What will people die of 100 years from now? If you think that is a simple question, you have not been paying attention to the revolution that is taking place in biotechnology(生物技术). With the help of new medicine, the human body will last a very long time. Death will come mainly from accidents, murder and war. Today's leading killers, such as heart disease, cancer, and aging itself, will become distant memories.
In discussion of technological changes, the Internet gets most of the attention these days. But the change in medicine can be the real technological event of our times. How long can humans live? Human brains were known to decide the final death. Cells(细胞)are the basic units of all living things, and until recently, scientists were sure that the life of cells could not go much beyond 120 years because the basic materials of cells, such as those of brain cells, would not last forever. But the upper limits will be broken by new medicine. Sometime between 2050 and 2100, medicine will have advanced to the point at which every 10 years or so, people will be able to take medicine to repair their organs(The medicine, made up of the basic building materials of life, will build new brain cells, heart cells, and so on—in much the same way our bodies make new skin cells to take the place of old ones.)
It is exciting to imagine that the advance in technology may be changing the most basic condition of human existence, but many technical problems still must be cleared up on the way to this wonderful future.According to the passage, human death is now mainly caused by________.
| A．diseases and aging |
| B．accidents and war |
| C．accidents and aging |
| D．heart disease and war |
In the author's opinion, today's most important advance in technology lies in________.
| A．medicine |
| B．the Internet |
| C．brain cells |
| D．human organ |
Humans may live longer in the future because________.
| A．heart disease will be far away from us |
| B．human brains can decide the final death |
| C．the basic materials of cells will last forever |
| D．human organs can be repaired by new medicine |
We can learn from the passage that________.
| A．human life will not last more than 120 years in the future |
| B．humans have to make medicine to build new skin cells now |
| C．much needs to be done before humans can have a longer life |
| D．we have already solved the technical problems in building new cells |
I am a writer.I spend a great deal of my time thinking about the power of language—the way it can evoke(唤起)an emotion，a visual image，a complex idea，or a simple truth.Language_is_the_tool_of_my_trade.And I use them all—all the Englishes I grew up with.
Born into a Chinese family that had recently arrived in California，I've been giving more thought to the kind of English my mother speaks.Like others，I have described it to people as “broken” English.But I feel embarrassed to say that.It has always bothered me that I can think of no way to describe it other than“broken”，as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed，as if it lacked a certain wholeness.I've heard other terms used，“limited English”， for example.But they seem just as bad，as if everything is limited，including people's perceptions(认识)of the limited English speaker.
I know this for a fact，because when I was growing up, my mother's “limited” English limited my perception of her.I was ashamed of her English.I believed that her English reflected the quality of what she had to say.That is，because she expressed them imperfectly her thoughts were imperfect. And I had plenty of evidence to support me：the fact that people in department stores，at banks，and at restaurants did not take her seriously，did not give her good service，pretended not to understand her，or even acted as if they did not hear her.
I started writing fiction in 1985.And for reasons I won't get into today，I began to write stories using all the Englishes I grew up with：the English she used with me，which for lack of a better term might be described as“broken”：and what I imagine to be her translation of her Chinese，her internal(内在的)language，and for that I sought to preserve the essence，but neither an English nor a Chinese structure.I wanted to catch what language ability tests can never show：her intention，her feelings，the rhythms of her speech and the nature of her thoughts.By saying“Language is the tool of my trade”，the author means that ________.
| A．she uses English in foreign trade |
| B．she is fascinated by languages |
| C．she works as a translator |
| D．she is a writer by profession |
The author used to think of her mother's English as ________.
| A．impolite | B．amusing | C．imperfect | D．practical |
The author gradually realizes her mother's English is ________.
| A．well structured | B．in the old style |
| C．easy to translate | D．rich in meaning |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The change of the author's attitude to her mother's English. |
| B．The limitation of the author's perception of her mother. |
| C．The author's misunderstanding of “limited” English. |
| D．The author's experiences of using broken English. |
A MENTORING(导师制) program is giving life changing opportunities to Banbury youth.
Young Inspirations was founded two years ago to provide mentoring sessions for students and unemployed young adults aged 11 to 21.
Alex Goldberg，the program's founder，said：“We set up Young Inspirations because we wanted to give young people experiences which will potentially be life changing and broaden their outlook.”
