Researchers are now using 3D printing to create models of the human heart to help heart specialists. The heart doctors can use the models to better help patients before an operation.
Dr. Bramlet, a children’s heart expert at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, says the 3-D models show information he cannot get any other way.
“And so what we’ve done with the printed models? We’ve pulled it out of the screen so that you can actually hold it in your hand and evaluate the anatomy（解剖）.”
A 3-D printer uses images from a digital display to create a physical model of a human heart. Matthew Bramlet says doctors can use the model to understand the anatomy.
Pictures from medical tests like CAT scan or MRI are sent to a 3-D printer to create a heart in a plaster（石膏）form. The printer then constructs the heart, thin layer by thin layer. Dr. Bramlet says the model matches the real heart in every detail. “When we’re done with the model and made our decision, we want to be able to go back to the source image and confirm those findings,” he says.
Dr. Bramlet has built model hearts for different kinds of heart operations. All of the operations were successful. In his first case, digital images showed only one tiny hole in a baby’s heart. But, the 3-D printed model showed several defects or problems that the baby was born with. Dr. Bramlet says those defects could not be seen easily in the images. The heart surgeon was able to change the type of surgery for the patient based on the 3-D model. He added that 3-D heart models saves time during heart operations.
Kathy Magliato is a heart surgeon at Saint John’s Health Center in Los Angeles. She welcomes the new technology. She says it could help her make better decisions before she operates on the hearts of her patients.
“I can then take this very complicated structure before the operation and I can hold it in my hand and plan an operation around what I’m seeing, touching and feeling. That to me is what can potentially change the game in an operation and save lives.”
Dr Bramlet continues to research the technology. He is working with the National Institutes of Health to build a 3-D library that includes heart models and images that others can use.Whats the main idea of the passage?
| A．The application of 3-D printing in heart operations |
| B．The development of 3-D technology. |
| C．The difficulties of heart operations. |
| D．Heart operations with the help 3-D models. |
What is the biggest advantage of 3-D models in the diagnose of heart problems?
| A．Surgeons can see, touch and feel the 3-D models. |
| B．They can help surgeons save time. |
| C．They can be made exactly like the hearts. |
| D．They can help discover the otherwise hidden heart problems. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．The 3-D model can be taken out of a screen. |
| B．CAT scan and MRI are no longer needed. |
| C．The 3-D model is an exact copy of the heart. |
| D．Digital images are not reliable in heart operations. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Digital images will mislead heart surgeons. |
| B．More patients will benefit from the 3-D technology. |
| C．Heart operations will never fail with 3-D models. |
| D．Surgeons cannot operate on hearts without 3-D models. |
Books, software, and videos, no matter what you are looking for, if you turn on a computer and log (登录) on the Internet, you are sure to find something.
E-books are all over the Internet; some are free, and some are not. E-books are basically electronic books you can read without having to carry heavy books and flip through (翻阅) all the pages. Now authors not only sell regular books in bookstores but also sell e-books on the Internet. Some e-books are sold on CDs, too.
You can get all types of software right from the Internet. After you download it, you have it. It is so convenient that you can get it even without leaving the house. These are the advantages we have in today’s high-tech world.
We can find videos of different people. There are so many websites with videos that it would take you some time to actually go through them all. The cool thing about videos is that some people have their own websites or their own spaces where they can upload (上传) videos of their families or of different events and allow other people to view them. It is amazing.
The Internet is an exciting place and it plays a big part in our lives today. You can even pay your bills on the Internet if that’s what you want to do. The marketing industry is also doing a lot better because of the Internet. Companies can communicate very quickly with each other over the Internet.
