Conventional wisdom says that hardship can make us old before our time. In fact, a new study suggests that violence not only leaves long-term scars on childrens bodies, but also changes their DNA, causing changes that are equal to seven to ten years of premature aging.
Scientists measured this by studying the ends of childrens chromosomes(染色体), called telomeres, says Idan Shalev, lead author of a study published in Molecular Psychiatry.
Telomeres are special DNA sequences which prevent the DNA in chromosomes from separating. They get shorter each time a cell divides, until a cell cannot divide any more and dies.
Several factors have been found to shorten telomeres, including smoking, radiation and psychological stresses such as being treated badly when young and taking care of a chronically ill person.
In this study, researchers examined whether exposure to violence could make children’s telomeres shorten faster than normal. They interviewed the mothers of 236 children at ages 5, 7 and 10, asking whether the youngsters had been exposed to domestic violence between the mother and her partner; physical maltreatment by an adult; or bullying. Researchers measured the children’s telomeres—in cells obtained by swabbing the insides of their cheeks—at ages 5 and 10.
Telomeres shortened faster in kids exposed to two or more types of violence, says Shalev. Unless that pattern changes, the study suggests, these kids could be expected to develop diseases of aging, such as heart attacks or memory loss, seven to 10 years earlier than their peers.
Shalev says there is hope for these kids. His study found that, in rare cases, telomeres can lengthen. Better nutrition, exercise and stress reduction are three things that may be able to lengthen telomeres, he says.
The study confirms a small but growing number of studies suggesting that early childhood adversity imprints itself in our chromosomes, says Charles Nelson, a professor of pediatrics and neuroscience at Harvard Medical School.The new study found that ________.
| A．hardship can change a childs aging |
| B．violence leaves scars on a childs mind |
| C．violence can speed up a childs aging |
| D．hardship has a long term effect on a childs mind |
According to the text, telomeres ________.
| A．are at the ends of peoples chromosomes |
| B．can help prevent DNA from separating |
| C．can make a cell die quickly |
| D．become shorter before they die |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
| A．Violence can cause quick cell division in childrens body. |
| B．Researchers measured the childrens telomeres from their legs in the study. |
| C．Being treated badly will make a childs telomeres shorten faster. |
| D．Children who have shorter telomeres may have a heart attack earlier. |
What is the best title for the text?
| A．Violence Aging Childrens DNA |
| B．Childrens Changing DNA Patterns |
| C．Violence and Telomeres |
| D．The Function of Telomeres |
Social networking websites are causing alarming changes in the brains of young users, a famous scientist has warned．Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Bebo are said to shorten attention spans （幅度）, encourage instant satisfaction and make children more self-centered．
Warnings from neuroscientist （神经系统科学家） Susan Greenfield will disturb the millions whose social lives depend on surfing their favorite websites each day．But they will strike a chord （弦） with parents and teachers who complain that many teenagers lack the ability to communicate or concentrate away from their screens．
More than 150 million use Facebook to keep in touch with friends, share photographs and videos and post regular updates of their movements and thoughts．A further six million have signed up to Twitter, the "micro-blogging" service that lets users exchange text messages about themselves．But while the sites are popular and extremely profitable, a growing number of psychologists and neuroscientists believe they may 
be doing more harm than good．
Baroness Tarot, an Oxford University neuroscientist believes repeated exposure could rewire the brain．Computer games and fast-paced TV shows were also a factor, she said．"My fear is that these technologies are weakening the brain to the state of small children who are attracted by buzzing noises and bright lights, who have a small attention span and live for the moment．" "I often wonder whether real conversation in real time may eventually give way to these easier and faster screen dialogues, in much the same way as killing and butchering an animal to eat has been replaced by the convenience of packages on the supermarket shelf," she said．
Psy
chologists have also argued that digital technology is changing the way we think．They point out that students no longer need to plan their term papers before starting to write—thanks to word processors they can edit as they go along．
A study by the Broadcaster Audience Board found teenagers now spend seven and a half hours a day in front of a screen．Educational psychologist Jane Healy believes children should be kept away from computer games until they are seven．Most games only excite the "flight or fight" areas of the brain, rather than the areas responsible reasoning．
Sue Palmer, author of Toxic Childhood, said: "We are seeing children's brain development damaged because they don't engage in the activity they have engaged in for thousand
s of years．I'm not against technology and computers．But before they start social networking, they need to learn to make real relationships with people．".
