The world has a fast growing population and people need more land for houses, factories, highways, and so on. The farmland is decreasing with each passing day. How to meet the need of feeding the growing population? One way is to introduce some high-output gene into a crop to enable it to produce more. Biologists over the years have discovered genes which can raise output of the crops, resist pests, improve taste, etc.
However, in many western countries there is widespread concern over the safety of“Genetically Modified”(GM) (转基因) foods, because they think there may be serious problems of environment, health, safety, morality and so on.
As a scientist I must admit GM foods involve great risks to humans. In fact in Europe they’re called “Frankenstein foods” by many. Frankenstein is a character in a novel. He was a very clever scientist. He created a monster（怪物）, which eventually killed him.
Soybeans can be made into many foods. However, it’s hard to trace them. Therefore, it’s very important we have to make sure the soybean, if genetically modified, is free from any poisonous matter harmful to human beings. For this we need very good testing. We do have some testing on some animals, but no completely satisfactory testing has ever been made so far. They’re entirely new, and their problems are entirely unknown. It takes time to develop persuasive tests to know whether they’re harmful to us or not.
We may not be able to tell what may happen if we take GM foods. Some of them may be resistant to antibiotics (抗生素). Then many of the medicines we have today will have no effect on people eating GM foods.
A more likely case is the GM foods may contain genes some people are allergic to.
GM products have already come into our lives but most people even know nothing about it.
At least we have to be clear about what we are eating. The China Consumers Association is calling for labeling (标注) on GM foods so that consumers will know before they buy them.The chief purpose of developing GM foods is to_______.
| A．feed the fast growing population |
| B．make the foods much cheaper |
| C．make the foods much tastier |
| D．kill pests on the crops |
From the passage we can infer that _____.
| A．many Europeans reject GM foods |
| B．GM foods are very popular in Europe |
| C．Frankenstein foods can make people clever |
| D．Frankenstein was a scientist creating GM foods |
The underlined phrase “trace them” in Paragraph 4 probably means“ ”.
| A．find their market | B．raise their quality |
| C．find their origins | D．enjoy their taste |
Which of the following is TRUE about GM foods?
| A．The testing shows GM soybean foods are free from poisonous matter. |
| B．Sometimes consumers can hardly tell GM soybeans from natural ones. |
| C．GM foods prove to be safe to humans after some testing on animals. |
| D．GM foods problems have been known after testing on animals. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．GM foods make antibiotics fail to function properly. |
| B．People eating GM foods will suffer from food allergies. |
| C．As GM foods are safe at present, they’re certainly safe later on. |
| D．People should be informed of which foods are GM foods. |
How can you help kids cope with （对付）stress? Proper rest and good nutrition can improve coping skills, so can good parenting. Make time for your kids each day. Whether they need to talk with you or just be in the same room with you, make yourself available.
Even as kids get older, quality time is important. It’s really hard for some people to come home after a tiring day of work, get down on the floor, and play with their kids or just talk to them about their day -- especially if they’ve had a stressful day themselves. But expressing interest in your kids shows that they’ re important to you.
Help your child deal with stress by talking about what may be causing it. Together, you can come up with a few solutions. For example, he should cut back on after-school activities, spending more time talking with his parents or teachers, developing an exercise plan or keeping a journal.
You can also help by predicting potentially stressful situations and preparing kids for them. For example, let a child know ahead of time, but not too far ahead of time, that a doctor’s appointment is coming up and talk about what will happen there. Keep in mind, though, that younger kids probably won’t need too much advance preparation. Too much information can cause more stress.
Remember that some level of stress is normal, Let kids know that it’s OK to feel angry, scared, lonely, or anxious and that other people share those feelings, too.
When kids can’t or won’t discuss these problems, try talking about your own concerns. This shows that you’re willing to handle tough topics and are available to talk with when they’re ready. If a child shows symptoms that concern you and is unwilling to talk, consult a counselor （顾问）or other mental health experts.
