Most people know that Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, and the first person to win it twice. However, few people know that she was also the mother of a Nobel Prize winner.
Born in September, 1897, Irene Curie was the first of the Curies’ two daughters. Along with nine other children whose parents were also famous scholars, Irene studied in their own school, and her mother was one of the teachers. She finished her high school education at the College of Sévigné in Paris.
Irene entered the University of Paris in 1914 to prepare for a degree in mathematics and physics. When World War I began, Irene went to help her mother, who was using X-ray facilities (设备) to help save the lives of wounded soldiers. Irene continued the work by developing X-ray facilities in military hospitals in France and Belgium. Her services were recognised in the form of a Military Medal by the French government.
In 1918, Irene became her mother’s assistant at the Curie Institute. In December 1924, Frederic Joliot joined the Institute, and Irene taught him the techniques required for his work. They soon fell in love and were married in 1926. Their daughter Helene was born in 1927 and their son Pierre five years later.
Like her mother, Irene combined family and career. Like her mother, Irene was awarded a Nobel Prize, along with her husband, in 1935. Unfortunately, also like her mother, she developed leukemia (白血病) because of her work with radioactivity（辐射能）. Irene Joliot-Curie died from leukemia on March 17, 1956.Why was Irene Curie awarded a Military Medal?
| A．Because she received a degree in mathematics. |
| B．Because she contributed to saving the wounded. |
| C．Because she won the Nobel Prize with Frederic. |
| D．Because she worked as a helper to her mother. |
Where did Irene Curie meet her husband Frederic Joliot?
| A．At the Curie Institute. | B．At the University of Paris. |
| C．At a military hospital. | D．At the College of Sévigné. |
When was the second child of Irene Curie and Frederic Joliot born?
| A．In 1932. | B．In 1927. |
| C．In 1897. | D．In 1926. |
In which of the following aspects was Irene Curie different from her mother?
| A．Irene worked with radioactivity. |
| B．Irene combined family and career. |
| C．Irene won the Nobel Prize once. |
| D．Irene died from leukemia. |
Britain’s symbolic red phone boxes have become out of date in the age of the mobile, but villages across the country are stepping in to save them, with creative intelligence. Whether as a place to exhibit art, poetry, or even as a tiny library, hundreds of phone boxes have been given a new life by local communities determined to preserve a typical part of British life. In Waterperry, a small village near Oxford, the 120 residents have filled the phone box next to the old house with a pot of flowers, piles of gardening and cooking magazines, and stuck poems on the walls.
They took control of the phone box when telecoms operator BT said it was going to pull it down, an announcement that caused such dissatisfaction that one local woman threatened to chain herself to the box to save it. “I’d have done it,”insisted Kendall Turner. “It would have been heartbreaking for the village.”Local councilor Tricia Hallam, who came up with the idea for the phone box’s change, said quite a few people would have joined her, adding, “We couldn’t let it go because it’s a British symbol.”
Only three feet by three feet wide, and standing 2.51-meter tall, the phone boxes were designed by Giles Gilbert Scott in 1936 for the 25th anniversary of the reign of King George V.Painted in “Post Office red” to match the post boxes, they were once a typical image of England and the backdrop（背景）to millions of tourist photographs.
Eight years ago there were about 17,000 across Britain, but today, in a country where almost everybody has a mobile phone, 58 percent are no longer profitable and ten percent are only used once a month. “On average, maintaining them costs $800 a year per phone box — about ￡44 million annually,” said John Lunb, general manager for BT Payphones..Some red phone boxes in Britain have been used for ______ .
a.selling flowers b.cooking c.reading d.exhibiting art or poetry
| A．a,b | B．c,d | C．a,b,c | D．b,c,d |
.Why do the villagers want to keep the red phone boxes ?
| A．Because millions of people visit Britain to see the red phone boxes. |
| B．Because the local people could earn a lot of money from the red phone boxes. |
| C．Because the red phone boxes have already become a symbol of Britain. |
| D．Because the red phone boxes may be useful for some people in emergency. |
.What is the color of the British post boxes according to the passage ?
| A．Green. | B．Red. | C．Black. | D．Yellow. |
.What is John Lumb’s attitude towards pulling down the red phone boxes ?
| A．Supportive. | B．Opposed. | C．Neutral. | D．Indifferent. |
A dog who chewed off his owner’s infected toe（脚趾）while he was passed-out drunk has been called a lifesaver. Jerry Douthett had been out drinking when his dog Kiko bit off a large part if his big toe. His wife, Rosee, rushed him to hospital where tests showed the 48-year-old musician had dangerous high blood-sugar levels. Doctors told him his toe would have had to be cut off anyway.
