Many science fiction stories tell about explorers arriving in a new world. The explorers then use some kind of high-tech device to test for breathable air or signs of life. But here on Earth, science fiction is becoming reality through a new sampling technology called environmental DNA, or e-DNA for short. Scientists can use it to identify rare or invasive species, study bio-diversity or estimate fish populations with just a little air or water.
Ryan Kelly is an ecologist at the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington in Seattle. He works in a laboratory there with other researchers. They study the genetic material released by living creatures. “Essentially we can take a sample of soil or air — and in our case — water, and we can sequence（to arrange the order of genes）the DNA out of it and tell you what is there.”
Ryan Kelly says he and his research team are studying water samples collected from Puget Sound. He says the cost of gene sequencing has “been reduced greatly in recent years.” That makes DNA testing more widely available.
Environmental DNA can be used in two ways. One is to identify the creatures that live in a certain place. The other is to confirm the presence or lack of a specific creature.
Caren Goldberg heads the new e-DNA lab at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. She is one of the first biologists in the northwestern United States to take the technology from the testing phase to actually using it.
“It is extremely useful for species that are really hard to find. I have spent many hours looking for species that I was pretty sure were there — looking under rocks, looking in water, doing all kinds of surveys.”
Caren Goldberg sees e-DNA as a way to get answers more efficiently, safely and with less destruction compared to traditional survey techniques. Until recently, scientists depended on diving deep, netting or using an electric current to temporarily catch fish.
“We’re absolutely at this point where proof-of-concept has been established. I don't think everyone necessarily is ready for it yet, but I think the majority of people are.”
This newer way to identify what lives in the environment is becoming popular around the world. Animal experts in Vietnam are using the e-DNA to find the last, wild Yangtze giant softshell turtles. One researcher on the Caribbean island of Trinidad is using the sampling technology to find endangered golden tree-frogs. And in Madagascar, it is being used to identify amphibian diseases.
Ms. Goldberg has used e-DNA testing to confirm the local extinction, disappearance, of a leopard frog in the American state of Idaho. She has also been asked to document the spread of the New Zealand mud-snail in the state of Washington. The creature has been found in lakes and other waterways across the state.
Now, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management wants Caren Goldberg to look for the Columbia spotted frog in two other western states. The rare amphibian is a candidate for the federal government's threatened species list.
Scientists working with the technology say they do not expect robots to replace field biologists anytime soon. But the old-fashioned field work could soon be more targeted.
A related research goal is to show how long environmental DNA can last and how far it can travel in different environments.Paragraph One is intended as _____ of the passage.
| A．the main idea |
| B．the introduction of the topic |
| C．a supporting detail of the main idea |
| D．a contrast of the main idea |
What has made E-DNA magic is that with E-DNA_____.
| A．you are likely to find information about a species with a little air, water, or soil |
| B．some kind of high-tech device can be used to test for breathable air or signs of life |
| C．you are able to get answers more efficiently, safely though with more damage |
| D．the cost of gene sequencing has been reduced greatly in recent years. |
So far, the technique of E-DNA has NOT helped scientists search for ______.
| A．wild Yangtze giant soft-shell turtles |
| B．endangered golden tree-frogs |
| C．the local extinction of a leopard frog |
| D．the spread of the New Zealand mud-snail |
Despites its advantage, we are still not sure of something about E-DNA. That is _____ .
A. the lasting time and the spreading area of E-DNA
B .the lasting time of E-DNA and too many species for E-DNA
C. too many candidates for E-DNA and the lasting time of E-DNA
D. robots and old-fashioned field work’s replacing E-DNAThe passage can be sorted as a(n) _____.
| A．science fiction | B．experiment report |
| C．science report | D．bio-diversity discovery |
Recently Dr. Cleiman has proved that everyone has a daily energy cycle. During the hours when you labor through your work, you may say that you are “hot”. That is true, the time of day when you feel most energetic (full of energy) is when your cycle of body temperature is at its peak(top). For some people the peak comes during the forenoon(上午前). For others it comes in the afternoon or evening. No one has discovered why this is so.
Much family quarrelling ends when husbands and wives realize what this energy cycle means and which cycle each member of the family has.
You cannot change your cycle, but you can learn to make your life fit it better. “Habits can help,” Dr. Cleiman believes. If your energy cycle is low in the morning but you have an important job early in the day, rise before your usual hour, and then you will work better at your low point.