According to the passage, social networking websites might _____．
| A．make young users more selfish |
| B．lengthen young users' attention span |
| C．encourage young users constant satisfaction |
| D．help young users communicate better with their families |
.
A neuroscientist may worry that sites like Facebook may ______．
| A．help children learn to make real relationships with people in society |
| B．encourage students not to plan their term papers before starting to write |
| C．disturb those whose social lives depend on surfing their favorite websites |
| D．make real conversation in real time give way to easier and faster screen dialogue |
.
From the passage we can infer that _____．
| A．Baroness Tarot agrees websites cause small children's small attention span |
| B．Jane Healy believes computer games can do good to children's reasoning |
| C．Susan Greenfield's warnings have been brought to wide public attention |
| D．Sue Palmer's book Toxic Childhood discusses the development of networking |
.
What is the purpose of this passage?
| A．To tell us the conflict between neuroscientists and psychologists on websites． |
| B．To present some negative opinions on social networking websites． |
| C．To offer advice on the problem of brain damage caused by social networking． |
| D．To analyse how social networking websites cause damage in the brains of teenagers． |
Grandpa Nybakken loved life—especially when he could play a trick on somebody. At those times, his large Norwegian frame shook with laughter while h
e pretended innocent surprise, exclaiming, “Oh, forevermore!” But on a cold Saturday in downtown Chicago, Grandpa felt that God played a trick on him, and grandpa wasn’t laughing.
Grandpa worked as a carpenter. On this particular day, he was building some boxes for the clothes his church was sending to an orphanage abroad. On his way home, he reached into his shirt pocket to find his glasses, but they were gone. He remembered putting them there that morning, so he drove back to the church．His search proved fruitless.
Suddenly, he realized what had happened. The glasses had slipped out of his pocket unnoticed and fallen into one of the boxes, which he had nailed shut. His brand new glasses were heading for China!
The Great Depression was at its height, and Grandpa had six children. He had spent twenty dollars for those glasses that very morning.
“It’s not fair,” he told God as he drove home in frustration. “I’ve been very faithful in giving of my time and money to your work, and now this.”
Several months later, the director of the orphanage was on vacation in the United States．He wanted to visit all the churches that supported him, so he came to speak on Sunday night at my grandfather’s small church in Chicago．Grandpa and his family sat in their usual seats among the small congregation（教堂会众）.
“But most of all,” he said, “I must thank you for the glasses you sent last year.”
“Even if I had the money, there was simply no way of replacing those glasses．Along with not being able to see well, I experienced headaches every day, so my co-workers and I were much in prayer about this．Then your boxes arrived．When my staff removed the covers, they found a pair of glasses lying on the top.” After a long pause, he continued, “Folks, when I tried on the glasses, it was as though they had been custom-made just for me! I want to thank you for being a part of that!”
The people listened, happy for the amazing glasses．But the director surely must have confused their church with another, they thought, there were no glasses on their list of items to be sent overseas.
But sitting quietly in the back, with tears streaming down his face, an ordinary carpenter realized the Master Carpenter had used him in an extraordinary way.
56．Which of the following is NOT true about Grandpa Nybakken according to the passage?
| A．He was an outgoing man and held an active attitude towards life. |
| B．He had a large family to support. |
C．He was a carpent er working in the church. |
| D．He was a loyal Christian. |
Most British telephone cards are just plain green, but card collecting is becoming a popular hobby in Britain and collectors even have their own magazine, International Telephone Cards. One reason for their interests is that cards from around the world come in a wide variety of different and often very attractive design, There are 100, 0
00 different cards in Japan alone, and there you can put your own design onto a bank card simply by using a photograph or a business card.