“We try to create work experience opportunities that will really make a difference to our youth.For example，we've secured internships(实习) with worldfamous firms such as Honda.”
“At a time of funding cutbacks where schools are finding it more and more difficult to offer this kind of mentoring，it is extremely important that these opportunities are available both to help youth with their school work and grades and to give them opportunities which may help shape their futures.” Kieran Hepburn,14，is one of a group of Banbury youth who has benefited from the program so far.In October the Banbury School pupil was accompanied by Young Inspirations staff to Paris where he was an observer at the United Nations Educational，Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) International Youth Forum(论坛)．
The event was held for young people from around the world，to seek their views on how the future of youth and education should look.Kieran joined several hundred observers mostly in their 20s and was the only UK school pupil to attend the event.Kieran thinks the trip was a life changing experience.“Before we left I didn't quite know what to make of it but when we got there we didn't stop，it was amazing，” he said，“We went to three or four hours of debates each day and then did something cultural each afternoon.”
The main theme of the forum was how youth can drive change in political and public life.It dealt with issues(问题) such as drug abuse，violence and unemployment.
Kieran said：“It has really helped me to improve my confidence and social skills as well as my school grades and I was voted most improved pupil at school in August.”
The Young Inspirations mentoring sessions take place each Friday in Banbury.For details visit www.younginspirations.com.The Young Inspirations mentoring program aims to ______.
| A．train staff for worldfamous firms |
| B．offer job opportunities to young adults |
| C．provide youth with unique experiences |
| D．equip the unemployed with different skills |
According to Alex Goldberg，it is difficult for schools to offer the mentoring due to ________.
| A．the lack of support from firms |
| B．the cultural differences |
| C．the effect of unemployment |
| D．the shortage of money |
We can learn from the passage that ________.
| A．the visit to the United Kingdom was amazing |
| B．Kieran has made great progress in many aspects |
| C．the youth have found a way to solve their problems |
| D．the mentoring sessions are held every day except Friday |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Alex Goldberg，Founder of Young Inspirations |
| B．Young People Find a World of Opportunity |
| C．Kieran，Banbury School Pupil to Paris |
| D．Debates Help Youth with Their Grades |
Some people will do just about anything to save money.And I am one of them.Take my family's last vacation.It was my six－year－old son's winter break from school，and we were heading home from Fort Lauderdale after a weeklong trip.The flight was overbooked，and Delta，the airline，offered us $400 per person in credits to give up our seats and leave the next day.I had meetings in New York，so I had to get back.But that didn't mean my husband and my son couldn't stay.I took my nine－month－old and took off for home.
The next day，my husband and son were offered more credits to take an even later flight.Yes，I encouraged—okay，ordered—them to wait it out at the airport to “earn” more Delta Dollars.Our total take：$1,600.Not bad，huh?
Now some people may think I'm a bad mother and not such a great wife either.But as a big－time bargain hunter，I know the value of a dollar.And these days，a good deal is something few of us can afford to pass up.
I've made a living looking for the best deals and exposing(揭露) the worst tricks.I have been the consumer reporter of NBC's Today show for over a decade.I have written a couple of books including one titled Tricks of the Trade：A Consumer Survival Guide.And I really do what I believe in.
I tell you this because there is no shame in getting your money's worth.I'm also tightfisted when it comes to shoes，clothes for my children，and expensive restaurants.But I wouldn't hesitate to spend on a good haircut.It keeps its shape longer，and it's the first thing people notice.And I will also spend on a classic piece of furniture.Quality lasts.Why did Delta give the author's family credits?
| A．They took a later flight. |
| B．They had early bookings. |
| C．Their flight had been delayed. |
| D．Their flight had been cancelled. |
What can we learn about the author?
| A．She rarely misses a good deal. |
| B．She seldom makes a compromise. |
| C．She is very strict with her children. |
| D．She is interested in cheap products. |
What does the author do?
| A．She's a teacher. |
| B．She's a housewife. |
| C．She's a media person. |
| D．She's a businesswoman. |
What does the author want to tell us?
| A．How to expose bad tricks. |
| B．How to reserve airline seats. |
| C．How to spend money wisely. |
| D．How to make a business deal. |
Few laws are so effective that you can see results just days after they take effect.But in the nine days since the federal cigarette tax more than doubled－to $1.01 per pack－smokers have jammed telephone “quit lines” across the country seeking to kick the habit.