Most parents have the skills to cope with their children’s stress. The time to seek professional attention is when any change in behavior continues to exist, when stress is causing serious anxiety, or when the behavior is causing significant problems in functioning at school or at home.What is the purpose of the text?
| A．To share the author’s ideas on proper parenting. |
| B．To persuade parents to spend more time with their kids. |
| C．To advise parents how to help their kids deal with stress. |
| D．To seek different ways to help solve kids’ problems. |
Why do some parents feel it difficult to spare quality time for their kids?
| A．Their kids are growing so fast. | B．They have too much housework. |
| C．Their kids are losing interest in them. | D．They are tired out after work. |
You are advised not to talk too much about a stressful situation in advance because ________.
| A．it does no good to your kids | B．it doesn’t work in practice |
| C．your kids may not feel stressed | D．your kids don’t want to listen |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．Normal people share the same feelings. |
| B．It is normal for kids to have some stress. |
| C．Kids should get rid of the negative feelings. |
| D．Everybody feels angry, scared, lonely or anxious. |
My grandfather came from Hungary and was the only one in his family who settled down in the United States. The rest of his family remained in Europe. When World War I broke out, he seemed to have become another man, downhearted. Such obvious change was not born out of concern for his welfare, but out of fear: if his only son, my uncle, had to go to war, it would be cousin fighting against cousin.
One day in 1918, my Uncle Milton received his draft notice. My grandparents were very upset. But my mother, at the age of 10, felt on top of the world about her soldier brother going off to war. Realizing how he was regarded by his little sister and all of her friends, my uncle bought them all service pins, which meant that they had a loved one in the service. All the little girls were delighted.
The moment came when my uncle and the other soldiers, without any training but all in uniforms, boarded the train. The band played and the crowd cheered. Although no one noticed. I’m sure my grandmother had a tear in her eye for the only son. The train slowly pulled out, but not about a thousand yards when it suddenly paused. Everyone stared in wonder as the train slowly returned to the station. There was a dead silence before the doors opened and the men started to step out. Someone shouted, “The war is over!” For a moment, nobody moved, but then the people heard someone bark orders at the soldiers. The men lined up in two lines, walked down the steps, and with the band playing, marched down the street, as returning heroes, to be welcomed home. My mother said it was a great day, but she was just a little disappointed that it didn’t last a tiny bit longer.What the grandfather was most worried about was ______.
| A．the spread of the world war | B．the safety of his two cousins |
| C．a drop in his living standards | D．his relatives killing each other |
The underlined phrase “draft notice” means “______”.
| A．order for army service | B．train ticket for Europe |
| C．letter of rejection | D．note of warning |
What did the “service pins” （in Para. 2） stand for in the eyes of the little girls?
| A．Strength. | B．Courage. | C．Victory. | D．Honor. |
Which of the following words can best describe the ending of the story?
| A．Disappointing. | B．Unexpected. | C．Uncertain. | D．Inspiring. |
There have always been a lot of commonly believed but exercise. Some people believe that they can’t help putting on hold that if they stop exercising, their muscles will turn into fat. Here are some more myths：
false ideas about being fat and doing weight as they get older, while others
I‘ll never lose weight一I come from a fat family
Wrong! While we can’t change the body type we are bom with, we can’t blame our genes for making us fat. There’s plenty of evidence that fatness runs in families, and the main reason is that they
share the same habits of eating too much and exercising too little.
I am fat because I burn calories slowly
Wrong! Fatness is not caused by a slow metabolism(新陈代谢). In fact, although fat people consume more energy than slim people，they also fail to realize how much they eat! Keeping a diary can help you work out your daily food intake more accurately.
Exercise is boring
Wrong! Anything will become boring if you do it repetitively. The key is to develop a balanced and varied program thafs fun as well as progressive. If you enjoy a Sunday walk，take a different route. If you do yoga，try a tai chi class. If you like swimming, set yourself a distance or time challenge.
No pain, no gain
Wrong! Exercise is not meant to hurt. Indeed, pain is your body telling you something’s wrong, and continuing to exercise could lead to serious injury. You may experience mild discomfort as you begin to exercise regularly, but this is your body adapting to the positive changes in your lifestyle and the aches should disappear relatively quickly. If they don’t, rest and seek medical advice.What does the author think about being fat?
| A．It is the family genes that make people fat. |
| B．People are fat because they consume too little energy. |
| C．A diary of exercise can prevent people from becoming fat. |
| D．It is the consequence of people’s unbalanced lifestyle. |
According to the author, how can we make exercise more interesting?
| A．By taking varied exercise. | B．By choosing simple exercise. |
| C．By doing regular exercise. | D．By sticking to outdoor exercise. |
What is the author’s opinion about “No pain, no gain” in exercising?
| A．Keeping fit is essentially a painful experience. |
| B．Exercise should be stopped if continuous pain is felt. |
| C．Pain in exercise is a precondition for reaching your goal. |
| D．Getting used to pain leads to positive changes in your body. |
What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To declare the importance of keeping fit. |
| B．To clarify some misconceptions about fatness and exercise. |
| C．To confirm what has long been believed about keeping fit. |
| D．To explain some medical facts about being fat and doing exercise. |
The Cost of Higher Education
Individuals (个人) should pay for their higher education.