Get off to a slow start which saves your energy. Get up with a lazy yawn(哈欠) and stretch. Sit on the edge of bed before putting your feet on the floor. Avoid the troublesome searching for clean clothes by laying them out the night before. Dr. Cleiman did
not explain in the passage ___________.
| A．how people can make their life fit their cycle |
B．whether everyo ne has a daily cycle or not |
| C．why people have their energy cycle of body at different times |
D．what will happen in the family if the couple fail to realize which cycle each member has |
For what reason may husbands and wives quarrel with each other?
| A．Either of them gets up late in the morning. |
| B．Husbands and wives have different cycles of energy. |
| C．Either of them wants to change the cycle of the other’s. |
| D．They do not know which cycle they themselves have. |
According to the passage,____________.
| A．one should get up earlier if he wants to work better at his low point in the morning |
| B．one can change his cycle |
| C．whenever you feel hot, your energy cycle reaches the highest |
| D．your cycle must be in the morning if you can get up early |
Which of the following can save your energy in the morning?
| A．Getting up late. | B．Jumping out of bed as quickly as possible. |
| C．Looking for clean clothes. | D．Sitting for a while before getting out of bed. |
Which of the following statements is wrong?
| A．If you know your cycle you can make good use of time. |
| B．If you know your cycle you can change it to fit your life. |
| C．Father and son do not necessarily have the same cycle. |
| D．Having a habit of doing something can make people affected less by their energy cycle. |
For centuries, the body’s blood has been linked closely with the emotions．People who show no human emotions or feelings, are said to be cold-blooded killer．For example, the police are searching for a cold-blooded killer．He seems to kill for no reason, and no emotion, as if taking someone’s life as nothing．
Cold can affect other parts of the body．The expression “get cold feet” has nothing to do with cold or your feet．The expression means being afraid to do something you have decided to do．For example, you agree to be president of an organization．But then you learn that all the other officers have resigned, and all the work of the organization will be your responsibility．You are likely to get cold feet about being president when you understand the situation.
The expression “give someone the cold shoulder” probably comes from the physical act of turning your back toward someone, instead of speaking to him face to face．You may give a cold shoulder to a friend who has not kept a promise he made to you．Or, to someone who has lied about you to others．
A cold fish is not a fish．It is a person．But it is a person who is unfriendly, unemotional and shows no love or warmth．A cold fish does not offer much of himself to anyone．Someone who is a cold fish could be cold-hearted．Now a cold-hearted person is someone who has no sympathy(同情心)．Several popular songs in recent years were about cold-hearted men or cold-hearted women who, without feelings, broke the hearts of their lovers．
Out in the cold means not getting something that everybody else got．A person might say that everybody but him got a pay raise---he was left out in the cold．And it is not a pleasant place to be．There are _________ expressions related to cold that are mentioned in the passage．
| A．3 | B．4 | C．6 | D．7 |
When you refuse to speak to a man and treat him in a distant way, you may express by “_________”．
| A．I give him the cold shoulder | B．I think he is a cold-blooded man |
| C．I think he is a cold fish | D．I’m likely to get cold feet |
If Sue shows absolutely no reaction（反应） to those awful pictures of starving children in Africa, you will say
_________．
| A．she is a cold-blooded killer | B．she gets cold feet |
| C．she is a cold fish | D．she is out in the cold |
We can use the expression “__________” to describe a man who hurts his lover without mercy．
| A．cold-blooded | B．cold shoulder | C．cold feet | D．cold-hearted |
The topic of this passage is about _________．
| A．the relationship between cold and our body |
| B．some expressions about friendship |
| C．some expressions connected with cold |
| D．how cold weather comes into being |
It has been found that less than one shopper in five makes a complete shopping list before going to the store. The reason for this is that seven out of ten of today’s purchases(购买) are decided in the store, where the shoppers tend toward impulse(冲动) buying. Buying groceries on impulse had risen for the past forty years, and this rise has coincided(巧合) with the growth of self-service shopping. However, in grocery stores where clerks wait on customers there is much less impulse buying. It is hard for people to buy on impulse if they have to address a clerk.
Psychologists have joined forces with merchandising(商品) experts. It is their job to persuade people to buy products which they may not need or even want until they see them attractively presented. It was discovered by the psychologists that shoppers want help in their purchases. Having so many choices confuses them, and they prefer the package that attracts them. Therefore, it is now more usual for food packers to pay attention to their package design. Attraction depends heavily on the position of the product on the shelf, however. Thus, persuading the shopper to buy is easier if the product is located at eye-level.According to the information in the first paragraph, ______ make a complete list.
| A．only five shoppers | B．less than twenty percent of the shoppers |
| C．only ten percent of the shoppers | D．not even five percent of the shoppers |
The reason for the above mentioned phenomenon is that _______.
| A．people have difficulty making up their mind before going shopping |
| B．people don’t know what is available in the store |
| C．people tend to decide on buying products when they see them |
| D．people are easily deceived(欺骗) by the attractive products |
In grocery stores where customers are served there is less impulse shopping. This may be because ________.
| A．the clerks ignore the customers |
| B．the clerks are too eager to serve the customers |
| C．the stores have to send the shopper’s purchases to his house |
| D．customers hesitate to ask for help if they haven’t decided what to buy |
Shoppers tend to buy the products put on _______.
| A．the top shelf | B．the bottom shelf |
| C．the shelf which people can see easily | D．the shelf where there is less confusion |
Which of the following might be the best title for this passage?
| A．Psychologists and Merchandising Experts. | B．Impulse Buying. |
| C．The more Products the More Confusion. | D．Self-service Shopping. |
Of all the areas of learning the most important is the development of attitudes. Emotional reactions as well as logical thought processes affect the behavior of most people.
