM card reader can be used to .
| A．edit all the data in your computer |
| B．remove data in phone SIM cards specially |
| C．help restore your phone book in a new cell phone |
| D．transfer any file between a computer and a cell phone |