1. What can we know from the second paragraph?
A. People are free to read e-books on the Internet.
B. People prefer e-books to paper books.
C. Some authors sell e-books in bookstores.
D. Some people sell e-books on CDs.
2. What can we know about the videos online according to the passage?
A. They are making human rights harder to protect.
B. They can include a lot of personal information.
C. They allow viewers to get to know each other more easily.
D. It’s a waste of time to watch videos online.
3. It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
A. people have to pay to download software
B. people usually pay their bills on the Internet these days
C. the Internet allows people to communicate more quickly
D. a lot of people still like paper books
4. The purpose of the passage is to______.
A. suggest that people start reading e-books on the Internet
B. advise people to form good computer habits
C. introduce many uses of the Internet
D. discuss problems people have online
三，阅读理解(共15小题；每小题2分,满分30分)
阅读下列短文,从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项。
During his college years, Rogers spent his summer holidays at an Idaho logging camp (伐木场). When Roy, the manager, had to leave for a few days, he put Rogers in charge. "What if the workers refuse to follow my orders?" Rogers asked. He thought of Tony, a worker who was always giving the other men a hard time. "Fire them," Roy said. Then, as if reading Rogers’ mind, he added, "I suppose you want to fire Tony if you get the chance. I’d feel bad about that. Tony is the most reliable worker I’ve ever had. I know he complains a lot, but he comes first and leaves last. There has not been an accident on the hill where he works for eight years." Rogers took over the manager’s job the next day. He went to Tony and spoke to him, "Tony, did you know that I’m in charge today?" Tony didn’t show any respect or interest. "I was going to fire you because you once gave me a hard time, but I want you to know I’m not," he told Tony, adding what Roy had said. When Rogers finished, tears streamed down Tony’s face. That day Tony worked harder than ever before —and he smiled for the first time! Rogers went back to school after that summer. Twelve years later he met Tony again. He was in charge of one of the largest logging companies in the West. Rogers asked him how he managed to become so successful. Tony replied, "If it were not for that time you spoke to me back in Idaho, I would not be myself today. That one minute changed my whole life." Have you got one minute to appreciate someone? It can make a difference for a lifetime.
1. Which of the following statements about Tony is TRUE?
A. He didn’t care about his work.
B. He never showed respect to his co-workers.
C. Nobody liked Tony because of his bad temper.
D. He worked hard but he always complained.
2. The manager’s attitude towards Tony is _____.
A. strict B. doubtful C. satisfied D. negative
3. Rogers changed his mind and didn’t fire Tony because _______.
A. Tony smiled at him
B. he learned more about Tony’s work
C. Roy didn’t give him the power to fire anyone
D. Tony didn’t give him a hard time anymore
4. What can we learn from Tony’s success?
A. It’s never too late to learn.
B. Well begun is half done.
C. It’s necessary to work with a wise boss.
D. It’s important to recognize others’ good qualities.
The United States government wants to know what the public thinks about its findings on the safety of cloned animals．
The Food and Drug Administration says meat and milk from clones of adult animals are safe to eat．They called them “as safe to eat as the food we eat every day”．
And when those clones reproduce sexually(有性繁殖)，the agency says，their offspring(后代) are safe to eat as well．
The United States this year could become the first country to allow the sale of foods from cloned animals．
First，however，the public will have ninety days to comment on three proposed
documents．On December 28th the F．D．A．released a long report，called a draft risk assessment，along with two policy documents．
The agency says it must receive comments by April second．The F．D．A． seemed ready to act several years ago，but an advisory committee called for more research．
For now，the government will continue to ask producers to honor a request that
they not sell foods from cloned animals．
Clones are still rare．They cost a lot and are difficult to produce．
The F．D．A．says most food from cloning is expected to come not from clones themselves，but from their sexually reproduced offspring．It says clones are expected to be used mostly as breeding animals to spread good qualities．
Public opinion studies show most Americans do not like the idea of food from cloned animals．But this research also shows the public knows little about cloning．
Cloning differs from genetic engineering．A cell taken from a so-called donor animal is grown into an embryo(胚胎)in the laboratory．Next，the embryo is placed into the uterus(子宫)of a female animal．If the process is successful，the pregnancy reaches full term and a genetic copy of the donor animal is born．
1．From the passage，we can conclude________．
A．cloned adult animals are safe to eat
B．foods from cloned animals are popular in America
C．cloned animals will be easy to produce
D．most foods from cloning is expected to come from clones themselves
2．The main purpose of the text is to________．
A．tell a story B．give a report
C．give advice D．compare opinions
3．Who believe that foods from cloning are safe to eat?