The first telephone cards, produced in 1976, were Italian. Five years later the first British card appeared, and now you can buy cards in more than a hundred countries. People usually start collecting cards because they are attractive, small and light, and they do not need much space. It is also a cheap hobby for beginners, although for some people it becomes a serious business. In Paris, for example, there is a market where you can buy only telephone cards, and some French cards cost up to 4,000 pounds. The first Japanese card has a value of about 28,000 pounds. Most people only see cards with prices like these in their collectors’ magazine.The passage is mainly about __________.
| A．the history of phone cards. | B．phone card collecting as a hobby |
| C．reasons for phone card collecting | D．the great variety of phone cards |
When did people in Britain begin to us
e phone card?
| A．In 1971. | B．In 1975 | C． In 1976. | D．In 1981. |
The main reason for most people to collect phone cards is that _________.
| A．they find the cards beautiful and easy to keep |
| B．they like to have something from different countries |
C．the y want to make money with cards |
| D．they think the cards are convenient to use |
The writer mentions a market in Paris in order to show that __________.
| A．card collecting is popular among young people |
| B．French and Japanese cards are the most valuable |
| C．People can make money out of card collecting |
| D．Card collectors’ magazines are very useful |
Everybody knows that words can carry messages. People communicate with words. Books, magazines, TV，radio and films all help us to know what is going on in the world and what people are thinking about.
Do you think you can communicate without words? A smile on your face s
hows you are happy or friendly. Tears in your eyes tell others that you are sad. When you put up your hand in class, the teacher knows that you want to say something or ask a question. You shake your head, and people know you are saying “No”. You nod and people know you are saying “Yes”.
Other things can also carry messages. For example, a sign at the bus stop helps you to know which bus to take. A sign on the wall of your school helps you to find the library. Signs on doors tell you where to go in or out. Have you ever noticed there are a lot of signs around you and you receive messages from them all the time? People can communicate in many ways without words. For example, an artist can use his drawings to tell about beautiful mountains, seas and many other things. Choose the best title for this passage.
| A．Ways for Communication. | B．The Best Way for Communication. |
| C．The Only Way for Communication. | D．Words Can Carry Messages. |
How can people communicate with each other?
| A．With words only | B．Only without words. |
| C．Either with words or without words. | D．Just by using different kinds of signs. |
Which of the following is NOT a way for communication without words?
| A．A cry for help | B．A smile on your face | C．Making a face | D．Nodding your head |
One day newly wedded Nancy lost her ring while helping to plant potatoes. Friends were called and the field was searched long but in vain(徒劳). Later, when the potatoes were harvested, Everyone looked out for the ring but it remained lost. Another year came round and all the farmers working in the field kept their eyes open. The following year was the same. And year after year, whoever had business in the field always had Nancy’s ring in his mind.
Then the farm changed hands but it went no farther than to cousins. So the memory of the lost ring remained alive until thirty-eight years had passed. Then came a spring day when a man was ploughing the field behind a pair of horses. Even after thirty-eight years he still looked out for the ring, a
nd knew just which part of
the field Nancy had lost it in. At this time, when he came there, he found it .He picked it up, put it carefully into his pocket, left his horse, and ran all the way down to the village and placed it into Nancy’s hand. How did Nancy come to lose her ring?
| A．She lost it while helping to harvest tomatoes in the field |
| B．She lost it while watering the plants in the field. |
| C．She lost it while working in the field. |
| D．She lost it while helping to plant potatoes in the field. |
Why did people keep looking for the ring even after the farm changed hands?
| A．It was a very expensive ring | B．They all wanted to solve the mystery. |
| C．They all loved Nancy. | D．Everybody wanted to have this ring. |
What did the ploughman do after finding the ring?
| A．He picked it up and put it in his pocket. |
| B．He ran back to tell everybody in the village. |
| C．He placed it in a secret spot. |
| D．He returned it to the owner. |
. What can you infer from the story?
| A．The ring was invaluable. |
| B．People on the farm were honest and helpful. |
| C．The ring’s disappearance was the work of supernatural power. |
| D．Nancy no longer expected that her ring would be found again. |