“The burnt child fears the fire” is one instance; another is the rise of figures like Hitler. Both these examples point up the fact that attitudes come from experience. In the one case the experience was direct and impressive; in the other it was indirect and gradual.
The classroom teacher in the elementary school is in strategic position to influence attitudes. This is true partly because children acquire attitudes from those adults whose word they respect.
Another reason it is true is that pupils often search somewhat deeply into a subject in school that has only been touched upon at home or has possibly never occurred to them before. To a child who has previously acquire little knowledge of Mexico, his teacher’s method of handling such a unit would greatly affect his attitude toward Mexicans.
The teacher can develop proper attitudes through social studies, science matters, the very atmosphere of the classroom, etc. However, when children come to school with undesirable attitudes, it is unwise to attempt to change their feelings by criticizing them. The teacher can achieve the proper effect by helping them obtain constructive experience.
To illustrate, first-grade pupils, afraid of policemen will probably change their attitudes after a classroom talk with the neighborhood officer in which he explains how he protects them. In the same way, a class of older children can develop attitudes through discussion, research, outside reading and all-day trips.
Finally, a teacher must constantly evaluate her own attitudes, because her influence can be harmful she has personal prejudices. This is especially true in respect to controversial issues and questions of which children should be encouraged to reach their own decisions as result of objective analysis of all the facts.The author uses the phrase “the burnt child fears the fire” in order to __________.
| A．stress the importance of keeping child from the fire |
| B．exemplify（例证） the opinion that attitudes come from experience |
| C．illustrate the important role of attitudes towards study in the early childhood |
| D．none of the above |
According to the author, teachers may have great influence on children’s attitudes because___________.
| A．they can use marks to judge students |
| B．they can control students’ behavior |
| C．they may judge a student from their own likes and dislikes |
| D．their words are usually respected by the children |
Through which of the following factor a teacher CANNOT develop proper attitudes of students?
| A．Social studies | B．Science matters |
| C．The very atmosphere of the classroom | D．Criticism of children’s behavior |
In the author’s opinion, a teacher must constantly evaluate her own attitudes because_______.
| A．her personal attitudes may affect her students if she is prejudiced |
| B．she need to improve herself too |
| C．she is also often influenced by her students |
| D．she may not have a constant attitude towards some controversial sues（控诉） |
The main readers of this passage may be ___________.
| A．psychologists conducting complicated experiments |
| B．parents who have children in school |
| C．school teachers |
| D．students in primary school |
There is a popular belief among parents that schools are no longer interested in spelling. No school I have taught in has ever ignored spelling or considered it unimportant as a basic skill. There are, however, vastly different ideas about how to teach it, or how much priority（优先）it must be given over general language development and writing ability. The problem is, how to encourage a child to express himself freely and confidently in writing without holding him back with the complexities（复杂）of spelling.
If spelling becomes the only focal point of his teacher’s interest, clearly a bright child will be likely to “play safe”. He will tend to write only words within his spelling range, choosing to avoid adventurous language. That’s why teachers often encourage the early use of dictionaries and pay attention to content rather than technical ability.
I was once shocked to read on the bottom of a sensitive piece of writing about a personal experience: “ This work is terrible! There are far too many spelling errors and your writing is illegible（难以辨认的）.” It may have been a sharp criticism of the pupil’s technical abilities in writing, but it was also a sad reflection on the teacher who had omitted to read the essay, which contained some beautiful expressions of the child’s deep feelings. The teacher was not wrong to draw attention to the errors, but if his priorities had centered on the child’s ideas, an expression of his disappointment with the presentation would have given the pupil more motivation（动力）to seek improvement.Teachers are different in their opinions about ___________.
| A．the difficulties in teaching spelling |
| B．the role of spelling in general language development |
| C．the complexities of the basic writing skills |
| D．the necessity of teaching spelling |
The expression “play safe” probably means ____________.
| A．to write carefully | B．to do as the teachers say |
| C．to use dictionaries frequently | D．to avoid using words one is not sure of |
Teachers encourage the use of dictionaries so that___________.
| A．students will be able to express their ideas more freely |
| B．students will have more confidence in writing |
| C．teachers will have less trouble in correcting mistakes |
| D．students will learn to be independent of teachers |
The writer seems to think that the teacher’s judgment on that sensitive piece of writing is____________.
| A．unfair | B．reasonable | C．foolish | D．careless |
The major point discussed in the passage is_____________.
| A．the importance of developing writing skills |
| B．the complexities of spelling |
| C．the correct way of marking compositions |
| D．the relationship between spelling and the content of a composition |