A．Most Americans． B．An advisory committee．
C．Critics． D．The F．D．A．
4．It can be inferred from the last paragraph that________
A．cloning has much in common with genetic
B．not every cell taken from a donor animal can grow into a genetic copy
C．the donor animal should be a female one
D．cloned animals grow faster than normal ones
China news, Beijing, Feb. 9 – Housing price in China has always aroused heated discussions among property developers and ordinary Chinese. To many property developers and local government officials, housing price in China is still low compared with many developed countries. However, the average housing price in the United States is only 8,000 yuan per square meter, while in China, it is even higher than in the United States. This shows that there are some bubbles(泡沫) in Chinese real estate (房地产) market, the International Finance News reported.
Although the average price of residential houses in the United States, after converted to Renminbi, is about 8,000 yuan per square meter, the houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses. If US property developers sell their houses according to the building area, then the housing price will be even lower than 8,000 yuan per square meter. In most big Chinese cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, houses are sold at a price even higher than those in the US.
The high housing sales price in large cities in China proves that Chinese real estate market does have some bubbles. Moreover, Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities. Furthermore, it should be noted that American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people. How can the Chinese afford to buy a house which is even more expensive than that sold in US?
At the beginning of 2007, Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public. Now in order to reduce the high housing prices, the government can regulate (控制) the real estate market by raising tax on property industry and controlling the release of loans and lands to property developers. At the same time, the government should allow people to build more houses through various fund-raising channels, such as funds collected from buyers or raised by working units. By applying these multiple means, it is expected that the high housing prices can be lowered.
1．Which of the following does NOT support the idea that the average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States?
A．Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities.
B．American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people.
C．The houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses.
D．There are more people who need houses in China than in the United States.
2．What is the main idea of this passage?
A．The Chinese government should do something to control the housing price.
B．There are some bubbles in Chinese real estate market.
C．The average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States.
D．The Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public.
3．How many measures are mentioned in the last paragraph in order to reduce the high housing prices?
A．Four B．Three C．Five D．Two
An important factor that plays a part in susceptibility （易受影响） to colds is age．A study done by the University of Michigan School of Public Health indicated the fact that seems to hold true for the general population．Babies are the group suffering most from colds, averaging more than six colds in their first years．Boys have more colds than girls up to age three．After the age of three, girls are more susceptible than boys, and teenage girls average three colds a year to boy's two．
The general frequency of colds continues to decline into adults．Elderly people who are in good health have as few as one or two colds annually．One exception is found among people in their twenties, especially women, who show a rise in cold infections（感染）, because people to this age group are most likely to have young children．Adults who delay having children until their thirties and forties experience the same sudden increase in cold infections．
The study also found that economics （经济状况） plays an important role．As income increases, the frequency at which colds are reported in the family decreases．Families with the lowest income suffer about a third more colds than families at the upper end．Lower income generally forces people to live in closer quarters than those typically occupied by wealthier people, and crowding increases the opportunities for the cold virus to travel from person to person．Low income may also influence diet．The degree to which poor nutrition affects susceptibility to colds is not yet clearly proved, but an inadequate diet is suspected of lowering resistance generally．
1．What factors cause people to catch colds easily?
A．Age and pregnancy．
B．Health and pregnancy．
C．Health and economics．
D．Age and economics．
2．Why does the lowest income lead to the rapid spread of colds?
A．Because poor people can't afford to go to see a doctor．
B．Because balanced diet has definitely affected poor people．
C．Because people with the lowest income have limited living space．
D．Because cold virus don't have opportunities to travel in poor families．
3．How does the study prove that age plays a part in susceptibility to colds?
A．Using comparison． B．Using graphs．
C．Using description． D．Using argument．
4．What can you learn from the passage?
A．Families with the lowest income suffer less colds than rich families．
B．The general frequency of colds are likely to increase among the poor．
C．Women in their twenties are most likely to avoid cold infections．
D．The general frequency of colds continue to rise into the adults．