This is not a surprise to public health advocates.They've studied the effect of state tax increases for years，finding that smokers，especially teens，are price sensitive.Nor is it a shock to the industry，which fiercely fights every tax increase.
The only wonder is that so many states insist on closing their ears to the message.Tobacco taxes improve public health，they raise money and most particularly，they deter people from taking up the habit as teens，which is when nearly all smokers are addicted.Yet the rate of taxation varies widely.
In Manhattan，for instance，which has the highest tax in the nation，a pack of Marlboro Light Kings，cost $10.06 at one drugstore Wednesday.In Charleston，S.C.，where the 7 cent a pack tax is the lowest in the nation，the price was $4.78.
The influence is obvious.
In New York，high school smoking hit a new low in the latest surveys－13.8%，far below the national average.By comparison,26% of high school students smoke in Kentucky.Other low tax states have similarly depressing teen smoking records.
Hal Rogers，Representative from Kentucky，like those who are against high tobacco taxes，argues that the burden of the tax falls on lowincome Americans “who choose to smoke.”
That's true.But there is more reason in keeping future generations of lowincome workers from getting hooked in the first place.As for today's adults，if the new tax drives them to quit，they will have more to spend on their families，cut their risk of cancer and heart disease and feel better.The text is mainly about ________.
| A．the price of cigarettes |
| B．the rate of teen smoking |
| C．the effect of tobacco tax increase |
| D．the differences in tobacco tax rate |
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．The new tax will be beneficial in the long run. |
| B．Lowincome Americans are more likely to fall ill. |
| C．Future generations will be hooked on smoking. |
| D．Adults will depend more on their families. |
Rogers' attitude towards the lowincome smokers might be that of ________.
| A．tolerance | B．unconcern |
| C．doubt | D．sympathy |
What does the author think is a surprise?
| A．Teen smokers are price sensitive. |
| B．Some states still keep the tobacco tax low. |
| C．Tobacco taxes improve public health. |
| D．Tobacco industry fiercely fights the tax rise. |
Some years ago, writing in my diary used to be a usual activity.I would return from school and spend the expected half hour recording the day's events, feelings, and impressions in my little blue diary.I did not really need to express my emotions by way of words, but I gained a certain satisfaction from seeing my experiences forever recorded on paper.After all, isn't accumulating memories a way of preserving the past?
When I was thirteen years old, I went on a long journey on foot in a great valley, well－equipped with pens, a diary, and a camera.During the trip, I was busy recording every incident, name and place I came across.I felt proud to be spending my time productively, dutifully preserving for future generations a detailed description of my travels.On my last night there, I wandered out of my tent, diary in hand.The sky was clear and lit by the glare of the moon, and the walls of the valley looked threatening behind their screen of shadows.I automatically took out my pen...
At that point, I understood that nothing I wrote could ever match or replace the few seconds I allowed myself to experience the dramatic beauty of the valley.All I remembered of the previous few days were the dull characterizations I had set down in my diary.
Now, I only write in my diary when I need to write down a special thought or feeling.I still love to record ideas and quotations that strike me in books, or observations that are particularly meaningful.I take pictures, but not very often—only of objects I find really beautiful.I'm no longer blindly satisfied with having something to remember when I grow old.I realize that life will simply pass me by if I stay behind the camera, busy preserving the present so as to live it in the future.
I don't want to wake up one day and have nothing but a pile of pictures and notes.Maybe I won't have as many exact representations of people and places; maybe I'll forget certain facts, but at least the experiences will always remain inside me.I don't live to make memories—I just live, and the memories form themselves.Before the age of thirteen, the author regarded keeping a diary as a way of________.
| A．observing her school routine |
| B．expressing her satisfaction |
| C．impressing her classmates |
| D．preserving her history |
What caused a change in the author's understanding of keeping a diary?
| A．A dull night on the journey. |
| B．The beauty of the great valley. |
| C．A striking quotation from a book. |
| D．Her concerns for future generations. |
What does the author put in her diary now?
| A．Notes and beautiful pictures. |
| B．Special thoughts and feelings. |
| C．Detailed accounts of daily activities. |
| D．Descriptions of unforgettable events. |
The author comes to realize that to live a meaningful life is________.
| A．to experience it |
| B．to live the present in the future |
| C．to make memories |
| D．to give accurate representations of it |