A university education is of huge and direct benefit to the individual. Graduates earn more than non-graduates. Meanwhile, social mobility is ever more dependent on having a degree. However, only some people have it. So the individual, not the taxpayers, should pay for it. There are pressing calls on the resources (资源) of the government. Using taxpayers' money to help a small number of people to earn high incomes in the future is not one of them.
Full government funding (资助) is not very good for universities. Adam Smith worked in a Scottish university whose teachers lived off student fees. He knew and looked down upon 18th-century Oxford, where the academics lived comfortably off the income received from the government. Guaranteed salaries, Smith argued, were the enemy of hard work; and when the academics were lazy and incompetent, the students were similarly lazy.
If students have to pay for their education, they not only work harder, but also demand more from their teachers. And their teachers have to keep them satisfied. If that means taking teaching seriously, and giving less time to their own research interests, that is surely something to celebrate.
Many people believe that higher education should be free because it is good for the economy (经济). Many graduates clearly do contribute to national wealth, but so do all the businesses that invest (投资) and create jobs. If you believe that the government should pay for higher education because graduates are economically productive, you should also believe that the government should pay part of business costs. Anyone promising to create jobs should receive a gift of capital from the government to invest. Therefore, it is the individual, not the government, who should pay for their university education. The underlined word "them" in Paragraph 2 refers to
| A．taxpayers | B．pressing calls | C．college graduates | D．government resources |
The author thinks that with full government funding
| A．teachers are less satisfied |
| B．students are more demanding |
| C．students will become more competent |
| D．teachers will spend less time on teaching |
The author mentions businesses in Paragraph 5 in order to
| A．argue against free university education |
| B．call on them to finance students' studies |
| C．encourage graduates to go into business |
| D．show their contribution to higher education |
Depression (抑郁症) is a serious problem today.Depression causes workers to be unproductive，causing companies and countries to lose billions of dollars.One expert says that depression is like cancer because it is “widespread，costly and deadly”．Depression hits one person in five around the world.
Although people have believed depression to be a problem among the rich and educated，studies show that depression is a problem among everyone.Over any sixmonth period，between five to seven percent of the world’s population will be suffering from a serious depression.Suicide rates among people suffering from the disease in its extreme，or clinical form were 80 percent higher than in the population at large，and sufferers were four times more likely to have heart attacks.People who suffer from depression often have problems sleeping，getting up on time，and doing work productively.
Depression，which researchers agree has its origin in the genes，brings loss of confidence and ability to concentrate—making it impossible for employees and managers to work efficiently.
Depression is made more serious in China by Chinese’s inability to face it.Many people believe that depressed people are either weak or lazy.Besides，there is no good treatment，with few specialists available.“Most patients in China just don’t get help，”a Chinese doctor says.“In my hospital，I have to see 30 or 40 patients in a morning，just have time to say ‘Hello，how do you feel？’”
In Western countries，people are not afraid to admit that they have depression，but most do not tell it to their boss，because they fear that they will be stricken_off_the_rolls.“In my experience，aging bosses are the most willing to admit they have it.Because they feel the most secure about themselves，” an American doctor says.
Hopefully，in the near future，people around the world will be able to admit that they have depression so that they can get the right treatment.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．It is widely believed that everyone may suffer from depression. |
| B．Depression brings great problems to its sufferers in their life and work. |
| C．Depression is a commonlyexisting problem only in rich countries. |
| D．The poorer and the less educated a person is，the less he will suffer from depression. |
Compared to normal people，the depressed people are likely to be________.
| A．very unconfident and often absentminded |
| B．easy to avoid being hit by heart attacks |
| C．working efficiently and productively |
| D．either weak or lazy |
Depression becomes more serious in China because of________.
| A．the understanding of the problem |
| B．the lack of treatment and doctors |
| C．their unwillingness to tell it to their boss |
| D．the doctors’ careless work |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．People are suffering from depression because of the shortage of specialists. |
| B．The aging bosses around the world dare to say they are depressed. |
| C．More and more patients will turn to specialists for help. |
| D．Western people are braver than Chinese people. |
What does the underlined words in the 5th paragraph mean?
| A．Hired. | B．Dismissed. | C．Promoted. | D．Recommended. |