Mr Douthett said he had refused to get medical advice despite his toe being swollen for months. “I was hiding it from people, Rosee included,” he said. “It smelled , and I look back now and realize every time we’d visit someone with a dog, their dog would smell all over my foot.”
The night before Mr Douthett had agreed to see a doctor, he passed out at home after going out drinking. He said, “I woke up and the dog was lying along side by foot. I said, ‘Ah, there’s blood everywhere.’ I ran to the bathroom and started to scream.”
However, he believes Kiko could sense the disease coming from his big toe. “He’s a hero,” Mr Douthett said. “It wasn’t an aggressive attack. He just ate the infection. He saved my life. He ate it. I mean, he must have eaten it, because we couldn’t find it anywhere else in the house. I look down. There’s blood all over, and my toe is gone.”
Before the operation, Mr Douthett asked a nurse, “Is there any chance I can get whatever’s left of my toe, so I can give it to Kiko as a treat?” Kiko is still with the family but is under observation by authorities..Mr Douthett didn’t want to get medical treatment because ______ .
| A．he didn’t know about his disease at all |
| B．he was unwilling to let others know about his disease |
| C．doctors had no good ways to treat his bad toe |
| D．his wife advised him not to do that |
.From Paragraph 3 we can infer that ______ .
| A．Rosee managed to persuade her husband to go to hospital |
| B．Mr Douthett made his big toe worse by frequent drinking |
| C．Mr Douthett didn’t know his toe was chewed off at first |
| D．it is dangerous for people to let pet dogs sleep in the bedrooms |
.What did Mr Douthett think of his dog ?
| A．It was clever and brave. |
| B．It never attacked healthy people. |
| C．It was a cruel but helpful dog. |
| D．It was a dangerous dog in fact. |
Can peo
ple change their skin colour without suffering like pop king Michael Jackson? Perhaps yes. Scientists have found the gene that determines skin colour.
The gene comes in two versions, one of which is found in 99 per cent of Europeans. The other is found in 93 to 100 per cent of Africans, researchers at Pennsylvania State University report in the latest issue of Science.
Scientists have changed the colour of a dark-striped zebrafish to uniform gold by inserting a version of the pigment(色素) gene into a young fish. As with humans, zebrafish skin colour is determined by pigment cells, which contain melanosomes(黑色素). The number, size and darkness of melanosomes per pigment cell determines skin colour.
It appears that, like the golden zebrafish, light-skinned Europeans also have a mutation(变异) in the gene for melanosome production. Thi
s results in less pigmented skin.
However, Keith Cheng, leader of the research team, points out that the mutation is dif ferent in human and zebrafish genes.
Humans acquired dark skin in Africa about 1.5 million years ago to protect bodies from ultra-violet rays of the sun(太阳光紫外线), which can cause skin cancer.
But when modern humans leave Africa to live in northern latitudes, they need more sunlight on their skin to produce vit amin D. So the related gene changes, according to Cheng.
Asians have the same version of the gene as Africans, so they pr obably acquired their light skin through the action of some other gene that affects skin colour, said Cheng.
The new discovery could lead to medical treatments for skin cancer. It also could lead to research into ways to change skin colour without damaging it like chemical treat
ment did on Michael Jackson.. The passage mainly tells us that ________.
| A．people can not change their skin colour without any pain |
| B．the new discovery could lead to search into ways to change skin colour safely |
| C．pop king Michael Jackson often changed his skin colour as he liked |
| D．scientists have found out that people’s skin colour is determined by the gene |
. Scientists have done an experiment on a dark-striped zebra fish in order to ________.
| A．find the different genes of humans’ |
| B．prove the humans’ skin colour is determined by the pigment gene |
| C．find out the reason why the Africans’ skin colour is dark |
| D．find out the ways of changing peopl’s skin colour |
. The reason why Europeans are light-skinned is probably that ________.
| A．they are born light-skinned people |
| B．light-skinned Europeans have mutation in the gene for melanosome production |
| C．they have fewer activities outside |
| D．they pay much attention to protecting their skin |
For many people in the US，sports are not just for fun. They’re almost a “religion”．Thousands of sports fans buy expensive tickets to watch their favorite teams and athletes play in person .Other fans watch the games at home，sticking to their TV sets，never missing a game. Many a wife becomes a “sports widow” during her husband’s favorite season. Americans’ devotion to sports has created a new class：professional athletes. Sports stars often receive milliondollar salaries. Some even make big money by appearing in advertisements for soft drinks，shoes and almost everything.
Sports are an important part of American culture. Throughout their school life，Americans learn to play many sports. Many students try out
for the school teams. Athletic events at universities attract scores of fans and benefit the whole community. Many people also enjoy noncompetitive activities，like hiking，cycling，horseback riding，camping or hunting.
Many sports were imported from other countries. Europeans brought tennis，golf，bowling and boxing to America .Football and baseball came from other Old World games. Only basketball has a truly American origin. Americans export sports fever as well. Satellites broadcast games to sports fans around the globe. NBA is a good example. The names of American superstars like basketball great Michael Jordan have become household words all over the world.．Many a wife becomes a “sports widow” in the US probably because________.
| A．they are serious in religion |
| B．they are devoted to sports |
| C．their husbands stick to sports |
| D．their husbands are missing |
．Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The US sports stars can earn a large sum of money via the media. |
| B．American students go in for various sports and athletic events. |
| C．Lots of American people take part in noncompetitive activities. |
| D．American people like to exchange different sports from each other. |
．The writer mainly intends to tell us________.
| A．how important sports are in America |
| B．where sports can help to make money |
| C．why sports are so popular in America |
| D．what affect Americans’ everyday life |
Many years ago my
student asked me the question, "Mrs. Kindred, why do you teach?" Without taking time to reflect, I answered, "Because someday I might say something that might make a difference in someone's life." Even though I was sincere, that wasn't a very good answer and my student didn't let it slide.
"Let me get this straight," he said, "You went to college for four years so you could come here every day because you have the hope that someday you might say something that will influence someone?" He shook his head as if I were cra zy and walked away looking confused . I'm one of those people who look back and wish they had said something smart or witty, or swift.
Even though that particular student might no longer wonder why I teach, there are days when I wonder. On those days, I remind myself of the real reasons I teach: It's in my blood. My mother was my most influential teacher, and she was a 6th grade reading teacher until her death in 1990. She instilled(逐渐灌输) in me a love of reading and the knowledge that education opens doors.
Teaching is a way to make a difference. If you throw a stone in a pond the ripples go on and on until they reach the shore. You can't have ripples without a "stone." Good teachers throw stones that make a positive difference, and that's what I strive to do. I genuinely love teenagers. I want to share with others what I know and what I have learned through the years. Life is full of ups and downs, and if I can help students avoid some potholes on the road of life, I want to do so. If they'll allow me to celebrate their victories with them, I want to do too.
Teaching isn't for everyone, but I know I made the right career choice.. Why did the student continue to ask the question about the writer’s being a teacher?
| A．Because he thought her answer was unbelievable. |
| B．Because the writer was insincere. |
| C．Because the student was naughty. |
| D．Because the answer was difficult to understand. |
. What do you think of the writer?
| A．Stupid. | B．Honest. | C．Insincere. | D．Polite. |
. According to the text, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The writer’s mother has the greatest influence on her. |
| B．The writer’s answer made the student confused. |
| C．In the writer’s opinion, some people in the world are unfit to teach. |
| D．The writer annoyed the student who asked the question. |
. We can infer from the text that _________.
| A．the writer was also a good teacher in school |
| B．the writer often plays with her students beside a pond |
| C．the writer devotes herself to teaching and her students. |
| D．the writer often accompanies the students on their way home |
. What’s the main idea of the text?
| A．A student’s silly question. | B．A good teacher who likes students. |
| C．A confused student. | D．The reason why I teach. |